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The 2010 Formula One season will be the 61st Formula One season. The technical and sporting regulations applicable for this season have been, and continue to be, the subject of much debate. The reigning Driver's Champion, Jenson Button, has joined McLarenmarker, and the reigning Constructor's Champions, Brawn GPmarker, have been bought by Mercedes-Benz and renamed Mercedes Grand Prix.

Dispute over regulations and breakaway series

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) planned to introduce a budget cap to reduce costs in order to safeguard the sport during the current economic downturn. The proposal included an optional budget cap of €30 million ($45 million, £27 million) , with greater technical and design freedoms allowed to teams who nominated to use it.

The teams objected to what they believed to be two sets of rules within the championship and five of the teams within the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renaultmarker, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso announced their intentions to withdraw from the 2010 championship. BMW Sauber announced on 29 July that they were withdrawing from Formula One at the end of the 2009 season.

Following a discussion, all ten of the FOTA teams unanimously decided to withdraw at the end of the 2009 season unless the budget cap rules were changed. Williams and Force India both later submitted their own entries and were temporarily suspended from FOTA.

The remaining FOTA teams all submitted conditional entries for the 2010 season before the entry list was published on June 12, which included all ten current teams and three new teams, Campos Meta 1, Virgin Racing and US F1 Team.

Discussions between the FIA and FOTA failed to find a resolution and the eight FOTA teams announced their intentions to form a breakaway series for 2010. However after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on 24 June, FOTA agreed to remain in Formula One and Max Mosley agreed to not to stand for re-election in October.

However, on 8 July, the FOTA group of teams walked out of a meeting with the FIA about future rules. FOTA were informed that they were not entered for the 2010 season and could therefore have no input on regulatory discussions. It was later announced that plans for a breakaway series were still being pursued.

FOTA have since expressed their interest in ending the conflict by negotiating the terms of a new Concorde Agreement directly with CVC, the company that controls the commercial rights to the sport, with a resolution possibly being found in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

On 1 August it was announced that the FIA had signed the new Concorde Agreement, bringing an end to the crisis and securing the sport's future until 2012.

Bernie Ecclestone has repeatedly stated his belief that several of the new teams will be unable to prepare in time for 2010 due to the lack of the FIA's cost cutting plans.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers will compete the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship:

Team Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre No. Race Drivers Rounds Test Driver(s)
Vodafone McLarenmarker Mercedes McLarenmarker MP4-25 Mercedes 1 Jenson Button — TBA
2 Lewis Hamilton —
Mercedes Grand Prix Mercedes TBA Mercedes 3 Nico Rosberg — TBA
4 TBA —
Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB6 TBA 5 Sebastian Vettel — TBA
6 Mark Webber —
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari TBA Ferrari 7 Felipe Massa — Giancarlo Fisichella
8 Fernando Alonso —
AT&T Williams Williams FW32 Cosworth 9 Rubens Barrichello — TBA
10 Nico Hülkenberg —
Renault F1 Teammarker Renaultmarker R30 Renaultmarker 11 Robert Kubica — TBA
12 TBA —
Force India F1 Team Force India VJM03 Mercedes 14 Adrian Sutil — TBA
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi —
Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso TBA Ferrari 16 Sébastien Buemi — TBA
17 TBA —
Lotus F1 Racing Lotus TBA Cosworth 18 TBA — TBA
19 TBA —
Campos Meta 1 Campos TBA Cosworth 20 TBA — TBA
21 Bruno Senna —
US F1 Team US F1 TBA Cosworth 22 TBA — TBA
23 TBA —
Virgin Racing Virgin TBA Cosworth 24 Timo Glock — TBA
25 TBA —


Notes:
1. - BMW announced that they would be leaving Formula One at the end of the 2009 season, confirming their departure by electing not to sign the new Concorde Agreement at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, and forcing them to re-apply if they wanted to continue racing in 2010 (see team changes). With the departure of Toyota on November 4, 2009, a vacancy opened up on the grid. As the first reserve team, the reformed BMW Sauber will have the first rights to this place. BMW have, on November 27, 2009 sold the team back to Peter Sauber. If on the grid, the Sauber car will be named as if the team had continued with its old denomination in the BMW years: C29.
2. - Currently listed on the FIA's Entry List as Brawn GPmarker, although it is noted that they intend to change the name to Mercedes Grand Prix before the start of the season.
3. - Lotus have announced that they have signed a driver for 2010 but have yet to confirm the driver's name.
4. - José María López will race for US F1 Team on the condition that he is able to put together an eight million-dollar sponsorship package within one week. Sources close to López claim he has eighty percent of the funds he needs to secure the race seat.


New entries process

The FIA announced its intention to open up the grid, aiming for a total of 14 teams. The FIA revealed that it received 15 entries from new teams (in addition to the 10 teams currently involved in Formula One) for 2010. The existing F1 teams, under the FOTA organisation, are understood to have agreed a system of technical support to assist new teams. This compromise proposal would involve the supply of parts and design knowledge to the new entrants, but not full customer cars, in return for which the budget cap idea was dropped.

The four new teams which are included in the entry list are:

The unsuccessful applicants are known to include:
  • Brabham, team established by German company Formtech, led by Franz Hilmer, acquired the rights to the Brabham Grand Prix name and submitted an entry for the 2010 Formula 1 season. Formtech had already purchased the assets of the Super Aguri Formula 1 team in June 2008, after Super Aguri's bankruptcy in May 2008. According to previous reports the former Force India managing director Colin Kolles was also involved in the project. The original Brabham founder Jack Brabham was not consulted on the use of his former team's name, and the Brabham family have threatened to take legal action against the usage of their name.
  • Epsilon Euskadi, an established Spanish team which has run cars in various junior single-seater formulae, and has also built its own Le Mans Prototype. Epsilon remains interested in securing an entry for 2010, following the withdrawal of the BMW Sauber team.
  • Lola Cars, British racing car constructor Lola Cars, which has been involved in Formula One several times in its history, confirmed that it submitted an entry for the 2010 championship. Although the FIA asked that Lola be placed on standby in the event of a team withdrawing, on June 17 the company announced that it had requested its entry be officially withdrawn. However, Lola owner Martin Berrane said that if another spot opens for 2010 season, they'll be ready to relaunch the project.
  • Team Lotus, established by Formula Three team Litespeed and designer Mike Gascoyne who had recently parted with Force India, and purchased rights to the Lotus name from David Hunt.
  • March Racing Organisation, a re-imagining of the March team formed by Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd that ran from 1970 to 1992 (with a brief interlude as Leyton House Racing in 1990 and 1991). The entry was submitted by Andrew Fitton, who had acquired the rights to the name in the lead-up to the 1993 season.
  • myf1dream.com, a proposed team established by fans of the sport and supported by their donations.
  • N.Technology, lodged application following success in World Touring Car Championship, but withdrew its entry following FOTA's announcement of a breakaway series, not wanting to be involved in a series without the presence of the manufacturers. MSC, the British company behind the entry, later challenged the selection process for new teams at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris; on 25 November 2009 the Tribunal upheld the FIA's process and ordered MSC to pay the FIA's costs.
  • Prodrive F1, led by Aston Martin chairman and Prodrive founder David Richards, announced their application to enter Formula One with financial backing from Dar Capital. This followed a previous attempt to join F1 in .
  • Stefan Grand Prix, a team backed by Serbian engineering company AMCO and named for team principal Zoran Stefanovic. The entry remained unknown until August when Stefanovic lodged a complaint with the European Commissionmarker, of a similar nature to that of N.Technology. On September 29, Stefanovic announced his plans to compete in Bahrain, despite not having an entry for the 2010 season. As of November 2009, Stefanovis was still pursuing a 2010 grid position following the complications arising from Toyota's withdrawal and the collapse of Sauber's investment plans.
  • Team Superfund, a new team established by former driver Alexander Wurz and funded by Christian Baha, the owner of Superfund Group.


Experienced sports car team Ray Mallock Limited had originally intended to submit an entry and run with the Cosworth spec engine, but ultimately decided against it, citing the current budget cap row and uncertainty over the 2010 regulations as reasons for their decision. They have not, however, ruled out a future entry bid.

On 29 July 2009, BMW Sauber announced that they were withdrawing from Formula One at the end of the 2009 Formula One season. BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer cited a lack of future viability and sustainability for the Formula One program. On August 6, it was announced that BMW had failed to find a buyer for the team in time, meaning the team would be unable to sign the 2009 Concorde Agreement. The FIA announced that the vacant slot would be made available again in order to keep a 26 car grid. On August 8, the FIA re-opened the selection process to decide the thirteenth and final grid opening and placed the seven reserve teams on alert. Although Peter Sauber attempted to rescue the remains of the team with a management buy-out, teams including Epsilon Euskadi signalled their interest in taking up the vacancy left by BMW's departure. Lotus was ultimately announced to have gained the empty slot on 15 September 2009; while BMW's bid was considered "impressive", uncertainty over the ownership led to Lotus gaining the slot.

2010 Calendar

On September 21 2009 the provisional 2010 calendar was issued by the World Motor Sport Council containing 19 races. Another provisional calendar was released on October 21, with the Abu Dhabi and Brazilian races switching dates, subject to the promoters of both races. The final calendar will be released on December 9.

Round Race Title Grand Prix Circuit Date Time
Local UTC
1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prixmarker Bahrain GPmarker Bahrain International Circuitmarker, Sakhir, Manamamarker 14 March TBA TBA
2 Australian Grand Prixmarker Australian GPmarker Albert Park Grand Prix Circuitmarker, Melbourne, Victoriamarker 28 March 17:00 06:00
3 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prixmarker Malaysian GPmarker Sepang International Circuitmarker, Kuala Lumpurmarker 4 April 16:00 08:00
4 Chinese Grand Prixmarker Chinese GPmarker Shanghai International Circuitmarker 18 April TBA TBA
5 Gran Premio de Españamarker Telefónica Spanish GPmarker Circuit de Catalunyamarker, Barcelonamarker 9 May 14:00 12:00
6 Grand Prix de Monaco Monaco GP Circuit de Monacomarker, Monte Carlomarker 16 May 14:00 12:00
7 Turkish Grand Prixmarker Turkish GPmarker Istanbul Parkmarker 30 May TBA TBA
8 Grand Prix du Canadamarker Canadian GPmarker Circuit Gilles Villeneuvemarker, Montrealmarker 13 June TBA TBA
9 Telefónica Grand Prix of Europemarker European GPmarker Valencia Street Circuitmarker 27 June 14:00 12:00
10 British Grand Prixmarker British GPmarker TBA † 11 July 13:00 12:00
11 Großer Preismarker Santander von Deutschlandmarker German GPmarker Hockenheimringmarker 25 July 14:00 12:00
12 Magyar Nagydíjmarker Hungarian GPmarker Hungaroringmarker, Budapestmarker 1 August 14:00 12:00
13 Belgian Grand Prixmarker Belgian GPmarker Circuit de Spa-Francorchampsmarker, Spamarker 29 August 14:00 12:00
14 Gran Premiomarker Santander d'Italiamarker Italian GPmarker Autodromo Nazionale Monzamarker 12 September 14:00 12:00
15 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix Singapore GP Marina Bay Street Circuitmarker 26 September 20:00 12:00
16 Fuji Televisionmarker Japanese Grand Prix Japanese GP Suzuka Circuitmarker, Suzuka 3 October TBA TBA
17 Korean Grand Prix ‡ Korean GP Korean International Circuitmarker, Yeongammarker 17 October TBA TBA
18 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Abu Dhabi GP Yas Marina Circuitmarker 31 October 17:00 13:00
19 Grande Prêmiomarker Petrobras do Brasilmarker Brazilian GPmarker Autódromo José Carlos Pacemarker, São Paulomarker 14 November TBA TBA


Notes:
*† Donington Parkmarker failed to show they had funding for the British Grand Prix; however, the operators believe the circuit could still hold the 2010 race if a third party purchases the circuit. The future of the British Grand Prix is now under threat, although Silverstonemarker is currently holding negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone to hold the event. Silverstone's deadline has been extended to December 11th to come to a suitable agreement, if that does not occur then it is likely that the race will be removed from the schedule.
*‡ The Korean Grand Prix is subject to the circuit's completion in time.


Changes

Driver changes

Changed teams



Entered Formula One



Exited Formula One

  • Kimi Räikkönen will be taking a one-year "sabbatical" from Formula One in 2010 after his managers confirmed that negotiations with McLarenmarker officially came to an end. Despite the majority of the grid being vacant at the time, Räikkönen had long maintained that McLaren was the only real choice for him if he was to stay in the sport. With Jenson Button signing for McLaren, Räikkönen admitted he would consider replacing the World Champion at Mercedes Grand Prix if the team could convince him they would be fighting for race wins and the outright championship.


Team changes

  • Three new teams were originally selected to join the grid for the 2010 season. US F1 Team, Campos Meta 1 and Manor Grand Prix filled the three vacant spaces after being selected from fifteen entries.
  • On 29 July 2009, BMW Sauber announced that they were withdrawing from Formula One at the end of the 2009 Formula One season. BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer cited a lack of future viability and sustainability for the Formula One program. Their space on the entry list was taken by the Lotus F1 Racing, although BMW have found a buyer in Qadbak Investments Limited. They have been granted the "14th spot" on the grid (i.e. first reserves if another team leaves) and the FIA are looking into the possibility of opening the grid up to 28 cars to allow the old BMW Sauber team to compete in 2010 regardless. The FIA have announced they would "consult urgently" with the current teams, with the possibility of Sauber being added as a 14th team for the 2010 season. On the weekend of the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, however, several teams announced their intentions to block Sauber's entry, citing an unwillingness to amend the Concorde Agreement for one team, and an unease over the mystery surrounding the owners as their reasons for hesitating, particularly after one of Qadbak's representatives – British businessman Russell King – had assets seized in a court case. This means that Sauber's only hope of joining the 2010 season lies in one of the thirteen already accepted teams pulling out. If allowed to race in the 2010 season, the team will use Ferrarimarker engines. On November 27, BMW sold the team in its entirety to Peter Sauber following reports that the investment from the Qadbak group was an elaborate fraud run by Russell King. However, the sale by BMW came with the condition that the team be granted an entry to the 2010 grid, with the FIA due to pass a final judgement on the issue in December. Further reports from Germany link the Sauber outfit to an un-named American investment group.
  • Following the withdrawal of BMW Sauber, the FIA announced their vacant grid position would be filled by Lotus F1 Racing.
  • Toyota announced their withdrawal from Formula One with immediate effect on November 4, 2009, citing economic hardship as their reason for withdrawing. This paves the way for the Qadbak-backed Sauber team to re-join the grid. However, as Toyota had signed the Concorde Agreement at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, they have the right to sell the team on if they choose to exercise that right, with reports suggesting a management buyout is being explored.
  • Responding to speculation that they would join BMW and Toyota in withdrawing, Renaultmarker denied that they would take the opportunity and instead assess their position, with a full announcement expected before the end of 2009.
  • Scuderia Toro Rosso will effectively become an indepedent constuctor in their own right for 2010. Ever since the team was created in 2006, both Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing have had their chassis supplied by a third party, Red Bull Technologies. This allowed them to purchase a customer chassis despite the concept being banned because the chassis was not actually supplied by another team, but a design studio. This rule is being amended in time for 2010, meaning that the season will be the first time Toro Rosso run their own car, having spent most of 2009 expanding their base of operations in Faenzamarker, Italymarker to accomodate production facilities.
  • On November 16, it was announced that Brawn GPmarker would be renamed Mercedes Grand Prix for the 2010 season onwards, ending speculation that their fifteen-year relationship with McLarenmarker was about to come to an end, with the German manufacturer buying a 75.1% controlling stake in the team. McLarenmarker will purchase Mercedes' 40% stake in the McLaren Automotive Group in phases before the 2011 season. Mercedes will continue to supply McLaren engines and sponsorship to the team until 2015 in a deal that will see the team's name continue to have the Mercedes marque and as such will continue as Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes.
  • The entry list released by the FIA on November 30 revealed that Manor Grand Prix will be competing under the name Virgin Racing, confirming months of speculation that the team would be sponsored by Richard Branson's Virgin Group.


Calendar changes



Rule changes

Proposed
  • A budget cap of £40m ($63.7m, €45.4m) was originally proposed for 2010, with teams choosing to take up the budget cap being allowed greater technical freedom, together with unlimited testing. Teams choosing not to take up the budget cap would have been able to spend freely, but with technical and testing constraints. However, the budget cap idea was dropped following the political crisis in the middle of the season.
Confirmed
  • Refuelling is to be abolished for the first time since . As a consequence, the cars will be allowed to refuel after the third part of qualifying. The 2010 F1 cars should look a little more bloated in the tail end with the larger fuel tank fit between driver and engine. Despite the resolution over the budget cap meaning that the 2010 regulations would default back to the 2009 rules, FOTA have expressed interest in a refuelling ban as it represents a way to cut costs.
  • The maximum number of cars allowed to take part in a race shall be increased from 24 to 26 cars.
  • Formula One Management will offer financial support to all new teams from next season, in the form of $10m (£6.25m, €6.8m) along with the free transportation of two chassis and 10,000 kg (22,049 lbs) of freight to each race.
  • FOTA has agreed to scrap KERS for 2010 due to poor uptake and pressure from FIA to cut costs, although KERS is not banned in the regulations.
  • The minimum car weight will be increased from 605 kg to 620 kg (1,334 lbs to 1,367 lbs) to stop taller and heavier drivers being at a disadvantage if KERS is added to their car, which will still be allowed in 2010, despite FOTA's agreement not to use the system.
  • The qualifying system will change to accommodate the extra cars: 8 cars will drop out of the first qualifying session, 8 from the second and as in 2009, 10 cars will shoot-out for pole in the third session. The third session will now be run in low-fuel configuration due to the refuelling ban.
  • Wheel covers which have been used by the teams since 2006 are also set to be banned for 2010
  • During negotiations of a new Concorde Agreement at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, several details emerged of cost-cutting proposals by the teams including:
* Homologation of front and rear wings.
* A limit on the number of aerodynamic upgrades permitted over the course of a season.
* A continuation of the ban on in-season testing introduced for 2009.
* Restrictions on the number of team personnel who can attend a Grand Prix weekend.
* Complete closures of team factories over the mid-season summer break.


Sponsorship changes

  • ING originally decided to end its involvement with Formula One at the end of the 2009 season, which included title sponsorship of Renaultmarker along with the Australianmarker, Hungarianmarker and Belgianmarker Grands Prix. The company cited the global economic crisis as the reason for its decision not to renew its involvement. However, in the wake of the Singapore investigations, the company decided to terminate the sponsorship with Renaultmarker early after Renault was found guilty of having fixed the race.
  • Watch brand TW Steel has been confirmed as the first new sponsor of the Renault F1 Teammarker, as the "Official Timing Partner", in a three-year deal running until 2012.
  • RBS will also not renew its sponsorship of Williams beyond the end of 2010. RBS will also cancel its trackside sponsorship as of the start of 2010.
  • YouTube founder Chad Hurley has joined US F1 Team as the team's primary investor.
  • Virgin Group have bought a 20% stake of Manor Grand Prix and plan to rename the team. This was confirmed in the entry list released on November 30th, with the team being ren-named Virgin Racing.
  • At the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, Banco Santander announced a five-year deal with Ferrari to become the team's "main" sponsor starting in 2010; McLarenmarker later announced that their partnership with Banco Santander had been extended. This means that Banco Santander will sponsor both teams from 2010.


References

  1. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80389
  2. http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2009/9/10009.html
  3. http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/11/10244.html
  4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8360705.stm
  5. Autosport Magazine, June 18, 2009, p13
  6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm
  7. Virgin set for Manor GP move



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