Looking ahead: Formula 1 World Championship 2009

[Antaris Veteran]

Well, the 2008 season is over, and was an awesome spectacle, right down to the wire.

The 2009 seasons starts with the first race, The ING Australian Grand Prix @ Melbourne 26th-29th March 2009. What we know so far:

• 60th FIA Formula One World Championship.
  
• Currently 10 teams, 7 through FOM and the other 3 through GPMA/MoU.
  
• BBC have coverage rights for F1 for the next 5 years.
  
• Technical Regulations proposed in December 2006 by the FIA will be implemented for the 2009 season.
  
• Bridgestone to provide slick tyres.
  
• Each team will have a budget cap.
  
• Kinetic Energy Recovery System. clicky.
  
• 2009 will see the last British F1 race @ Silverstone, as the rights have now been awarded to Donnington Park for 2010 onwards.
  
• 2009 will see the last F1 race take place in Abu Dhabi.
  
• Currently 17 confirmed races.
  

Teams:

1. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen).
   
2. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Felipe Massa, Kimi R?ikk?nen).
   
3. BMW Sauber F1 Team (Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld).
   
4. ING Renault F1 Team (Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet).
   
5. Panasonic Toyota Racing (Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock).
   
6. Scuderia Toro Rosso (TBA).
   
7. Red Bull Racing (Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel).
   
8. AT&T Williams F1 Team (Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima).
   
9. Honda Racing F1 Team (Jenson Button, TBA).
   
10. Force India F1 Team (Giancarlo Fisichella, Adrian Sutil)..
    

Driver changes:

• Vettel moving to Red Bull Racing from Torro Rosso.
  
• David Coulthard retired, working as consulant and test driver.
  

Although Renault haven't confirmed their team yet, you can bet that Alonso will be here (is it his final season @ Renault?). Not sure what the story is with Piquet yet.

I'll be keeping my eye on BMW Sauber again, they did an impressive job in the 2008 season. Props go to Heidfeld, he was the only driver to finish every race of the 2008 season.Updated 06/11/2008b> - Renault team announcment thanks to Fourjays

Edited November 6, 2008 by Antaris

[FlibbyFlobby]

I hope Sebastian Bourdais keeps his Torro Rosso drive in 2009. I think he drove a good season, despite a few ups and downs, and it would be a real shame to see him leave.

[Antaris Veteran]

Yeah, he had a bit of a rough start, with 4 retirements, but seemed to get consistency towards the end. His highest finishing position was 7th @ the Belgian Grand Prix

[Fourjays Veteran]

The cars will look quite different next year. Full slick tyres, no "widgets", a wider front wing and a taller, narrower rear wing. Here is a Williams with an '09 spec rear wing. The front wing is apparently going to go out as far as the outside of the tyres do.

[Martyn]

Can't beat the cars of '92.

Slicks will be real interesting next season, and I am really looking forward to BBC getting the coverage back, they best play the old tune!!

[Brodel]

I'd completely forgotten about it switching to BBC. It should be awesome, I hope they do a good job of it. Having no ad breaks is a huge bonus already.

The narrow rear wing looks kinda odd too.

[Mike]

Can't beat the cars of '92.

Slicks will be real interesting next season, and I am really looking forward to BBC getting the coverage back, they best play the old tune!!

i prefer this years cars, well, if you ignore the horn type things on the nose cone & the shark fine :p

couple of points for 2009:

although renault got competitive at the end of 2008, it doesn't mean a great deal for 2009. Vettel and Red Bull could be the surprise package due to Adrian Newey designing their cars.

rain during a race would be even more of a lottery in 2009 due to the slicks having no grooves, and presumably zero grip when the track gets standing water on it, especially without traction control

hopefully over the winter they get a better safety car system, in 2008 it was a lottery where-by if you pitted just before the SC you got a major advantage

[Antaris Veteran]

I think one of the rule changes for 2009 (rumoured) is allowing the pit lane to be open when the SC is deployed.

View: clicky

I don't think this has been confirmed yet.

Update

Bruno Senna (nephew of the great Ayrton Senna) will be testing with Honda ahead of them announcing their team for with 2009 season. Bruno clocked an impressive year with GP2, and F1 is his natural progression from that sport.

View: Bruno Senna to test for Honda F1 team

[Fourjays Veteran]

They were testing other methods in practice sessions this year. The problem with it just being open (and why it was changed) is that people race round to make a pit stop, which kinda defeats the point of the safety car.

The entire grid will be a bit mixed up I think.

KERS will be a major factor, not only in the race (when to push the button) but for the teams. Ferrari have already said they are struggling with it (no surprise, considering they make sports cars) while BMW have got theirs finished (BMW have used various hybrid systems in roads cars, afaik). There are two methods of KERS as well, which makes things even more complicated.

Jarno Trulli 2009 World Drivers Champion? :D

[VidER]

What we know so far:

• 2009 will see the last F1 race take place in Abu Dhabi.
  

Last??

Or First?

VidER

[Antaris Veteran]

Toyota might not start with KERS in place (clicky)

Last??

Or First?

VidER

2009 will see the last F1 race take place in Abu Dhabi.

Should be read as "Last race of the 2009 season". I can see the confusion...sorry

[Fourjays Veteran]

The first race at Abu Dhabi will take place as the last race of the season.

[Antaris Veteran]

Missed this one from yesterday:

Senna to test with Toro Rosso aswell

[Mike]

They were testing other methods in practice sessions this year. The problem with it just being open (and why it was changed) is that people race round to make a pit stop, which kinda defeats the point of the safety car.

The entire grid will be a bit mixed up I think.

KERS will be a major factor, not only in the race (when to push the button) but for the teams. Ferrari have already said they are struggling with it (no surprise, considering they make sports cars) while BMW have got theirs finished (BMW have used various hybrid systems in roads cars, afaik). There are two methods of KERS as well, which makes things even more complicated.

Jarno Trulli 2009 World Drivers Champion? :D

i dont think trulli will be a world champion, he simply doesn't do a lot in races. He usually qualifies higher than he finishes and usually causes a trulli train :p (ie he holds cars up in the race)

i think it'll be good for a re-shuffle of the grid, but, i hope it's still a close grid, last seasons was very competitive. If someone perfects KERS and gets 3 tenths of a second ahead of everyone else, it'll become very boring very quickly. If not having KERS turns out to be a major disadvantage, then toyota could be in trouble as they are currently aiming for a mid-season "release" of their KERS.

[Antaris Veteran]

If BMW and perhaps Renault can produce a car that is competitive with Ferrari's and McLaren's cars, it will make the 2009 season even better.

[Fourjays Veteran]

With such major changes it is highly likely the grid will be spread out a bit, unfortunately. I'm surprised that Toyota aren't one of the first to get KERS working though, considering how much they have used hybrid systems in road cars. They aren't short of money either - Toyota have had the largest budget there for a long time.

[Mike]

With such major changes it is highly likely the grid will be spread out a bit, unfortunately. I'm surprised that Toyota aren't one of the first to get KERS working though, considering how much they have used hybrid systems in road cars. They aren't short of money either - Toyota have had the largest budget there for a long time.

i dont think many road cars have KERS technology, or have been attempting it. Also, for F1 the performance needs to be a *lot* greater and the size of the equipment a *lot* smaller. It is one thing making KERS work, but it is something else to fit it on an F1 car without disturbing the balance and increasing the weight etc.

[Fourjays Veteran]

True enough, but it stills seems surprising. Toyota are hybrid specialists on road cars. BMW aren't to the same extent, have a smaller budget, and yet have apparently finished theirs. I can only assume Toyota are having major problems or have started it a bit late. It just seemed logical that Toyota and Honda would get KERS working quicker than other teams.

Any idea on what type of KERS Toyota will be using? I know BMW is using the electrical method, while Williams is going to use the mechanical method.

[Antaris Veteran]

I can't find anywhere which states what design they are going for, for the TF109. They confirmed that they are starting without it anyway.

[Mike]

Any idea on what type of KERS Toyota will be using? I know BMW is using the electrical method, while Williams is going to use the mechanical method.

afaik, only williams is doing the mechanical method.

[Crazysah]

The 2009 Season is going to be a really good season.

I can see BMW maybe getting more than one race win next season and that could boost their chances of a title challenge.

Renault and Toyota and Red Bull will all be improving.

One question though, Are any of the teams going to use the automatic fuel rig?

Crazysah

[Fourjays Veteran]

The 2009 Season is going to be a really good season.

I can see BMW maybe getting more than one race win next season and that could boost their chances of a title challenge.

Renault and Toyota and Red Bull will all be improving.

One question though, Are any of the teams going to use the automatic fuel rig?

Crazysah

Automatic fuel rig? First I've heard of such a thing...

[mad_onion]

Automatic fuel rig? First I've heard of such a thing...

he probably means the traffic lights thing that ferrari used this season. it caused so many problems i doubt many teams will be using it. even ferrari might not be.

just to be clear it is a better system as it reduces reaction time. it's just the human component of it that isn't working properly (as usual)

[Antaris Veteran]

It didn't work so well when Massa got half way down the pit lane with the fuel hose still attached ;)

[mad_onion]

It didn't work so well when Massa got half way down the pit lane with the fuel hose still attached ;)

exactly the fueling guy pressed his ready button before he was actually ready......