Mansell crosses the old finishing line at Montreal, used for the last time in 1986

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was first used for the Canadian Grand Prix in 1978.

The track on the Ile Notre-Dame was originally thought of as a rather sterile facility, compared to the undulating Mosport and Mont Tremblant tracks which held the race before it.

But after 30 F1 races the circuit is now one of the most popular venues. Here’s how the track has changed since its first race in 1978.

Circuit Ile Notre-Dame: 1978

Length: 4.41km (2.74 miles)

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: 2010

Length: 4.361km (2.71 miles)

How the track has changed

Moving the start/finish line and pits

The original start line and pits was at the exit of the L’Epingle hairpin (which was then called the Pits Hairpin) at the northern end of the track. It was moved to its current location in time for the 1988 race – following the circuit’s one-year absence from the calendar due to a sponsorship dispute.

The run towards the new first corner was also altered. The straight previously had an extra kink which was straightened out.

But the combination of a tight left flick followed by a hairpin remains one of the more unusual first corner sequences in F1 – and one that has been the scene of several first-lap accidents.

The old first corner sequence had seen one famous first-lap collision as well. In 1980 championship contenders Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet tangled there, and Piquet had to switch to his spare car for the restart. Its engine let him down in the race, and Jones won the title.

But those fast, bumpy curves with little run-off where the collision took place were eradicated in the mid-nineties.

The 1994 changes

The circuit originally included a sequence of fast bends after L’Epingle which were taken flat-out. Following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994 a new emphasis on circuit safety led to the corners behind removed.

Martin Brundle, who was the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Assoiation in 1994, inspected the circuit before that year’s race and explained the decision to change the corner in his book “Working the Wheel”:

In May 1994, the month before the Grand Prix, I walked the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with Normand Legault, later to become the president of the Grand Prix but, at the time, the general manager of the promoters. I had a map marked with the various speeds – which was just as well because, otherwise, I might not have believed what I was seeing. [...]

When Normand and I reached the very fast right-left-right leading onto the back straight, we decided immediately that something needed to be done. As a temporary measure, we created a chicane with piles of tyres just before the start of the sequence of bends. It was not elegant but we had to do something in the limited amount of time before the 1994 Grand Prix. Not long after that, they got rid of the curves completely and simply made it a quick but open right leading onto the fastest part of the circuit.
Martin Brundle

The temporary chicane was used in 1994 and for the 1995 race the run from L’Epingle to the final corner was straightened out.

Pit lane exit and changes at L’Epingle

The most recent changes to the circuit were in 2002. The pit lane exit previously led cars onto the track in the high-speed run to turn one. This led to some near-misses, and a controversial collision between Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 1998.

To remedy the problem the pit lane exit was moved to its present location at the exit of the Senna hairpin.

The confines of the island presented problems when the race organisers tried to extend the run-off at L’Epingle. There simply wasn’t any room to build more run-off without knocking down spectator stands.

Instead, the organisers shortened the track slightly by moving the hairpin back, allowing the old tarmac to be used as extra run-off.

The lack of space to build additional run-off has meant the circuit remained relatively unchanged for over 30 years.

In 1997 Olivier Panis crashed heavily at turn five, breaking his legs. Robert Kubica survived an even higher-speed crash on the run towards L’Epingle in 2007. He escaped without serious injury, demonstrating the advances made in F1 car design in the intervening decade.

This year the race organisers had converted more of the run-off area to tarmac as well as repairing several patches of track which broke up during the 2008 race weekend.

In its current form, Montreal’s F1 track is loved by fans and drivers alike. Here’s hoping it never changes.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 2010 Canadian Grand Prix (click to enlarge)

Changing tracks

• Changing tracks: Interlagos
• Changing tracks: Suzuka (Pictures)
• Changing tracks: Monza (Pictures)
• Changing tracks: Spa-Francorchamps
• Changing tracks: Hockenheimring
• Changing tracks: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
• Changing tracks: Monte-Carlo
• Changing tracks: Circuit de Catalunya

Image (C) Honda

The 2010 F1 calendar will include a Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian Grand Prix will return to the F1 calendar in 2010 after being missing from the 2009 schedule.

Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will host the 41st world championship round in Canada.

It has held a race at the track every year since 1978 except for 1987 – due to a sponsorship dispute – and 2009.

This is great news for F1 and the hundreds of thousands of fans who pack into the Montreal circuit for the Grand Prix.

F1 crowds have been very poor at several races this year – particularly Turkey. But the Canadian race can be relied upon to be sold to capacity even when the local fans don’t have a home driver to cheer on.

As well as being a great venue for the race, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve brings an interesting mix of challenges that often provides exciting races. It’s very hard on brakes, and drivers know they risk contact with the barriers if they make the slightest mistake.

Montreal was left off the 2009 calendar amid claims the promoter had failed to pay money owned to FOM. When the race was dropped one minister said:

Unless [Bernie Ecclestone] eases his requirements and adopts a different approach, there will be no Grand Prix in Montreal in 2009.

It’s not known yet whether Ecclestone did drop his price, or whether some new arrangement has been struck. However the previous promoter Norman Legault has stepped down from his role.

The last two races at the circuit were dramatic affairs. Robert Kubica incredibly escaped injury in a violent crash in 2007. Lewis Hamilton scored his maiden win that day, and Kubica did the same 12 months later.

But Hamilton infamously retired from the last race after running into Kimi Raikkonen in the pit lane. During the build-up to that race there were worries about the integrity of the track surface, which broke up during qualifying.

The first world championship Canadian Grand Prix was held at Mosport in 1967 and won by Jack Brabham. It’s great to see a historic venue returning to the F1 calendar, back where it belongs, and I’ll be surprised if anyone has a bad word to say about the news in the comments.

More on the Canadian Grand Prix

• Official: Canadian GP axed
• No Canadian GP on 2009 F1 calendar
• Canadian Grand Prix circuit may change for 2009 but will it be necessary?
• Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada – spectators’ experiences
• 2008 Canadian GP review: Kubica takes maiden win as Hamilton hits Raikkonen
• Canadian Grand Prix 2007 review – Hamilton wins in Canadian carnage
• Canadian Grand Prix 2006 Review
• Canadian Grand Prix 2005 Review
• 1979 Canadian Grand Prix flashback
• 1969 Canadian Grand Prix flashback
• 2010 F1 calendar

Hockenheim, along with Donington and Fuji, looks uncertain for 2010

With so much attention focused on which teams might be racing in F1 in 2010, less is being said about what circuits might feature on the world championship calendar.

Many circuits are facing pressure from falling audiences and Bernie Ecclestone’s unrelentingly high prices. There is significant doubt over the planned races at Hockenheim, Fuji and Donington Park.

With this in mind, which tracks will still be on the 2010 F1 calendar, which new or returning events could arrive – and which ones will be squeezed out?

British Grand Prix

Significant doubt surrounds the British Grand Prix’s proposed move from Silverstone to Donington Park.

Construction work at the circuit has caused races to be cancelled or postponed, track owner Tom Wheatcroft is demanding millions in unpaid rent from race organiser Simon Gillett, and few details have emerged concerning how the circuit upgrade and race contract will be paid for.

Ecclestone has emphatically denied that, if Donington isn’t ready, F1 could return to Silverstone in 2010. But as well as suggesting the British Grand Prix could skip a year in 2010 while Donington gets ready, he has also indicated that a return to Silverstone could happen after all.

Silverstone, meanwhile, has bagged Donington’s Moto GP race for 2010 and is planning revisions to its layout to accommodate the bikes. But rumours suggest other F1-friendly developments are in the pipeline too. Among the most radical suggestions are that Ecclestone could buy the circuit.

Read more

• British Grand Prix to skip a year in 2010? They said that about San Marino…
• Donington Park has British Grand Prix deal until 2026, claims government
• More bad news from Donington
• Donington Park boss Simon Gillett on building the new British Grand Prix circuit

German Grand Prix

The German Grand Prix is supposed to rotate between the Nürburgring (this year’s host) and the Hockenheimring (next year’s).

However in December the Badem-Württemberg government said it would no longer provide financial support to the race which was believed to have lost €6m (£5.1m/$8.6m) last year.

The two circuits had begun sharing the event since the retirement of Michael Schumacher has seen a significant fall in race attendance – despite five of F1′s 20 drivers having German nationality. The Nürburgring round receives government support estimated at $15m per year in 2007.

Japanese Grand Prix

The Japanese Grand Prix is also operating a rotation system, between Honda-owned Suzuka and Toyota-owned Fuji.

However earlier this week it emerged that the organisers of the Fuji race are considering dropping the event after just two runnings at the modernised venue in 2007 and 2008.

Read more

• Fuji Speedway to disappear from 2010 F1 calendar, things are looking up

South Korean Grand Prix

South Korea's F1 track in Jeonnam (click to enlarge)

The South Korean Grand Prix is expected to be the major new addition to the 2010 F1 calendar.

The 5.4km Jeonnam Circuit was designed by (prepare to feign surprise) Hermann Tilke and is located in the south-west of the country.

The addition of a new round to the calendar doesn’t necessarily mean another event has to be dropped. This year’s calendar was cut from 18 to 17 rounds following the last-minute dropping of the French Grand Prix.

Read more

• 2010 South Korean F1 track shown in new pictures on official website

Recently dropped races

Several races that have fallen off the calendar in recent years have expressed a desire to return.

France’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon has stated a desire to return the French Grand Prix to the F1 calendar in 2010. It is absent from the world championship calendar this year for the first time since its cancellation in 1955 following the Le Mans disaster.

However there are several obstacles hindering the hopes for a race at the proposed Flins-Mureux track (which, unusually, has not been designed by Hermann Tilke). The President of the Conseil General of the Yvelines departement Pierre Bedier, a key supporter of the race, has had to stand down from his position after losing an appeal against a corruption charge. And residents near the proposed site of the Flins track have raised many objections.

Similarly the promoters of the Canadian Grand Prix, which was dropped at the end of 2008, have had a series of meetings with Bernie Ecclestone aimed at returning the circuit to the F1 calendar.

However there has been little talk of a potential return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the United States Grand Prix. There have recently been rumours that speedway boss Tony George, who arranged the 2000-2007 races with Bernie Ecclestone, was to be dismissed from the circuit, but this failed to materialise. He is likely preoccupied with the affect of the recession on his circuit and the Indy Racing League.

The 2011 and 2012 F1 calendars

The Indian Grand Prix, which was originally planned for 2010, is now aiming to be on the F1 calendar in 2011. Ecclestone told the BBC in January:

Of course we will deliver… otherwise we wouldn’t have entered into an agreement. [India is] a large, large country with a big population and it’s good for the sponsors, car manufacturers and everyone involved in Formula 1.

A Rome Grand Prix looks increasingly likely for 2012. The circuit layout has been planned (video lap here) and Ecclestone is believed to have registered the name ‘Formula 1 Gran Premio di Roma’. This would likely scupper any lingering hope Imola has of returning to the calendar, despite getting a facelift since being dropped by F1 in 2006.

The Hungarian national government, which puts around $14m per year into the Hungarian Grand Prix, is considering whether to continue that level of support after 2011.

The Turkish Grand Prix’s contract is up for renewal after the 2011 race. Many circuits are suffering poor attendance at F1 races at the moment but the Istanbul Park circuit’s shortage seemed particularly acute last year. Keep an eye on those stands this weekend.

Read more

• 2012 Rome Grand Prix circuit revealed
• Rome Grand Prix track video lap
• 2010 F1 calendar

Which events do you think will fall off the calendar in 2010? Will we continue to see European races fall by the wayside? And will the South Korean race happen? Leave a comment below.

Hermann Tilke's A1 Ring was first used in 1997

Yesterday’s discussion about a potential Rome Grand Prix circuit turned into a debate about Hermann Tilke’s abilities as an F1 track designer. Daniel put forward the case for the prosecution:

Why do they still get this guy to build tracks? Every track he has designed is boring. With all the new tracks that have appeared in the last five or six years, the old ones are still the most entertaining: look at Spa and Monza.

Paul responded:

Tilke is rather limited to what he can produce by (presumably) FOM/Bernie and FIA regulations [...] I really don’t see any bad track he’s produced aside from Valencia, and we only have fifty or so laps to base that upon.

Has Hermann Tilke ruined the F1 calendar? Let’s take a look at what he’s done for F1 track design in the last 14 years.

In 1997 the Austrian Grand Prix returned to the calendar on a circuit based on the popular old Osterreichring. But the new A1-Ring was a radically different affair to its predecessor: the fast, long-radio turns of the original were replaced by tight, slow corners.

This is one of the hallmarks of Tilke’s designs and by comparing the calendar of 13 years ago with today’s schedule we can see the influence it has had.

1996 F1 calendar

Melbourne, Australia
Interlagos, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nürburgring, Germany
Imola, San Marino
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada
Magny-Cours, France
Silverstone, Great Britain
Hockenheimring, Germany
Hungaroring, Budapest
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Monza, Italy
Estoril, Portugal
Suzuka, Japan

Since 1996 every new track that has been introduced on the calendar has been developed by Tilke GmbH. And on almost every other occasion where an existing track has been changed, the modifications were handled by Tilke’s team – with the possible exception of Indianapolis in 2000 (I’m not sure who handled that one):

1997 – A1-Ring
1999 – Sepang International Circuit
2000 – Monza (first chicane)
2002 – Hockenheimring (major re-design)
2002 – Nürburgring (new corners at start of lap)
2003 – Monte-Carlo (Rascasse reprofiling and moving of barriers)
2003 – Magny-Cours (new corners at end of lap)
2003 – Hungaroring (new corners at end of lap)
2004 – Bahrain International Circuit
2004 – Shanghai International Circuit
2005 – Istanbul Park
2007 – Catalunya (new chicane at end of lap)
2007 – Fuji (major re-design)
2007 – Spa-Francorchamps (new chicane at end of lap)
2008 – Valencia
2008 – Singapore
2009 – Abu Dhabi
2010 – Donington (major re-design)

Regardless of what you think of Tilke’s tracks, you have to ask whether only having one circuit designer is good for Formula 1. Where are the new ideas going to come from in a monopoly? How can good value for money be ensured in an industry where there is no competition?

2009 F1 calendar

The first race at Tilke's Valencia street circuit was processional

Here’s this year’s calendar with the tracks entirely designed by Tilke marked in bold and the tracks where he’s changed at least one corner in italics:

Melbourne, Australia
Sepang, Malaysia
Shanghai International Circuit, China
Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Istanbul, Turkey
Silverstone, Great Britain
Nürburgring, Germany
Hungaroring, Budapest
Valencia, Spain
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Monza, Italy
Marina Bay, Singapore
Suzuka, Japan
Interlagos, Brazil
Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

On top of that, the German and Japanese rounds are being rotated between two other circuits which aren’t hosting Grands Prix year, but will be on the 2010 F1 calendar.

These are the Hockenheimring, which was substantially re-designed by Tilke in 2002, and Fuji Speedway, which has also had a complete Tilke overhaul.

Culprit or scapegoat?

Tilke gets a hard time from a lot of F1 fans. His designs are derided for being unimaginative, with too many slow corners.

I think Tilke gets a bad press. As this Youtube video posted by Gabal on the forum shows, he is more of a petrol head than people give him credit for:

It’s hard to match the idea of Hermann Tilke grinning through hot laps of the Nordschleife in a Lamborghini with the man who gave us horrible Mickey Mouse bends like the final sector at Fuji Speedway. So what’s the problem?

As I’ve said before I think the regulations are partly to blame. Why should the world’s most technologically sophisticated racing cars be prevented from tackling no more than ten degrees of gradient?

I also think the safety demands placed on modern circuits saps them of their power to impress us. This is not an argument for making tracks less safe, but I think it shows why the first turn at Shanghai doesn’t impress us the same way Eau Rouge or Blanchimont does. (Also, it helps that corners on old tracks usually have proper names).

Motorland Aragon – his finest work?

Motorland Aragon

Ironically, one of Tilke’s most promising tracks may never be used for an F1 race. Motorland Aragon in Spain includes the closest thing you can get to Laguna Seca’s fabled Corkscrew on an F1-ready track.

But with Spain already holding two Grands Prix at Catalunya and Valencia, its chances of getting on the calendar look slim. This is a great pity, as it looks like one of Tilke’s best efforts, and includes a dramatic pit building designed by Sir Norman Foster, the man behind the McLaren Technology Centre and many other exceptional pieces of architecture.

Although I’m not sure Tilke deserves all the criticism he gets, equally I’d like to see more variety in F1 track design. For example, given enough run-off space, why couldn’t F1 have high-speed circuits like the Monzas, Silverstones and Osterreichrings of old?

Do you think the Tilke track monopoly is good or bad for F1? Would Tilke produce better tracks if the rules were freer? Have your say in the comments.

Images (C) BMW ag, Red Bull / GEPA

The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was the last for the time being

Last world champion: Jacques Villeneuve, Williams, 1997
Last Grand Prix winner: Jacques Villeneuve, Nürburgring, 1997
Last Grand Prix starter: Jacques Villeneuve, BMW, Hockenheimring, 2006
Last Grand Prix: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, 2008

Canada is a new addition to the ‘lost nations’: Its Grand Prix has just been cancelled, and it had a former world champion until 2006. But will it ever be back?

Canada’s F1 history

Does any country have as fine a history of Formula 1 circuits as Canada? Undulating Mosport, picturesque Mont Tremblant, punishing Montreal – each challenging and unusual, and all now sadly missing from F1.

Formula 1’s visits to Canada began in 1967. Most of the early races were held at Mosport, near Lake Ontario, but its crests and sweeps were last seen in 1977 after which growing safety concerns forced it off the calendar. It earned a place in F1 history for being the first venue where a safety car was used during a Grand Prix – it proved a total shambles, and it two decades passed before the practice became commonplace.

Mosport’s replacement was a twisty circuit on a man-made island near Montreal. The first F1 visitors in 1978 derided its ‘Mickey Mouse’ layout. But as the configuration was tweaked (and other venues became increasingly bland) the Montreal circuit gained a reputation for punishing cars and drivers alike.

That first race was won by Gilles Villeneuve who assumed instant hero status in his home country. But even after Villeneuve’s untimely death in 1982 (whereupon the circuit was named after him) and despite no other Canadian drivers taking his place in the sport, the popularity of F1 in Canada endured. The race remained on the calendar every year, except in 1987, due to a row over sponsorship.

Ten years later Canada finally produced a world champion. Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles, arrived in F1 with the CART championship and an Indy 500 win under his belt, and came close to winning the world championship in his first season. He won the title in 1997, but he never emulated his father in winning his home Grand Prix. A switch to the ill-fated BAR project in 1999 was the ruining of Villeneuve’s career, which he failed to revive in later appearances for Renault and BMW.

He was unceremoniously dumped by BMW halfway through 2006 in favour of Robert Kubica. Bernie Ecclestone did much the same to the Canadian Grand Prix promoters at the end of 2008, claiming they hadn’t been paying their bills. That may have been the case, but F1 has deprived itself of another popular venue and passionate crowd at a time when most tracks are struggling to fill the grandstands at Grands Prix.

Canada’s F1 future

Robert Wickens is a man to watch in Formula Two this year. Wickens has driven for the Canadian A1 Grand Prix team and blown hot and cold on occasions: winning in fine style at Durban one day; causing a crash by driving against the flow of traffic the next.

But he has the all-important backing of Red Bull, and a strong showing in WSR this year could put him on the path to F1.

Canadian F1 driver biographies

• Jacques Villeneuve
• Gilles Villeneuve

Formula 1′s lost nations

• Formula 1’s lost nations: Argentina
• Formula 1’s lost nations: USA

Rob Wickens in the F3 Euro Series round at the Hockenheimring in 2008

Images (C) www.mclaren.com, Red Bull / GEPA

Felipe Massa leaves Heikki Kovalainen behind in the Canadian Grand Prix

…Felipe Massa’s double pass on Heikki Kovalainen and Rubens Barrichello.

Massa’s move came out on top, narrowly beating efforts from Nick Heidfeld and Lewis Hamilton. Here’s the video of the pass from the Canadian Grand Prix.

What was so great about Massa’s pass?

With key title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen out of the running Massa was looking at an open goal in terms of scoring points. The problem was he was stuck in the midfield after a problem at his first pit stop.

He needed to make up places quickly and pass not just the slower cars like Rubens Barrichello’s Honda, but also the likes of Heikki Kovalainen’s McLaren.

Massa got a rare chance to do both and once, and he seized it. Kovalainen passed Barrichello but ran wide and both were held up. Massa had the briefest of opportunities but he slotted his F2008 past neatly to take them both.

It wasn’t enormously different to Heidfeld’s pass on Kovalainen and Kimi Raikkonen, which took second place in the voting, but Heidfeld had the advantage of being on better tyres for the conditions.

Lewis Hamilton’s pass on Raikkonen at Belgium ranked third, a reminder that not only did many people consider it a legitimate pass, but a very good one at that.

Here’s the results in full:

F1 Fanatic Best Pass of 2008 Voting (click to enlarge)

See video of the other passes which were nominated

The mayor of Montreal said:

We were constantly guided in our negotiations by principles of responsible management. However, despite our endeavours and those of the business community, the unreasonable demands of Formula One exceeded the taxpayer’s ability to pay. I would like to thank my colleagues from the federal and provincial governments and members of the business community who joined forces in an attempt to save the Grand Prix. Their concerted efforts attest to Montreal’s vitality and could prove an opportunity for creating a development fund for new events of all kinds that would stimulate the economy, tourism and employment.

Minister Raymond Bachand added:

Whenever the Grand Prix of Canada needed help from the Government of Quebec, we were there. We worked very hard over the past few weeks to ensure there would be a Grand Prix in Montreal, while staying fiscally responsible. We cannot meet Mr. [Bernie] Ecclestone’s unworkable demands. Unless he eases his requirements and adopts a different approach, there will be no Grand Prix in Montreal in 2009.

I don’t expect that to happen. Ecclestone seems more keen to make sure China stays on the calendar.

In 2009, F1 will have no race in North America. Canada has multitudes of passionate F1 fans, who continued to fill the circuit each year despite having no hoem driver to cheer on. There will be race for them next year, because Bernie Ecclestone has priced another classic F1 venue out of the market.

I hope this depressing and damaging trend is reversed very soon.

F1 2009 season
2009 F1 calendar

The Chinese Grand Prix is now the third round instead of the 15th, and will be held in April. This means F1 will have visited the circuit twice within seven months, and next year’s Grand Prix may see different climactic conditions to what we have been used to.

At the end of the calendar the final race of the season, at the new Yas Island Marina circuit for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been brought forward by two weeks, reducing the total duration of the season by the same amount. The Brazilian round has been moved forward two weeks and the Japanese round by one week.

There is no indication that the missing rounds at Montreal (Canadian Grand Prix) and Magny-Cours (French Grand Prix) may be reinstated.

Full updated calendar details here: 2009 F1 calendar

Honda: front runners in 2009 thanks to KERS?

As the 2008 F1 season ends on a high we now look forward to what should be one of the most fascinating off-seasons for many years.

With radical changes to the technical rules, fraught political tension between the rule-makers and the teams, and two holes suddenly appearing in the calendar, these are the questions that will be answered in the run-up to 2009.

Will the teams who started early on KERS have an advantage?

Honda, Williams and BMW are among the teams that claim to have switched their focus to 2009 early in order to perfect the new Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems in the hope of gaining a major competitive advantage.

Honda have staked the most on their 2009 performance and their 2008 campaign has suffered hugely as a result. Ross Brawn will have been in charge of the team for over a year when the 2009 season starts. A huge step forward in performance is demanded.

• Will the 2009 F1 rules allow Honda to catch McLaren, Ferrari & the rest?

How many teams will start 2009 with a working KERS?

The other talking point about KERS is whether it will bring enough of a performance advantage and be reliable enough for all the teams to consider it worth using.

Toyota, who earlier described the hybrid systems planned for 2009 as “primitive”, have already said they will not be using their KERS at the start of 2009. John Howett said:

We will run a car in January with KERS in a monocoque not designed for it, which we could not race, but it will be a test platform – and our gut feeling is that the earliest (it will race) will be mid season.

Ferrari, who have twice said they are having problems with their KERS, may also choose not to.

• KERS not powerful enough for F1?
• KERS causing problems for F1 teams

Will the cars look ridiculous?

We have already seen how narrows the rear wings of next years cars will become under the 2009 F1 rules. The front wings will become much wider, and the winglets and flip-ups along the flanks of the cars will disappear.

The early renderings we’ve seen of the 2009 F1 cars look decidedly odd. Will the new look grow on us or will 2009 be the dawn of the ugly car era?

• 2009 F1 rules make rear wings tiny

Will the cars be able to follow each other more closely?

The reason F1 cars are potentially being uglified is to create something most of us would like to see: F1 cars being able to follow each other more closely in dry conditions and maybe – whisper it – being able to pass each other once in a while.

Once the teams start testing their 2009 cars we’ll keep a close eye on what driver have to say about how close they can follow each other. Another talking point here is whether these much-vaunted movable front wings are going to make a difference – and how easily we’ll be able to tell if drivers are using them.

• Adjustable wings in F1 – a change too far? (Poll)
• Good ideas on how to improve racing in F1

Will we see any new liveries?

Toyota: F1's dullest paint scheme?

With just about everything else set to change the liveries on the cars might be one of few things that stay the same. Personally I hope a couple of teams take the opportunity to give their looks a refresh.

Toyota’s F1 car design has never been particularly exciting, and Renault’s is downright horrible. Honda will surely be sticking with their ‘Earthdreams’ concept for another year (it would be rather strange of them to ditch it having made such a hue push on developing KERS) but will the change the excecution?

With KERS arriving, will any of the teams go for an ‘electric’ design similar to Peugeot’s 908 HY sportscar prototype? Or might that be too much of a risk after BMW’s unfortunate incident in testing?

• Poll: which is the best -looking 2008 car?

Will the recession cause any major sponsors to pull out?

The effects of the huge financial trauma experienced in September and October have yet to really make themselves felt in F1. But that doesn’t mean they won’t come – as Ron Dennis said earlier this year, there is usually a delay between the beginning of economic problems and their effects being felt in F1.

Perhaps the most vulnerable team is Williams. It doesn’t have the support of a major car manufacturer – it is believed to get its Toyota engines in exchange for running Kazuki Nakajima. Major sponsor RBS has received support from the UK government and its sponsorship of F1 and other sports such as rugby may now come into question. And Baugur Group, which backs Williams sponsors All Saints, mydiamonds.com and Hamley’s, may suffer from the problems in the Icelandic economy.

• The worst–case scenario

Will the Canadian Grand Prix be reinstated?

Will F1 race at Canada in 2009?

The shock loss of the Canadian Grand Prix from the 2009 F1 calendar was followed by the equally surprising disappearance of the French round. That leaves us with 17 rounds in 2009 instead of 19, and several gaping holes in the calendar.

Bernie Ecclestone has held discussions over bringing Montreal back onto the calendar and an announcement was expected on Friday. Nothing has been heard yet. However there has been no sign the French Grand Prix might return.

• No Canadian GP on 2009 F1 calendar
• 2009 French Grand Prix cancelled
• 2009 F1 calendar

Which drivers will fill the remaining open spots?

Renault, Toro Rosso and Honda are yet to confirm their 2009 F1 driver line-ups. Fernando Alonso is expected to announce today that he will stay at Renault (but he’s surprised us before), and Jenson Button is expected to remain at Honda.

Honda has confirmed it will test Bruno Senna, but it may decide to hold onto Rubens Barrichello who’s had a decent season. Senna along with Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastien Buemi and Takuma Sato are believed to be under consideration for the Toro Rosso drive. If Nelson Piquet Jnr doesn’t hold onto his Renault seat Lucas di Grassi or Romain Grosjean may take it off him.

• 2009 F1 drivers and teams

Will we see any major shifts in the balance of power between team mates?

McLaren, Ferrari, BMW, Toyota, Williams, Force India – all teams sticking with the same driver line-up for 2009. This year we saw Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica turn the tables on team mates who had beaten them the previous year.

Could we see something similar again as the drivers get to grips with the radically differnet 2009 cars?

What’s Max Mosley’s next move – and is he really preparing to step down?

Will Max Mosley still be FIA president in 12 months' time?

The political situation in F1 has become increasingly tense in recent months as the teams’ association (FOTA) and FIA president Max Mosley have tried to agree on future rules aimed at cutting costs in face of the worsening economic climate.

Despite the two agreeing terms last month, Mosley has continued to push for the adoption of standardised engines. The constructors have made it clear that they wish to retain the ability to build their own engines – and Ferrari and Toyota have threatened to quit F1 if standard engines are introduced.

In addition to that Mosley had stated repeatedly that he will step down from his post of president in 2009. But since surviving the sadomasochist sex scandal earlier this year an emboldened Mosley seems less keen on stepping down. Will he be forced to? And who could emerge as his successor?

• FIA- FOTA agreement: Teams’ proposals accepted as Mosley backs down on KERS
• Ferrari and Toyota threaten to quit F1 if Max Mosley forces standard engines

F1 Fanatic will be keeping a close eye on these – and more – during the 2008-2009 off-season. What else is on your mind about 2009 – and how do you think these questions will be answered?

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F1 gains Suzuka (above) but loses Montreal in 2009

The official 2009 F1 calendar has been published with the Canadian Grand Prix mysteriously absent. That’s not the only change for next year, with Abu Dhabi arriving on the calendar as the new season finale.

Has the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone done a better job with the 2009 F1 calendar than the 2008 schedule? Compare the two and cast your vote below.

The major changes between the two calendars are:

• The Canadian Grand Prix is dropped for 2009
• The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix arrives in 2009 as the season finale
• The German round will be held at the Nürburgring in 2009 instead of the Hockenheimring
• The Japanese round will be held at Suzuka in 2009 instead of Fuji Speedway

*Exact title TBC. The Hockenheimring owners won’t allow the Nürburgring to use the title ‘German Grand Prix’.
**Exact title TBC. May use the title ‘Mediterranean Grand Prix’ so the Nürburgring can be the ‘European Grand Prix’.