Grand Prix Blogger

The ongoing war in the world of F1 is over. The sport has been saved in its current form much to the relief of fans and sponsors the world over. The peace deal was not without its casualties as FIA president Max Mosley is to step down on October of 2009 without seeking re-election. It seems that the deal struck to keep F1 intact relied, in part, on the departure of the Englishman.

Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management and the Formula One Administration is to remain in his position as there has been no attempt to oust him from his responsibilities.

The threat of a rival series has been a dark cloud looming over F1 for many months now and risked diluting the premier motor racing series in the world into two championships both vying for spectator and viewer attention. The announcement that the split will not occur can only be good news for the teams developing next years cars as well as the sponsors and fans that love F1 as a business and a sport.

Despite the feelings of hostility from many members of the F1 community towards F1 president Max Mosley he has had the grace to step down in the interests of the sport as a whole. A future F1 under the governance of Mosley seems to be an impossibility and the announcement of his departure seemed to be the catalyst for the change of heart by the FOTA teams.

The confirmation from FOTA now means that the provisional F1 entry list is confirmed with F1 2010 fielding a capacity 26 car grid. These are the team that will be lining up on the grid in March:

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
BMW Sauber F1 Team
Renault F1 Team
Panasonic Toyota Racing
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Red Bull Racing
AT&T Williams
Force India F1 Team
Brawn GP Formula One Team
Campos Meta Team
Manor Grand Prix
Team US F1

The question now is who will replace Mosley as the FIA president? One name that seems to be re-occuring is that of former Ferrari principle Jean Todt, however being an ex-Ferrari chief and not seeing eye to eye with all team bosses does make this seem an unlikely prospect. Mosley's deputy has also been mentioned however as he is suspected of being in his 70's (as he remains highly private about his age) this too seems unlikely. Here at Grand Prix Blogger we will keep watching this story and report any developments straight to you.

Here is the final part of my 2009 British Grand Prix footage. This time the action is at Abbey chicane during Friday FP2. This is a great place to watch the F1 cars, or any other racing come to think of it. If you ever go to Silverstone I really would recommend giving it a try.

VIDEO REMOVED AFTER REQUEST FROM FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT (SEE BLOG POST FOR REACTION).

Here is the second part of my video coverage of the British Grand Prix Friday practice sessions. This video covers the action in FP1 and is filmed from opposite the Ferrari garage on the pit straight.

VIDEO REMOVED AFTER REQUEST FROM FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT (SEE BLOG POST FOR REACTION).

Well as promised here is the first of my videos I took at the British Grand Prix. No on-track action in this one as it shows the pitlane preparations for FP1 on the Friday.

I was fortunate enough to be sitting right in front of the Ferrari garage as they practiced their pitstops and worked on the cars. I hope you enjoy this first video, the second and third will be pure on-track action from FP1 and FP2.

VIDEO REMOVED AFTER REQUEST FROM FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT (SEE BLOG POST FOR REACTION).

Unfortunately due to money shortages this year it was not the race I attended but Friday practice. Still better than nothing I say! As most of you are probably aware Friday is split into two sessions for the F1 cars, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For the first session I decided to sit on the pit straight. One bonus of going on a Friday is that you are allowed access to many of the grandstands with a 'roving' ticket. This meant I could sit right by the pit straight opposite the Ferrari and McLaren garages.

For the second session I walked over to Abbey and was very impressed with the view there. Sitting on the straight is good to see the teams in action but nothing beats seeing the different ways drivers take a corner. Abbey provides some really great viewing and photograph opportunities, and I would thoroughly recommend it if you are planning to visit Silverstone for any racing event in the future.

Here's are few of my snaps that I thought you might enjoy. (To see more take a look at my Flicker photostream.)


Lewis Hamilton is shown his pitboard - FP1


Jenson Button passing through Abbey - FP2


Sebastian Vettel - FP2

Welcome to Grand Prix Blogger. Here I will cover all the latest news in the world of Formula One Grand Prix racing. Join me as I examine and report on events in the F1 paddock and provide you with news and views that I welcome you to comment on.

We will also take a trip back in time to take a look at some of the great teams, drivers and races that have shaped the sport into the global phenomenon it is today. So buckle up and enjoy the ride with Grand Prix Blogger.