or they could just buy engines off Cosworth eggnham

It was the same in China with Massa... Massa on was course to kill Kimi in the race. Not only did he start down the pack and move foward at a pace, but it was also wet! This feature needs to just focus on results.

'Nevermind' I hardly think a 3 race SUSPENDED sentence is anything to worry about - they've effectively been give one more chance... If they make no more mistake, then they have got away with it. Hardly a death sentence!

Mercedes are Engine suppliers, yes the own 40% of McLaren, but they're still just an engine supplier - They will probably win another Title this year so they'll be happy enough. And as for Renault, they've spent more time at the front with an Engine than they have with Engine and Chassis... Maybe they should just go back to that! It has really amazed me how bad the big teams are at being beaten... really sore losers.

I don't get the 'level playing field' comments he's making. All the Teams used the same regulations, some read one way, some another... but ALL of the cars are legal and within the rules, so surely the playing field is level? I thought F1 was about the best of everything, best drives, best chassis, best engine, best facilities etc etc and you bring all these elements together and you get the best package... Currently Brawn, Toyota and Williams have the best diffuser, but lest we forget BMW have one of the best KERS systems...

I don't think it's enough to say Ferrari (McLaren, or anyone) will catch up. Ferrari have spent a huge period of time at the front of the grid, however, they have spent an equal amount of time not at the front... It was 20+ years behind until Michael arrived, and then they spent the next 10 dominating. You also need to remember that the Todt/Brawn/Burne advantage wouldn't dissapear overnight, especailly if there was steady rules... I think what we're seeing now is a Ferrari slump and that could easily last for years - and it wouldn't be bad for F1 if it did.

Why are McLaren at the bottom of the list?

You'd get good odds on Hamilton winning the race... may be worth a tenner on Sky bet.

Amadan, yes it is legal, the teams are allowed to send the cars out charged... Even if they couldn't you'd still be able to charge on the warm up lap...

I saw, as did Leg end.. I mean Legard, Kimi come into the pits for the 3rd time in the race... Leg end even commented on the fact it was Kimi's 3rd visit. I have two issues with this 1) Did he not think it was strange Kimi was coming in a 3rd time, because I did (and no doubt the millions of other veiwers did as well). 2) When Brundle noticed 30 seconds later that Kimi had fallen back, Leg end was at a loss to explain why, even when he saw Kimi in a later replay hit the wall he still didn't connect the dots - JA would never have missed that. I think stick Kravits in there or get Allen back in or (now this is left field Mr. Gill) get Blundell in there, Brundle and Blundell that would be amazing... One plus point, I like the fact we see the practice sessions on the red button.

This is so political... the reason he is saying this is because the FIA are trying to reduce costs. The way he's hoping the FIA will see it is that it is cheaper for 3 teams to change, than it is for 7 to change.

The FIA have said it's okay, therefore if the race stewards say it's okay then that should be that.

Awesome, I have more respect for Bernie now!

It's one thing to say that Lewis sat back a few times last year, but look what happend when he did 'go for it'... he had the win taken away by the FIA. Bernie's an idiot.

That's a shame, it could have been good...

I didn't like the wins thing yesterday, although today I am warming to the idea - Let's see what happens. The FIA are going to have to take it easy on penalties for 'avoidable accidents' etc though, i.e. when 2nd place launches it up the inside of 1st place, with 1 lap to go, and takes them both out... If the FIA then start handing out 10 place penalties etc then that will negate any effect this new rule may have. I hate the budget idea though and the politics around the decision - F1 needs the glamour, the expense, I love the fact that teams spend £1,200 on a wheel nut and then through it away after the race... it's Formula 1 not Naffcar or Indy Crap.

This is rubbish, it's too complicated. Imagine trying to explain last season's showdown (which had a fair amount of variables) and then add the most wins rule... Why do the FIA do stuff like this, we've had three or four great, close, seasons in-a-row and the points have played their part in making that drama - This season is likely to be crap (although highley anticipated) because the sweeping rule changes and the points are likely to lead to one dominant team/driver - and although it may 'make a change' to see a new team winning, that will only last about 3 races and it will soon get boring (Remmeber when Renualt were winning, it was the same as Ferrari, just a blue car instead). How many times do Football Leagues change the points system, the competition rules or the sporting rules - hardly ever... F1 has just had a Golden Period and the FIA have f*ck*d it up.

It's a bit more promising for McLaren... but only a bit!

If McLaren are 'sand bagging' (god love him) then it's the mother of all pre-season sand bagging. Many people will get their wish this year - to see Lewis in a slow car... come on Jenson I say!

Hang on a minute... didn't Benneton (Now obviously Renault), under the guidence of Briatore use an illegal traction control system in 1994? They were then one of the teams that had 'explored a loop hole', the difference is it wasn't plain for the world to see and they knew the FIA couldn't test the car to prove it... F1 people make me laugh.

I don't agree with your technology comment - I first fell in love with F1 partly because of the technology (and the ridiculous costs involved!). I think if you remove that technology you'll hurt F1. In fact I think F1 is already 'hurt', because production cars (Bugatti Veyron) are now quicker (in a straight line at least) and with better BHP than F1 cars... that would have been impossible 10/20 years ago and shouldn't have been allowed to happen to our sport. We need the technology (as well as drivers, overtaking etc)... If people don't like it, go and watch GP2 or NASCAR or similar.

I thought he's want to end races 5 laps earlier - if they did he'd be Champion now!

I used to like this guy, but the comments he's made are a bit stupid. He had a huge car advantage when he won his championship, the field spread was huge (5/6 secs+) - it wasn't uncommon to be on pole by well over a second - and only a few won races in 1992 (I think 3 or 4), whereas Hamilton probably had a slower car than Ferrari - at best it was equal to them - and there were 7 winners and the field spread was about 2 seconds. Nige, you were 'owed' a championship for all the bad luck you had earlier on in your F1 career and in 1992 you got one of the easiest championships on ever.

The reason they go to Monaco is because it's Formula 1... F1 needs a little extravegance!

I think this is a classic case of running-before-you-can-walk... You lost out in GP2 to a driver who's not good enough for F1... Did you really think you could make it to F1 as runner up to a average driver in a lower catagory?

What were McLaren testing today 2011 spec tyres? That McLaren is looking slow!

What were McLaren testing today 2011 spec tyres? That McLaren is looking slow!

This is the final stage of the Honda saga - The stage when we see all the possible buyers and realise how clos they came to being saved.

With guys like this coming up through the ranks, and Honda all but saying it's over for the team, Jensen has little or no hope of finding a way back into F1.

I just hope that not having KERS doesn't hurt them too much, otherwise they'd have shot themselves in the foot - big time...

ouch! The ING statement sounded less... HARSH!!

What's the point? With such a limit on testing now, surely the race drivers will do all available testing? Why not head to the states, try Nascar!

Oooops... Newey is great, but... All too often his cars don't finish. It seems like a distant memory now, but most people can remember McLaren during, and shortly after, his time there - they always had poor reliability. F1 now isn't like the old days.. I remember if 10/12 cars made it to the finish that was considered high - But from about 2001 onwards the Champion Driver and Constructor have been virtually bullet proof - If Redbull want to race for wins they'll need to fix that!

Guys, get Sir Jackie on the phone, he really needs to comment on this story!

What's wrong with Force India? I think it's a bit like a Meatball Sundae (see Seth Godin). The US doesn't even have a Grand Prix (Which is a shame) and I don't think Americans will suddenly love F1 just because it has a Team, if you ask me it needs at least 1 race (but probably 2 + Canada) and, above all, it needs a strong (Atleast top 6) driver - if you add a team to that it would help... but would be the least important factor of the 3. I think they'd be better off picking up a bargain and buying Honda, get some Government backing (Honda seem to proud to ask) and with the likes of Ross Brawn and and co. you'd be in a much stronger position in 2010.

As I see it he's been beaten by 2 team mates Lewis in 07 and Trulli in 04. That's two too many... He's as good as Kimi, Felipe, Kubica and Lewis, but he's no better. Plus Lewis and Kubica are still within their first 4 years of F1 which is about the time that most greats get to their peak. Alonso, although still fairly early on, is at his peak phase now; will he, can he, improve as much as Lewis and Kubica over the next couple of years? I doubt it.

The man has a point - the medals aren't great, but counting the best 'x' results or increasing the winners points to 12 or second back to 6 would be better. Why not put some points up for qualy? 1st 3 pts, 2nd 2pts & 3rd 1 pt - that would stop teams running heavy, so we get to see who's the quickest...

They've had loads of time to develop it - New technology is one of the great things about F1... The teams should stop moaning and sort it out BMW style!

I don't get it? Hamilton beat Alonso in his Rookie year? Has Alonso suddenly got better?

I was warming to the 'new style' cars, until I saw this... I like what they've done with the side pods, Renault always seem to push the boundries further in that area... However, the nose looks like a door stop, and is that really the best they can do with the colours? If Ron Dennis is right with "if it looks good it goes good" then Renault are in trouble...

There's more to this story I think... Usually the first drive in a new car goes to the best driver of the previous season...See Ferrari... and although Lewis didn't drive it first last year, I would have asumed, given his lack of winter testing and the fact he's World Champ, he would have been first in. Maybe McLaren, given the lack if in-seanson testing, have opted for a more experienced and better development driver to do the initial tests?

That is quite a good point sketchpf1! Sort it out AD!

Webber seems to feature in a lot of these moves - for the wrong reasons though!

pcornwell - Why didn't he just drive in F1 until he was too old (35) and then move to NASCAR and race until he's 40/50? It seems to me that spending 5-15 years driving around in circles is probably long enough?

The only way JNR will get the top 6 is if we go back to 1970's style safety and about 4 top drivers die... Sounds harsh, but it's true...

I hope the keep him on...

Mark's already setting up his excuses for when Vettel trounces him! I think he needs Vettel to win the Championship next year - If he's does then he may be kept on as a good No. 2 driver (seems to be what all the teams, bar Ferrari, are doing at the moment!). If Red Bull don't win and Mark gets beaten by Vettel (which he will) then that will be Mark's time in F1 over...

Why is this guy still in F1? I accept that F1 won't always have the Top 20/22 Drivers in the world, as you always have the balance (at the back of the grid normally) of fast/rich driver. However there is no way Jnr is as good as Sato or Davidson or Bourdais or Rubens... and, if you want a slower driver why not give Senna or Di Grassi a go? I feel McLaren are also guilty of employing a 1 driver policy and it's a shame.

Jensen has often been beaten by his team mate - remember Renault!? Lewis as yet has not - even though he went up against Alonso in his Rookie season! Add this to the fact that the McLaren is the 2nd best car in the field and I think that proves Hamilton is the fastest/one-of-the-fastest guy/s out there! 1 Final point - Jensen had the second best car in 2004 and could only manage four 2nd places (Schumi did score points in 2 of them!). Jensen, I had respect for you when the Honda was shit and you where beating your team mate... However after this year I think you should call the BBC and ask about a job... I think Honda should drop you this year!

It's worth noting that Lewis has probably just won the title with the 2nd or 3rd best car... either that or Heikki needs to leave McLaren before the start of next year. How can the other McLaren get beaten by both Ferraris, both BMWs and 1 Renault? I think Ferrari did have the performance edge this year, they just lacked on reliability and operational performance so I can understand Heikki being beaten by them, then you have Kubica... Again fair enough that Kubica beat him, but to lose out to the Heidfeld and a Renault (I'm avoiding using Alonso's name, as being beaten by him is no shame... but that Renault had no place being at the front!) is unacceptable and if McLaren want to win more Drivers Titles they will need a better driver - Not to mention the Constructors Title!

I really hope an F1 Team gives him a go, he's well worth another year in F1. Him and Senna

Can someone remember to tell Lewis that!

Is Ron trying to tempt fate with those comments?! Ferrari have been poor this year on reliability, granted, and they where also poor last year - However didn't Hamilton lose the Championship in Brazil because his otherwise reliable McLaren selected a box on neutrals for over half a minute? (I know there where other reasons, however that was the final nail..). Based on the 4 circuits remaining and the predicted weather forecasts' at each remaining event (and yes even Hamilton's 'Joker' engine change), McLaren are looking like strong favourites to take both titles - However Ferrari can NEVER be discounted and if there's one thing they've learned over the last 10 - 15 years, it's how to win Championships. McLaren, get your heads down, focus and keep your mouths shut and you may just win this one!

For once I agree with a statement made by Buffy!

When are McLaren going to publically admit that Heikki isn't up to the job or have McLaren finally bought into the No. 2 idea??