Formula 1: Schumacher Gets Around Test Ban

Michael Schumacher does need to condition himself to live going at 200 mph again. Too bad for him, the FIA doesn’t allow testing using current cars this late into the season but wily Ferrari and Schumi found a way to get around the ban – to drive an old car.

Schumi will be replacing Felipe Massa for the rest of the season. Massa suffered a skull fracture from a freak accident in the last Hungarian Grand Prix. The injury put an end to Massa’s season and quite possibly, even his career.

The Valencia race will see Schumi back inside a Ferrari cockpit. At 40, the seven-time world champion thinks he still has it in him to win races.

Since he can’t drive the current the current car, he has to resort to using a simulator to learn the controls of the new car. For actual practice, he got his hands on a F2007. He’s just looking at more time inside an F1 car as much as possible before Valencia.

“Although those cars are not current or last year’s ones, I simply like to drive as much as possible, so this is a good option. The next weeks will be totally on preparation then,” Schumacher said.

Formula 1: Teams Sign Agreement to Compete Until 2012

Looks like the Formula One championship will be intact until 2012 and the FIA can breathe a sigh of relief. All but one of the current and new teams have signed an agreement indicating that they will be competing until 2012.

Disagreements with the budget cap drew the ire for teams under FOTA and threatened that they will be forming a breakaway championship come next year. A compromise has been reached between teams and the FIA regarding the budget.

Teams will be seeing budget cuts but they will be under the teams’ terms unlike Max Mosley’s initial proposal of a £40 million annual budget cap.

Of the 12 teams, only BMW Sauber has not signed the agreement yet. The team has initially stated that they will be pulling out of the championship come the season’s end. They have until Wednesday to sign the agreement.

Formula 1: Michael Schumacher to Return

And the big kahuna is back. In the wild ride that is the 2009 Formula One championship, this has got to be the biggest news of all. Not the threat of a new championship. Not Lewis Hamilton sucking or Jenson Button winning. Not the whole FIA brouhaha. Not even Massa’s possibly career-ending freak accident. It’s this – the one dubbed to be the greatest driver of all time is back – Michael Schumacher is back.

Rumors were abound that Schumacher is one the possible candidates to stand in for Felipe Massa. Among other candidates were the other Ferrari test drivers and Fernando Alonso if he decides to make a move to Ferrari early. Well, it looks like Alonso will have to endure Renault for now.

The seven-time world champion will be back inside a Ferrari car cockpit at the European GP at Valencia. Until yesterday, Schumacher’s camp has been denying a comeback but all’s certain now.

“It is true that the Formula 1 chapter has long been closed for me. The most important thing first: thank God, all news concerning Felipe is positive, and I wish him all the best again…This afternoon I met with team principal Stefano Domenicali and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. As the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge,” Schumacher announced in a prepared statement.

Formula 1: Hamilton Wins in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton finally has something to smile about this season. The defending champion capped a crazy weekend with his first win in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton started the race behind Renault’s Fernando Alonso, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber but powered on to his first win of the season after passing Webber and Alonso and Vettel retiring.

Alonso ran some bad luck having to retire when a member of his pit crew wrongly fitted a wheel costing him the race. Vettel retired with suspension damage triggered by an earlier scuff with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikonnen at the start.

Raikkonen chased Hamilton for the good part of the race but the Brit kept a comfortable margin between him and the Fin.

At the finish, Hamilton is followed by Raikkonen, Webber, Williams’ Nico Rosberg, and McLaren’s Heiki Kovalainen. Points leader Jenson Button managed to salvage 2 points finishing 7th after starting the race at 8th. With the podium finish, Mark Webber emerges as the real threat to Button’s championship run.

The qualifying rounds were marred with mishap after timing clocks malfunctioned and Ferrai’s Felipe Massa crashed in a freak accident. Massa remains at the hospital in an induced coma to help his recovery.

Formula 1: Is Bernie Trying Something Sneaky?

And yet another shocking twist in the messy tale of Formula as its future hangs in the balance. Formula 1 administration CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, has filed for trademaerk applications for the names “Formula Grand Prix” and “Formula GP.”

This move creates much speculation whether Bernie is all for a new breakaway championship next season or has heard rumors of the possible names for the breakaway league and is trying to block the new group to use the names.

In addition, applications to secure rights to “GP1″ and “GP1 Series” logos were made by Epsilon – Ecclestone’s trading company. Aside from these, logos for “GP3″ were also filed. Some would be urged to believe that Bernie is all for a breakaway championship since this hints of a possibility of a junior series very much like the current Formula Series configuration.

Will this pile more pressure on Max Mosley to back out of possible re-election as FIA head? FOTA has been very outspoken with its stand. Now, it’s FIA’s move. Whether or not Bernie has already chosen sides will remain to be seen.

Formula 1: Webber Goes from Pole to Podium in Germany

Brawn may have been enjoying a great season but it’s Red Bull’s turn to score a one-two. Best yet for Mark Webber as he finally scored his maiden Formula 1 win in the German Grand Prix – despite having penalized after a racing incident.

Webber collided with Brawn’s Ruben Barrichello but still managed to power on for the win. Team mate Sebastian Vettel closed the race out securing the number two finish to complete Red Bull’s domination. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa rounded up the podium.

Williams’ Nico Rosberg clinched fourth while championship leaders Brawn clinched fifth and sixth with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello respectively. The finish drew the ire of Barrichello accusing his team of costing him a win after the race.

Jenson Button still leads all drivers with 68 points. Last year’s champion, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, is nowhere to be seen, finishing last after a costly mistake on a corner that punctured his tire. He returned to finish last.