For everyone who has ever participated in a track day or a racing event, especially in an open wheeled car, you know there is an awful lot to do and think about in the cockpit. When you’re driving at the highest level of open wheeled racing, piloting a 1,400 pound Formula 1 car that has between 750 and 850 hp, this seasonit seems there’s more to do than ever. With the reintroduction of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS), the reintroduction of the 107% qualifying rule, the introduction of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) and new Pirelli tires, the drivers have an awful lot to contend with.  And to illustrate just how capable the current crop of F1 drivers are, they all handled it pretty well in race 1, except for Rubens Barrichello’s overly optimistic passing attempt on (and into) Nico Rosberg, although Ruben’s has since blamed it on the tires and said he was defending his potion from Kamui Kobayashi.

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Just like he dominated proceedings all weekend at Albert Park in Melbourne, reigning Formula1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel continued to outpace rivals and was in a zone all to himself as he came home in first place at the Australian Formula1 Grand Prix 2011. Following the Redbull Renault of Vettel, who was on a two pit stop strategy was Lewis Hamilton of Mclaren who came second, and who never really looked like challenging Vettel all through the first race of the season.

Hamilton was followed by a surprise package in the form of Vitaly Petrov of Renault who managed to bring his car home in third place. Sebastain Vettel and the Redbull Renault team, incidentally did not use the KERS power boosting package for the race and the coming weekends could only make the Redbulls faster if they manage to set up the KERS just right, as they currently seem to be struggling with the KERS set up.

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Just as the F1 season kicks off the 2011 version of the Formula 1 mobile app becomes available.  The F1 mobile app  is available to Android, BlackBerry and Apple iOS users for free but you do have to register firstly at Formula1. There is a new push notification service to notify when the action is about to begin. This is useful as there are many different start times from around the world i.e. time difference.

The Formula 1 mobile app is released in partnership with Vodafone who stream live data coverage direct to your phone for the practice and main races.  Other live timing features include track status indicator, straight-line speeds and text commentary, plus a circuit data screen including current air and track temperatures, rainfall, air pressure and humidity levels, wind speed and direction. You can also view data retrospectively throughout the season. The Formula 1 mobile app can be downloaded from Android Market, Apple Store and BlackBerry App World.

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Organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix have been given a deadline of May 1 to decide whether or not the Kingdom is able to stage a race this year.

Bahrain was due to host the season-opening grand prix at Sakhir this weekend, but the country’s Crown Prince postponed the event following recent unrest.

The race is expected to eventually be rescheduled for later in the year, but Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, said earlier this month he expected the new date to be finalised before the start of the season in Melbourne on March 27.

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The legal dispute between Force India and Team Lotus is set to be heard in the High Court at the beginning of next year. Force India claim that Italian aerodynamic company Aerolab “may have” disclosed intellectual property to Team Lotus’ parent company, 1 Malaysia Racing Team.

In August 2009, Force India ended the contract agreement it held with Aerolab because of what they described as “a breach of confidentiality”.

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Mark Webber has poured cold water on Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s idea of using ‘fake rain’ during Grands Prix races. Ecclestone caused a storm this week after saying a sprinkler system would help liven up the show. Asked whether the sport needed it and whether he is in favour, Aussie Webber snapped: “No and no!” The Sun

“Yes, it can be more exciting when we have some different weather conditions.”“But you think of guys like Ayrton Senna and Jackie Stewart and Jimmy Clark – masters in the wet – and they would be, well Jackie is still here, but the other two would be turning in their graves at the thought that we would have sprinklers and hoses lined up around the track.” Telegraph. “It wouldn’t be the most sophisticated way to make the show more entertaining,” added Webber. Mercedes GP chief executive Nick Fry was also unconvinced.

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Formula 1’s Grand Prix – considered the World Cup of motor sports – was last held in the United States in 2007, but its profile has continued to heighten on this side of the Atlantic since the announcement last spring that the 2010-2021 GPs will be held in Austin, Texas.

Some within the racing community were surprised that Austin won the honor of hosting the event, especially since the United States doesn’t even have a Formula 1 team. But no one denies that the vibrant Texas capital known for its tech companies and movie-star residents was an excellent choice – if for no other reason, because Texans were prepared to stack their money on the table to bankroll the venture. State legislators, recognizing the international cachet and income Formula 1 would likely bring to the area, pledged $250 million in taxpayer-backed funding for a purpose-built, state of the art Formula 1 track.

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Formula One star Robert Kubica has been seriously injured while competing in a rally in Italy. The Lotus Renault driver, 26, was 4.6km into the stage in a Skoda Fabia when the car went off the road and hit a wall. His co-driver Jacub Gerber got out unhurt while Kubica had to be extracted and taken by helicopter to hospital. There were no immediate details of his injuries but a Renault spokesman confirmed he was conscious.

Local health authority officials in Italy said Kubica’s life was not in danger, and that the worst damage appeared to be to his limbs. “Certainly it is a very delicate situation, as the first hours always are after a huge trauma, one in which there could also have been a strong bleeding,” Roberto Carrozzino, a local health authority official, told Sky Italia.

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Narain Karthikeyan is set for his comeback with the Hispania Racing Team for the 2011 F1 season. While Indians are celebrating his comeback to Formula1, there is much silence over Karun Chandhok's move for the coming season.

Here I go evaluating where Karun could end up in the 2011 F1 season: 1. Team Lotus Racing: Tony Fernandes led Team Lotus Racing has confirmed Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen for the 2011 season. However, their test and reserve driver seat is vacant. (They relieved Malaysian rookie Fairuz Fauzy of his role after the 2010 season).

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Michael Schumacher''s hopesof turning around his return to Formula One began Tuesday intesting the new Mercedes car. The 42-year-old Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion, wasset to drive at the Cheste Circuit after teammate NicoRosberg, who gave the car a positive review after a brieffirst spin in the morning.

Both Schumacher and Mercedes are looking to rebound froma disappointing 2010 season. Schumacher was ninth in thedrivers'' standings while Mercedes never really challengedchampion Red Bull or closest rivals Ferrari and McLaren.

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