The Lotus Position

The new Lotus Renault in black and gold retro JPS livery is looking great! Of course that is Lotus Renault formally Renault as opposed to Team Lotus Renault which was formally Lotus Racing. Lotus Racing Renault who want to be Team Lotus Renault even though they are not linked to Lotus cars, as Lotus cars are actually involved with Lotus Renault.

Lotus Racing who are currently the operating name of 1Malaysia Racing have already taken part in a seasons worth of GPs with those points being added collectively to those of Team Lotus. So if Lotus Racing cannot continue as Lotus Racing and Lotus Renault takes on the mantel of true successor, then do those figures switch to the team formally known as Renault or stay with 1Malaysia Racing? Will Lotus Renault be a continuation of the historic Team Lotus or will they keep the History of Benetton/Renault?

Did Lotus Racing ever really exist, and if not then where's Jarno Trulli been this year?

God it's too early i the morning for this, I need a lie down

The Calm Before The Storm

As I write there are about 12 hours left in the 2010 Formula One World Championship, a season which promised so much and delivered even more!

In recent years it has seemed that if this highest echelon of motor racing had been a Hollywood production, it’s writers would have swept the Oscars time and again.

In 2007 the World Champion Fernando Alonso found himself alongside a talented young protégé, Lewis Hamilton. As the relationship soured the on-track action intensified, Along the way their McLaren team would find itself up before the governing body accused of dirty tricks and espionage. As they headed into the final race of the year the title was surely going to either the old master or the young charger, of course nobody had mentioned this to Kimi Raikkonen.

12 months later and with Alonso back in the safety of his Renault and Raikkonen fading into the scenery, it was to be a showdown in Brazil between Hamilton and Felipe Massa. Massa did everything he had to do leading a wet-dry-wet race from lights to flag in front of his adoring home crowd. He took a brilliant win and crossed the line as the new World Champion - of course the race was not over yet! As the Ferrari team danced in jubilation Lewis Hamilton passed a struggling Toyota on the last corner of the last lap to steal the Brazilians glory and win a historic victory.

If anyone had thought the drama of that Interlagos race was as exciting as it could possibly get then they had not factored in the 3 B’s from Brackley (Brawn, Button & Barrichello)

In a season turned upside by new rules and technical innovations the little team Honda didn’t want leapt from tail-end-Charlie's to World Champions. With the old guard of McLaren & Ferrari struggling it was to be the Red Bull’s of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel who would emerge as the team to beat as the season wore on. With Jenson off to Join Lewis in a McLaren Super team and the return of the legendary Michael Schumacher to fill his void, the seeds where sewn for an epic 2010 season.

It didn’t start well of course. Even to a hardcore fan like myself the opening GP of the year on an strangely extended Bahrain circuit was to prove a testing experience. Vettel showed the Red Bull’s pace but after he suffered (and not for last time) mechanical problems it was to be a processional victory for Fernando Alonso.

This was of course to be a false dawn as by the time the European season kicked off the battle was well and truly on between the McLarens and the Red Bull’s.

There have been technical troubles, team mate crashes, brilliant drives and moments of madness. with 2 races to go any one of Button, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso or Webber could win. Button fell out of contention in Brazil and Lewis Hamilton’s hopes may be more of a mathematical possibility but one thing is for certain that tomorrows Grand Prix is going to be something Very Special.

Will Fernando Alonso perform one of the greatest comebacks to secure a Third world championship, moving him into same league as Ayrton Senna, Jack Brabham and Jackie Stewart; Will Sebastian Vettel mark out the place in the history books as the youngest ever World Champion; Will Mark Webber prove that grit and determination are all you need to overcome all obstacles; or can Lewis Hamilton once again prove that the championship isn’t over until the final race is won

As a great man once said – “anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does”

Tomorrow is going to be quite a day!

Tail End Charlies

In the 1980’s and early 90’s it was still possible for anyone with a spanner and a little ambition to set up a Grand Prix team. The result was some of the most legendary rejects of our time.

There was Coloni who turned up to but failed to qualify for an incredible 67 Grands Prix. The legendary Andrea Moda who to save money once sent out Perry McCarthy to qualify on wets at a bone dry Silverstone. There was Forti Course who went from being a rich team with a bad car to a broke team with a great one. And does anyone remember Life? Somewhere in the world that car is still on it’s flying lap!

Of course this had to end, and changes in the rules stopped these notorious teams from taking up garage space at GP weekends… until now!

We have 4 (and a bit) new teams and the chances for some tail end inepititude are much increased. Especially as the need for cash injections is seeing the return of the backmarker's best friend, the pay driver! I wonder what Giovanni Lavaggi is up to these days?

Anyway, who are this new generation of tail end charlies and what are their chances for success/hilarity?

*Virgin*

Neé Manor Motorsport. An Impressive motorsport pedigree and a car designed by Nick “Simtek” Wirth, completely on an etch-a-sketch. Not only are they the first team since Lola in 1997 to arrive on the scene without a car having seen a wind tunnel (and we know which way that went) but their name is certain to provide many opportunities for commentary hilarity! “And he’s coming inside the Virgin”. Still the car looks good and I’d expect lots of Branson-esque publicity stunts throughout the season

*USF1*

USF1 have been in a wind tunnel, but if internet rumour is to be believed they don’t actually have anything close to a working car, which is a handicap in qualifying (Just ask Perry McCarthy). Making the brave move to be based outside the F1 Heartland, USF1 will commute for every race. Not a plan that worked for Michael Andretti and he had the Concorde. It's also now looking increasingly like if they do ever appear it won't be until China/Silverstone/The Post Season Party. With the news of Campos Meta being saved, USF1 unfortunately remains the best chance for a “Lola 2010”

*Campos Meta*

Have seemingly been struggling since they were first announced. Apparently new investment has improved their chances of making the grid. The car is built by Dallara and they have a Senna on their books, not to mention an impressive record in junior catagories. I’m hoping they pull through and can become the 21st century’s Minardi.

*Lotus*

“Lot’s of trouble, usually serious!” The grand old name is back, shame it’s not actually the grand old team. Will probably suffer the “Wimbledon” syndrome of being touted as the British Ferrari when they do well, otherwise they’re that Malaysian team. Probably will be the best of the noobs and might give the STR’s and Force India’s a run for their money. Two GP winners on the books can’t hurt, even if one of them is Jarno Trulli
.
*BMW Sauber Ferrari*

OK, not technically a “new” team but possibly the greatest oxymoron in motorsport. (I’m not sure Honda’s "Earthcar" ever did run in the “fuel burning” session of qualifying). After BMW cut their losses and ran, it's just a great thing that they have pulled through and i wish them every success. In Pedro de la Rosa they have an experienced but aging test driver who hasn’t raced in years. (If that doesn’t work I hear Luca Badoer is available). Young Kamakazi could be fun though. Have been seen to top the time sheets in testing. Anyone who points out that they also have zero sponsors is just being cynical.

*Stefan GP*

One of my favourite GP Stories took place In 1977. A German driver called Hans Heymar missed the cut for his first (and only) Grand Prix, in Germany at Hockenheim. Not wanting his weekend to be over too soon, Heymar turned up anyway on race day and thought “sod it!” While no-one was looking he snuck his car out of the pits and lined up to take the start, much to the amusement of the crowd. In the end Heymar’s GP "career" was over after 9 laps and he was expunged from the records. In 2010 and the spirit of Hans lives on in Stefan GP. Amazingly they are possibly the best prepared of any of the new teams having basically bought Toyota, and their stillborn 2010 car. They have two cars, engines and bizarrely they seem to have Jacques Villeneuve. What they don’t have is a grid slot, but hey ho. Maybe nobody will notice! The cars are on route to Bahrain anyway, which is more than USF1 can boast.


So far Lotus and Virgin are the only cars to hit the track, with Lotus seeming to have the upper hand. There is, however, a month to go and as Murray Walker once said:

"Anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does!"