Formula 1 governing body the FIA has confirmed that eight cars will now be eliminated in the Q1 and Q2 phases of qualifying from the 2010 season onwards. The modification comes due to the increased size of the field and is joined by a raft of other minor changes.

Qualifying

With the field being bolstered in size from 20 to 26 cars for next year, the FIA has revealed that eight cars (as opposed to six) will now be eliminated in the first two phases of the qualifying hour; as such, Q1 will now determine grid slots 19 to 26 with positions 11 to 18 being occupied by taking results from Q2. Q3 will remain a top ten shootout, with cars no longer carrying fuel into the start of the race - all competitors' cars will be refuelled after qualifying.

Garage space

The FIA has said that all teams will now enjoy the same amount of garage space at each circuit; previously, the reigning Constructors' Champions generally enjoyed the most space but all garages will now be of equal size.

Engines

The regulation of eight powerplants per season remains although no driver can now use two additions units on one race weekend - in the event of such an occurrence, the driver involved will receive 10-place grid penalties for both the Grand Prix in question and the following event.

In-season aerodynamic testing

Now reduced from eight to six days, with a new option introduced which allows teams to swap any of those six days for four hours of full-scale windtunnel testing within a period of 24 hours.


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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has picked up top honours at the Arabian Sponsorship Awards for its support of the inaugural F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline picked up the award in the 'International Sponsorship' category at a gala ceremony which took place on Monday, December 14 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' chief commercial officer, said: “Etihad's sponsorship of the inaugural F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix showcased both Etihad and Abu Dhabi to a global audience of more than 600 million people.

“Recognised as one of the biggest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, courted by leading companies and countries alike, the Abu Dhabi F1 weekend provided unprecedented presence, visibility and credibility for a new airline brand launched only six years ago.

“We are proud to have played a key part in supporting the biggest international event ever to be staged in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and to play an integral part in its promotion and success. Based as we are in Abu Dhabi, the title sponsorship of the inaugural F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a perfect and logical fit for Etihad Airways.”

The judges were impressed with the planning and execution of Etihad's sponsorship strategy, the objectives of which included raising global awareness of the airline and its brand, securing additional passenger revenues, building better relationships with new and existing corporate clients and helping to showcase Abu Dhabi to the rest of the world.

The sponsorship was also viewed as being highly complementary to the airline's existing sponsorship strategy and portfolio of sporting brands, which already includes the Scuderia Ferrari F1 racing team.

A combination of internal and external communication channels was used to activate the sponsorship, engaging six distinct audiences - Etihad's customers, its staff, the travel industry, the general public, media and rights holders - and resulting in an impressive return on investment.

The day after the race saw a record-breaking spike in visits to Etihad's website and in bookings. The airline's media coverage for October and November also more than doubled.

Tactics included visits to Abu Dhabi by Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikonnen and Felipe Massa, the display of a specially designed Etihad F1 showcar at key international trade shows, familiarisation visits to the Yas Marina Circuit, specially designed F1 livery on two Etihad aircraft flying to many of the airline's global destinations, F1 merchandising, special F1 Etihad Holidays packages, on-board announcements, an Etihad aircraft fly-past immediately prior to the race and Etihad cabin crew ambassadors at the starting grid.

Etihad's involvement with F1 is a key component of a growing number of high-profile sports sponsorships for the airline, and complements existing partnerships with Manchester City Football Club, Harlequins Rugby Football Club, the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championships and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Etihad also has naming rights for the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.


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Felipe Massa was back out on track in the 2007 title-winning Ferrari on Tuesday (Dec 15) as the Brazilian enjoyed his 'Christmas present' ride in the car. With the F2007 having been the first Formula 1 car the Paulista drove since his shocking accident in Hungary in July, this week's run will wrap up what has been a dramatic year for more reasons than one.

With Ferrari enduring its worst start to a season since the early 1980s this year, Massa was looking to be a regular top five contender when he was struck at high speed by a steel spring and knock semi-unconscious at the Hungaroring. Following his lengthy recovery process and the birth of his first child on Tuesday 1 December, Massa's final stint in the F2007 came at Mugello on Tuesday.

Despite having to wait until the afternoon due to adverse weather conditions, Felipe was delighted to drive an F1 car once again, with the F2007 being prepared by Ferrari's Corse Clienti department. Massa will not be driving this season's F60 again this year but has already driven the car since his crash, at the Ferrari World Finals event in Valencia in mid-November.

"I'm happy that I could get into this car and it's always a pleasure driving on a track like Mugello," said Massa, whose fun in the F2007 was stopped due to a lack of daylight after approximately 30 laps of the circuit. "Everything went well but it's a pity that I could only drive in the afternoon - let's hope I can be back tomorrow!"

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Renault will remain in the FIA F1 World Championship in 2010 after concluding a deal with Genii Capital, a Luxemburg-based investment firm specialised in new technologies, brand management and motorsport.

Under the arrangement both partners will operate the team together and as a result the outfit will retain its name and its identity next season, along with the core ingredients that led to the successes achieved in 2005 and 2006.

The letter of intent signed by the two companies today should be concluded in early 2010 and it will lead to Genii Capital acquiring a large stake in Renault's F1 operational base at Enstone in the United Kingdom.

"I am delighted to welcome Genii Capital as our new strategic partner as I am sure that their enthusiasm and business expertise will create a new dynamic for the team, the staff, and our partners," said Bernard Rey, Renault F1 team president.

"Altogether, we look forward to competing again at the highest level in F1. With the ongoing evolutions of the F1 regulations, Renault will be able to entertain its fans, while promoting a leaner and sounder Championship.

"We will also show Renault's skill when it comes to developing high-performance, fuel-efficient cars."

"We are delighted to have been selected as Renault's strategic partner for the Renault F1 Team," added Eric Lux, CEO of Genii Capital. "Our long-term vision for this challenging venture aims to return Renault to the forefront of F1.

"Together with Renault, we intend to run the team with the same values as any of our other investments, prioritising ambitious performance targets without neglecting cost efficiency.

"We strongly believe that on-track performance can be compatible with business performance, and we will use all our entrepreneurial spirit and commercial know-how to achieve this goal."

Renault also confirmed that the team will continue to be supplied with engines by its sister company in Viry-Châtillon, which is also pleased to have received a renewed commitment from Red Bull Racing for the 2010 season.

Jean-Francois Caubet, Renault Sport team managing director, attends a news conference in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, December 16, 2009. Renault will stay in Formula One after selling a large stake in their team to Luxembourg-based Genii Capital.

Meanwhile, Genii Capital now wants to explore opportunities for synergies between the companies in its investment portfolio and the Renault F1 Team.

One example is Gravity Sport Management, a career management company for young drivers that will leverage the experience of the Renault Driver Development programme. Furthermore, Genii Capital hopes to play an active role in the overall strategic development of F1 through its knowledge of, and access to, new technologies.

"This is a period of opportunity for F1, not a period of uncertainty," summed-up Gerard Lopez, managing partner at Mangrove Capital Partners and board member of Genii Capital. "F1 has an extraordinary level of global awareness that can be used to develop new business-to-business opportunities in traditional and developing markets, and there are some very exciting new revenue streams to be explored."


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Virgin Racing has become the latest team to confirm its full driver line-up for the 2010 F1 season - with Lucas di Grassi teaming up with Timo Glock for the new campaign.

With Lotus having confirmed its line-up a day earlier (Dec 14), We look at how the F1 grid is shaping up for next year, with a list of those drivers confirmed and those linked to the remaining vacant seats.


McLaren-Mercedes:
Jenson Button
Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes Grand Prix:
Nico Rosberg
Michael Schumacher
Nick Heidfeld

Red Bull Racing:
Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber

Ferrari:
Fernando Alonso
Felipe Massa

Williams:
Rubens Barrichello
Nico Hulkenberg

Renault:
Robert Kubica
Kamui Kobayashi
Jacques Villeneuve
Nick Heidfeld
Vitaly Petrov

Force India F1:
Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Liuzzi

Scuderia Toro Rosso:
Sebastien Buemi
Jaime Alguersuari

Lotus F1:
Jarno Trulli
Heikki Kovalainen

Virgin Racing:
Timo Glock
Lucas di Grassi

Campos Meta 1:
Bruno Senna
Pedro de la Rosa
Vitaly Petrov
Pastor Maldonado

USF1:
Jose Maria Lopez
Jonathan Summerton
Marco Andretti
Kyle Busch
Jacque Villeneuve

Sauber:
Nick Heidfeld
Kamui Kobayashi
Christian Klien
Vitaly Petrov
Giancarlo Fisichella
Pedro de la Rosa

italics denotes speculation



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Speculation that Michael Schumacher will return to Formula One hit its highest point yet after Mercedes CEO Nick Fry hinted Schumacher was at the top of his list to partner Nico Rosberg at the German team.

Schumacher has been linked to a race drive at Mercedes for 2010 with some sections of the German press saying that a deal is all but signed. On Monday (Dec 14) Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo said that Schumacher was free from his Ferrari contract to seek a drive elsewhere, meaning only the German's neck injury - which ruled him out of a return in 2009 - could prevent him from making a comeback.

Now Fry has dropped the biggest hint yet that a comeback could be on the cards for 2010. "He would be very good for our team," Fry said. "The view from inside F1, not just my team, is they all hope it will happen. I can't tell you at this stage [if it will happen], unfortunately. A number of drivers are still available if Michael were to decide not to drive. Then there are alternatives that we would be happy to go with."

Schumacher's compatriot Timo Glock has said he thinks the seven-time world champion will not be able to resist a return to F1.

"It's not enough for him to just do go-kart races, or go to the Race of Champions at the end of the year," Glock said at Virgin Racing's launch. "The flame is still there, it's still burning within him, and it will be great for F1 if he comes back. For me, my personal feeling, it is quite obvious he is coming back."

He added: "For F1 and the fans it would be a big boost, a seven-time world champion coming back after three years out. It would be a mega highlight - and to drive for Mercedes, you would have a German driver in a German car."


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Virgin Racing has revealed that Lucas di Grassi will be partnering Timo Glock as the team prepares for its first season of Formula 1 next year. With the German having been confirmed at the team just under a month ago, the arrival of the Brazilian signals a move from Renault after spending six years with the French marque.

With Manor GP having become Virgin Racing, the official relabeling of the Sheffield team came on Tuesday (Dec 15), with a presentation being held in London's Notting Hill.

Part of Renault's young driver programme since 2004, di Grassi raced to third overall with Manor in the 2005 F3 Euroseries and the 25-year-old Brazilian has since finished in the top three of the last three years' GP2 championships. He was promoted to the role of Renault reserve driver this season as Romain Grosjean moved up to the race team following the sudden departure of Nelson Piquet Jr.

"I could never imagine a F1 debut as perfect as this one," the São Paulo driver commented. "Entering F1 with John Booth and his crew, the same people with whom I won the 2005 Macau F3 race - one of the greatest successes in my career - is really beyond perfection, I should say, and I believe I am ready for F1.

"I have worked a lot during these years to get here and I believe it happened just in time. I always had great expectations about the day I would enter F1 and I should thank everyone who has been with me all these years - and I shall say John and his team are among those very people I consider helped me to get there much before we signed the F1 contract.

"Being here with them makes more sense to me than to be with a veteran organisation. We will debut together and that detail makes for a special bond too. I guess all that will make me stronger and more confident as I will be among old friends. I am ready to work twenty-four seven and I am sure I will be able to contribute with the team efforts in every stage of our evolution in 2010."


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LDC, the private equity arm of the Lloyds Banking Group, has taken a stake in Manor in an investment reportedly worth £10 million.

Manor is one of four new teams for 2010 and is set to announce its involvement with the Virgin Group on Tuesday (Dec 15) - a deal which will see the team renamed Virgin Racing. The Financial Times reports the Sheffield-based squad has also secured investment from LDC, which - according to LDC's director Carl Wormald - was motivated by the current emphasis on cost cutting in the sport.

"It's a new era in F1," Wormald said. "There is a resource restriction but the revenue is the same. There is also a degree of stability."

Manor's founder John Booth welcomed the involvement of the bank - which is 43% owned by taxpayers.

"The banks have had their share of bad publicity but it is great to see them investing in a young company like this that is creating jobs."

The team has already signed Timo Glock as a driver for next season and Lucas di Grassi has been closely linked to the second seat.


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