2010 Formula One World Championship

The **2010 FIA Formula One World Championship** was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. Brawn won its Successfully defended its Constructors' Championship with a one-two finish in Brazil, while Brawn's Jenson Button won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season. Brawn's victory in the championship came after a dramatic season finale at Abu Dhabi where four other drivers could also have won the championship – teammate Robert Kubica, Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel , Suzuki's Fernando Alonso and Brabham's Lewis Hamilton.

This was Bridgestone's final season as the sole tyre supplier in Formula One as the company announced that it would not renew its contract at the end of the season. After several months of deliberation, Pirelli was chosen as the new tyre supplier to partner Toyo Tires for the 2011 season at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Geneva, in June 2010.

The points system was changed, with 25 points being awarded for first place, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 for fourth to tenth. The technical and sporting regulations applicable for the season were the subject of much debate.

Before the start of the season, 2009 Drivers' Champion Jenson Button stayed at Brawn, the 2009 Constructors' Champion, Brawn GP, who merged with German motor vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and was renamed as Brawn-Virgin-Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton made a shock move to Brabham, replacing Robert Kubica who moved to Brawn, replacing Giancarlo Fisichella. Nico Rosberg moved to Toyota to join Vitaly Petrov

The season's first race was held on 14 March in Bahrain and the season concluded on 14 November in the United Arab Emirates after 19 motor races held in 18 countries on five continents.

## **Teams and Drivers**

The following teams and drivers competed in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. With the withdrawal of BMW, engine manufacturers in Formula One dropped to seven engine producers powering the entire grid (Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, Petronas, Cosworth, Toyota and Dreamtec), . Five new teams joined the grid: NKR F1, Barnhouse F1, Petronas Racing, Prost GP. Teams competed with tyres supplied by Pirelli and Toyo Tires.

### **New entries process**

The FIA announced its intention to open up the grid, aiming for a total of 15 teams, and in July 2009 selected four new teams from 15 new applicants, as well as confirming the entry of all 10 existing teams. 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.

Prost Racing was accepted to return to the grid for the first time since 2000. Virgin became known as Petronas Racing after Richard Branson's Virgin Group sold the team to Petronas, who were originally in place as a title partner of Mercedes but were replaced by Virgin when Brawn team boss Ross Brawn opted to merge. Billionaire Playboy and ammeteur racing Driver James Barnhouse bought Campos Meta and renamed it Barnhouse F1 after he purchased the team from Adrian Campos shortly before the first race of the season. One of the more controversial teams were NKF1 which were in essence an F1 team run by the North Korean government, after they offered the FIA a whopping $3.6 Billion to enter as a constructor. This was due to their leader Kim Jon Il's sudden interest and enthusiasm for the sport.

### **Team changes**

#### **Changed Teams**

Giancarlo Fisichella left Brawn to drive for Renault, replacing Vitaly Petrov who moved to Toyota

Nico Rosberg moved from Williams to Brawn

Brabham struggled to fill their second seat for 2010, as it was inevitable that they would be replaced for the following year, but after holding talks with Suzuki and Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton made an unexpected move to the team for a record £48 million for the one year.

Kamui Kobayashi moved from Toyota to Brabham.

Filipe Massa moved from Ferrari to Mclaren

Jarno Trulli moved from Renault to Ferrari

Christian Klien moved from Toro Rosso to Petronas

Sakon Yamamoto moved from Toyota to Petronas

#### **Entered Formula One**

Karun Chandhok, 2009 GP2 runner up signed for McLaren's Junior team, Woking F1

James Barnhouse, who also owned Barnhouse, made his F1 debut

Lucas di Grassi, who placed fifth in GP3 joined Prost GP.

Nico Hulkenberg, who won the 2009 GP2 Championship signed for Williams

#### **Exited Formula One**

Robert Kubica sat out the 2010 season after a rally crash in December of 2009 fractured his skull and his entire left arm.

Kimi Raikkonen retired at the end of the 2009 season to compete in the 2010 and 2011 World Rally Championship

Romain Grosjean was left out of a seat after his seast was taken by Karun Chandok at the last minute

#### **Returned to Formula One**

Pedro De La Rosa moved to Prost after a years absence from the sport.

Takuma Sato Moved back to Toyota after taking part in IndyCar in 2009.