Michael Schumacher has conceded that Mercedes GP are not currently in race-winning trim after a second day testing at Barcelona saw the German only manage seventh fastest.

Although the team are yet to run the lowest fuel settings for their W01, Schumacher appeared to rule out the possibility of winning the first race in Bahrain.  Read more... (181 words, estimated 43 secs reading time)

The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association will vote on a new president at the first race of the season in Bahrain, it has emerged. Incumbent Pedro de la Rosa has made the decision to stand down from the post after graduating to a race seat at BMW Sauber this season, and will be replaced by another driver from a direct poll.  Read more... (283 words, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

At the end of the first day’s testing in Barcelona, the times were as follows:

1 Webber 1m21.487s; 2 Hulkenberg 1m22.407s, 3 Rosberg 1m22.514s; 4 De la Rosa 1m23.144s; 5 Button 1m23.452s

Popularity: 5% [?]

Mark Webber upset the perceived form book today at the Circuit de Catalunya with a series of extremely quick laps that put his closest rivals more than a second behind him.

The Australian pushed his new Red Bull RB6 to new heights over a series of qualifying simulations, the evaluation of which will hopefully give some indication of the teams’ relative pace in the coming days.  Read more... (289 words, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)

New Campos team principal Colin Kolles has promised that despite continuing rumours over his team, they will make the grid in Bahrain because he “never gives up”.

The ex-Spyker and Force India man has been drafted in to shore up arrangements in the team after a shareholders’ takeover led by businessman Jose Ramon Carabante, and is determined to take the team to Sakhir for the first race on March 14th.  Read more... (224 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)

New doubts have arisen over American F1 outfit USF1’s ability to make the grid in Bahrain after a senior, anonymous source broke cover this morning.

The source within the team gave an insight as to the real situation within the team and called for YouTube backer Chad Hurley, who has been linked with rival Campos, to step back in and save USF1.  Read more... (262 words, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

Ferrari have laid into the new entrants for 2010, hinting heavily that they have always been merely part of a proxy war against FOTA by the FIA.

The ‘Horse Whisperer’ column on the Ferrari website, remarkable for its bizarre and probably tongue-in-cheek style, attacked Campos Meta 1 firstly.  Read more... (499 words, estimated 1:60 mins reading time)

Fernando Alonso has sworn he will fight battles with Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa this season – and insists that in this respect they are no different from any other team.  Read more... (303 words, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

Nascent F1 outfit Stefan GP have been forced to cancel a planned test of their car at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal after failing to secure a deal with Bridgestone for tyres.  Read more... (264 words, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

World Champion Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg will kick off the Barcelona test at the Circuit de Catalunya later this week for their respective McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes GP teams.

The Barcelona test, which will be the teams’ final opportunity to test their machinery before the season-opening Bahrain GP on March 14th, begins on Thursday.  Read more... (182 words, estimated 44 secs reading time)