《星纪》

性格特点：作为十二星座的出发点，有根基的含义。你是一个信念坚强而勤奋的人，会向着自己的目标努力不懈。而且给人十分踏实可信的印象，深得他人信赖。但一向温柔的你一旦发起脾气来，也是势不可挡的

恋爱倾向：慎重派的你不会轻易堕入爱河，要经过长期仔细的观察，才会与可信赖的人产生感情，你们的感情虽不是炽烈如火，但也异常深厚、持久。

恋爱武器：你的温厚和大方有礼是博得异性好感的有力“武器”。

《玄拐》

性格特点：“玄拐”有种子的含义，所以有发展性和神秘感。你好奇心旺盛，兴趣广泛，而且性格开朗、乐观，走到哪里都是受欢迎的人物。但你同时有缺乏耐性、善变的缺点，而且对一件事物的热情不会太持久。

恋爱倾向：好奇心强的你渴望尝试各种类型的恋爱，很有可能与多个异性同时交往。喜欢充满新奇感和刺激的约会。

恋爱武器：善於表达感情，是你的有力“武器”。

《娵訾》

性格特点：“娵訾”代表着植物的核，即事物的中心。所以你是一个个性很强、强调自我的人，外表冷漠，内心却十分热情。而且具持久力，一旦决定了某件事，便会以坚强的意志坚持到底，故此经常成为团体的领导人物。不过你的坚强可能会使你有些自闭倾向，因此应多与周围的人交流。

恋爱倾向：“娵訾”座的人会全身心地投人恋爱，同时独占慾也很强，一旦发现对方对自己不忠，便永远也不会原谅对方。所以你一定要选择一个非常忠盏娜俗鲬偃恕?

恋爱武器：穿着一些 ? 巧吽性感的服装。

《降娄》

性格特点：“降娄”代表植物的茎，你像茎向植物无私地输送养分一般，你是一个为他人无私奉献的人。你性格直率，不论与同性朋友或异性朋友都能够融洽地相处。当朋友遇到困难时，你都能鼎力相助，但自己遇到麻烦时却显得束手无策。而且过於听命於上司也是不正确的态度。

恋爱倾向：对於爱情你也是全心奉献。虽然你人际关系很好，但却出人意料地是个很怕受伤、自卫心很强的人，所以不会主动去追求异性，只会在长期相处下培养爱情。你的恋人多会是身边的同学或朋友。

恋爱武器：在对方处於困难关头时，用你细腻的心去关心、安慰他(她)。

《大梁》

性格特点：“大梁”象徵植物过冬前积蓄能量，有结实的意思。所以“大梁”座的人多会早熟，人生经验也会比较丰富，头脑灵活，对於知识或技能都能很快掌握。而且有先见之明，对自己的未来有长远的计划，但也会比较现实及精於算计。

恋爱倾向：你邂逅心上人的机会比其他人多一倍。你给人的第一印象深刻，擅於言辞，所以对异性吸引力很大。但要注意虽然有很多异性倾慕你，但不要让自己陷入危险的三角关系之中。

恋爱武器：真心的称赞是你的专长。

《实沉》

性格特点：“实沉”代表伸缩自如的柔软性，象徵植物的枝条。所以你是一个很有韧力、善於随机应变的人。能够利用机会开拓自己的发展。但你缺乏踏实的努力，天赋是要靠真正的磨练才可以成为你的才能。

恋爱倾向：你会经常受到感情困扰，每换一个新环境就会出现一个新恋人。所以失恋或分手之类的事情，不会让你太过伤心。比较适合你的对象是在家中排行第二的次子。

恋爱武器：对异性无微不至的体贴关心，特别能打动对方。

《鹑首》

性格特点：“鹑首”象徵宁静，所以“鹑首”座的你沉稳温和，总给人很有内涵而且略有神秘感的印象。外表冷漠的你，会为了理想充满热情和踏实地努力。而且你具有一种超出实际年龄的包容力和涵养。但应注意在金钱方面不要过於吝啬，特别是与老朋友一起的时候。

恋爱倾向：能够长久地爱恋一个人，与只求开心的爱相比，更注重互相尊重爱护。适合寻找一个学业成绩优秀的人相恋。

恋爱武器：时刻都给恋人支持和鼓励就是你最有力的武器。

《鹑火》

性格特点：“ 鹑火”代表不死鸟的心脏，具有燃烧的生命力。所以你精力充沛、行动极快，从不会“三思而後行”。你也是个喜欢另辟新径的人，在异性面前毫不做作的性格，使你深得同性朋友的爱戴。

恋爱倾向：你是典型忽冷忽热的人。容易对异性一见锺情，但你的感情还是颇专一的，并不会一脚踏两船。你适合寻找一个与你对爱情具有同样热情的异性。

恋爱武器：健康的肤色及灿烂的笑容使你特别具有魅力。

《鹑尾》

性格特点：“鹑尾”代表着坚实地生长在大地中的根，所以你的性格也会如土地中的根一样，坚强而深不可测。冷漠的外表下有一颗温柔的心，而且富有同情心。有丰富的想像力，感觉敏锐，但有时有些不切实际。

恋爱倾向：你对恋爱的期望很高，很憧憬浪漫的爱情故事。这种不切实际的想法有可能阻碍你建立真正的恋爱，不要期望过高，还有你极有可能与初恋情人结为伴侣。

恋爱武器：当他遇到烦恼时，要细心地倾听。

《寿星》

性格特点：如字面所示，“寿星”座的人拥有福寿。表面上看来你是个懒惰之人，但一旦有了目标，你便会充满热情地开始实，所谓“不鸣则已，一鸣惊人”。但你的热情难以持久。此外，你也不喜欢团体活动。

恋爱倾向：真正的恋爱之前，你会遇到不同类型的异性，感情经历颇丰富。但最终你还是会得到十分幸福的恋情。适合你的异性是能坦白指出你缺点和错误的人。

恋爱武器：如果你是个女孩，你的魅力则是温柔如水及披肩的长发；如果你是个男孩，英俊及男子气概则是你的魅力。

《大火》

性格特点：“大火”代表早晨温暖的阳光，所以你给别人的感觉也十分温暖，因为你的安宁恬静所以深得大家喜爱。而且你是个重视家庭及爱护家人的人，不过温顺的性格却又使你具有优柔寡断的缺点。

恋爱倾向：在恋爱方面，你却是个任性的人，并热烈渴望对方的重视，而且有可能陷入不伦恋情。家人及朋友介绍给你的异性值得考虑。

恋爱武器：温柔的个性及对家庭的重视，就是你的魅力所在。

《析木》

性格特点：“析木”代表拦截天河的木栅。现实生活中的你最大的特点便是意志坚强，不论遇到任何逆境都能充满勇气地跨过。一旦有了奋斗目标，便会向着这个目标努力不懈。你勤奋上进的性格，使你常拥有不菲的成绩。适合在学校或学会中担任职务。

恋爱倾向：你喜欢优秀、出色的异性。但你不喜欢束缚。

from F1 Official Website-26 Mar.

At last, after what seems to have been the least conclusive off-season in a long while, the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship kicks off in Melbourne’s Albert Park on Friday. And, after months in which several teams appear to have achieved good things in testing, we may finally start to get some answers to that crucial question: who will set the pace?

With the new restrictions on testing, Friday’s practice sessions will assume a far greater importance, and nobody is likely to be going anything other than flat out at this meeting in particular as they hone their cars and further develop things such as KERS. Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and BMW Sauber are the teams who have confirmed they are ready to run KERS. Williams, Brawn and Force India have said they won’t.

Brawn, of course, dominated testing once they started running in March, and Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello come to Australia full of hope. Red Bull, however, have indicated that they intend to protest the Brackley car’s diffuser design if it is accepted by the Albert Park stewards.

"From our short but crucial testing programme over the past two weeks, we have reinforced our view that the BGP 001 is a good car and an excellent platform from which to develop performance over the course of the season,” said team principal Ross Brawn. “Our focus during the seven days of pre-season testing was on reliability and developing our understanding of the car in race conditions.

“We are very satisfied with the work achieved and the initial pace seen from the car however we are fully aware that our work has only just begun. The practice running in Melbourne will be crucial and we have to get as much mileage as possible under our belts to allow Jenson and Rubens to refine the set-up of the car to their liking."

Ferrari seem very happy with the development work they have done on the F60, and the only fly in their ointment all winter, reliability issues apart, was Brawn. Felipe Massa says he will adopt the same approach as he did in 2008, when he so narrowly lost out in the title fight with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

“We will work even harder to try to finish most of the races in the points because we saw that maybe one point is enough to lose the championship at the end of the year,” the Brazilian said, “so I think the approach now has to be the same in terms of driving, in terms of working with the team but trying to be a little bit more consistent.

“I think we can have maybe McLaren again fighting for the championship, BMW because they did a good job in the last years and maybe Renault and maybe some surprise, so I think it’s quite difficult to say now who our main rivals will be.”

Kimi Raikkonen has said that he likes the new Ferrari very much. “It looks very nice. I mean, it’s always when you get something new it takes a little while to get used to it, especially now we have, everybody has the same kind of front and rear wings so after the first couple of tests nobody any more notice and talks about it. It doesn’t really matter how it looks. If it’s fast, it’s enough.”

McLaren encountered a significant aerodynamic problem during the Spanish tests in March, but modifications which appeared late in the month in Jerez went some way towards improving the car and world champion Hamilton is feeling optimistic.

“There is no better place to begin the championship than in Australia,” he said. “The weather is fantastic, the facilities are excellent and the people of Melbourne make us all feel extremely welcome. Most importantly, everyone arrives with an air of enthusiasm and expectation. Despite weeks of winter testing, it’s still difficult to know exactly who has the best package, and finding out over the weekend in Albert Park is always fascinating. Perhaps we don’t come to Melbourne with the same prospects to challenge at the front that we experienced in both 2007 and ’08, but the whole team will be working tirelessly to help us move back to the front.”

New team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “We go into the start of the 2009 season fully aware that we do not yet have the technical package that will allow our drivers to fight at the front. In Formula 1, there is nowhere to hide: that’s what makes our sport so demanding and yet so endlessly fascinating. And as a team that goes grand prix racing with the expectation of winning races and challenging for world championships, we therefore go to Melbourne with realistic expectations. Nonetheless, we begin our season with huge determination to re-assert ourselves at the front and we will not rest for a moment until we have done that. Most importantly, we haven’t forgotten how to win.”

 BMW Sauber, Renault and Toyota all believe they have the firepower for victory this season. The Swiss-German team plans to do just that as the next step in its challenge for the world championship, while the two others want success to help justify their continued participation.

“We are heading in the right direction with the BMW Sauber F1.09,” said BMW Sauber team principal Mario Theissen. “Both the drivers and the engineers came back with positive feedback during testing. Plus, Nick (Heidfeld) and Robert (Kubica) carried out full race simulations without suffering any technical problems.

"As far as KERS is concerned, our system will be race-ready. We sent the cars out regularly with KERS during testing and the results were very good. Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons.”

Renault’s Fernando Alonso comes here aiming for victory, and said: “The first test in Portimao was tough as we had some bad luck with the weather, but when we introduced updates at the later tests we quickly improved the car. We’ve learnt how to optimise the set-up and we now have a car that is easy to drive and consistent. What is important now is that we keep improving and developing it throughout the year.

“With the KERS and moveable wings the drivers now have more work to do inside the cockpit. During testing I have been working hard to adapt to these new systems so that I can get the most from them in Melbourne. I’m really pleased with the KERS system that we have developed and hopefully this will give us an advantage at the start of the season. I’m not sure if it will make overtaking easier, but it will certainly improve lap times.

“Albert Park has been a good track for Renault and so I hope we can have a strong weekend. I think the order of the teams will probably be different from the last few years as we have got used to Ferrari and McLaren dominating, but with the new rules I think there will be lots of cars fighting for the win.”

Besides Toyota, who will be in there pitching, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have very high hopes for their new Adrian Newey-designed cars, while Williams believe their FW31 will be very competitive. Frank Williams’ team - along with Brawn and Toyota - are another to have found a potential loophole in the rear diffuser regulations. Their design could draw protests from rivals, but could also bring invaluable performance gains. Meanwhile, Force India - now with Mercedes rather than Ferrari power - know they have work to do on their aerodynamic package, but are keen to score points early in the season.

Albert Park is a technically demanding, high-speed ‘street’ circuit. Cars reach maximum speeds of 300 km/h (185 mph) and average 225 km/h (140 mph) around the 5.3 kilometre (3.3 mile) 16-turn lap. The track surface is bumpy, particularly in the braking areas, hard on the brakes and slippery at the start of the race weekend before the road rubbers in.

Teams will run relatively high levels of downforce, and everyone will be looking for good front-end grip which is the secret of quick laps here.

In the first race for their new slick tyres, Bridgestone are using the opportunity to launch a new system to show their continued support for the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign, by marking the softer of the two dry compounds with green sidewalls. For this race they will offer the medium and super soft tyres from their range of hard, medium, soft and super soft rubber.

 from F1 Official Website

After months of preparation and testing, it’s almost time for the 10 teams and 20 drivers that make up the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship to finally put their cards on the table and show just what they can do. For the teams it will be their first real chance to see if they can really challenge for the title, while for the drivers the joy of racing again will be just as potent. The Formula One fraternity look ahead to this weekend’s season opener in Melbourne…

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Ferrari was very competitive during the tests; but we'll do the F60's countercheck at Melbourne, when we'll all meet in the race with the same fuel at the same time. Only then we'll see how strong we are and maybe we've got to wait for a couple of races to have a clearer situation. Albert Park is a very particular circuit, just like the city itself is very special: maybe we've got to wait until Malaysia to see which teams will be ahead. Two years ago I won in Australia, while we had several problems last year. Our goal is to immediately gain some good points.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - DNF
“It was a long wait, longer than usual, as the Australian Grand Prix's date had been moved, but now we're ready to race and I can't wait. I'm going to Australia with great confidence and optimism, but also with some caution: the test results are not always repeated during the race weekends. We've seen during the tests that there are also some other very strong teams, especially in the last sessions the Brawns. It seems that they've got the fastest car at the moment and I think that their pace is real; maybe they found something that makes the difference. We'll see in Melbourne; but I think they've got a good car and they did their tests with the right weight.

“I'm 100 percent ready, perfectly in shape and I think that this also applies to the team. We made some mistakes last year and we've been working hard all winter long to improve where we weren't perfect. My teammate is still my strongest competitor and I think that Kimi will be very strong - as usual. My goal is very simple: I want a season like in 2008 and to reach that goal I have to stay concentrated and work very hard. The first race is always a bit like a leap in the dark, but I can't wait. As the race starts at 17:00 let's hope that it won't also end in the dark!”

Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 11th, 2008 Race - 4th
“In the past Albert Park has been a good track for Renault and so I hope we can have a strong weekend. I think the order of the teams will probably be different from the last few years as we have got used to Ferrari and McLaren dominating, but with the new rules I think there will be lots of cars fighting for the win. Hopefully we will be in that fight.

“We finished in a strong position last year and this year our goal is to fight for the championship. But we have lots of new regulations this year and nobody really knows what will happen when we get to Melbourne. From what we have seen in testing it seems all the teams are very close and so we will certainly have a fight on our hands.”

Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 20th, 2008 Race - DNF
“I'm feeling much more confident this year and looking forward to returning to Melbourne. I learned so much with the team in 2008 and I now have a year of experience under my belt which will make things easier. It's also a new era for Formula One with lots of changes, but we've made good progress with the car during testing and we are heading to Melbourne with high hopes.

“It's a challenging track and quite a difficult place to set the car up as it's a mixture between a permanent venue and a temporary street course with lots of tricky slow speed corners, as well as some quicker sections. As a city, I love Melbourne: the fans are great and the atmosphere of the race is always pretty special. It's still difficult to know how we compare to the other teams and so setting a target isn't easy. We know we have a good race car that is consistent and so I think we will be competitive in Melbourne. I will do my best to try and reach Q3 in qualifying and hopefully finish in the points.”

Pat Symonds, Renault engineering director
“I enjoy the Australian Grand Prix and I think the whole team does as it's when we get back to racing, which is ultimately what we're all here for. Melbourne is a great city and everybody looks forward to going there, although I suspect we will end up seeing a lot more of the garages in Albert Park than the city itself!

“At our first test in Portugal we only had one dry day and initially the car was quite difficult to drive, especially as we were getting used to the new aerodynamic characteristics. But as we've introduced the updates in preparation for Melbourne, we've moved towards a pretty driveable car that both Fernando and Nelson are comfortable with and it's now behaving much more as we want it to.”

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 1st
“There is no better place to begin the FIA Formula One World Championship than in Australia. The weather is fantastic, the facilities are excellent and the people of Melbourne make us all feel extremely welcome. Most importantly, everyone arrives with an air of enthusiasm and expectation. Despite weeks of winter testing, it’s still difficult to know exactly who has the best package, and finding out over the weekend in Albert Park is always fascinating. Perhaps McLaren Mercedes doesn’t come to Melbourne with the same prospects to challenge at the front that we experienced in both 2007 and ’08, but the whole team will be working tirelessly to help us move back to the front.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 5th
“I had a great race in Melbourne last year on my debut for McLaren Mercedes. It’s a track I love - a circuit that you really have to attack with a lot of enthusiasm if you are to get the best from the car. The fast esses at the back of the circuit are probably the most demanding corners - getting it just right is a hugely satisfying feeling. Elsewhere, I enjoy the ‘back to school’ feeling of the new season - you meet up with everybody, share your stories from the winter and look forward to another good season. Everybody in our team is really motivated and, while we probably won’t start the season as favourites, we will work around the clock to get back there.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“We go into the start of the 2009 season fully aware that we do not yet have the technical package that will allow our drivers to fight at the front. In Formula One, there is nowhere to hide: that’s what makes our sport so demanding and yet so endlessly fascinating. And as a team that goes grand prix racing with the expectation of winning races and challenging for world championships, we therefore go to Melbourne with realistic expectations. Nonetheless, we begin our season with huge determination to re-assert ourselves at the front and we will not rest for a moment until we have done that. Most importantly, we haven’t forgotten how to win.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president
“Melbourne is the city where - 12 years ago - McLaren-Mercedes achieved their first of 58 grand prix wins since then. After a total of four victories at Albert Park, this time it may not be possible to repeat Lewis’s success of last year. Considering our test results we will not be as competitive at the season opener as we intend to be, and so I do not expect a qualifying result at the front of the grid. However, we will all work hard to return to the front as soon as possible and in Melbourne everybody in the team is fully motivated to do everything to achieve the best possible result."

Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“I'm really looking forward to getting out onto the Albert Park track. I had a great race in Melbourne in 2008 and I am determined that we will have a similarly strong start to this season. In character, it’s a very challenging semi-street circuit which usually suits our car well. I think Australia is great. The country is so varied and the people are cool, very relaxed and welcoming. I would come more often if it wasn’t so far away!

“Winter testing has been good, but I think we are not where we want to be just yet. However, the potential for development is huge because of the new rules, so we will be looking to making strong progress throughout the year to get closer to the podium. I think the regs (regulations) are all good. It is very likely that they will improve overtaking and ramp up the excitement in the sport for everybody’s benefit.”

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 13th, 2008 Race - 6th
“What can I tell you, I love Australia. I am doing what I did last year, dropping in on Sydney for a few days and I expect to do some good training there - it’s a great sports nation. It’s the right place to start the year - it just feels like the natural beginning to the season. We have a good car, one that will allow us to compete, that’s certain, but where it will take us this year - well, that is part of the excitement to see how it all turns out. The competition is closer, that’s for sure. Whether we will get the better overtaking we are all hoping for, really it will be an improvement, but by how much we will only know after 58 laps of Albert Park next Sunday.”

Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - DNF
“Australia is a good place for me personally. I won the race in 2005 and started in second place in 2006 and with a car that was not as competitive as we would have liked, I finished in fifth in 2007. For these reasons, it’s a fantastic track for me, but it’s also a great track to drive. With a combination of short straights, second and third gear chicanes, this 16 turn track requires medium to high downforce and good traction is essential, particularly early on in the weekend when the track is ‘green’.

"It is very slippery on the Friday as it doesn’t get used very much over the year, and then conditions just get better and better for the race. There are a few chicanes in third gear so you need to have a good car under braking, but don’t brake too much so you can still get into the chicane with a good speed. Turns 11 and 12 are quite quick and it’s quite hard for the brakes, and the last corner is quite interesting. It’s important to be quick but there is always a lot of understeer and the car slides on four wheels. This year the race will start a bit later at 1700, so it may be a bit darker at the end of the race, but I don’t think this will change a lot for the drivers. In Singapore we raced under the lights and it didn’t seem to make a lot of difference from our perspective.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 22nd, 2008 Race - DNF
“Australia is a really nice circuit, a bit like a street circuit with lots of corners. It’s long at 5.3km, but there are not so many straights so there is always something going on and you can’t rest. We always seem to get a good race there - last year there were a lot of accidents and with the new safety car regs this year it could be interesting again. At least the pit lane is open all the time now if there is a problem, which is better. It was very confusing last year and nobody actually knew what to do - I’m sure there will be some discussions after the first use, but that’s always how it is! Hopefully to have a good race straight away, with no problems. I want to finish for sure, but we will see where we are in qualifying and then I can say where I want to be in the race.”

Dominic Harlow, Force India chief technical officer
“The culmination of winter development and car build effort makes Melbourne an exciting and technically challenging race. The Albert Park circuit is hard on brakes and, being a temporary construction, has a constantly changing grip level. The weather offers plenty of variety some for the teams to deal with, from 40 degree heat as in 2008, to rain disturbances from the southern oceanic region. For the first time ever the race this year will be an evening event, potentially leading to cooler track conditions, however Bridgestone’s softer tyre will almost certainly struggle to resist graining and degradation. One very important fact to remember at this circuit however is the seemingly annual first corner accident where nearly five months of anticipation can be over in a few seconds. We have often seen safety cars in Melbourne, and it could figure again in this year’s race, and the change to the regulations could particularly mix things up.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - DNF
"Melbourne is a great place to visit and the Australian Grand Prix is always good fun. As a Formula One driver you really want to race so I am pleased the season is starting and we can get on with the competition. I am totally fired up for this season and I am feeling very positive about our chances. The TF109 is the best Toyota I have driven in pre-season testing; it feels stable and gives the driver confidence but more importantly it seems to be pretty quick, even though it's hard to make too many judgements based on testing. We made a big step last year, proving we can fight for podiums and finish regularly in the top six so I am hoping for another step forward this year. We have more experience now and the team has worked really hard for a long time on the TF109 - we are ready for the season and I am raring to go."

Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 18th, 2008 Race - DNF
"It's very exciting to be going to the first race this year because the big changes to the technical regulations for 2009 give Toyota a good opportunity to fight at the front. It's really hard to predict because you don't know what other teams are working on in testing but I know our programme and the results we have seen are very encouraging. Testing has gone really well and I have a good feeling for the new car. It's a different emotion to be starting my second year with Toyota compared to 2008 because now I am much more familiar with the team and I feel I can really start the season strongly. Last year it took a few races to find the right direction for me in terms of set-up but I don't expect that to be a problem this season. Australia is anyway one of my favourite places to visit so I can't wait to get to Melbourne and get the season started."

John Howett, Toyota president
"This is a big season for our team and we have set ourselves high targets. We exist to win so that is clearly the aim this season and we have every reason to be optimistic after our extremely positive testing results. This is our eighth season in Formula One and we have learnt a lot in that time; we are leaner, more experienced and better equipped to succeed. Our drivers are a great asset to us this season; Jarno has huge experience and everyone knows he is tremendously fast while Timo is an explosive young driver who showed his great potential last year. So 2009 is a big opportunity for our team and we are determined to make the most of it. We have been on the podium in the past in Australia and I would like to see us there again this weekend."

Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 12th, 2008 Race - DNF
"The first race of the season is always an exciting weekend as none of the teams really know where their car is in performance terms until we hit the race track for the first time in competitive conditions. I am a big fan of Melbourne as a city and as the venue for the first race; it's truly a great place to start the season. The race has a beautiful setting in Albert Park and it is a quick and fun circuit to drive with some very technical corners. I have always enjoyed driving there, particularly in qualifying where you can really get on it and nail a flying lap.

"I will be arriving in Melbourne on Saturday to ensure that I have a few days to acclimatise to the time zone. I'll be doing some fitness work with my physio in preparation for the race weekend, hopefully in the sunshine along the coast. We will also be linking up with some local triathletes to train with them and catching up with my former physio who is now based in Australia and some of the V8 Supercar drivers that he is working with for another intense training session. I'm really looking forward to getting to Australia and the challenge of getting the best out of our new car over what looks to be a very exciting race weekend."

Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DSQ
"The Australian Grand Prix is one of my favourite races on the calendar and the atmosphere at Albert Park over the race weekend is always fantastic. It will be really exciting to go back this year with our new team and a competitive car behind us for the start of what will be my 17th season competing in Formula One. After the tough winter that we went through, I am so motivated to get racing again and I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"The Albert Park circuit is quite technical and the relatively high top speeds for a street circuit mean that you need to run quite a high level of downforce which in turn compromises your grip through the slower second-gear corners. The lap has some very quick changes of direction and you can gain a lot of time through the quick chicane at Turns 11 and 12 if you get it hooked up well. You need a car with a good front-end to make the most of these corners.

"As the circuit uses public roads, there are a lot of bumps under braking and if your car is prone to rear-locking, you have to be careful that these don't unsettle the car enough to throw you off the circuit. It's reasonably difficult to overtake around the circuit with Turns Three and 13 offering the best opportunities."

Ross Brawn, Brawn GP technical director
"Our ambition has always been to be on the grid for the first race of the season in Melbourne and our planning was specifically tailored towards the achievement of this goal. I am extremely proud that we have achieved our ambition and the Australian Grand Prix will mark the start of an exciting new journey for our team. The BGP 001 car is the result of 15 months of intensive development work and the team have been nothing less than fantastic in their commitment to producing two cars in time for the first race.

"From our short but crucial testing programme over the past two weeks, we have reinforced our view that the BGP 001 is a good car and an excellent platform from which to develop performance over the course of the season. Our focus during the seven days of pre-season testing was on reliability and developing our understanding of the car in race conditions. We are very satisfied with the work achieved and the initial pace seen from the car however we are fully aware that our work has only just begun. The practice running in Melbourne will be crucial and we have to get as much mileage as possible under our belts to allow Jenson and Rubens to refine the set-up of the car to their liking."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - DNF
"I'm really looking forward to the Australian Grand Prix. I'm happy that the race season will finally get started and all the speculation of the pre-season testing will stop. It will be very interesting to see how competitive the teams really are. I like street circuits in general, so Albert Park is one of my favourite race tracks.

“You have to be very precise. That applies to the whole circuit; you need to stay on the clean line. But this year precision will be especially important for the first corner after the start, when we will have our very first fight for position with the bigger 2009 front wings. I'm pretty sure it will be an interesting race. In addition, Melbourne is a very nice city and the people create a truly special atmosphere for all of us in Formula One."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"I'm looking forward immensely to the start of the season in Australia. This time around I'm particularly keen to see how the teams and drivers stack up against each other. It's time for the speculation to stop; from now on it's only facts that matter. A whole number of things have changed since last year and that means there are a lot of unanswered questions: What effect will the KERS and adjustable front wings have in the races? What will happen at the start when we are side-by-side with the larger front wings for the first time? Will overtaking really be easier, as our experiences in testing have led us to believe?

"Last year winter testing did not go as well as it might have done for us, and we surprised everybody with our strong performance in Australia. This winter all of our testing went pretty well, and I hope this impression is confirmed in Melbourne. We had to contend with some difficult weather conditions in testing, and I'm also curious to see what happens in Albert Park in this respect, as it can get very autumnal in my favourite travel destination in March."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
"The start of a Formula One season with perhaps the most sweeping rule changes we've ever seen is now in sight. We are pleased that Australia is again the first GP of the year in 2009. There is always a very special atmosphere in Melbourne. The Australians certainly love their sport and they've been well and truly bitten by the Formula One bug.

"Last year Nick took second for us in the first race of the season, and we're hoping that we get off to a good start in Albert Park once again this year. We are heading in the right direction with the BMW Sauber F1.09; both the drivers and the engineers came back with positive feedback during testing. Plus, Nick and Robert carried out full race simulations without suffering any technical problems.

"As far as KERS is concerned, our system will be race-ready in Melbourne. We sent the cars out regularly with KERS during testing and the results were very good. Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 hp at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap. However, the system adds weight to the car and this has an impact on the car's weight distribution and tyre wear. We will make a decision on a driver-by-driver, circuit-by-circuit basis."

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"There's always a lot of anticipation ahead of the first race of the season, but this time it's even more exciting than usual. Winter testing gave us some initial indications of where we stand in relation to our rivals, but there are still a lot of question marks. The reason for the uncertainty is the radical changes made to the technical regulations. Totally new aerodynamics with significantly lower downforce compared to last year, the introduction of KERS, the return of slicks and the double mileage requirement for the engines mean we're starting from a totally different basis. Using the potential of the tyres to optimum effect will be particularly important.

"Melbourne is a stop-start kind of circuit, which places heavy loads on the brakes and, at the same time, demands good traction. Grip levels are very low, especially at the start of the weekend, but you cannot let that deflect you from getting the car set-up right."

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"The move to slick tyres is significant, although Bridgestone have a lot of experience with these tyres from many different race series so we are confident that we can produce good racing slicks. We are making these tyres to the same sizes as we had with grooved tyres, but this means there is a new front/rear grip balance. The teams will therefore have to work hard to get a good set-up, particularly with the varying surface of Albert Park, and we will be working closely with everyone to achieve this."

from F1 Official Website

The FIA have issued a revised entry list for the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, with driver number changes at three teams.

At Ferrari, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen swap numbers, with Massa now taking number 3 in line with his higher position in the 2008 drivers’ championship.

Similarly at Toro Rosso, Sebastien Bourdais’s senior status means he will now take number 11, with rookie team mate Sebastien Buemi numbered 12. Both Ferrari and Toro Rosso requested the changes.

The FIA have also recognised the Brawn GP Formula One Team’s status as a new constructor, dropping them to the base of the entry list with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello now numbered 20 and 21 respectively.

The full entry list of constructors and drivers is as follows:

McLaren Mercedes
1 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
2 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

Ferrari
3 Felipe Massa (BR)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

BMW Sauber
5 Robert Kubica (PL)
6 Nick Heidfeld (D)

Renault
7 Fernando Alonso (E)
8 Nelson Piquet (BR)

Toyota
9 Jarno Trulli (I)
10 Timo Glock (D)

STR Ferrari
11 Sebastien Bourdais (F)
12 Sebastien Buemi (CH)

Red Bull Renault
14 Mark Webber (AUS)
15 Sebastian Vettel (D)

Williams Toyota
16 Nico Rosberg (D)
17 Kazuki Nakajima (J)

Force India Mercedes
18 Adrian Sutil (D)
19 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)

Brawn Mercedes
20 Jenson Button (GB)
21 Rubens Barrichello (BR)

  25 Mar 2009@F1 Official Website

Toyota believe they are on the brink of achieving a maiden win; Toro Rosso have already done it; Red Bull’s is arguably the most radical car on the grid; Williams’ flywheel KERS could prove a secret weapon; a McLaren partnership should boost Force India; and Brawn GP’s pace has already got the likes of Ferrari worried. The dramatic rule changes for the 2009 season mean midfield teams really could upset the order at the head of the grid. We consider their chances…

Toyota
9 Jarno Trulli (I)
10 Timo Glock (D)
Toyota, like BMW, go to Melbourne feeling quietly confident after an off-season of testing in which the TF109 has consistently showed pace and reliability. Part of the performance has been put down to the innovative design of its diffuser, which has upset some other teams. FIA President Max Mosley described the device as ‘clever’, though the governing body has made no official comment on its legality. Small wonder they covered it from prying eyes at every opportunity during testing. It remains to be seen, however, whether rivals protest it in Melbourne in order to get an official ruling from the race stewards.

This is a crucial year for Toyota, and team principal Tadashi ‘George’ Yamashina recently revealed that he had to fight to keep the team in F1 after Honda’s withdrawal. Panasonic’s continued sponsorship was a major factor in his successful battle. He expects a significant step forward in 2009, and at least one victory is deemed essential if they are to have a long-term future.

"We must win," he confirmed. "I'm sure of our team's potential to win a Grand Prix title after watching the final test. Our team is definitely better than that of last year."

Toyota have confirmed that they definitely won’t be running their KERS system in either of the two opening races.

Toro Rosso
11 Sebastien Bourdais (F)
12 Sebastien Buemi (CH)
Toro Rosso were one of the last teams to reveal their 2009 contender, which is of course very closely related to the Adrian Newey-penned Red Bull RB5. The crucial difference is their power units: the STR4 uses the Ferrari V8, the RB5 Renault’s.

There is no doubt that Newey has created a beautiful car, but Toro Rosso face many challenges in 2009. Not least is replacing Sebastian Vettel, and it remains to be seen whether two other Sebastiens, Bourdais who is onboard for a second season and Buemi, who faces his first, can tap into the rich vein the young German was so able to exploit last year. Then there is the need to organise things behind the scenes so that Toro Rosso can become a fully-fledged constructor in their own right, as required by the regulations, for 2010.

They won’t be using KERS in either of the first two races.

Red Bull Racing
14 Mark Webber (AUS)
15 Sebastian Vettel (D)
Dietrich Mateschitz doesn’t seem to mind which of his two teams wins. But you can bet the farm that the guys at Red Bull are still smarting from being upstaged so comprehensively by Toro Rosso last year, and are determined not to let that happen in 2009.

Adrian Newey has stretched the design envelope far more than anyone else with his RB5, and the result is a superb-looking car that has drawn praise from more conservative rivals. Thus far it has not sparkled too much in testing, and reliability problems reared their ugly head again after all of Geoff Willis’s solid work to improve things in 2008. But the team know they have a gem, and it will be fascinating to see how successful they are in their efforts to unlock its clear performance potential in a crucial year in which they must do an awful lot better than their seventh place in the 2008 constructors’ world championship.

Williams
16 Nico Rosberg (D)
17 Kazuki Nakajima (J)
Every year, of late, Williams have issued upbeat statements claiming that revised rules will aid their aspiration to rescale their once-great heights. But 2009 surely offers them their best hope yet, with the widespread changes. The FW31 has shown good potential at times in testing, and has a similar trick diffuser to the Toyota, with which it shares the same engine. While some question its legality, Williams technical director Sam Michael is adamant the diffuser complies with the rules. "To be honest we were surprised that it even turned into an issue,” he says, “because for us it was very clearly inside the regulations. It was something that in various forms teams have been doing for two years, so it wasn't really a big issue for us or the FIA. It was something that we clarified with the FIA well over a year ago."

Accidents hurt Williams last year, but Nico Rosberg’s greater experience should counter that this time, in a season in which solid results will be most welcome as the team look to attract a major sponsor in time for RBS’s departure at the end of 2010.

Despite being in the vanguard of KERS development, Williams won’t run their flywheel system in either of the two opening races.

Force India
18 Adrian Sutil (D)
19 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)
Like Brawn, Force India are hanging their hopes on Mercedes-Benz power, in a new VJM02 designed by Mark Smith and James Key. Wholesale changes to the team since 2008 have seen the departure of technical guru Mike Gascoyne and team principal Colin Kolles, as owner Vijay Mallya continues to put his own stamp on its development and direction. Drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil have thus far expressed themselves happy with the car’s performance, the Italian in particular showing good pace in testing to shadow more fancied runners. This is another team that won’t be bothering with KERS for at least the first four races, and will be putting their technical focus on improving their aerodynamic package, which they admit still lacks downforce.

Brawn GP
20 Jenson Button (GB)
21 Rubens Barrichello (BR)
A winter of deep discontent left Honda personnel on tenterhooks following the Japanese manufacturer’s withdrawal early in December, but much of that was forgotten when the Brawn BGP001 literally exploded on to the tracks with a slew of fastest lap times close to the end of the official tests.

Insiders had always insisted that the car, whose design may have started earlier than all others as Honda struggled through 2008, was a big step forward, and its performance thus far bears that out. The switch to Mercedes-Benz power has clearly been beneficial, and even allowing for the fact that the car might have run with a low fuel load in testing to attract potential sponsors, it is evident that it is very good. Just how good, we will find out in Melbourne and at Sepang, but there have been rumours of achieving 89 percent of Honda’s 2008 downforce levels, which would explain a great deal.

Like Toyota and Williams, Brawn have made a novel interpretation of the rear diffuser regulations and could well be another team subject to rivals’ protests in Melbourne. They won’t run KERS in Australia, or anywhere else, for that matter, unless they decide to revisit it much later in the season.

Watch out for this dark horse.

24 Mar 2009@F1 Official Website

McLaren, Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault all won races in 2008 and at least three of them are confident of winning more in 2009. But they are also aware that this season has all the ingredients for serious surprises - major rule changes, no in-season testing, and some worryingly different interpretations of the technical regs by supposedly ‘junior’ rivals. So do the big guns head to Melbourne with the firepower to stay ahead of the chasing pack? We consider their chances…

McLaren
1 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
2 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)
It’s official: The new McLaren MP4-24 is not fast enough.

That was the verdict after all the testing, especially the latest runs in Barcelona and Jerez, revealed the car to have a rear-end aerodynamic problem that left both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen disappointingly far down the timesheets.

According to one insider, it is a problem that can be fixed in time for Melbourne. “The key is that we know what the problem is,” they said. It remains to be seen, however, what the true scale of the problem is.

New team principal Martin Whitmarsh has taken it on the chin and admitted that the MP4-24’s performance has been disappointing, and McLaren are working flat-out to rectify that. Whitmarsh will be feeling the pressure after saying recently: “I am a competitive person and being team principal adds a little zing this year. I have two overriding concerns in the forefront of my thinking: To win the first race, in Melbourne at the end of the month, and to see Lewis Hamilton retain his world championship title. I don’t want to be the team principal in 12 months’ time who didn’t help him to win the world championship again, so that does add pressure.”

Subsequently, he said: "Initial testing of MP4-24, which first ran with an interim aero package, went in accordance with our early developmental expectations. Then the car ran in Barcelona with an updated aero package, as we had always planned it would, and a performance shortfall has been identified that we are now working hard to resolve."

Clearly the car is not quick enough yet, though there were signs of progress in Jerez, and few doubt that McLaren will get it right and will do so quickly. But whether they can solve the problem quickly enough to stop Ferrari - and other rivals - gaining points advantages in Melbourne and Sepang, is going to be a key factor in the early stages of the 2009 championship battle.

Ferrari
3 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
4 Felipe Massa (BR)
Ferrari’s testing has almost been low-key in comparison with McLaren’s obvious problem and the upstart speed of the Mercedes-engined Brawn GP car. In the early stages the weather in Spain and Bahrain did its best to stymie the team, but in Jerez and Barcelona there were plenty of signs that the elegant F60 is nicely positioned to do the business. Both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen have expressed themselves happy with the car’s speed and overall performance, and that is particularly important for the team after the Finn’s sometimes lacklustre showings last year.

Were it not for the Brawn’s pace, one suspects that Ferrari would be very happy right now, but the Anglo-German car’s speed has certainly raised many eyebrows in the paddock. Without it, Ferrari would be right where they want to be, with a car that handles well, is quick, and is competitive over long and short runs. Now, having seen the Brawn in action, Ferrari have conceded mentally that they are not the fastest.

“We were able to improve our car a lot in every respect,” Massa reported after testing. “We're where we thought we would be before the start at Melbourne. I'm really satisfied with our competitiveness compared to all the others, except obviously the Brawn. They were unreachable for all of us.”

Reliability has been an issue for Ferrari, however, and after Barcelona team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted: "We're satisfied with the level of our car as far as the performance is concerned. It's obvious that we still have some work to do and that we have to concentrate on its reliability. Last year we've seen how important reliability and the smallest details are. We have to work much harder in this direction."

BMW Sauber
5 Robert Kubica (PL)
6 Nick Heidfeld (D)
Like Ferrari, BMW Sauber have had a relatively low-key time during testing, but there is every indication that both speed and reliability are there in the F1.09 and everyone is quietly confident of being able to launch a major challenge for the world championship.

Also in common with Ferrari, both drivers like the car, and Nick Heidfeld has expressed his confidence that he won’t be troubled by the tyre-heating issues that compromised his performance in qualifying at times in 2008.

Reliability has generally been good for the Swiss-German team, and they have an advantage with their KERS system having tested it a great deal last year. Team principal Dr Mario Theissen recently confirmed that they are in a position to race with it from the start of the season, as planned.

"We've got our KERS to the stage where it is race-ready, which means we can use it in Melbourne,” he said. “Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 bhp at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap. However, the system adds weight to the car and this has an impact on the car's weight distribution and tyre wear. We will make a decision on a driver-by-driver, circuit-by-circuit basis."

Of all the teams, this one may be the darkest horse, and you get the distinct impression that they are playing down their likely performance. This is a key season in their long-term timetable. “In our first year we set out to finish regularly in the points,” Theissen explained. “In year two we wanted to record podium finishes and in our third year we were aiming to notch up our first victory. We achieved all of these ambitious aims. In 2009 we are looking to take the next and most difficult step yet: we want to be fighting for the world championship title.”

Renault
7 Fernando Alonso (E)
8 Nelson Piquet (BR)
If you believe some of the rumours doing the rounds in testing Renault have been in trouble with their R29. The doomsayers suggest that the only time it goes quickly is when Fernando Alonso’s brilliance is brought to bear, and that Nelson Piquet’s lap times are a better indication of where Flavio Briatore’s team sits in the overall scheme of things.

In Jerez, however, the Spaniard was able to better the Brawn’s lap times, and it is clear that progress is being made. And like BMW, Renault say they are ready to go with KERS, which could bring a critical advantage in the opening rounds as other teams play catch-up.

Also on the positive side, the FIA allowed Renault to modify their engine over the winter and to catch up in the horsepower race with other manufacturers who better exploited the various loopholes in the engine freeze regulations. That will give them another 50 bhp. But Briatore remains very unhappy about the ‘grey’ areas regarding the design of diffusers, particularly those on the Toyota and Williams cars. "I wouldn't like it to end up like the frozen engine, which we respected and ended up with less power than the others," he said. "This is the same story."

Coming soon in Part Three - the title pretenders

 20 Mar 2009@F1 Officail Website