I feel ecstatic. It was a great feeling to be standing on the podium in front of my team, especially knowing what we have all been through over the winter with some very difficult moments. It shows that all the hard work and effort was worth it and I have to say thanks to everyone for giving me such a great car. I feel really good and I know we can have a great season.

The car looked competitive right from the start of the weekend…

It's true. All weekend was pretty good for us and the new parts we brought here worked well. It was the moment when we finally got some answers on where we stand compared to the others. The car was quick, there were no problems at all, and the team did everything perfectly. We can be proud of our result today. Also, we did not get this result thanks to a crazy race : there's been no safety car, no shunt, no rain. We got this podium on pure merit. After all the criticism I got last year, it's great to set the record straight.

In the closing laps you had to fend off a double world champion – not for the first time! Talk us through your fight with Alonso…

Well, to be honest he never got too close to me – maybe just on the final lap. So there was not too much pressure. Even if he wanted to attack me, he needed some time, but my tyres were still in quite good shape, so I could keep a good gap. I even set my best time of the race three laps before the end. The decision to only stop twice was definitely the right one and the team made a great call on this. It was a tough one : at the end of my second stint, my laptimes were starting to get worse, but we knew that the harder tyre was quite slower. We took the decision to stop at the right time.

Do you feel you can build on this result in Malaysia next week?

I think so. We have an aggressive car, a special exhaust system, and it seems we are quite competitive, especially our race pace. We know that Red Bull and McLaren are very strong, too, but hopefully we can keep pushing them hard. I know we have some more aero parts coming for Sepang and I'm determined to continue fighting with these guys. Until then, I will go through the hundreds of congratulations messages I got yesterday !

• Both Nick and Vitaly adopted two-stop strategies: soft / soft / hard

• Nick stopped on laps 15 and 30, while Vitaly made his stops on laps 16 and 36.

• Vitaly set his best time on lap 55, while defending his third place from Fernando Alonso

• Vitaly makes history as the first Russian to stand on a Formula 1 podium

Vitaly Petrov, P3, R31-03

I'm delighted to be here on the podium, especially after the winter that we had as a team, which was very tough. Even during testing we didn't really know where we were compared with the others, but we continued adding new parts to the car this weekend, and they worked pretty well. I made a great start today, which was probably the key for my race because it got me ahead of Alonso and Button, and I was able to run in some clean air and push hard, as well as looking after my tyres. Our two-stop strategy was clearly the right decision and we made it work. I have to say a big thanks to everyone in the team for working so hard and for supporting my over the winter. This result is for all of us and I'm totally ecstatic.

Nick Heidfeld, P14, R31-01

Today was a tough race. I'm obviously disappointed not to finish in the points, but it just wasn't possible, especially after I got hit on the first lap. It's a shame because I had made such a good start from 18^th to 12^th by the first corner. The damage to the car was quite severe, mostly to the right hand bodywork, sidepod and engine cover. So it wasn't a strong race for me at all. But, I'm pleased for the team and Vitaly that we have this excellent result today. It shows that we have a competitive car and that we can fight hard this year.

Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director

The podium today is a huge relief and a big reward for all the work which has been done by all the team, and obviously I am very happy. It shows that the decision we took to be aggressive with the design of the car was the right call, and it's something we can build on going forward. The performance of Vitaly was very strong and it shows that we can deliver strong results this season. In fact, I have no doubt that both our drivers can be fighting towards the front at the next race and that we can build on the competitiveness we have shown this weekend.

James Allison, Technical Director

I'm utterly delighted for everyone in the team because it has not been easy getting here. I would be lying if I said I thought we'd earn a podium like we did today, but Vitaly's place looked very good in qualifying and we knew we were competitive. We thought we were in with a shout of a good fight with the Ferraris, and we did exactly that. Going forward we will have more aero updates for the car in Malaysia, which are worth a few extra tenths. It should allow us to build on our strong showing today.

Riccardo Penteado, LRGP Engine Support Leader, Renault Sport F1

A fantastic result for Lotus Renault GP today and a dream start to the season. Vitaly drove a great race, under lots of pressure from former world champion Fernando Alonso, but he didn't make a single mistake and showed that the car has a huge amount of potential. He drove every lap like a qualifying lap and therefore we were a bit tight on the fuel towards the end of the race, but both he and the team managed the economy very well and finally it worked out how we wanted, in fact even better, with a podium. Nick's race was compromised by some damage to the car. From the engine side we're obviously very pleased with how it's gone today and are already looking forward to Malaysia.'

• Did you know?

Despite the fact it wasn't seen on television, the entire right hand side of Nick's sidepod was ripped off during contact on the opening lap of the race.

JA: Both sets of tyres, hard and soft, were really quite consistent and durable, which is very much against the trend we saw during winter testing. Although the degradation here is much improved compared to pre-season, there is still a really big performance step between the hard and the soft.

What do you think we've learnt as a team since the winter tests, what has come out of the time that the team had in Barcelona?

JA: Like all the teams, our winter test programme was about establishing the reliability of the car and learning the characteristics of the Pirelli tyres (best tyre pressures, tyre cambers etc). There is so much of this basic housekeeping work to be done that there is only limited opportunity to explore the setup of the car.

The Drag Reduction System (DRS) – how do you think that has performed over the course of one lap?

JA: Well, actually at this circuit it's actually worth quite a lot of lap time because there's lots of little straights and they all add up to being a good chunk of performance – over 0.8 of a second. Obviously the purpose of the DRS isn't to give performance in qualifying; it's to make overtaking easier in the actual race.

So, how much of an advantage do you think it will be during a race?

JA: This is actually one of the most challenging circuits to overtake on because the longest straight is only around 700 metres. As a consequence, even with the DRS, you'll need to be quite a lot quicker than the guy in front to have a chance of passing.

What are your general thoughts on the reintroduction of KERS to the sport?

JA: We, like most teams on the grid, see that KERS is an advantage. It's worth several tenths in qualifying and around ten metres of advantage at the start. We're pretty pleased with the way our package is working out for us.

Regarding the car, are you pleased with how it's developed and how it compares to what you've seen of the other teams' cars?

JA: I guess I'm satisfied with the start we've made. We're in P6 here with Vitaly and we were P9 with Robert last year so it's a case of so far so good. However, the gap to Red Bull is chastening and we still have a lot of work ahead before we can regard ourselves as competitive.

The exhaust has been quite a talking point throughout pre-season. What do you make of the reported interest from the other teams in this type of exhaust?

JA: Well, I would be surprised if many of the other teams hadn't considered it long before they saw our car running because it is a concept that I'm sure would have occurred to other people. The difficulty of the exhaust is actually doing it – it's a lot of work putting the exhaust out of the front of the car and there's lots of engineering to do to make it possible.

Can you elaborate on the most challenging or difficult issues you've faced with developing this type of exhaust?

JA: The exhaust gets seriously hot during running and our configuration passes it close to lots of parts of the car which don't normally get hot. Managing the heat flow around these parts of the car is a real challenge.

The reliability of the car – do you think the car has spent too long in the garage, or are you comfortable with its dependability?

JA: No, I'm certainly not comfortable – there are a thousand things that can catch you out, so you never feel comfortable. We spent more time in the garage than we would have liked during the pre-season, but most to of the items that kept us from the track would not have given rise to a DNF. I'm hopeful that we should have a relatively untroubled run to the flag in the race.

The paddock was buzzing, and swarming with camera crews seeking a quick interview with the drivers as they walked around in between the final practice session (P3) and qualifying. Rumours were circulating that the paddock's guests included a Pussycat Doll (rumour confirmed), former Westlife singer Bryan McFadden and Hollywood A-Lister / Safety Video 'voice' of Qantas, John Travolta.

On 'the other side', fans were crowding around the barriers, waiting for that glimpse of a famous driver's face or the autograph which would fill their book. On my return from a TV interview session with Bruno on the golf buggy, F1 fanatics could be shouting out his name relentlessly! Australian flags, Union Jacks, German flags were held aloft. With fans everywhere, things were definitely heating-up around Albert Park, as the question on everyone's mind was how the grid would look, come 6pm.

Fortunately for us, Vitaly's strong performance to 6^th position on the grid allayed any earlier disappointment at Nick's elimination at the end of Q1, as he ended the session 18^th fastest.

Vitaly Petrov, P6, R31-03, 1:25.212

"After all the hard work during a very tough winter for the whole team, it feels great to come here and qualify on the third row. There was a lot of pressure in Q3 because I only had one run, right at the end of the session. So there were no second chances and I'm glad I was able to deliver the lap. The car has felt good right from the start of practice and we've improved it constantly during each session. I think we are in a great position for the race and that we can fight for some points tomorrow. I'm not too worried about the tyres because they have been working well for us so far and we have not seen the drop off that we saw during winter testing."

Nick Heidfeld, P18, R31-01, 1:27.239

"I'm disappointed to be starting the season from so far back. It wasn't an easy session and I had a problem with the KERS, which meant I had to change some settings, and that cost me one of my timed laps. Then, there was so much traffic and I tried to find some free space, but it didn't work out for me. It's bad luck, but I must try and put that behind me now. As we have seen with Vitaly, the car seems to have good pace and the race is wide open, so hopefully I can move forward and fight for points."

James Allison, Technical Director: "The race may not be as frantic as we expected"

James, a mixed session for the team. What is your verdict?

We're all very pleased with sixth on the grid for Vitaly, but sad for Nick that a troubled session in Q1 saw him eliminated early on. P18 is certainly not a reflection of the pace he has shown throughout the weekend.

Did the pace shown by Vitaly confirm what you had seen during testing?

It was very hard to judge from winter testing exactly where we stood in the pecking order. However I was really pleased with the way Vitaly improved the car steadily through the weekend and produced really consistent results in each part of qualifying. Still, there is a big gap to pole position and we need to work on reducing that.

Looking ahead to the race, what are you expecting?

From what we could tell during the pre-season, our car seemed to run pretty well on its tyres, so hopefully we can make good starts with both cars and move forward during the race. It's too early to have a feeling on race pace, but I think we will be able to maintain and improve on our qualifying competitiveness.

Will it be a race all about tyres?

So far this weekend the tyres have proved durable and consistent – much more so than we saw during testing – and that's the case for both the hard and the soft compounds. So perhaps the race might not be quite as frantic as we expected before we arrived here.

• Did you know?
  At Albert Park the gain from DRS (the rear wing drag reduction system) during a qualifying lap is around eight tenths of a second.

Alan Permane, Chief Engineer - Technical programme notes

- The track was very green to begin with and we didn't do a great amount of running in the first session. We used one set of hard tyres per driver and it all went as planned.

- We used flow viz paint on both cars to assess the performance of the DRS (drag reduction system). We also practiced using KERS in both sessions.

- We ran both the hard and soft tyres in the second session and did some high fuel work on the soft tyre.

- We have evaluated some new aerodynamic parts and they are performing well.

What we learned today:

- Tyres are performing better than expected.

- High fuel running in the afternoon confirmed that there are no concerns over braking and cooling.

Nick Heidfeld, R31-01

Free practice 1: P12, 1:28.928, 14 laps

Free practice 2: P13, 1:27.536, 29 laps

Nick: "I think today was OK. We spent more time than we expected working on the set-up and so we didn't do as many laps as we wanted. The car felt alright, but I think we can still improve. With the hard tyres it was quite difficult to get enough grip, and the small problems that we had meant I couldn't really do a long run in the end. Also, the wet weather conditions meant it was not ideal to learn about the car, but I think we're lucky that it stayed pretty dry. It's still very difficult to know exactly where we stand, but we do have a better picture than we had yesterday."

Vitaly Petrov, R31-03

Free practice 1: P10, 1:28.765, 15 laps

Free practice 2: P12, 1:27.528, 22 laps

Vitaly: "It's always fun to get the season underway. The weather was quite cold, but I didn't have any issues with the car during the sessions. We did the baseline set-up work and found some good improvements during the day and I already feel quite comfortable with the balance of the car here. The other good news is that the tyres were performing well today and lasting quite a bit longer than expected."

Did you know?

OMP have designed a new range of fireproof suits, shoes, gloves and ultra-light seatbelts, offering a total weight saving of 20% compared with last season.

Of course, yes. It's always nice to come back here. I like this country, the only problem is it's quite far from anywhere, so you need a day to fly, but it's good to be here. I like this circuit. It's quite interesting and there's also nice food here.

It's your second year in Formula 1 now. How different a driver do you think you are twelve months on from your debut?

I think everything has changed because first of all, I know all the circuits, secondly I know the team – and it's very important to know the people around you. Now I'm much more prepared for this year than I was last year so I think altogether things looks much better.

And let's talk about winter testing. How do you feel that went, and do you feel well prepared for the first race?

The testing went quite well, though always not enough time to be honest. Yeah, we have quite a few changes like the rear wing, KERS and I need to adapt to do that, but apparently it's not bad. The car looks strong enough, though on the basis of testing it's very difficult to say where we are at that moment so let's wait for the first event and then we'll see.

LRGP gears up to go down under for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

We have compiled a brand new preview packed full of exciting and informative content: we have interviews with Nick and Vitaly, a word with the boss, Eric Boullier, a tech talk with Technical Director James Allison and have included useful information on Albert Park.

Click here to read the preview:

http://issuu.com/nic...howFlipBtn=true

That included all our drivers for the weekend – Nick, Vitaly and Bruno. At lunchtime today, the drivers were needed for the official pre-season FIA Photograph session. The session, which was open to all photographers from the world over saw exactly that – (not so) happy snappers from all corners of the world, experiencing a severe Melbourne drenching! Having spent a great deal of time at the Team HQ in Enstone, however, all the drivers were accustomed to the rain and each put on a brave face in front of the flashing bulbs. Vitaly even enjoyed holding an umbrella aloft as the photographers snapped away: a shot which will undoubtedly be used by one or more of the sport's publications in the coming days!

With their race helmets by their sides, all three of the team appeared in high spirits and raring to go as the countdown clock to the season-opener draws closer and closer.

Greeted by a healthy scrum of TV reporters, radio hacks and snappers (mainly happy) in sunny but blustery conditions, they met Hawthorn Australian Rules Football Club star Buddy Franklin.

At six feet and five inches tall, Nick and Vitaly looked up to the Aussie Rules star and learnt a thing or two about the sport, as they practised a few Aussie Rules punts in the shadow of the 100,000-seater stadium.

Vitaly got to grips with the unusual shape of the ball, while Nick soon learnt from Buddy that placing the ball over the line did not constitute points in this sport – save that for the rugby, Nick!

Ideal weather conditions prevailed in Barcelona as Nick wrapped up the team's pre-season preparations ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

Driver: Nick

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: 1:22.073

Position: P4

Total laps: 67

What we learned today:

- High fuel running allowed Nick to improve his understanding of the Pirelli tyres – maximising lap time while looking after the tyres. The data also confirms the R31 is nicely balanced in terms of tyre wear, with both the front and rears wearing at a similar rate.

Nick: "For our final day in Barcelona we started by working on car balance to be ready for Melbourne. The set-up work was useful and taught us quite a few things. We would have liked to do more laps and I was hoping to do a race distance later in the day, but the problems with the gearbox after lunch meant we spent a bit too much time in the garage. However, we managed to get out for the final hour and did some running on heavy fuel."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- We had a good morning. The car was working well and showed good pace. The programme involved the continuation of our set-up work from earlier in the week.

- For the afternoon we had planned a race distance, but unfortunately we had to change the gearbox at lunchtime. In the end we opted to do a very long run on high fuel.

Did you know?

The R31 at this week's test will arrive back in Enstone tomorrow and will depart for Melbourne on Tuesday next week.

Greetings from Barcelona as we wrap up our final pre-season test session. As you'd expect, it's been a really busy week with lots to get through. We've been assessing some new parts (rear wing and floor), trying some different directions with the set-up, and trying to get as much data on the tyres as possible.

As you probably read in our end-of-day reports, Nick has been suffering with a cold this week, which meant he didn't drive on Tuesday afternoon as planned. He's feeling a bit better today and will be in the car for the rest of the afternoon. After evaluating some set-up options this morning, the plan is to do a race distance before the end of the day.

The final test has been pretty busy on the media front, too. All the journalists have been keen to hear the drivers' thoughts before they travel to Melbourne. So far everybody is trying to judge the pecking order, but Nick and Vitaly have both said it's difficult to know for sure. Australia in two weeks' time will finally give us the answers.

As for Australia, the freight will start to be shipped early next week, and the first guys from the team will be travelling to Melbourne at the end of the week. Look out for a factory blog next week with all the news.

Vitaly and Nick shared driving duties again today as the team tested in sunny conditions in Barcelona.

Driver: Vitaly / Nick

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: Vitaly: 1:24.233 / Nick: 1:23.541

Position: Vitaly: P8 / Nick P6

Total laps: Vitaly: 24 / Nick: 32

What we learned today:

- Data collected on the braking system suggests the new components tried this morning are working as expected. Vitaly's feedback was also positive.

- Set-up work with a heavy fuel load proved valuable with the team discovering several useful directions.

Vitaly: "Unfortunately we lost some time this morning because we had a problem with the KERS so we couldn't do the longs runs we had planned. For the rest of the morning we did some brake work and continued getting more data on the tyres."

Nick:"We spent the afternoon trying some different ideas with the set-up and we made quite a few improvements and learned some useful things. I ran on the medium and the soft tyres, and the car felt much better by the end of the day, but there is still a lot more work to complete before the last day of testing tomorrow."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- We ran both drivers again with Vitaly driving this morning and Nick in the afternoon. The plan was for Vitaly to do another race distance, but unfortunately our running was cut short with a KERS problem.

- For the afternoon with Nick, we concentrated on set-up work and ran the medium and soft tyres.

Did You Know?

This year's KERS represents a weight saving of more than 10kg compared to 2009.

Speaking in Barcelona today, Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli gives an update on the Robert Kubica's recovery.

Riccardo, first of all, how is Robert?

Robert is getting better day by day. His physical and psychological recovery is encouraging and all the doctors at Pietra Ligure Hospital are surprised when they see how quickly he is recovering from everything. From the pain, the movement, the scars, everything is improving every day.

Will Robert stay at Pietra Ligure where he is at the moment?

The plan is for him to stay there, but we are not yet sure for how long. We decided to stay in Pietra Ligure because there is a full medical team looking after him, so the care he is getting is first class. There are highly skilled physiotherapists for his kind of injuries, who are working with him for many hours each day, and for the moment the best solution is for him to stay there. On behalf of Robert, I would like to say a big 'thank you' to all the medical staff at the hospital for the excellent job they have done.

Is Robert likely to need more surgery?

It's impossible to say in the long term. For the moment the answer is 'no' because everything is going very well and we are very pleased with what the doctors have done for him. There have been no complications or reasons for further surgery.

What is his daily routine?

He is doing a lot of physiotherapy - exercises in his bed or in a chair. It's a simple routine to work on his body to help him recover as quickly as possible. The main injury was to his right arm and hand, but he is moving his wrist and fingers, which is positive.

How is Robert's psychological state?

After a trauma like this, normally there is the risk of depression when you discover how many injuries you have. So to begin with, Robert's psychological balance was up and down, but this only lasted a couple of days. After his initial sadness, we saw a good reaction from him because he is mentally very strong and now his psychological state is very positive. His focus is to put all his effort into his recovery and getting back to normal. The enormous support from the fans and the F1 community is also very important for Robert. Lots of people have come to visit him and this has been very useful for his recovery.

Do we have an idea of when he will be able to return to racing?

Nobody has a clear idea of when he will be ready. Even the surgeons don't know because they say we need some months to see the recovery of the muscle tissue and the nerves, which varies from person to person. All we know that it will be a long recovery, but we have no idea how long. We see his progress day by day, but we can't make any predictions.

Vitaly remained in the R31 for day two of the Barcelona test as he clocked up 115 laps to demonstrate a clear step forward in terms of the car's overall reliability.

Driver: Vitaly

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: 1:22.670

Position: P3

Total laps: 115

What we learned today:

- The team improved its understanding of the forces acting on the tyres by running instrumented wheels this morning.

- Vitaly got a feel for the car over long runs by simulating a race distance this afternoon, using both the hard and soft compounds of dry tyres.

Vitaly: "I'm pleased with what we achieved today and I was able to learn a lot about the car and the tyres. We spent the morning doing shorter runs and working on the set-up, and I was pretty happy with the car by the end of the morning. But the most important thing was to complete the race distance, which we managed this afternoon. It's the first time I've been able to do consistent long runs and really start understanding the tyres."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- A good day for us. We did some data gathering in the morning, followed by set-up work and then a race distance in the afternoon.

- The focus of the set-up work today was looking at the rear suspension. We made various changes during the morning and found some good directions.

Did You Know?

Away from the track Vitaly enjoys practising martial arts such as judo and taekwondo as part of this training.

The final pre-season test got underway in Barcelona today. Nick drove this morning, but was suffering with a cold, so Vitaly took over for the afternoon.

Driver: Nick / Vitaly

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: Nick: 1:24.735 / Vitaly: 1:22.937

Position: Nick P5 / Vitaly P3

Total laps: Nick: 20 / Vitaly: 27

What we learned today:

- The team validated the performance of several key elements of the race one aero package to make sure the track data matched with the wind tunnel figures. Both drivers tried the new rear wing and new floor, and the initial data confirms that the updated package is a step forward.

Nick: "I have a cold at the moment so the team said I could try the car this morning and stop in the afternoon. The priority of the day was to assess some new aero parts. That's why we did a lot of in and out laps for the aero mapping. We are still analysing the data, but the feeling was positive. Then, we used the rest of the morning to do a few starts, system checks and looked at some development items."

Vitaly: "We didn't do a massive number of laps this afternoon, but we managed to check the balance and did some set-up work ready for tomorrow. The new aero parts are another step forward and have given us some more downforce."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes:

- Nick wasn't feeling too well today so we didn't do anything too strenuous in the morning. We wanted him to get a feel for the new aero parts and his initial feedback was very useful.

- Vitaly took over in the afternoon and ran the same parts. Again the focus was on gathering data for the aero package, so he did some constant speed runs. He also began a set-up programme and ran on both the hard and soft tyres.

Did You Know?

Nick always gets in the car from the left hand side, right foot first.

Last week Vitaly, Nick and Bruno were special guests at the Geneva motor show where they appeared on the Lotus stand. Here's the story of the day, as told by Vitaly…

Tuesday 1 March

6:15: An early start because we have to be in Geneva by midday. No time for breakfast because my lift to Heathrow arrives at 6:45.

7:45: It only takes us an hour to get to the airport, plenty of time before our 8:55 flight. I have some light breakfast before I meet up with a couple of guys from the team who are coming with me to Geneva.

9:00: The flight is on time and we're on our way. The Swiss airline serves more breakfast and some delicious Swiss chocolate! It's only a short flight, but I still manage to get some sleep.

11:45: Arrival in Geneva and we immediately head for the event. The motor show is only ten minutes walk from the airport so we soon arrive at the massive indoor hall where the show has begun.

12:10: The Lotus stand is very impressive: lots of gorgeous cars on display, including my F1 car. Bruno is already here because he had a really early flight from Nice. Nick is coming by train because he lives in Switzerland and is due any moment.

12:30: I have some free time so I take a walk around the show and look at some of the other stands. There's lots going on and I even spot Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner, but it's too busy to go and say 'hello'.

14:00: It's time for our appearance on the Lotus stand. Nick, Bruno and I are all presented and asked questions about the new season. Then, after that, it's time for some filming for Lotus TV and some more interviews with the media.

15:30: After all the media work, it's time to leave the show. We have to catch a flight back to the UK so we say goodbye and head to the airport.

19:30: After a busy day, I'm finally home and it's time for dinner so I head out to a local Japanese restaurant for some sushi – delicious!

Pirelli's Motorsport Director talks about the challenge of developing a brand new range of F1 tyres and how Pirelli can add to the spectacle of Formula 1.

What is the starting point for developing a new range of tyres?

PH: There's a logical process that you have to go through. You start off by defining the profile, which is the basic starting point, and then you work on the compounds and constructions. After extensive modelling and computer analysis, we find the best theoretical solutions and then confirm the results in practice by testing on a circuit. There are a huge number of different parameters to consider, but essentially you have to balance performance, durability and driveability in a very wide variety of conditions.

How different will the 2011 tyres be compared to the tyres that preceded them?

PH: The tyre regulations for 2011 are largely the same as last year, in order to provide the teams with technical stability. Having said that, our tyres have a distinct Pirelli identity with different characteristics to those of the previous supplier. We've aimed to produce a tyre that will please both drivers and spectators this year, with the objective of helping to improve everybody's enjoyment and appreciation of Formula 1 throughout the season.

How challenging is it working with 12 new teams?

PH: Working with 12 new teams is not a problem at all, but the challenge lies in working with 12 different chassis, which all have their own individual characteristics. Many motorsport championships have a single-make formula, which is obviously a much easier scenario than a championship where everyone is using different solutions to try and gain a competitive advantage. Our job is to make our tyres work well on all these different cars.

All the teams have agreed to run a similar weight distribution; has this made things easier for Pirelli?

PH: I think it's probably made things easier for the teams rather than for Pirelli, as it removes another variable for them. But it probably helps us to help them, although weight distribution is only one factor in the complex equation that makes all the cars quite different.

Can Pirelli tyres add to the excitement of Formula 1?

PH: That's a priority for us, although obviously to start off with we have a certain learning curve to climb. As time goes on, we will be in a stronger position to influence the spectacle. The future of Formula 1 depends on it being an exciting sport that people want to watch, and we believe that we can do a lot to help. We're aiming to make the steps between the compounds quite notable, in order to promote interesting tyre strategies, and of course we have the option to adjust the amount of grip if this is what people want. We're always open to every opinion, and happy to propose a variety of different solutions aimed specifically at enhancing the show.

How does Pirelli see the future of Formula 1?

PH: We're very excited about the future, as it's a fantastic opportunity for both car and tyre manufacturers to explore areas of technology that will ultimately benefit all of us as everyday road users. We want to play an active role in shaping the future development of the sport and enhancing the spectacle of Formula 1 for the public. We're committed to working closely with all of the teams in order to come up with the most relevant products to today's market.

It's been a while since I gave you a factory update, so I thought I would talk you through what's happening in Enstone at the moment.

As always the factory has been a busy place. Just last Friday we had the drivers here to meet all our partners and present the brand new car. There were various presentations, Q&A's with the drivers, and then a delicious three-course lunch. It was a really fun day and a nice chance for everybody to get to know each other before the season begins. You can see some of the photos from the day below.

As for the R31, it's just got back from the paint shop where all those scratches and chips from testing have been patched up. It has just been handed back to the mechanics who are busy servicing the parts and rebuilding the chassis ready for next week's Barcelona test. All being well the car will be on its way to Spain by Saturday evening, due to arrive at the track 24 hours later.

While the mechanics prep the cars, the drivers will be busy on the media circuit. This week it's the Geneva Motorshow for Nick, Vitaly and Bruno. They will all be star guests on the Lotus stand on Tuesday where they will be interviewed on stage and meet some fans. Look out for updates on twitter during the day and a blog later in the week.

Dr. Rossello, can you give us an update on Robert's condition today?

I saw him this morning around 8:30am. He is doing pretty well and his condition is positive considering what he has been through. The good news is that there have been no complications following all the surgery he has had recently.

You performed the surgery on his hand – what more can you tell us about that…

He can move his fingers slightly and has a little bit of sensitivity already in his hand. What is very important is that there is no sign of infection, which is the main concern.

Last week he moved from intensive care to the rehabilitation department – what did that involve?

Yes, he no longer needs intensive care so he has begun the rehabilitation process. He is now in his own large room so that he is as comfortable as possible. He has already started some gentle hand exercises with the slight flexing of his fingers.

Is he in good spirits?

He's no longer in pain and his psychological condition is pretty good. He's obviously keen to start the rehabilitation work as soon as possible.

How much longer will he spend in the rehabilitation department?

It's difficult to say. For the next couple of weeks, he will stay here so we can monitor his condition. During that time there is still the possibility of infection and other complications so he will have the dressings on his hand changed every few days. After two weeks we will assess his next move.

Fresh from his flight back from Barcelona, Bruno Senna popped into Enstone this morning for a seat fit in one of our demo cars.

As the driver's office, the cockpit of an F1 car needs to be finely tuned to a driver's needs, and that was the top priority of Bruno's seat fit. Driving these cars is such a physical job and it's vital that the driver fits snugly inside the tight confines of the cockpit.

Like most of the car, the seat was made from carbon fibre – a material that combines strength with lightness – and was precisely moulded to the shape of Bruno's body. The engineers can also add foam padding here and there for extra comfort. All being well, only one seat will be needed during the year.

The final day in Barcelona saw Nick back in the R31 as the team wrapped up its third pre-season test session.

Driver: Nick

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: 1:23.657

Position: P4

Total laps: 95

What we learned today:

- A new front wing was fitted on the car and the team carried out some aero mapping to assess its effectiveness. First impressions were positive.

- The team completed its first race distance simulation and was pleased with the feel of the car on high fuel.

Nick: "In the morning we were not able to do most of our programme because we had an issue with the KERS. It's a shame because track time is so limited, but it's obviously better to have problems during testing before the season starts. In the afternoon we started the race simulation, which went reasonably well. We were using different tyre compounds and tried both scrubbed and new sets. We learned a lot by running the car on high fuel and have lots of useful data about the degradation rates. Then, at the end of the day, we returned to the set-up work."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- It was a difficult morning because we lost time with a KERS problem. We managed to resolve the issue before lunch and started with our set-up programme

- For the afternoon our target was a race distance. We pretty much completed the mileage we needed to, apart from a couple of laps due to a red flag. We ended the day with further set-up work and found some good directions.

Bahrain withdraws from first race

Today the Bahrain International Circuit announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain would withdraw from hosting this year's Formula 1 Grand Prix so that the country and focus on its "process of national dialogue."

Eric Boullier: "The recent situation in Bahrain has been very difficult for the country. We feel the decision taken by the Crown Prince is wise and we fully support it. The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been welcomed with enthusiasm from the Bahraini people, and we're looking forward to going back there when they have healed their country. We will now amend our logistics accordingly and will get ready for Australia."

Did You Know?

During heavy braking of 4.5G, a driver's head weighs as much as 30kg.

A damp start in Barcelona turned to sunshine in the afternoon as Vitaly got back behind the wheel of the R31. Nick will be in the car for the final day of testing tomorrow.

Driver: Vitaly

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Lap: 1:23.463

Position: P2

Total laps: 93

What we learned today:

- We gathered some useful data on the intermediates Pirelli tyres as Vitaly and the team completed its first significant mileage on them

- The R31 was fitted with a different spec of exhaust tail pipe. Aero data was collected to assess its effect on car performance.

Vitaly: "We used the intermediates to begin with and it was one of our first opportunities to do a lot of laps with them. The only issue we had was warming them up because it was very cold early on. The plan was to do a race distance in the morning and we managed quite a lot of long runs while the track was wet. Then, we put the slicks on just before lunch and started improving the set-up. We learned a lot of new things and I'm starting to understand the tyres more and how to get the most from this car."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- It was a slow start to the day with the wet conditions, but we did some long runs on the intermediates. However we were interrupted by several red flags.

- For the afternoon, Vitaly started a set-up programme, and we made some good progress with the suspension changes at the front and rear. We also did some work with tyre pressures and found some more improvements. Overall the car has responded well to the changes today and Vitaly has been much happier."

Did You Know?

During the average day of testing, the drivers will change gear around 2,500 times.

Nick and Vitaly got behind the wheel of the R31 today in Barcelona. Despite a problem with the KERS, which took most of the day to solve and prevented the team from completing its scheduled programme, both drivers managed some useful pit stops practice.

Drivers: Nick / Vitaly

Chassis: R31-01

Fastest Laps: Nick 1:44.324 / Vitaly: 1:35.173

Position: P13 Nick & P12 Vitaly

Total laps: 27 for Nick & 20 for Vitaly

What we learned today:

- The team got up to speed with a new traffic light system for use in pit stops. This has been developed over the last year and the plan is to use it at the first race.

Nick: "I was in the car for just an hour this morning to do some pit stop practice. It was a bit damp to begin with, so we started on the wet tyres and I got my first feel for them. I didn't do a proper run, just one timed lap and then came in and out for pit stops. It was the first time I have used the new traffic light system and it worked okay, but we found some small things to improve for next time."

Vitaly: "A difficult day for us because we lost a lot of time finding the problem with the KERS, but at least I got out for the final 40 minutes so that we could do the practice pit stops with our new lighting system. Because we didn't manage to do much running today, the team will give me some more time in the car tomorrow morning before Nick takes over."

Alan Permane's technical programme notes

- Our day was blighted by a KERS problem, which was quite difficult to understand. However, we eventually solved the issue and, as a result, we have learned quite a lot. We're confident we won't face these problems again.

- On the positive side, we did complete our pit stop practice with Nick, Vitaly and all the mechanics from the race team.

Did You Know?

During racing conditions, the car's clutch can reach temperatures of up to 500 degrees Celsius.

The 33-year-old German is one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1 having started 172 races over the last 11 seasons. He will race alongside Vitaly Petrov when the season gets underway in Bahrain on 13 March.

Nick Heidfeld: "I would have liked to come back to Formula 1 in different circumstances, but I'm proud to have been given this chance. Everything has happened so quickly, but I've been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities and the dedication of the people at Enstone. I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez and I've already settled in well with the guys at the track. I have a good feeling for the car, which is quite innovative. I'm extremely motivated and can't wait for the season to begin."

Eric Boullier: "The team has been through a very difficult couple of weeks and we had to react quickly. We gave Nick a chance in Jerez last week and he really impressed us. He's quick, experienced and is very strong technically with his feedback and understanding of the car. We always said the priority was to have an experienced driver in the car and we feel he is the ideal man for the job. We are pleased to welcome Nick to the team and look forward to a strong start to the season with him and Vitaly in Bahrain."

Barcelona test session

The driving schedule for the upcoming Barcelona test (18-21 February) is as follows:

• Friday morning: Nick and Vitaly for pit-stop practice

• Friday afternoon: Vitaly

• Saturday: Nick

• Sunday: Vitaly

• Monday: Nick