Toro Rosso

Into the third qualifying session of the 2009 season, teams are still getting over the controversial verdict made by the FIA over diffuser-gate, which declared Brawn, Williams and Toyota were running the rear of their cars legally.

As per-usual during a Grand Prix weekend surrounded by controversy, all the pettiness seemed to fade away when the cars left their respective garages to embark on an hour of qualifying comprised of three sessions.

Far from settling disputes on-track, arguments have been postponed until after qualifying, so we can truly focus on who will be sitting where at the start of Sunday's race.

Qualifying session 1 - BMW show cracks

Few teams are running KERS this weekend, in fact only three of the twenty drivers have the energy recovery systems fitted to their cars: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, and BMW's Nick Heidfeld.

The two Ferraris decided to opt-out of running KERS so as to give preference to reliability over pace. Robert Kubica debuted his system on Friday morning, and promptly ordered BMW to remove it from his car, as he saw no advantage.

This will give an idea of the relative competitiveness of each team then, as was already evident in Q1.

Button got off to a good start, putting his Brawn ahead of his team mate Barrichello's car at the top of the times, on a 1m35.533, underlining the team's superiority. Red Bull also had a point to prove, with Mark Webber knocking in a lap good enough for third place, ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

The mad rush at the end of qualifying put the McLaren driver up to fourth, thanks to his fast-becoming-unique KERS, and several updates including developments to that ever-present rear diffuser.

The most notable incident in Q1, however, came courtesy of Robert Kubica, after the BMW driver could only manage 18th position.

Drivers knocked out were Sebastien Bourdais, Nelson Piquet, Robert Kubica, Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella.

Qualifying session 2 - Red Bull send out a warning

The session got off to a fast start, with the two Williams drivers initially swapping first place. An end was soon put to this, as Rubens Barrichello completed a flying lap to top the times, to subsequently be knocked off by Red Bull's Mark Webber on a charge.

Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari was shown on the world feed as slowing down and suffering an apparent problem between turns three and five, but the red car seemed to heal itself and Kimi could continue with his session.

Another driver with problems was Sebastian Vettel, the German not leaving the garage until the very last possible moment in the session. The Red Bull team did not seem worried, but it is unlikely that leaving the garage so late was a strategic decision.

Buemi put in an impressive performance, pushing his Toro Rosso up to eighth, the position previously occupied by Jenson Button, who had jumped up to first.

When Vettel finally did drive out of the pitlane and on to complete a lap, he set the fastest time of the weekend so far on a 1m35.1sec. When the chequered flag fell his team mate Webber confirmed Red Bull's strong pace in second.

It was Buemi that starred in Q2, however, the rookie fast enough to graduate to the final qualifying session. While the Swiss driver starred, another shock came in the form of Felipe Massa's early qualifying exit, the Brazilian only mustering enough speed to start tomorrow's race from thirteenth.

It would also be worth noting that Kovalainen's demise meant only one McLaren would be in Q3, and that the likely reason for the Finn's exit was due to an obstruction by Sebastian Vettel.

Nick Heidfeld, Heikki Kovalainen, Felipe Massa, Timo Glock and Kazuki Nakajima were knocked out, leaving the final ten drivers to battle it out for pole position.

Qualifying session 3 - Vettel amazes

So with one Ferrari, one McLaren, yet both Red Bulls and Brawns fighting for pole, final qualifying emphasised just how much the pecking order has changed since last year.

Rosberg, Raikkonen, Alonso and Barrichello all traded the head of the time sheets as the session opened, with Webber and Button both setting laps as well. When Hamilton came to finish his fast lap, it appeared he was struggling with cornering speed, and the McLaren was generally down on pace - possibly due to a heavier fuel load.

Sebastian Vettel elected to only complete one run in the final session, maybe to preserve tyres or fuel load, the latter the most likely.

Buemi finalised his excellent Saturday afternoon by qualifying 10th, just behind the McLaren of Hamilton. 

When the chequered flag fell, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Vettel and Alonso were all out on flying laps. It was Webber who came through first, to reach the top spot by a staggering six-tenths of a second.

Jenson Button came through, looking for a hat-trick of pole positions, but had to settle for second as he slotted behind the Australian.

Vettel was next, he finished an incredible lap to take provisional pole position, but had to wait an agonising few seconds to see whether his joy would be short-lived.

It wasn't - Barrichello came through in third, Alonso then pushed him to fourth as the Spaniard finished second, and the grid was decided.

Renault-powered Red Bull secured their first ever pole position, Vettel his second, and the post-session press conference with the top three drivers featured a Renault 1-2-3.

It was a fantastic achievement from Sebastian, the young German was ecstatic, regardless of fuel-load, and will be looking for his second Formula One win on Sunday.

One thing to note however, is that there is a chance that where Heidfeld was penalised for doing the same last year, Vettel will be nervous this evening that his impeding of Heikki Kovalainen could come back to haunt him, and if McLaren decide to appeal, Red Bull will be very wary that their driver could face a grid-drop.

It was a very interesting - and joyous - qualifying session, and if this afternoon was anything to go by, it's going to be a very exciting race tomorrow. I certainly won't miss it.

Unofficial and provisional qualifying times from Shanghai:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1m36.184
2. Fernando Alonso - 1m36.381
3. Mark Webber - 1m36.466
4. Rubens Barrichello - 1m36.493
5. Jenson Button - 1m36.532
6. Jarno Trulli - 1m36.835
7. Nico Rosberg - 1m37.39
8. Kimi Raikkonen - 1m38.089
9. Lewis Hamilton - 1m38.595
10. Sebastien Buemi - 1m39.321

11. Nick Heidfeld - 1m35.975
12. Heikki Kovalainen - 1m36.032
13. Felipe Massa - 1m36.033
14. Timo Glock - 1m36.066
15. Kazuki Nakajima - 1m36.193

16. Sebastien Bourdais - 1m36.906
17. Nelson Piquet - 1m36.908
18. Robert Kubica - 1m36.966
19. Adrian Sutil - 1m37.669
20. Giancarlo Fisichella - 1m37.672

With the 2009 Formula One season just around the corner, pundits everywhere are sticking their necks out and predicting who will succeed when the new season gets underway.

As well as the usual suspects, and perhaps the Brawn GP duo, whose impressive testing times have provoked many to tip either Jenson Button or Rubens Barrichello as potential world champions in 2009, there are some drivers who are poised to spring a surprise this year.

Their efforts are no less superhuman than those of the drivers who usually fill our headlines, but for one reason or another they are bound to be overlooked until they do something spectacular.

So let's have a look at who of F1's "also rans" could hit the big time in 2009.

Timo Glock

If nothing else, Glock proved in 2008 that his near-disastrous foray into F1 in 2004 did not demonstrate his true potential, and that the 2007 GP2 champion's Toyota seat is well-deserved.

Timo started 2008 slowly, making several key errors that left him behind teammate Jarno Trulli in the standings, but by the end of the season he was consistently bringing the Toyota home high in the points.

The highlight of the season was an excellent second place in Hungary, but his points finishes in the closing races of the year were significant too, as they came at a time when Renault and Scuderia Toro Rosso both had faster cars than Glock's Toyota.

With the promise of a competitive car for this season, Glock is just as good a bet as Trulli to deliver Toyota's maiden Formula One win, and his consistency and raw speed will serve him well in 2009.

Kazuki Nakajima

Notorious for mowing down his pit crew in his first Grand Prix, the Brazilian race of 2007, Nakajima maintained his destructive reputation in 2008 by colliding with several high-profile drivers, including Robert Kubica in Australia and Fernando Alonso in Valencia.

But when he wasn't crashing, Nakajima was actually consistently bringing the Williams into the points; when the car was fast enough to break into the top eight, it was almost guaranteed that Kazuki would put it there.

That is more than can be said for teammate Nico Rosberg, who tended to qualify well but all too often threw away precious scoring opportunities by crashing, as he did in Monaco and Canada.

The true pace of the 2009 Williams is not yet known, and whether Nakajima will have the car to consistently deliver points finishes is unclear.

But he will push Rosberg even harder than he did last year, and if the car allows it a maiden podium for the promising Japanese youngster is not too distant a prospect.

Nelson Piquet

The young Brazilian garnered more than his fair share of criticism last year, motivated partly by an inability to keep up with his double world champion teammate Fernando Alonso, but also more cynically because of his father's unpopularity (especially in Britain) back when he was a racer.

The truth is that Piquet had no more difficult a season than many Formula One rookies, and as the car improved later in the season so did Nelson.

History shows that young Piquet performs much better in his second season in any given series than in his first; applying this logic to F1, we should see much more from Nelson in 2009.

Nobody is expecting Piquet to challenge Alonso too much this season, but he should at least be able to pick up regular points finishes and establish his place in Formula One.

Sebastien Bourdais

Overshadowed by his superstar teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2008, Bourdais nonetheless showed excellent promise last season coupled with some crippling bad luck.

While Vettel was busy crashing in the early races of the season, the Frenchman showed consistency and pace, fourth place on his F1 debut only being denied him when his engine expired late in the race.

The bad luck continued, with a late tactical foul-up in Belgium and a start-line glitch in Italy denying potential podium finishes in both races; Bourdais has plenty to prove in 2009, but not nearly as much as his four points in 2008 (compared to 35 for Vettel) show.

Bourdais' Toro Rosso team have the benefit of powerful Ferrari engines and an Adrian Newey-designed chassis this year; if they can continue to get it right, expect Bourdais to impress. He didn't win four Champ Car titles through mediocrity.

Giancarlo Fisichella

Fisichella is unfortunate in that his Formula One career will forever be defined in terms of his lacklustre years at Renault, where he was overshadowed by Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen.

But the Italian is just as motivated as ever to prove his detractors wrong, and the Mercedes-powered Force India promises to be a leap forward from last year's disappointing car.

If the team can escape the back row of the grid, which will be difficult given the competitiveness of the field this year, expect Fisichella to lead the team to multiple points finishes in 2009.

Fisi's prodigious F1 experience will come in useful if the team is to learn from its first year in Formula One, and though his best days are behind him, he will be eager to prove that his career isn't over yet.

Conclusions

The five drivers listed here are unlikely to be world champions; not all of them will win races in 2009, and perhaps none will do so.

But look for each one of them to impress beyond expectation this season, as we gear up for an exciting and eagerly-anticipated year of racing.

There has been a lot of discussion about the newly instated rule of most wins equals’ title winner.

There is not a huge opposition to it, although the news that Felipe Massa would have been rightful champion last season obviously has not gone down too well with Hamilton fanatics.

Indeed, had this rule have come into place two years ago, the rightful champion and driver of 2007, Kimi Raikonnen, would have won the title by two wins instead of by just the one point he edged out in bizarre fashion at the season's climax.

His car's reliability issues had nearly cost him the title in the first place, but karma in the end appeared to prevail.

Yes, the new rule will definitely encourage overtaking. Hamilton, Massa, Alonso and Raikonnen will look to fight like they have never fought before for precious wins, which could ultimately tally up to title glory.

In this respect, straight away the defence of this rule coming into place has a great deal of validity.

A driver who shows his dogged determination to win races will be aptly rewarded, as opposed to the driver who consistently but deliberately edges onto the second or third steps of the podium in a race they could have won, but instead settled for the reward of points that would keep the title race open.

There is however, one downside that I see to this rule, and the 2008 season shows a brilliant case in point. Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton, points wise, were the statistical top two drivers of the season last year, memorably culminating in the last-corner dramatics that were Hamilton’s title glory and Massa’s heartbreak.

But were their seasons the top two performances of the season as a whole? The simple answer is no. Lewis Hamilton was solid at points, but arguably a weaker version of his debut season self.

Felipe Massa also was stronger than he had ever been, much to the shock and amazement of his harsh critics, but still on occasions showed a lack of maturity and consistency in his driving.

On the other hand, two drivers shone throughout the season, outperforming their cars and showing immense speed and great tenacity as if there was no tomorrow.

Sebastien Vettel became the youngest winner in Formula 1 history, demolishing Kovalainen in Italy and elevating himself into superstar status.

Race after race, he tore up the form book for this Toro Rosso team and showed what an average car could do in the hands of professional talent.

Yet it was Robert Kubica’s performance which was by any stretch of the imagination, outstanding. Here was a driver who had survived a spectacular crash in the previous season, a crash which ten years previous would have left him six feet under, and left a driver who as a result appeared to come back ten times stronger with improved pace and driver quality.

The BMW was not a championship winning car; it could not compete with Ferrari and McLaren. 

Still, it showed a great level of consistency. Kubica himself outshone teammate Nick Heidfeld throughout to earn multiple podiums, which oddly left him at one point leading the drivers’ standings without a win to his name.

That win, albeit in extremely lucky circumstances, came to him midway through the season and gifted him the reward that he so truly deserved,.

If not for his team's insistence on producing an improved 2009 car, could have encouraged him to fight for more victories in the penultimate rounds of the season which would force him to become a surprise third candidate for title glory.

But if the same thing happened in the 2009 season, this new rule suggests that Robert Kubica would become irrelevant as a title contender, unless his team can produce a car worthy of greater pace.

So therefore it has to be said that this rule, which is good for some, is brutally punishing for the likes of Kubica and Vettel.

Both are among the best drivers in a field of celebrated talents, but if previous form continues into the new season, it would lose them any hope of a title challenge for the "drivers’" title.

Ultimately, it would be the teams' lack of pace which would cost him the individual title as opposed to their own talents.

The ultimate question here really is, should the drivers’ title come down to which car performs head and shoulders above the rest, or should it come down to who can actually get the most out of their car and outperform it to the greatest extent...and ultimately who would actually be the most deserving champion?

So, finally all the teams have unveiled their 2009 challengers. The last is Toro Rosso with the new STR4.

The car currently features the 2008 rear wing (a little like McLaren), however, this is the only 2008 part the car features.

It looks very similar to the Red Bull RB5 for obvious reasons, and the Red Bull sponsors don't help to distinguish it.

Take a look at the launch pictures below, and tell me what you think.

Side View:

Front View:

Front/Side View:

Ferrari F60

McLaren MP4-24

BMW F1.09

Toyota TF109

Williams FW31

Renault R29

Red Bull RB5

Force India VJM-02

Brawn GP BGP 001

(source: Toro Rosso website)

The next team to be studied by Paul are the Toro Rosso team. They exceeded all expectations last season. Can they do it again? Paul and I debate whether it’s a possibility.

 

STATS AND INFORMATION

 

Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari

 

Team Principal: Franz Tost

Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli 

Team Base: Faenza, Italy

 

Chassis: STR4

Engine: Ferrari V8

Tyres: Bridgestone

 

Grand Prix: 53

Wins: 1

Podiums: 1

Poles: 1

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 48

2008 Position: Sixth (39 points)

 

Last Five Seasons

 

2004 – 10^th (1pt)*

2005 – 10^th (7pts)*

2006 – Ninth (1pt)

2007 – Seventh (8pts)

2008 – Sixth (39pts)

 

*As Minardi

 

First Driver: Sebastian Bourdais

Nationality: French

Age: 30

Starts: 18

Wins: 0

Podiums: 0

Poles: 0

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 4

Best Season: 17^th (2008)

 

 

Second Driver: Sebastian Buemi

Nationality: Swiss

Age: 20

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

Podiums: 0

Poles: 0

Fastest Laps: 0

Points: 0

Best Season: N/A

 

DISCUSSION

Paul Murtagh

Toro Rosso were probably the most improved team of 2008. What do you think made the difference?

Daniel Chalmers

I think there were a number of factors. The Ferrari engine was very strong. The team got more out of the car than the sister team. They had a very strong driver lineup and there are some very passionate people at Toro Rosso, many of whom were there back in the Minardi days.

Paul Murtagh

Yeah, I was glad to see the success for those who were with the team during the Minardi days. How much of an affect do you think Gerhard Berger had on the team last season? He definitely has the magic touch as a team boss

Daniel Chalmers

He is a racer through and through and very passionate. I think he did a very good job as team boss last season. He improved in the role as in 2007 and I don't think he treated Speed and Liuzzi very well.

His relationship with Vettel really seemed to blossom. I also wonder if as an ex-Ferrari driver he managed to get the full spec Ferrari engine.

Paul Murtagh

I have thought that myself because he is still very popular at Maranello and with Ferrari fans. Do you think at any stage during the season there was favouritism towards Vettel from the team?

Daniel Chalmers

I don't think there was any favouritism. Vettel definitely had a lot more success and the love of the team but the team was very professionally run in 2008. I think the new car suited Vettel a lot better to begin with, but Bourdais worked hard and once he adapted he was on Vettel's tail.

I thought Bourdais was luckless in the final third of the season.

Paul Murtagh

What did you make of Bourdais' debut season in F1? I thought he did a decent job and like you say he was unlucky at the likes of Spa and Monza, and was made to look poor by Vettel's excellent performances.

Daniel Chalmers

In the old car he actually shaded Vettel, but nobody noticed because the old car was slow. The new car was then the opposite of his driving style and far more suited to Vettel. I thought Bourdais was superb in the final third of the season.

In Monza Bourdais' fastest lap was 1.2 seconds quicker than Vettel but it was too late by then. In Fuji he had that very harsh penalty for the incident with Massa.

He should have beaten Vettel there. In Spa he was beating Vettel again but the rain came at the wrong time for him. Results don't show it but he did well and deserves his second season in F1.

No doubt about it, Toro Rosso made the right decision there.

Paul Murtagh

He did deserve his seat for this year and I think he will be a better driver now he has a full year behind him. Plus his recent experience of slick tyres in ChampCar will help him acclimatize quickly. What about Vettel last season—did he live up to the hype around him?

Daniel Chalmers

He definitely did a very good job. His win in Monza was absolutely superb. The conditions were the same for everyone and he did the best job. I wouldn't say he has done anything out of this world in the dry yet though.

He got the most out of the Toro Rosso, which was a very fast car in the end that other top drivers would not have been capable. Let’s see how he gets on at Red Bull this season.

Paul Murtagh

What about his replacement for this season, Sebastian Buemi? Toro Rosso is definitely found of drivers named Sebastian aren't they?!

Daniel Chalmers

I'm sure it’s just a coincidence but you do wonder. When it comes to Buemi I am really not sure it’s the right decision. He has shown flashes of speed and potential in GP2 but he certainly hasn't been consistently great in the series. He only finished six and 26 points down on the championship winner (Pantano).

Yes, he did win a couple of races, but they were due to the benefit of the reverse grid system for  the sprint race, so not as impressive as winning a feature race.

Paul Murtagh

I would put him on par with Pantano in terms of GP2, but behind the likes of Bruno Senna. But although he wasn't spectacular in GP2, he has been fast in testing so far, all be it in the 2008 car, and beating Takuma Sato to the second Toro Rosso seat in no mean feat considering Taku has been racing in F1 since 2002

Daniel Chalmers

There is some potential there but I think he is being a bit rushed in my opinion. If he stayed in GP2 and went on to challenge for the title then fair enough, give him the drive in 2010.

You say Bruno Senna is at a higher level, which I agree with you on. So why did Toro Rosso let Senna slip through their fingers?

Why didn't they ask Flavio if they could have Di Grassi who did very well last season? There were better rookies to pick than Buemi. Him alongside Bourdais also makes the lineup a bit inexperienced especially when there are a new breed of cars to understand.

I think Toro Rosso should have hired Barrichello to have some experience in the team, and he still has the pace too

Paul Murtagh

I agree with you that they should have tried to get Senna, but I think it would have made a mockery of their Driver Development Programme if they chose Senna over one of their own. But last year they did well with two rookies in the car so time will tell if they can repeat it.

But do you think Berger's departure will affect the team this season?

Daniel Chalmers

I do sense that Buemi's appointment is due to the fact, that Red Bull are desperate to have another success from their driver programme.

At the end of the day you have to pick the best possible driver lineup possible within your means, and I don't think Toro Rosso have done that. Buemi may prove me wrong and blow F1 away but I don't see it.

As for Berger I think he is a loss but I don't think he would have been as motivated if he had stayed on. I think he gauged the fact that 2008 was probably as successful as this team were ever going to get as a customer/sister team.

He won't be able to challenge for wins regularly with the team, or the championship, as they are technically a customer team.

I can understand his reasons for leaving. Toro Rosso do have other very good personalities there so it won't be too huge void left by Berger. The guys there are capable of delivering the results and the motivation. There are some real racers in that team as we mentioned earlier.

Can they beat the success of 2008? Personally, I think they will be doing extremely well to match it.

Paul Murtagh

I think it will be a struggle for them to match their 2008 season, especially winning another grand prix. If they score a podium and get a string of point-scoring races they will have had a good season.

But we have to remember that Dietrich Mateschitz is still considering selling the team at the end of the year so they are still fighting for their future

Daniel Chalmers

I think they will continue to score points. If Red Bull's car is as good as we think it is then Toro Rosso should be quick too. The main differences this season are that all the engines will be equal so they will lose the engine advantage they had (well that’s supposed to the theory anyway) plus Buemi will struggle to get anywhere near what Vettel achieved last season.

It won't be a bad season but not the revelation of 2008

Paul Murtagh

Yeah I agree. A solid season for the team but not spectacular—especially with Berger and Vettel no longer at the team.

I always get the feeling that there is a cloud over STR because of the whole customer car argument—will we see a different design for STR from RBR this season because of the new regulations, or will it once again look like a clone with a different paint job?

Daniel Chalmers

After the main team got embarrassed by the smaller team in 2008, I wonder if Red Bull will continue to be as helpful and committed to Toro Rosso. We saw how Honda started to give Super Aguri a lot less support, and then hung them out to dry.

Red Bull really want to have their breakthrough season in 2009. Surely Toro Rosso is an unwelcome distraction for a team that are now deadly serious about challenging for major honours now.

Paul Murtagh

It does give Mateschitz a problem—does he get Red Bull technologies to design a different car for Toro Rosso, and hopes that it won't beat the senior team but in doing that dropping the value of the team he wants to sell.

Personally, I would put both teams once again on equal footing because at the end of the day it was a Red Bull-owned car that won in Monza. I'm sure Mateschitz wasn't fussed that it was a Toro Rosso car that won it instead of a Red Bull Racing car.

Daniel Chalmers

If I were Mateschitz I would sell Toro Rosso and focus purely on the main team. I don't see much reason for him to keep the Toro Rosso team. I think he should sell at the next opportunity. I think having a sister team was good for them in the beginning, but their ambitions and aspirations are changing now.

If they want their young drivers to have race seats they can always send them on loan to other teams. I think that was one of the main reasons of having a sister team in the first place.

Paul Murtagh

I think you are right and it's time that the sister team was sold off to be honest. If they had the chance to run a four-car team then that would be better than having two teams, but they don't so it's time to sell up.

Could they perhaps become the new USF1 team in 2010?

Daniel Chalmers

I don't see that, I think both teams will be on the grid in 2010. Either Mateschitz will persist with Toro Rosso into 2010. It wouldn't surprise me as he seems to have his heart set on finding the right buyer or he will find a buyer.

I think USF1 already have some very firm plans in place

Paul Murtagh

I think it could be a possibility, but USF1 seem to want to go it alone, so I think you could be right, and I agree that Mateschitz will only sell to the right person. So Toro Rosso to have a good season, but not as good as last year?

Daniel Chalmers

I think that’s an accurate assessment. As for their F1 security Mateschitz does seem to be keen still to support them until a buyer is found. Whether that is the right move for Red Bull is questionable but that’s the way it is.

I think he will struggle to find a buyer for a couple of years, but I think in the future the interest in having a F1 team will re-generate, and he will be able to sell then.

Paul Murtagh

I think a good season once again this year and the team will be a very attractive proposition for any potential buyer, and I think Mateschitz will get a good return for his investment

Daniel Chalmers

The main thing is they stay on the grid in some shape or form because at the end of the day we don't want the grid down to 16 do we? It’s been great speaking to you again as usual Paul Murtagh

Paul Murtagh

It's been great doing this with you once again. And we aren't even at the business end of the grid yet!

MARKS

 

Chassis: 7

Engine: 9

Aerodynamics: 7

Mechanical grip: 7

Drivers: 6

Reliability: 8

 

KEY QUESTIONS

 

Can Toro Rosso match their 2008 performance?

 

Can Buemi be a worthy replacement to Vettel?

 

What is the future for the Toro Rosso team?

OTHER 2009 PREVIEWS

FORCE INDIA

WILLIAMS

RED BULL RACING

Hello and welcome once again to the review of this thrilling F1 championship happening at batracer.com, participated by Bleacher Creatures and their friends. From here on, I will go race by race....


Race 1: Albert Park, Melbourne
-------------------------------

Right from the word go, the season started to turn the heads....with an unexpected Toyota on pole and that of Das sharing front row with Nick Auty in a Red Bull, people including the Toyota team mates are baffled by the pace provided by the car. With Williams and McLaren in close pursuit it was sure to be a blast of an opener.

The race started off with Nick Auty straightaway beating Das to 1st corner. But then the weather started to turn wet and every one was trying hard to hold on to their positions.

By halfway Shakeri and Burgess were out with Das still holding on to P1. Later stages saw emergency pit stop from Das, both Force Indias go out and Payne taking the lead. The final podium summary looked like this:

1. Arijit Payne

WINNER
Toyota
   
2. Colin Nevett

+6.018
Toro Rosso

3. Prasenjit Das

+9.248
Toyota


4    Sammy Boyman    Williams    +10.529
5    Ryan Wood    Renault    +20.272
6    Steve Saquella    Williams    +21.935
7    Billy Sexton    Ferrari    +22.864
8    Sam Devereaux    Toro Rosso    +23.228
9    Michael Griffin    McLaren    +31.017
10    Adam Flinn    BMW Sauber    +35.149
11    Andrew Damico    Renault    +35.357
12    Ibo Montoya    Red Bull    +36.668
13    Phil Mitchell    Ferrari    +36.872
14    Daniel Chalmers    Force India    Lap 50
15    Paul Murtagh    Force India    Lap 45
16    Nick Auty    Red Bull    Lap 36
17    Sheiban Shakeri    McLaren    Lap 26
18    L J Burgess    BMW Sauber    Lap 26


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Race 2: Sepang, Malaysia
-------------------------------

After picking up right from where they left after No. 2, the unbelievable success of the Toyota was even more exhilarating for Das and Payne. But nobody was complacent because everyone believed that this joy can be very very short-lived.

The Ferrraris, McLarens and BMWs will be very tough opponents to tackle and considering low race finishing consistency of the Toyota, people were in general thought Melbourne to be a "one-of-the-case" incident.

Then came the Sepang qualifiers...and wham the Toyotas were again 1-2 after Q3!!!! Billy Sexton in a Ferrari and Adam Flinn in BMW were very close in pursuit but still it was unbelievable.

The fans were perplexed, the competitors baffled with such a result. Again everyone was pretty sure that with good setups it will be easy for Billy and Adam to dispatch the Toyotas.

In the meantime the Red Bull of Ibo Montoya was steadily improving (It got P1 in both Q1 and Q2!!!), and, the experienced Daniel Chalmers was closely watching from the Force India paddock....

Raceday. Adam Flinn and Billy Sexton clearly the favourites for this one. The lights go off and we are away.....

Consecutive mishap for LJ in BMW, another bad start and drop to the last. Flinn within 10 laps was breathing down the neck of Das after cleanly dispatching Payne.

Remarkably, Daniel with his Force India was setting fastest laps!!! but consistency and Force India are still very separate and he succumbed to mechanical soon.

With pitstops Das and Adam drop down the field and Payne takes lead, with Wood, Sexton and Montoya in close pursuit. By lap 35 Das(P3) was constantly harassing Flinn (P2) while Payne held the lead.

A stall in pits sees Das drop way down the list...moments later Sexton has a mechanical problem and pits! probably losing all chances of a podium finish. But even after setting fastest lap after fastest lap...Das has to contend with fourth...with Payne netting second consecutive win.

Now the Toyotas were leading both championships by handsome margin...which was nowhere meant to be!!!....the final podium was like this:


1.Arijit Payne

WINNER
Toyota

2.Adam Flinn

+4.226
BMW Sauber

   
3.Sheiban Shakeri

+8.713
McLaren
   
4    Prasenjit Das    Toyota    +9.168
5    Ibo Montoya    Red Bull    +10.490
6    Steve Saquella    Williams    +15.932
7    Colin Nevett    Toro Rosso    +16.239
8    Billy Sexton    Ferrari    +20.390
9    Ryan Wood    Renault    +24.104
10    Andrew Damico    Renault    +41.738
11    Michael Griffin    McLaren    +41.976
12    Sammy Boyman    Williams    +52.371
13    Sam Devereaux    Toro Rosso    +93.228
14    L J Burgess    BMW Sauber    +93.657
15    Nick Auty    Red Bull    +147.788
16    Paul Murtagh    Force India    +184.770
17    Phil Mitchell    Ferrari    +299.280
18    Daniel Chalmers    Force India    Lap 10



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Race 3: Bahrain
-------------------------------

After an eventful Malaysian GP the show moved on to dry n' dusty Bahrain. By now there was enough indication given as to how tumultuous the season is going to be. All teams were scattered around the grid with no clear supremacist team emerging out.

Both championships were being led by Toyota, but the margin was very small. Williams surprisingly joined league with BMW and Red Bull/Torro Rosso in chasing the titles.

The biggies McLaren, Ferrari and Renault nowhere to be seen nearby!!!! There could have been no predictions for Bahrain if I was asked to write any.

Then came the qualifiers. It was also a stirred qualifiers as no domination was observed ...with Q1 being topped by Chalmers in a Force India!!! The Toyotas never found the consistent pace whereas BMW improved and Williams joined the party.

The results of Q3 saw only Toyota, McLaren, and BMW having double drivers in the top 10!!! The pole position went to Ibo Montoya in Red Bull and the top row was completed by Force India.....with Das in Toyota at P3.

Whatever calculations and speculations you do, every thing leads to the raceday....the final judgment. So there we were at a race which was to have two possible outcomes: 1. The stronger teams in top 10 i.e. McLaren and BMW would clearly tell the field of their power and streamline the score board, and, 2. Red Bull, Force India or Williams pull off a great race, utilizing their good Q3 positions and end their dry patch..but destiny had already calculated and written down a result totally different from fathoming.

At the start which was very messy Montoya (P1) and Shakeri (P6) made bad starts and dropped down the field. The start marked another gloomy outcome for Ferrari, who had probably lost their way out there.

But the fight at the top of the field was growing interestingly. With Chalmers in the Force India still holding on to P1, Das in close pursuit at P2 and Flinn giving a hard time to Payne, race was already eventful by Lap 5!!!

By 8th lap a collision between BMW of L J and McLaren of Griffin put them both out of contention at least for now. Lap 25 saw the 1st set of pit stops get over and a driver error making Payne drop down to eighth place,whereas rest of the field remained more or less the same order.

Shakeri and Sexton both go for pits and in that time Payne starts charging up the field. Lap 44. Race was pretty monotonous till now but a mechanical issue in Chalmer's Force India makes him do a emergency pit stop, handing the lead over to Das.

("I was extremely lucky there...though its unfortunate for Daniel...", said Das at the post race press conference.). Chalmers only dropped to third whereas nothing could move Adam Flinn from P2.

Adam's teammate L J Burgess commented "Another 1/4 lap Flinn...", whereas after getting the first win of the season, Das was cautious,"well Toyota is good till now.... let's see", he said. This is how the final podium summary looked like:




Prasenjit Das

WINNER
Toyota
   
Adam Flinn

+0.946
BMW Sauber

Daniel Chalmers

+12.463
Force India
   
   
4    Ryan Wood    Renault    +18.531
5    Ibo Montoya    Red Bull    +21.331
6    Arijit Payne    Toyota    +29.971
7    L J Burgess    BMW Sauber    +31.433
8    Paul Murtagh    Force India    +32.010
9    Steve Saquella    Williams    +34.875
10    Phil Mitchell    Ferrari    +40.729
11    Sheiban Shakeri    McLaren    +56.402
12    Billy Sexton    Ferrari    +59.301
13    Colin Nevett    Toro Rosso    +59.502
14    Michael Griffin    McLaren    +60.327
15    Sammy Boyman    Williams    +216.217
16    Sam Devereaux    Toro Rosso    +233.541
17    Andrew Damico    Renault    +354.240
18    Nick Auty    Red Bull    Lap 49


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


So here we are at the end point of the second of the multi-edition review. By this time Toyota was still leading both championships with Das edging past Payne for P1.

BMW and Torro Rosso were looking deadly in performance with McLaren not getting the sync right and Ferrari way behind.

The battle has started and for now the contenders are Das (Toyota) , Flinn (BMW) , Payne (Toyota) and Ibo Montoya (Red Bull).

So stay tuned folks and watch this column as I will be back with more action, more drama at batracer Bleacher Championship No. 4.....

[to be continued....]

Exhibiting the trend that the internet is taking over the mainstream television channels, Red Bull Racing unveiled the RB5 through an online video that was posted on their website and subsequently posted everywhere else including YouTube.

Instead of showing a carbon fibre body on a racetrack with a throng of media present, the video was released on redbullracing.com as an animation with Sebastien Vettel explaining the new features of the RB5 as well as giving a simplified explanation of what KERS is.

There was no commentary, and there was no sound bites. It was just talk from an F1 driver, a primary source.

When it comes to car debuts, Red Bull and Toro Rosso appear to be the only teams making an effort to involve fans by skipping the middleman of the media. By doing animations, putting videos on their website, and just utilizing interactivity that other teams seem to lack, these two teams appear to be making headway in getting fans.

However, we cannot forget about McLaren's Grand Prix League,which is essentially like sports betting, except with prizes given out at the end of season.

Of course, the exclusivity still remains with Red Bull parties and such, but by appealing directly to fans instead of the regular sound bites we receive from the media and their spin, Red Bull has shown that they want to speak directly to fans—with no translation or commentary needed.

Of course, the RB5 will make its physical debut on February 9 and we'll see how it will do on the course against the Ferraris, the McLarens, the BMWs and everyone else.

Every season in Formula One fans look forward to the introduction of some fresh blood in the form of young drivers rising from the lower formula’s to fill the role of the rookies to watch for the year ahead. 2009 will be no different with all eyes on the men who have broken into the elite and unforgiving world of top level motor sport that is F1.

This year the light falls upon 20 year old Toro Rosso pilot Sebastien Buemi and at the time of writing the latest product of the Red Bull driver program looks like being 2009’s only rookie and as such the pressure on this young lad from Switzerland to impress will be magnified yet further, what’s more due to circumstances far beyond any single individuals control he may just be one of the last rookies F1 sees for some time; at least that’s my opinion as the doors to the top table slowly slide shut to many a young hopeful, allow me to explain.

In recent years you could indeed argue that F1’s obsession with youth has inadvertently spoilt the fans, with the emergence of a stunning group, driver’s who will go down as greats, notably Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen already champions, add to that the quite supreme Robert Kubica the frighteningly good Sebastian Vettel and the ever improving Felipe Massa and Timo Glock, there can be little doubt that we are about to enter a golden age the like of which not seen since the late 80’s and early 90’s.

However sadly in many ways Formula One in 2009 is nothing like those years past where over 30 cars would regularly compete in a battle to make it on to a final grid of  26. If the team formally known as Honda Racing does not make it to Melbourne then the season will begin with a worryingly anaemic grid of just 18 cars with 7 spots taken up by absolute top line drivers mentioned above, all of whom are in their 20’s and could conceivably lock out the top end of the grid for years to come, not to say that’s a bad thing; all are exceptional drivers who will do nothing but provide an awesome world class spectacle as we move further into the post Schumacher era, were you to be a young driver however looking to move into the rookie spotlight for the 2010 season you might not take such a fond view.

For not only is there a very small number of actual seats to go round, the radical cost cutting measures undertaken by the FIA to keep F1 alive appear to have given a lifeline to a few of the older driver’s plying their trade on circuits across the globe. With no in season testing now allowed, it would be a brave team who stacks their chips up against a young kid knowing that once the season has begun there will be no hiding place. All genuine practice at the wheel of a bona fide grand prix car from now on will take place at grand prix weekends, and if a driver doesn’t hit his mark at a given weekend that weekend is likely to be a long and fruitless one leaving an inexperienced driver painfully exposed and potentially embarrassed.

This was seen to a certain extent in early 2008 as Nelson Piquet was left trailing in the wake of Fernando Alonso and found himself on the end of some harsh words from boss Flavio Briatore with his very future in the sport brought into question during the early races. By the very skin of his teeth and many miles pounding the test track Nelson escaped getting his p45 early, and by the end of the season looked almost like a competent F1 driver capable of the occasional points finish and the odd lucky podium, but would this rediscovery of form been possible without the testing miles, I’m not at all sure.

The other side of the coin is BMW’s Nick Heidfeld who for all his effort early season could not get to grips with the unique handling characteristics of his machine (despite his considerable experience) and found himself getting destroyed by Robert Kubica; not a problem though, BMW have the ways and means to work out exactly what’s going on here and they did, but again it took many miles of testing, that seemed to compromise the progress of Kubica himself as the car was developed.

The phrase ‘You can’t have the penny and the bun’ was proved correct and in 2009 in the cut throat world that is F1 that will never be truer.

So while the odd ‘old timer’ may struggle with the new regulations and the lack of testing it’s fair to say they have a lot less to worry about than any rookie with nothing to draw on when they lose their way under the full glare of a world media. As a result I suspect the seats of, Fisichella, Trulli and Webber are the safest they have been for some time, and the same goes for Heidfeld; who may bizarrely have been saved by the upcoming regulation changes as BMW rediscovered the value of a steady hand in changing times

Formula One is now harder than ever and so for that reason I would like to extend my best wishes and luck to Sebastien Buemi for the season ahead, I get the sneaky suspicion that regardless of his level of raw talent he’s going to need it and not just for himself but aspiring drivers everywhere, no pressure of course.

With the 2008 season done and dusted, the annual Formula 1 silly is now in full swing.

The team with the most changes in a driver lineup point of view seems to be the Red Bull-backed Scuderia Toro Rosso. With Sebastien Vettel leaving for big sister Red Bull Racing, and Sebastien Bourdais's seat seaming to be at risk, here are the contenders for the 2009 Toro Rosso seats.

Sebastien Buemi

Another Sebastien in the Red Bull F1 family, Buemi is firm favorite to replace Sebastien Vettel. If anything his pace shown at recent trests at Jerez for both Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso have all but secured him his spot.

Sebastien Bourdais

After a tough season, three time Champcar champion Sebastien Bourdais finally came to grips with the car to the latter parts of the season. But it was too little to late.

It would be those drives in the latter half of the season though, that should have him secured for 2009, unless possibilities arise form the Honda F1 remains with rumors the PSA Peugeot Citroën may be buying out Honda and hiring compatriot Bourdais.

Takuma Sato

After the demise of Super Aguri, Japanese driver Takuma Sata was left licking his wounds searching for a drive elsewhere. This drive may come in the form of Toro Rosso.

Not only does Sato have experience, but he may bring major Japanese sponsors to the Italian squad. However speed may be a issue for the Japanese veteran of 93 Grand Prix, consistently beaten by the inexperienced Sebastien Buemi in postseason testing.

Jenson Button

After the demise of Honda, the forgotten Brit may be looking for a fresh start. After six season at Honda only accumulating one win, Button may be a dark horse in the race for the all important second Toro Rosso seat.

Though 2008 was a breakthrough season for the Italian team, 2008 may be the hardest season to replicate. The loss of Vettel won't help either, but the sheer pace of new comer Sebastien Buemi another Vettel may be on the way.

So watch out Mark Webber another young one is on your way.

The Bleacher Report inaugural F1 world championship round was launched on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 with 20 drivers comprised of B/R writers and their guests.

Here are your final results followed by each circuit's qualifying and race results. I'll flesh out the commentary as we progress.

Game #30821 Driver's Standings;

1	90	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso
2	78	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull
3	66	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber
4	64	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari
5	54	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso
6	54	Simon Topham	Renault
7	49	Arijit Payne	Force India
8	46	Daniel Chalmers	Williams
9	42	Scott Malcolm	Renault
10	34	Ben Auty	McLaren
11	30	Billy Sexton	Ferrari
12	26	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull
13	23	Prasenjit Das	McLaren
14	20	Chris Leone	Honda
15	9	L J Burgess	Toyota
16	6	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber
17	5	Nick Auty	Williams
18	4	Andrew Wood	Honda
19	2	Mark Andrew	Toyota
20	0	Steven Stones	Super Aguri

1	144	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso - Ferrari 056 - Bridgestone
2	104	Red Bull	Red Bull - Renault RS27 - Bridgestone
3	96	Renault	Renault - Renault RS27 - Bridgestone
4	94	Ferrari	Ferrari - Ferrari 056 - Bridgestone
5	72	BMW Sauber	BMW Sauber - BMW P86/8 - Bridgestone
6	57	McLaren	McLaren - Mercedes FO 108V - Bridgestone
7	51	Williams	Williams - Toyota RVX-08 - Bridgestone
8	49	Force India	Force India - Ferrari 056 - Bridgestone
9	24	Honda	Honda - Honda RA808E - Bridgestone
10	11	Toyota	Toyota - Toyota RVX-08 - Bridgestone
11	0	Super Aguri	Super Aguri - Honda RA808E - Bridgestone

18 Rounds Were Fought, Individual Race Results On The Following Three Pages.

Melbourne Final Result bone dry 58 laps (six laps under safety car)
1	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	89:15.525
2	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+4.214
3	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+27.839
4	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	1 stops	+31.924
5	Andrew Wood	Honda	1 stops	+45.278
6	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+45.635
7	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	+46.287
8	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+46.362
9	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	+47.753
10	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+48.066
11	Nick Auty	Williams	2 stops	+57.407
12	Ben Auty	McLaren	3 stops	+57.851
13	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+77.398
14	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+1 laps
15	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	2 stops	+1 laps
16	Chris Leone	Honda	3 stops	+1 laps
17	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	Lap 53 accident
18	Arijit Payne	Force India	1 stops	Lap 27 accident
19	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	0 stops	Lap 26 accident
20	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	0 stops	Lap 9 clutch

Sepang Final Result wet and slippery conditions 56 laps (six laps under safety car)
1	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	103:45.930
2	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+26.525
3	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+30.611
4	Chris Leone	Honda	3 stops	+41.593
5	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	4 stops	+50.691
6	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+58.640
7	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+64.167
8	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+104.124
9	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+107.105
10	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+108.977
11	Nick Auty	Williams	4 stops	+1 laps
12	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	+1 laps
13	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	+1 laps
14	Scott Malcolm	Renault	3 stops	+1 laps
15	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	+1 laps
16	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	4 stops	Lap 46 oil pressure
17	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	3 stops	Lap 42 accident
18	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	1 stops	Lap 29 accident
19	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	0 stops	Lap 23 accident
20	Andrew Wood	Honda	0 stops	Lap 2 accident

Bahrain Final Result bone dry 57 laps (0 laps under safety car)
1	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	89:10.080
2	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+27.063
3	Simon Topham	Renault	1 stops	+27.373
4	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+38.658
5	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+46.583
6	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+62.677
7	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+64.783
8	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+66.371
9	Chris Leone	Honda	1 stops	+1 laps
10	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+1 laps
11	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+1 laps
12	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	+1 laps
13	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+1 laps
14	Andrew Wood	Honda	1 stops	+2 laps
15	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	+2 laps
16	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	1 stops	+2 laps
17	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+2 laps
18	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+2 laps
19	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	1 stops	Lap 37 suspension
20	Nick Auty	Williams	0 stops	Lap 9 collision

Barcelona Final Result wet and slippery conditions 66 laps (seven laps under safety car)
1	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	3 stops	98:40.987
2	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+4.864
3	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+26.517
4	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	4 stops	+26.699
5	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	4 stops	+51.921
6	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	4 stops	+62.130
7	Scott Malcolm	Renault	2 stops	+63.697
8	Simon Topham	Renault	3 stops	+72.840
9	Nick Auty	Williams	2 stops	+73.910
10	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	+1 laps
11	Andrew Wood	Honda	4 stops	+1 laps
12	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+2 laps
13	Arijit Payne	Force India	3 stops	Lap 64 accident
14	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	3 stops	Lap 59 clutch
15	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	Lap 58 accident
16	Chris Leone	Honda	4 stops	Lap 54 collision
17	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	Lap 34 accident
18	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	0 stops	Lap 21 accident
19	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	0 stops	Lap 4 accident
20	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	0 stops	Lap 1 collision

Istanbul Final Result bone dry 57 laps (10 laps under safety car)
1	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	91:25.026
2	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+18.805
3	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+21.955
4	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	2 stops	+43.614
5	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	1 stops	+44.063
6	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	+51.158
7	Nick Auty	Williams	2 stops	+55.704
8	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	+56.592
9	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	1 stops	+59.364
10	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	+76.688
11	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+93.748
12	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	1 stops	+1 laps
13	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	Lap 56 accident
14	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	Lap 51 accident
15	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	2 stops	Lap 28 collision
16	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	1 stops	Lap 23 accident
17	Arijit Payne	Force India	1 stops	Lap 16 brakes
18	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	0 stops	Lap 13 accident
19	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	0 stops	Lap 5 collision
20	Scott Malcolm	Renault	0 stops	Lap 1 collision

Monaco Final Result bone dry 78 laps (five laps under safety car)
1	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	101:51.582
2	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+0.906
3	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+5.938
4	Arijit Payne	Force India	4 stops	+25.397
5	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+25.478
6	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	3 stops	+31.417
7	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+60.343
8	Scott Malcolm	Renault	3 stops	+1 laps
9	Nick Auty	Williams	3 stops	+1 laps
10	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+2 laps
11	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+3 laps
12	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+4 laps
13	Andrew Wood	Honda	2 stops	+4 laps
14	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	Lap 73 accident
15	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	2 stops	Lap 53 collision
16	Mark Andrew	Toyota	1 stops	Lap 43 accident
17	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	1 stops	Lap 40 collision
18	L J Burgess	Toyota	0 stops	Lap 38 tyres
19	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	1 stops	Lap 29 accident
20	Ben Auty	McLaren	0 stops	Lap 26 accident

 

Montreal Final Result bone dry 70 laps (16 laps under safety car)
1	Simon Topham	Renault	3 stops	101:04.642
2	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+0.266
3	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+1.108
4	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	3 stops	+2.153
5	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+2.324
6	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	2 stops	+3.531
7	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+4.078
8	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+5.004
9	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+6.342
10	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	+8.070
11	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+9.304
12	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+51.239
13	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+1 laps
14	Nick Auty	Williams	1 stops	+1 laps
15	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	2 stops	+1 laps
16	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+1 laps
17	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	Lap 65 accident
18	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	Lap 49 accident
19	Chris Leone	Honda	0 stops	Lap 5 accident
20	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	0 stops	Lap 1 collision

Magny Cours Final Result bone dry 70 laps (0 laps under safety car)
1	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	91:49.443
2	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	+4.605
3	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	+5.613
4	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	+7.583
5	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+14.087
6	Chris Leone	Honda	1 stops	+45.208
7	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+46.395
8	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+58.105
9	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+58.880
10	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+75.198
11	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	+1 laps
12	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	3 stops	+1 laps
13	Nick Auty	Williams	2 stops	+1 laps
14	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+1 laps
15	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+2 laps
16	Mark Andrew	Toyota	1 stops	+3 laps
17	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	1 stops	+4 laps
18	Andrew Wood	Honda	1 stops	Lap 39 front wing
19	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	1 stops	Lap 35 accident
20	Ben Auty	McLaren	0 stops	Lap 35 accident

Silverstone Final Result bone dry 60 laps (11 laps under safety car)
1	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	91:16.475
2	Simon Topham	Renault	1 stops	+7.726
3	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+8.697
4	Arijit Payne	Force India	3 stops	+9.717
5	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	+10.496
6	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+14.321
7	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+15.456
8	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+15.572
9	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+16.528
10	Scott Malcolm	Renault	2 stops	+20.425
11	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	1 stops	+29.606
12	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+35.334
13	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+38.745
14	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	+57.445
15	Andrew Wood	Honda	2 stops	+68.945
16	Ben Auty	McLaren	3 stops	+75.831
17	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	+78.729
18	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	1 stops	+2 laps
19	Nick Auty	Williams	1 stops	Lap 45 tyres
20	Chris Leone	Honda	0 stops	Lap 12 collision

Hockenheim Final Result bone dry 67 laps (0 laps under safety car)
1	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	86:55.211
2	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+18.082
3	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+24.686
4	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+31.541
5	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	+58.637
6	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+66.574
7	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+70.593
8	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+1 laps
9	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+1 laps
10	Nick Auty	Williams	2 stops	+1 laps
11	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+1 laps
12	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+1 laps
13	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	+2 laps
14	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+2 laps
15	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	1 stops	+2 laps
16	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+3 laps
17	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+3 laps
18	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	Lap 62 accident
19	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	1 stops	Lap 37 transmission
20	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	1 stops	Lap 26 gearbo

Hungaroring Final Result moist 70 laps (10 laps under safety car)
1	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	1 stops	97:56.497
2	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+10.668
3	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	+11.605
4	Scott Malcolm	Renault	2 stops	+24.178
5	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+36.286
6	Nick Auty	Williams	1 stops	+36.472
7	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+37.490
8	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+37.658
9	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+38.072
10	L J Burgess	Toyota	3 stops	+74.971
11	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+1 laps
12	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+1 laps
13	Andrew Wood	Honda	2 stops	+2 laps
14	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+2 laps
15	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	Lap 49 throttle
16	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	2 stops	Lap 41 accident
17	Chris Leone	Honda	0 stops	Lap 31 collision
18	Simon Topham	Renault	1 stops	Lap 31 collision
19	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	0 stops	Lap 14 accident
20	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	0 stops	Lap 2 collision

Valencia Final Result bone dry 59 laps (eight laps under safety car)
1	Arijit Payne	Force India	1 stops	103:12.480
2	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+1.055
3	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+9.075
4	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+11.290
5	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	1 stops	+13.793
6	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	+13.977
7	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+14.451
8	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	+17.164
9	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+17.803
10	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+40.963
11	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+41.795
12	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	3 stops	+42.413
13	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+71.672
14	Nick Auty	Williams	3 stops	+74.822
15	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+1 laps
16	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+1 laps
17	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	+2 laps
18	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	Lap 47 accident
19	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	Lap 39 accident
20	Chris Leone	Honda	1 stops	Lap 29 collision

 

Spa-Francorchamps Final Result bone dry 44 laps (six laps under safety car)
1	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	93:33.534
2	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	+12.332
3	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+25.805
4	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+39.439
5	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+41.566
6	Simon Topham	Renault	1 stops	+55.200
7	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+55.749
8	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	1 stops	+68.188
9	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	+70.499
10	Nick Auty	Williams	1 stops	+76.526
11	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+77.913
12	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+107.406
13	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+111.745
14	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+1 laps
15	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+1 laps
16	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+1 laps
17	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+2 laps
18	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	3 stops	Lap 37 accident
19	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	0 stops	Lap 7 accident
20	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	0 stops	Lap 4 throttle

Monza Final Result bone dry 53 laps (four laps under safety car)
1	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	79:09.118
2	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	+3.009
3	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+7.147
4	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+7.834
5	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	1 stops	+17.168
6	L J Burgess	Toyota	1 stops	+24.008
7	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+30.841
8	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+40.161
9	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+45.542
10	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+48.347
11	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	3 stops	+48.944
12	Nick Auty	Williams	3 stops	+49.080
13	Chris Leone	Honda	3 stops	+65.349
14	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+1 laps
15	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	1 stops	+1 laps
16	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	2 stops	+2 laps
17	Mark Andrew	Toyota	1 stops	+2 laps
18	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	Lap 39 accident
19	Andrew Wood	Honda	1 stops	Lap 17 collision
20	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	0 stops	Lap 9 exhaust

Singapore Final Result treacherous rain and spray 61 laps (seven laps under safety car)
1	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	110:12.147
2	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	1 stops	+95.099
3	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+1 laps
4	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+1 laps
5	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+2 laps
6	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+2 laps
7	L J Burgess	Toyota	3 stops	+2 laps
8	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	3 stops	+2 laps
9	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	3 stops	+2 laps
10	Chris Leone	Honda	3 stops	+3 laps
11	Mark Andrew	Toyota	3 stops	+3 laps
12	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+4 laps
13	Simon Topham	Renault	3 stops	+4 laps
14	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+4 laps
15	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	4 stops	+6 laps
16	Nick Auty	Williams	3 stops	Lap 59 accident
17	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	Lap 51 accident
18	Scott Malcolm	Renault	2 stops	Lap 44 accident
19	Ben Auty	McLaren	0 stops	Lap 26 exhaust
20	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	0 stops	Lap 1 collision

Fuji Final Result monsoon 67 laps (0 laps under safety car)
1	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	3 stops	104:03.835
2	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	2 stops	+18.013
3	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+19.247
4	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	2 stops	+23.711
5	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+26.683
6	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+31.759
7	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	1 stops	+51.015
8	Scott Malcolm	Renault	1 stops	+56.516
9	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+1 laps
10	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+1 laps
11	Mark Andrew	Toyota	4 stops	+2 laps
12	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+2 laps
13	Ben Auty	McLaren	3 stops	+2 laps
14	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	2 stops	+3 laps
15	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	4 stops	+3 laps
16	Chris Leone	Honda	3 stops	+3 laps
17	Nick Auty	Williams	4 stops	+3 laps
18	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	2 stops	+5 laps
19	Simon Topham	Renault	2 stops	Lap 57 accident
20	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	Lap 50 gearbox

Shanghai Final Result steady rain 56 laps (0 laps under safety car)
1	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	96:24.360
2	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+55.735
3	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	1 stops	+56.565
4	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	2 stops	+59.063
5	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	4 stops	+68.060
6	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	2 stops	+1 laps
7	Simon Topham	Renault	1 stops	+1 laps
8	Mark Andrew	Toyota	4 stops	+1 laps
9	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+1 laps
10	Nick Auty	Williams	4 stops	+1 laps
11	Scott Malcolm	Renault	4 stops	+1 laps
12	L J Burgess	Toyota	3 stops	+2 laps
13	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	4 stops	+2 laps
14	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+2 laps
15	Arijit Payne	Force India	2 stops	+2 laps
16	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	+2 laps
17	Ben Auty	McLaren	1 stops	+3 laps
18	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	+3 laps
19	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+3 laps
20	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	1 stops	Lap 32 accident

Interlagos Final Result light rain 71 laps (seven laps under safety car)
1	Sheiban Shakeri	Ferrari	3 stops	99:53.399
2	Matthew Hood	Toro Rosso	3 stops	+4.776
3	Ryan Wood	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+9.350
4	Arijit Payne	Force India	3 stops	+9.596
5	Daniel Chalmers	Williams	2 stops	+21.524
6	L J Burgess	Toyota	2 stops	+22.066
7	Prasenjit Das	McLaren	3 stops	+22.809
8	Ian Kilpatrick	Red Bull	2 stops	+45.008
9	Mark Andrew	Toyota	2 stops	+46.972
10	Michael Griffin	BMW Sauber	3 stops	+54.382
11	Ben Auty	McLaren	2 stops	+65.905
12	Chris Leone	Honda	2 stops	+66.181
13	Craig Stevanato	Toro Rosso	2 stops	+77.740
14	Billy Sexton	Ferrari	4 stops	+1 laps
15	Simon Topham	Renault	3 stops	+1 laps
16	Steven Stones	Super Aguri	3 stops	+1 laps
17	Paul Murtagh	Red Bull	3 stops	+1 laps
18	Nick Auty	Williams	3 stops	+2 laps
19	Scott Malcolm	Renault	4 stops	Lap 67 accident
20	Andrew Wood	Honda	3 stops	Lap 48 accident

With his final win at Shanghai, Craig Stevanato could afford to sit back and cruise to his first Bleacher Report World Championship by finishing 13th in the final round.