F1: Good Week - Bad Week

We're into launch mode ahead of the countdown to February testing and though Ferrari are making confident noises about the F10 there are rumours swirling round the Italian media...

Good Week: Ferrari launched their stunning new F10 car in Maranello and beat McLaren by a day. "This championship will be very important for us," said team boss Stefano Domenicali. "The last championship, for different reasons, was not very positive, that is why we are dealing with this one looking to be competitive - and this is what Ferrari deserves to have." On paper, the combination of Alonso and a car that has had more development time than all its major rivals should be quick out of the box...

Bad Week: ...but according to The Times newspaper, things aren't looking quite so rosy behind the scenes in Maranello. They report that "rumours are sweeping the Italian media that the performance estimates for the machine are not as good as the team were hoping for and that a "B-spec" version is being prepared to try to move it a stage farther on." Added to that they couldn't even shake it down at Fiorano when they wanted to because of the weather.It may be more difficult to see teams' true pace in testing this year. When testing begins in earnest next week, the huge volume of fuel they could be carrying means that test times will be far less revealing.

Good Week: Argentina got their first serious F1 driver since Norberto Fontana this week. Or should that be since Carlos Reutemann? Jose Maria Lopez has got some big bucks behind him for his first season with USF1. If the sport is second only to soccer with Argentinians then let's hope he does well.

Bad Week: Campos Meta still haven't had the cash injection they were hoping for to boost their confidence of making the 2010 grid. Italian chassis manufacturers Dallara have successfully crash-tested the car they are building for Adrian Campos's team, but presumably the bill for it remains unpaid. Campos revealed that Bruno Senna is not a pay-to-drive driver, so he must have been counting on the Senna name to lure in a major sponsor.

Good Week: The new McLaren MP4-25 looks stunning - not as pretty as the Ferrari, but an automotive work of art nonetheless. If only the designers could give the cars proper rear wings. Interesting to see that the design team have finally given in and copied former employee Adrian Newey's shark's fin engine cover.

Bad Week: Red Bull admitted that in 2009 they lost vital early ground by not launching their car sooner. They announced this week that they have already lost two weeks on Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren by debuting the car on February 10th and skipping next week's Valencia test. Groundhog day anybody?

Good Week: Silverstone announced they are confident that the new modified 'Arena' circuit they are building for the 2010 Moto GP race in June will be available for the F1 race in July.

Bad Week: Singapore admitted that they are still not satisfied with their race track and are looking to shorten the distance to speed up the lap time. The zig-zag from Turns Seven to Nine is the most likely candidate for the chop which organisers believe could be turned into a less challenging 90-degree left-hander around the War Memorial, instead of inside it. And presumably the shorter the lap distance the less they'll money they'll have to bung in the meter for all that electricity (plus replacement bulbs)

Good Week: Nico Rosberg says he will have parity of equipment and treatment at Mercedes: "to be very honest, recently I had a lot of discussions with Norbert and Ross and I'm very, very confident and comfortable that we will both have the same opportunities, same car, same everything. So that's fantastic. "

Bad Week: Rosberg may think that, but here's what Martin Whitmarsh revealed when talking about the possibility of Button and Hamilton taking points off each other in their fight against Michael Schumacher."I think we have got two drivers who are very honest, and very open. They both want to beat each other, and I would be worried if they didn't. But I think it is going to be clean, it is going to be open and it is going to be co-operative. Inevitably, if they are nip and tuck and are taking points from each other, if you are fighting a one-man team, then it becomes difficult."So clearly MW thinks the 'parity' angle is just lip service.

Good Week: Fernando Alonso showed another side to his personality at the Ferrari F10 launch in Maranello this week. We know he's a superb driver and athlete, but he also revealed himself to be a clairvoyant. We may be sitting here at the end of January, but already Fernando has seen ahead and knows what will happen in the month ahead. "We have the best technicians in the world. The work we're doing in February, with Felipe's and my suggestions on the car, makes me really confident as far as the first race is concerned.