Another season approaches so here is a thread for the 2011 F1 season (many thanks for the support on last years thread btw)

Team and Driver Line Up -

Red Bull (Renault) – Sebastian Vettel (1) and Mark Webber (2)


Mclaren (Mercedes Benz) – Lewis Hamilton (3) and Jenson Button (4)


Ferrari (Ferrari) – Fernando Alonso (5) and Felipe Massa (6)


Mercedes GP (Mercedes Benz) – Michael Schumacher (7) and Nico Rosberg (8)


Renault (Renault) – Nick Heidfeld (9) and Vitaly Petrov (10)


Williams (Cosworth) – Rubens Barrichello (11) and Pastor Maldonado (12) (rookie)


Force India (Mercedes Benz) – Adrian Sutil (14) and Paul di Resta (15) (rookie)


Sauber (Ferrari) - Kamui Kobayashi (16) and Sergio Perez (17) (rookie)


Torro Rosso (Ferrari) – Sebastien Buemi (18) and Jaime Alguersauri (19)


Lotus (Renault) – Jarno Trulli (20) and Heikki Kovalainen (21)


HRT (Cosworth) – Narain Karthikeyan (22) and TBA (23)


Virgin (Cosworth) – Timo Glock (24) and Jerome d’Ambrosio (25) (rookie)




Confirmed 2011 launches so far -

28 January - Ferrari -Maranello
31 January - Renault and Sauber - Valencia
01 February - Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Williams - Valencia
04 February - McLaren - Berlin
07 February - Virgin - London



2011 F1 testing dates -

01 - 01 Feb 2011 Valencia Valencia, Ricardo Tormo
02 - 02 Feb 2011 Valencia Valencia, Ricardo Tormo
03 - 03 Feb 2011 Valencia Valencia, Ricardo Tormo
04 - 10 Feb 2011 Jerez Circuit Permanente de Jerez
05 - 11 Feb 2011 Jerez Circuit Permanente de Jerez
06 - 12 Feb 2011 Jerez Circuit Permanente de Jerez
07 - 13 Feb 2011 Jerez Circuit Permanente de Jerez
08 - 18 Feb 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
09 - 19 Feb 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
10 - 20 Feb 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
11 - 21 Feb 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
12 - 03 Mar 2011 Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit - Cancelled
13 - 04 Mar 2011 Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit - Cancelled
14 - 05 Mar 2011 Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit - Cancelled
15 - 06 Mar 2011 Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit - Cancelled

RE- scheduled

12 - 08 Mar 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
13 - 09 Mar 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
14 - 10 Mar 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya
15 - 11 Mar 2011 Barcelona Circuit de Catalunya



2011 CALANDER –

00 - 2011 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir) 11 - 13 Mar-POSTPONED
01 - 2011 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne) 25 - 27 Mar
02 - 2011 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur) 08 - 10 Apr
03 - 2011 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) * 15 - 17 Apr
04 - 2011 FORMULA 1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul) 06 - 08 May
05 - FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2011 (Catalunya) 20 - 22 May
06 - FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2011 (Monte Carlo) 26 - 29 May
07 - FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2011 (Montreal) 10 - 12 Jun
08 - 2011 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia) 24 - 26 Jun
09 - 2011 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone) 08 - 10 Jul
10 - FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2011 (Nürburgring) 22 - 24 Jul
11 - FORMULA 1 ENI MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2011 (Budapest) 29 - 31 Jul
12 - 2011 FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps) 26 - 28 Aug
13 - FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2011 (Monza) 09 - 11 Sep
14 - 2011 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore) 23 - 25 Sep
15 - 2011 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka) 07 - 09 Oct
16 - 2011 FORMULA 1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX (Yeongam) 14 - 16 Oct
17 - 2011 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF INDIA (New Delhi) * 28 - 30 Oct
18 - 2011 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit) 11 - 13 Nov
19 - FORMULA 1 GRANDE PRÊMIO DO BRASIL 2011 (Sao Paulo) 25 - 27 Nov
* subject to circuit approval


WHATS NEW? 2011 RULE CHANGES – CLICKY

RULES AND REGULATIONS - CLICKY

LATEST NEWS – CLICKY

In another of Red Bull's spectacular animations, Mark Webber guides you through the regulations regarding KERS and the new-for-2011 moveable rear wing and explains when drivers are likely to utilise them during races in the season. - Clicky

Winter testing: Stats so far

Teams:

1. Ferrari - 1,981 miles
2. Red Bull - 1,727 miles
3. Mercedes - 1,437 miles
4. Williams - 1,340 miles
5. Renault - 1,323 miles
6. Toro Rosso - 1,316 miles
7. Sauber - 1,041 miles
8. Force India - 726 miles
9. Lotus - 673 miles
10. McLaren - 640 miles
11. Virgin - 594 miles
12. Hispania - 0 miles

Drivers:

1. Alonso - 1,186 miles
2. Schumacher - 932 miles
3. Barrichello - 874 miles
4. Webber - 872 miles
5. Vettel - 855 miles
6. Buemi - 796 miles
7. Massa - 795 miles
8. Perez- 778 miles
9. Kobayashi - 636 miles
10. Alguersuari - 520 miles
11. Rosberg - 505 miles
12. Kubica - 495 miles
13. Maldonado - 466 miles
14. Di Resta - 448 miles
15. Petrov - 405 miles
16. Button - 382 miles
17. Trulli - 350 miles
18. Kovalainen - 323 miles
19. D'Ambrosio - 322 miles
20. Sutil - 278 miles
21. Glock - 272 miles
22. Hamilton - 258 miles
23. Heidfeld - 236 miles
24. Senna - 187 miles
25. Ricciardo - 102 miles

Combined times from Valencia:


1 KUBICA Renault 1m13.144s
2 ALONSO Ferrari 1m13.307s
3 VETTEL Red Bull 1m13.614s
4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m13.936s
5 MASSA Ferrari 1m14.017s
6 MALDONADO Williams 1m14.299s
7 PEREZ Sauber 1m14.469s
8 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m14.537s
9 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m14.645s
10 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m14.801s
11 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m15.621s
12 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m16.023s
13 PETROV Renault 1m16.351s
14 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m16.474s
15 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m20.649s
16 TRULLI Lotus no time

Jerez test combined times:

1 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m19.832s
2 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m20.352s
3 HEIDFELD Renault 1m20.361s
4 MASSA Ferrari 1m20.413s
5 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.493s
6 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m20.601s
7 BUTTON McLaren 1m21.009s
8 HAMILTON McLaren 1m21.099s
9 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m21.213s
10 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m21.214s
11 SENNA Renault 1m21.400s
12 PEREZ Sauber 1m21.483s
13 WEBBER Red Bull 1m21.522s
14 VETTEL Red Bull 1m21.574s
15 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m21.632s
16 RICCIARDO Toro Rosso 1m21.755s
17 SUTIL Force India 1m21.780s
18 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m22.103s
19 GLOCK Virgin 1m22.208s
20 PETROV Renault 1m22.493s
21 MALDONADO Williams 1m22.591s
22 DI RESTA Force India 1m22.945s
23 D'AMBROSIO Virgin 1m22.985s
24 TRULLI Lotus 1m23.216s

For the first time in a long time I'm actually getting excited for the start of the season!

I think the rule changes (having gone through their third iteration) will finally improve overtaking.

I wonder what the new F-Duct will be (i.e. what loop holes will the engineers find)?

I also have an HD TV now! Just in time for the HD coverage!

All in all it should be a brilliant season!

What are the rule changes?

I'm always excited to see the new cars. Bring it on!

Yes I'd forgotten the move to HD that should be good. As for the next 'F' Duct, with KERS and the adjustable back wing it will be interesting to see what/which team come out with the first bend of the rule device and how it's operated

I'm thinking it will prob be something different completely.

Probably something to do with wings on the suspension rods or some clever use of exhaust gases.

As long as Alonso due to a catalogue of unfortunates accidents/mechanical failure and hilarious timing issues with pit stops fails to win the championship by a single point (or more!) then I'm sure I will enjoy the up and coming season.

A proud member of AEAT (anyone except Alonso team)

+1

Aw, don't be so hard on the guy. I heard there was a rumour flying round that he had his charisma bypass operation reversed.

I don't want him to lose by a point, I want him him to be humiliated by Massa and a few third tier drivers on a regular basis. The potential for hissy fits will be enormous.


I'm glad Legard is out - didn't like him much - he reminded me of James (gobsh!te) Allen far too often.

Looking forward to the DC MB team-up though. Although, as Steve has said, they may lean on the technical side a little too much - this would be absolutely fine for anoraks like me, but it could be a turn-off for the casual viewer.

HD is a plus too, another excuse to takeover the TV in the sitting room on a Sunday - I can stretch out on the sofa with Live Timing running on a laptop.

updated

Edited for personal preference

Make up your own reply..........

I'm not sure lifting 'team orders' restrictions is a good idea.

Well they used to do it anyway so why not. It was only the blatant ones that got caught.