2006 Formula1 Season:
Malaysian Grand Prix
Date: 18/19 March 2006
Fernando Alonso - F1's newest , and youngest champion prevailed in Bahrain; can the old maestro, Schumacher, challenge Renault's dominance in the Malaysian Grand Prix
Bahrain Grand Prix Results:
1 F Alonso; 2 M Shumacher; 3 K Raikkonen
2006 FIA Formula One Driver's World Championship:
Pos Driver Team Pt
1
F Alonso Renault
10
2
M Shumacher Ferrari 8
3
K Raikkonen McLaren 6
4
J Button Honda
5
5
J Montoya Mclaren
4
6
M Webber Williams
3
7
N Rosberg Williams
2
8
C Klein Red Bull
1
2006 FIA Formula One Constructors' World Championship:
Pos Team Pts
1
Renault
10
2
McLaren
10
3
Ferrari
8
4
Williams
5
5
Honda
5
6
Red Bull
1
The 2006 F1 road show is all set; this season promises to be one of the
most closely contested championships in years, with hardly anything
separating the likes of Renault, Honda, McLaren and Ferrari.
Schumacher, Montoyo, Raikkonen, Button and Barrichello will all be
hunting Alonso’s title and the drivers’ championship should go down to
the final Grand prix in Brazil at the end of October.
It is definitely a ‘new’ season in every sense of the word; three new
teams, three first-time drivers, the first all-Japanese driver line-up,
the first ever Russian-backed team, new engine regulations, new tyre
changes and new qualifying rules will all characterise the 2006 F1
season.
Strap yourselves in, it's going to be one hell of a ride!
Renault
Engine: RS26
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Enstone, UK
Renault have become the team to beat after an outstanding 2005 season saw them go on to win both titles; Fernando Alonso was crowned the youngest-ever champion, while Renault become the first mainstream automaker to take the constructors' honours.
Date of Birth: 29/07/1981
Nationality: Spaniard
Everyone will be gunning for the 24-year old after becoming the sport's youngest ever world champion with a sensational 2005 season in which he scored seven victories. 2006 will be an interesting season for the Spanish wizard as his commitment to Renault will be tested following his scheduled move to McLaren in 2007.
Date of Birth: 14/01/1973
Nationality: Italian
If 2005 was a big year in Giancarlo Fisichella's F1 career, then it's safe to say 2006 will be colossal. He'll need to prove his worth to grab a premier slot on the grid in 2007. Fisichella had a dream start to the 2005 season with a pole and victory for Renault in Melbourne. But he was then dogged by a mix of poor luck and an inability to match team mate Alonso. A further five podiums proved vital to Renault's constructors' championship and he finished the season fifth in the drivers' standings.
2006 Prediction:
Flavio Briatore’s team will start as firm favourites to retain their
drivers and constructors’ championships in 2006. The World Champions
have consistently been among the front-runners in winter testing prior
to this weekend's first race in Bahrain and they will make it extremely
difficult for the likes of Honda, Ferrari and McLaren to challenge for
top honours week in and week out.
Engine: Mercedes-Benz F0 108S
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Woking, UK
2005 was a frustrating year; although McLaren's MP4-20 was the quickest car on the grid, its Mercedes engine was one of the most unreliable, failing Raikkonen four times during Grand Prix weekends and McLaren had to be content with second place in the team battle. Now in 2006, McLaren and Mercedes have a lot to prove and there is a lot riding on their success; not only does the team need to show Fernando Alonso that he's made the right decision in opting to sign with McLaren for 2007 but they also have to find a way to keep Raikkonen, who is reportedly on his way to Ferrari. And they can only achieve those two aims with a championship title.
Date of birth: 17/10/1979
Nationality: Finnish
Raikkonen’s stock keeps growing; the 27-year old has proved he's right up there with the best in F1, but now he needs a title to take that elusive final step. Five poles, seven wins and five podiums were not enough for Raikkonen last year due to reliability issues which saw him handicapped by several 10-place grid penalties. A highlight was his win at Suzuka, where he started 17th and passed Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap to claim victory.
Date of Birth: 20/09/1975
Nationality: Columbian
One of the most spectacular and popular drivers in F1, Montoyo will be hoping to carry his good run of form from the latter part of 2005 into the 2006 season. With a season of McLaren behind him, Montoyo should be stronger in 2006 and will be looking to take the drivers’ title from the grasp of Fernando Alonso
2006 Prediction:
McLaren are in the business of winning Grand Prix’s and the 2006 season
will be no different; with regulation changes, ranging from the
introduction of V8 engines to a new knockout qualifying format and the
reintroduction of tyre stops, Team McLaren Mercedes has been working
intensively on maximising the opportunities these changes have provided.
The MP4-21 chassis has already run in testing but queries still surround
the frailty of the mandatory 2006 V8. The team will be hoping for better
luck than in 2005 and should be right up amongst the top three teams at
the end of the season.
Engine: Type 056
Tyre Supplier: Bridgestone
Home Base: Maranello/Italy
New rules, and particularly a return to the tyre changes that favoured partner Bridgestone in the past, could help the Ferrari team this season. Although Ferrari entered the 2005 season as the team to beat, the Italian giant struggled to make a mark in a year that was dominated by the Michelin teams. A third place in the Constructors’ Championship was not good enough and they will be hoping for much better this year.
Date of Birth: 03/01/1969
Nationality: German
Probably the greatest driver in F1 history, Michael Schumacher has broken record after record in a brilliant career. But now he must start again after losing his crown in 2006. The seven-time World Champion endured a miserable campaign in 2005 as the Ferrari-Bridgestone package struggled to compete against the resurgent McLaren and Renault outfits. But Schumacher has been buoyed by the team's relentless work during winter testing and is confident that Ferrari will return to the front of the grid in season that may well be his last in the sport
Date of Birth:
Nationality: Brazilian
Once regarded as the 'enfant terrible' of F1, Massa is facing up to the challenge of being Michael Schumacher's team-mate in 2006 in a season that could make - or break - the young Brazilian. 2005 was a good year; he out-performed Sauber team-mate and former champion Jacques Villeneuve to finish 13th in standings. Massa also achieved a career-best result with fourth place in Canada.
2006 Prediction:
The new tyre regulations should favour the Bridgestone runners this year
so expect a much improved showing form the Ferrari team. Winter
consistency in the off-season testing has been a huge plus and
indications are that the 248 F1 has the potential to match the front
runners tht include Renault, Honda and McLaren.
Engine: RA806E
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Brackley, UK
After yet another season of controversial headlines and drama, Honda (formerly known as BAR) are hoping 2006 will not only see stability in the team but also their maiden Formula One grand-prix victory. Honda bought BAR's share in the team at the end of last season to become sole owner of the team which finished a disappointing sixth in Constructors’ Championship in 2005.
Date of Birth: 19/01/1980
Nationality: British
Having hit the 100 grand-prix start mark without a single win, the pressure is on Jenson Button to prove in 2006 that he isn't yet another British F1 driver who flattered to deceive. The Brit endured a frustrating 2005 in a relatively uncompetitive car. Nevertheless, he proved a class act by leading BAR's fightback in the second half of season, scoring all but one of their 37 points to finish ninth in driver standings. Button then bought himself out of a Williams’ contract for 2006, instead signing a new, multi-year deal with Honda
Date of Birth: 22/05/1972
Nationality: Brazillian
Finally out of the shadow of Michael Shumacher at Ferrari, the veteran Brazilian will have the chance to really demonstrate his ability in 2006. Barichello had a poor 2005 with his only highlight a second place at the season opener in Melbourne. Ferrari struggled for pace the entire season and he only finished eighth in the standings, his worst placing since joining Ferrari.
2006 Prediction:
Expect a maiden win from this team who feature one of the best driver
combinations that F1 has seen for a long time. If Honda can maintain
reliability, they could well challenge the more established
constructors. Along with Renault, one of the form teams at the moment.
Engine: Cosworth CA 2006
Tyre Supplier: Bridgestone
Home Base: Grove, UK
2005 was a disappointing one for the former champions; with the only real high being the 2-3 finish in Monaco. Williams eventually placed sixth in the Constructors’ Championship behind rivals Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Toyota. Their relationship with BMW soured to such an extent that the two parted ways at the end of the season and Williams will now use Cosworth engines for the new season.
Date of birth: 27/08/1976
Nationality: Australian
Webber is a young, highly skilled driver and the first Aussie in F1 since David Brabham in 1994. He hoped he would be driving for wins in 2005 with Williams but the team endured a rocky season and this blunted his chances; he was only able to place tenth in the drivers’ standings. Webber did, however, claim his first podium with a third place finish at Monaco.
Date of Birth: 27/06/1975
Nationality: German
The 20-year old Rosberg is the son of 1982 World Champion and two-time United States Grand Prix winner Keke Rosberg. He enters his debut F1 season on the back of an impressive win in the inaugural GP2 championship, which is considered to the final stepping-stone to the F1 in Europe.
2006 Prediction:
Williams will be banking on a mix of experience and youth to bring it
success as it tackles the upcoming season. There have also been several
major changes to the team this year; BMW has left and bought the Sauber
team and Williams will now lease its engines from Cosworth. Williams has
also switched from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres. Perhaps another tough
season awaits this team but they should challenge for a couple of Grand
Prix wins at least.
Engine: Ferrari
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Milton Keynes, UK
Last year was the Austrian-owned team's first campaign following the 2004 purchase of the Jaguar squad. And it proved a hugely successful year; the team amassed more points in the first two races than Jaguar managed the entire season previously Red Bull went on to finish a clear seventh in the standings, just four points shy of BAR.
Date of Birth: 27/03/1971
Nationality: Scottish
Despite being a perennial underachiever in F1, Coulthard is cool, unflappable and has become a firm favourite with the fans. After an uncertain future, he eventually secured a drive for Red Bull in 2005 and, in the process, revitalised his career; scoring 24 points during the season he finished 12th in the drivers’ championship.
Date of Birth: 02/02/1983
Nationality: Austrian
Despite sharing driver duties with Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2005, Klien scored nine points in the season and confirmed his driver’s spot for Red Bull in 2006 by placing 15th overall. The new season will be an interesting one for the 23-year old, safe in the knowledge that he will not have to ‘seat share’ but he needs to match Coulthard more regularly if he is to continue his progress.
2006 Prediction:
Red Bull have put a lot of money into their team this year as well as
recruiting top staff from various F1 teams in a bid to improve their
chances in the upcoming season; design guru, Adrian Newey, was ‘lured’
away from McLaren and his expertise is going to be needed to manage the
overheating, new Ferrari engines. Much is expected of this team in 2006
and they will need to score regular podium finishes if they are to
justify the sums of money pumped into the team.
Engine: RVX-06
Tyre Supplier: Bridgestone
Home Base: Koln, Germany
2005 was a breakthrough season for the Toyota team after scoring two poles and five podiums en route to fourth position in the Constructors' Championship, just behind Ferrari. Drivers and teams always start the new season saying that they are targeting victories, but in Toyota’s case this is the next realistic goal for a team that debut in F1 as recently as 2002.
Date of Birth: 13/07/1974
Nationality: ItalianTrulli came into F1 after a very impressive career in the junior classes and has since impressed the paddock with his mature and courageous displays in machinery which often did not do justice to his driving talent. His first season with Toyota was highly successful, securing his team’s first ever podium in Malaysia. Trulli is superb in qualifying; one pole and 13 top-five grid slots, means rival teams will have to factor in the 'Trulli train' into their race strategy for 2006.
Date of Birth: 30/06/1975
Nationality: German
Constantly in the shadow of his older brother Michael, Ralf enjoyed a solid 2005 season with Toyota. He was often outpaced by team-mate Trulli but enjoyed a greater consistency, especially over the latter half of the season. Pole in Japan and podiums in Hungary and China helped him to sixth in final standings. Ralf will be keen to take that momentum into 2006 and firmly establish himself as the team’s number one.
2006 Predicition:
All in all, 2005 was a very good season for Toyota and one which gives
them a great platform for 2006. Toyota’s ’06 challenger – the TF106, was
launched early and the team will be hopeful that this will give them an
advantage. This year, the rules call for a switch from the 3 litre V10
engines to 2.4 litre V8 engines; Toyota has a lot of experience in V8’s
from the USA and this could also give the team a slight edge. What’s
more, Toyota switched to Bridgestone tyres in the off-season and this
year’s tyre regulations should suit the Bridgestone stable. Expect a
maiden F1 Grand Prix win.
Engine: Restricted Cosworth V10
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Faenza, Italy
The former Minardi Team, sold to Red Bull by Paul Stoddart at the end of the 2005 season is to be operated as a separate entity from Team Red Bull; the team will be headed by Franz Tost who has defected from BMW to lead one of the three “new” F1 teams this year. Toro Rosso will have the youngest combination of drivers in F1 in 2006.
Date of birth: 08/06/1981
Nationality: Italian
A former karting champion, the 25-year old Liuzzi was the 2004 F3000 champion and filled in for Team Red Bull for four races in 2005. He made his F1 debut in San Morino, scoring a point in his first appearance.
Date of birth: 24/01/1983
Nationality: American
Speed was third in the GP2 Championships in 2005. The 2004 Formula Renault German Champion and EuroCup Champion signed on as a Red Bull test driver in 2005 and appeared as their third driver in Canada and the US.
2006 Prediction:
This team could cause a few eyebrows to be raised by being competitive
right from the start of the season; depending on reliability, Toro Rosso
could earn a few points through the first half of the year and may even
be in contention for a top-six spot in the constructors’ championship
come the final Grand Prix of the season.
Engine: Toyota V8
Tyre Supplier: Bridgestone
Home Base: Silverstone, England
Having purchased the Jordan team at the start of 2005 and spent a season in transition, Russian-backed Midland Group have renamed the squad and entered the championship with a Russian license, a first in Formula One racing.
Date of Birth: 07/071976
Nationality: Portugese
In 2003, Monteiro joined Fittipaldi Dingman Racing in the Champ Car World Series, posting 10 top 10's and one pole position. He came back to Formula One the following year as test driver with Minardi. Jordan signed him to drive for his first year in Formula One in 2005 and he enjoyed a highly consistent debut season which saw him take rookie of the year honours after finishing 18 of 19 races. He scored Portugal's first podium in the depleted US Grand Prix and, more impressively, scored a hard-earned point for eighth place at Spa.
Date of Birth: 16/04/1979
Nationality: Dutch
Christijan Albers joined the Minardi F1 team in 2005 as one of its drivers after being a test driver for the team since 2001. Highlights of last season include 13th on the grid in Japan and fifth place in the Bridgestone-only US Grand Prix. Previously, Albers raced as a touring car driver in the DTM Mercedes Series with Team Rosberg in 2002, Team HWA in 2003 and Team DaimlerChrysler AMG in 2004. Before joining Minardi in 2005, Albers tested with the Jordan Grand Prix F1 Team and the Walker Racing Champ Car Team
2006 Prediction:
Even with the new look, this team is still many races away from being a
team that can battle for points at every stop on the F1 calendar. That
said, look for Albers and Monteiro to spearhead a team effort that will
look to build consistency in challenging for eighth or better on race
weekends.
If the circumstances are right, look for this team to surprise some by
scoring points here and there throughout the season.
Engine: Honda RA806E
Tyre Supplier: Bridgestone
Home Base: Leafield, UK
The best result for this start up team will come in Bahrain when they take the green flag for the 2006 season. After being close to not being allowed to race this season, the Japanese team (fronted by ex-Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki) pulled it all together in time to get approval from all the current F1 teams to begin racing this season.
Date of Birth: 28/01/1977
Nationality: Japanese
Sato began his racing career in karts in 1996 in his native Japan and graduated to F1 after a brilliant two-year span in British Formula Three. The 29-year old started his F1 career with the Jordan Team in 2002 and scored his first points with a fifth place finish at the final round in Japan. Sato joined BAR-Honda as a test and third driver in 2003 and placed eighth in the Drivers' Championship with 34 points in 2004. Had a poor 2005, scoring only a single point, and was dropped by the team at the end of the season.
Yuji Ide
Date of Birth: 21/01/1975
Nationality: Japanese
Ide was the runner-up in Formula Nippon in 2005 and makes his debut in
Formula 1 oppposite his country, Sato.
2006 Prediction:
Rather than focusing on scoring points in the standings, Suzuki and his
team will be looking at 2006 as a test session as they look to develop a
competitive car for the 2007 season. If they have two cars on every grid
this season, this start-up team will consider the season a tremendous
success. As for the championship standings, don’t expect Super Aguri to
score any points this season – they are dead-certain to finish last in
2006.
Engine: BMW P86
Tyre Supplier: Michelin
Home Base: Munich, Ger/Hinwil, Switz
Sauber-Petronas finished a lowly eighth position in last year’s constructors’ race after Peter Sauber announced his decision to sell the team to BMW. Sauber steps down as team principal after negotiating the deal with BMW for 2006.
Date of Birth: 10/05/1977
Nationality: German
Highly regarded in the drivers’ paddock, Heidfeld enjoyed mixed fortunes in 2005; he upstaged his highly-rated Williams team-mate, Mark Webber by taking pole at the Nurburgring and beating the Australian to second place in Monaco. He was ahead of Webber in the standings after 14 rounds but then missed the last five races through illness and injury. He has been a consistent performer in F1 ever since his debut for the Prost Team in 2000.
Date of Birth: 09/04/1971
Nationality: Canadian
The 1997 F1 Drivers’ Champion has had eight years of disappointment and underachievement; his loyalty to the struggling BAR saw him capture only one podium in four years before his resignation in 2003. 2005 saw him rejoin F1 on a full time basis with Sauber and he has been retained by new owners, BMW
2006 Prediction:
It may be a new beginning, but in many ways it’s a case of something old
and something new for BMW Sauber; It’s a new beginning in the sense that
BMW starts the year as a new team owner but it’s not new in many aspects
because most of the original Sauber team, which entered F1 in 1993,
remains. Also, BMW has supplied engines to F1 teams from 1981-87 and
from 2000-05.
What is new is that BMW is injecting more resources into the team. It
would not be realistic to say that the team will win a race in 2006 but,
with the experience of Villeneuve and Heidfeild, BMW Sauber have the
drivers to exploit any slip-ups from the other top teams
2006 F1 Calendar
12 March Bahrain Doha
19 March Malaysia Sepang
02 April Australia Melbourne
23 April San Marino Imola
07 May European Nürburgring
14 May Spain Barcelona
28 May Monaco Monte Carlo
11 June Great Britain Silverstone
25 June Canada Montreal
02 July United States Indianapolis
16 July France Magny-Cours
30 July Germany Hockenheim
06 August Hungary Hungaroring
27 August Turkey Istanbul
10 September Italy Monza
17 September Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
01 October China Shanghai
08 October Japan Suzuka
22 October Brazil Interlagos
The following looks at some of the rules changes for 2006:
New Engine Rules
The three litre V10 engines have been replaced by 2.4 litre V8 units in 2006 (although rev-restricted V10s can still be used). The new engines are expected to deliver around 20 percent less power, with around 750bhp likely rather than the previous top output of 950 bhp. This should result in lower top speeds and reduced acceleration.
Tyre Changes
After a year of making tyres last for qualifying and the race, Formula One will again have drivers making regular pit stops for fresh rubber. That could boost the fortunes of Bridgestone and Ferrari, eclipsed by Michelin last year but dominant in 2004 when races were sprints between tyre changes. Williams and Toyota will join Ferrari on Bridgestone tyres after switching from Michelin while Toro Rosso have gone in the other direction. This will be Michelin's farewell season before leaving Bridgestone as sole supplier in 2007.
Knockout Qualifying
Qualifying will become a three-part knockout affair in 2006. All cars will be on the track together at first, with three separate sessions in a one-hour period instead of last year's single-lap format with just one car out at a time. The slowest six cars in the first 15 minute session drop out and take positions 17-22 on the starting grid. Six more are eliminated after a second similar session, taking places 11-16. The final 10 drivers then fight for pole position in the decisive 20 minute session. Those cars which go out before the final session can be fully refuelled before the race starts whereas those in the top 10 can only replace what they used in qualifying.