As the chequered flag flew Sunday evening in Melbourne, Jarno Trulli celebrated a fine third position after starting the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix from the pit lane.
The Italian veteran was later handed a 25 second penalty for allegedly overtaking Lewis Hamilton whilst behind the safety car, dropping the Toyota racer to 12th in the results.
Today stewards looked at ‘new evidence’ and concluded that Hamilton had deliberately misled the FIA delegates in Australia. Trulli is therefore reinstated to third position while defending champion Hamilton has been excluded from the results.
A statement issued by the stewards on Thursday evening confirmed that Hamilton and McLaren Mercedes “acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards.”
The stewards said the conduct was in breach of the International Sporting Code.
The final finishing positions for the opening round of the season are; Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Sebastien Buemi and Sebastien Bourdais. 
 
FIA statement in full
At the first hearing following the Australian Grand Prix the Stewards did not have the benefit of the radio exchanges between driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and his Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes nor did they have access to the comments to the Media given by Lewis Hamilton immediately after the end of the race.
From the video recordings available to the Stewards during the hearing it appeared that Jarno Trulli’s car left the track and car No 1 moved into third place. It then appeared that Trulli overtook Hamilton to regain third place, which at the time was prohibited as it was during the Safety Car period.
During the hearing, held approximately one hour after the end of the race, the Stewards and the Race Director questioned Lewis Hamilton and his Team Manager David Ryan specifically about whether there had been an instruction given to Hamilton to allow Trulli to overtake. Both the driver and the Team Manager stated that no such instruction had been given. The Race Director specifically asked Hamilton whether he had consciously allowed Trulli to overtake. Hamilton insisted that he had not done so.
The new elements presented to the Stewards several days after the 2009 Australian Grand Prix which led to the reconvened Stewards Meeting clearly show that:
a. Immediately after the race and before Lewis Hamilton attended the Stewards Meeting he gave an interview to the Media where he clearly stated that the Team had told him to let Trulli pass.
b. Furthermore, the radio exchanges between the driver and the Team contain two explicit orders from the Team to let the Toyota pass.

The Stewards, having learned about the radio exchanges and the Media interview, felt strongly that they had been misled by the driver and his Team Manager which led to Jarno Trulli being unfairly penalised and Lewis Hamilton gaining third place.

Source : GMM

I know we are only 1 race into the new 2009 F1 season, but who do you think is your favourite F1 driver so far?

I have put a new vote on the website, so if you have a spare couple of minutes, please cast a vote.

VOTE HERE

Following a stewards’ inquiry, Jarno Trulli has been stripped of his podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix.
The FIA officials ruled that the Toyota driver overtook Lewis Hamilton under the safety car, after losing third position to the world champion by running off the track.
Italian Trulli received a 25 second time penalty, dropping him out of the points and into 12th position. McLaren’s Hamilton was promoted to third, with Sebastien Bourdais joining the points-paying positions.

In another stewards’ decision, Sebastian Vettel will be demoted ten places down the Malaysian Grand Prix grid in one week, and pay a $50,000 fine to the FIA. 
The German was penalised not for his late collision with Robert Kubica, but for failing to pull his damaged Red Bull to the side of the track when requested.

Source: GMM

After the excitement and drama of qualifying, the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix lived up to all expectations as Jenson Button recorded his second career victory and the first for the brand new Brawn Mercedes team.
Out of the ashes of the Honda team, Brawn GP stunned its rivals as soon as they took to the tests tracks in Spain for pre-season testing. The form continued into practice and the team aced the front row in qualifying in Melbourne.
Race day saw Button make a perfect start to lead the first lap by five seconds as Rubens Barrichello slipped down the field as his anti-stall device kicked in. As the drama played out in the closing stages, Rubens Barrichello inherited second position to make it a famous Brawn GP one-two result.
While Button was rarely troubled at the front of the field, the battle for second position looked set to go down to the wire a Sebastian Vettel defended his position from the charging Robert Kubica. A small error on his worn option tyres from the Red Bull Renault driver at the first turn saw the German racer lose momentum allowing Kubica’s BMW Sauber alongside heading into turn three.
Vettel, obviously keen to retain the position was not going to give in without a fight but then went in too deep eliminating himself and Kubica within sight of the chequered flag. 
This allowed the recovering Barrichello through into second position for a dream Brawn Mercedes result and cost Red Bull Renault at least six valuable championship points.
Following the disappointment post-qualifying yesterday, Jarno Trulli put in a great drive from the pit lane to finish third in his Toyota, while team-mate Glock took the chequered flag in fifth position after a long battle with double world champion Fernando Alonso. While the TF109 has proven rapid all weekend there was sting in the tail for the team for the second straight day…
Following the chequered flag and the podium celebrations, Trulli was found guilt of passing Lewis Hamilton whilst behind the safety car. The Italian veteran was handed a 12 second penalty dropping him from third position to 12th.
Hamilton started the 58-lap race from 18th position following his gearbox issues in qualifying and made great progress on the option tyre in the opening laps. As Ferrari, Vettel and Kubica slipped up the 2008 race winner and defending champion found himself in a sensational fourth position at the flag and then third in the record books

Source: GMM

The FIA have now released the official entry list for the 2009 F1 season. There are a few minor changes.  Massa & Raikkonen have changed driver numbers from the previous provisional list, and also Bourdais & Buemi have exchanged numbers.

Originally Force India were given the last 2 driver numbers, but the Brawn GP F1 Team have now been classed as a new entry for 2009 so Button & Barrichello will now have the last 2 driver numbers.

The numbers 18 and 19 will not appear on the 2009 grid as they were originally assigned for the HONDA team, who are no longer in F1. As Brawn GP was classed as a new team entry they are now going to be numbers 22 and 23

The full list is below

2009 FIA Formula One World Championship – Entry List

1 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Heikki KOVALAINEN (FIN) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES

3 Felipe MASSA (BRA) SCUDERIA FERRARI
4 Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (FIN) SCUDERIA FERRARI

5 Robert KUBICA (PL) BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM
6 Nick HEIDFELD (D) BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM

7 Fernando ALONSO (E) ING RENAULT F1 TEAM
8 Nelson PIQUET (BR) ING RENAULT F1 TEAM

9 Jarno TRULLI (I) PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING
10 Timo GLOCK (D) PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING

11 Sébastien BOURDAIS (F) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
12 Sébastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO

14 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING
15 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING

16 Nico ROSBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS
17 Kazuki NAKAJIMA (J) AT&T WILLIAMS

20 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA
21 Giancarlo FISICHELLA (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA

22 Jenson BUTTON (GB) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM
23 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM

Well after months of speculation, finally it is confirmed. Ross Brawn has taken over the Honda F1 team

Statement from Ross Brawn & Honda

Honda Motor Company Limited and Ross Brawn are pleased to confirm that they have reached agreement to secure the future of the former Honda Racing F1 Team. With immediate effect, Honda will pass ownership to Ross Brawn, Team Principal of the new Brawn GP Formula One Team.
Brawn GP has agreed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, Brixworth, UK to supply the team with its 2.4 litre Mercedes-Benz FO108W Formula One engines. 
The team can confirm that its race driver line-up for the 2009 season will combine the talents of two of Formula One’s most experienced drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The race-winning drivers continue their partnership at the team for a fourth consecutive year, forming the most experienced driver partnership on the grid with 423 Grand Prix starts between the pair.
Brawn GP Team Principal, Ross Brawn, commented: “The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team but today’s announcement is the very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future.
“Firstly, it is a great shame that having worked with Honda Motor Company for so long we can no longer continue together. I would like to thank Honda for the fantastic co-operation and support we have received throughout this process – particularly those members of the senior management who were closely involved with concluding our agreement – and for the faith they have demonstrated in myself and our team.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to pay due credit to our staff at Brackley. The levels of motivation and commitment that I have witnessed at the factory deserve the highest praise.
“I am delighted that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will form our race driver line-up for the 2009 season. The vast experience and knowledge that both drivers bring to our team will prove invaluable as we aim to get up to speed in the shortest possible time to be ready for the first race of the season in Melbourne on 29 March. In what will be their fourth season together, their experience with our team in Brackley, our systems and our engineers, will prove a real asset.
“It would be impossible to mention all of the people without whom today’s announcement may not have been possible, however I would like to express particular appreciation for the support we have received from Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile), FOM (Formula One Management), FOTA (Formula One Teams Association), BERR (the UK’s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), Bridgestone, our other team partners and our many fans the world over. The journey ahead will be challenging but exciting and we know we can count on their continued enthusiasm for our team and its ambitions.”
Hiroshi Oshima, Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. responsible for Corporate Communications and Motor Sports, commented: “Since announcing our withdrawal from Formula One racing on December 5 of last year, we have conducted various studies and discussions so that the team can continue its activities as a new team. We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn, with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision. We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross.”
Brawn GP will now focus its efforts on the remaining pre-season tests, in Barcelona (9-12 March) and Jerez (15-17 March) prior to heading to Melbourne, Australia for the start of the 2009 Formula One season.

Source : BrawnGP.Com

After a brief respite, the pre-season testing programme resumed today at Jerez in Spain with all but Toro Rosso Ferrari and Honda in action.
The day was notable not just for the debut of the new Force India Mercedes VJM02 package with Giancarlo Fisichella behind the wheel, but also because of the high number of mechanical failures and subsequent red flag periods.
With the majority of those in action coasting to a halt at one point or another, the teams requested an extension to the 5pm local time cut-off, only to be denied. In addition, a rain shower at 2.30pm local time also complicated matters a little for the eight teams present.
New Red Bull recruit Sebastian Vettel set the pace in the new RB4 package with a best time of 1:19.055s, but the German youngster lost time with a Renault engine failure. Still, Vettel managed a respectable 87 laps of the 4.428km Spanish test venue and was a massive 1.3 seconds clear of Felipe Massa in the Ferrari F60, who also lost time after taking to a gravel trap.
Kamui Kobayashi was in action for the Toyota team – who like Ferrari and BMW Sauber are readjusting to the cooler European climate after nearly two weeks in Bahrain – and the German-based team seem to be having a relatively strong build up to the new season with the new TF109. Kobayashi posted the third fastest time ahead of Williams Toyota driver Nico Rosberg who was another driver forced to a halt with a mechanical problem in the newly liveried FW31.
Robert Kubica was fifth fastest in his BMW Sauber ahead of Fisichella in the new Mercedes-powered VJM02. 
The Italian veteran was however only able to complete 31 laps in the new machine, his fastest lap coming on his 22nd of the day.
Pedro de la Rosa completed the most laps of the day – 94 – but was forced to end his session a little prematurely when his McLaren Mercedes ground to a halt late in the session. The Spanish tester was seventh best on the day ahead of Nelson Piquet who also brought out the red flags late in the day as his Renault came to a halt on track.

Testing continues at Jerez on Monday.

Jerez – 01/03/2009
1 . S. Vettel – Red Bull Renault RB5 – 1:19.055 (+ 0.000 ) – 87 laps
2 . F. Massa – Ferrari F60 – 1:20.330 (+ 1.275 ) – 63 laps
3 . K. Kobayashi – Toyota TF109 – 1:20.699 (+ 1.644 ) – 79 laps
4 . N. Rosberg – Williams Toyota FW31 – 1:21.171 (+ 2.116 ) – 71 laps
5 . R. Kubica – BMW Sauber F1.09 – 1:21.292 (+ 2.237 ) – 47 laps
6 . G. Fisichella – Force India Mercedes VJM02 – 1:21.584 (+ 2.529 ) – 31 laps
7 . P. de la Rosa – McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 – 1:21.831 (+ 2.776 ) – 94 laps
8 . N. Piquet – Renault R29 – 1:22.011 (+ 2.956 ) – 52 laps.

Source : GMM

The new Force India VJM02, was launched at the latest big F1 test in Jerez.
The new livery features India’s national colours, with a predominant white sharing space with bright green and orange.
The VJM02 had its shakedown during a private test at the Silverstone circuit a few days ago with Adrian Sutil at the controls. The German driver and teammate Giancarlo Fisichella will again compete for the team this season, with Tonio Liuzzi returning as test and reserve driver.
In regards to team management, Vijay Mallya is in charge as Team Principal while James Key holds the Technical Director duties.
Mike Gascoyne and Colin Kolles have left, as Mallya and co-owner Michiel Mol thanked both for their services during the same period Force India’s partnership with Ferrari was terminated. 
The changes occurred last November, signaling a change in direction for the 2009 campaign.
Thanks to its new partnership with McLaren and Mercedes, Force India expects to make major steps forward this year and is aiming for positions in the midfield.
Both Sutil and Fisichella are hoping to score points in 2009, as that objective was not met last year at the conclusion of the team’s first season under the Force India guise.

Source : GMM

Team staff at Honda’s Brackley headquarters have been told to prepare for imminent winter tests in Spain and subsequently the beginning of the 2009 season in Australia. “Everything’s positive — it’s all going ahead. Contracts are agreed and signed. It’s with the lawyers,” a source at the team told BBC Sport. It is almost certain that the last hope for Honda is the management buyout led by Ross Brawn, whose prospects seem to have taken a step forward since rumours emerged that Nick Fry might no longer be involved. “We’re carrying on as if we’re going to Melbourne,” the source continued. A report in the Daily Mirror, meanwhile, said Honda’s Tokyo board – already publicly unhappy with the seriousness of bids by third parties – has accepted the management buyout. It is understood the 2009 car has been adapted to fit the Mercedes-Benz V8 engine, with only the green light now required to unlock a schedule of at least one test in Spain, and possibly a prior shakedown (probably at Silverstone, UK). “There’s no way we’d go to any test without an engine deal,” the source explained. “If we’re going to Jerez, it means it’s a done deal.” In Barcelona this week for the inaugural Global Sports Forum, the Honda team’s marketing boss David Butler told the Spanish newspaper Diario AS: “There is no news but we are working towards a positive resolution, and in this sense I think we can be fairly optimistic.” He also expressed frustration about the speculation surrounding the sale of the departing Honda Motor Co.’s team, noting that “there are many billionaires making comments in the media”.

Source: GMM