Williams have been temporarily suspended from the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA). It follows Monday’s confirmation that Williams have lodged a formal entry for next year’s championship, despite the ongoing dispute between the teams and the FIA over the 2010 regulations.

“FOTA’s decision, although regrettable, is understandable,” said team principal Frank Williams after the news emerged from a meeting of team bosses in London on Wednesday. “However, as a racing team and a company whose only business is Formula One, with obligations to our partners and our employees, submitting our entry to next year’s championship was unquestionable.

“In addition, we are legally obliged under our contract with FOM and the FIA to participate in the world championship until the end of 2012.”

Teams have until this Friday (May 29) to submit their entries for 2010, but several have suggested they will not do so unless the FIA modifies plans to introduce an optional £40 million budget cap in exchange for more technical freedom.

During last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix all ten teams wrote to the FIA, requesting that the existing 2009 technical rules be retained for next season to allow more time for the future framing of the Formula One regulations to be considered.

Source - F1.com

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Rosberg finished off the day in Sakhir with the fastest time, which is becoming something of a habit this year for him. Sadly the Ferrari’s pace seems to have gone backwards with Kimi (without KERS),finishing down in 18th place and Massa (with KERS) finishing 16th.

Kimi did show some speed in the first session, ironically though it was when he managed to break the pitlane speed limit and not on track. 

Free Practice 1

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time              Laps

 1.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:33.647 +         19

 2.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber           (B)  1:33.907 + 0.260   17

 3.  Kubica        BMW Sauber           (B)  1:33.938 + 0.291   17

 4.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:34.227 + 0.580   24

 5.  Button        Brawn GP-Mercedes    (B)  1:34.434 + 0.787   15

 6.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:34.502 + 0.855   24

 7.  Barrichello   Brawn GP-Mercedes    (B)  1:34.531 + 0.884   18

 8.  Massa         Ferrari              (B)  1:34.589 + 0.942   17

 9.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:34.827 + 1.180   21

10.  Raikkonen     Ferrari              (B)  1:34.827 + 1.180   19

11.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:34.880 + 1.233   24

12.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:34.938 + 1.291   21

13.  Piquet        Renault              (B)  1:34.974 + 1.327   21

14.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes (B)  1:35.021 + 1.374   18

15.  Trulli        Toyota               (B)  1:35.036 + 1.389   22

16.  Fisichella    Force India-Mercedes (B)  1:35.042 + 1.395   16

17.  Glock         Toyota               (B)  1:35.333 + 1.686   20

18.  Alonso        Renault              (B)  1:35.348 + 1.701   24

19.  Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:35.353 + 1.706   22

20.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:35.369 + 1.722   15

Free Practice 2

Pos  Driver       Team                       Time              Laps

 1.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:33.339            36

 2.  Alonso       Renault               (B)  1:33.530  + 0.191   25

 3.  Trulli       Toyota                (B)  1:33.616  + 0.277   37

 4.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:33.661  + 0.322   29

 5.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:33.676  + 0.337   32

 6.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:33.694  + 0.355   35

 7.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:33.763  + 0.424   30

 8.  Glock        Toyota                (B)  1:33.764  + 0.425   37

 9.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:33.885  + 0.546   30

10.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:33.899  + 0.560   36

11.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:33.994  + 0.655   30

12.  Fisichella   Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:34.025  + 0.686   23

13.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:34.127  + 0.788   37

14.  Bourdais     Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:34.366  + 1.027   26

15.  Piquet       Renault               (B)  1:34.411  + 1.072   29

16.  Massa        Ferrari               (B)  1:34.564  + 1.225   34

17.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:34.605  + 1.266   31

18.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               (B)  1:34.670  + 1.331   28

19.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:34.764  + 1.425   35

20.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:34.790  + 1.451   33

All Timing Unofficial

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Usual service seems to have resumed from the last race with the recently cleared ‘double decker’ diffuser teams still ending fastest of the day along with the Red Bulls.

Hamilton however also looks in with a shot in qualifying tomorrow as he’s cars new diffuser seems to have given him some much needed additional speed. The Brit finished the first free practice on top.

Rosberg took that role in FP2, continuing with his impressive Friday form. Kimi Raikkonen however looks to have another tough weekend ahead of him, with his KERS less car proving as slow and challenging we all feared it would be. He finished the day fourteenth overall.

It looks like tomorrow will be a close at the front in Q3 - lets just hope the Kimster makes it through to the top ten shot out to be in with a chance of a much needed points finish on Sunday.

Free Practice 1
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:37.334 + 22
2. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:37.450 + 0.116 18
3. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:37.566 + 0.232 19
4. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:37.672 + 0.338 23
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:37.752 + 0.418 20
6. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:37.764 + 0.430 19
7. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:37.860 + 0.526 24
8. Glock Toyota (B) 1:37.894 + 0.560 21
9. Alonso Renault (B) 1:38.089 + 0.755 19
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:38.195 + 0.861 24
11. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:38.223 + 0.889 23
12. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:38.274 + 0.940 20
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:38.307 + 0.973 26
14. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:38.319 + 0.985 18
15. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:38.418 + 1.084 20
16. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:38.456 + 1.122 21
17. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:38.460 + 1.126 19
18. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:38.463 + 1.129 18
19. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:38.730 + 1.396 25
20. Piquet Renault (B) 1:38.825 + 1.491 20

Free Practice 2
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:35.679 35
2. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:35.704 + 0.025 36
3. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:35.881 + 0.202 35
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.105 + 0.426 32
5. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.167 + 0.488 22
6. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:36.217 + 0.538 42
7. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.377 + 0.698 32
8. Glock Toyota (B) 1:36.548 + 0.869 40
9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.674 + 0.995 34
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:36.800 + 1.121 34
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:36.829 + 1.150 30
12. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:36.847 + 1.168 34
13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.941 + 1.262 28
14. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:37.054 + 1.375 33
15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.219 + 1.540 34
16. Piquet Renault (B) 1:37.273 + 1.594 36
17. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:37.491 + 1.812 34
18. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:37.544 + 1.865 28
19. Alonso Renault (B) 1:37.638 + 1.959 28
20. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:37.750 + 2.071 31

All Timing Unofficial

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The FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) has rejected protests against the diffusers used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, after concluding that their ‘double decker’ designs comply with the 2009 regulations.

BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault had all questioned the legality of the diffusers, but following Tuesday’s hearing in Paris, the ICA decided that race stewards in Australia and Malaysia had made the right call in declaring them legal.

Full statement from the FIA: 
The FIA International Court of Appeal has decided to deny the appeals submitted against decisions numbered 16 to 24 taken by the Panel of the Stewards on 26 March at the 2009 Grand Prix of Australia and counting towards the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. 

Based on the arguments heard and evidence before it, the Court has concluded that the Stewards were correct to find that the cars in question comply with the applicable regulations.

Full reasons for this decision will be provided in due course.

Source - The Official Formula 1 Website

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Protest lodged over Brawn, Toyota and Williams diffusers

The much-talked-about diffuser designs on the Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams cars have become the subject of an offical protest from rivals in Melbourne, after they cleared Thursday scrutineering with the Albert Park stewards.

All three teams are believed to have found a loophole in the regulations which allows them to run a taller diffuser. However, four fellow teams - BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault - have objected, questioning the legality of the designs.

The stewards must now decide whether to allow the cars in question to race in their current form. However, should there be any appeal over that decision, it would come down to the FIA to determine the diffusers’ legality, possibly at a later date.

Source - F1.com