Daily Update Formula1 News

BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen has admitted that the team's version of the controversial double-decker diffuser will not be ready in time for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
The team has been working flat-out on the design, but has opted not to introduce it as part of its new aerodynamic package because it would not have been able to exploit its performance benefit.
Theissen insisted that no date has been set for the diffuser to be introduced, although it is understood that the Monaco Grand Prix is a possibility.

Despite this, the team will have an interim diffuser modification in Spain that is expected to improve its rear-end grip as part of its raft of modifications.
"The Barcelona-spec aero package has long been in development," said Theissen. "Therefore a double diffuser introduced at short notice wouldn't have brought us any benefit.
"There is no time limit set for when we will introduce the double diffuser in our car."
"We will have an substantial update in Barcelona, from the front to the rear wing, affecting also the sidepods, there will be improvements in every detail."
Theissen added that the team has had to re-evaluate its performance targets after claiming only one points finish in the opening four races of 2009.
This season, BMW's fourth as a full-blown constructor in F1, it had been expecting to fight for the championship.
"We moved our season targets that we set in winter aside," he said. "We cannot win races at the moment, therefore we shifted our targets.
"But we won't accept the current situation. We will speed up, we will have a look at where we will end up, but we certainly will not give up on this season."
Barcelona will be the first time that the team has introduced development parts this season, something that Theissen admitted may have been a mistake.
"The main reason we turned down the chance of updates during the first races was the testing restriction," said Theissen. "The other reason was the interference with the aero package on the car.
"This approach looks to be wrong at the moment, but let's wait and see after a couple more races.
"Our performance in Melbourne was fine and it even worked in Sepang, but then the other teams passed us. That was based on a strategy: we always planned not to bring updates in the fly-away races.
"Our first target for an update was always Barcelona and this will happen."
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Robert Kubica took the lead in the drivers' championship after scoring his and BMW Sauber's first Formula One victory, with teammate Nick Heidfeld finishing second in an astonishing Canadian Grand Prix.

The win was a remarkable way for Kubica to mark his return to Montreal, 12 months after his ferocious accident at the track.

David Coulthard claimed his first points of the season in fine style by taking third for Red Bull, ahead of Toyota's Timo Glock and Felipe Massa's Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen made a bizarre exit from the race when the McLaren crashed into the back of the Ferrari in the pitlane during a safety car period.

Prior to that incident, Hamilton had looked set for a dominant victory. He calmly pulled away from Kubica and Raikkonen in the early laps, and led by seven seconds when the caution period was called on lap 17 to retrieve Adrian Sutil's Force India, which had parked in a difficult position near Turn 3.

The leaders all poured into the pits, with Hamilton falling behind both Raikkonen and Kubica. The Ferrari and BMW then dutifully halted at the pit exit because the red light was on while the safety car train came past, but Hamilton appeared not to notice the light and ploughed into the back of the Ferrari.

Williams' Nico Rosberg - who had been running a strong fourth after passing Fernando Alonso at the first corner - was also caught off guard and struck the back of Hamilton's McLaren. Unlike Raikkonen and Hamilton, though, Rosberg was able to continue after a second stop for repairs.

The leading eight cars had all stopped during the safety car, meaning that Heidfeld moved up to first position, ahead of Rubens Barrichello (Honda), Kazuki Nakajima (Williams), the two Red Bulls and the two Toyotas.

Kubica was the best of those who had already pitted, but was down in 10th place.

When racing resumed, Heidfeld made the most of this golden opportunity and charged off into the distance, lapping two seconds per lap faster than the heavier Honda of Barrichello.

With Kubica losing time in the traffic, Heidfeld was able to pull sufficiently far ahead that he emerged in front of his teammate when he stopped eight laps later, although with Heidfeld fuelled to the end of the race, Kubica was able to swiftly overtake on the next lap.

Long first stints then meant that Barrichello, Coulthard, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock all had chances to lead the race, with Kubica moving ever closer to the front as those ahead stopped.

By the time Glock became the last to pit on lap 42, Kubica had a 10-second lead over Heidfeld, with Alonso third and putting the BMW under huge pressure.

The Renault was on the same strategy as Kubica and had another stop to make, only to spin into the wall at Turn 7 on lap 45. The former champion blamed the crumbling track surface at the chicane exit.

Once in clear air, Kubica was able to sprint away from Heidfeld and open up a large enough advantage to guarantee that he would lead BMW Sauber's historic one-two.

He made his final stop on lap 49, and rejoined six seconds clear of Heidfeld, a margin that he continued to extend in the last stint before crossing the line to clinch a remarkable victory.

Coulthard's late pitstop allowed him to rejoin ahead of most of the cars that had stopped under the safety car, meaning that he appeared in third place by the time the stops were all complete.

Barrichello was set for fourth place, only for a trip across the grass in the closing stages to let Toyota duo Trulli and Glock sweep past him and into the top five.

Massa then passed Barrichello a few laps later. The Ferrari driver had fallen to the back of the field when a miscommunication meant he made an additional stop during the first safety car period, and then lost more ground when he had to make a third and final stop with 18 laps to go.

The Brazilian charged to the end, making it past Trulli for fifth with two laps to go when the Italian had to back off as his teammate Glock went wide at the first corner. Massa then pushed Glock to the end, but had to settle for fifth.

Kovalainen was left in a similar situation after having to wait behind Hamilton when both stopped under the safety car.

He was running ahead of Massa until sliding wide on the fragile track surface at the hairpin while racing with Barrichello on lap 50, which allowed the Ferrari to cruise past both as they scrabbled for grip.

Kovalainen then spent the final laps embroiled in a huge battle with Barrichello and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel for the final point-scoring positions, but was unable to pass the young German and finished just outside the points in ninth.

Rosberg completed the top ten after his early delay, ahead of Button, Webber and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais.

Nakajima retired after breaking his front wing on the rear of Button's Honda. The dislodged wing then wedged under the front of the Williams and sent it into the wall in the pit entrance.

Nelson Piquet retired his Renault after spinning while chasing teammate Alonso, while Giancarlo Fisichella became the final retirement when he crashed his Force India on the way out of Turn 4.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Canadian Grand Prix
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada;
70 laps; 305.270km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1h36:24.447
2. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 16.495
3. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) + 23.352
4. Glock Toyota (B) + 42.627
5. Massa Ferrari (B) + 43.934
6. Trulli Toyota (B) + 47.775
7. Barrichello Honda (B) + 53.597
8. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 54.120
9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 54.433
10. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 54.749
11. Button Honda (B) + 1:07.540
12. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 1:11.299
13. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap

Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:17.387

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 54
Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 49
Alonso Renault (B) 47
Piquet Renault (B) 42
Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 20
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 20
Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 14


World Championship standings, round 7:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Kubica 42 1. Ferrari 73
2. Hamilton 38 2. BMW Sauber 70
3. Massa 38 3. McLaren-Mercedes 53
4. Raikkonen 35 4. Red Bull-Renault 21
5. Heidfeld 28 5. Toyota 17
6. Kovalainen 15 6. Williams-Toyota 15
7. Webber 15 7. Renault 9
8. Trulli 12 8. Honda 8
9. Alonso 9 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7
10. Rosberg 8
11. Nakajima 7
12. Coulthard 6
13. Vettel 5
14. Barrichello 5
15. Glock 5
16. Button 3
17. Bourdais 2
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By Jonathan Noble
BMW Sauber and Honda Racing believe the FIA must do something to address fears of a split within the governing body in the wake of the vote of confidence in Max Mosley earlier this week.

Although Mosley comfortably won a majority in the vote on his presidency at the General Assembly meeting in Paris, it has not stopped some clubs criticising the decision and threatening to leave the FIA completely if Mosley stays on.
And with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone calling on Mosley to resign later this year for the good of himself and the FIA, BMW Sauber and Honda Racing have expressed concern about the damage such uncertainty within the governing body can cause to F1.

BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen said: "We respect the decision of the FIA, but it is now a very critical situation for the FIA - between it and its membership clubs. And apparently this does not only affect the FIA, but also external partners like the car industry or motorsport.

"But none the less, only the FIA can solve this situation. So we respect the decision and now we have to see how it develops."
When asked by autosport.com if he was worried that the troubles within the FIA could damage F1, Theissen said: "I think it depends on what goes on in the coming weeks, within the FIA. It is quite critical.
"But what we will see now, is that this controversial situation between the FIA and the membership clubs will certainly make people aware of the fact that the FIA is not in the first instance motorsport. It is in the first instance a worldwide body for the motoring clubs."
Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry backed Theissen's view that he hoped the current uncertainty could be ended quickly.
"We recognise that the FIA reached its decision following due process," he said about the Mosley verdict. "However, the reaction of motoring clubs around the world demonstrates a genuine concern about the extent to which the President of the FIA is able to carry out his role following these events.
"Despite the strong contributions Max has made to the sport, we share this concern and we would wish to see a speedy end to the current instability."
Theissen added that he hoped the wranglings within the FIA would not have an impact on its ability to act as the governing body for motor sport and automobiles.
"We expect that the FIA as a body sticks to its role and handles it professionally, which means governing motorsport - governing F1 and the other series," he said.
"We also expect the current initiatives of cost reduction and introduction of future technology to be carried on and to be really put in place."
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