Protests After Pre-Event

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Race stewards rejected a protest Thursday against the bodywork on the cars of three teams racing at this weekend's Formula One season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull lodged protests after pre-event inspections approved the cars of Williams, Toyota and Brawn. The protest alleged the teams had broken new aerodynamic laws restricting the size of the rear diffuser.

After hours of hearings late into the night, the race stewards rejected the protest and cleared the three teams to race with "their designs unchanged."

"Following lengthy discussions with the various parties, stewards reiterated their belief that the cars are legal," FIA said in a statement. "That decision is expected to be appealed, which would require a hearing of the FIA's International Court of Appeal. That would be unlikely to take place until after next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix."

Even before the stewards' hearing, the protesting teams had signaled their intention to appeal if the verdict went against them.

Williams, Toyota and race favorites Brawn will compete in Australia and Malaysia with their current bodywork design but with the fear that any points gained may be wiped out if the appeal succeeds.

BMW team principal Mario Thiessen indicated an intention to join Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull in the protest, but the team did not make the deadline to do so.

New F1 regulations limit the size of the diffuser, and the protesting teams say Williams, Toyota and Brawn had bent the rules by using bodywork at the rear of the car that connected with the diffuser and effectively increased its size.

The diffuser at the rear of car's under-tray acts to increase downforce, assisting speed, cornering and smooth performance.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner rejected suggestions that this row, three days ahead of the season's first GP, had already fractured the much-trumpeted cohesion between teams since the creation of the Formula One Teams' Association.



This is a sporting and competitive issue, it has nothing to do with the workings of FOTA. It's nothing personal against the teams, it's simply looking to clarify regulations and our interpretations and others has been different," Horner said. "Our purpose in all of this is to establish the clarity of the regulation, because it has significant impact on how we channel our development."

Toyota team principal John Howett said he had no ill will toward the protesting teams, and was confident the Toyota design would withstand any scrutiny.

"It's part of the sport we're in," Howett said. "We have studied the regulations in detail and are very confident we have interpreted them correctly. We now just wait for what the stewards or a subsequent court decides."

Should the ultimate decision go in favor of Williams, Toyota and Brawn, other teams would be forced to play catch-up to develop their own bodywork to match.

Horner said his team had done preliminary work to develop rear bodywork in similar fashion, but abandoned it to comply with new F1 rules.

"The cost implications are significant, but it depends on how far you want to go with it," Horner said. "We looked at the concept, we looked at it some time ago. We understood it was certainly not within the spirit, or within the regulations. We haven't committed any significant resource to it."

Australian Grand Prix 2009

When Formula One came to Australia in 1985 it set up home in Adelaide. However, ex-racer-turned-entrepreneur Bob Jane wanted a race in Melbourne. He created a huge "thunderdome" and invented the AUSCAR series, bringing NASCAR action to Australia.

The desire to have a race in Melbourne did not wane. Despite the popular end of season slot for the Adelaide race, pressure was growing from the Melbourne motor sport community, and in 1992 Jeff Kennett was elected the new premier of the State of Victoria. He immediately set about improving Melbourne's profile. First on his list was the Australian Grand Prix.



An agreement was reached with Formula One in 1993, but the contract with Adelaide did not expire until 1995, so Kennett had plenty of time to prepare. A track was developed in Melbourne's beautiful Albert Park, part of it using closed-off public roads, and in 1996 the city held the first round of the World Championship. Since then, the venue has become the home of Formula One's season opener. The race is very popular with drivers and fans alike, and the party atmosphere of Melbourne keeps them coming back year after year.

THE 2009 SEASON PREVIEW

McLaren, Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault all won races in 2008 and at least three of them are confident of winning more in 2009. But they are also aware that this season has all the ingredients for serious surprises - major rule changes, no in-season testing, and some worryingly different interpretations of the technical regs by supposedly ‘junior’ rivals. So do the big guns head to Melbourne with the firepower to stay ahead of the chasing pack? We consider their chances…



McLaren
1 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
2 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

That was the verdict after all the testing, especially the latest runs in Barcelona and Jerez, revealed the car to have a rear-end aerodynamic problem that left both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen disappointingly far down the timesheets.

According to one insider, it is a problem that can be fixed in time for Melbourne. “The key is that we know what the problem is,” they said. It remains to be seen, however, what the true scale of the problem is.

New team principal Martin Whitmarsh has taken it on the chin and admitted that the MP4-24’s performance has been disappointing, and McLaren are working flat-out to rectify that. Whitmarsh will be feeling the pressure after saying recently: “I am a competitive person and being team principal adds a little zing this year. I have two overriding concerns in the forefront of my thinking: To win the first race, in Melbourne at the end of the month, and to see Lewis Hamilton retain his world championship title. I don’t want to be the team principal in 12 months’ time who didn’t help him to win the world championship again, so that does add pressure.”

Subsequently, he said: "Initial testing of MP4-24, which first ran with an interim aero package, went in accordance with our early developmental expectations. Then the car ran in Barcelona with an updated aero package, as we had always planned it would, and a performance shortfall has been identified that we are now working hard to resolve."

Clearly the car is not quick enough yet, though there were signs of progress in Jerez, and few doubt that McLaren will get it right and will do so quickly. But whether they can solve the problem quickly enough to stop Ferrari - and other rivals - gaining points advantages in Melbourne and Sepang, is going to be a key factor in the early stages of the 2009 championship battle.

Ferrari
3 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
4 Felipe Massa (BR)
Ferrari’s testing has almost been low-key in comparison with McLaren’s obvious problem and the upstart speed of the Mercedes-engined Brawn GP car. In the early stages the weather in Spain and Bahrain did its best to stymie the team, but in Jerez and Barcelona there were plenty of signs that the elegant F60 is nicely positioned to do the business. Both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen have expressed themselves happy with the car’s speed and overall performance, and that is particularly important for the team after the Finn’s sometimes lacklustre showings last year.

Were it not for the Brawn’s pace, one suspects that Ferrari would be very happy right now, but the Anglo-German car’s speed has certainly raised many eyebrows in the paddock. Without it, Ferrari would be right where they want to be, with a car that handles well, is quick, and is competitive over long and short runs. Now, having seen the Brawn in action, Ferrari have conceded mentally that they are not the fastest.

“We were able to improve our car a lot in every respect,” Massa reported after testing. “We're where we thought we would be before the start at Melbourne. I'm really satisfied with our competitiveness compared to all the others, except obviously the Brawn. They were unreachable for all of us.”

Reliability has been an issue for Ferrari, however, and after Barcelona team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted: "We're satisfied with the level of our car as far as the performance is concerned. It's obvious that we still have some work to do and that we have to concentrate on its reliability. Last year we've seen how important reliability and the smallest details are. We have to work much harder in this direction."

BMW Sauber
5 Robert Kubica (PL)
6 Nick Heidfeld (D)
Like Ferrari, BMW Sauber have had a relatively low-key time during testing, but there is every indication that both speed and reliability are there in the F1.09 and everyone is quietly confident of being able to launch a major challenge for the world championship.

Also in common with Ferrari, both drivers like the car, and Nick Heidfeld has expressed his confidence that he won’t be troubled by the tyre-heating issues that compromised his performance in qualifying at times in 2008.

Reliability has generally been good for the Swiss-German team, and they have an advantage with their KERS system having tested it a great deal last year. Team principal Dr Mario Theissen recently confirmed that they are in a position to race with it from the start of the season, as planned.

"We've got our KERS to the stage where it is race-ready, which means we can use it in Melbourne,” he said. “Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 bhp at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap. However, the system adds weight to the car and this has an impact on the car's weight distribution and tyre wear. We will make a decision on a driver-by-driver, circuit-by-circuit basis."

Of all the teams, this one may be the darkest horse, and you get the distinct impression that they are playing down their likely performance. This is a key season in their long-term timetable. “In our first year we set out to finish regularly in the points,” Theissen explained. “In year two we wanted to record podium finishes and in our third year we were aiming to notch up our first victory. We achieved all of these ambitious aims. In 2009 we are looking to take the next and most difficult step yet: we want to be fighting for the world championship title.”

Renault
7 Fernando Alonso (E)
8 Nelson Piquet (BR)
If you believe some of the rumours doing the rounds in testing Renault have been in trouble with their R29. The doomsayers suggest that the only time it goes quickly is when Fernando Alonso’s brilliance is brought to bear, and that Nelson Piquet’s lap times are a better indication of where Flavio Briatore’s team sits in the overall scheme of things.

In Jerez, however, the Spaniard was able to better the Brawn’s lap times, and it is clear that progress is being made. And like BMW, Renault say they are ready to go with KERS, which could bring a critical advantage in the opening rounds as other teams play catch-up.

Also on the positive side, the FIA allowed Renault to modify their engine over the winter and to catch up in the horsepower race with other manufacturers who better exploited the various loopholes in the engine freeze regulations. That will give them another 50 bhp. But Briatore remains very unhappy about the ‘grey’ areas regarding the design of diffusers, particularly those on the Toyota and Williams cars. "I wouldn't like it to end up like the frozen engine, which we respected and ended up with less power than the others," he said. "This is the same story."

F1

F1 set to cut super-licence fee

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, has agreed to reduce the cost of drivers' mandatory super-licences from the start of the 2010 season.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association, which represents the majority of F1 drivers, had expressed its discontent at a hike in fees in 2008.

FIA president Max Mosley met with representatives from GPDA on Monday.

"A reduced fee would reflect the major cost reductions that will be brought into the sport," the FIA stated.

The super-licence is a qualification, issued by the FIA on request, that allows the licence holder to take part in Formula 1 Grands Prix as a driver.

The cost of a super-licence rose by an average £8,700 last year.
An extra charge of 2,100 euros per point earned in 2008, up from 447 euros per point in 2007, means Lewis Hamilton will pay £242,000 for his licence for this season.

The FIA confirmed that it will cut fees but stopped short of revealing what the new cost structure will be.

The decision to reduce the licence cost is a big turnaround for Mosley who, in February, wrote to Formula 1 drivers to suggest they race elsewhere if they were unable to pay for their super-licences.



"Following a very positive meeting between FIA President Max Mosley and representatives of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), a proposal will be made to the World Motor Sport Council to revise super-licence fees for drivers in the 2010 championship," read the FIA statement.

"A number of other issues were discussed and the FIA has agreed to meet representatives of the GPDA on a regular basis to maintain what promises to be a constructive dialogue."

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Chelsea

Chelsea missed a golden opportunity to cut the gap at the top of the Barclays Premier League as Luka Modric's solitary strike helped Tottenham inflict Guus Hiddink's first defeat since arriving in England.

A suspect vehicle near White Hart Lane delayed kick-off, meaning the visitors kicked off knowing leaders Manchester United were struggling at Fulham, but they failed to take advantage.

Victory would have taken them within a point of United but Hiddink's men were frustrated by a Tottenham side who have been transformed since Harry Redknapp's arrival five months ago, with Modric striking the winner just after the interval.

Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes also played a huge part in the victory, saving from John Terry late on when the away fans thought they were on level terms. Alex also hit the crossbar in stoppage time as Spurs held on.

Redknapp's men were relegation candidates when he took over in October but they are unbeaten in six league games and could be in with a shout for Europe.

On a personal level, Redknapp had not beaten Chelsea in a league game since 1999. More importantly, he feels his side could challenge the traditional top four in their next campaign.

The visitors, however, have still not recorded a win over one of their London rivals this season and their task was not made easier by Ricardo Carvalho picking up an ankle injury this week, meaning Alex deputised at centre-back.

Deco's hamstring problem meant Juliano Belletti came in on the right side of a midfield squeezed for space, especially when Spurs skipper Robbie Keane dropped back to help his team-mates.

Hiddink's men were predictably limited to long shots and Michael Essien, back from a serious injury, forced Gomes into a save which he gathered at the second attempt early on.

At the other end, Jermaine Jenas just cleared the angle of crossbar and near post with a fizzing drive.



The hosts got closer in the 18th minute after Alex failed to deal with a long punt forward, with Petr Cech required to beat away Keane's powerful volley.

Cech stopped Keane again after Vedran Corluka had raced down the right and pulled the ball back, although this effort was much closer to the Chelsea goalkeeper.

The visitors were being denied space on the ball, with Nicolas Anelka often dropping into midfield to get involved. That was how the France striker started the move that ended with the ball breaking to him on the edge of the area and Gomes saving at the near post.

Encouraged by Chelsea's limited chances, Spurs attempted to break forward. Cech claimed the ball when Keane cut in and had a shot blocked by Alex and the Chelsea goalkeeper also plucked the ball from under his crossbar from Ledley King's looping header.

King clattered Didier Drogba with his thigh while winning a header and the Chelsea striker looked dazed while receiving treatment and heading down the tunnel, the visitors seeing out the first half with 10 men.

Drogba was fit to start the second half but Chelsea were behind within five minutes of the restart.

Aaron Lennon received the ball on the right, feigned to go down the flank but instead he crossed early, between Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard.

Keane could have struck but Modric took control of the situation, crisply finishing from the edge of the area into the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season.

He almost repeated the trick when he got on the end of another Lennon cross, but this time his effort lacked power.

Hiddink's response was to bring on Ricardo Quaresma for Belletti, moments before Lampard struck the frame of the goal with a header at the far post.

Gomes saved from Drogba at the near post and from Quaresma's long-range effort as Chelsea searched for the equaliser.

Drogba sliced another shot wide, with Hiddink's next move to bring on Florent Malouda for Essien.

Terry forced Gomes into his stunning full-stretch save, then King's block on Anelka was equally important. Alex hit the bar deep in injury-time with a header from a corner but Spurs held on.

Guus Hiddink criticised his Chelsea players for switching off at White Hart Lane and missing their golden opportunity to close the gap in the Barclays Premier League title race.

Luka Modric's 50th-minute winner for Tottenham meant Hiddink's men failed to take advantage of Manchester United losing at Fulham, with the leaders maintaining their four-point advantage despite defeat at Craven Cottage.

It was Hiddink's first defeat since being appointed as Chelsea boss until the end of the season.

"When you're chasing you have to win your games but to lose the goal as we did in the 10 minutes after half-time, with so many professionals and internationals, is bad for us,'' Hiddink said. "You have to know, when there is a fire in the kitchen, when to flood that fire.''

Hiddink added: "We lost a huge opportunity, knowing that United were losing, it was a great chance to really change things. But we missed it due to our start, especially in the second half.

"We talked about that at half-time, we knew they would come at us from the start and we emphasised that but it was very sloppy defending for their goal. The team finally woke up and we took over. We didn't control it but we couldn't and that was disappointing.''

Hiddink knows all about Gomes as he brought him to PSV Eindhoven from Brazil.

"Gomes made one world-class save, and that saved the game, but after that it was over. We had pressure but we were reacting to them,'' Hiddink said.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp hailed the impact of Modric, who struggled at the start of the season but turned his campaign around following the arrival Redknapp in October.

"He's special and has amazing ability,'' Redknapp said. "He's not a lightweight either - I thought he was a bit of an Eyal Berkovic but he's physically stronger. He can mix it with the big boys and he's a top-class player.''

Spurs are three points off seventh place, which could earn a place in Europe.

"That's 18 points from nine games so we're playing as well as anyone,'' Redknapp said.

Redknapp fielded a weakened team when Spurs crashed out of Europe last month - but the Spurs boss feels it is still worth qualifying despite the added matches.

"It wasn't that I disrespected the UEFA Cup - we were in a relegation battle and the Carling Cup final,'' he said. "I had to prioritise, if we had been in the top half we would have gone for it. We'll go for it again this season so let's push on and try and get seventh. We need to start looking upwards.''