Even at 34 years-old, it seems Giancarlo Fisichella is still burning with ambition. After almost ending up without a cockpit for 2008, the former Renault driver fought back at Decembers Force India ‘shootout at Jerez - and it paid off.

Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were presented together for the first time on Thursday as Toyotas 2008 race line-up. The pair joined the teams test and reserve driver, Kamui Kobayashi, at the launch of the Japanese squad's new car, the TF108, in Germany.
For Trulli, 2008 marks the start of his fourth season with Toyota, and despite a difficult 2007 campaign, the Italian insisted he is optimistic about the year ahead.

Toyota became the third team to unveil their 2008 challenger on Thursday, at their German base in Cologne. After enduring a tough 2007, the Japanese team hope that the TF108 will help them revitalise their fortunes in what will be their seventh Formula One season.

Pit babe F1 wallpaper Pit babe F1 wallpaper

Pit babe F1 wallpaper Pit babe F1 wallpaper

Three days after launching his team's 2008 contender, Stefano Domenicali, newly promoted Director of the Gestione Sportiva faced the press on the first day of the team's traditional media get together at Madonna di Campiglio

The Jacarepagua circuit, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, which hosted ten rounds of the Formula One World Championship between 1978 and 1989, faces demolition as Brazil bids for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The track was built in the 1970s on reclaimed marshland, less than a hundred feet from the Atlantic coastline, and with its mountain backdrop was one of the more picturesque circuits on the calendar.

Despite its notoriously bumpy surface, the track, in addition to hosting F1 races, was used as a winter testing venue.

In 1990, a year after hosting its last ever World Championship Grand Prix, Jacarepagua was re-named in honour of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet. From 1996 to 2000 the circuit hosted a round of the Champ Car series, with Juan Pablo Montoya enjoying success there.
Rio, which if it successful would become the first South American city to host the Olympics, has previously bid for the 2004 and 2012 games, however, on each occasion it failed to make the final shortlist.
Having fallen into the hands of property developers in early 2005, the last year in which it hosted a round of the Motorcycle World Championship, there were always fears for Jacarepagua's future.

Following its launch in Stuttgart earlier this week, McLarens 2008 car made its track debut in Jerez early on Wednesday morning. Tester Pedro de la Rosa, who was tasked with taking the MP4-23 out on the Spanish circuit for the first time, pulled out of the garage at just after 0900 hours local time.
The Spaniard will be joined by newly-signed race driver Heikki Kovalainen later on in the day. Kovalainen, who raced for Renault in 2007, will take charge of a second MP4-23, as he makes his first on-track appearance for McLaren.
The squad, who are scheduled to test privately for the next three days, will concentrate on kick starting the 2008 cars on-track development, ahead of next weeks multi-team session at the circuit.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago Lewis Hamilton was the innocent rookie, teamed up with the reigning world champion. Now it is Hamilton who looks to be in pole position at McLaren. Relaxed, and with self confidence oozing from every pore, he has proven he can cut it at the very top.

Michael Schumacher has said his first impression of Ferrari's F2008 was very positive. The German, who finished his F1 career as active driver at the end of the 2006 season, will be the Italian team's advisor for another season.

McLaren has given its new MP4-23 car its track debut at Jerez, with Heikki Kovalainen making his first appearance behind the wheel for the team in the 2008 challenger.
The Woking squad's test driver Pedro de la Rosa was given the honour putting the car through its paces for the first time, rolling out of the garage just after 9am on Wednesday morning.
New signing Kovalainen then took the second chassis out for a spin in the afternoon and completed his first laps for the team since joining from Renault.
Lewis Hamilton will get his first taste of the car on Thursday as McLaren carries out an extensive five-day test in Spain.

Bridgestone Potenza slick racing tyres made a return to Formula One cars for the first time in ten years as Bridgestone Motorsport completed its final test of the 2007 season after four days of running at Jerez last week. Three sets of slick tyres were available to all the teams to use over the course of the four days.