Adam Cooper F1

The new Lotus F1 car is to be called the E20, as it will be the 20th car to be designed in Enstone under the Benetton, Renault and now Lotus names.

It had been referred to as the R32 – at least in Tweets from driver Romain Grosjean!

Team boss Eric Boullier explained: “Our naming of the chassis to recognise Enstone’s importance to the team’s evolution highlights our recognition of the contribution of the facility and the personnel who work tirelessly every year to produce the very best car possible.

“We certainly hope that this is the case with the E20 and we are looking forward to revealing the car to the world and seeing it out on track for the first time. There are a number of technical changes from last year and we have an exciting new driver line-up to extract the maximum from the E20 through the twenty Grands Prix of the 2012 season, including the 500th race for this team through its different incarnations. We hope that the E20 proves to be a performing Enstone design.”

Jules Bianchi is to be Sahara Force India’s reserve driver this year, after weeks of speculation about his chances of landing the job.

The Frenchman will drive the new car in testing and will do at least nine Friday morning practice sessions.

The last two drivers to have the job, Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, both graduated to race seats with the team.

Bianchi is a protégé of Ferrari, and along with Sergio Perez is considered as a possible future race driver for the Italian team. Force India will provide him with race weekend experience that Ferrari would not be able to offer him.

The 22-year-old Jules is the great-nephew of Lucien Bianchi, who finished a distant third for Cooper in the 1968 Monaco GP, and was killed in Le Mans testing the following year.

Bianchi said: “I’m obviously excited to join Sahara Force India and the chance to get track time during race weekends is an important step for me. Being regularly in a current car is the best way to learn quickly and I hope it will put me in a strong position to one day move into a race seat.

“The next few months will be really exciting as I get to know the team, see how they work, and prepare for my time in the car. I would like to thank everyone for believing in me and especially Sahara Force India for giving me this great opportunity.”

Vijay Mallya said: “We always keep an eye on young, talented drivers and his performance in GP2 certainly impressed us all. By giving Jules the opportunity to be part of our 2012 campaign, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to young drivers.

“We are proud of our track record in this regard and I have no doubt that Jules will quickly settle into the team and make a valuable contribution to our efforts on track this season.”

First of the 2012 breed - would you have picked this nose?

Caterham boss Tony Fernandes is in optimistic mood in the light of the launch of the new CT01, the first 2012 F1 car to break cover.

The Malaysian entrepreneur expects the rebranded team to make good progress this year.

“This car represents another step forward for us,” said Fernandes.” The detail right across the whole package is light years ahead of where we were when we first started out, and we are all excited about seeing what it can do when we get on track. I’m also very pleased that we were able to show our fans the car so soon.”

Fernandes said he was pleased that the unusual nose has attracted attention.

“Personally I love this car, and it’s very flattering that people want to talk about our car and our team, but the main consideration is that it is quick. As long as it is quicker than last year’s car I don’t think the looks matter, and I am sure that when all the other cars are unveiled we will see a pretty common thread running through all of them. I actually think it’s beautiful. It’s different, and different does not equal ugly – in fact I think its difference is what makes it beautiful, but then I am probably a bit biased.

“However, it is important to remember that how the car looks and behaves is one part, admittedly a major part, but just one part of what makes this team who we are. Caterham is the name we will race under for many years to come, but we still have the same DNA we have had since day one, back in 2009.

“We are the same team but every day we are growing stronger and what underpins that growth is the people in our team who have been with us since the early days, and the people who have come on board and share our vision. We are still very proudly green and yellow and I think that says rather a lot about who we are.

“For me this is a new year, a new start as Caterham, and the next chapter in our story. This is the first time our whole design team has really been able to get its teeth into creating our own product and I know it will be a progression from the T128, technically and in terms of its performance.”

Fernandes said that the clear aim this year was to score points.

“Target wise, I have been quoted as saying I want us to score a point this year and that really has to be the aim. It has to be. Towards the end of last year we were so close to the midfield cars, but our lack of KERS limited our capabilities.

“This year, however, with the people and facilities we have in the factory and the wind tunnel, and with KERS, I am confident that we will become a danger to many of the midfield teams, and yes, I want us to achieve a point somewhere in 2012 – maybe two if we are very lucky!”

The Caterham is the first car to show us the results of the 2012 nose rules

Having released an official image yesterday Caterham has today issued a Q&A with Mike Gascoyne, and given that it’s our first chance to hear a technical boss talk in detail about a 2012 car, I thought it was worth running in full.

Here’s what he has to say:

Can you give a technical overview of what the team has been up to during the winter and where are we on the creation of the CTO1?

“Well, in short, we’ve been designing and building our new racing car! Throughout the off-season we’ve been focusing on a number of key elements of the development of this year’s car, including a lot of work on optimising the wind tunnel. We have taken into consideration the changes in the technical regulations this year, most noticeably around the nose box and the push-off tests we had to pass.

“The rules around crash testing now mean that the cars have to be homologated before the first test, which meant bringing forward all the homologation tests by a month to six weeks before T1. From that point of view, we had a very successful development programme and we fully homologated the chassis before Christmas and, actually, I believe we were the first team to pass all the tests.

“The design of the car has been progressing since early 2011. It’s the first year of real stability for us on the technical side, and by keeping the Renault Sport F1 engine and Red Bull Technology gearbox, we know exactly what we’re working with and what we can expect. Each year so far we’ve effectively not only had a new design team but also a new gearbox and engine combination. Now, however, we have a very stable design team under our Technical Director Mark Smith, and this means we can take a much bigger step forward in terms of the detail of the design – and that really showed in the homologation process.

“The car build has gone very smoothly. The car will be completely ready for the first test in Jerez on February 7th. In terms of aerodynamic development, we’ve continued our programme in Italy but have augmented that with a development programme in the Williams wind tunnel, which has significantly increased our resources. All of that means I think we’ll be able to have a better and more competitive car, and we look forward to getting it out, testing it, and proving what the numbers are telling us.”

What are the big changes. What should the untrained eye be looking out for?

“Aerodynamics is always the main focus of performance and improvement. Last year it was all about the blown diffuser, which we struggled with because not having it in 2010 meant we were always playing catch up throughout the 2011 season in comparison to other teams.

“The fact it’s banned this year certainly plays to our advantage. Other teams had so much more development time, they were able to get much more out of it than we were ever able to, so that eliminates a little of the competition in terms of technical development. But really, aerodynamics is always one of the main features of development and that’s why we’ve put so much additional resource into it.”

And KERS?

“Yes, it’s no secret that we’ll have KERS on the car this year. Towards the end of last year it really started to affect us racing with the midfield cars. It hurt us in qualifying and in our eventual race positions. At the last race in 2011, Heikki made a good start and gained a lot of positions but then lost out by not having KERS.

“Having KERS embedded into our 2012 car is another good step forward for us. We had our best ever qualifying in relation to the cars ahead of us in Brazil, and with KERS we could have possibly out-qualified a few of them. So, again, we have another good reason to be very positive about 2012.”

What about this nose? It’s creating quite a lot of debate…

“Yes, well the regulations have changed to limit the height of the nosebox to try to ensure that noses don’t get too high. Our challenge is that you always want to get the chassis as high as possible to allow clean air flow to the underside of the car, and what you see on the CT01 is our solution to that.

“As we’re the first car out it is obviously stirring up a lot of debate, but because of the 2012 regulations I think you’ll probably be seeing this type of nose on most of the cars this year.”

What are our targets for 2012?

“I think we need to see the car on track first and get feedback from the first tests. Until we run the car, we only have numbers and simulation data to work with. But every team wants to move up the grid and we’re no different. We finished 10th in the last two years, which has been our target, but now I think it’s time we moved forward again. Let’s see what happens we get out on track.”

The first pictures of a 2012 car have emerged today thanks to Caterham

Here is the first official image of the new Caterham CT-01, issued by the team in response to ‘unofficial’ pictures appearing on the web today.

The car was due to be unveiled in F1 Racing magazine, which is supposed to be available tomorrow, but some readers received their copies today and have been busy posting the images.

All designers have had to respond to the new rule which calls for a lower nose, and the Caterham is the first to demonstrate the unusual ‘stepped’ look, with bulges where the suspension meets the chassis followed by a drop to the rest of the nose – although the effect is not entirely clear from this side angle.

The rebranded Marussia team will miss the first test of the season in Jerez, despite having originally planned to run the 2011 Virgin – mainly to give rookie Charles Pic more seat time.

The team has now decided to skip Jerez completely and run the old car at the second test of the year in Barcelona on February 21-24, before bringing out the new car for the second Barcelona session – and the last before the season – on March 1-4.

The new model is totally different from its predecessor, following the departure in the middle of last year of former technical director Nick Wirth.

Speaking via Marussia’s Twitter feed, team principal John Booth said: “The MR01 will be almost entirely ‘new’, with very little carryover.

“Unfortunately our programme has slipped and there seems little point in fielding the new car before we can optimise the run plan for it.

“We will hopefully gain more constructive track time than we might otherwise have achieved had we rushed the new car out for the second test.”

Jerome D’Ambrosio has been announced as third driver for Lotus, alongside Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

D’Ambrosio, who drove for Virgin last year, is managed by the Genii organisation, via its Gravity offshoot.

“It’s an exciting next step in my career,” said the Belgian. “I contested a complete season in F1 as a race driver for a smaller team where I learnt a lot about Formula 1.

“Now, I have the opportunity to work with one of the top teams with great potential for my future development. With my recent race experience, I know I can make a valuable contribution. Of course, I would love to be racing, but racing with a top team.

“Being associated with Lotus F1 Team should be more beneficial and this is the choice I have made. This opportunity is one I couldn’t afford to miss. My desire to get back in a race seat in the future is motivating me to do the best job possible in my new position.”

Team boss Eric Boullier said: “To have a third driver who is highly motivated, fresh and talented and who contested the full 2011 season is highly beneficial for us. In Jérôme we have someone we know well who integrates beneficially with the squad.

“He impressed as reserve driver for us in 2010 and at the end of that year he made a strong showing in the young driver test. He also showed strongly in his rookie season as an F1 race driver. I am looking forward to working with Jérôme again and think he is a perfect addition to our driving strength.”

The Iceman was back in action at Valencia today

Kimi Raikkonen successfully completed his first day back behind the wheel of an F1 car at Valencia today, more than 26 months after his last start with Ferrari.

The intention of the two-day test with a 2010 Renault is for Kimi get used to the F1 environment again, and get to know his team and engineers.

The car, which ran in yellow and black when it was new, was used for demo appearances last year.

“It’s nice to get back in the car, it’s quite a few years since I’ve driven last time,” he told Sky Sports News. “Of course it takes a little bit of time to get used to it, but the main bits of driving – braking, turning, the normal things – it doesn’t take many laps. But learning about the car, the team and the tyres will take time.”

Raikkonen admitted that he never expected to be back in F1.

“I had no plans for the future, I have no plans now for the future. There were different choices for this year, but I really wanted to do racing – I did some NASCAR last year and I really enjoyed competing against people again. It was then that I decided to do some racing again and F1 is the highest level of racing and where people want to be.”

Caterham has finally confirmed that it will move its racing operations to Leafield, the former home of the Arrows and Super Aguri teams. It will also build a road car facility on the same site.

The team had already announced that its current home in Norfolk would become Caterham’s composite facility, and that the F1 and GP2 outfits would move to a base closer to the motor sporting mainstream, but had not officially outlined its plans for Leafield.

Crucially, the new location will make it much easier for the Caterham to attract staff from nearby teams such as Lotus, Williams, Mercedes, Red Bull and Force India, as many people had been loathe to live in Norfolk. Marussia has also made a similar move in relocating to Banbury.

The move will take place in August, when both F1 and GP2 are on the summer break.

Tony Fernandes explained the plans in some detail: “The factory in Hingham has been our home since we were first granted our entry into the F1 World Championship in September 2009 and it has served us extremely well, giving us the perfect platform to establish both the F1 team and our GP2 team in the first stages of our development.

“However, as both teams grew, and in the planning process we went through when acquiring Caterham Cars and establishing the wider Caterham Group, it became clear that we needed to house the car company in the same facility as our racing operations, to give us the best chance to meet our future goals on and off track. We began looking for a site that could be adapted to suit the future needs of our racing and road car operations and Leafield quickly became the obvious choice.

“We propose moving the F1 and GP2 teams to the new site in or around August 2012, giving us ample time to build up the infrastructure required to house all the critical elements of both teams, and propose moving Caterham Cars into a new, bespoke development and production facility on the same site in due course.

“We are able to build the new home for Caterham Cars from the ground up on the Leafield site, giving us a permanent home in the perfect location for two of the primary arms of the Caterham Group. We will be consulting with all our team about the proposed move before we make any decisions about exactly which functions will be located to the new site.”

“The factory in Hingham is where the dream began, and we will continue to develop that site into the new permanent home for Caterham Composites. We have cutting edge technical and production facilities already in operation in the factory, now focused on the F1 and GP2 teams, and we will be expanding those facilities to help meet the future demands of Caterham Composites’ clients in all the markets that company will operate in, continuing to provide jobs and investment in Norfolk in world class, cutting edge technology. Caterham Technology and Innovation will also remain in Norfolk, demonstrating our long-term commitment to our first home.

“While it will obviously be sad if the F1 and GP2 teams move on from Hingham we are not saying goodbye to Norfolk. This will be the next chapter in the development of both our motor racing teams and our road car company and gives us the best chance to keep progressing on track and, in future, on the road with Caterham Cars.”

Hot on the heelss of his announcement Williams has issued the following Q&A with Bruno Senna.

Q: Now you’ve been confirmed as a Williams driver, what are your thoughts heading into 2012?
BS: I’m really happy to be a part of a team with such a fantastic heritage. I am very proud that Williams has chosen me to race in what will be an important year for them. Everyone is extremely motivated for 2012 and it is great to be part of that motivation. It is true that they didn’t have the best season last year, but it is clear that the team is on a new path and everyone is pulling together to ensure that this year is a better one. I really hope that I can demonstrate what I can do, not only for the team, but for myself. It’s going to be interesting to see what we can achieve together.

Q: What are your objectives for the 2012 season?
BS: It’s difficult to set objectives before the season starts, but I intend to push the car 100% to the limit to get the maximum performance we can from it.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Renault engine having raced with it last season and what do you think Renault can bring to Williams in 2012?
BS: After a few races with the Renault engine in 2011, I’ve learnt a great deal about it. It is a very good unit with good drivability, which is another positive step forward for the team. As a driver, you need to have every weapon available to you operating at its optimum in order to put in competitive times throughout the race.  I’m sure we can develop the car even further with the Renault engine and it will be interesting for me to be able to give the team feedback applying my previous experiences.

Q: What do you make of your new team mate, Pastor Maldonado?
BS: Pastor is a great driver. I’ve raced against him in GP2 and we always get along well. He’s been a very tough opponent in the past and he is going to be even tougher now we are both in the same car. We’ll certainly be trying to beat each other, but as teammates we’re going to work together to move the team forward.

Q: Can you talk us through what you have been working on at the factory so far?
BS: I’ve been at the Williams factory in Grove both before and after Christmas being really put through my paces in the simulator, on the track and in the gym. We’ve also done some evaluation work on the track (but not in an F1 car). The main purpose was for the team to evaluate me and to understand how to get the best out of me as a driver. But it’s also been really useful for me as it familiarises me with all the procedural things, such as learning the layout of the steering wheel before I get into the real car. When we start testing I won’t need to think about that so I’ll just be able to get on and drive the FW34.

Q: So you have had an opportunity to work with your new engineers?
BS: I think we’ve started off really well and now I’m looking forward to working with them more over the season. The relationship between a driver and engineer is something that few people can understand. You need mutual respect, to understand each other well and know how to work together in order to really gel from the start. That relationship and continuity can make such a difference to your overall performance.

Q: What started your career in motorsport?
BS: I was a motorsport fan from a young age and of course there has been a great influence from my uncle, but ever since I first put my feet into a go-kart I never wanted to do anything else. I’m very privileged to be able to do what I love, as to race in Formula One has always been my dream.

Q: You were once quoted as saying that, given the chance to drive any legendary Formula One car from the past, you would choose the 1993 active-suspension Williams. How important is it to you to now be a part of a team with such a motorsport heritage?
BS: The team has an amazing history and walking around the museum just makes me drool! I’ve seen many of these cars on track and always wondered how it would feel to actually race them. I’ve never been in one, so I think it would be good to get a run in the active ride car at Goodwood, just to get a feel!

Q: You have considerable support from Brazil, can you tell us about that?
BS: I feel very proud to be Brazilian right now. Knowing I have such great support behind me, people who have been there since the start, gives me such a great feeling. Knowing people have chosen me to bear their name gives me even more motivation to create good memories for them.

Q: Your uncle, Ayrton, raced for Williams. How significant is it for you to be joining the team?
BS: It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle drove for. Quite a few of the people still here actually worked with Ayrton and I’m happy that they are now giving me the chance to prove myself here. Hopefully we can bring back some good memories and create some great new ones too.

Q: Fast forward to this time next year, what achievements would you be happy with?
BS: I hope that by the end of 2012 we can say we extracted 100% of the performance from the Williams-Renault FW34, whatever that may be. That is the most important thing. I just want to get the maximum possible out of the car and make the most of this opportunity. It is such an important year for both the team and myself as it will help shape my future. I hope that future will be long and successful, and it all starts here.