Unlike Maxim's, Newman's or FHM's guides, this one's free!

This thread lists all the teams, drivers, race venues, rule changes and championship standings for the 2008 F1 season. Each race will have its own dedicated preview and result thread, opened in the week of the race and locked by the next round. General news items will be posted in the current 'News' thread.

You may post your queries to the moderators, or as replies - only when I'm finished and when I say so!

Here's to a good season of racing!

kB

Contents

Calendar - Race dates, venues, previous winners

Teams & Drivers - Car and driver information

Championship standings - Drivers and constructors

Changes for 2008

A brief guide to the weekend - Free practice, qualifying, pre-race, the race, penalties and general

Background information on each team

2008 Formula 1 Season Calendar

March 16
ING Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park, Melbourne
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

March 23
Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix
Sepang F1 Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
2007 winner: Fernando Alonso

April 6
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
2007 winner: Felipe Massa

April 27
Gran Premio de España Telefonica
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
2007 winner: Felipe Massa

May 11
Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix
Istanbul Park, Istanbul
2007 winner: Felipe Massa

May 25
Grand Prix de Monaco
Monte-Carlo
2007 winner: Fernando Alonso

June 8
Grand Prix du Canada
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
2007 winner: Lewis Hamilton

June 22
Grand Prix de France
Circuit du Nevers, Magny-Cours
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

July 6
Santander British Grand Prix
Silverstone Circuit, Northampton
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

July 20
Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland
Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany
2006 winner: Michael Schumacher (retired)

August 3
ING Magyar Nagydig
Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary
2007 winner: Lewis Hamilton

August 24
Grand Prix of Europe Telefonica
Valencia, Spain
New event

September 7
ING Belgian Grand Prix
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

September 14
Gran Premio Santander d'Italia
Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza
2007 winner: Fernando Alonso

September 28
Singtel Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore
New event

October 12
Fuji TV Japanese Grand Prix
Fuji Speedway, Oyama
2007 winner: Lewis Hamilton

October 19
Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix
Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

November 2
Grande Prêmio do Brasil
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paolo
2007 winner: Kimi Räikkönen

Notes
The USA Grand Prix has been dropped from the calendar.
2 new races have been added: Valencia (the first European Grand Prix outside Germany since 1999) and Singapore.
The Turkish Grand Prix has been moved to May from its previous late-August spot.
Hockenheim alternates with Nürburgring as host of the German leg, while Fuji and Suzuka have a similar arrangement for the Japanese GP.

Teams & Drivers

FERRARI
(1) Kimi Räikkönen (Finland)
(2) Felipe Massa (Brazil)
Car, engine: F2008, Ferrari 056
Base: Maranello, Italy

 

BMW SAUBER
(3) Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
(4) Robert Kubica (Poland)
Car, engine: F1.08, BMW P86/8
Base: Hinwil, Switzerland

 

RENAULT
(5) Fernando Alonso (Spain)
(6) Nelson Piquet (Brazil) *
Car, engine: R28, Renault RS27
Base: Enstone, England

 

WILLIAMS
(7) Nico Rosberg (Germany)
(8) Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) **
Car, engine: FW30, Toyota RVX-08
Base: Grove, England

 

RED BULL RACING
(9) David Coulthard (Scotland)
(10) Mark Webber (Australia)
Car, engine: RBR4, Renault RS27
Base: Milton Keynes, England

 

TOYOTA
(11) Jarno Trulli (Italy)
(12) Timo Glock (Germany) *
Car, engine: TF108, Toyota RVX-08
Base: Koln, Germany

 

SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
(14) Sebastien Bourdais (France) *
(15) Sebastian Vettel (Germany) **
Car, engine: STR2B / STR3 (from Turkey onwards), Ferrari 056
Base: Faenza, Italy

 

HONDA
(16) Jenson Button (England)
(17) Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)
Car, engine: RA108, Honda RA808E
Base: Brackley, England

 

 

SUPER AGURI
(18) Takuma Sato (Japan) ^
(19) Anthony Davidson (England) ^
Car, engine: SA08, Honda RA808E
Base: Leafield, England

 

FORCE INDIA
(20) Adrian Sutil (Germany)
(21) Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy)
Car, engine: VJM-01, Ferrari 056
Base: Silverstone, England

MCLAREN-MERCEDES
(22) Lewis Hamilton (England)
(23) Heikki Kovalainen (Finland)
Car, engine: MP4-23, Mercedes FO108V
Base: Woking, England

Notes
* Debut season
** Debuted in the middle of 2007
^ To be confirmed

Championship Standings

The top 8 finishing drivers in each race are awarded 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively. Half the amount of points are awarded if the race is stopped before 75% of the full race distance. No points are awarded for pole position or fastest race lap.

Changes In Regulations

- Qualifying takes place in 3 parts, just as in 2007. However, Q1 will last 20 minutes, Q2 15 minutes, and Q3 10 minutes, with 5-minute breaks in between. Paticipants in Q3 will not be allowed to refuel at the end of the session.
- Engine development has been frozen until 2012.
- Each race engine must last 2 races. However, the first unscheduled change will not result in a penalty.
- Each gearbox must last 4 races. An unscheduled change will result in a penalty of 5 grid positions.
- Every car will run a standard Electronic Control Unit developed by McLaren Elecronic Systems.
- All cars will run without engine braking, traction control and launch control systems.
- Cockpit wall height has been increased to improve protection.

A Brief Guide To A Race Weekend

General

Each car is powered by a 2.4-litre 90-degree V8 engine which develops up to 800 bhp at 19000 rpm. An assortment of wings and spoilers, which are restricted in size and rigidity, create downforce at speed. This pushes the car down and improves the grip provided by the tyres and suspension. As a result, the lateral forces exerted on the driver during cornering and braking can reach 5.0Gs, or 5 times the force of gravity.

All 22 cars are supplied with a limited quantity Bridgestone tyres. Dry weather tyres come with 4 vertical grooves and in hard and soft componds. The latter is distinguished by a single painted white groove. Wet weather tyres come in 2 kinds: intermediate and wet, the latter having more and deeper cuts and softer rubber to cope with very wet weather.

Free Practice

3 free practice sessions are run over the race weekend: 1 90-minute session on Friday morning (late Friday afternoon for Singapore), 1 90-minute session on Friday afternoon (Friday night), and one 60-minute session on Saturday morning (late Saturday afternoon). Teams may use as many engines as they wish on Friday, but by Saturday, the engine subject to the 2-race cycle must be installed and used for the rest of the weekend.

Only 2 drivers may participate in either Friday session, but a team may rest one driver and use a tester for one or both practices.

Qualifying

Qualifying lasts one hour, and takes place on Saturday afternoon (night). It is split into 3 sessions. In Q1, all the drivers attempt to set as fast a lap time as possible, with no restrictions on fuel, in 20 minutes. Any lap that is started within the said 20 minutes may be counted. The 6 slowest drivers are eliminated, and make up the last 6 positions on the grid.

The process is repeated for Q2, which lasts 15 minutes instead. The next 6 positions on the grid are taken by the 6 slowest drivers from this session. The slowest 12 cars will be allowed to refuel before the start of the race.

The final 10 drivers will fight for pole position, or the very first and most advantageous spot on the grid, in Q3, which lasts 10 minutes. However, they will start the session with enouugh fuel for both qualifying and the first stint of the race, and will not be allowed to refuel. At the end of the session, their times will decide the top 10 grid positions, and all 22 cars will be impounded in parc ferme.

Any grid penalties as a result of engine or gearbox changes or infringements in the previous race will then be accounted for in chronological order, before the final starting grid is released.

Pre-race

All the cars must leave the garages when the pitlane opens between 30 and 15 minutes before the start of the race, otherwise they will start the race from the pitlane.

10 minutes before the race (indicated by 4 lights), all non-essential personnel must leave the grid. At 5 minutes (3 lights), the cars must be refueled and have their tyres attached. Between the 1-minute and 15-second marks, with the drivers already strapped in, engines must be started, and all team personnel and equipment must be cleared.

The drivers will then proceed for one warm-up lap. Any car that stalls and does not get going before the rest of the grid will start from the back. During the warm-up lap, the drivers weave and brake their cars to warm up their tyres and brakes, before retaking their starting positions.

When the drivers have taken their positions, 5 red lights suspended over the start line will illuminate in sequence before going out simultaneously to start the race. If the start has to be aborted, the drivers will procede for another warm-up lap, and one race lap will be deducted.

Race

During the race, each car may return to the pitlane to as many pitstops as necessary. All cars must be driven at the predetermined speed limit throughout the weekend. Tyres and fuel are routinely changed and added respectively, and sometimes radiators may be cleared and wings adjusted or changed. However, all cars must use at least 2 different types of tyre during the race, i.e. a combination of either hard/soft compound dry tyres or wet/dry tyres.

When a yellow flag is waved at a certain spot, usually as a result of an accident or debris, all drivers must slow down and no overtaking may take place until the flag is passed or removed. When the blue flag is waved to driver, he must move over and allow the car behind to lap him before a third straight blue flag is shown. A red flag means that the session or race has been stopped, and all drivers will returned to the pitlane. When a driver is black-flagged, he is disqualified on the spot and must report to the race stewards immediately.

When there is a serious accident which poses a danger to the other drivers, or the weather conditions are deemed too dangerous, the safety car is deployed onto the track. All the drivers must drive behind it in formation, no overtaking is allowed, and the pitlane is closed. Once all the cars form up, lapped drivers are given the signal to unlap themselves and rejoin at the back of the queue, and the pitlane is reopened, allowing the drivers to make pitstops. The race may start or end under the safety car if it is deemed necessary.

The race ends when the driver in the lead completes the race distance or when the 2-hour mark is reached, whichever comes first. Any driver who stops before completing 90% of the winner's distance is classified as retired and does not earn any points.

Penalties and restrictions

Each car's engine must last a 2-weekend cycle. Any unscheduled change after the first one will result in a penalty of 10 grid places. The new restrictions on gearboxes are listed above. However, if either component fails during a race, no additional penalty is imposed at the next round. At the end of qualifying and the race, each car must weigh at least 605kg, inclusive of driver, fuel and lubricants.

Standard penalties take place in the form of
fines,
dropping of grid positions,
pitlane drive-throughs during the race,
the addition of time to one's race time, or
disqualification from the event.

Infringements include
pitlane speeding,
rash driving,
unscheduled changing of restricted components
jumping the start of the race,
disobedience of flag signals, and
the use of illegal components or fuel.

The race stewards decide on the penalty to be given, which may not be implemented until the next race if it is decided after the end of the event.

Background Information On Each Team

FERRARI

They are arguably the most famous name in the sport. They are also the oldest team on the grid and the current drivers and constructors champions. 2 very fast but different drivers in the form of Raikkonen and Massa spearhead the charge, filling Michael Schumacher's shoes very nicely. Management reshuffling sees the old team boss and CEO Jean Todt transferred, and Stefan Domenicali now oversees the running of the team. The F2008 has been very quick out of the box and they are one of the firm favourites for this year's titles.

BMW SAUBER

They were touted as the dark horses for last season, but came away with no wins and a couple of podiums. Nevertheless they consistently finished in the top 8. That isn't enough for them however, and with they have taken a radical direction in the design of the F1.08 in an attempt to haul in the leaders. It has been hard to tame compared to the previous car, but the team are confident that it is a lot faster as well. Heidfeld and Kubica are indeed fast, strong and aggressive racers, but even if they get to grips with the new car, they may have to rely on Lady Luck again for that maiden win.

RENAULT

With the return of Fernando Alonso, all eyes are on the team that quickly fell from grace last season. The 2007 car lacked grip initially but the Anglo-French outfit closed the gap to BMW towards the end of the year. Alonso is definitely able to give the team a half-second's edge, but his intial assessment of the R28 was that it had about 1 second to cover to the frontrunners. Joining him is GP2 graduate Nelson Piquet, son of a former world champion of the same name.

WILLIAMS

After Ferrari and McLaren, this independent team is the next oldest and also the next most successful. Its heyday in the 1990s and failed partnership with BMW are but hazy memories now but the team showed surprising aerodynamic efficiency in 2007. Its 2008 challenger, which is also its 30th car, promises to challenge for top 10 spots and pleased both the team and drivers during testing. Rosberg, son of ex-world champion Keke, and Nakajima, who had a mixed debut in the last round, will lead the charge.

RED BULL RACING

In the experienced and proven hands of Coulthard and Webber, the team's last car showed flashes of speed and even nabbed a podium finish. However, it finished the season where it did due to woeful reliability, in spite of the hype surrounding the hand of the highly-successful designer Adrian Newey. The team has been bolstered by the recruitment of Geoff Willis, another man who knows how to design fast chassis, and has even topped the testing timesheets a few times. However, unless their reliability improves, the new gearbox restrictions and associated penalties may cost the team valuable points.

TOYOTA

A works team that is known for consistency in underachieving in spite of its enormous budget. Their best result in the championship was 4th, back in 2005. This time, the TF108 has been designed from scratch, but it has not shown much improvement during testing. Jarno Trulli gave the team some top 10 results last year, but he rarely improves on his qualifying position. The underperforming Ralf Schumacher bowed out and made way for promising rookie and compatriot Timo Glock. Unless Glock proves to be a revelation, success is still a long way away.

SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO

Sister team to RBR, and its chassis design even shares many similarities, save for modifications to accomodate the Ferrari engine. However, they do not enjoy the same rate of development and thus success in results. Vettel however revealed himself to be young master of wet weather driving at Fuji and Shanghai 2007. ChampCar champion Bourdais at long last makes the switch to F1, but naturally has a little way to go to catch up with his younger but more experienced teammate.

HONDA

After scoring their maiden win in 2006, last season was a major letdown for the Japanese outfit. Bad jokes made the rounds about the relation between the team's 'Earth' livery and lack of speed. The chassis, although very effective in producing downforce, was compromised by hypersensitivity to pitch and roll, making it drivable only in the wet. The new car is plagued by a different set of problems, lacking all-round mechanical grip. Former Ferrari man Ross Brawn has plenty of work on his hands if he is to haul the team up to where it used to be.

SUPER AGURI

Set up in 2006 by ex-F1 pilot Aguri Suzuki, the team surprised spectators by making a few appearances in the top 10 and points-scoring positions before stagnating due to sponsorship woes. Their troubles have not ended yet - the team skipped several tests and called off the launch of its new car, which we will probably see in Melbourne - if the team make it til then! Sato is a mercurial driver, while Davidson is at best nothing special. The lack of testing due to financial difficulties will show, and any number of points will be, and require, a miracle.

FORCE INDIA

This is the latest incarnation of the team that was formerly called Jordan, Midland and Spyker, having been bought over by an Indian tycoon. Although small in size and budget, it's not to be scoffed at - chief designer Mike Gascoigne has a good reputation of producing quick surprises. Sutil consistently outperformed his teammates in his rookie season and now facest his sternest test yet in the form of the experienced Fisichella. They won't score points regularly, but if Gascoigne can work some magic on a widely-expected new chassis, a few other underachievers should be worried.

MCLAREN-MERCEDES

2007 should have been a great season for McLaren, which returned to winning ways, but the campaign was quickly soured by Spygate, in-fighting, disqualification and finally seeing Ferrari snatch the drivers crown from under their noses. The new car appears to be living up to its predecessor's speedy form, but further development may be hampered after it was found that inside information from Ferrari was used to shape at least 3 parts. They will be firm favourites again for the crown though, with 2007 wunderkid Hamilton and the talented Kovalainen at the helm.

Score table is up.

Results from Bahrain are up. Kimi leads with 19 points, Heidfeld is in 2nd on 16, and Kubica, Hamilton and Kovalainen share third place.