Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber

The speculations about the future of Nick Heidfeld are over. BMW Sauber has confirmed their 2009 drivers line up. The announced today they will retain both Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld in the 2009 season. Christian Klien will also stay on as a test driver.

“We see Nick and Robert as a strong driver pairing and Christian as an experienced test driver. We are in no doubt that we will again achieve our ambitious aims with them in the team’s fourth year.” - Mario Theissen.

Nick Heidfeld has been under fire this season but the fact is that he lies 5th in the championship standings ahead of one McLaren drivers and at the same time only 8 points behind his highly rated team mate…

It now looks even more likely that Fernando Alonso will stay with Renault in 2009.

See the 2009 F1 Driver Line Up here

Photo: BMW Motorsports

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Kazuki Nakajima, Williams

We entered the last month of 2008 Formula 1 season and after a short period of silence the drivers market there seems to be a lot happening on drivers market.

Williams team confirmed yesterday their 2009 drivers line up will remain the same as this year - Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima. Rosberg’s drive has been confirmed for a while already, Nakajima being the Toyota boy doing a decent rookie job was expected to continue. No real surprises here.

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Robert Kubica, Monza 2008

It has been rumoured that Robert Kubica will sport special helmet for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix to commemorate the anniversary of his maiden podium back in 2006. This greenish looking one is probably it (see inside the post for detailed view). This is not a first time Kubica races with a one race only helmet design - he had a special helmet also last year for the season finale in Brazil.

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Fernando Alonso

Is that possible ? If the words in F1 paddock and speculations are to be believed it is not only possible but dead certain.

Word in Monaco paddock back in May was that Fernando Alonso inked a deal with Ferrari that would see the double world champion racing in the red car from 2010. Whom would he replace was not said that time. Just for the record, Felipe Massa will still be under contract with Ferrari in 2010, Kimi Raikkonen will not, unless he signs some extension.

The speculations that emerged shortly after the Belgian GP claim that Fernando Alonso just signed three years deal with BMW Sauber and would partner his buddy Robert Kubica from 2009. (There were almost immediately also speculations sending Nick Heidfeld to Renault but that is another story). Official announcement is to come after Monza race.

So, it is BMW Sauber in 2009 and then both BMW Sauber and Ferrari from 2010 for Fernando Alonso. Who would have predicted that .

Photo: Renault/LAT

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Felipe Massa, 2008 Belgian GP

So, we finally had a race that went to the wire. It actually went even further and the final result was amended about 2 hours after the race with 25 second penalties to Timo Glock (overtaking Webber under yellow flags) and the controversial one to Lewis Hamilton for cutting the chicane. The debate on that Hamilton’s penalty has already begun below another article. I wil focus this review more on the race action itself and later today post my take on the whole controversy.

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2008 Belgian F1 GP - Podium

Lewis Hamilton was handed 25 secs penalty for cutting the chicane in the wheel to wheel fight with Kimi Raikkonen in dying stages of Belgian GP. This move, following Massa’s no penalty in Valencia, will no doubt spark new hot debates about the stewards’ decision making.

The penalty means Felipe Massa was handed the race win, Nick Heidfeld moved up to 2nd, Lewis Hamilton dropped to 3rd. Only 2 points now separate Hamilton and Massa …

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FIA cinfirmed McLaren have lodged an appeal against Hamilton’s penalty that demoted him to third place in the Belgian Grand Prix.

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2008 Belgian F1 GP - Podium

Kimi Raikkonen lead most of the race but the rain in the closing stages changed the fortunes for several drivers. After some wheel to wheel racing Lewis Hamilton took the win, Raikkonen crashed out and Felipe Massa collected 8 points for 2nd place. The incident between Raikkonen and Hamilton is however still under investigation… The gamble on intermediate tyres paid off for Nick Heidfeld who took the final podium place. Great result for Fernando Alonso in 4th (although it for a while looked like he and the team threw it away with the last minute tyre change) and another strong result for Toro Rosso. Both Bourdais and Vettel were in 3rd place for a while on the last lap but at the end the wet tyre gamblers Heidfeld and Alonso prevailed… Timo Glock overtook Mark Webber for the final point on the last lap. He however did so under yellow flags. He was hit with 25s penalty and and Mark Webber took that last point from this race.

It is fair to say this race is a candidate for the race of the season. Full race report to follow tomorrow.

2008 Belgian F1 GP result: (provisional)

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Nick Heidfeld missed out on Q2 on a track where he will have tough time overtaking any of the midfield cars ahead of him. Sebastien Bourdais was demoted 5 places for impeding Heidfeld in at towards the end of Q1 and will start the race from P19. Unless a sudden storm hits the track or safety car comes out in a right time these 2 guys’ Hungarian GP has been ruined already …

After watching the replay of the qualifying session later on in the evening I still did not feel Bourdais really deserved the penalty. I think the violent fist waiving from these days not-so-quick Nick made the incident look much worse than it actually was. But that is not the point. My point is, should the race stewards make decisions in these kind of situations right away ?

Heidfeld finished 16th in Q1. If Bourdais’ demotion came before Q2 has started, Heidfeld could take part in it. It happened to BMW Sauber (even Kubica) already this season that their Q1 was horrible but at the end qualified rather high up on the grid. By making their decision an hour or so after qualifying the stewards basicaly spoiled the race for both drivers. Heidfeld won’t be able to do much from P15 (unless he does Button 2006). And Bourdais from P19 … not exactly what a guy in his situation needs …

The only winner here is Jenson Button who finished at P15 in Q1 and later after great run claimed P12 in after Q2.

Photo: Red Bull / GEPA

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McLarens confirmed their strong form from free practice sessions and booked the front row all for themselves. Lewis Hamilton will start the Hungarian GP from pole position for the second time in a row, Heikki Kovalainen will line up next to him.

Felipe Massa blamed traffic on his outlap for the slower pace. But after rather week showing on Friday afternoon and this morning the Ferrari, at least Massa’s, seems to be on the pace. Robert Kubica was only about a tenth slower then Massa. Toyota’s package looks strong in Hungary, both their cars made it to top 10, Glock P5 and Trulli P9. Nelson Piquet was again outqualified by his team mate Alonso, but he made it to Q3 and I suspect he is rather heavily fueled. Mark Webber, te usual member of Q3 club, claimed P8.

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The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a part of 2009 Formula 1 regulations. and the also the top topic of these days. Forget for a while about its relevance to road car development. Let’s look instead how it may affect the Formula 1 teams. Events of past few days suggest that it may affect F1 significantly.

Several teams face obvious problems. Red Bull had to call the fire brigade and evacuate their Milton Keynes factory after KERS tests resulted in smoke and steam all over the place. Few days ago a BMW Sauber mechanic felt the KERS impact himself. He received electrical shock after touching the KERS testing F1 car during the pit stop in Jerez.Yesterday John Howett, Toyota team president, expressed his doubts that the KERS technology will be ready and safe to use when 2009 season begins. He suggested that most of the teams are struggling with KERS development. There have been even reports of a potentially extremely dangerous by-product of exploded KERS batteries - the arsenic poison.

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