F1 Teams Preview of Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 5th
“Firstly, we shouldn’t get carried away by our podium in Australia. Yes, we had a fantastic race but we’re all aware that our car isn’t capable of repeating that sort of performance on sheer pace alone. And Sepang is one of the tougher tracks on the calendar, one where we will probably be further from the frontrunners than we were in Albert Park. The track is both fast and technical so requires good mechanical and aero grip. It’s much more aero-dependent and rear-limited than Melbourne so it may highlight some of the shortcomings in MP4-24. Nevertheless, we’re all really encouraged by the progress we’ve made and I know we’ll be pushing as hard as ever to put more points on the board in Sepang.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 8th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“The Sepang track is a challenge because it requires several compromises to get the best set-up. There are plenty of long straights, where you ideally need lower downforce, but that gives the car a tendency to slide too much through the high-speed corners. The best corners are Turns Six and Seven - the fast left-right esses behind the pits. In the car, you’ve not only got to find the optimum balance, but also make sure the brakes and cooling are efficient, otherwise you’ll be in trouble before you get to the end of the race. The only difficulty for me is the heat; coming from Finland, we often see the same temperature-readings - but with a minus in front!”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Despite a good result in the race, our performance in the Australian Grand Prix was not what we would like it to be, and the reality is that this weekend’s race in Malaysia is unlikely to offer a significant improvement in fortunes. Nevertheless, we are still pushing to introduce performance to the car – the close proximity to the opening race means there won’t be many large changes to the car but there will be several upgrades to existing components. For us, the mission is clear: we must introduce laptime to our car faster than our rivals to enable us to, firstly, catch the leading runners and then to be able to compete against them. It’s a task we take incredibly seriously and are confident that progress will be made sooner rather than later.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president
“With Lewis in third place, the season opener in Melbourne ended much better for us than we had expected after his 18th grid position. Compared to our test results in Barcelona two and a half weeks ago, we made a good step. This result was mainly due to Lewis’s perfect drive and a good strategy by our team. Moreover, some of the incidents in the race went in our favour. However, we cannot expect the same again this coming weekend in Malaysia. We all will work flat out to improve our technical package further - that’s a promise.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 4th
"I generally go really well in Malaysia and I have had some strong results there so I am approaching this race with great confidence. We achieved a great breakthrough in Malaysia in 2005 when I got the team's first podium in Formula One so I have good memories which will inspire me this weekend. Of course one of the big topics in Malaysia is the heat and humidity, which is quite a challenge for the drivers. It's not easy but that's why I train so much over the winter; I'm fit and it will be fine. Australia was a weekend of highs and lows but we showed that we are very competitive and I hope we can do that again this weekend."

Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DNF
"I don't have much experience of racing in Malaysia because I was taken out so early last year, but from the practice and qualifying I know the conditions are quite extreme. It's also pretty tough on the cars and tyres as well but I can adapt quickly to different conditions and different tracks so I'm ready for the challenge. I said before the season started that our car looked pretty good and the performance we showed in Australia proved that. It's great to have good points on the board already this season and my goal is obviously to add to that this weekend. We have every reason to be optimistic."

John Howett, Toyota president
"Australia was a very challenging weekend for the team but we responded extremely well to it and the performance was a credit to everyone. We showed extremely strong pace in the race and all our work has clearly delivered a competitive car which we expect to show again in Malaysia."






Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"Sepang is quite severe on tyres as it has many different corner types and two heavy braking zones after long straights. This means the energy going through the tyres over a lap is considerable. Drivers will have to be careful not to lock their brakes, especially with the new generation cars which seem less stable due to the lower levels of downforce. High temperatures are usually a factor in Malaysia, and the later start time for the race is when we often see rain, so there are many challenges we could face. The hard compound we have in Malaysia is a development from the hard compound that teams used in pre-season testing. It has been modified to be softer than before, in response to feedback from the teams, however it is not a very big change and I am confident that it will be suitable. Management of the soft compound is likely to be the biggest challenge of the weekend, as we have not previously brought a soft tyre to Sepang."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"The Malaysian Grand Prix is always something very special, as it is like a home race for us because of Petronas. We have a lot of fans in Malaysia and it is really a special feeling to drive there. The race went extremely well for me last year. Of course I hope that we can get a strong result again this time around. I'm really looking forward to this GP, as this is a unique track with a wide variety of corners; some are seriously quick, but others are very slow. And in some places you can choose different lines, which makes it particularly interesting. The final sector is very different from the other two, as it has just two long straights and a hard braking area. This track really offers everything, and that means it demands a lot of the car. The later start time means there is a pretty strong chance of rain. I'm sure that we are in for an extremely interesting weekend."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 6th
"For me Sepang is a nice, challenging circuit. Last year I managed to pull off some good overtaking moves there. The heat is always an issue, coupled with a high level of humidity. However, I've never had a problem with it and am particularly fit this year. We've often experienced cloudbursts in Malaysia in the late afternoon and early evening. This year's schedule increases the chances that we will still be on the track at this time. Hopefully it will still be light enough. I always feel very much at ease in Malaysia. All the activities we've been involved in with Petronas have given me the chance to see a bit of the country and I've also been here on holiday. There is not a lot of time before the grand prix this year, but we have engagements with Petronas on Tuesday and Wednesday - and of course there will be a visit to the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The towers fascinate me every time I see them, especially at night when they're illuminated."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"After the opening race of the season in Melbourne, we are now very much looking forward to our first home Grand Prix of 2009. Every year since our team was founded in 2006 we have seen for ourselves the charismatic presence of our premium partner Petronas in Malaysia. It is always amazing to experience the fantastic reception we enjoy as a team in Malaysia. Last year Nick recorded our first ever fastest race lap as a team in Sepang and Robert finished in an outstanding second place. Our aim is to pick up from where we left off with these good performances.”

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"We always look forward to this race in particular, as it's the home Grand Prix for our partner Petronas. The Sepang circuit is very challenging and places big demands on the chassis and the teams' choice of set-up. There are fast ess-bends in which stability is critical. At the same time, you need good traction under acceleration out of the tight corners, some of which are uphill. The right-hander before the back straight, which closes up at the exit, is especially tricky. Because the tyres are placed under heavy loads in the fast corners, in particular, in Sepang, we use the soft and the hard compound here. So we're driving a level harder on them than in Melbourne. Cooling is also an issue, given the high ambient temperatures. And, of course, the weather is very unpredictable. You always have to be prepared for rain here."

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 22nd, 2008 Race - 17th
“For me, Sepang is one of the most exciting tracks we visit during the year. That doesn’t mean it is an easy track, far from it, as it has some complex and technical corner sequences and some that demand special attention such as Turns 11 and 14 where your braking and turn-in sequence is different to say the least. Malaysia is closer to my home country than many of the places we visit, so I find it more familiar in terms of the culture, the food etc. I raced at Sepang in Japanese GT, so I am also a bit better acquainted with the place, but of course the heat and the humidity are quite exceptional.”

Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - 14th
“Just like Kazuki, I really like the Sepang circuit, it is fast and flowing and has a nice variation of corners that makes it really exciting to drive. The climate makes the racing very demanding for driver and machine. The heat and humidity means that it is physically exhausting and this is one track where the fitness training over the winter really pays off. I love the country, there is a nice warmth about the people too and like almost everywhere in Asia, I like the food, so it is a good place to visit every year.”

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Loeb Looking to WRC Portugal

After claiming victory on the first three rounds of the 2009 championship, Citroen Total team drivers Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena are looking to build on their current run of success when the series moves to Portugal this week.

Loeb won the rally in 2007, when it last counted as a round of the WRC, and rates the event as one of his favourites.

“We always get an excellent welcome and it's nice to feel that our sport counts for the people here, and that the WRC is seen as a major event,” he said. “I love the stages; they are very varied with a range of different surface types. The weather tends to be good, too, so it's basically got all the ingredients anyone could ask for to be a great weekend!"

As well as trying to add a second Rally de Portugal success to his name, the Frenchman will be targeting his 51st WRC victory. "I start every event with the intention of winning,” he said. “We will push hard from the start and see how things unfold...".

As the first all-gravel round of the year, Portugal is a useful indicator of performance on other loose surface events later in the season. Loeb, however, thinks his car has already proved its versatility across a range of conditions.

“We kicked off the season with three very specific rallies, and Portugal is the first round to feature a more conventional format and spirit,” he said. “Given the level we have reached with the development of the C4, we have a shrewd idea of where we stand. In Cyprus, for example, we worked from the same basic set-up we used in Wales. That suggests that our car is versatile enough to adapt to all types of terrain."

Loeb’s Spanish team-mates Dani Sordo and Marc Marti were third on Rally Portugal in 2007 and are hoping for another top three finish this year. "There are plenty of new stages, but I enjoy this rally which is very varied,” said Sordo. “The stages are narrow in places, and fast and wider in others. It's a concentrate of what we will find in Argentina, Greece and Sardinia later in the year."

Dani will be able to count on the support of fans who make the trip from nearby Spain: "If only for them, I will give it my very best shot. It's always nice to feel their support behind me. As in 2007, my aim will be to finish on the podium," he said.

The Rally de Portugal marks the debut of the 2009-homologated C4 WRC. Both Citroen Total World Rally Team cars will feature small modifications to the engine, gearbox and suspension.

(story from WRC.com)

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Historic Rally Cyprus Win For Sebastien Loeb

Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb has become the first driver in history to rack up 50 wins in WRC - World Rally Championships as he took victory in the Cyprus Rally, with three Citroen cars finishing in the top four.

The five-time world champion won five out of six stages on the opening day to open up a lead of 41.8 seconds.

The Citroen driver entered the final day with a lead of 49.8 secs and ended up winning by 27.2 secs to clinch his third straight win this season.

Ford's Mikko Hirvonen was second with Petter Solberg third in a Citroen.

The Frenchman was delighted to have made history
with a victory that extended his championship lead over Hirvonen to eight points.

"It's incredible. I remember when I beat the record number of wins of Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae," said Loeb.

"Now 50 is a really big number, a nice number. I'm really happy with what we are achieving at the moment, but it's not finished, I'm not stopping yet Next I'm going for 51."

Britain's Matthew Wilson finished fifth in his Stobart Ford Focus after Sebastien Ogier crashed less than a kilometre from the end of the final stage.

Cyprus Rally result:

1 S Loeb (Fr) Citroen 4hrs 50mins 34.700 secs
2 M Hirvonen (Fin) Ford +27.200 secs
3 P Solberg (Nor) Citroen 01:49.400
4 D Sordo (Spn) Citroen 02:26.300
5 M Wilson (GB) Ford 06:41.000
6 C Rautenbach (Zim) Citroen 11:11.900
7 F Villagra (Arg) Ford 13:18.500
8 K Al Qassimi (UAE) Ford 13:44.100
9 P Sandell (Swe) Skoda 19:36.600
10 A Araujo (Por) Mitsubishi 19:54.900

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WRC - World Rally Championships 2009 Calendar

Date	Rally
30 January-1 February	Ireland
13-15 February	Norway
13-15 March	Cyprus
2-5 April	Portugal
24-26 April	Argentina
22-24 May	Italy (Sardinia)
12-14 June	Greece (Acropolis)
26-28 June	Poland
31 July-2 August	Finland
4-6 September	Australia
2-4 October	Spain
23-25 October	Great Britain (Wales)

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Brawn GP to make hundreds redundant - Nick Fry

British based Formula One team Brawn GP, the debutantes at the Australian Grand Prix are making around 270 job cuts only days after making a great impression on the World and the opening race of the F1 racing season by taking first and second position with a very impressive looking car.

Hours after Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello completed a dream one-two finish in Melbourne, chief executive Nick Fry announced the losses.

"It's very unfortunate that we've got to do that but it's the change of technical regulations and obviously we are now a private team," he said.

About 270 jobs will be lost from the team's Brackley factory in England. Brawn GP were created in the wake of Honda's withdrawal from Formula 1. Team boss Ross Brawn sealed their survival with a management buyout in early March, ensuring most employees initially stayed to help rebuild a fresh team after the under-performing Japanese outfit pulled out of the sport because of the global financial crisis.

Since that point Brawn have been a revelation, consistently going quickest in pre-season testing before making the most successful Grand Prix debut by a team for 55 years in Melbourne on Sunday.

But Honda's estimated 2008 spend in F1 was at least £210m and Brawn GP, who announced Richard Branson's Virgin Group as their first significant sponsor on Saturday, are now operating on a far smaller budget.

"We are about 700 people at the moment and we talked to the staff about going down to about 430, something like that, which is where we [predecessors BAR Honda] were in 2004."

Max Mosley, president of motorsport's governing body the FIA, has repeatedly stressed the need for F1 teams to trim their workforce.

Additionally, F1's rules have changed this season - meaning fewer staff are needed now that testing is banned from the start of the season to the end of the year.

Brawn are also now buying in their engine from McLaren's partners Mercedes. Fry revealed that staff at Brawn's Brackley factory in England had been informed and redundancy letters had gone out in mid-March.

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James Toseland crashes in Jerez Moto GP testing

Briton James Toseland suffered concussion after crashing at Jerez during the final day of official testing before the 2009 MotoGP season.

Toseland had to be stretchered away from the crash and received medical attention at the side of the track.

He later got the all-clear at hospital and returned to the Jerez paddock.

"I am obviously delighted that James is going to be fit for the first race after another big crash today," said team boss Herve Poncharal.

"It is a real pity for him because he was really looking like his old self this weekend after the crash in Sepang and making some big progress with the bike and the tyres.

"I'm sure he will be ready and determined to give 100 per cent again in Qatar. All of us can't wait for the first race."

It is the second crash the Tech 3 Yamaha rider has had during testing for the new campaign after he also escaped uninjured when he came off in Malaysia.

That happened last month when Toseland crashed at the Sepang Circuit.

In Jerez, Toseland had been taking part in the showdown testing session with a BMW car up for grabs, a prize that was won by Ducati's Casey Stoner.

Toseland, the former World Superbikes Champion finished 11th in his MotoGP debut season last year.

The first race of the year is at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar over the weekend of 10-12 April.

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Hamilton on Podium as Trulli Penalized

Toyota’s Jarno Trulli has lost his third place in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after stewards penalized him for passing under the safety car in the closing laps.

Trulli ran off road near the end of the race, thus losing a place to McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, but then repassed the world champion once he had rejoined the circuit.

The Italian was given a 10-second stop-go penalty as a result, but since the offence occurred within the final five laps that was translated into a 25-second penalty added to his race time. He thus drops to 12th.

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Autralian GP 2009: Brawn and Button dominate

Button and new team Brawn dominated the race, button lead for all 58 laps

Jenson Button secured a dream debut victory for the Brawn GP team after dominating the Australian Grand Prix.

The Englishman led throughout the race for his second Formula 1 win and team-mate Rubens Barrichello completed a Brawn one-two after a dramatic finish.

The Brazilian was promoted after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and BMW's Robert Kubica collided while disputing second place with three laps to go.

Lewis Hamilton was an unexpected fourth behind Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

Brawn's success marks a remarkable story for the former Honda team, whose survival was only secured by team boss Ross Brawn in early March.

Button drove coolly throughout, showcasing the Brawn's speed to keep Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel at bay for the vast majority of the race to eventually cruise to a finish behind the safety car.

"This is a fairytale ending for the first race," said Button.

"Some people may say its a pity the race finished under the safety car but I don't care, I won the race and that's all I care about."

Vettel looked set for a brilliant second place but he and Kubica tangled on Turn Three with just three laps remaining.

The Red Bull driver was slow through the first two corners, allowing Kubica to get alongside on the outside into Turn Three.

The Pole gave Vettel room, but the Red Bull's front wheel tagged the rear wheel of the BMW.

That tipped both into a spin, and damaged their front wings.

Both crashed further around the lap, and although Vettel tried to continue on three wheels he was eventually forced to retire.

That crash brought out the safety car for the second time in the race and it stayed at the head of the field until the end.

Mayhem in the first lap

Brawn's one-two looked unlikely at the start of the race as Barrichello, sat next to Button on the front row, was easily passed by the chasing pack as his anti-stall system kicked in.

The Brazilian also tangled with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to cause significant damage to his front wing, which had to be replaced during his stop on lap 18.

The frenetic start also saw Red Bull's Mark Webber collide with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, causing the Finn to retire and putting the Australian to the back for the duration of his home race.

Button built a lead of nearly 4.5 seconds in the first two laps but Vettel stabilised the gap, which stayed at between four and five seconds until the first pit stops.

Kubica - one of several drivers to start the race on the slower, softer tyres in order to get them out of the way early - stayed in the hunt while Hamilton continued to make up good ground after a brilliant first lap which saw him up to 12th from 18th on the grid.

The first of two safety car periods happened on lap 19, following a crash by Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima.

When it pulled in again, Button again built a five-second lead over a few laps before Vettel held it.

But both - now on the softer, slower tyres - came under pressure late in the race from Kubica, who was now benefiting from the team's decision to use the faster tyres late on.

That pressure on Button was punctured in an instant as the Pole collided with Vettel allowing Trulli and Hamilton, whose McLaren had woefully underperformed in qualifying by his own admission but was now seemingly capable of giving him a drive, to reap the rewards.

Post-race news conference

Though Trulli - who drove solidly throughout after starting from the pit lane - finished third, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh claimed that the Italian illegally passed Hamilton as the safety car came out over the last two laps.

The incident is under investigation by the race officials.

Toyota's Timo Glock finished fifth ahead of Renault's Fernando Alonso and Williams's Nico Rosberg, who suffered a sticking front wheel at a pit stop on lap 15 which scuppered his chance of a podium finish.

Red Bull's Sebastien Buemi made an impressive debut to secure one point in his first ever F1 Grand Prix.

And Ferrari finished without a point in the season opener for the second year running, as Felipe Massa - running in third place - sustained a reliability failure on lap 45, three laps after team-mate Raikkonen spun out.

RACE REPORT SOURCED FROM BBC.CO.UK/SPORT

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Illegal Wing means disqualification for Glock and Trulli

Both Toyota cars have been excluded from the qualifying results at the Australian Grand Prix after their cars were found to break technical rules. The FIA's decision promotes world champion Lewis Hamilton to 18th - he had dropped from 15th to last place because of a gearbox change.

Toyota's Timo Glock of Germany and Italian Jarno Trulli qualified sixth and eighth but will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid. Officials said the cars had rear wings that were too flexible. Williams are also launching a protest against the rear wings on the Red Bull and Ferrari cars.

Flexible rear wings are banned in Formula 1 because they can bring performance advantages. Because of this, the F1 technical regulations have strict stipulations about how much a wing can flex.

This is because a wing can be designed to flex in such a way as to improve the car's straight-line performance without harming its cornering capability. In such instances, the aerodynamic drag on the car reduces as the wing flexes. The wing then snaps back to their original shape as the driver slows for a corner, increasing his grip.

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Button Takes Pole Position in Australian Grand Prix

Button claimed pole in Melbourne just ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello as Brawn GP became the first new team to lead off the grid with the first car they have built since Scotland's Jackie Stewart did so for Tyrrell at the Canadian GP in 1970.

Mclaren driver and world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified last after troubles with his gearbox and the team suffers with an underdeveloped car making a repeat of last year for Lewis looking very doubtful.

FOR RESULTS TABLE WITH FULL TIMES SEE MY OTHER POSTS

The 29-year-old achieved his fourth career pole with a time of one minute 26.202 seconds, while in the second session - considered the clearest guide to the true pace of the cars - Barrichello and Button finished nearly three tenths ahead of the rest.

"I have to give all credit to the team, and [team principal] Ross [Brawn] and [chief executive officer] Nick [Fry] for making this happen.

"This is where we deserve to be after those tough times we've had. It's been a long time since we've had a competitive car - 2006 when I put it on pole here [in Australia for Honda].

"The thing is the people within the team believe, and that's all we care about, and they've proven it with this car.

"This is a great moment, not the most important of the weekend, but it's a good start, and there will be a lot of happy faces.

"Not just in our team, but for a lot of people who have travelled this journey with us, so it's good to be here."

Brawn's achievement represents the first time one team has claimed both front-row positions for the Australian GP since Barichello and his then Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher did so in 2004.

The Brazilian, who at 36 is the oldest man on the grid, backed up Button's positive sentiments but also pointed out the potential pitfalls after a winter of uncertainty as he looked ahead to the race.

"I want to emphasise what Jenson said, that it was a critical three or four months at home waiting for news," he said.

"Everyone who has touched this car needs credit because it is a really good car, so well done to the boys back in England as well.

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Branson's Virgin to Sponsor Brawn GP

Branson and Virgins investment seems very well timed as Brawn take pole for sunday

Branson, who was last month linked with buying the team, announced a "substantial sponsorship deal" at the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.

"Virgin are trying to build the most respected brand in the world and an involvement with a great team will help that," Branson added.

Brawn GP chief executive Nick Fry said: "Virgin is paying to sponsor the car and it might evolve into more." Fry's remark will be interpreted as a suggestion that Virgin may be considering taking a shareholding in the team in the future. The Brawn team raced as Honda last season but secured their survival only at the beginning of this month following Honda's decision to quit F1 because of the global financial crisis.

Their car ran for the first time only in March but quickly emerged as the fastest in F1. The team's English driver Jenson Button led team-mate Rubens Barrichello to a one-two in qualifying on Saturday and is the pre-race favourite for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

Brawn team principal Ross Brawn said: "An exciting debut race weekend for our team has become even more important as we have secured our second commercial agreement of the season.

"We look forward to working closely with the Virgin Group and sharing our on-track successes."

Branson added: "I have always said I would love for Virgin to be involved in F1 and I am thrilled that we will be entering this fantastic sport with people as skilled as Ross Brawn and the Brawn GP team.

"Over the years Virgin has had the great honour of partnering with technical geniuses and I truly believe that Ross Brawn is to F1 what Burt Rutan is to space travel with Virgin Galactic.

"We are confident that the Virgin BGP 001 car driven by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will go from strength to strength this season and we look forward to a great future working with the Brawn GP team."

Brawn have not announced the length of the deal, other than to state that they hope it is "for a long time".

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Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Jenson Button of Brawn F1 hits pole for the Aussie GP

		Jenson Button	22	Brawn-Mercedes	1:26.202
		Rubens Barrichello	23	Brawn-Mercedes	1:26.505
		Sebastian Vettel	15	Red Bull-Renault	1:26.830
		Robert Kubica	5	BMW Sauber	1:26.914
		Nico Rosberg	16	Williams-Toyota	1:26.973
		Timo Glock	10	Toyota	1:26.975
		Felipe Massa	3	Ferrari	1:27.033
		Jarno Trulli	9	Toyota	1:27.127
		Kimi Raikkonen	4	Ferrari	1:27.163
		Mark Webber	14	Red Bull-Renault	1:27.246
		Nick Heidfeld	6	BMW Sauber	1:25.504
		Fernando Alonso	7	Renault	1:25.605
		Kazuki Nakajima	17	Williams-Toyota	1:25.607
		Heikki Kovalainen	2	McLaren-Mercedes	1:25.726
		Sebastien Buemi	12	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:26.503
		Nelson Piquet Jr	8	Renault	1:26.598
		Giancarlo Fisichella	21	Force India-Mercedes	1:26.677
		Adrian Sutil	20	Force India-Mercedes	1:26.742
		Sebastien Bourdais	11	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:26.964
		Lewis Hamilton	1	McLaren-Mercedes	1:26.964

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Formula One: Australian GP Testing

Williams driver, Nico Rosberg has taken charge in the first two testing sessions for the Australian Grand Prix. Toyota, Brawn GP and Williams who were under scrutiny from the FIA for the questionable diffusers, but these three teams pulled through and proved moved successful on the opening day

Britain's Lewis Hamilton, the world champion, struggled in his McLaren to finish 16th then 18th.Red Bull put in a strong second session while Ferrari had a mixed day. Ahead of the richly-anticipated opening action of the 2009 season, motorsport's governing body, the FIA, had rejected a protest made by Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault about the legality of a key part at the back of the cars used by Williams, Brawn GP and Toyota.

FIRST PRACTICE:

1		Nico Rosberg	16	Williams-Toyota	1:26.687
2		Kazuki Nakajima	17	Williams-Toyota	1:26.736
3		Kimi Raikkonen	4	Ferrari	1:26.750
4		Rubens Barrichello	23	Brawn-Mercedes	1:27.226
5		Heikki Kovalainen	2	McLaren-Mercedes	1:27.453
6		Jenson Button	22	Brawn-Mercedes	1:27.467
7		Felipe Massa	3	Ferrari	1:27.642
8		Timo Glock	10	Toyota	1:27.710
9		Adrian Sutil	20	Force India-Mercedes	1:27.993
10		Fernando Alonso	7	Renault	1:28.123
11		Nick Heidfeld	6	BMW Sauber	1:28.137
12		Jarno Trulli	9	Toyota	1:28.142
13		Robert Kubica	5	BMW Sauber	1:28.511
14		Giancarlo Fisichella	21	Force India-Mercedes	1:28.603
15		Sebastien Buemi	12	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:28.785
16		Lewis Hamilton	1	McLaren-Mercedes	1:29.042
17		Mark Webber	14	Red Bull-Renault	1:29.081
18		Nelson Piquet Jr	8	Renault	1:29.461
19		Sebastien Bourdais	11	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:29.499

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How To Bleed ABS (Anti-Lock Brakes)

If you have any problems with your break systems, like callipers or wheel cylinders, then the brake systems must be bled to remove the air to ensure that the brake pedal remains firm. If you get air trapped in you system braking becomes less solid and pressure to the pedal will provide soft braking, which can be quite dangerous, increasing the cars stopping distance. Firstly ALWAYS read your cars handbook and whatever information you can get about it before trying! a lot of good car repair and service handbooks can be found at charity shops and second hand book stores, well worth it.

Good diagram of location and basic workings of the braking systems of a standard car

Bleeding is a fairly simple operation on most vehicles, assuming no air bubbles have found there way into the ABS modulator assembly. The air in the system can be compressed, so when brakes are applied, the air must be compressed first before the liquid can slow the car, hence the feeling of soft brakes.

Tool exist especially to bleed braking systems, and it can be done fairly simply with a power bleeder, injecting tool or vacuum bleeder. All of these systems are equally effective, the idea is to flush the air out of the systems by pumping them with fluid.

So where do you start? The common place to begin bleeding your brakes is to begin with the ones furthest from the master cylinder, then the set on the same hydraulic circuit. You then follow this ending with the closest to the master cylinder. These solutions are fine, assuming you either just want to bleed you brakes to remove air bubbles, or you need to replace any of the system components which come after the modulator; calipers, wheel cylinders, brake lines or brake hoses. But if you need to deal with a component which is upstream from the modulator then the operation is slightly more difficult, although the above method will work, it is not 100% effective on the parts before (and including) the modulator.

The modulator has a lot of little places which air can become trapped in small cracks, and flushing it out has no effect, to solve this, you will need to consult a mechanic from a garage which specialises in your car, or find out exactly how to do it for your exact model, as the systems can be very different from car to car.

The modulator can contain 8 - 10 Anti-lock or traction control valves, aswell as other dead end ports and check valves. Some cars have special bleed screws built into the system which make this whole process a lot easier, allowing the air out of all the trapped areas. Others do not have bleed screws and needs a scan tool, which can cycle through the valve system whilst you bleed the mechanism, allowing all of the air to escape

If you are not experienced with cars and mechanics, do not try this! you can make it worse and then end up spending alot more money than you previously had to with a qualified mechanic. The best advice i can give you is to always read the book on your cars systems before trying ANY repairs yourself!

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How to Change Front Shock Absorbers

How to change a cars front shock absorbers (left or right)

Shock absorbers are there to ensure handling ride comfort in cars. They are effectively dampers which lessen the effect of the bounce experienced when a car hits a lump or object in the road, it is and important part of the automotive system and ensures a safe and comfortable ride, when they become worn the lack of damping can damage some of the components in the car. It can also lower the MPG rate and efficiency of your car, costing you a fair bit in petrol in the long run, not to mention the extra adverse effects to our enviroment. Luckily, the process for changing them is fairly simple for a relatively knowledgable person and is exactly the same for left and right shock absorbers, so here is a simple step by step guide:

Chevy Shock absorbers

1. Prepare the car:

Park your car on a level surface and jack up the car, make sure you place the jacks against the frame of the car and not the suspension system, prolonged periods of holding the cars weight can damage the system. Ensure you place wedges behind your rear wheels to prevent the car from moving, loosen you wheel nuts and remove the wheel.

2. Removing the old shock absorbers

locate the lower attachment bolts and or screws of the shock absorber (consult your car handbook if in doubt to which ones), Remove them whilst clamping the shock absorber piston rod in a vice grip. Using a wrench or other tool, remove the upper attachment bolts/screws, your shocks are now removed from the car, remove it carefully.

3. Replace worn parts (bushings and grommets)

The key things to replace is the grommets and rubber bushings. Get the first grommet and put it concave side down onto the shock absorber piston rod. Then, slide the rubber bushing onto the piston rod, moving it down so it is in contact with the convex side of the grommet. Put a second grommet onto the shock absorber piston rod, sliding it down (convex side down) so it sits snuggly to the bushing. If there is a plastic strip around the shock absorber, remove it.

4.Installing the new shock absorber

Place your new shock between the upper and lower suspension arms, pushing the shock absorber piston rod through the hole in the upper suspension arm, tighten the upper fixing nut. Compress the shock slowly, until it lines up with the lower mounting holes on the shock and the suspension arm. Insert the lower bolt through the bottom mounting holes and the bottom of the shock absorber and tighten.

That's it!

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How to Fix Window Wiper Fluid Leaks

How to fix windshield wiper fluid jets and check for leaks!

Window wipers - vital in modern motoring

It can be very irritating and often dangerous when your wind shield washer jets break, especially in cold weather, without a clean wind screen you can have a job seeing, especially in bright sunlight. So what could cause them to break?

If your wind shield fluid jets aren't working properly the chances are you have a leak in the tank, there are very few things which can go wrong with the actual system because it is so simple. A good place to start is not over looking the obvious. Check your tank, does it have fluid in? if it doesn't and you have filled it recently there is obviously a leak somewhere, in cold weather the plastic of both the tank and the tubes which carry the fluid can contract and crack. If you have water still there and your jets still do not work then you have a slightly different problem but i shall explain non the less. For a good video of checking for leaks, take a look here.

Unfortunately if this is the case you have little chance of creating your own water tight seal again so you will be better off buying new tubes or a new tank and fitting it yourself, or having a mechanic do it. But this isn't the only reason you washer jets don't work, if there is water in the tank and it still doesn't work then you can try this:

Unplug the tube from the jets and press the button, if water comes out of the pipe, then your jets are clogged, you can clean them with wire or wire brush to allow the water back through, or you can blast them with compressed air. At this point It would probably be a good idea to remove the reservoir and give it a good clean and remove anything which could cause it to get clogged up again.

If water didn't come out of the tube when you pressed the button you may have a pressure problem. You can use a test light to make sure that the the switch is sending a signal to the reservoir pump, if this doesn't work you can change the fuse. If the problem still persists then im afraid it is the job for a mechanic as the trouble lies with the electronics of the pump.

FINALLY: a few tips. Make sure that when you are pressing the switch that your ignition is ON! The pump is powered by the battery and wont work if you have the car turned off. The most common place on a car for leaks is the barber plastic fittings on the tubing, to source the leak just follow the tubes from the jets to the resevoir, checking for them as you go, especially at joins in the tubing.

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