Windows 7 Installation Guide

Windows 7 Installation

Introduction

After many requests for this information, I have drafted this general guide to help.

Take note: Regardless of flavour of Windows 7 or if it is 32/64-bit that you will be installing, the steps listed here are the same. The only difference would be which product key is entered to determine which flavour of 7 is installed.

Important Information

This guide assumes a “clean” installation and not an “upgrade” from a previous OS. Ensure that you backup all of your important files (documents, music, etc) to CD/DVD/another hard drive before following these steps.

If you are using Hard Disks in an ACPI or RAID setup, you will first need to download the latest Windows 7 compatible (32-bit or 64-bit) for your particular hardware before installing clean. Check with your chipset/hard drive controllers manufactures web site for the latest drivers/information before starting.

This guide is for OEM (purchased separately from the computer) and retail versions of Windows 7. Installation instructions specific to computers with “recovery partitions” or recovery DVD’s are very different. Consult your manufactures instructions for details.

1) Shall we begin? After configuring the system for booting from a DVD, the Windows Setup screen appears. At this point, Setup is loading the driver files it needs to continue with installation.

2) Progress Bar: The next screen is a more graphical progress bar indicating Windows 7 is still working in the background.

3) Option Selections: The first options you will come across are selections for Language, Time and currency format, and Keyboard layout. Make your selections by using the pull down menus and press the Next button.

4) Install Now: Here we have the option of repairing a previous installation or “Install Now.” Since this is a clean installation of Windows 7 and not a repair, Install Now is the proper choice. Highlight the “Install Now” button to continue to the next screen.

5) Please Wait: Windows 7 is working in the background. This may take several minutes depending on the system.

6) License Agreement:

Here we see the License Agreement you must accept before continuing.

After reading the agreement, check the box next to “I accept the license terms” and select Next button.

7) Option Selections:

Here we would be able to choose an “Upgrade” install (if running setup from a previous version of Windows, such as Vista) or a “Custom” (clean) install.

Select the whole box containing “Custom (advanced)” to continue to the next screen.

Hard Drives:

This is where you can select which hard drive/partition to install Windows 7 on. Since this system only has one hard drive, only one place Windows 7can go. Advanced options are shown in the next screen shot. This is also where you would install drivers for your ACPI/RAID/SATA controller by using the “Load Driver” option. After the installation of the ACPI/RAID/SATA drivers, your hard drives should appear as shown on the right.

If no additional drivers are needed, select the Next button.

9) Advanced Options:

The advanced options allow creation of multiple partitions and the option of formatting existing partitions.

After finishing your particular partition configuration that you desire, select the Next button.

10) Installing:

Here is where Windows 7 installs major components of the OS. This process can take 10 to 60 minutes depending on the system.

11) Reboot:

Here we see the system needing to reboot to continue installation tasks.

You can hit the Restart Now button or just allow the reboot to happen automatically after several seconds.

12) Setup Registry Entries:

Here we see progress as Windows 7 updates the registry settings. This process may take several minutes before going to the next screen.

13) Starting Services:

Windows 7 starts up required services at this point in the setup process.

14) Installation Continues:

Windows 7 continues to install at this screen.

15) Another Reboot:

After initial setup is complete, another reboot is required with no user input.

16) Starting Windows:

This is the screen you will be greeted with upon each boot. Windows 7 is starting up!

17) First Use:

Setup is now preparing the system for initial booting. Unlike the previous screen capture, you will not see this on each boot.

18) Video Test:

Here is where Windows 7 tests the systems video performance to see if Aero will be enabled or not. This test will only last a few minutes.

19) Account Creation:

Here is where the initial account creation happens. This user will have full administrator privileges and automatically be logged in after setup is completed. Enter in your user name and computer name as you would like it to be identified on the network and then select the Next button.

20) User Password:

This screen prompts you to enter a password for the account that you just created. I highly recommend that you password your account. Enter it twice, and then include a “password hint” to help remind you of what it are if you misplace or forget it. You, of course, should not enter in your actual password in this field, but a subtle reminder to jog your memory.

After this information is entered, select the Next button.

21) Product Key: Windows 7 now asks you to enter the product key that was included with your purchase. This key determines what features and which version will be installed on the system. 32 and 64-bit versions have the same product key. I highly recommend unchecking “Automatically activate Windows when I’m online”. The reason is that you only have a finite amount of times that you may activate online. After this limit is reached, you will need to call Microsoft directly to have them activate your installation. This can be a big hassle, especially when you are in a hurry to get the computer back up and running. Windows 7 will nag you every so often to activate upon logging in, but this is a minor nuisance compared to the phone call method of activating Windows 7. After verifying that everything works as you intend, you can activate and know that you could have avoided problems later on if you let Windows 7 do it right after logging in for the first time. 30 days is the intended grace period before requiring activation with retail versions, even with this method. However, you can boost that number up to 116 days using the following method: Open up a command prompt with administrator privileges Type: slmgr -rearm After a reboot, you will have an additional 30 days to ensure everything is running properly. You can perform this action up to 3 times with the current Windows 7 retail release, bringing the required activation time to 116 days, if the Software License Manager is invoked at the end of the required activation period (on the 29th day). I would recommend not waiting until the 30th day to run the command, thus 116 days total and not 120. After this information is entered, select the Next button.

22) Use Recommended Settings: This is where Automatic Updates and problems and reports solutions are offered as an option. I recommend to most users to “Use Recommended Settings” here. These options can always be changed later. Make your selection to continue to the next screen.

23) Time and Date: Ensure that your time zone is entered correctly and make adjustments as necessary. Also ensure the proper time is set. This information is extracted from the BIOS settings, so if the time was set correctly in a previous installation of Windows (or most any other OS), it should still be correct here. After this information is verified, select the Next button.

24) Network Profile: Here, you can select the “general” security measures put in place for your particular network. Most people will want to use “Home network” for desktop installations or “Public network” for a portable system, like a laptop. Make your selection to continue to the next screen.

25) Network Connecting: Windows 7 is now connecting to the network. This is where your initial IP address is acquired and internet connectivity is verified.

26) Finalizing Settings: Windows 7 is finally… finalizing settings. This should only take a few moments to complete.

27) Welcome: Not much to say here. Just wait some more.

28) Desktop Setup: Your initial desktop is setup here. This process will take a few moments, but only happen once.

29) The Desktop: Windows 7 is now finished being installed and are greeted with the desktop. It is worth noting that you did not need to log in this time, but after rebooting (or logging off), you will see the login screen and you must enter the user name and password created earlier to return to this point. I hope that you enjoyed reading my Installation guide.

Vista Clean Installation Guide

Vista Clean Installation

1.	With the DVD in the drive, power on the system and watch for the “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD” message to appear. When it does, strike a key and you’ll see the screen where Vista is loading files.
2.	I really thought that eventually this splash screen would have a logo or something to make it a bit more interesting. Obviously I was wrong. Fancy that.
3.	After a few moments the Install Windows screen appears where you select the Language, Time and Currency format, and Keyboard or Input Method.
4.	This is the main Install Windows screen where it all starts. There are a couple of different variations on this screen depending on system and configuration, but essentially you simply press the Install Now button to proceed.
5.	Once again it’s time for the Product Key and talk about activation. Unlike XP and previous Windows offerings that stopped dead if you didn’t have a product key, this is no longer the case with Vista. You aren’t required to enter a key at this point, although there are some strongly worded cautions about the potential for data loss if you choose not to enter the key. There is also a check box to select whether or not Vista will be automatically activated.
6.	If you chose not to enter the Product Key in the previous step, this screen will pop up asking you to confirm that you do not want to enter the key. The same warning of potential data loss is present and an additional warning has been added that you may need to purchase another edition of Vista if you continue without entering the key. Pressing [ Yes ] will return you to the screen where the key can be entered. Selecting [ No ] will take you to the screen below.
7.	Declining to enter the product key in the previous step brings you here where you must select the edition of Windows that you purchased. The warning makes it clear that if you select a version you don’t have a key for, you’ll either have to purchase that version or reinstall Vista and select the proper version. This screen is a two step process; selecting the appropriate version and then certifying you have selected the version of Vista by using the checkbox. Once those two items have been completed the [ Next ] button is activated.
8.	Next up is the Vista license terms. Simple choice; click [ I accept the license terms ] and the install continues. If you decide not to check the box you’ll want to make use of that red ‘X’ in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
9.	Now it’s time to select the type of installation. Upgrade or Custom are the choices, but as you can see in this case Custom is the only option. There are two items of note. The first is under Custom where it states you can use this option to make changes to the disks and partitions. This is true to a point. You can create and delete partitions and resize a partition using the ‘Extend’ command. The second item of note is if you want to ‘Upgrade’. you need to start the installation from inside Windows.
10.	After the type of installation has been determined it’s time to decide where to install Vista. As you can see from the screen capture the options in this scenario are limited. There is one 20GB hard drive available and it’s all unallocated space. If your intention is to allocate the entire drive to Vista with no additional partitions for other uses, all you have to do is click on Disk 0 and then click the [ Next ] button. The installation will continue. That’s the absolute minimum step. If however you want to partition the drive and format it (unnecessary at this point, but possible) then click on ‘Drive Options’ for additional choices.
11.	This is an example of how you could divide up the drive into separate partitions before continuing the installation. I used the ‘New’ option to create a 10GB partition in the unallocated space. This will become the primary partition and leave another 10GB as unallocated space.
12.	This is what it looks like after the initial 20GB of unallocated space has been divided. The first 10GB of space on the drive is now identified as Partition 1 and the second 10GB remains as unallocated space. If desired you could select the remaining unallocated space and use the [New] command to create another partition and either/both can be formatted using the [Format] command. Notice that the [ Extend ] command is also available for use. Clicking it will allow you to ‘extend’ Partition 1 into the unallocated space. Unlike some partitioning programs that allow you to resize a partition in two directions (larger/smaller), the ‘extend’ command uses the current size of the partition as the minimum size and allows you to increase or ‘extend’ it to include the available unallocated space.
13.	Once you’ve finished up the install location and click [ Next ] it’s just a matter of waiting as Vista goes through the install motions. They are true to their word on this screen when they say the system will restart several times. How long will it take to install Vista? I’ve experienced timeframes all over the spectrum from 30 minutes to over 5 hours, but for a clean install on a relatively modern system I’d be surprised if it took over an hour, and the majority of installs I’ve done have been in the 30 – 45 minute range.

14.   At the end of the install routine there will be five screens where you input specific user, network, updating, and time zone options and a ‘Thank You’ message for installing Vista.

15.   After that, a single restart of the system occurs, you log in and Vista is ready to go.

How to Survive Boot Camp (And Run Win 7 on a Mac)

Windows 7 and Snow Leopard are great. And cheap. Boot Camp’s the free, official way to run them both natively on one machine. It’s easy to setup, and just works, except when it doesn’t. Here’s how to survive Boot Camp.

Boot Camp, to be clear, is different from virtualization software like Parallels or VM Ware Fusion or Virtual Box, which let you run Windows inside of OS X, almost like an application. Boot Camp runs Windows natively on a Mac—you power on, click the Windows icon at the boot manager, and it starts it up, just the same as if you’d powered on a windows laptop.

What you’ll need

• A Windows 7 disc
• A Snow Leopard disc
• An Intel-based Mac
• Free disc space!

It’s easy, probably

Boot Camp, and the process of installing Windows in most cases, couldn’t be more straightforward, at least as far as operating system installs usually go. After you’ve got your Mac up and running like normal, fire up an app called Boot Camp Assistant (just use Spotlight). It’ll warn you to back up your disk before installing Windows, which you should, since you are asking favours of the hard drive gods here.

Boot Camp Assistant will ask how much of your hard drive you would like dedicate to Windows. You want more than the laughably small 5GB of space it suggests. Since I keep around 3-4 games on my Windows partition at a time, and I want some breathing room just in case, I stick with 40GB, but you probably really want no less than 20GB. Slide the bar toward the Finder face, granting Windows how much hard drive space you want it to have. After you click partition, Boot Camp Assistant will start getting your hard drive divvied up for some Windows action, which will take a few minutes. Once that’s done, you’ll need your Windows disk.

If everything went according to plan, skip this next section!

If something went wrong

It’s possible you’ll get an error that says Boot Camp Assistant wasn’t able to create the partition because some files couldn’t be moved, and you need to format the drive into a single partition. Basically, what’s happened here, most likely, is that your hard drive is fragmented and there’s not enough contiguous space for Boot Camp Assistant to create the Windows partition.

If you’re extraordinarily lucky, it’s possible you might be able to simply restart your computer and stuff will just work. Probably not! From there, you proceed to the free and easy solution. Using Disk Utility, resize your main OS X partition, reducing it by 40GB (or however much you plan on making your Windows partition). Hit apply, and pray. If that goes peachy, you’ll have 40GB of unused space on your disk. Go back to Disk Utility, and re-expand your OS X partition to reclaim the 40GB. After that’s all done, run Boot Camp Assistant again, and since the hard work of moving files around on the disk was done by Disk Utility, you should be golden.

If, on the other hand, Disk Utility also refused to change your drive’s partitions, you have two choices. The nuclear option is to back up, format your hard drive completely, then run Boot Camp and divide your hard drive into partitions from the Snow Leopard installation before restoring all of your OS X data via machine. Or to find a program to defrag your Mac like iDefrag.

It’s a $30 defragmenting program. Basically, you make a start-up DVD (using your Snow Leopard install disc, so keep it handy), boot into it, and it shows you how gross and fragmented your hard drive is before going to work defragging it for a couple hours. Restart, you’re back in OS X, and Boot Camp Assistant won’t talk back to you again. At least, it didn’t to me.

The part where you actually install Windows, so grab some tea

Okay, welcome back, people without problems. After the partitioning is successful, Boot Camp Assistant will ask you to pop in your Windows disc. If you’ve got one of these Macs and 4GB of RAM, you should install the 64-bit version. If not, go 32-bit. Now, all of the pains and glories of installing Windows will actually commence.

After you pick the language and accept the terms, it’ll ask you what kind of Windows installation you want. Pick custom, and you should get a list of hard drives to install Windows on. Make sure you highlight the correct partition and click format, which will transform it to Windows’ native NTFS file system, if you’re doing a partition that’s bigger than 32GB for Windows. Then tell Windows to install itself there. Go make a drink, and come back 20 minutes later.

Welcome to Windows land.

Now what?

To pick between booting into OS X or Windows when you turn on your Mac, start holding down the Alt key before the gray screen appears when you power on. (You have to be fast.) It’ll give you the option to boot into Mac or Windows. Once you’re totally in Windows, you need to pop in the Snow Leopard installation disc, and run the Boot Camp installer, which puts in place all the drivers Windows needs to actually run decent on your Mac.

After that, you should run Windows Update to grab the latest goods from Microsoft, and I’d suggest, especially if you’re running a unibody MacBook (or Pro) going to Nvidia’s site and downloading their latest Windows 7 drivers for your graphics card (the 9M series for unibody MacBook Pros, 8M for the previous, non-unibody generation).

Overall, Boot Camp 3.0 in Snow Leopard works way better and more smoothly than before: Multitouch trackpads on MacBooks feel way less junkie; shortcut keys, like for brightness or volume, work exactly like in OS X (before, you pressed the function key); and you can read your OS X partition’s files from Windows now. (Back in OS X, you won’t be able to write to your Windows partition if it’s the NTFS format.) By the way, the command key, by default, is mapped as the Windows key.

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F1 News Book – All the latest F1 news and views (16th December 2009)

Trulli, Kovalainen confirmed at Lotus

from F1 news – autosport.com

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will race for Lotus next year, after the newly-formed Formula 1 team confirmed its line-up in a press conference held in Malaysia today

Lotus reveals new team logo

from F1 news – autosport.com

Lotus F1 Racing revealed its new team logo today, retaining the famous green/yellow colours of the legendary Lotus marque – but at the same time providing the F1 team a completely new identity

Mosley: I could have averted pull-outs

from F1 news – autosport.com

Former FIA president Max Mosley believes he might have kept BMW and Toyota in Formula 1 had he visited the manufacturers’ bosses to explain the reasoning behind his budget cap plan

Lloyds invests in Manor F1 team

from F1 news – autosport.com

The private equity arm of the Lloyds Banking Group has taken a stake in the new Manor Formula 1 team, which will run under the Virgin Racing banner

Henkel says Mercedes deal is invalid

from F1 news – autosport.com

German company Henkel says a sponsorship deal apparently agreed with the Mercedes GP team was put together by an ex-employee acting without authorisation, and that it will not be honouring the partnership

Ferrari: Schumacher deal ‘not binding’

from F1 news – autosport.com

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says his company would not prevent Michael Schumacher from racing for Mercedes in Formula 1 if he wished to do so – but added that the German had not yet discussed any such situation with him

Di Grassi to partner Glock at Virgin

from F1 news – autosport.com

Virgin Racing has confirmed that Lucas di Grassi is to race alongside Timo Glock at the team next year.

Campos still in talks with de la Rosa

from F1 news – autosport.com

Campos team president Jose Ramon Carabante says the Spanish squad is still in talks with Pedro de la Rosa to fill the second seat for its debut season.

Parente, Razia join Virgin as testers

from F1 news – autosport.com

Virgin Racing has announced Alvaro Parente will be its test driver in its debut season in 2010.

Rosberg: Pressure is on to win title

from F1 news – autosport.com

Nico Rosberg has admitted that the pressure is on Mercedes GP to win the world championship next year – amid continued speculation that Michael Schumacher could be on his way to the outfit.

Virgin car set for February run

from F1 news – autosport.com

Virgin Racing’s new Formula 1 car is on schedule to run for the first time in February – with technical director Nick Wirth confirming it will not be tried out in a wind tunnel before that maiden test.

Branson: Virgin can go all the way

from F1 news – autosport.com

Richard Branson believes the sky is the limit for his new Virgin Racing Formula 1 team, as he predicts a bright future for the outfit.

Virgin promises innovative approaches

from F1 news – autosport.com

Virgin Racing chiefs have promised to bring some innovative approaches into Formula 1 next year – as the eyes a closer relationship with the sport’s fans.

Virgin aims to earn respect from rivals

from F1 news – autosport.com

Virgin Racing sporting director John Booth says the team’s first target is to earn the respect of its rivals at the start of next season.

Di Grassi: F1 drive a dream come true

from F1 news – autosport.com

Lucas di Grassi says securing a deal to race in Formula 1 is a dream come true, after the Brazilian was confirmed as Timo Glock’s team-mate at the Virgin Racing team for next year.

Virgin eyes success with lowest budget

from F1 news – autosport.com

Richard Branson believes Virgin Racing can make a success of Formula 1 through talent rather than its chequebook – after revealing that the team will run with the lowest budget of any in 2010.

Massa commences F2007 test

from F1 news – autosport.com

Felipe Massa returned to the track in a 2007 Ferrari at Mugello yesterday, but was only able to complete 30 laps

Renault announces Genii partnership

from F1 news – autosport.com

Renault has confirmed it remains committed to Formula 1, after announcing on Wednesday that it has sold a large stake in the team to Luxembourg company Genii Capital Investment, as AUTOSPORT predicted

Red Bull retains Renault engines

from F1 news – autosport.com

Red Bull Racing will continue with Renault engines in 2010 as part of the company’s renewed commitment to Formula 1

Genii aims for Renault resurgence

from F1 news – autosport.com

Renault’s new partner Genii Capital is confident that it can give the French car manufacturer the support and finances it needs to return to the top in Formula 1

Stand-in drivers to get test days

from F1 news – autosport.com

Formula 1 teams will be allowed to give mid-season substitute drivers a day of testing from 2010 as part of rules tweaks announced by the FIA

Profile: Genii’s Gerard Lopez

from F1 news – autosport.com

For a bright businessman who speaks fluently in seven languages, and has been at the cutting edge of new technology business for more than a decade, it was almost inevitable that Gerard Lopez would eventually end up in Formula 1

“We want to be here longer than Ferrari”

from Racing news from en.espnf1.com

Virgin Racing’s team principal Alex Tai speaks to Claire Furnell about the 2010 season

Fry hints Schumacher return is on

from Racing news from en.espnf1.com

Speculation that Michael Schumacher will return to Formula One hit its highest point yet after Mercedes CEO Nick Fry hinted Schumacher was at the top of his list to partner Nico Rosberg at the German team

Ferrari won’t stop Schumacher comeback

from Racing news from en.espnf1.com

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has said his team would not stop Michael Schumacher from making a comeback in Formula One

Button misses out on top BBC award

from F1-Live.com

Jenson Button has finished runner-up in the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year award at a star studded ceremony in Sheffield

Trulli and Kovalainen to race at Lotus

from F1-Live.com

Lotus has confirmed Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as its race drivers for next year

Virgin is F1’s only fully British team – Branson

from F1.BrandBroadcast.net Latest 10 News Articles

Dec.16 (GMM) Sir Richard Branson on Tuesday said he is proud to be involved with the last fully British team in formula one.

FOTA votes to retain in-season testing ban

from F1.BrandBroadcast.net Latest 10 News Articles

Dec.16 (GMM) The F1 teams alliance FOTA last weekend reportedly decided to keep a full in-season testing ban in place for 2010.

Virgin car to have black/red livery in 2010

from F1.BrandBroadcast.net Latest 10 News Articles

Dec.15 (GMM) Virgin Racing team principal Alex Tai on Tuesday said the new team would field a black and red livery in 2010.

Petronas to stay with Sauber – report

from F1.BrandBroadcast.net Latest 10 News Articles

Dec.15 (GMM) In the wake of BMW’s withdrawal, Sauber is reportedly set to retain Petronas as a major sponsor.

Baguette linked with Sauber reserve role

from F1.BrandBroadcast.net Latest 10 News Articles

Dec.15 (GMM) Bertrand Baguette is tipped to secure a role with the Sauber team in 2010.

Di Grassi Q&A: Chance to race in F1 is a dream come true

from Formula1.com – Latest Interviews

After competing in GP2 for four seasons and regularly testing for Renault, Lucas Di Grassi has been a familiar face in the Formula One paddock for a number of years. In fact, ever since he won the prestigious Formula Three Macau Grand Prix back in 2005, Di Grassi has been on the radar of many team principals as a young talent to watch. It may have been a long wait but next season the Brazilian will finally make it onto the Formula One grid, racing for the newly launched Virgin team alongside former Toyota driver Timo Glock. Here the 25 year-old discusses his new team, Glock and his prospects for 2010…

Fernandes: Lotus drivers have the ‘full package’

from Formula1.com – Latest Interviews

Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes admitted he was still pinching himself after signing two of the biggest names on the grid to drive for his new, Malaysian-backed squad next season. In Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysian tester Fairuz Fauzy, Fernandes believes he has the perfect driver combination…

Q&A with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen

from Formula1.com – Latest Interviews

Lotus’s signing of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen for 2010 gives the new Malaysian-backed team one of the quickest and most experienced driver line-ups on the grid. So why did two seasoned F1 professionals agree to drive for an unproven squad? The Italian and Finn speak about their decision…

‘Kobayashi in talks with Sauber’

from GPUpdate.net

With Virgin Racing’s Tuesday announcement having seen more pieces of the 2010 driver jigsaw fitted into place, a number of spots on the grid remain vacant ahead of the upcoming season. With Mercedes’ second seat generating most speculation, Finnish media suggests that ex Toyota pilot Kamui Kobayashi may have signed with Sauber.

McLaren season review

from itv.com/f1 News and Features

It may have been a poor year by McLaren’s standards, but one of the best recoveries in history sets it up well for 2010.

Full Renault statement regarding F1 future

from Planet F1 | Motor Racing News

Renault’s full statement regarding the team’s future participation in Formula One…

Top 20 sporting moments of the decade: Michael Schumacher wins seventh title

from telegraph F1

Was Michael Schumacher’s seventh world title the moment of the decade?

Stefan GP opens job vacancies

from F1technical.net . Motorsport news by Tomba

Stefan GP, the new Serbian team that is trying to make its way to the 2010 Formula One grid is now hiring people. A new job page on their website calls for people who are willing to work in either Germany or Serbia.

Hulkenberg trains in Qatar

from F1technical.net . Motorsport news by Principessa

The AT&T Williams team’s newly appointed race driver, Nico Hulkenberg, commenced his winter physical training programme at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence this week. Continuing his stay in Doha following a Formula One demonstration event at the Losail International Circuit on Thursday last week, Team Principal Sir Frank Williams joined Nico at the Doha-based sports academy to witness the world class facilities at first hand.

Grosjean to race in Andros Trophy Ice event

from F1technical.net . Motorsport news by Principessa

Romain Grosjean, who drove the final seven races of the 2009 season for the Renault F1 Team, has confirmed that he will be driving in two rouds of the Andros Trophy ice racing event in France. This weekend, Grosjean will come in action for the first time.

POLL: Should Michael Schumacher return to F1?

from Crash.Net Formula One Newsfeed

Michael Schumacher looks set to return to F1 in 2010. Do you think he should come out of retirement and compete with Mercedes?

2010 Season countdown – 90 days to go

from F1 Wolf by F1Wolf

Ten days have passed since the 100 days mark, it is time for another 2010 season countdown post. Here is a summary where F1 stands with 90 days to go.

Lotus boss accepts Branson’s bet

from F1-Live.com

Lotus boss Tony Fernandes, accepts Richard Branson’s bet

2010 Season countdown – 90 days to go

from F1 Wolf by F1Wolf

Ten days have passed since the 100 days mark, it is time for another 2010 season countdown post. Here is a summary where F1 stands with 90 days to go.

F1 News Book – All the lastest F1 news and views

Button collects trophy at FIA Gala

Jenson Button and the Brawn GP team collected their world championship trophies at the FIA Gala Prize-Giving in Monaco last night

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Di Grassi says F1 deal is done

Lucas di Grassi is set to be announced as Virgin Racing’s second driver early next week, with the Brazilian having revealed that he has completed a Formula 1 deal with one of the new entrants

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Lotus to reveal drivers on Monday

The new Lotus Formula 1 team is to announce the identity of its 2010 drivers on Monday

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FIA invites proposals to improve 2010

The FIA has asked the Formula 1 Sporting Working Group to bring forward proposals for making F1 more entertaining in time to be implemented for the 2010 season

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Ex-F1 drivers to join stewards’ panel

Experienced ex-Formula 1 drivers will be part of the stewards’ panel from the start of the 2010 grand prix season

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Abu Dhabi to host 2010 season finale

Abu Dhabi will host the final round of the 2010 Formula 1 world championship after a late date change was confirmed by the FIA World Council today

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What the new points mean for F1

The previous two changes to the Formula 1 points scoring system were implemented to alter the weighting between each position. The new-for-1991 system increased the winner’s score from 9 to 10, then the 2003 tweak increased the prize for second place from 6 to 8, and extended to eighth place.

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FIA announces new F1 points system

Formula 1 will introduce a new points system from 2010 after the FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the F1 Commission’s proposal to award points to the top 10 finishers in each race

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Teams approve Brawn’s name change

World champion team Brawn GP’s renaming as Mercedes has been officially ratified by the Formula 1 Commission

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Whitmarsh to become FOTA chairman

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has been voted in as Luca di Montezemolo’s successor as the chairman of the Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA), AUTOSPORT can reveal

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Wolff open to increased Williams role

New Williams shareholder Toto Wolff says he hopes to play an increasingly large role in the team in the future, but is in no hurry to do so

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Drivers vote Senna the greatest ever

Three-time world champion Ayrton Senna has been voted the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time by a unique poll of 217 of his fellow world championship drivers conducted by AUTOSPORT magazine

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Korean GP preparations on target

Korea’s plans for its first Formula 1 race are completely on schedule – with race organisers saying their only issue at the moment is sorting out accommodation for fans

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Schumacher would be good for F1 – Fry

Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry believes rumours about former world champions such as Michael Schumacher returning to Formula 1 are great for the sport, as speculation continues to link Schumacher with Fry’s team

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Teams plan joint launch in Valencia

Formula 1 teams are scheduled to put the finishing touches to plans for a common car launch of their 2010 contenders on Thursday, with outfits looking to unveil their machines in Valencia in late January

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Fry: F1 will improve internet coverage

Formula 1 has been wholly guilty of not embracing fans enough through new media, but moves are being made to address the situation in time for the 2010 season

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Circuits plan to offer more for fans

Leading Formula 1 circuit chiefs have admitted that they need to make their events and venues more fan-friendly if they are going to survive in the increasingly tough business world

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Abu Dhabi handed final race of 2010 by FIA

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will now be the 2010 season finale after the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) agreed to the race organiser’s request for a change to the calendar

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Renault reported to have secured its F1 future

The Renault team will race on in Formula 1 next year after a deal was struck to secure its future

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Lotus out to beat Manor in 2010

Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes has pledged his team will beat the Virgin backed Manor team in its debut season in Formula One

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Silly season drags on

ESPNF1 takes a look, team by team, at the driver market as it stands and what we expect to happen

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F1 driver parade to get makeover – Fry

Proposals to immediately improve the spectacle of the grand prix weekend will be developed by the formula one teams.

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Mercedes to offer 7m euros for Schu return

Mercedes is reportedly proposing to pay Michael Schumacher 7 million euros if he agrees to return to F1 as Nico Rosberg’s teammate in 2010.

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Button and Brawn collect their silverware in Monaco

Jenson Button and Brawn GP were officially presented with their world championship trophies on Friday evening, as the annual FIA Gala in Monaco provided the grand finale for a dramatic 2009 Formula One season. Button and Ross Brawn picked up the silverware for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles respectively, whilst Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Brawn’s Rubens Barrichello took the stage to collect their second and third place trophies…

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Newey on Red Bull’s newfound title-winning confidence

Red Bull came so close to clinching the 2009 title that chief technical officer Adrian Newey could easily feel disappointed that they couldn’t quite wrestle the championship out of Brawn GP’s grasp. Newey, however, believes their ‘09 performance has boosted the team’s confidence to such an extent that they are facing 2010 with optimism. “For me 2009 was a great year because, although we didn’t manage to win the championship, Red Bull Racing as a team matured to the point where we were able to win races and challenge for a championship,” said Newey in an interview on Red Bull’s official website. “For the team to achieve that so early in its history has been very satisfying.

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Sheikh becomes the first Qatari to drive an F1 car

On Thursday His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani became the first Qatari to drive a Formula One car when he took to the 5.3-kilometre Losail International Circuit in a Williams FW31. His Highness, who is the owner of the Al-Anabi Group of Drag Racing Teams in the US and the Middle East, completed five laps of the Qatar track. “The Williams FW31 is a remarkable vehicle, unlike any other race car I’ve ever driven,” he said after his run. “Being the first Qatarian to drive a Formula One car was an amazing experience I will not forget. I am proud that I was able to experience this honour at home in the State of Qatar.”

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Toyota season review

Toyota’s final season was a microcosm of its eight-year stint in F1: big investment, plenty of promise but no breakthrough.

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Ferrari season review

Problems with double diffusers, KERS, stand-in drivers and its worst car for years made Ferrari’s season one to forget.

Silverstone secures British GP from 2010

The British Grand Prix will stay at the Silverstone circuit next year after the Northamptonshire track reached a deal with Bernie Ecclestone after weeks of negotiations.

Silverstone looked set to lose the race last year when Ecclestone signed a 17-year deal with Donington Park to host the grand prix from next season.

However, Donington failed to raise the funds to carry out a redevelopment project and so Ecclestone began talks with Silverstone.

The British Racing Drivers’ Club, owners of the tack, confirmed on Monday morning they had secured a 17-year agreement to host the British Grand Prix from 2010.

More to follow.

Reference: Autosport.com

F1 News Book – All the lastest F1 news and views

Ferrari hit out at Kimi after Alonso’s visits

The demise of Kimi Raikkonen’s relationship with Ferrari and his apparent lack of motivation have, according to an unnamed Ferrari team member, been highlighted by Fernando Alonso’s recent visits to Maranello.

Ricciardo chasing Red Bull tester role

Daniel Ricciardo is hoping to land the role of Red Bull’s third and reserve driver as he continues testing with the team at Jerez.

Renault and Manor best options for Di Grassi

Lucas di Grassi is seen as an upcoming young talent for several years. The Brazilian is already 25-year-old now and after being consider as a talent for many years now he is keen to finally enter Formula 1 as a race driver. According to Di Grassi his best options for 2010 are Manor and Renault.

Baguette set to run for Sauber

World Series Formula 3.5 Champion Bertrand Baguette will swap over to Sauber for the final day of this week’s Jerez young driver test.

Q&A with Paul di Resta

Paul di Resta, who spent the past two days testing for Force India at Jerez, shares his thoughts on his maiden F1 voyage…

Soucek expects F1 seat in 2010

Formula Two champion Andy Soucek is confident he will be racing in Formula 1 next season. The Spanish 24-year-old said he is completely focussed on signing up with a Formula 1 team rather than racing in any other series next year.

Ferrari sign Bianchi to multi year deal

The Scuderia Ferrari have recently signed Jules Bianchi to a multi year contract, although the 20 year old is now heading into the GP2 series after winning the 2009 F3 Championship. Bianchi’s contract doesn’t specify an F1 race seat, but continued work and relations with the Italian team.

Jerez day two – Paffett leads younger rivals for McLaren

McLaren’s Gary Paffett proved on Wednesday that experience is still a valuable commodity in Formula One racing, after dominating the second day of this week’s young driver test at Jerez in Spain. The 28-year-old Englishman, who first tested for the team in 2001, was the only man to dip below the 1m 19s mark, clocking a best time of 1m 18.718s to finish almost half a second ahead of 2010 Williams’ driver Nico Hulkenberg…

The Gravel Trap

Get stuck in to the lighter side of Formula 1 with our comedy corner.

Q and A with Jules Bianchi

Jules Bianchi has been the centre of attention during this week’s young driver test at Jerez after Ferrari announced that it signed the young Frenchman on a long-term deal.

2010 fuel-loads simulations for McLaren

Gary undertook the day’s running, spending the early part of the morning conducting vibration tests until weather conditions improved. The test team then moved on to a number of aero calibration tests and a baseline run, with Gary setting his fastest time of the day just before the brief arrival of a lunchtime rain shower.

Good day for Ricciardo with Red Bull

For his second day in an F1 cockpit, Daniel Ricciardo tackled a similar programme to yesterday, which involved getting to grips with the actual driving and procedures that are unique to these cars, as well as trying two different tyre compounds.

Mechnical problems for Bortolotti in STR4

An Italian driving for an Italian team was our scenario today, as Mirko Bortolotti took over from Brendon Hartley in the cockpit of the STR4. The 19 year old from Trento had already experienced the joys of Formula 1, when he drove a Ferrari at Fiorano just over a year ago as his prize for winning the 2008 Italian Formula 3 championship. This year, Mirko, who is a product of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme, finished fourth in the FIA Formula 2 series.

Conway continues driving duties in Brawn-Mercedes BGP001

The second day of the Young Driver test in Jerez got underway this morning with Mike Conway continuing his driving duties in the Brawn-Mercedes BGP 001 car. Mike worked through a number of set-up changes with the car before a short rain shower briefly interrupted the track action. He continued his programme after lunch for a further three runs to complete 83 laps in total today.

Hydraulic leak for Gutierrez

To ensure a fair comparison, the BMW Sauber F1 Team today started with the same programme for Esteban Gutierrez as it did yesterday with Alexander Rossi. In the morning Esteban familiarized himself with the car and the track.

Force India season review

We analyse Force India’s breakthrough season and suggest it could have been better still with fewer driver errors.

Mercedes seat would be ‘dream’ for Heidfeld

Nick Heidfeld says driving for Mercedes Grand Prix next year would be a “dream” but admits no deal is yet in place…

French GP project abandoned

Hopes of reviving French GP set back after plans for new circuit near Paris are scrapped.

Massa becomes a father

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa becomes a father as his wife gives birth to a boy in Sao Paulo.

Canadian GP organisers willing to help Villeneuve

The organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix hope to see Jacques Villeneuve return to Formula 1 next season. The Canadian is linked to Lotus F1 and if Villeneuve would need any help to seal a deal in F1 for next year’s grid the organisers of the Grand Prix in Montreal are more than happy to help.

Soucek rules out Campos

Andy Soucek set the pace in testing on Tuesday for Williams at Jerez and is targeting a move to Formula One next season…

Andy Soucek Q&A

Tuesday’s Jerez star Andy Soucek talks about his performance and F1 prospects for 2010.

JR Hildebrand Q&A: I can’t wait to get back on track

Although frustrated he only finished tenth for Force India on the Jerez timesheets, 21 year-old American JR Hildebrand was pleased with his progress during the opening day of this week’s young driver test. Here Indy Lights champion Hildebrand relives his first taste of Formula One power and looks ahead to getting back in the car on Wednesday afternoon…

Jerez Day 1: Soucek on top

Formula 2 Champion Andy Soucek and the Williams team led on Tuesday at Jerez as the Spanish venue welcomed the first young driver test session. With only those drivers with less than three Grand Prix experiences taking part, the local favourite topped the timesheets as a total of eight drivers drove an F1 car for the first time.

F1 News Book – All the lastest F1 news and views

To keep all my viewers up-to-date with the lastest F1 news and views I will be creating the F1 News Book. The News Books will have all the breaking news with links to read the hold story..

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Whitmarsh: Driver rivalry good for team

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is confident that the competitive rivalry between his 2010 drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will spur the team on rather than becoming destructive.

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Schumacher wins as Massa shines

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher scored a superb victory today in Heat 1 of the International Challenge of Go-Kart Champions in Florianopolis. Felipe Massa finished third.

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Nick Fry to talk on what???

Having remained in the background for much of the year, Nick Fry has been back in the news of late sharing his thoughts on such things as Jenson Button’s loyalty. But guess what subject he is to speak on in a forthcoming forum.

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Hulkenberg: I have a lot to learn

Nico Hulkenberg admits he will have his work cut out for him in his debut season next year.

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Serbian team ‘on stand-by’ for 2010 slot

The race for a slot on next year’s starting grid is heating with Serbian team Stefan Grand Prix saying they are ready to enter Formula One.

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Ecclestone has ‘no interest’ in running British GP at Donington

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has bluntly dismissed suggestions that he is planning to buy Donington Park in order to ensure that the 2010 British Grand Prix still takes place there.

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Di Grassi in pole position for second Manor F1 seat?

GP2 Series front-runner and former Macau F3 Grand Prix winner Lucas Di Grassi looks to be the favourite to clinch the second seat at Manor Grand Prix in F1 2010…

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Barrichello: Brawn should’ve fought to keep drivers

Rubens Barrichello adds his voice to that of Niki Lauda in suggesting that Ross Brawn has perhaps made a mistake in relying upon an all-new driver line-up in F1 2010…

F1 News Book – All the lastest F1 news and views

To keep all my viewers up-to-date with the lastest F1 news and views I will be creating the F1 News Book. The News Books will have all the breaking news with links to read the hold story.

Conway, Ericsson to test for Mercedes

Briton Mike Conway and Japanese Formula 3 champion Marcus Ericsson will join Mercedes Grand Prix for the young driver test days at Jerez.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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De la Rosa still seeking F1 race drive

 

McLaren’s reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa says he is doing everything he can to secure a racing seat in Formula 1 next season.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Lotus, Manor get FOTA membership

 

The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) has approved the membership applications of the Lotus and Manor teams, AUTOSPORT can reveal, meaning the organisation now features every team on the grid.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Alonso continues work at Ferrari

 

Fernando Alonso has completed his second semi-official visit to new team Ferrari’s headquarters – and completed more laps of its Fiorano test track.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Circuit bosses join Business Forum

 

Formula 1 circuit chiefs are the latest additions to the 2009 Motor Sport Business Forum, which takes place in Monaco on December 9 and 10.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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VW considering F1 engine supply

 

Volkswagen is seriously evaluating a move into Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2012, when new power unit regulations due to be introduced could make the sport attractive enough for the German car maker to get involved.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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BMW sells F1 team back to Peter Sauber

 

BMW has agreed to sell its Formula 1 team back to Peter Sauber, on condition that the team receives an entry for 2010, after announcing it’s original sale to Qadbak Investment Ltd. will not be completed.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Force India retains Sutil and Liuzzi

 

The Force India team has confirmed it will retain both Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi as its racing drivers for the 2010 season.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Renault announces Jerez test line-up

 

The Renault team will test Bertrand Baguette, Lucas di Grassi and Ho-Pin Tung in the upcoming testing session at the Jerez circuit in Spain.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Webber: Motivation as high as ever

 

Mark Webber says his motivation remain as high as ever as he targets an even stronger championship challenge in the 2010 season.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Stefan GP still seeking 2010 grid slot

 

Stefan Grand Prix, the Serbian team that is seeking a move into Formula 1, says it is still looking at opportunities to make it onto the grid next year – despite dismissing talk that it is about to buy Toyota’s F1 entry.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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Canadian GP secures new deal

 

The Canadian Grand Prix’s return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2010 is now official, after the government stepped in to help secure a five-year deal for the race.

Full Story: Autosport.com

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