Daily Update Formula1 News

Formula 1 teams failed to reach an agreement with FIA president Max Mosley about the future of the sport on Friday, despite lengthy talks that ran into the early evening.

Following a series of discussions over the course of the day, the teams met with Mosley to try and find a resolution to their unhappiness about plans for a voluntary budget cap.

However, despite talking for almost three hours no agreement was reached meaning several teams remain poised to not lodge entries for 2010 by next weeks deadline.

Although most team principals refused to comment about the situation as they left the Automobile Club de Monaco, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo revealed that more talks were needed.

"It was a long and constructive meeting," he said. "FOTA will have another meeting tomorrow, and then there will be another meeting with Mosley.

"What we want is that Formula 1 stays as Formula 1, that it doesn't become something different and go towards constant changes which confuse the public and all the others, that there should be stability and that we work over the next two years to arrive at a way of further reducing costs."

Despite the failure to reach an agreement on Friday, and with next weeks entry deadline looming, Mosley said he remained optimistic a deal could be reached.

"It was a good constructive meeting. The discussions are ongoing," he said.

When asked what the issues were, Mosley said: "They are the same issues. But I am hopeful there will be an agreement."

Ferrari, Red Bull, Toyota and Renault have all said that they will not enter the 2010 championship unless the rules are chaged.

Teams have until May 29 to lodge their entries to the championship with those missing the deadline likely to face a fine if they want to get back, providing there is space left on the grid.
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Lewis Hamilton says he has emerged from his tumultuous start to the season a stronger man, after admitting the past few weeks have been 'very tough' for him.

Having faced troubles with his car on track, and criticism off it for his involvement in the lying controversy, the world champion has deliberately kept a low profile in recent races.

But he ended his self-imposed 'exile' in Monaco on Thursday when he sat down with the British press to chat through his feelings.

Speaking in a relaxed and friendly manner, no doubt buoyed by the strong on-track performance of his McLaren around the streets of Monte Carlo, Hamilton said he felt he had grown and learned from the events of the past few weeks.

"Yes, definitely," he said. "All these experiences I've had. I am not perfect, I am not a politician, I say things wrong every now and then. I'm sure everyone does.

"You try to learn from those experiences, carry them with you and try to grow. I've had a world championship which is something I am still very proud to have. I am trying just now to build on those bricks and keep getting better. I do feel as a driver if I had last year's car I'd be in a great position."

Hamilton apologised for not having maintained his usual media commitments in recent weeks, but explained that it had been important for him to get things straight in his head about all that had gone on.

"It's just taking some time to reflect on things, analyse it, and understand exactly what's gone on," he said. "And then to be able to grow from it. You can't just get on with things. You have to be able to analyse it so you don't make the same mistake again."

He added: "It hasn't been a great start to the year, but everyone knows that. It's been very, very tough. As we get more into the season it's getting more exciting for us. You may not see it so much from the outside but we've made huge steps forwards, even if not so huge here because of the type of circuit it is. But we've made some great steps. That's the exciting thing."

Hamilton admitted that he found it strange there had been so much attention on him since the start of the year.

"People don't realise that whilst we look like superstars we live pretty normal lives....every now and again we go on holiday and that's better, but our normal life is the same as yours.

"If anything your apartment may be bigger than mine. I've got a nice neat place, nothing special, nothing spectacular. I live a normal life in Geneva. Generally, away from everything I live a normal life. I am a normal person; a human being. People look at me and see a superstar and expect someone superhuman. But I'm a normal guy. I have made that mistake in the past with people in the hierarchy. They are humans at the end of the day."

Hamilton also praised the role of his father Anthony in helping get through the troubles of the past few weeks.

"Me and my dad have a fantastic relationship and it has not affected that in any way, if anything its strengthened it," he said. "Dad showed an ability to speak to me, and our communication has improved.

"Without my dad, first of all I wouldn't be here. He's the one that is the backbone. He has never ever failed. He has been to every single race through my whole career and I've been to a lot of races since I was eight years old. He has always backed me up.

"He always supported me whether I am right or wrong. And he's helped me get around it and everything. He plays a huge key role in my life."

And speaking about how things had changed with mentor Ron Dennis having stepped back from the F1 team, Hamilton said: "I miss Ron. It is not the same feeling as my dad because he has, literally, been by my side ever since the start.

"Ron got a lot more involved since I got into single-seaters, GP2, and F1. My relationship with Ron is still very strong. I miss having him around. The paddock feels a little bit empty without him here."
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Location

Monte Carlo
Population
30,000
Currency
Euro
First Grand Prix
1929
Timezone
GMT +1
Language
French, English, Italian, Monegasque
Religion
Christian 90%, other 10%
Visa / Passport Requirements

Why go?
More like ‘why not go?' Monaco at Grand Prix time epitomises everything that’s great about Formula One racing: speed, glamour, passion, noise and a hint of danger because the cars are never too far away from the barriers.

The Principality has a lot of history in its own right, with the Grimaldi Family having reigned supreme since 1297. In a Formula One context, the track is one of the greatest challenges on the calendar; it staged its first (pre championship) Grand Prix in 1929 and has remained largely unchanged ever since.

Celebrities flock to the race like bees to a honey pot because it’s the world’s most glamorous sporting event. To name a few that have visited in recent years: actors Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley, soccer star Roberto Carlos and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.

“There are too many things to do in Monaco to fit them into 24 hours,” says David Coulthard, who has been a resident in the Principality since 1994. “However, I can suggest a good night out.” (see ‘Where to Go?’ below)

Did you know? Monaco enjoys an average of 300 days' sunshine per year.

Transport

The nearest international airport is Nice in France. The most hassle-free way to enter the Principality from there is by train, with the journey taking around 40 minutes. Alternatively, it’s a 40-minute drive via the autoroute, or an hour if you take the more picturesque coastal road. Bear in mind, however, that parking in Monaco over the race weekend is very difficult, to say the least.

If you want to treat yourself, you could always catch a helicopter from Nice. The views are spectacular and 15 minutes after take off you can be dining by the harbour.
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Useful tips

The first thing to remember is that the on-track action starts a day early. Unlike every other race on the Formula One calendar, the first day of practice at Monaco is on Thursday. Friday is traditionally a rest day - ideal for some leisurely sightseeing. There is no such thing as general admission in Monaco because it’s not possible to walk from corner-to-corner. You have to book a grandstand seat, with the cost reflecting the vantage point around the lap.

Unlike in neighbouring France, tipping (‘pourboire’) is not the norm because most restaurants and taxis add 10 percent onto their bills as a matter of routine.
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You can keep up to speed with all the action throughout the weekend by hiring a Kangaroo TV handset at the circuit, which offers access to several channels of live video, audio and data content.
Where to go?

You can take a stroll by the harbour, visit the Jardin Exotique (home to more than 7000 varieties of cacti alone) or walk around the Palais du Prince, the Grimaldi’s official residence for 700 years.

For more of a party weekend, try Colombus Hotel owner David Coulthard’s suggested itinerary: “Arrive into Nice airport in the evening and go straight to the Columbus. Once you’ve checked in, head for dinner at the SAS cafe and, from there, head to the Amber Lounge and dance your ass off. Knackered and hungry? Head for the Tip Top bar for one of their all-night breakfasts.

“In the morning, the Cafe de Paris does the best Bloody Marys around and, your hang-over cured, go to the Casino and lose whatever money you have left!”

Where to stay?

If you have the cash, nothing beats the glamour of staying in Monaco itself. The closer you are to the track, the higher the price and most hotels are booked out months in advance, so plan ahead. Coulthard’s Colombus Hotel is just one of the stylish options available. A more cost-effective choice is to stay along the coast in one of the quaint seaside towns such as Beaulieu Sur Mer. Hotel rooms often cost a fraction of those in Monaco and it is only a short commute by train into the Principality.
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Extended stay

Sickly members of the English and French aristocracies used to travel to the south of France ‘to take the air and recuperate’. While the Cote D’Azur may no longer be the exclusive destination of the rich, there is still something magical - even medicinal - about the air and scenery.

Beaches and mountains are both within easy reach of Monaco. The Alpes Maritimes line the coast and are a great challenge for walkers and cyclists alike. Cannes is a stone’s throw to the west and Nice is linked to Paris by the high-speed TGV train, so you can be in the capital in no time.

“If I have a few days to kill,” says Coulthard, “I hire a boat and head for St Tropez. The beaches there are beautiful and there are some fantastic restaurants too.”
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Enthusiasts only

If you fancy Monaco in January, don’t miss the Monte-Carlo Rally. If, however, you prefer circuit racing, Paul Ricard is only a couple of hours away. The former French Grand Prix venue is now used regularly for Formula One testing.

Or you can stay on the coast and watch some off-shore power boating, which takes place on a regular basis throughout the summer months.
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Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes a solution to the row over a two-tier Formula 1 must be achieved 'at all costs', ahead of showdown talks with the FIA in London tomorrow.
After a week in which Toyota, Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault all announced that they will quit F1 at the end of this year unless plans for a voluntary budget cap are scrapped, Briatore says that no one is keen for the situation to result in a breakaway series.

Speaking about the possibility of a rebel category, Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport: "It is a remote hypothesis that everyone wants to avoid.
"We are living in a difficult moment and we must find a solution at all costs. I hope [Max] Mosley and his men will mend their ways, in order to start over in full harmony."
Briatore says that the teams are angry at both the rules that have been introduced for 2010, and the manner in which they were forced through without direct consultation with the teams.
"The teams are F1 and the international federation should simply be the referee, the rules should be written by us, they can't be imposed by Max without him speaking to anyone," he explained. "That's an unacceptable way to work.
"The FIA throws at us a new thing every week: we've gone from medals to diffusers with embarrassing thoughtlessness. We can't go on like this. We must protect the work of our employees."
He added: "It must be clear that we, Ferrari, and the others have no intention of breaking with FIA. We want to be there, to participate, and to preserve the future. We are setting logical conditions to Mosley."
Briatore also said that he believed the desire to attract new teams to the sport was misplaced, because manufacturers are ready to keep a full grid.
"We don't accept F1 to be distorted by a set of rules that has no reason to exist," he said. "The arrival of new teams that lack the characteristics to be admitted to a world championship is not acceptable either.
"Maybe he's [Mosley] had the support of some small teams and he got excited. However, what will happen with the championship he had the World Council voting for, is that the teams with the capped budget will be ahead of the ones that didn't accept that limit, thanks to more technical and design freedom.
"That can't be. That way you'd tarnish not just the image but also the value of who invests money in F1. A world championship with two sets of rules doesn't make sense."
Members of the Formula One Teams' Association will meet in London tomorrow morning, prior to their talks with Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone in the afternoon to discuss a way forward.
When asked if he was optimistic a solution could be found, Briatore said: "I must be."
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PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS GP Catalunya 2009
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1h37:19.202
2. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) + 13.056
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 13.924
4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) + 18.941
5. Alonso Renault (B) + 43.166
6. Massa Ferrari (B) + 50.827
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 52.312
8. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 1:05.211
9. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
10. Glock Toyota (B) + 1 lap
11. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap
12. Piquet Renault (B) + 1 lap
13. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
14. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap

Great GP Catalunya 2009 Spanish, GP Catalunya start in Sunny Weather circuit it will make the race very nice.
GP Catalunya In pole Jason Button, Vettel and Barichelo. From this pole we know Brawn GP will win ini GP Catalunya 2009 and it happen this day. Great start from Brawn GP Barichello leading the race follow by button and vettel. While all eyes were on Massa's KERS-shod car at the start, it was actually Barrichello who made the best getaway, sweeping around the outside of Button into Turn 1 as Massa squeezed past Vettel to take third.
GP Catalunya 1st lap some accident happen STR ferarri crash, safety car out and still brawn GP in 1st and 2nd. Further back, Jarno Trulli jinked to avoid Nico Rosberg in the first complex and ended up running wide into the gravel and spinning back across the circuit. The Toyota speared into Adrian Sutil's Force India, with the two Toro Rossos violently tangling in the background as Sebastien Buemi slowed in avoidance and was collected by team-mate Sebastien Bourdais.

This led to a four-lap safety car period, after which Barrichello and Button pulled away from Massa, Vettel and Webber in unison through the opening stint.
Although Button was the lighter car this stage, at the stops he took on a very large fuel load, while Barrichello stuck to a three-stop plan.
That meant the Brazilian rejoined with a clear lead - but now had to mount a charge to pull out enough of an advantage over his team-mate.
Barrichello proceeded to lap 0.7-1.1s quicker than Button, but the 12-lap run to his second stop was not sufficient, and he rejoined 8s behind.
There was another chance to try and strike back during the final pit sequence, when Button would be first to go onto the slower hard compound tyres. However Button had managed to pull 12s clear of Barrichello, who in any case stopped only two laps later.
Massa and Vettel pitted in unison at both their stops, and on each occasion Ferrari managed to stay ahead of the Red Bull. Having run close behind Button for most of the race, they lost touch with the Brawns - and get jumped by the late-stopping Webber - thanks to making relatively early final stops and then having to spend a long time on the hard tyres.
The Brawns and Webber were able to lap 2s quicker as they continued on softs, leaving Massa and Vettel a distant fourth and fifth.
Vettel finally made it ahead of Massa with four laps to go as the Ferrari had to back off and save fuel, too little having been delivered at its final stop. He eventually fell back to sixth.
Fernando Alonso (Renault) did well to take a quiet fifth given his light fuel load, passing the slowing Massa on the last lap. He had been involved in a wild battle with Webber at the restart that saw the Renault squeeze past the Red Bull using its KERS advantage, only for Webber to dive back ahead under braking at Turn 1.
BMW's Nick Heidfeld used a long middle stint to beat Williams's Nico Rosberg to seventh. The second BMW of Robert Kubica was only 11th after losing ground on lap one.
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) dropped to last avoiding the first corner crash, then made good progress in the middle of the race before severe tyre wear saw him fall off the pace. He eventually beat Timo Glock to ninth, the Toyota never recovering from falling into the midfield thanks to an earlier first stop than most.
Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki Kovalainen's poor weekends failed to improve in the race. Both gained several places amid the first lap chaos until for their cars to crawl into retirement early in the race.

World Championship standings, round 5:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Button 41 1. Brawn GP-Mercedes 68
2. Barrichello 27 2. Red Bull-Renault 38.5
3. Vettel 23 3. Toyota 26.5
4. Webber 15.5 4. McLaren-Mercedes 13
5. Trulli 14.5 5. Renault 9
6. Glock 12 6. BMW Sauber 6
7. Alonso 9 7. Ferrari 6
8. Hamilton 9 8. Williams-Toyota 4.5
9. Heidfeld 6 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
10. Rosberg 4.5
11. Kovalainen 4
12. Massa 3
13. Buemi 3
14. Raikkonen 3
15. Bourdais 1
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Jenson Button beat Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello to pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix with a stunning late lap.
The championship leader had appeared to be struggling to match his Brawn team-mate Barrichello's pace for most of the build-up, and fell as low as eighth as others completed their final runs in Q3.
But Button crossed the line to start his last lap just as the chequered flag fell, and proceeded to snatch pole away from Vettel (Red Bull) by 0.133 seconds.

Barrichello briefly held provisional pole before Button and Vettel improved, leaving the Brazilian third.
Felipe Massa showed Ferrari's best form of the year to take fourth after being fastest in morning practice and Q1.
That made up for his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's disastrous session. The Finn had a poor first Q1 lap - 0.8s slower than team-mate Massa's session-topping effort - but still felt safe enough not to go for a second run. That proved complacent, for he was then pushed down to 16th and out of qualifying.
Mark Webber put the second Red Bull fifth on the grid, with late gains from Toyota's Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli pushing home crowd favourite down Fernando Alonso down to eighth for Renault.
Friday pace-setter Nico Rosberg was correct in his prediction that he would not challenge for pole. The Williams driver was only ninth, ahead of BMW's Robert Kubica.
Nelson Piquet had his best qualifying performance of the year and was on course for a top ten start until the final seconds of Q2, when other drivers' improvements edged the Renault drivers back to 12th, between Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) and Nick Heidfeld's repaired BMW Sauber.
McLaren fell back after its promising Bahrain weekend. Lewis Hamilton could only manage 14th, while Heikki Kovalainen fared worse still and was only quick enough for 18th position.
Sebastien Buemi again outperformed his Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Bourdais as they took 15th and 17th on the grid, and the Force Indias remained on the back row, Adrian Sutil half a second quicker than Giancarlo Fisichella this time.
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:20.707 1:20.192 1:20.527
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:20.715 1:20.220 1:20.660
3. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:20.808 1:19.954 1:20.762
4. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:20.484 1:20.149 1:20.934
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:20.689 1:20.007 1:21.049
6. Glock Toyota (B) 1:20.877 1:20.107 1:21.247
7. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.189 1:20.420 1:21.254
8. Alonso Renault (B) 1:21.186 1:20.509 1:21.392
9. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.745 1:20.256 1:22.558
10. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:20.931 1:20.408 1:22.685
11. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.818 1:20.531
12. Piquet Renault (B) 1:21.128 1:20.604
13. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:21.095 1:20.676
14. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:20.991 1:20.805
15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:21.033 1:21.067
16. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:21.291
17. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:21.300
18. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.675
19. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:21.742
20. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:22.204
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Red Bull Racing technical chief Adrian Newey hopes that his team's hunger and desire to succeed this year will help overcome the financial might of the manufacturers in the fight for world championship glory.
Although Newey concedes that Red Bull does not have the resources to match the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber, he thinks other factors could come into play.
When asked if he felt Red Bull was a top team now, Newey responded: "It is a team that has been a top team for the last four races. As we all know motor racing is a fast changing business so the challenge now is trying to keep it there."

"I think from a resource side then we are clearly smaller than some of our rivals, but from a hunger and drive side of it then we are going to keep pushing, so what can I say?" said Newey in Spain on Friday. "History will tell in the future."
Newey thinks it is inevitable that the manufacturer teams will keep throwing money at improving their cars over the course of the season, but reckons that the self-belief his team has now after triumphing in Shanghai could be more important.
"I suppose one of the things about getting a bit of success is it gives the team confidence," said Newey. "Red Bull Technology, we did win a race last year obviously at Monza, but I think when the cars are in the same place as the design office, it gives people a bit more confidence. It is more immediate.
"It is a funny thing about winning races. When you are not winning then it looks an impossible task and you can feel sometimes a bit deflated that you can't seem to win a race. If you do win a race, you don't feel you are doing anything differently.
"You have suddenly won a race and it is the old saying - it gets the monkey off your back. From the people at Milton Keynes, who were at Jaguar and are now at Red Bull, we shed that monkey in a way that perhaps they feel it more than when we won the race at Monza last year."
Although Red Bull's title chances will become clearer after it introduces its double-decker diffuser design, potentially at the Monaco Grand Prix, Newey drew short of making any firm predictions that Red Bull could go all the way to winning the world title.
"It's too early to think about that to be perfectly honest," he said. "My attitude in this position is always let's just keep our head down and not worry about what everyone else is doing. We will concentrate on doing the best job we can and see where it takes us."
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Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima gave Williams Formula One Racing Team one-two in the second free practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at Catalunya.
The team held on to its commanding position despite pace-setter Rosberg pulling off the road with a mechanical problem on his final lap of the afternoon.
Local hero Fernando Alonso buoyed the Barcelona crowd with third place, with Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button taking fourth and sixth for Brawn, split by Mark Webber's Red Bull.

Williams led the way for the majority of the session.
After the early flurry of quick times had ended with Renault's Nelson Piquet at the head of the field following a soft tyre run, Nakajima established himself in first place at the 25-minute mark.
He was briefly deposed by Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull, but only for a few minutes before returning to first place.
When Nakajima was finally beaten with a quarter of an hour remaining, it was his team-mate Rosberg who took the position with a time of 1m21.588s - 0.152s quicker than his Japanese team-mate.
Rosberg looked set to improve further on his last flying lap, only for the car to grind to a halt on the approach to Turn 10.
Alonso grabbed third late on, ahead of the Red Bulls and Brawns.
Following his initial strong form, Piquet had a difficult session. He slid through the gravel at Campsa and brushed the tyre wall, requiring assistance from the marshals to rejoin. Luckily his Renault was undamaged, but he paid a second visit to the gravel on his return to the track - this time spinning at Turn 3.
Despite these incidents, the Brazilian still ended the session in eighth.
Force India's Adrian Sutil missed the entire session due to a fuel cell problem, while Sebastien Buemi had to park his Toro Rosso with smoke coming from its brakes on its out-lap at the start of the afternoon, but was able to rejoin after repairs and take ninth ahead of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari.
After its strong challenge for the top spot in the morning, Toyota appeared to run a more conservative programme this afternoon. Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli were slowest of those running in the session, but completed nearly 50 laps each.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.588 43
2. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.740 + 0.152 40
3. Alonso Renault (B) 1:21.781 + 0.193 36
4. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:21.843 + 0.255 39
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.027 + 0.439 37
6. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:22.052 + 0.464 35
7. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.082 + 0.494 45
8. Piquet Renault (B) 1:22.349 + 0.761 26
9. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:22.571 + 0.983 17
10. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:22.599 + 1.011 40
11. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:22.615 + 1.027 30
12. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:22.670 + 1.082 32
13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.809 + 1.221 31
14. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:22.876 + 1.288 29
15. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:22.878 + 1.290 35
16. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:22.948 + 1.360 40
17. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:23.173 + 1.585 39
18. Glock Toyota (B) 1:23.360 + 1.772 46
19. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:23.623 + 2.035 47
20. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B)
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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."
ref[AS]
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