FORMULA-ONE Maniac

Lauda blames “spaghetti culture” for Ferrari woes

2009-04-22T11:25:00.001-07:00

Niki Lauda has added to the widespread criticism of Ferrari as the team struggles to regain its form of the last decade. The three-time world champion, who won two of his titles with Maranello, was typically politically incorrect as he derided the “spaghetti culture” of the Italian squad.

The Austrian was asked about the differences between the glory years of 2000-2007 and now, and gave his forthright opinion. He highlighted the loss of the group of people who are generally considered to have masterminded Ferrari´s success.

“In those days, Ross, because he is English, was the ideal bridge between the Italians, with their spaghetti culture, and Schumacher, with his German efficiency.”

“Now the Italians are running it all. Does it work? It could be chaos. That’s the problem,” Lauda is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.

It is thought Lauda is referring to a very political and bureaucratic side of the Ferrari team that is a well-documented part of the great marque´s history. Lauda himself left the team because he was dissatisfied with the internal strife, and other greats such as Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell have also decried the management style of the team.

Today´s management set-up in the modern era of F1 is a much more professional arrangement but it is clear that Ferrari will need to work hard to improve and banish the doubters.

By Hugh Podmore on Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Suspicions in Spain of unofficial Renault punishment

2009-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

An outlandish and laughable report in a Spanish newspaper claims that Renault were dealt an unofficial penalty in Shanghai to punish team boss Flavio Briatore for his outspoken stance on the FIA split-diffuser decision.

The Chinese Grand Prix started under the safety car due to heavy rain and stayed out for a full eight laps as the deluge continued.

Fernando Alonso, who used a light fuel load to qualify on the front row, used the opportunity to fuel longer into the race, but the Spaniard was left in limbo at the back of the field when the safety car pulled in on the same lap to get the race started.

The Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos has speculated that the decision to bring the safety car in on the same lap as Alonso’s pit stop was an attempt by race director Charlie Whiting to disrupt the Spaniard’s race.

The newspaper goes on to speculate that the Renault team were being punished for team principal Flavio Briatore’s outspoken stance on the FIA ”double-deck” diffuser decision, which his team lost.

Renault have denied the rumours and Alonso confirms that he and the team were just unlucky [see separate story HERE].

“I think it’s one of those days when you take decisions at the wrong moment and everything seems to turn against you,” said the double world champion.

“We thought that the safety car would be out for the next 10 or 15 laps so we came in to get fuel and at the same time the safety car came in so we found ourselves starting the race last.

“We were on the first row on the grid and all of a sudden we were last so this was the end of our race.”

Indeed, it is very unlikely that Whiting singled out Alonso for specific punishment on the track.

A random penalty of this nature without prior notice would be without precedent. It would not be within the rules, as team penalties must go through the correct channels.

A less paranoid explanation for the Spaniard’s difficulties yesterday would be a simple strategic error from the team, who decided to short-fuel the Spanish ace. Renault have fuelled Alonso light before to jump him up the grid in qualifying, even if then his race suffers.

By Hugh Podmore

Red Bull Racing anthem controversy raises hackles

2009-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Red Bull Racing is reported to be in the midst of an internal row following the use of the British national anthem for the team on the podium in China.

The team races under an Austrian licence and is owned by Austrian Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, and the choice of the British anthem angered motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

“I am disappointed because we have a Austrian licence but no Austrian anthem was played,” Marko was quoted by Eurosport as saying. “Probably the Chinese do not have it.”

But the team evolved from Jaguar Racing, its previous incarnation, and Stewart Racing before that, both quintessentially British teams. The team is based in Milton Keynes and will have retained a large number of mostly British mechanics, whose reward was to hear their anthem played on the podium.

The present management structure comprises Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Geoff Willis, all British-born. The dispute is likely to continue.

By Hugh Podmore

Ferrari will stay calm, says Domenicali

2009-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has called for calm following another point-less race for the Italian marque. The team are suffering their worst start to a world championship for 27 years and rumours are flying about what or who is to blame. But the phlegmatic boss is looking forward to a range of improvements to the F60 that will be premiered when the F1 circus comes to Europe.

“I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are. In that period we will see really what can be the situation, so when we come back to Europe basically,” said Domenicali.

“I think we have to wait. We need to stay cool. It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly,” the Italian explained.

Observers are predicting that the dominance as a constructor the Prancing Horse has enjoyed in the modern era is coming to an end. After the departure or marginalisation of the dream team of Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne it was said that Ferrari would no longer be the force it was. Many in the paddock were surprised the team continued to be successful, but ascribed the success to the long-term programme put into place by the previous structure. Some of the aforementioned dream team continue to exert influence over management.

The prospects for Ferrari this season depend on the success of their technical revisions due in Barcelona. If the parts do not make a wholesale difference, it is thought that the squad will write off 2009 and concentrate on the development of their 2010 challenger. Where this would leave Kimi Raikkonen is an interesting question, as the Finn faces a make-or-break season to convince his critics he still has the appetite for the sport. His lacklustre race in China yesterday, in which he offered no more than token resistance to his competitors, will not have earned the Finn any credit.

By Hugh Podmore

Brawn no match for Red Bull in China

2009-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Brawn GP can expect a close fight with Red Bull Racing throughout the season if Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix is anything to go by.

The Brackley-based outfit currently lead the championship following back-to-back wins in Australia and Malaysia, but the team conceded that they were no match for the Red Bull drivers in Shanghai today, after they dominated the race in the wet.

Despite running considerably more fuel than the Red Bull cars, neither Jenson Button or Rubens Barrichello had the pace to keep up with them as Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line some forty seconds ahead of Button in third place.

“A very difficult race today and I am so pleased that we got both cars to the end of 56 laps and scored as many points as possible,” reflected Button. “The conditions were pretty crazy with rivers of water all over the circuit which changed every time you encountered them.”

“The last turn particularly was like a lake and you just couldn’t brake for the corner. I struggled with the car aquaplaning and the tyres shuddering as we couldn’t get the temperatures high enough to make them work properly.”

“Mark Webber and I had a good fight for a few laps but I just couldn’t stay with him. However to finish the race today is an achievement in itself and to be on the podium is fantastic. We couldn’t have beaten the Red Bulls and congratulations to Sebastian and Mark on a great result.”

With only half points awarded to Jenson Button at the abandoned Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, Sebastian Vettel now sits just eleven points behind the Briton in the drivers championship.

Worringly for Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing have yet to attach a split-diffuser to their car which could yeild a significant advantage in laptime.

Team principal Ross Brawn alluded to a closely fought season with the Milton-Keynes based outfit, and hopes that their dominance in China will prove to be a one-off in the rain.

“Another dramatic race today to continue what is turning out to be a very exciting 2009 Formula One season,” he said. “Jenson and Rubens did an excellent job to bring the cars home in the difficult conditions which combined with a solid team performance over the whole weekend enabled us to score as many points as possible.”

“We had a good strategy with both drivers fuelled long for their first stints which allowed us to bridge the gap to the leaders.”

“However on similar fuel, Vettel and Webber were then able to pull away. Congratulations to Red Bull for their one-two performance today. We know from Australia what a fantastic feeling that achievement is and I’m sure they will enjoy every minute of it.”

By Chris Hayes

Hamilton endures scrappy Chinese GP

2009-04-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton somehow walked away from Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix with championship points to his name, despite treacherous conditions and several spins.

The British driver knows it could be several races before he can challenge at the front of the grid with McLaren playing catch-up to their rival teams.

But that didn’t stop him attacking the rain-hit Shanghai International Circuit with impunity has he bounced back from several off-track excursions to take sixth place.

The McLaren driver was aggressive from the start pulling off some impressive passes on Kimi Raikkonen and Jarno Trulli to get up to fifth.

“It was almost too difficult to drive at the beginning of the race,” he said. “But I found a good pace and had some fun in the opening laps, but unfortunately I destroyed my tyres quite early on.”

Then came a spin at the exit of Turn 10 which dropped him to tenth place. A resilient fight back saw him re-pass teammate Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli to run eighth.

After the second safety car period Hamilton was forced to re-pass Kimi Raikkonen again, this timing using the outside of Turn 7 to take fourth place. A second spin after his first pit stop dropped him to fifth place behind teamamte Heikki Kovalainen and a further mistake at Turn 16 dropped him to seventh.

“I made a few too many mistakes today,” said Hamilton, eventually taking sixth place at the chequered flag when Adrian Sutil crashed his Force India. “It was very slippery and my front-left tyre was finished long before the end but I still gave it my best. This afternoon was a real struggle but I’m glad I got some points for the team.”

Heikki Kovalainen in the sister McLaren enjoyed an altogether more consistent day battling his way through the field and benefiting from others mistakes to take fifth place.

“The visibility was unbelievably poor – especially during the first few laps after the Safety Car came in,” the Finn said. “But our pace was good and, during the last laps of the race, I could get close to Rubens – just not enough to start an attack. Our strategy was spot on: finishing higher than fifth was not possible today and I’m very pleased to have scored four solid points without making a single mistake – despite some massive moments!”

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh concedes that the team still have a lot of work to do catch the Brawn GP and Red Bull drivers.

“We were never going to be able to live with the Red Bulls or the Brawns today, which is why we chose a one-stop strategy,” he said. “The track was wet throughout the race, and the longer stints that our strategy dictated inevitably caused more wet-tyre wear than that experienced by the two-stoppers; but, despite the challenges posed by that extra wet-tyre wear, our drivers both coped very well.”

So, overall, an encouraging result: getting two cars into the points shows that we’re making good progress, but there’s more to come and we’re working flat-out to develop the improvements that will deliver it.”

By Chris Hayes on Sunday, April 19, 2009

Post Race Quotes: Red Bull

2009-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

A dream weekend for Red Bull Racing as Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber recorded a maiden one-two finish for the Milton Keynes squad. Vettel was in dominant form, unchallenged for most of the race, whereas Mark Webber was pushed hard by Jenson Button, before finally securing Second in the closing laps by passing the Brit.

Sebastian Vettel - 1st: “It’s unbelievable – I’m so, so happy. Ten laps from the end I tried to control the gap between me and the car behind and adapt my pace. I was trying to have everything under control, but it was difficult. At some points I was trying to bring the car home, but that meant I lost focus, so then I just tried to take it corner by corner, not looking too far ahead. On the last two laps I backed off a bit, as I didn’t want to risk aquaplaning on the water at the side of the track. And then… well it’s just fantastic. Winning my second race, one with Toro Rosso and one with Red Bull, makes me extremely happy and I hope we can continue working in this direction! I’m extremely proud and happy. I’m so happy to have won the race, it was an enormous and great job by the whole of Red Bull. I want to say a massive thank you to them all, everyone has worked so hard, so thanks to the team and also to Red Bull. Greetings to Austria!”

Mark Webber - 2nd:“It’s such an incredible day for the team – you have no idea what the guys went through last night. We were absolutely shitting ourselves that the cars wouldn’t finish the race because everytime we ran yesterday, they stopped. So, it’s incredible to get the cars home and to get maximum points. This comes after the near misses in Australia for Sebastian and for myself in Malaysia. It’s a great day for the team in Milton Keynes, well done and thank you to them, and also to everyone in Austria. It was a challenging race at times! It was hard to follow the cars in the beginning due to the spray, but then further into the race, it started to settle a bit. After the second safety car stint, I had a good scrap with Jenson. On my official lap at the front, I couldn’t believe how clear it was - I thought ‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful!’ I then pushed like hell to make up as much time as possible – it was fantastic. When Jenson re-passed me, I was very keen to try win the race, so I passed him around Turn seven as I knew he wouldn’t know I would be there, it was one of the best moves of my career. I’m happy today!”

Christian Horner:“A great result for the team and Red Bull. It’s testimony to all the effort and hard work that Red Bull and Mr Mateschitz has committed to Formula One. I want to thank Red Bull and everyone in Milton Keynes, who have worked so hard for this. It’s just an unbelievable result. We’ve got a great car, a great team, great drivers, a single diffuser and we have a double one to come, so we’re looking good. The whole team and company can be very proud of this moment.”

Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer, Track Support:“What a result, we have a magic pair of drivers. Sebastian and Mark are very strong, very cool, and it’s a pleasure to work with them. On behalf of all the Renault team, I would like to say that we are very proud to work with them both and be part of this Red Bull F1 adventure. I was also like to thank all the guys back at the factories in Milton Keynes, Viry and Mecachrome.”

By Ewan Marshall on Sunday, April 19, 2009

Button storms to Sepang pole

2009-04-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jenson Button stormed to his second pole position of the season in Sepang as Brawn GP continue to lead the way in Formula One.

The British driver set a searing pace in the closing stages of qualifying for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, seeing off pressure from Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to take the top spot with a lap of 1m 35.181.

“This one is more special than Melbourne,” enthused an elated Button after the session. “It’s not easy to get pole, but to get two on the trot - I’ve never achieved that in my Formula One career. It’s a great feeling.”

“The car clearly works well on different types of circuit. I expected the competition to be tough here but qualifying showed the car was ok.”

Jarno Trulli, the man at the centre of the Hamilton-McLaren Australian GP row, planted his Toyota on the front row the grid in an impressive showing for the Cologne-based outfit. His teammate Timo Glock also progressed into the top ten shoot-out and lines up in fifth place.

Sebastian Vettel was third for Red Bull Racing but will drop ten places after he was held responsible for the incident with Robert Kubica at the end of last week’s Australian Grand Prix. The German driver admitted he was frustrated about the affair.

“I have the penalty and there is nothing I can do,” he rued after qualifying. I just have to focus on what we are here for. It’s a shame because the car’s performance was good throughout qualifying which was good to see. But it’s a shame to start tenth tomorrow. It will be a tough race. Personally I am hoping for rain!”

Button’s teammate Rubens Barrichello, who qualified fourth, will also take a grid penalty tomorrow after making a precautionary gearbox change.

Timo Glock affirmed Toyota’s pace around the Sepang circuit lining up in fifth place ahead of Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber (Red Bull) and Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber).

Kimi Raikkonen was lucky to take part in the top ten shoot-out at all after Ferrari, seemingly happy that their drivers had done enough to progress, elected not to send Raikkonen and Massa out on final runs in Q1. But a flurry of activity in the closing stages of the session - in which Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and the BMW Sauber’s of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld lifted themselves out of the drop-out zone with late flyers - saw Massa demoted to sixteenth, while Raikkonen just scraped through.

The Finn went on to post the ninth fastest time ahead of Renault’s Fernando Alonso.

Meanwhile, McLaren’s nightmare weekend continued and translated onto the track. Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were both knocked out of the second qualifying session and will line up for Sunday’s race in thirteenth and fourteenth place respectively.

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:35.058 1:33.784 1:35.181
2. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:34.745 1:33.990 1:35.273
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:34.935 1:34.276 1:35.518
4. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:34.681 1:34.387 1:35.651
5. Glock Toyota (B) 1:34.907 1:34.258 1:35.690
6. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:35.083 1:34.547 1:35.750
7. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:35.027 1:34.222 1:35.797
8. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:35.166 1:34.562 1:36.106
9. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:35.476 1:34.456 1:36.170
10. Alonso Renault (B) 1:35.260 1:34.706 1:37.659
11. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:35.110 1:34.769
12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:35.341 1:34.788
13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:35.280 1:34.905
14. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:35.023 1:34.924
15. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:35.507 1:35.431
16. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:35.642
17. Piquet Renault (B) 1:35.708
18. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:35.908
19. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:35.951
20. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:36.107

By Chrish

Button: Sepang pole better than Melbourne

2009-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Jenson Button was delighted with his second consecutive pole of the season in Sepang describing it as being even more significant than his P1 slot in Melbourne.

The British driver clocked an impressive 1m 35.181 around the Sepang International Circuit, re-affirming the pace of the new Brawn GP team, and putting him comfortably clear of Jarno Trulli and Sebastian Vettel for Toyota and Red Bull.

“This one is more special than Melbourne,” Button said. “It’s not easy to get pole, but to get two on the trot - I’ve never achieved that in my Formula One career. It’s a great feeling.”

“The car clearly works well on different types of circuit. I expected the competition to be tough here but qualifying showed the car was ok.

“Yesterday I was really struggling with the balance of the car. We changed the setup overnight and its improved a lot. I’m feeling pretty comfortable and excited for tomorrow.”

By Chrish

Rosberg P1 in overcast Sepang practice

2009-04-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets in the final practice session ahead of what could be a wet qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

With much of the attention this weekend focussed on Lewis Hamilton and McLaren for their disqualification in last week’s Australian Grand Prix, it was over to Rosberg and Red Bull’s Mark Webber to remind fans of the new pecking order shaping the sport, while Ferrari also showed improvement.

Against the backdrop of overcast conditions - which risk developing into thundery showers for qualifying - Brawn GP quickly reasserted their dominance with Jenson Button leading teammate Rubens Barrichello at the top of the timesheets on a 1:38.601.

Button’s time was quickly beaten by Rosberg and Webber while Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen also briefly held the top spot for Ferrari showing improvement for the Scuderia.

BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld was the first driver on the softer compound tyres going quickest on a 1:37.026, but that was quickly beaten by Jenson Button, also on the soft tyres, before a flurry of activity in the last few minutes saw the times tumble at the top.

Nico Rosberg vaulted into P1 on a 1:35.940 with Mark Webber lapping to within a tenth of the German to go second quickest ahead of Felipe Massa and the Toyota’s of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock.

Sebastian Vettel paced seventh quickest for Red Bull Racing ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who seemed altogether more comfortable with the handling of his Ferrari F60.

The Brawn pairing eventually wound up in ninth and tenth but have yet to show their true pace.
McLaren lived up to their prediction that they would struggle at the “aero”-favouring Sepang International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton languished at the bottom of the timesheets in the early stages before improving on the softer tyres. He would up twelfth quickest while the best teamamte Heikki Kovalainen could manage was thirteenth.

1. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:35.940 19

2. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.048 + 0.108 13

3. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:36.089 + 0.149 13

4. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:36.132 + 0.192 21

5. Glock Toyota (B) 1:36.189 + 0.249 22

6. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.194 + 0.254 14

7. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:36.322 + 0.382 14

8. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.325 + 0.385 18

9. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:36.519 + 0.579 19

10. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:36.541 + 0.601 17

11. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:36.563 + 0.623 18

12. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.657 + 0.717 15

13. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.742 + 0.802 13

14. Alonso Renault (B) 1:37.004 + 1.064 16

15. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:37.026 + 1.086 18

16. Piquet Renault (B) 1:37.032 + 1.092 18

17. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:37.118 + 1.178 18

18. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.282 + 1.342 17

19. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.322 + 1.382 16

20. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:37.398 + 1.458 19

By Chrish

McLaren await their fate-Formula 1-Maniac

2009-04-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

McLaren in the docks again as furore over Hamilton’s disqualification reaches fever pitch in Sepang.

McLaren face being taken before the World Motorsport Council - where they could be hit with a range of sanctions - after the FIA deemed that they mislead stewards in the enquiry that followed the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton was promoted to third place in Melbourne after the FIA demoted Jarno Trulli to twelfth place for overtaking the McLaren driver under safety car conditions.

But on Thursday Hamilton and his McLaren team were disqualified from the race in light of new evidence. Team radio communications revealed that Hamilton had been ordered by his team to slow down and let Trulli pass, something both he and McLaren denied in the post-race hearing.

Hamilton has since apologised for his actions, while McLaren’s sporting director Dave Ryan, who accompanied Hamilton, has been suspended by the team.

The FIA are continuing their investigation and have not ruled out referring the incident to the World Motorsport Council, where FIA President Max Mosley will be given a say on a range of possible sanctions - including throwing McLaren out of the championship, as he did in 2007 after the spy scandal.

“We recognise Lewis’ efforts to set the record straight. It would appear he was put in an impossible position,” an FIA spokesman said.

“We are now awaiting reports from the FIA observer and stewards before consideration can be given to further investigation of the team’s conduct. We cannot rule out the matter being referred to the World Motor Sport Council.”

It is not the first time that McLaren have been before the sport’s supreme governing body. In 2007 they were thrown out of the constructors championship and docked with a £50 million fine for their involvement in the spy scandal.

Fernando Alonso, who fell out with the team over the row, has fuelled the recent controversy further by claiming that it is not the first time the team have lied to the stewards.

“Of course it reminded me of 2007,” Alonso told the Spanish press, pointing to the Hungarian Grand Prix when he delayed Lewis Hamilton in the pitlane in qualifying.

“It’s not the first time they go to see the stewards. It’s not the first time they lie to the stewards and, sooner or later, they had to be punished. Of course there I lost the championship by a point and in Hungary they played a bad trick on me.”

“I read about it on Thursday in the hotel, because I was there all day. I turned the computer on and I read it. Every time there are decisions taken against other teams you don’t care too much and in this case it didn’t change the result for me, so it didn’t affect me too much.”

By Chrish

Ferrari go fastest in Malaysia second practice-Formula 1-Maniac

2009-04-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

The two Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa this afternoon topped the Malaysian free practice timesheets. Raikkonen set the fastest time, followed by his team-mate Massa and the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel. Williams’ Nico Rosberg was fourth fastest.

Ferrari have suggested that the Sepang circuit might suit their F60 car better than Melbourne last week and being fastest on Friday seems to be a statement of intent from the Maranello squad. The two Brawn GP cars of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello failed to blitz the opposition in the same way they did in Australia, emerging 6th and 7th fastest respectively, but their true pace will be confirmed tomorrow.

The complete times were:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:35.707 40
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:35.832 + 0.125 38
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:35.954 + 0.247 40
4. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.015 + 0.308 39
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.026 + 0.319 36
6. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:36.161 + 0.454 37
7. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:36.254 + 0.547 31
8. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.290 + 0.583 35
9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.397 + 0.690 40
10. Piquet Renault (B) 1:36.401 + 0.694 35
11. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:36.515 + 0.808 30
12. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:36.516 + 0.809 34
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:36.628 + 0.921 32
14. Glock Toyota (B) 1:36.639 + 0.932 29
15. Alonso Renault (B) 1:36.640 + 0.933 20
16. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:36.875 + 1.168 36
17. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:37.267 + 1.560 38
18. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.278 + 1.571 30
19. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:37.432 + 1.725 27
20. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:37.930 + 2.223 37

By Hugh Podmore

Hamilton Disqualified from Australian GP-Formula 1-Maniac

2009-04-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his third place in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after the FIA ruled that his McLaren team “deliberately mislead” stewards in a post-race enquiry.

Hamilton was awarded third place after the race last weekend after Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was penalised for passing under the Safety Car. However Trulli has now been reinstated to third place after the sport’s governing body said that Hamilton and McLaren had deliberately mislead the stewards at the hearing on March 29.

On Thursday, Hamilton was summoned before the race stewards again to discuss a “new element” of evidence. It is currently unclear as to what this evidence was however it is thought to be radio communications between Hamilton and the team.

By Forumula1.net

Hamilton third place under question again-Formula 1-Maniac

2009-04-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton´s third place finish in Australia - awarded to him after stewards penalised Toyota´s Jarno Trulli - is again under question as the FIA reopen the issue.

Under safety car conditions, Trulli made a mistake and went off the track and Hamilton had no choice but to pass him, the world champion told Speed TV. Trulli then illegally re-passed Hamilton, for which act he was penalised and demoted from the podium position.

But stewards are investigating new evidence which has come to light. The new evidence - thought to be previously unheard McLaren radio traffic - raises the possibility that the team told Hamilton to slow and let Trulli by.

After the race, Trulli explained the events from his point of view.

“When the safety car came out towards the end of the race, Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road,” he said.

“I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do.”

If the new enquiry finds that the McLaren team withheld evidence, the consequences could be serious, as failing to produce key evidence in such a case clearly contravenes sporting regulations.

Hamilton and Trulli have both been summoned to appear in front of three race stewards today in Malaysia to explain the story. They, together with Australian GP race stewards, will reconstruct the sequence of events for the FIA panel.

By Hugh Podmore

Analysis: Raikkonen’s prospects for 2009

2009-01-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Kimi Raikkonen this week watched his new steed, the F60, be born. In the wake of this, it was announced that he would take the number 3 and Felipe Massa the number 4, in defiance of convention regarding the previous year’s championship standings. Stefano Domenicali, the team principal, then publicly called for a return of the ‘old’ Kimi. Strange times indeed. But what is clear to most F1 fans is that the upcoming year holds all sorts of questions for the 2007 world champion.

Is the number change Ferrari’s acknowledgement of Raikkonen as number one? Will Kimi return to the pinnacle, unchallenged as the raw fastest in F1? Was it just the tyre-heat issue that slowed him? Will he dispose of Massa next year?

Or will it be the year in which Massa exploits Kimi’s apparent disinterest? How many more votes of confidence from the Ferrari hierarchy does the Finn need? How much does he want to ‘do’ F1 after having won the world championship?

In so far as Raikkonen is a private man and does not give much away in interviews, it is difficult to predict the answers to these questions. Many believe, however, that he is one of the greatest drivers ever, and certainly one of the fastest. They cite his speed at Sauber and McLaren, and the probability of his winning the 2005 world championship with McLaren had it not been for their reliability problems. His win from 17th on the grid at Suzuka in 2005 is widely considered one of the best races ever. Fans of the Finn argue that his speed is not open to debate.

But critics would counter that his motivation, however, is in doubt. After winning the 2007 championship through consistency rather than show, many wondered if Kimi would remember the comment he is reported to have made when at McLaren. ‘I don’t like F1. I like the driving, but not everything else. I think one world championship will be enough.’
His ice-racing, his gorilla suits and his alleged passion for Absolut and Marlboros, while delighting the lads, was hardly the image of a 21st century sports icon.

2008 was by all accounts disappointing. It was reported that he found the F2008 a difficult beast, recalcitrant with its tyres. It certainly suited Felipe Massa more. Prior to their association at Ferrari, few F1 aficionados would have drawn comparisons between the Brazilian and the Finn. Raikkonen was considered the natural, the fastest; Massa the learner who could dominate if conditions were right and he kept his head. 2008 changed that perception, showing all that the car can be the master of the drivers in this day and age. Massa’s improvement cannot be discounted either.

So where to for Raikkonen now? 2009 is a make or break season for one of the world’s most highly paid sportsmen. Alonso, it is an open secret, is waiting in the wings. Raikkonen is the star driver who brought Ferrari glory in 2007. Massa is the new darling who failed narrowly in 2008. If Raikkonen cannot resurrect his previous form, he will in all likelihood be ousted at the end of the year. But he will also have disappointed a lot of his fans, who saw in him the inspiring characteristics of the romantic heroes of old.

By Hugh Podmore on Friday, January 16, 2009

Howett: value for Toyota money needed this season

2009-01-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Toyota motorsport president John Howett has implied that his bosses expect results from their investments this season. Following the online launch of the TF109, the Cologne-based team’s latest effort, Howett spoke of how the future of the team depended on F1’s value for money in 2009.

‘Commercially this team has a very strong future. The key issue is whether Formula One continues to deliver the value and return on investment that Toyota expects,’ the Englishman is quoted as saying by autosport.com.

The ambiguous nature of his words signify Howett’s support for the cost-cutting measures agreed on in December, but also puts pressure on his team to deliver results in the upcoming season. Howett added that everybody at the team was ready to show improvement on the track.

‘The new regulations pose an extra challenge but at the same time offer an opportunity. We have everything we need to win; we have some exceptionally talented people and huge motivation to succeed so now it is down to us to actually make it happen’.

Howett remains confident that the cost reduction agreements of December have preserved the technical innovation side of the sport.

‘If…too many standard components are forced into the system, Formula One could become just another racing series. That would leave it as only a sponsorship opportunity and I believe interest would drop rapidly. But FOTA has achieved significant cost reductions while retaining the DNA of Formula One’.

By Hugh Podmore on Thursday, January 15, 2009

Toyota launch TF109, the latest hope

2009-01-16T05:17:00.000-08:00

Toyota today launched their new car in an online unveiling ceremony. The Japanese marque, which has been the subject of frenzied debate in recent months following its record $1bn loss and the withdrawal of main rival Honda from F1, nevertheless appeared optimistic about the future.

In 2008, Toyota enjoyed a marked improvement over previous campaigns. The team finished fifth in the constructors’ championship overall, beating its Japanese rival Honda comprehensively. Drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were consistently threatening the big teams, and Trulli celebrated a podium finish.

“I expect Toyota to be competitive again,” said Trulli at the launch of the TF109. “Beyond that I cannot say; we will have to wait and see what the first few races hold.

“I am a very confident person and I am always optimistic so again this season I have high hopes, but I know from my experience that whatever I say in the winter doesn’t really count for much when the season starts - the important thing is what we do on the track.

“I hope I can fight for Toyota’s first victory; that is my dream. Formula One is extremely competitive at the moment so I expect this season to be exciting and very interesting; I am looking forward to it.”

The TF109 appears to be following the 2009 trend for high rear wings and wide front wings, following the new aerodynamic regulations intended to create more overtaking. The team’s colour scheme has remained consistent with its previous cars.

In their years in F1, Toyota have developed something of a reputation for financial profligacy, a dangerous trait in difficult economic times. However, they remain a team capable of reacting well to drastic rule changes, and could be a dark horse for 2009.

Trulli said: “It is a big change and whenever you make a change like this, it is impossible to predict how it will affect each team. Toyota has the capability to adapt to these regulations as well or better than any other team so I am hoping it will give us a good opportunity.’

TF109 In Pictures:

By Hugh Podmore on Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ferrari evaluate F60’s first run

2009-01-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

Felipe Massa yesterday shook the new Ferrari F60 down at the Italian team’s Mugello test track. He seemed pleased with the two laps he did, and expressed surprise at the car’s size.

He said: “I expected it to be big, but it’s small like a Formula Three car. I expected it to (have) huge (front) wings like they were 10 years ago.

“The new F60 seems tiny, very compact and cute. I feel emotional but I’m also happy to take it out on track for the first time.”

Speculation was rife, however, that the Ferrari machine that comes to the grid at the first race in Australia will differ hugely from today’s version. The car will have at least two major updates and will be constantly reviewed before it is raced.

The designer of the car, Nikolas Tombazis, emphasised that the speed at which Ferrari can develop the car will be key for the season ahead.

‘Many rules, as far as the aerodynamics are concerned, are completely new. The speed of development will be the main issue. Whoever knows how to develop faster will be better than the others. We can work on the development in the Fridays at every GP. Before the season there’s still some good margin. And if we’re ahead at the first race, it means that we can keep our cool,’ he told the official F1 website.

It is still unknown whether Ferrari will run its KERS facility. Like other teams, the Maranello concern will be weighing up the pros and cons of the untried system, which may provide performance advantage, but is likely to be unreliable.

Tombazis hinted that Ferrari would be prepared to run KERS in Melbourne, saying that the design team had worked extensively around the system. ‘Obviously the KERS ‘nuisance’ is remarkable. We’re talking about more than 30 kg of weight. We’ve done a lot of developmental work to insert the system and compensate for it.’

By Hugh Podmore on Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Pictures: Ferrari F60 Launch

2009-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ferrari welcomed in a new era of Formula One today with the launch of their 2009 challenger, the F60.

Besides marking the start of the Scuderia’s campaign to beat McLaren to the 2009 F1 World Championship, it was also a striking demonstration of the impact that sweeping regulation changes have had on car design. Forumula1.net takes a peek.

Ferrari drivers optimistic for the season ahead

2009-01-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

Both Ferrari race drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen have spoken of their optimism for 2009 following the launch of the new Ferrari F60 today. Speaking to the official F1 website, Massa talked of how his 2008 experience has made him stronger and how he will fight harder for the upcoming season’s crown.

“If you look at my career from the start to now, every year I feel stronger,” he said. “I think after so much experience over these six years, I feel stronger and I feel more experienced, especially after last year, with how difficult the championship was. I think you learn, and that makes me ready and even more experienced for this year.”

Massa was also moved to talk of his emotional connection with the Italian marque, with whom he starts his fourth season.

“When you race for Ferrari and you debut the car for the first time on the track it’s always quite an important and emotional day,” explained the Brazilian to Ferrari’s official website. “It’s the second time in my career I’ve debuted the car for the first time and I am very proud.

“I was expecting quite a big car, like it was ten years ago for example, but when I got here the car is very small and compact, especially in the rear. It looks good and hopefully will be as quick as it looks like it.”

Raikkonen, in typically blunt fashion, said that the new car’s different looks needed a little getting used to.

“(The car) looks different because of the new regulations, but I think after you look at it for a little while you get used to it. For me it looks different but very good, and I’m looking forward to running in it at the circuit tomorrow to see how it goes.”

The Finn, whose performances were occasionally uncharacteristically mediocre in 2008, promised improvement. He is widely thought to be fighting for his seat for 2010, and said that he was intending to fight for the drivers’ crown again himself.

“Last year was not exactly what I wanted but it’s in the past,” he explained. “Of course there’s a big question mark about who has the best car because the rules have changed a lot. But we are very confident the car should be very good and we should see in the next few weeks how good it is against the others. For sure we’ll try to win both championships.’’

By Hugh Podmore on Monday, January 12, 2009

2009 Preview: Ferrari-Formula-1 Maniac

2009-01-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

Ferrari were first to usher in a new era of Formula One today with the launch of their 2009 challenger, the F60, in Mugello. Forumula1.net’s Dan Barnes looks back on the highs and lows of 2008 and assesses the Scuderia’s chances of title glory one year on.

The Ferrari F2008 may have had superior pace, but a lack of reliability allied to fudged pit stops and erroneous decisions ultimately cost Ferrari the drivers’ title.

The F2008’s strengths lied in its raw race pace. The Ferrari was estimated to have the most powerful engine on the grid with an advantage over the midfield of around 25 BHP. However, the Ferrari power plant was incredibly unreliable. It failed spectacularly in Australia for both Kimi and Felipe and then later in the season at Hungary and Valencia.

Problems generating heat into their tyres compromised Ferrari in qualifying but it meant that the F2008 had a blistering race pace and looked after its tyres over the course of a race stint tremendously well. Take Hungary. McLaren locked out the front row but Felipe Massa’s race pace was superior to the silver cars allowing the Brazilian to dominate the race until a cruel engine blow three laps from the chequered flag.

Ferrari also seemed to have an advantage at the race start compared to its competitors. That allowed their drivers to challenge early on in a race and gain positions off the grid.

But for all the strengths of the F2008 there were weaknesses too in both the car and the operation of the team at races.

The F2008 had poor engine reliability which cost the team valuable points. There was also the broken exhaust in Magny-Cours which slowed Kimi Raikkonen considerably handing the win to Massa.

A prevalent theme for Ferrari in 2008 was the litany of pit stop errors which marred the teams campaign. The problems were the result of human error from the misuse of the pit stop light system costing Massa the win in Singapore and wrecking havoc with his race in Valencia.

Ferrari also suffered from a more anonymous refuelling problem in Silverstone and Montreal where Massa was misfuelled, severely compromising his qualifying and race respectively. The Ferrari pit wall also made questionable decisions at times during racing situations; most notably in Silverstone where they chose to leave Kimi on his used Intermediates at the first round of pit stops because their forecast showed no more rain. This forecast was wrong and oblivious to all other teams they proceeded to put on a new pair of intermediate tyres which compromised Kimi’s race.

Silverstone highlighted Ferrari’s wet weather ineptitude throughout most of the season, with similarly poor results in the wet races at Monza and Spa. Only by the very end of the season after intensive testing in Mugello did the Scuderia seem to have reasonable wet weather performance as demonstrated in Sao Paulo.

Despite the sweeping rule changes for 2009 not all of the Ferrari’s work in 2008 is defunct. Although engines are now required to last three races and are limited to 18,000 RPM the engines will remain relatively the same with only minor tweaks to improve reliability and costs allowed under the engine freeze.

Ferrari have it seems been exhaustively testing its engines over long runs in pre-season testing having identified it as a key weakness of the 2008 package. Also remedied for the 2009 season is the Ferrari pit light system which now has fail-safes built in to prevent human error of the system whilst in manual mode. The decision making process is also an area the Scuderia should have focused on.

Stefano Domenicali readily identified the weaknesses of Ferrari in 2008 when speaking at the end of season party at Maranello in December: “We didn’t lose the championship in Brazil but before, when we had problems with reliability and made mistakes. We have to analyse the causes, with tranquillity but decisively, to be sure that it will not happen again in the next year.”

If Ferrari can rectify these mistakes they have won half the battle.

The other half of the challenge in 2009 is adapting to the new rules including; slicks, new aero regulations and KERS. KERS has been discussed regularly by Aldo Costa who has sounded anything but confident when discussing KERS, noting in late December “We are late with the KERS. We prepared a hybrid F1 car to test it, but the system isn’t ready. In February we’ll understand how to go to the first grand prix.” In contrast we have heard little about the progress made on slicks or the aero package from Ferrari with the first real indicator of performance likely to come on January 20th when testing commences at Jerez.

So whilst the launch of the Ferrari F2009 at Mugello reveals little about the Scuderia’s competitiveness in 2009 it offers the chance to enjoy the first glimpse at what a completed 2009 car will look like. For anything more than aesthetics I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until Melbourne to find how well Ferrari has adapted to the new rules and if it has ironed out its 2008 gremlins.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, January 12, 2009

Howett: Teams won’t be swayed by Ecclestone attack

2008-12-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

Toyota Team Principal and FOTA vice-chairman John Howett has accused Bernie Ecclestone of trying to split the teams over their demand for greater revenue, dismissing his strategy of exposing Ferrari’s special financial deal as an ineffective “non-event”.

Ecclestone launched an attack on Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo after the Italian, in his capacity as President of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), called for a greater revenue share for the teams in the wake of the global economic crisis [see separate story HERE ].

A furious Ecclestone all but accused Di Montezemolo of hypocrisy and drew attention to the additional income that Ferrari receive as a result of their historical status within sport.

“Ferrari get so much more money than everyone else. They know exactly what they get; they are not that stupid, although they are not that bright, either,” said Ecclestone.

“They get about $80 million (£54 million) more. When they win the constructors’ championship, which they did this year, they got $80 million more than if McLaren had won it.”

However, Howett insists that FOTA will not be swayed by this argument, saying that the deal with Ferrari is common knowledge amongst the teams.

“He may be trying to [split FOTA] but all the information that was given is very transparent and openly shared among the members of FOTA, so it was a bit of a non-event because everybody is aware of the historic status [of Ferrari],” Howett told The Times.

Howett also affirmed that Ecclestone’s attack has done little to stop FOTA pursuing a greater slice of Formula One’s revenue.

“I think the majority position in FOTA is that people feel that the revenue for a modern professional sport is normally distributed more in favour of the participants than the property holder or the commercial rights-holder,” he said.

“People want to open that discussion and achieve a much more consistent balance with the status in many other professional sports.”

The teams currently earn around $500 million in TV money which is distributed according to position in the Constructors’ Championship. But this only accounts for the money distributed by the FIA as prize money, not the total revenue accrued by commercial rights holders CVC Capital Partners.

“In terms of revenue, we want to know more about them,” said di Montezemolo, according to autosport.com. “Theoretically, like in other professional sports, like basketball in the USA, we can have a league made by us and appoint a good league manager to run our own business. Because it is our own business.

“We want to know the revenues better so we can decrease the cost of the tickets. Then we have the matter of traditional tracks rather than exotic tracks just because they have a nice skyline. We have to discuss the show. How to promote. I’m not prepared any more to have all this dictated to us by outside without any control.”

By Christopher Hayes on Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Mosley expects compromise on standard engines-F1 Maniac

2008-12-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Max Mosley has conceded that his plans for a standard engine in Formula One are unlikely to be endorsed by the teams, but the FIA President says he still wants to introduce an independent engine supplier in case more manufacturers decide to follow Honda out of the sport.

With the teams rigorously opposed to the idea of a standardised engine, a compromise is expected to be reached with the FIA whereby the manufacturers would make their engines available to the smaller teams at a reduced cost from 2010.

“This is still under discussion, but I think we will end up with a frozen engine, regulated in such a way that independent teams can obtain inexpensive supplies,” Mosley told the official Formula One website.

Adding that he hoped to see some sort of independent engine supply from 2010 onwards Mosley said: “I think we ought to try to have at least one independent outside engine supplier, because of the risk that we will lose another manufacturer or even two.”

Formula One will not have to wait until 2010 to see changes to the engine regulations however. As of next year the units will be required to last three races and performance will be equalised via a reduction in revs and restrictions on development.

It had been hoped that the 2008-13 engine freeze would help level the engines but a loophole in the regulations that allowed teams to make changes on the grounds of reliability lead to something of a horsepower field spread in 2008, with Renault notable losers.

Mosley insists that the principles of the freeze stand proven however: “The only problem with the original engine freeze was that in rectifying reliability problems, some teams appear to have gained somewhat in performance,” he said. “We simply intend to ensure that the sporting contest remains fair.”

The FIA President is also confident that fans will get to see more overtaking in 2009 with new aerodynamic regulations and the introduction of KERS expected to improve the racing spectacle.

“The 2009 aerodynamic regulations were developed by three of the top Formula One engineers, aided by an extensive wind tunnel programme. I have no means of judging whether they have got it right, but if they have not, it will be surprising and disappointing.”

“In addition, the KERS system, if fitted, will make a significant difference to overtaking by giving a car an 80hp boost for up to six seconds each lap.”

By Christopher Hayes on Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Briatore: 70% cut in costs is possible in F1-F1 Maniac

2008-12-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Renault boss Flavio Briatore is adamant that Formula One’s image and popularity will not be damaged by drastic reductions in teams’ spending amid the global economic crisis.

The FIA unveiled a radical package of cost-cutting measures earlier in the month with estimated budget savings of around 30 per cent in 2009.

The options for 2010 and beyond – including the availability of cheaper engines to smaller teams and the standardisation of major components – are expected to slash costs further still.

While the FIA’s cost-cutting proposals have been welcomed by the Formula One community there have been fears that the increasing shift towards a standard ’spec series’ could tarnish the sport’s popularity.

Briatore is confident however that Formula One will survive the global economic crisis, even with budget reductions in the region of up to 70 per cent – cuts which he believes are entirely feasible providing Formula One’s powerbrokers commit to a total overhaul of the sport.

“The time for looking around the garage for different ways to cut costs is gone,” he told F1 Racing this month. “We have to take an overall look at Formula One.”

“I believe it’s possible to have the same show, or better, for 70 per cent less than we spend now.”

While Briatore believes that is possible to obtain a balance between cost-cutting and standardisation on the one hand, and technical innovation on the other, the Italian has stressed that improving the racing spectacle is of even more importance.

“Fans want to see racing,” he said, “I don’t think they’re interested in what your suspension is made of. We need to keep technology, but races are too predictable”

“Every time we have a good race it’s because something happened with a Safety Car or the weather. We need more fights between drivers.”

“The races should be held at a better time as well - 2pm on a Sunday night is not right. We need to be starting 6pm or 7pm.”

- With thanks to Bradley Lord and F1 Racing for quotes.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, December 22, 2008

Lewis’ book tops Times bestseller chart-F1 Maniac

2008-12-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

The special celebration edition of Lewis Hamilton’s biography My Story is the nation’s best-selling sports book.

In the week ending last Saturday, it sold 12,712 copies in stores, outselling the books by Jamie Carragher and Sir Bobby Charlton, and putting it at number 13 in the Sunday Times top 20 hardback non-fiction chart.

Updated to include the 2008 F1 World Championship season, including the breathtaking finale in Brazil which saw Lewis clinch the World Drivers’ title on the penultimate bend, the book contains more than 70 new photographs and a new introduction by Lewis reflecting on his remarkable year.

From early karting glory and signing for the McLaren team at the age of 13 to becoming the youngest ever F1 World Drivers’ Champion with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team just 10 years later, LEWIS HAMILTON: MY STORY - Special Celebration Edition, recalls all the memorable moments in an outstanding career to date.

A substantial donation from the advance together with all the future royalties will be paid to the Lewis Hamilton Foundation, a trust set up to provide charitable funding for children and young people.

To purchase the book from amazon click HERE.

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, December 21, 2008

Ecclestone furious at teams’ demand for greater revenue

2008-12-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

Formula One supremo lambasts FOTA president’s demands for more money citing ’secret’ Ferrari deal.

A furious Bernie Ecclestone has hit out at FOTA president Luca di Montezemolo after the Italian called for the teams to be given a greater slice of Formula One’s revenue.

Amid the negotiations to reduce costs in Formula One, di Montezemolo, president of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), told journalists this month that the teams should receive greater prize money to incentivise and maintain their participation in the sport, in the wake of the credit crisis.

Ecclestone has lambasted di Montezemolo for making these comments citing the additional income that Ferrari receive as a result of their historical status and contribution to the sport.

“The only thing he has not mentioned is the extra money Ferrari get above all the other teams and all the extra things Ferrari have had for years - the ‘general help’ they are considered to have had in Formula One,” Ecclestone told The Times.

“Ferrari get so much more money than everyone else. They know exactly what they get; they are not that stupid, although they are not that bright, either. They get about $80 million (Â£54 million) more. When they win the constructors’ championship, which they did this year, they got $80 million more than if McLaren had won it.”

“What he should do, rather than asking for money, with all the extra money Ferrari gets, he should share all that amongst the teams.”

Ecclestone also hinted at the perceived hypocrisy of Ferrari’s new-found harmony with the rest of the teams. Pointing to the threat of a manufactures ‘break-away’ series in 2003, Ecclestone reminded di Montezemolo:

“(Ferrari) were the only team that broke ranks with the other manufacturers - why did they break ranks?” he said. “That’s where the $80 million comes in. We ‘bought’ Ferrari. We ‘bought’ Ferrari’s loyalty. Our deal with Ferrari was that we ‘bought’ them so they would not go to the others.”

Ecclestone was also annoyed at di Montezemolo’s suggestions that the teams did not have access to the full breakdown of how money is distributed in the sport.

“They have the right to send people into the company and search for everything,” he said, pointing to a clause in the Concorde Agreement that allows full examinations of the accounts.

“Ferrari in particular, more than anybody, from day one, have had the right and they’ve never done it. We have bankers here and we’ve got CVC (CVC Capital Partners, the principal owners of Formula One) checking every single solitary thing. So anybody that starts saying that we’ve done anything wrong, I’ll sue the a*** off them.”

With thanks to autosport.com for quotes.

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, December 20, 2008

Fisichella excited by 2009 rule changes

2008-12-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Giancarlo Fisichella is hoping that the FIA’s radical shake-up of Formula One’s regulations will catapult him up the pecking order in 2009.

The Italian veteran endured a difficult maiden season with new team Force India and failed to score a single point.

But with radical changes in the regulations expected to level the playing field in 2009 (see HERE), Fisichella is optimistic that Force India - who recently entered into a technical partnership with McLaren-Mercedes - will be able to use the new rules to their advantage.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said the Roman. “With the new rules it could all change, especially with the slick tyres, and different downforce levels.

“I think it’s very important to build a good car for those rules, and to try to run as soon as possible with the new car with the slicks. With the new partnerships I think it’s a great opportunity for us.”

“We have a better chance than this year for sure, but nobody knows how things will work out with the new rules! We’ll only see that in Australia.”

Pointing to his disappointing maiden year with Force India, Fisichella commented: “It was a difficult season, and we knew it would be. Actually at the beginning of the season in some places we were very close to getting to the top 16 and also reasonably close to the points, quite close to manufacturer teams such as Honda and to other people. It was actually a tough season.

“We went in the right direction sometimes, but we lost a bit of direction later in the season, and in the last few races we stopped development of the 2008 car so it was very difficult to keep pushing.”

With thanks to autosport.com

By Christopher Hayes on Friday, December 19, 2008

Williams confirm January 19 launch date

2008-12-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

Williams will unveil their 2009 challenger, the FW31, on January 19 at the new Algarve Motor Park circuit in Portugal, the team confirmed today.

The launch co-incides with the first major testing event of the new year at the new 2.9 mile Portimao circuit and several tams will be in action, including Renault who will reveal their 2009 car, the R29, on the same day as Williams.

Speaking to Formula One’s official website, Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima revealed that the team had been struggling with the balance of their hybrid 2008-09 car, but remained confident that the issues would be resolved in the new car.

“At the moment we are testing a car with the front of the ’08 car and the rear with ’09 spec, so the balance is not perfect,” the Japanese driver said.

“The feeling is very different with the slick tyres and the downforce for next year, so a real feeling for the car has not yet developed. But when we have the new car for next year it’s going be totally different. At the moment the rear of the car, plus gearbox, is completely next year’s design.

“I would say that more than half of the car is next year’s car, but as the front is still the old car it lacks balance. Basically we tested some suspension set-ups and were collecting aero data.”

Although Nakajima struggled to match the underlying pace of teammate Nico Rosberg in 2008, his consistency on race day resulted in several well earned points finishes.

Now the Toyota-backed driver is turning is attention to the podium, though he admits it will be a challenge.

“Well, there are no real facts that make me convinced podiums will be possible - it’s just the target, because I have finished in the points and the next logical step would be a podium finish.”

“It’s basically my own self confidence that tells me that it could be within reach.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, December 18, 2008

Lewis Hamilton voted world’s favourite driver

2008-12-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton has been voted the world’s favourite driver, with his McLaren squad earning the accolade of most loved team.

These were the findings of the ING/F1 Racing Formula 1 survey – an exhaustive investigation that straddled the globe in order to track the profiles, viewing habits and preferences of the average Formula 1 fan.

Officially unveiled earlier this month at Monte Carlo’s prestigious Motor Sport Business Forum, and with nearly 70,000 fans polled, it’s the most exhaustive, accurate and authoritative survey of the year.

When asked to name their favourite driver, the fans’ verdict was overwhelming: Lewis scooped top honours with a massive 27 per cent of the vote – more than 10 per cent ahead of his closest rival, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Fernando Alonso racked up 12 per cent with Felipe Massa taking nine per cent.

In the teams category, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes also emerged on top, receiving 29 per cent of the vote, ahead of Ferrari (28), Renault (six) and Williams (six).

Lewis said: “I think the standard of drivers currently racing in Formula 1 is higher than it’s been for years so I’m humbled to have earned the fans’ support. Drivers like Kimi, Felipe, Fernando, Robert and myself have made the battles at the front probably the closest and most exciting they’ve ever been – and, more than anything, I hope that’s what the fans enjoy the most.

“The icing on the cake is the popularity of the team. I know just how hard everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes works – they’ve done an unbelievable job this year and every single member of the team deserves this honour.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, December 18, 2008

Lewis gets his own stamp

2008-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Kimi Raikkonen, 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is to appear on a set of commemorative stamps.

The Isle of Man Post Office is issuing a set of six stamps featuring stunning images of Hamilton’s championship year.

As well as the stamps, a first day cover, presentation pack and special sheet folder will also be produced and issued on Thursday 15th January 2009.

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh said that the six commemorative stamps “really capture the emotions of a fantastic season.”

Dot Tilbury, Philatelic Bureau Manager at the Isle of Man Post Office added: “We are thrilled and honoured to be part of the celebrations to acknowledge Lewis’s 2008 Formula 1 World Championship and hope our stamps capture the spirit of his momentous achievement to all his fans around the world.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ferrari to launch ‘F2008K’ development car

2008-11-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Like many teams, Ferrari are to use a revised version of this year’s F2008 car to develop parts for next season. Code-named the F2008K, the ‘K’ believed to refer to the new KERS technology, the car will act as a halfway house between the current 2008 and radically revised 2009 regulations.

The development machine is expected to break cover at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit shortly, before travelling to Barcelona with Luca Badoer next week for the start of testing. It is unlikely that the car will use the complicated KERS technology in Spain, instead the team will simulate the weight of the system with strategically placed ballast.

By Stephen on Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Will the real Kimi Raikkonen please stand up?

2008-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has joked that he wants Kimi Raikkonen’s slower and less motivated ’stunt double’ to step aside in 2009 for the real Raikkonen.

The Finn, who only a year ago was wallowing in championship glory having beaten Lewis Hamilton to the title in Brazil, endured a trying season this year, his apparent lack of speed and motivation mid-season triggering speculation about his future at the Italian squad.

And at the final race of the season in Brazil Raikkonen showed a distinct lack of pace – and by implication interest in the outcome of the world championship battle between his team mate Felipe Massa and eventual victor Lewis Hamilton.

“Kimi, was it really you in flesh and bone or was it a friend, a double, who raced for Ferrari in the final Grand Prix?” the Ferrari President said at Ferrari’s end of season World Finals event at Mugello, according to GMM.

By Christopher Hayes on Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Toyota Reasoning on Threat to Quit?

2008-11-12T07:29:00.001-08:00

All of the car manufacturers currently in Formula 1 have expressed their displeasure at the FIA’s proposal to implement a ‘standard’ engine to the self proclaimed top flight of motorsport. So far only Toyota and Ferrari have questioned their future involvement in the sport, and with Toyota known to be looking at a return to Le Mans and the associated race series in both Europe and the US is this the excuse they need to pull the plug on their expensive and fruitless F1 folly?

Let’s look at the implications, Formula 1 would be a much poorer place if Ferrari did leave the sport (for the already-trademarked-by-Bernie GP1?) and some might say that F1 would collapse without the Prancing Horse, but the departure of Toyota – aside from leaving two car shaped holes on the grid – wouldn’t cause quite so much disruption. So you can understand why Ferrari would threaten to leave, the hope that loosing such a team might scare the FIA in to backing down, but Toyota?

You may think that as F1 is the supposedly technological pinnacle of motorsport that any top road car manufacturer would be mad to leave, but let’s face it F1 is stuck in a techno-rut. Yes there’s the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) coming in for the 2009 season, but they are still running 2.4 litre V8 petrol engines, in Le Mans series and Touring Car races there is the option of Diesel and Bio-Fuel power plants. With Toyota already having production Hybrids on sale worldwide they already know about the principle of KERS, although ironically they are apparently one of the teams struggling with the implementation of the device in their F1 car, so yes they can learn more, but is it worth their while – especially if the KERS are to be standardised as other proposals suggest? So you can understand why a pioneering manufacturer like Toyota would want to leave F1 if they feel that the new (proposed) regulations could stifle their natural need to innovate. At least you could if they weren’t racing in NASCAR in the USA.

The NASCAR series are regulated in such a way that even the car bodies are standardised with only stickers to denote the different manufacturers, and the V8 engines are running on Carburettors, hardly pioneering technology although it does lead to close and (arguably) entertaining races. You see to Toyota - and to be fair most of the manufacturers – motorsport is a marketing exercise, and to be successful is to sell more cars. At least when Ford pulled Jaguar out of F1 they were honest about it, their sales weren’t good enough to warrant them being a midfield F1 team so they sold up to concentrate on Rallying where they were at least successful. Toyota didn’t come into Formula 1 lightly, they came in to win and if the standardised engines are implemented it is the perfect way of leaving the sport without admitting that they had failed.

By Lee Compton on Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Force India confirm McLaren partnership

2008-11-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

Force India have entered into a technical partnership with McLaren-Mercedes for 2009, the two teams confirmed today.

Having used Ferrari engines in 2008, Force India’s switch to McLaren sees the team enjoy Mercedes-Benz power next year, as well as the use of McLaren’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), and access to the Woking squad’s part suppliers.

The Anglo-Indian outfit will also be allowed to use McLaren’s gearbox and hydraulic unit should they desire.

In addition, autosport.com has reported that McLaren’s Operations Director Simon Robert will become Force India’s COO, working full-time at the factory, while the Silverstone-based outfit will also be expanding their computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using the Brackley Aero Centre.

Owner Vijay Mallya has said he wants to be fighting for race wins in two years time as a result of the technical collaboration with McLaren.

“We all know how long things take to actually happen in Formula One because it’s super competitive. We can’t take anything for granted,” Mallya told journalists at the Force India factory.

“Other teams are also developing and improving and of course in 2009 it’s virtually a brand new car and a brand new design. At least from my perspective, winning races I think I can certainly aspire for maybe in 2010, but for 2009 I would be happy if we are regularly in the points. That would be already a major step forward.”

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh joined Mallya in his hopes to build a race winning car, though he was under no allusions of the difficulties in doing so.

“We hope that that with some assistance and guidance from our technology business, McLaren Applied Technology, we can focus on some of the process, the methodology that is necessary to build a winning team,” said Whitmarsh. “People shouldn’t forget that the difference between the front of the grid and the back of the grid isn’t so great.

“I know people sometimes assume that those at the front are there because they have some trick, widget, idea or concept on the car but it is seldom in my experience the case.

“The teams that are at the front have worked on developing that engineering process, discipline, procedure, methodology that can discern very small fractions of percent of performance differentiation.

“Ultimately if we can move in true competitive terms, performance terms, Force India forward by 2% then that actually is a substantial improvement in today’s Formula One. I believe that we can help Force India to develop those processes and those techniques and that methodology that have a resolution and fidelity that you can discern those very small percentage improvements.

“There’s no magic wand, McLaren has a range of businesses, our core business is going motor-racing and we see this as an exciting opportunity. It’s a challenge for Force India and ourselves.”

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, November 10, 2008

DC urges Hamilton to reconsider lifelong McLaren pledge

2008-11-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

David Coulthard has advised newly-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton to think twice about his pledge to spend the rest of his career with McLaren.

After winning the championship in Brazil and returning home to the UK, Hamilton told journalists: “I want to see my career through with this team (McLaren), so that’s my plan.”

“When I say I’m not going anywhere, I’m in the team I’ve always dreamt of driving with, and when you’re living your dream and you’ve got the car you want to have why are you going to change?”

But Coulthard thinks it would be foolish to make such a commitment given that the team’s performance could take a downward turn in the future.

“In terms of trying to achieve wins it would be silly of him to stay there if the car wasn’t performing,” the Scot told BBC Radio 5Live.

“He wants to win grands prix and you would expect him to say that right now because they’re on top of the world.

“But I don’t think he needs to talk about the future beyond enjoying this World Championship at this moment and the battle of retaining that championship next year. None of us knows what the future holds.”

Coulthard isn’t the only ex-F1 driver to urge Hamilton to keep his options open.

Eddie Irvine said last month that the Briton should consider switching to McLaren’s rivals, Ferrari, at some point in his career.

“What Lewis has achieved in only his second season is great for Formula 1 and he is, to me, the first normal F1 Champion in a long time,” Irvine told his Virgin Media column.

“You look at (Michael) Schumacher and (Fernando) Alonso who were super boring out of the car.

“Lewis can talk, he looks good, he has a pop star girlfriend so he has a real appeal to the masses and that’s great for Formula 1.

“So he may win a couple more with McLaren and he’s loyal to Ron Dennis but he’s got to move to Ferrari at some point.

“Having been there, I’ve seen what it’s like and it’s a different situation to being with any other team. He’ll go there as a superstar already and ultimately I feel that’s where he’s got to go.”

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, November 10, 2008

Lewis and Fernando make up

2008-11-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Lewis Hamilton says he has always respected his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and has denied that there was ever a personal dispute between himself and the Spaniard as they battled for the title at McLaren last year.

“I don’t think there was a particular dispute between us,” he said at Mercedes-Benz’s Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart this weekend, according to autosport.com.

Hamilton also disclosed that Alonso was one of the first drivers to congratulate him after he won the world championship in Brazil.

“It was great to see him in the garage,” said Hamilton. “He came over as I saw my team, I turned round and he was there - just to wish me congratulations. Then he said congratulations to the rest of the team.”

“I had a huge amount of respect for him already, but it took a big man to come and do that so I was very thankful to him.”

Alonso’s feud with McLaren stemmed from his belief that the the team were biased towards Hamilton and that eventually resulted in him leaving the team.

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, November 9, 2008

BMW 2008 Season Review

2008-11-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

In a Formula One season full of surprises, the BMW Sauber F1 Team was a model of consistency. As if setting out to reinforce the popular stereotypes of German thoroughness and Swiss precision, the young team swept through 2008 without a single technical retirement and notched up by far the most race laps and fastest pit stops of any team.

The BMW Sauber F1.08 racers were not only reliable, they also proved their mettle in performance terms. The highlights of the season were the one-two finish in Canada when Robert Kubica took the chequered flag ahead of team-mate Nick Heidfeld a year after crashing heavily at the Montreal track, Kubica’s pole position in Bahrain and two fastest race laps courtesy of Heidfeld (Malaysia and Germany). Together, the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers collected eleven podium trophies in what was the team’s third season on the grid – up from two in 2007.

Here, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, Technical Director Willy Rampf, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld look back on 2008.

Mario Theissen gave a positive verdict on the season: “We are proud of our successful season and we have once again achieved our exacting goals. We set out to turn the two-horse race at the top of the standings into a three-way battle and to record our first victory. We reached this target much earlier than expected and even managed to do so with a one-two finish.”

After the first three races of the season, the team was leading the World Championship, while Robert Kubica’s win in Canada put him top of the drivers’ standings. Should the season have worked out rather better in the end?

Theissen: “It wasn’t a question of what should have happened, but what we wanted to be the case. These magnificent achievements so early in the season naturally whetted the appetite for more. Although it didn’t take us long to reach our goals, there was no let-up from anybody in the team. We continued to bring new and further stages of technical developments into the car in the second half of the season, but unfortunately they didn’t produce the performance gains we expected. Our pace of development was fine, but the results were not up to scratch and our rivals opened up a gap over us during the course of the season. We will learn from this for 2009, when we will be looking to be up there battling for the title.”

Were you happy with the performances of your drivers in 2008?

Theissen: “All in all, yes – otherwise neither would be driving for us in 2009. However, Robert and Nick had very contrasting years. Robert shook off the memory of 2007, was hugely motivated for the job in hand and threw himself into his work with his new race engineer. Robert was in top form and if the F1.08 was not quick enough he took it as a personal affront. The working relationship was therefore not always easy, but his unreserved determination to achieve success commands respect.

For Nick the season was very different. It took too long for the seriousness of the situation to be recognised and the causes of his problems above all in qualifying to be systematically addressed. When you’ve got so many years of experience, you can maybe tell yourself after one or two unsuccessful outings that these were just blips and everything will be alright again the next time around, but that was not the case. It was only with intensive work that we got to grips with the problem. What stood out about both Robert and Nick was their extremely low error count on the track. In this respect, nobody else on the grid comes close to our two drivers – and for that I take my hat off to them.”

What are your expectations for 2009?

Theissen: “Formula One is set to experience the most significant rule changes in its history. Wide-reaching controls on aerodynamics systems will see the cars looking totally different in 2009, treadless tyres (slicks) will be brought back and the totally new KERS technology introduced. This may bring about shifts in the balance of power. This extremely challenging scenario does not alter our goal of fighting for the World Championship title in 2009.”

Willy Rampf gives his assessment of the BMW Sauber F1.08: “This car was something very special. It was not purely a further development; we opted for a very aggressive approach for the F1.08. This was very important given the goals for the season we had set ourselves, but clearly not without risk. Indeed, at the roll-out the car was still far from its full potential. What followed was a very tough, but also incredibly productive time for us – and by the start of the season we had the car very much on track. In Melbourne Robert was only a hair’s breadth away from taking pole position.”

What was your reaction to the one-two finish in Canada?

Rampf: “You just can’t put it into words. When no other car and no other drivers are better than your two, you have reached your goal. And that applies not only to me, but to the whole team. You mustn’t forget that many of the people in the team gave everything over a number of years for the independent Sauber team – without any prospect of getting right to the top on their own merits – and have been part of the BMW Sauber F1 Team from its launch. The one-two in Montreal had a big impact on us all, and not only on the Sunday – it had a sustained effect.”

Was it not possible to build on this success and step up another gear over the remainder of the season?

Rampf: “Of course, this success raised expectations both within the team and from the outside. We developed several new parts which produced good results in the wind tunnel. When it came to their performance on the track, however, they did not deliver what they promised. Added to which, the optimum set-up window of the F1.08 was very small. It was not easy to adjust the individual parameters to stay within this window all the time. This was a learning experience, which we will utilise again for the 2009 season.”

As for 2009: how will technical responsibility be apportioned?

Rampf: “I have responsibility for the F1.09 concept and, as Technical Coordinator, will also be at the helm for the team’s race activities in 2009. The development process and construction of the new car is overseen by Managing Director Walter Riedl, who will continue to head up operations at the Hinwil plant and project management across both locations in 2009. It was important for me to cut down on my workload – this was a personal decision following a long time working flat-out.”

Robert Kubica, how would you assess your second full season in F1?

Kubica: “The 2008 season was very long and extremely hard – probably the toughest of my career. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to sustain our pace of development through the second half of the season. But we have made a big leap forward over 2007. We had no technical retirements and were in there fighting for the title almost until the end of the season. The team have done a wonderful job and we can be proud of our season, I don’t like to give myself too much praise, but I think I drove really well. I was almost always fast and able to show my potential. However, I’m a person who always wants to win and for me second place is the first loser.”

What were the highs and lows of 2008?

Kubica: “I can think of various great moments, especially over the first half of the season – my podium in Malaysia, pole position in Bahrain and, of course, my first race victory in Canada. I’m also very proud of my performance at Fuji. That was probably my strongest race of the year. The most frustrating weekend, on the other hand, was the first of the season in Melbourne: I’d had a very disappointing season in 2007 and my race was going really well until Kazuki Nakajima ran into me.”

Nick Heidfeld, how would you sum up the 2008 season?

Heidfeld: “So-so, with an upwards curve towards the end of the season. It is always my aim to get the maximum from the car and I didn’t manage to do that through the middle part of the season – in qualifying in particular. The positive thing is that I came through this difficult period by analysing the situation, rather than stubbornly ploughing on. Highlights included the race at Spa – when my decision to change onto wet-weather tyres two laps from the finish paid off – and five passing manoeuvres over the course of the season in which I overtook two cars in the same move. And, of course, four second places aren’t bad going either.”

How do you expect the reintroduction of slick tyres will affect the racing in 2009? Will they help you to exploit the full potential of the tyres in qualifying?

Heidfeld: “We’ll find out in due course if slicks suit my driving style specifically, but I believe they will do and I definitely think it’s important that we get them back in Formula One! Slicks are simply part of F1, both for the sport as a spectacle and as far as driveability is concerned. Anything else is just a joke. In combination with the significant reduction in the cars’ downforce levels, slicks will hopefully also result in more overtaking.”

The 2008 season in brief.

The innovative looks of the F1.08 made quite an impression at its presentation in the new BMW Welt in Munich on 14th January. The subsequent testing in Valencia was disappointing, but the team pulled out all the stops to turn things around before the opening race of the season in Melbourne. Their calm but intensive work resulted in second place for Heidfeld, while Kubica – lying fifth – was the innocent victim of a collision at the restart after a Safety Car phase and left Australia with no points to show for his efforts.

In Malaysia it was Kubica’s turn to take second place, while Heidfeld finished sixth. Their total of 11 points represented a record haul for the young team. To add the icing on the cake, Heidfeld also recorded the team’s first fastest race lap.

Next up was Bahrain: another race, another milestone. Kubica earned the BMW Sauber F1 Team its first pole position, before finishing third in the race to give him back-to-back podiums. Heidfeld crossed the line in fourth. The team topped the constructors’ standings as the F1 circus moved on to Europe. Bahrain offered the first signs that Heidfeld was having difficulties bringing his tyres up to temperature in qualifying.

The start of the European season saw Ferrari in dominant mood. Kubica finished fourth at Barcelona, while Heidfeld fell foul of Safety Car rules. The German was forced to pit for fuel while the pit lane was closed, landing him with the inevitable ten-second stop-and-go penalty and meaning he could do no better than ninth.

After a modest performance in qualifying at Istanbul, the BMW Sauber F1 Team salvaged fourth and fifth places in the race, allowing them to defend their second place in the Constructors’ World Championship behind Ferrari.

Kubica finished second in a damp race in Monaco to earn a spot in the famous royal box. Heidfeld had qualified a lowly 12th as his tyre problems persisted. In the race itself the German had battled up to fifth position when Renault’s Fernando Alonso (Spain) drove into the side of him. Heidfeld nursed his battered F1.08 across the line in 14th, a dispiriting four laps behind the winner.

Round seven of the season yielded unbridled celebration for the team. Kubica and Heidfeld raced to a one-two finish, earning the BMW Sauber F1 Team its maiden race victory in only its third season on the grid. Kubica’s win allowed him to take over the lead in the Drivers’ World Championship and the team leapt back into second place in the constructors’ standings, just three points adrift of Ferrari.

Qualifying for the French GP did not go well for the team, but Kubica at least pulled in four points for his fifth-place finish in the race. The hop across the English Channel brought an improved showing at the British Grand Prix, although this time the Pole was left empty-handed after a rare mistake saw him aquaplane off the track. Heidfeld celebrated an impressive second place at a sodden Silverstone.

In the team’s home race at Hockenheim, Heidfeld recovered from further qualifying strife and a grid position of 12th to set his second fastest race lap on the way to a fourth-position finish. While Heidfeld benefited from his race strategy and a Safety Car phase, Kubica came off rather worse and finished in his starting position of seventh.

The final race before the short summer break was a chastening experience for the team. The F1.08 was clearly short of speed in Hungary and a single point for Kubica was all it could muster. Second place in the Constructors’ Championship was lost to McLaren Mercedes, and Kubica and Heidfeld were now fourth and fifth in the drivers’ standings.

The first F1 race on the portside circuit in Valencia was one of mixed fortunes for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Kubica secured the team its eighth podium finish in 12 races with third place in the Grand Prix of Europe, but his team-mate could manage only ninth. Heidfeld struggled with the harder tyre compound and admitted his race had been a disaster.

All of which made Heidfeld even happier with his podium finish at Spa, the key to which was his brave decision to change onto wet-weather tyres two laps from the finish. Kubica’s chances of a top-three finish were scuppered by a sticking fuel tank nozzle. It was a rare mishap for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, which topped the fastest pit stop statistics. Kubica went on to finish sixth.

The final race of the European season at Monza was also hit by rain. Kubica missed the cut for the top ten qualifying shoot-out at GP number 14, but a strong race performance on a one-stop strategy and a perfectly timed switch from wet-weather tyres to intermediates took him onto the third step of the podium. Heidfeld secured fifth place after starting from 10th.

The BMW Sauber F1 Team went away from Formula One’s magnificent debut night race in Singapore with just three points (Heidfeld/6th position). Starting from fourth on the grid, Kubica was a victim of the Safety Car rules and crossed the line 11th. The BMW Sauber F1 Team remained third in the Constructors’ World Championship, with McLaren now leading the way – albeit only briefly.

Kubica took centre stage at Fuji as the chief protagonists in the World Championship race shunted each other down the field. After 17 laps in the lead the Pole was forced to settle for second place behind Alonso, but had put himself back in contention for the driver’s title. Heidfeld finished a nondescript ninth after an errant tyre strategy in qualifying. Ferrari climbed back to the top of the constructors’ standings.

Heidfeld was slightly faster than Kubica over the whole weekend in Shanghai, and the two drivers finished the penultimate race of the season in fifth and sixth positions respectively. The result put an end to both Kubica and the team’s outside chances of World Championship glory. The drivers’ crown had come down to a straight fight between Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).

The season finale in Brazilian was as tense and exciting as they come, although the BMW Sauber F1 Team now had little more than a minor role in proceedings. Hamilton clinched the title on the last lap of 2008 and Ferrari wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship.

Kubica had struggled with the balance of his F1.08 in qualifying and could do no better than 13th. Given his modest grid position, the team took the risk of starting him on dry tyres on what was a drying track. However, on the formation lap the Pole decided to change onto intermediates after all. The trip to the pits relegated him to the back of the field and ultimately cost him third place in the Drivers’ Championship. Kubica finished level on points with 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) but had to settle for fourth. Heidfeld started the race from eighth, but excessive wheel spin meant he lost ground off the line and he crossed the line 10th ahead of Kubica. Drawing a blank at Interlagos also cost the German driver a place in the final table – he slipped down to sixth, one point behind Alonso. The BMW Sauber F1 Team remained third in the constructors’ standings.

Source: BMW Sauber

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, November 6, 2008

Hamilton indulges Pussycat Doll in the delights of Stevenage

2008-11-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Newly crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton took Pussycat Doll girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger on a romantic tour of his home town, Stevenage, on Wednesday, after returning to the UK with the 2008 F1 World Title in his grasp.

After what was a very public home-coming at the McLaren Technology Centre, in which both Hamilton and Scherzinger were on hand to answer questions from the world’s media, the pair headed off for a quiet night in Stevenage.

The couple were treated to a roast chick dinner at the house of Hamilton’s step-mum, Linda, before checking into the local cinema where they watched the new James Bond film.

The British hero then took his girlfriend on a tour of the town in which he grew up.

Hamilton told The Mirror: “I’m the world’s biggest Bond fan, and this movie is the best one yet. It was nice to go back to my home town, have a night out at the cinema and go back to a few old haunts without being recognised.

“I drove round Stevenage, past the house where I used to live in Peartree Way, past the church where I was baptised and my old primary school. It made me smile.”

“It was just great to see the old house was still standing - even the old posts where the gate used to hang off were still there. It was a tough neighbourhood and a tough place to grow up. There was a lot of suffering around that area, but I was safe enough in the end.”

“Almost opposite was a hostel full of troubled people, including drug dealers, youngsters who had kids at 14. There was always something going on. The police were round there all the time.

“But I wanted to show Nicole for the first time where I grew up and where I came from. It’s not that long ago since I was there because the last time I drove round the town was earlier this year, and I still go to the dentist in Stevenage.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, November 6, 2008

Exclusive: Moss hits out at ‘conservative’ Lewis

2008-11-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

British racing legend welcomes ‘exciting’ Hamilton as youngest World Champion but says he should never have won the title;

McLaren defend ‘disciplined’ Brazil tactics

Lewis Hamilton’s touch-and-go charge to fifth place in Sunday’s thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix did not deserve to earn him the World Championship. That is the verdict of four time championship runner-up Sir Stirling Moss who was disappointed to see the Briton abandon his characteristically aggressive racing style as he tip-toed to championship glory.

Hamilton entered the history books on Sunday as the youngest world champion in Formula One, and the first British champion in over a decade, following a nail-biting climax to the final race of the 2008 season in Brazil.

With only one lap of the race remaining the British hero found himself out of the money in sixth place behind Toyota’s Timo Glock after light showers intervened in the dying laps.

Hamilton’s championship rival Felipe Massa crossed the line in first place, prompting huge roars from his Brazilian supporters who, along with Massa’s family and the local boy himself, believed they were witnessing the first Brazilian champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991.

But as Hamilton navigated the final few corners he approached and passed Glock, who was struggling in the conditions, to take fifth place, and with it the title.

“He shouldn’t have been in that position,” Moss told Forumula1.net. “If he’d been allowed to drive as he normally does - aggressively and quickly - he wouldn’t have been in a situation where we’re thinking is he going to make it or isn’t he.”

“I mean he lined up fourth but finished fifth and I thought that was very disappointing. He was very very lucky to get the title. I think he deserves it because he’s done so well during the year, but he certainly did not deserve it on Sunday.”

Moss blames team orders for Hamilton’s nearly-moment and reckons the McLaren driver would have had a far easier ride to the title had he been allowed to do what comes instinctively to him as an aggressive racer.

“I was disappointed because he didn’t go into that race as he normally would: as a racer. He went into the race to make the numbers up.”

“I think it was probably team instructions, but I think the instructions were wrong. They (McLaren) were very lucky to get away with it. I mean let’s face it, if Glock hadn’t had the wrong tyres on he (Hamilton) would never have done it. It shouldn’t have been like that.”

However, McLaren insist that they couldn’t have expected anything more from Lewis Hamilton in Sunday’s chaotic race.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s Chief Operation Officer is adamant that Hamilton’s ‘disciplined’ approach was precisely what was needed to enable him to clinch the title.

Speaking exclusively to Forumula1.net Whitmarsh responded: “Like everyone at McLaren, I have huge respect for Sir Stirling. He was a wonderful driver in his time, and remains a legend of our sport.

“Lewis drove a superbly disciplined race in extremely difficult conditions in Brazil, and did what was required to secure the drivers’ world championship.

“Felipe, too, drove brilliantly to win the race, and I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the quality of his driving throughout the season and the impressively sportsmanlike way he handled the disappointment of finding out at the last minute that he hadn’t won the drivers’ world championship.”

“But, as I say, Lewis did exactly what we asked him to do, from a highly technical point of view, which is how you have to operate in 21st century Formula 1.

“When Sir Stirling says, ‘If Glock hadn’t had the wrong tyres on, he [Hamilton] would never have done it’, it’s important to remember that the reason Timo had the wrong tyres on is that he hadn’t stopped to change them; had he done so, he would have dropped back anyway.”

Whitmarsh added that Hamilton’s success needs to be looked at in the context of a full Formula One season.

“The reality is that the world championship is fought out over 18 grands prix, not just one, and Lewis won superbly in Australia, Monaco, Britain, Germany and China, showcasing the racer’s instinct that Sir Stirling so rightly admires in him.

“So, yes, it was touch-and-go at the end, but 12.5 million viewers watched the Brazilian Grand Prix in the UK alone and I’m sure that they’d all agree with me that what they saw added up to a fantastic evening’s TV entertainment.”

Picture: ukmotortalk.co.uk

By Christopher Hayes on Wednesday, November 5, 2008

McLaren celebrate title with spectacular fireworks display

2008-11-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

McLaren celebrated winning their first drivers title in nine years in spectacular style tonight with a dazzling fireworks display at the team’s Woking base.

Lewis Hamilton became the youngest driver to win the Formula One World Championship on Sunday after finishing fifth in a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix.

In recognition of Hamilton’s achievement and the hard work of the team, a special fireworks display was organised for all 1000 McLaren staff at the McLaren Technology Centre, followed by champagne, music and a speech by team principal Ron Dennis.

One of the tracks played was ‘My Way’, and in his speech Dennis said of the team’s championship success: ‘Well, we did it our way.”

Only a year ago McLaren employees had to endure the pain of seeing the team kicked out of the constructors’ championship as a result of the spy scandal.

By Christopher Hayes on Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Lewis Hamilton Fails To Win Dream Car

2008-11-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Lewis Hamilton may have secured the 2008 F1 Drivers’ Title on Sunday, but he narrowly missed out on winning his dream car, the McLaren F1 LM.

In March, The Sun newspaper reported that Ron Dennis had promised Lewis the factories own car, on the basis he won both World Championships.

At the time, Hamilton explained that owning a McLaren F1 had been a childhood dream. “The LM has always been my ultimate dream car since I first saw it when I was 13. When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it. There are only five LMs in existence and the normal ones – the GTR – are worth around £1 million so the LM must be double that.”

However, all is not lost for Hamilton. Should he pick up another two titles he can still win the car, based upon an agreement he made when he first joined the team.

“I want to win this car, I want to get this car off Ron. I will definitely work as hard as I can to get to number three,” stated Hamilton, having won title number one. “We made a deal: three world championships and it’s mine.”

“It’s a car that I’ve always wanted. I got a car book, a nice book for Christmas years and years ago when I was about 10, and it had the orange McLaren F1 LM on the front of it. It was my dream car then. Then I got signed up by McLaren, I went to the factory and saw it and ever since I’ve gazed at it every time I’ve walked past it.”

“Still today, it’s the only car I ever really stop by apart from Ayrton’s 1989 car. I stop by it and I always open it up and just smell it - carbon, fresh, new. It’s No 1 out of five and the most expensive and beautiful car in the whole world. It’s the one that I want.”

The LM spec McLaren was created to mark the McLaren F1 GTR’s victory at Le Mans 24 Hour in 1995. The car, with it’s V12 engine, accelerates to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. With just five examples in existance, the rare car is estimated to be worth several million pounds.

By Stephen on Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Ferrari threaten to quit over standard engines

2008-10-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Scuderia issue shock quit threat as FIA vamp up chase on standard engines

Ferrari have followed Toyota and threatened to quit Formula One should FIA President Max Mosley persist with his plans to impose standard engines on the teams.

Speculation was rife on Monday that Toyota would pull out of Formula One after the FIA issued a statement saying that it will press on with plans to introduce standard engines having received several enquiries about the tender bid.

Now Ferrari have followed suit following a board meeting in Maranello. A team statement read: “The Ferrari Board of Directors expressed strong concerns regarding plans to standardise engines as it felt that such a move would detract from the entire raison of a sport with which Ferrari has been involved continuously since 1950, a raison d’etre based principally on competition and technological development.”

“The Board of Directors expressed the opinion that should these key elements be diminished, it would have to re-evaluate, with its partners the viability of continuing its presence in the sport.”

Last week the FIA met with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) – represented by the presidents of Toyota and Ferrari, John Howett and Luca di Montezemolo – to discuss cost-cutting proposals, including engine restrictions.

Only a few days earlier the FIA had infuriated the teams by putting out a tender contract for the standard engine.

The FIA-FOTA meeting did not result in agreement on the issue of standard engines, with both parties instead backing the idea of standard energy recovery systems, which are due to be introduced next year.

However, a statement issued by the FIA today revealed that the governing body will be pressing on with the tender bid, against the grain of fierce opposition from the teams.

The statement read: “The FIA has received a number of questions from interested parties regarding that Invitation to Tender. In accordance with the FIA’s Tendering procedures, the replies are set out in the relevant section of the FIA website.”

“The Tender schedule for transmission-only bids has also been updated. Bids for engines and transmissions in combination and bids for the supply of engines alone must be submitted by 7 November 2008. A minimum of three further weeks will be given to those considering transmission-only bids.”

Max Mosley’s motivations for persisting with his plans for standard engines have been called into question given that the teams are rigorously opposed to the proposals.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 27, 2008

Q and A: Pat Symonds

2008-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Renault’s ‘Mr Target’ recalls how the French outfit went from a midfield minnow to the third best team of 2008 – in the space of a few races.

Renault has secured fourth place in the championship. You must be happy with that?
Yes and no. I like to set very high targets and the goal we set mid-season to finish fourth in the championship with the third quickest car was not as ambitious a target as I would normally like us to set. Having said that it was, at the time, a difficult target and I am pleased that the first part of that target is both objective and proven – we’ve finished fourth and can’t be beaten; the second part is probably subjective, although I think in the past couple of races we’ve shown that we have the third quickest car, so in my eyes we’ve achieved both those objectives.

How rewarding has it been to see the team’s progress over the course of the season and how valuable is that for team morale heading into next year?
It was disappointing that we started the year further back than we had expected to, and had the situation remained like that it would have been quite disheartening for us. There were reasons for it, but in this particular case it’s the facts that matter, not the reasons for those facts. The way we’ve turned the situation around has given us an enormous boost as we’ve proved we can out-develop our competitors and arguably out-develop those that are leading the championship because we really have moved a lot closer to them. I think that’s a great message to take through to next year with so many new factors being introduced because we’ve shown that we can steal the initiative with this sort of thing.

Fernando’s results over the past five races have been outstanding, including another strong drive in China. He seems to be enjoying the R28…
Yes, if the season had started in Belgium we would be leading both championships! It’s not just Fernando who is enjoying driving the R28 because Nelson is as well. I’ve often talked in the past about how important it is to give a novice driver a car he can trust and feel confident in, but if you give that sort of car to a driver as good as Fernando, then he can really push it to the limits. I think that’s what we’re seeing now because we’ve got a car that is inherently very stable; it’s very honest and predictable and both drivers are exploiting it very well.

As you say Nelson is back in the groove - what’s his frame of mind as he approaches his home race?
Going into your home race at any time is a double-edged sword, particularly so when it’s your first time. What I mean by a ‘double-edged sword’ is that although it gives you that little extra inspiration, you’ve also got the pressure of the local press, extra attention and high expectation. Having said that, I suspect the Brazilian media will be much more focussed on Massa than they are on Nelson, which is no bad thing. Recently Nelson has shown his ability through his results and just as the R28 has taken an exponential improvement curve, so has Nelson, and that’s what should be dominating his frame of mind as he prepares for his home race.

Having secured fourth in the standings, the team can race free from pressure in Brazil. Will that change your tactics or approach to the race?
I don’t think it does particularly. There is no doubt that during the last few races we’ve been very aware of Toyota, what they were doing and the tactics we needed to beat them. So we are released from that constraint, but the reality is that over the past few races our strategy has been simply about achieving the best possible result and that is how we will approach the final race of the season.

Do you expect the R28 to be as competitive in Brazil as it was in the Asian races?
I don’t see why not. If you look at the last few races, we’ve seen the car performing well at some very different circuits. But as well as our strengths, our weaknesses are still there and I think that the exit out of turn 12 and the long drag up the hill to the first corner will be quite tough for us and not an area where we will be particularly strong. However, the car should be good through the quick corners of turns 3 and 5, and overall I think we can maintain a similar level of competitiveness to that which we’ve shown in the past few races.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 27, 2008

Alonso chasing third win in Brazil

2008-10-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Renault ace admits ‘pressure is off’ and eyes third win of the season in title showdown

Fernando Alonso is adamant that Renault are now the third best team on the grid and reckons that victory could well be on the cards in Brazil after his impressive back-to-back wins in Singapore and Fuji.

The Spaniard had a torrid start to the year and found himself entrenched in the mid-field during the early races, his Renault powered R28 seemingly suffering from a lack of horsepower and straight-line speed. That triggered speculation that he was on the move for 2009 with a string of teams lined up to accommodate him, including Ferrari, Honda and BMW Sauber.

But Renault turned things around in spectacular style in the second half of the season. Solid points finishes beckoned before Alonso’s back-to-back victories in Singapore and Fuji, which although lucky, were only possible after major upgrades to the R28.

While Alonso has yet to confirm his whereabouts for 2009, the general consensus is that he will stay with Renault – and his confidence in the French team in the build up to the season finale does little to suggest otherwise.

“Our victories in Singapore and Fuji were a wonderful surprise and our fourth place in China confirmed our return to form,” he said. “We were clearly the third strongest team and we had similar race pace to the Ferraris, which is really satisfying for everybody in the team.”

“We’ve all worked really hard and so it’s a nice reward, especially as we have now confirmed our fourth place in the championship, which was the objective we set ourselves in the middle of the season. So it’s mission accomplished and we can now approach the Brazilian Grand Prix calmly and aim to have another strong weekend.”

Renault have already beaten rivals Toyota to fourth in the constructors’ championship courtesy of Alonso’s impressive performances, and that, reckons the Spaniard, puts the team in a perfect position to score strongly in Brazil, given that rivals Ferrari and McLaren will be locked in a fierce title scrap.

“This year we have already achieved our objective to end the season fourth in the constructors’ championship with the third quickest car so we can therefore approach this race with less pressure and be more relaxed, which may help us take advantage of the situation,” he added, “after Singapore and Fuji, the team now believes that anything is possible.

Team boss Flavio Briatore meanwhile has suggested that Alonso will probably stay with Renault for next year.

“The chance (that Alonso stays) is fairly big,” the Italian said in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

“The last race is this Sunday, so both of the sides will decide then.”

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 27, 2008

Bartolini: Still no proof on Stepney sabotage claims

2008-10-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Nigel Stepney’s lawyer Sonya Bartolini has said that there is still no proof that Stepney tampered with and sabotaged Ferrari’s cars last season.

Stepney, a former Ferrari mechanic and the centrepoint of Formula One’s 2007 spying scandal, was also accused of sabotaging the team’s cars at the same time as the espionage story. Reports centred on white powder being found in the fuel tanks of Ferrari’s cars ahead of the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix, powder which might have caused the engines to seize had it not been found in time. Traces of the powder were allegedly found at Stepney’s house and clothes at the time.

Judge Barbara Malvasi appointed an expert, Maurizio Migliaccio, to analyse the powder. Migliaccio is reported to have stated that the white substance is a mix of food supplements and vitamins.

“Overall, Professor Migliaccio’s statement help Nigel because they don’t fully address all the doubts,” Bartolini explained to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. “In fact, it isn’t clear whether the powder, when put into the fuel tank, would have caused the engine to seize, and even less make the car stop suddenly with the possible consequence of damage to people, as hypothesized by the magistrate.

“We had no doubt that the powder would be the same as the sample found on Stepney’s trousers however that doesn’t automatically mean the involvements of my client in this affair.”

By Forumula1.net on Monday, October 27, 2008

Will Massa play fair?

2008-10-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Former team boss Eddie Jordan reckons Hamilton will have to watch his back in Brazil, while Massa insists he is focussed only on winning.

Michael Schumacher’s appetite for controversy and carbon-fibre has never really rubbed off on his protégé Felipe Massa. That was until the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji that is.

Massa’s reckless collision with Lewis Hamilton in the opening laps – for which he was penalised, but let off the hook by virtue of identical punishment for his victim – may not have been intentional, but it certainly planted the seed about the Brazilian’s respect for clean racing.

Such was the success of the move that it may have even been an eye-opener for Massa: it ultimately enabled him to close the gap to Hamilton in a race he had no hope of winning.

Indeed, with a seven point deficit to Hamilton going into Brazil, Massa will be hard pressed to appease his home crowd with the title he and they crave.

Will the Ferrari ace succumb to temptation should he find his Bridgestone rubber in kissing distance of Hamilton’s suspension? Team principal turned pundit Eddie Jordan thinks so; retaliation the Irishman’s prescription.

“People may not like me for saying this, but if Massa tries to take him out as he did in Japan in order to steal the title then Lewis has to be ready for it,” he told the Daily Express.

“If he tries that on then Lewis has to turn his wheel into Massa to ensure he does not finish the race either - he has to take his wheel off.”

“Hamilton needs to be careful. He knows that right now the world is against him - the other drivers are against him and the stewards are against him.

“Yet I think what happened to him after his win at Spa was ghastly and his penalty in the Japanese Grand Prix was harsh too. That’s what he has to contend with.”

To his defence, there is something unconvincing about the picture painted of Massa as an underhanded racer. He says he is intent only on winning the race in front his home crowd.

“Yes it’s true I have a tougher job than Lewis in terms of the points situation, but my own objective for the weekend is much more straightforward than his,” said the Ferrari driver.

“I only have to focus on winning the race on Sunday afternoon, hopefully with my team mate second behind me. The only thing I am thinking about is winning. After that, the matter is not in my hands and we will have to wait and see exactly what and how much we have won.

“For sure, Lewis will try and put pressure on me, but I have zero pressure, because I have nothing to lose.

“I have my people behind me and all the pressure will be on him, especially when you think about what happened at this race last year. I can’t wait for the final Sunday of the season.”

Kimi Raikkonen is Massa’s best asset in Brazil. Should the Finn come second to Massa - a real possibility given Ferrari’s dominance at Interlagos - then that would put pressure on Hamilton to keep a clean nose and bring home the points. And don’t rule out Alonso taking things into his own hands either.

Just how willing Raikkonen is to have a world champion alongside him in the garage next year is another matter.

“It is a team sport and both me and Kimi know we have to do what is best for the team,” upholds Massa. “For sure, psychologically a racing driver always wants to finish in front, always wants to win: it doesn’t matter if you are playing a friend on a computer game or driving a Formula One car.”

“But all drivers have a contract with their team and so you are not racing as an individual.”

“When you are fighting for the championship, with only one driver with a mathematical chance of winning, then all the teams in the pit lane would do the same, which is to put that one driver in a position where he has the best chance of winning. That is part of this sport.”

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 27, 2008

Kubica targets third place

2008-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Robert Kubica may have dropped out of contention for the title – a position he never expected to find himself in – but the Polish star is determined to fend of Kimi Raikkonen in Brazil for third place in the championship.

The Canadian GP winner, and seven-time visitor to the podium this season, found himself with an outside chance of championship glory right up until the penultimate race of the season.

But qualifying outside the top ten in Shanghai, allied with Hamilton’s dominance of the race, quickly pulled the trigger on what was already an unlikely scenario.

The Pole, who will enjoy a fresh engine and gearbox for Brazil, has now set his sights on defending third place: “I’m currently third in the drivers’ standings, six points in front of Kimi, and, of course, it’s my aim to defend this position,” he said.

“Brazil is traditionally the final race of the season, and Interlagos is a very demanding and interesting circuit. My first race there was in 2002 in Formula Renault, and I’ve been back with the BMW Sauber F1 Team for the last two years.”

“Interlagos is physically very tiring because we drive the circuit anticlockwise. That’s something we’re not used to, and we feel it especially in the neck.”

Kubica also has a critical role to play in the outcome of the constructors fight, with BMW Sauber only ten points behind second place-sitters McLaren.

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Lewis will be world champion if…

2008-10-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton may not be about to sit back and gift Massa the win at his home race in Brazil, but if he did, the British ace could still become world champion.

Here are the permutations that would see the McLaren ace crowned the youngest ever world champion, and the first British driver to claim the top honours since Damon Hill in 1996.

Lewis will be world champion if:
He wins
He finishes second
He finishes third
He finishes fourth
He finishes fifth
He finishes sixth and Felipe is second or lower
He finishes seventh and Felipe is second or lower
He finishes eighth and Felipe is third or lower
He fails to score and Felipe is third or lower

Felipe will be world champion if:
He wins and Lewis finishes sixth or lower
He finishes second and Lewis is eighth or lower

If the pair are tied on points on Sunday afternoon, Felipe would win the title by virtue of more victories (six to Lewis’s five) or second-place finishes (three to Lewis’s two).

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Kovalainen admits room for improvement

2008-10-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Under pressure McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen admits he has struggled behind the wheel of his MP4-23 in his first year with the Woking outfit, but vows to build on his experience in his preparations for 2009.

Heikki’s sensational pole position at Silverstone back in July seems a long time ago. Had it not rained on Sunday, it might have been him and not team mate Hamilton destroying the field on race day and getting his championship campaign back on the rails.

A timely confidence pill it would have been at that: Kovalainen’s results took a hit after that memorable rain-hit afternoon in Northamptonshire. A win at Hungary beckoned, but it came as a result of others’ misfortune, and wasn’t the kind of season-resurrecting result that it might have been.

Then came Spa and Monza. The chaos and controversy of both races let Kovalainen off the hook, but it won’t go unnoticed that the Finn was a country mile of Hamilton’s pace in Spa - despite carrying less fuel in qualifying - and in Italy, he could and should have beaten Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso.

Bottom line is that Kovalainen, while proving more than a match for Hamilton at times in qualifying, has struggled over the course of a race stint, particularly when its been in the rain.

That led to experimentation with the set up of his MP4-23, but not the sweet-spot he so craved.

“It didn’t take too long to find where I wanted to be with the team, but it’s taken longer to get used to the MP4-23,” reflects Kovalainen.

“Sometimes I’ve pushed the set-up in the wrong direction but, over the year, I’ve found a better direction. I’ve been particularly pleased with my qualifying pace; even from the first race, I was competitive.”

“Now I’m working hard to improve my knowledge of the tyres and everything is headed in the right direction.”

McLaren are working hard with Kovalainen to help him address some his weaknesses and this will continue into the winter. The Finn is adamant he can come out stronger.

“It’s been a good season overall. I’ve done a lot of learning throughout the year and I already feel much better prepared for next year,” he said.

“I now understand how to make the car fast and what I need to do to get the most out of it. I thought this year would be more difficult, but I feel I’ve done a good job.”

And as for the season finale in Brazil, Kovalainen is under no allusions of the responsibility that rests on his shoulders in terms of the constructors fight with Ferrari.

“With the championship as it is, things are a little different going to Brazil.”

“Clearly, I want to be able to help the team and Lewis wherever necessary - but the easiest way to do that is to be running at the front.”

“The team knows I will play my part, but we are also targeting the constructors’ championship.”

“We may be 11 points behind Ferrari, but there are 18 points available in Brazil and we go into the final race still looking at securing both world titles - that has to be our aim.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Q and A: Heikki Kovalainen

2008-10-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

After a trying second half of the year, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen insists he has only one thing on his mind as he gears up for the Brazilian GP: winning.

How has your knowledge of the car and the team developed over the 2007 season?
“It didn’t take too long to find where I wanted to be with the team, but it’s taken longer to get used to the MP4-23. Sometimes I’ve pushed the set-up in the wrong direction but, over the year, I’ve found a better direction. I’ve been particularly pleased with my qualifying pace; even from the first race, I was competitive. Now I’m working hard to improve my knowledge of the tyres and everything is headed in the right direction.”

With the 2008 season almost finished, how are you approaching the winter?
“It’s been a good season overall. I’ve done a lot of learning throughout the year and I already feel much better prepared for next year. I now understand how to make the car fast and what I need to do to get the most out of it. I thought this year would be more difficult, but I feel I’ve done a good job.”

What are your aims for the last race of the year?
“To win it, obviously! With the championship as it is, things are a little different going to Brazil. Clearly, I want to be able to help the team and Lewis wherever necessary - but the easiest way to do that is to be running at the front. The team knows I will play my part, but we are also targeting the constructors’ championship. We may be 11 points behind Ferrari, but there are 18 points available in Brazil and we go into the final race still looking at securing both world titles - that has to be our aim.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Hamilton won’t gift Brazil GP to Massa

2008-10-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton insists he will not be leaving championship rival Felipe Massa an open door to victory in Brazil.

Hamilton arrives in Sau Paulo with a seven point lead over Massa and only needs to finish fifth or higher to be crowned the youngest ever world champion.

But as he gears up for the most important race in his career, Hamilton says he will tackle the weekend in the same way he has approached previous races, and will strive for the best result possible, despite not needing to win the race.

“Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix,” he said. “I don’t need to win the race, but that won’t stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible.”

“Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn’t to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there.”

“That’s what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.”

Yielding to his rivals is not something that comes naturally to Hamilton, though. In his rookie year, the Briton memorably saw his title dreams go up in smoke after unnecessary scraps with Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso in Shanghai and Brazil respectively.

“I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down,” recalls Hamilton.

“It was a very emotional time because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In 2007, things didn’t end up too well for me - but I still had a great first year.”

In Japan a fortnight ago Hamilton’s championship lead took a hit when he was dealt a drive through penalty for attempting to repass Kimi Raikkonen at the first corner after a bad start.

Besides it being against Hamilton’s racing instinct to go down without a fight, the Briton also has an important role to play in the constructors battle.

McLaren are eleven points adrift of rivals Ferrari and maintain only a ten point advantage over BMW Sauber.

And with Heikki Kovalainen struggling to demonstrate the same pace as Hamilton behind the wheel of his MP4-23, primary responsibility for bringing glory back to Woking after a ten year drought rests on Hamilton’s shoulders.

“Lewis will be as focused as the team to score the necessary points in Brazil,” said Mercedes-Benz Vice President Norbert Haug.

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Brazil Preview: BMW Sauber

2008-10-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Rarely has a season been so unpredictable. Fears of humdrum afternoons were dispelled as thrilling battles unfolded; while where high drama was expected, an orderly procession ensued.

On 2nd November one of the most exciting Formula One seasons on record will go down to the wire in São Paulo. All we know for certain is both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships will be decided at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Although still in its early years on the grid, the BMW Sauber F1 Team retained an outside chance of claiming both titles right up to the 17th of 18 World Championship races. A one two, a total of 11 podium finishes, one pole position and two fastest race laps, as well as 100% technical reliability and the fastest pit stops on the grid, have so far provided the success stories in the team’s third season.

Robert Kubica goes into the final race of 2008 determined to hold onto his third place in the drivers’ standings. But that is no easy task, with the Ferrari of reigning World Champion and last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix winner, Kimi Räikkönen, lurking six points behind him. Nick Heidfeld lies fifth in the standings, nine points behind the Finn and seven ahead of Renault’s resurgent Fernando Alonso.

The Constructors’ Championship could also see further shifts in position. The BMW Sauber F1 Team is currently third on 135 points, ten points behind McLaren Mercedes. In 2007 the BMW Sauber F1 Team collected 101 points in 17 World Championship races.

While Heidfeld will line up at Interlagos with the same powertrain as in China, Kubica is due both a new engine and gearbox. The two drivers have been out of sync in this respect since the first race of the season, when Kubica’s F1.08 was rear-ended in the Australian Grand Prix.

Before setting off for Brazil, the team’s drivers and management are scheduled to make a pit stop in Munich. Kubica is visiting the BMW plants in Landshut and Dingolfing today (Friday), then on Saturday he and Heidfeld, the test drivers Christian Klien and Marko Asmer, plus Mario Theissen, Willy Rampf and Peter Sauber will all be attending the BMW Sauber F1 Team Race Club Fan Event in and around the BMW branch in Fröttmaning. Around 1,000 members of the fan club came to last year’s get-together in Munich. The highlight of the event will once again be the demo runs with the Formula One car on a sealed-off road.

Nick Heidfeld:
“I’m pleased for the fans, but also personally, that we have an exciting finale to the World Championship. Plus, I’m curious to see whether the track is still the same as it was in 2007. That was a nice surprise, as the track’s surface used to be really bad and very bumpy. It was always being patched up, but it was only when the track was re-asphalted ahead of the 2007 Grand Prix that it really became a good surface. The layout of the Interlagos track is excellent and very demanding on the drivers – not least, of course, as far as our neck muscles are concerned. I think São Paulo’s pretty cool as a city, but at the back of your mind are always the stories about muggings and you hear about that sort of thing every year.”

Robert Kubica:
“Brazil is traditionally the final race of the season, and Interlagos is a very demanding and interesting circuit. My first race there was in 2002 in Formula Renault, and I’ve been back with the BMW Sauber F1 Team for the last two years. Interlagos is physically very tiring because we drive the circuit anticlockwise. That’s something we’re not used to, and we feel it especially in the neck. I’m currently third in the drivers’ standings, six points in front of Kimi, and, of course, it’s my aim to defend this position.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“The 2008 Formula One season is now going onto the finishing straight. In 2007 the outcome of the title was only decided in a thrilling final race in Brazil. Perhaps the Formula One fans will also get to enjoy a similarly exciting finale this year. Two drivers still have a chance of becoming World Champion in São Paulo.

“The Interlagos circuit has many different aspects, and the weather can also be unpredictable. The long, uphill start-finish straight places particularly heavy loads on the engines. This uphill section also makes the start extremely exciting. Another of its characteristic is the altitude of São Paulo. The thin air means that the engines generate approximately eight percent lower output than at sea level. We are very much looking forward to the final race of 2008 and are aiming to record another good result to round off the season.

“This is the final race in what has been our most successful season since the launch of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. We have achieved our ambitious aims for the third year in succession. We not only proved to be one of the top teams from the outset, we also recorded our maiden race win. It was all the sweeter, of course, that our success in Canada came in the form of a one two. As things stand, we have now had 11 podium finishes this year, compared with two in 2007. This statistic alone is evidence of the considerable steps forward we have made.

“Added to that, Nick brought us our first fastest race lap in Malaysia, Robert claimed our first pole position in Bahrain, and we’ve now scored points in 34 consecutive races, something no other team can match. The last time we went home empty-handed from a GP weekend was in Brazil in the final race of 2006. This achievement does not come down to chance. Our trump cards this season have been spotless reliability, our – for the most part – excellent race strategy, outstanding work in the pit stops and a very small number of mistakes from the drivers.

“In terms of pure performance, we still have ground to make up on Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes, and we didn’t make the progress we hoped to in the second half of the season. Indeed, some of our development projects did not yield the expected performance gains on the track. But I am certain we shall learn the lessons from this for 2009. After all, we want to be up there fighting for the World Championship title next season.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“For us, the Brazilian Grand Prix represents the end of a highly successful season, and of course we want to round the year off on a positive note. Interlagos is one of the few circuits – alongside Istanbul Park and Singapore – which we drive anticlockwise. Here, the middle sector is critical, with one corner following the next. The key elements are good traction and car balance. Top speed is important in the first and third sectors, with engine output playing a particularly prominent role on the uphill start-finish straight. This section also offers a good overtaking opportunity, as does the end of the straight in sector one. The track was resurfaced in 2007, which evened out a lot of bumps. In contrast to last year, when we opted for the softest tyre option, this time around we’ll be using the medium compounds.”

History and background:
Paulista coffee plantations laid the foundations for the economic growth of the region around São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil. The industrialisation of the late 19th century brought riches, but these have been spread unevenly among the population. Today, the people of São Paulo suffer from the effects of jarring social disparities – bitter poverty and immense wealth exist side by side and crime is rife. The city of São Paulo, founded in 1554, is the capital of the Brazilian state that bears its name and the country’s financial and trading hub. The size of the local population can only be estimated. Eleven million people are thought to live in the city itself, 20 million in the wider São Paulo area. The climate is subtropical.

F1 has been hosted by Brazil since 1973, and 2008 marks the country’s 36th Grand Prix. The debut event was held at Interlagos, with the track still covering 7.96 kilometres at the time and located outside the São Paulo city limits. The city has since mushroomed right up to the outskirts of the race track. In 1978 the Brazilian GP was hosted by the Jacarepagua circuit near Rio de Janeiro for the first time, and it was held there on ten occasions in all. In 1990 F1 returned to Interlagos, where the Brazilian GP has been staged ever since.

By Christopher Hayes on Friday, October 24, 2008

Hamilton praying for ’straightforward’ weekend

2008-10-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton is hoping an incident-free race will catapult him to victory in the world championship as he looks ahead to next week’s decisive season finale in Brazil – and daringly recalls his title meltdown in Sau Paulo last year.

How are you approaching this final, crucial weekend of the year?
“Fundamentally the same way I’ve approached the previous races. Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix: I don’t need to win the race, but that won’t stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible. Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn’t to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That’s what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.”

What do you think of the Interlagos circuit?
“I love the circuit: it’s in this incredible natural arena that is just amazing to race on. And it’s anti-clockwise too - so it presents an additional challenge to the drivers. The track always seems to provide good, close racing: one of the reasons for that is because there’s a long straight leading up to the first corner and you can slipstream other cars and overtake into Turn One. It’s also a place where there seems to be a lot of grip so you can dice with other cars and have fun.”

What do you remember of last year’s nail-biting finale in Brazil?
“I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down. It was a very emotional time because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In 2007, things didn’t end up too well for me - but I still had a great first year. Everybody’s always happy to finish the season in Brazil - there’s a real party atmosphere in Sao Paulo on the Sunday night and it’s a perfect place to end such a great season.”

Sao Paulo and Interlagos have long been intertwined with the legacy of Ayrton Senna - how does that make you feel?
“Ayrton has always been my favourite driver. I think he’s the best driver there ever was and, still, to this day, I don’t believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he achieved, it would be a dream for me.”

Q and A: Hirohide Hamashima

2008-10-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tyre graining will be prevalent in Brazil, warns Bridgestone chief as the F1 circus gears up for the season finale in Sau Paulo.

What challenges does Interlagos present?
“We expect a lot of graining, especially at the beginning of the weekend. There are two reasons for this; Interlagos often has a very dirty track surface and the twisty infield layout makes graining likely, regardless of the track surface conditions.

“Interlagos is a track which is deceptive as it is not as harsh on tyres as you would think, although the weather conditions can play a big part, especially if it is hot like it was last season.”

Why has the tyre allocation changed from 2007?
“Last year we were too soft in our allocation and we saw blistering on many tyres, even those used by competitors who we would expect to be quite gentle on our tyres.

“We expect the medium and soft compounds be a good choice, plus the change will provide teams with a challenge, especially as the track surface will have evolved from last year when it was brand new.”

Force India looking to secure McLaren technical partnership

2008-10-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

It is now almost certain that Force India will be teaming up with McLaren for the 2009 season in a technical partnership which might also include a customer car type deal.

It has been reported that the teams had hoped the deal would be signed in the days after the Japanese Grand Prix, however with the FIA having announced a raft of new cost-cutting measures in the sport, there has been uncertainty over what teams are permitted to do.

According to Cologne newspaper Express, Gerhard Berger, co-owner of the Scuderia Toro Rosso team, has said, “As I understand it, Force India has secured a customer car from McLaren for the coming year.”

According to McLaren boss Ron Dennis, the teams are still working on the deal. “Anything that comes along that impacts significantly on your business has a ripple effect to what you are doing,” he explained to Autosport. “If there is any impact on it, the viability of it, it is more likely to be a delay rather than a cancellation.

“But so far we are not in a binding commitment on either side. We are very open to trying to achieve our goal, which is not to make money or lose money, but to be an absolute supporter of one of the independent teams - who are not the lifeblood of F1 but an essential ingredient of F1.

“That is why we are doing it. We are doing it to assist an independent team. I think it will happen still, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 21, 2008

FOTA to discuss cost-cutting with FIA

2008-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA), represented by Ferrari’s Luca di Montezemolo and Toyota’s John Howett, will meet FIA President Max Mosley in Geneva on Tuesday to present the teams’ ideas for cost-cutting – and to dissuade Mosley from pursuing his plans of a standard engine.

The teams were angry about Mosley’s tender bid for a third party supplier of standard engines and held two lengthy meetings in Shanghai to produce their own cost-cutting measures, essentially rejecting the FIA’s plans.

It was rumoured that the teams’ decision to send only Howett and di Montezemolo was a bid to counter an alleged plot by Mosley to exploit the disagreement that exists between the teams over standard engines.

That triggered the FIA to issue a statement and a covering letter from Mosley.

“The FIA believes that Formula One costs are unsustainable,” said Mosley. “Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes, insofar as these consist of sponsorship plus FOM money.”

“As a result, the independent teams are now dependent on the goodwill of rich individuals, while the manufacturers’ teams depend on massive hand-outs from their parent companies.

“There is now a real danger than in some cases these subsidies will cease. This could result in a reduction in the number of competitors, adding to the two team vacancies we already have and reducing the grid to an unacceptable level. The FIA’s view is that Formula One can only be healthy if a team can race competitively for a budget at or very close to what it gets from FOM.

“We should like to hear the teams’ views on this together with comments on the FIA’s proposals and other suggestions for the measures, which will be necessary if major reductions in cost are to be achieved.”

While the FIA’s agenda for the meeting on Tuesday includes scope for discussion around standard engines, the teams are expected to argue the case for an alternative solutions including the extension of the ‘one race engine per two race’ rule, and a reduction in the rev limit.

Mosley on the other hand is keen to pursue the option of a downsized direct injection engine with exhaust energy and heat recovery systems to be used from 2013.

He also has also issued an ultimatum saying that either there will be a standard engine in F1 from 2010 to 2012, or FOTA must supply customer engine deals to independent teams.

Full statement from the FIA:

The FIA has noted media reports in advance of the meeting with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) in Geneva tomorrow. In the interests of complete transparency the FIA has decided to release the agenda, and the explanatory note, it has set for this meeting.

AGENDA

Costs
1. The need to reduce costs
2. Budgetary targets

Power train
1. Plans for 2013
2. An interim engine for 2010 – 2012 inclusive
3. Interim measures for 2009
4. Performance differentiators

Chassis
1. Common parts
2. Other measures to reduce costs
3. Performance differentiators

Race Procedures
1. Measures to reduce the cost of going racing
2. Facilities available to teams
3. Pit lane layout

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Costs

The FIA believes that Formula One costs are unsustainable. Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes, insofar as these consist of sponsorship plus FOM money. As a result, the independent teams are now dependent on the goodwill of rich individuals, while the manufacturers’ teams depend on massive hand-outs from their parent companies.
There is now a real danger than in some cases these subsidies will cease. This could result in a reduction in the number of competitors, adding to the two team vacancies we already have and reducing the grid to an unacceptable level.

The FIA’s view is that Formula One can only be healthy if a team can race competitively for a budget at or very close to what it gets from FOM.
We should like to hear the teams’ views on this together with comments on the FIA’s proposals (set out below) and other suggestions for the measures which will be necessary if major reductions in cost are to be achieved.

Power train

2013

The FIA would like to see a modern high technology power train in 2013. We envisage a down-sized DI engine with exhaust energy and heat recovery, coupled to an electrically actuated gearbox.
However, we are completely open to new ideas. The only preconditions are (i) that the costs of development, maintenance and unit production for the power train must be an order of magnitude lower than is currently the case and (ii) power trains must be available to independent teams at minimal cost.

2010- 2012 inclusive

At present we can offer three options.

Option 1
A homologated engine produced by a single supplier after an invitation to tender, with the current suppliers free to build an identical engine themselves (but not the gearbox), subject to rigorous controls.
Option 2
A consortium of teams obtains an engine to current rules but at much lower cost from a single supplier. Engines from other sources to be subject to rigorous controls to eliminate differences in performance.
Option 3
A proposal from FOTA, backed by solid guarantees, for the supply of complete power trains to independent teams for less than €5 million per team per season to include 30,000 km of testing and all on-track assistance.

2009
When the decision was taken to “freeze” the engines, certain teams asked for and got a period of time in which to address reliability problems and re-tune for 19,000 rpm. Some teams took advantage of this period to improve the power output of their engines. This was not intended. Other teams did not improve their engines, believing performance to have been “frozen”. This has produced unfair and inequitable differences in performance. The World Motor Sport Council has therefore decided that engine performance will be equalised in accordance with the 2009 Sporting Regulations in order to re-establish the position as it was when the freeze was agreed.
The FIA would like to discuss with FOTA technicians how best to achieve equalisation in a way which is fair to all and involves minimal cost.

The Chassis
The FIA envisages common parts for numerous areas of the chassis. For example, standard suspension and wheels (ie standard “corners“), a standard underbody and other parts which are currently the subject of major expenditure but add nothing to the spectacle or to the public interest of Formula One.
Other measures, such as a minimum height for the centre of gravity, restrictions on the use of certain materials or the homologation of certain major components (eg the “tub“) for a period of time, may also be appropriate.
We invite FOTA to make proposals together with a time scale for introduction.

Race procedures
The FIA would welcome suggestions for changes to the rules for going racing, with a view to reducing costs. We believe that priority should be given to things which the public cannot see (eg telemetry) rather than visible parts of “the show” (eg refuelling during the race).
The FIA would also like to hear teams’ views about the distribution of garage space and space in the pit lane.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 20, 2008

Q and A: Lewis Hamilton

2008-10-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

Lewis on emulating Senna in Brazil, and the double-edged sword that awaits title rival Felipe Massa.

People have said your title rival Felipe Massa will be at an advantage racing in front of his home crowd in Sao Paulo next weekend - do you agree?

“It definitely gives you some form of boost, but it’s hard to explain exactly what that is. Nigel Mansell used to talk about it being worth a second per lap - it’s clearly not worth that much, but there is something to what he’s saying. I know that Felipe is very proud to be Brazilian, and that he’ll be pumped up to perform in front of his home crowd. And that gives you extra confidence and a mental boost for the whole weekend.

“I remember at Silverstone, earlier this year, just how much appreciation I received from the crowd and just what it meant to me. But it does bring extra pressure, too - you know you are there to entertain the people and you don’t want to disappoint them by sending them home empty-handed.”

What is it about a home track and crowd that brings out the best in a racing driver?

“I think there’s usually a familiarity with the circuit you are visiting. In my case, I’ve raced at Silverstone since I was in Formula Renault so I probably know it better than any other circuit we visit - with the possible exception of a test track like Barcelona. But it also means more to you because you’re more aware of the track’s history and what it means to racing drivers and the people who come to visit it every weekend.”

Will you miss that level of support and familiarity when you travel to Brazil next week?

“It’s funny: I didn’t think I’d see the same level of support in places like Singapore, Japan and China as I would back in Europe, but I’ve been really surprised in the last few races just how many people have been rooting for me and the team.

“In China it was really impressive: there were lots of banners and flags opposite our garage and fans cheering me onto the grid. I know that Felipe will be the crowd’s favourite at Interlagos, but I hope that the local crowds will have it in their hearts to support me as a sportsman too. I will also have my family with me next weekend - and their support is worth so much to me.”

Do you think you’ll be at a disadvantage going into the Brazilian Grand Prix?

“In terms of championship points, it can only work to my advantage to have stretched my lead over Felipe in Shanghai. But in terms of preparation, I have to look at things realistically and appreciate that I have another weekend of maximum effort ahead of me with the team.

You can still take absolutely nothing for granted: I still need to pull together a strong qualifying lap, be competitive during the race and avoid failing to finish. I know just how this sport works sometimes, so you’d be foolish to go to Brazil feeling over-confident.”

Finally, what do you think about the circuit and the country?

“I love the Brazilian people - I love their enthusiasm for life and for motorsport in general. As for the circuit: it’s got this amazing feeling when you drive in there for the first time - it has so much history. When I was growing up, my favourite driver was Ayrton Senna - in fact, he’s still my all-time hero - and to get to drive at his home circuit in a Formula 1 car was just an amazing feeling.

“I know we didn’t have the pace to win last year, but I think things could be very different this season - and I’m really looking forward to getting out on track at Interlagos and seeing where we stand.”

Source: LewisHamilton.com

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 20, 2008

Piquet’s future still in doubt

2008-10-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Brazilian not out of the woods yet

Nelson Piquet’s future at Renault still hangs in the balance after comments were made by team boss Flavio Briatore that the Brazilian’s charge to fourth place in Fuji does not in itself guarantee him a seat.

The Renault driver has been under pressure to retain his seat throughout most of the season having been consistently out-raced by his double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso.

But solid points-finishes of late, most notably a sterling charge to fourth place in Japan from twelfth on the grid, have improved his chances of staying with the French outfit for next year.

However, Briatore, who was quick to praise Piquet’s performance at the Fuji International Circuit, told Formule 1 Race Report that Renault will be assessing the 23-year-old on his overall performance across the year, not his single successes - which have invariably been inconsistent.

“No, we will decide only at the end of the year what we are going to do,” the Italian said.

“A single race is not really going to change our thoughts. It seems to me only natural that he should be performing.”

Piquet himself meanwhile is gearing up for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai next week and is intent on improving his approach to qualifying having been consistently compromised on race day as a result of a poor grid slot.

“I think that we are hoping to build on the progress we have made recently and to have a strong race in China,” he said looking ahead to Shanghai.

“I know that to have a good race I must improve my performance in qualifying to be able to reach Q3 so that I can aim for big things in normal race conditions.”

“So I will start with this objective and we will then see what happens in the race, but I’m determined to score points as I know how important that is for the team’s fight for fourth place in the championship.”

By Christopher Hayes on Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Alonso backs Massa

2008-10-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Singapore and Japanese GP winner Fernando Alonso has backed Felipe Massa in his endeavour to beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2008 F1 World Championship.

Alonso famously fell out with Hamilton’s McLaren outfit after a row over perceived driver favouritism at the height of last year’s spy scandal.

And the Spaniard has made no secret of his desire to see the Woking squad’s chief title rivals Ferrari triumph in this year’s campaign.

“I didn’t know why he (Hamilton) had been penalised,” the Renault driver is quoted as saying by Italy’s Sky after winning last week’s Japanese Grand Prix. After last year, I want Ferrari to win. I will help Massa if I can.”

However Alonso, who has long been touted to join Ferrari if and when Kimi Raikkonen steps down, is unlikely to go out of his way to support Massa having been unimpressed by the Brazilian’s points tally.

“They have thrown away many points,” Alonso is quoted as saying by Diario AS newspaper.

“After 16 races the leader has 84 points, but I had that many after 9 races in 2006,” he adds.

By Christopher Hayes on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

FOTA to discuss refuelling ban

2008-10-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) are holding a series of meetings this week to discuss the future of F1. According to some sources, some of the items on the agenda include a ban on refuelling, shorter races, and harsher testing restrictions, to help make the sport more competitive.

It isn’t the first time that the idea of banning refuelling has been brought up – last season, the idea was floated after several pit-stop problems. Following Felipe Massa’s disastrous pit-stop in Singapore last month, the idea has now resurfaced.

A ban on refuelling could have significant impacts on the sport – the races would have to be shorter, and car design might change dramatically if the fuel tank size were to change.

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Barrichello reviews his options

2008-10-14T03:32:00.000-07:00

With Honda still yet to confirm their driver line-up for the 2009 season, perhaps in the hope of luring double world champion Fernando Alonso to the team, Barrichello has reportedly decided to review his options and accept a test in IndyCar.

The Brazilian driver has already stated that although he is still ready to race and would love to remain in Formula One, he might not get a race-seat next season and that Honda’s refusal to confirm next season’s line-up is ‘tiresome.’

According to Grande Premio, Barrichello is set to test a Penske IndyCar next month, potentially at the Homestead track in Florida. Another option for Barrichello may also be the Brazilian stock car series which already has former Brazilian F1 drivers competing in the shape of Luciano Burti, Tarso Marques, Antonio Pizzonia and Tarso Marques.

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Laffite tries out Renault’s R27

2008-10-14T03:29:00.000-07:00

Former F1 driver and race driver Jacques Laffite was given the chance to take the wheel of Renault’s R27.

Laffite competed in Formula One between 1974 and 1986, achieving six race wins for the Ligier team and becoming their most successful ever driver. The Frenchman is now a commentator for French TV channel TF1.

The R27 which Laffite drove is the car that normally features in Renault’s Roadshow, however Laffite’s drive was part of a marketing scheme to be shown in the run up to a race.

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Formula One Cute Girl

2008-10-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Raikkonen: Both McLarens hit me

2008-10-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen has claimed that both McLaren drivers hit his car during the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Finnish driver got off to the perfect start, easing away from the line well and taking the lead. However he was forced to run wide at the first corner after pole-sitter Hamilton out-braked himself, allowing Kubica and Alonso to pass them both.

“I got a pretty good start but then braking into Turn 1 I was trying to turn and there was first one McLaren and then a second,” Raikkonen explained to Autosport.

“Both hit me and I had nowhere to go other than straight. I lost many places and had some damage on the front, I got back on circuit but was behind people.”

Raikkonen appears slightly relieved that he managed to finish the race – last weekend’s result was the first time the Finnish driver has finished a race since the Hungarian Grand Prix 5 races ago.

“I was catching up and getting past some people, then at the pit-stop I was behind Robert. I was fighting against him. In the last stint I had a few tries to get past him, but always caught him in the last part of the circuit and the main straight. He went to the inside and I didn’t have anywhere to go. We got side-by-side but I knew that if nobody lifted in Turn 3 I had no option but to run-off the circuit.

“Then my tyres started to grain a bit so I eased off. It was a bit disappointing what happened in the first corner but at least I got to the finish this time.

“I lost straightaway the front - it didn’t feel the same any more. Heikki hit me harder, the front felt quite light, I didn’t know I didn’t ask if we had damaged something.

“It was okay, but we were missing something to not be fast enough to catch up with the cars in front. Before the second stop I got stuck behind Rubens Barrichello and lost a second. In the end it was quite a difficult race so we got third place and hopefully now we can score better from here.”

By Forumula1.net on Monday, October 13, 2008

Bourdais slams ‘disrespectful’ Massa

2008-10-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

A furious Sébastien Bourdais has hit out at Felipe Massa – accusing the Brazilian of reckless driving and showing a lack of constraint – after the pair collided with each other during the Japanese Grand Prix.

The two drivers ran into each other on lap 51 of the incident-packed race when Bourdais rejoined the Fuji circuit after making his second pit stop, just as Massa turned into the first corner.

The Ferrari driver went around the outside of Bourdais leaving him little room to manoeuvre, and the pair made contact with Massa spinning off the track as a consequence.

The incident was investigated after the race and Bourdais was dealt a 25-second penalty which dropped him out of his points-paying sixth place to tenth, promoting Massa to seventh.

Massa maintains that he had already taken the corner when Bourdais hit him, but the Frenchman starkly disagreed.

“I did everything I could not to run into him,” the Toro Rosso vented to Reuters. “He just squeezed and turned and behaved like I didn’t exist, like I wasn’t there. What am I supposed to do? I was coming out of the pits, he turned in, I was on the kerb and there was nowhere else I could go. I was racing him for position.

“For me it’s very clear – yes, I exit the pits, yes I’m supposed to be careful and I was. I stayed inside and I didn’t push him out; I didn’t overshoot the corner.

“I’ve been in this position many, many times and I never had any incidents. It’s just a little bit of respect. You give each other room and then everything goes right but if you don’t, there’s going to be an incident.”

Bourdais, who has won a record-braking four world championships in the American champ cars series, went on to lecture Massa on the importance of showing constraint when battling in the heat of a championship fight.

“Fighting for the championship you just don’t take unnecessary risks like this,” he said. “You’ve got everything to lose and nothing to gain. He was going to pit in three laps, I was ahead of him and he was going to finish behind us anyway. Why would you even think about doing something like that? I don’t understand.”

“It ruins the weekend, takes away three points for the team and gives Felipe another point – I am really happy for him, obviously. It was a good showing today for me, running consistently in the top five with only one mistake in what was a tough race.”

“I don’t know what I was supposed to do basically. I could have unrolled the red carpet and given him the corner. That is the only thing I could have done.”

Hamilton: Massa deliberately crashed into me

2008-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton has accused Felipe Massa of deliberately crashing into him during the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.

The pair were scrapping on track at the chicane when Hamilton moved past Massa. The Brazilian driver fought back, taking his car over the kerb and grass before clipping the rear end of Hamilton, sending him into a spin. Massa was later given a drive-through penalty for his manoeuvre, however the move cost Hamilton any chance of a points-finish in the race.

“He outbraked me so I didn’t get past him on the way in,” Hamilton explained. “I did the corner normally and he came back very aggressively and hit me. I think that was pretty much as deliberate as can be.”

However the Ferrari driver is adamant that it was just a racing incident and there was no malicious intent there whatsoever.

“He braked very late and I braked very late,” Massa said. “Then I was a little bit wide in the first part of the corner. Then he had my inside line and pushed me a little bit wide in the gravel, and then I went with the wheels on the gravel but the next corner was on the left. Then we just touched each other so in my opinion, it was a racing incident.”

When asked if the tap he gave Hamilton was deliberate, Massa said, “For sure not! I had two wheels on the gravel. I could not stop the car and I was on the gravel because he pushed me into the gravel.”

By Forumula1.net on Monday, October 13, 2008

I did nothing wrong, insists Lewis

2008-10-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton, backed up by Ron Dennis, insists that his drive through penalty for outbraking himself at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix was unfair.

Hamilton, who narrowly lost out in last year’s title fight as a result of taking unnecessary risks, vowed to adopt a strategic approach to the decisive remaining races of the season.

But as the lights went out for the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji and he stormed down to the first corner, the racing instinct kicked in and it all seemed to fall away from the British ace.

“I didn’t make a great start, but I slipstreamed Kimi and went up the inside,” explained Hamilton.

He threw his McLaren down the inside of the Ferrari, in what was as much a move of evasion as it was an overtake, before outbraking himself and running wide into the corner, bunching up the field in the process and dropping to sixth behind Massa.

The incident caught the attention of the stewards, and no sooner had Hamilton been punted into a spin by Massa at the chicane - for which the Brazilian received his own reprimand - he was in the docks himself for his own startline move. Race over.

Observers will note that Formula One has seen far more aggressive startline antics in its time, and for years Michael Schumacher escaped punishment for his notorious chopping manoeuvres which were arguably equally as dangerous.

Hamilton too is adamant that he did nothing more than outbraked himself.

“I braked a bit late – but so did everybody,” he said. “A lot of cars went wide at Turn One – and I just went a bit wider than everyone else. But you can’t undo the penalty or change today’s result.”

“As far as the championship is concerned, I guess things could have been worse; but there’s no getting away from the fact that it was a disappointing weekend. However, Lewis is still five points clear in the drivers’ championship, with two races to go.”

Ferrari, perhaps not surprisingly, see differently. Kimi Raikkonen in particular was quick to express is concern with the manner in which Hamilton arrived at the first corner.

“Even if third place has put an end to a run of poor results, I am a bit disappointed because today we had the means to win. At the start, I got away well but then, at the first corner, the two McLarens arrived too fast at the braking point and prevented me from turning in, taking me off the track.”

“That lost me a lot of ground and I found myself in the middle of the pack. On top of that, the car was not quite right as I was hit by one of the McLarens: the steering was a bit light and there was other damage as well. I tried to do the best I could but I was not as quick as I’d hoped, especially in the second stint.”

Felipe Massa has also claimed innocence for his own actions. The Brazilian was also hit with a drive through penalty after coming back at Hamilton at the chicane and punting him into a spin. Massa maintains that the move was “harsh but fair” and was also quick to point out Hamilton’s over ambitious move on Raikkonen at the start.

“At the start, I got away well and had passed Alonso and Kovalainen,” he said. “Then Hamilton braked over the limit and I found myself sandwiched between one car on the inside and one on the outside and all I could do was brake and stay behind. I think the duel that followed with Hamilton was hard but fair and the drive-through really penalized my race.”

McLaren were under no allusions of just how costly the incident was, but do not believe that it will significantly alter the landscape of the world championship.

“A chaotic start and one lap later Felipe ruined Lewis’s race when he first ran wide and then cut the chicane short and pushed Lewis into a spin,” recounted Mercedes-Benz vice president Norbert Haug.

“The next grand prix will be held already next weekend and neither Felipe nor Ferrari benefited too much from today’s result. Despite Felipe’s action, Lewis still leads the drivers’ championship.”

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, October 12, 2008

Dennis: Lewis was ‘awesome’

2008-10-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

Ron Dennis, a man usually constrained in his lexicon, has hailed Lewis Hamilton’s pole position lap in Japan as “possibly the best of his career”, adding that his protégé’s performance was “awesome”.

Hamilton hustled his fuel-laden McLaren into pole ahead of the Ferraris with a late lap in Q3 having spent most of the session in the Scuderia’s wake.

Crucially, he will line up for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix ahead of his main championship rival Felipe Massa who dropped to fifth as a result of late efforts from Heikki Kovalainen and Fernando Alonso.

McLaren have had no qualms in hinting that Hamilton has adopted a sensible fuel load for Sunday’s race - which he dominated in the wet last year - and his pole position lap has been regarded as particularly special in this context.

“Lewis’s pole lap was awesome in the proper sense of that often-abused adjective,” said Dennis, “in fact I’d go so far as to say that it was possibly the best lap of his career so far.”

Hamilton conceded that although his lap was far from perfect, the result couldn’t have been better given the fuel load.

“Usually, on a heavy fuel load, the car can be quite tough to drive on the limit, but I managed to pull all the sectors together and drove a pretty good lap,” he explained.

“It wasn’t perfect - I made a small mistake in the final corner, where I lost a tenth - but we had a good session.”

“The team has done a phenomenal job all weekend, and Heikki’s and my pace today really underlines that. We think we’ve got a good strategy for tomorrow and we want to finish at the front.”

Heikki Kovalainen in the sister McLaren delivered an equally solid late flying lap to go third quickest, within touching distance of Kimi Raikkonen, and crucially, ahead of Felipe Massa.

“A pretty good session for me - it took a little time to get up to speed in Q1, but I put two good laps together in the final session.”

“We were very quick in Q2 as well - and, while third was really the best I could manage today, I’m still very pleased with the result. We’re still targeting both world championships in these final few races so I’ll be looking for the very best result for myself and the team tomorrow.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Toyota win the battle but not the war

2008-10-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

Toyota eye Renault in Japan as Alonso shines again

Toyota may have shown their colleagues at Honda and Williams the way on home turf, but their real rivals, Renault, have things firmly under control at the sharp end of the field, courtesy of an ever-ominous looking Fernando Alonso.

The Japanse outfit have been locked in a fierce battle with the struggling French outfit all through the season, and prior to Singapore there was little to separate the two teams by way of points.

Fernando Alonso’s stunning charge to victory under the night lights, allied with a disappointing showing from the Cologne-based outfit, soon changed that and tipped the balance in Renault’s favour: Toyota currently find themselves five points adrift of the Enstone squad.

With both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock safely into the top ten, and out-numbering the sole R28 of Alonso, Toyota are well placed to take the fight to their immediate rivals. Add to that a sense of under-performance from Trulli in qualifying - he wound up seventh ahead of Glock - and you have a far closer battle unfolding behind the main show than initially appears.

“In Q2 I was 4th and Timo was 5th so it shows that the Toyotas are going well,” explained Trulli. “Q3 was a bit of a mystery because as soon as we put the fuel on the car was rather unbalanced and we lost a lot of grip

So I wasn’t so happy about the pace of Q3 but maybe its down to the different fuel levels. Now we must go for a strong result for everyone here in front of our own fans and we must fight really hard until the end tomorrow.”

Toyota chief Pascal Vasselon concurred: “In both Q1 and Q2 both drivers were very quick, with Timo the fastest of all in Q1 and Jarno less than three tenths off in Q2.”

“Given that, we are slightly disappointed by the positions we had in Q3, but as usual it’s really a matter of where people will stop tomorrow. Considering the situation with tyres we feel that we have the ideal strategy for tomorrow.

Renault have spent much of the season complaining about the advances that their rivals have made in engine development, and given the disadvantage that the French outfit seemed to have at places like Valencia, Monza and Spa, credit must go to Fernando Alonso who has consistently dragged the team into within touching distance of the front-runners.

And in qualifying on Saturday, the double world champion even had the pace to leapfrog Felipe Massa’s Ferrari.

“We can be happy with fourth place, which is a good result and the work we did yesterday certainly paid us back today,” Alonso said afterwards.

“We had a bit of trouble in Q2, but in Q3 with fuel on board the car felt good, which is encouraging for the race tomorrow and I think we can realistically aim for a top five finish.”

Pat Symonds added: “Fernando’s position on the grid is as high as we could have hoped for and so we are satisfied with our afternoon and hopeful of a strong race tomorrow.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Kimi: It is nice to be back

2008-10-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

Defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen was pleased to return to the sharp end of the field in qualifying Sunday’s pivotal Japanse Grand Prix after a disappointing run of form.

The Finn has not won a race since April and last qualified on the front row of the grid at the French Grand Prix in June.

Barring a brief return to form at his favourite track at Spa – the outcome albeit far from desired after he dropped his Ferrari into the wall in the dying laps – Raikkonen has failed to muster the kind of performances that saw him close a twenty point deficit to Lewis Hamilton in last year’s title campaign.

Ferrari may be expecting the 28-year-old to play support role in the remaining races of this season, but his charge to second place in qualifying on Saturday will no doubt underline his intentions to step up to the mark once again.

“It is nice to be back,” said Raikkonen. “I’m still not where I want to be. I’m not very happy about how things are going, and not 100 percent happy with the car. It’s quite frustrating.”

“Usually qualifying has been the worst thing for us so we should be strong in the race. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. We have done a lot of work, and it is good to be in a good place to start tomorrow.”

Raikkonen is currently 27 points adrift of championship leader Lewis Hamilton and admits he has very little to lose in Sunday’s race.

“I don’t have much to lose,” he said. “We want to try to win the world championship and it will not be easy against McLaren but we are doing our best I hopefully tomorrow we can fight for the win and if we can get it it would be nice.

“I want to finish with nice results in the last three races of the season.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Post-Qualifying Quotes: Red Bull

2008-10-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

Red Bull out-foxed by Toro Rosso sisters once again, but DC provides consolation with P11.

David Coulthard, Position 11th
“It was very close today. That was one of my better qualifying sessions, each of my laps were very tidy. On the last lap I was quicker going into the final corner, but I seemed to drag more speed going into the apex, which made me very slow down to the start/finish straight. I would love to have got through to Q3, as it would have meant more driving in the car on low fuel, but I don’t think there was much more I could have got out of the car with the balance I had.”

Mark Webber, Position 13th
“I wasn’t quick enough today and when you don’t get the times you don’t go through. I didn’t get it together in Q2 and you pay the price. There was more to get from the car, but I over drove on the last sector. It was a shame as I had had a good feeling for the car both yesterday and this morning, but qualifying didn’t seem to work out for us today. It will be difficult from there tomorrow.”

Christian Horner: “While it’s disappointing not to make it into Q3, David drove well in both sessions and was unlucky to miss the final cut by just 0.08secs, but 11th obviously leaves him free to pick his strategy for tomorrow. Mark didn’t manage to string his best three sectors together, which leaves a lot of work for him from 13th on the grid tomorrow.”

Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer, Track Support: “That was disappointing not to get into Q3. DC had a good session and was very, very close to getting through to Q3, I think he was just 0.08secs off. At least this is a track where you should be able to overtake and gain positions in the dry, so we’ll have to make sure we’re ready to make the most of anything that might happen ahead of us tomorrow.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Post-qualifying Quotes: Toro Rosso

2008-10-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Vettel shines again as both STR cars progress to the shoot-out.

Sebastian Vettel - 9th: “At the start of qualifying the track was still quite green because of the rain, but we made it to Q3 again which is good. Then in the final part, I was struggling a bit with the heavier car, as it did not feel as good as before and I made a couple of small mistakes.

“But the gap to the next fastest was a bit too big. It will be a tough race on the cars and especially the tyres, so I think the key to success will be to keep the tyres in good shape. I hope our strategy turns out to be a good one.”

Sebastien Bourdais - 10th: “It was a good qualifying and I’m happy to be close to Sebastian on a track with a lot of corner entries on the brakes which is where I usually struggle with the rear end of the car, so I had to hold back a bit. I think the car has improved a bit after the team found a couple of things on the aero side which has helped. I think we are in good shape for the race.”

Laurent Mekies (Chief Engineer): “Having both cars in Q3 indicates that we put together a strong qualifying performance. Both drivers have done a very good job, closely matched throughout the weekend. Tomorrow, we will find out what our competitors have done in terms of fuel loads, but certainly, we are happy with our race trim and are looking to have a strong race.”

Honda suffer nightmare home GP qualy

2008-10-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

Japanese outfit Honda endured a trying qualifying session ahead of their home grand prix in Fuji with both their drivers languishing on the penultimate row of the grid and Asian rivals Toyota firmly in the top ten.

With only three races remaining the Brackley-based outfit have all but switched their focus to next year when they hope sweeping new technical regulations will help to level the playing field and provide them a platform on which to move up the grid.

But that was of little consolation to a visibly dejected Jenson Button who was again pipped by Rubens Barrichello for what was effectively a battle to avoid the last row of the grid.

“It has not been the best of days for us today but hopefully the race tomorrow will be better,” said the Briton.

“I have been struggling with the car for the whole weekend and have found it difficult to achieve a good balance. The car was better in the wet this morning, however the bumps and corner apexes are unsettling the car in the dry and we have not been able to resolve this.”

“I had too much understeer on my final run in qualifying today which made the car very twitchy and difficult to get round the corners and I was unable to improve my lap time. It’s disappointing but we just have to do our best with the package that we have.”

Team-mate Barrichello fared slightly better and could have vaulted further up the grid had he been able to extract the full potential from his car.

“Although my second run today was actually a good qualifying lap, unfortunately we are at the back of the midfield group where just another three-tenths would have been enough to put me in P10,” said the Brazilian.

“I was already right on the limit with my second run so we had to take a bit of a gamble with the final run and add a little more front wing. Unfortunately this led to the tyres graining by the second sector and I was not able to improve.”

“It’s a shame that we were unable to qualify better than this at our home race but we will do our best to make the most of any opportunities in the race tomorrow.”

Once again both Button and Barrichello showed signs of early pace but struggled the moment they switched to the option tyres.

“Unfortunately we were well aware in advance of this weekend that Fuji was going to be a difficult track for us given our current package,” explained Steve Clark.

“That fact does not make today’s result any less disappointing however. Obviously going into a dry qualifying after a wet morning was a little like venturing into the unknown as we were reliant upon the settings we made to the cars overnight.”

“In actual fact, early in the qualifying session, the cars were working quite well, certainly for Rubens. At the end of our first set of option tyres, both cars were comfortably in a position to progress to Q2.”

“We then switched to the second set of options and that’s where it all went wrong for both drivers. The option tyres have more grip but are also more delicate and they grained on both cars.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Hamilton on pole in Japan; Massa stumbles

2008-10-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hamilton takes a step closer to championship glory with the “best pole of his life” in Japan.

Lewis Hamilton dug deep in Fuji to plant his McLaren-Mercedes on pole for Sunday’s decisive Japanese Grand Prix, while the best his main championship rival Felipe Massa could muster was fifth.

For most of the final qualifying session it appeared to be advantage Ferrari. A rejuvenated Kimi Raikkonen set a searing pace around the Fuji International Circuit clocking a benchmark time of 1m 18.644, with Massa not far behind.

But a late assault from Hamilton saw him vault into the top spot, while similar performances from team-mate Heikki Kovalainen and Singapore winner Fernando Alonso saw Massa drop to fifth.

“It was the best pole of his life at a critical time - a tremendous effort” McLaren Team Principal Ron Dennis told ITV Sport.

“There is a real team vibe at the moment and we’re enjoying the moment, but we’re very focussed on tomorrow.

“We gave it absolutely everything through the whole of qualifying. It will be a strategic race no question. The most important thing is to come out with more points than Massa.”

Massa’s third row starting position could play a pivotal role in the outcome of not only Sunday’s race but also the world championship. The Brazilian is currently seven points behind Hamilton in the title race with only three races remaining.

Unlike Hamilton Massa must win at least one of these races if he is to stay in the hunt.

Robert Kubica was sixth quickest ahead of the Toyota’s of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, while Toro Rosso continued their run of form to get both their drivers in the top ten again.

Both Glock and Trulli had run solidly in the opening two sessions and their respective positions suggest that circuit owners Toyota elected for a sensible strategy at their home grand prix.

That said, the Japanese outfit are currently locked in a fierce championship battle with Renault, and they will no doubt be keeping a careful eye on Singapore GP winner Fernando Alonso who hustled his R28 into fourth place.

It was less of a success story for Toyota’s customers Williams though. The Grove-based outfit, who only a fortnight ago were celebrating Nico Rosberg’s stunning podium charge in Singapore found themselves languishing in fourteenth and fifteenth, behind Red Bull Racing.

Toyota’s Japanese rivals Honda didn’t fare much better with Rubens Barrichello just out qualifying Jenson Button for seventeenth, ahead of the two Force Indias.

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 11, 2008

Red Bull still puzzled by gearbox failure

2008-10-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

Red Bull Racing are still none the wiser as to the cause of their gearbox failure during the Singapore Grand Prix.

Mark Webber was forced to retire from the race after his gearbox tried to select two gears at the same time. Team principal Christian Horner initially stated that they thought the problem was possibly due to static caused by passing tram, however Singapore’s tram company have refuted the claims.

Analysis on the gearbox by both Red Bull Racing and third-party suppliers has not come up with a conclusive reason for the failure.

“The post mortem on the gearbox is it is a complete rogue failure,” Christian Horner explained. “Obviously components have gone back to third parties for inspection too – which they cannot explain either. It is frustrating.

“At the moment we cannot say specifically what caused the failure, whether it was caused by the bumps or whether it has been caused by static interference.

“It is easy to look at circumstantial evidence and put the blame somewhere else, but we are not pointing any fingers. It was our first gearbox failure of the season and we have to make sure we don’t have another one.”

By Forumula1.net on Friday, October 10, 2008

Safety Car rule shakeup for final race of the season

2008-10-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

The controversial safety car rules look set to be amended for the final race of the season, allowing drivers to refuel at any point during a Safety Car period.

The Singapore Grand Prix reignited Safety Car rule controversy after the rules shook up the race order, allowing Fernando Alonso to take a race win, with Nico Rosberg coming second.

Next season, the Safety Car rules are expected to change and drivers will also need to stick to a minimum lap time as has been trialled during some free practice sessions this season. When the Safety Car is deployed, a yellow light will light up in the cockpit and drivers will have five seconds to acknowledge the light by pressing another button.By Forumula1.net on Friday, October 10, 2008

Ecclestone planning standard F1 engine

2008-10-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Bernie Ecclestone is reported to be working on a plan which will see Formula One engines standardized.

According to British newspaper The Times, Ecclestone and Mosley are planning to impose regulations which would mean an engine must last for half of the season, potentially greatly reducing the costs associated with running an F1 car.

It is also understood that they are planning to have a single engine specification. Each team will still be required to build the engine, however the only difference between them will be the name on the block.

The proposals mark a massive change with some fans concerned that it will be massively detrimental to the sport. Formula One has always been perceived as the pinnacle of motor sport and there are worries that the new proposed rules, although making the sport more competitive between drivers, will reduce the competitive element between teams and lose some of it’s engineering brilliance.

“The thing I am most excited about is pushing and pushing and pushing the homologated engine idea,” Ecclestone explained. “The new engine will be equalised and there will only be two engine changes a year, so costs are going to dramatically come down, and I mean dramatically.”

Force India are the first team to publicly comment on Ecclestone’s plans, and they have welcomed the new ideas.

“A redressing of the balance has been overdue for some time,” Ian Phillips, director of business affairs for Force India said. “Probably for five years we have been overspending and it is time to pull back. The credit crunch has brought it to a head.

“I work for an independent team. It has had four owners in four years and each one of those has not been able to fulfil their desires financially in Formula One and have got out. But I think things have pretty much balanced out now”

By Forumula1.net on Thursday, October 9, 2008

Green issues current hot topic in F1

2008-10-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Green issues are being pushed to the fore in the run-up to the Japanese Grand Prix. During the Fuji race-weekend, all the cars will running with green-striped tyres to show support for the FIA’s ‘Make Cars Green’ campaign. The softer compound tyres will have a single white stripe alongside the green stripes in order to easily differentiate the two types of tyres.

“We hope that the launch of the Make Cars Green tyre will draw public attention to the many environmental initiatives in and around Formula One,” said Bridgestone CEO Shoshi Arakawa.

“Environmental preservation is at the centre of our work at the Bridgestone Group and we hope that this collaboration with the FIA will help to spread this ethos worldwide.”

“Since it first launched I’ve been happy to help promote the very positive messages of the Make Cars Green campaign,” McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton said.

“It is a subject that goes far beyond racing. The car is an incredibly positive thing and I think the messages of the campaign help to show us that we can all choose to drive in a greener way.

“The new ‘Make Cars Green’ tyre that all the teams will be running on in Fuji is a great way to promote the campaign and a real first for Formula One. The sport can also help in other ways, especially with the launch of new energy efficient technologies next season.”

And it’s not just on the track that drivers are trying to be green either.

“I genuinely try and reduce the amount of driving I do away from the racetrack,” Hamilton explained. “I always use GPS to plan my route and save fuel. And I’m often away for so long that it’s always useful to check my car’s tyre pressures before I head out on a long journey – for safety as well as economy’s sake.

“At home, I like to use public transport so I don’t get stuck in traffic jams. I also do a lot of cycling, so it certainly feels like I’m playing my part in helping
conserve the environment.”

“For any driver, there are many things you can do to help the environment,” Heikki Kovalainen added. “For example, in a cold country like Finland, a lot of people leave their cars running to warm them up – and that’s not good sense.

“I like to use a couple of electric heaters to warm the car up before driving, and I also try not to leave it idling for too long. This is a great way of showing people how to protect the environment and make things easier on their wallets.”

Meanwhile, Formula 1 teams believe that Formula 1 can lead the way in future green automotive technology.

“In principle we hope KERS is just the start of a number of new efficient technologies in the sport,” BMW motor sport boss Mario Theissen said. “But we have to be careful not to do things which do not make sense. It has to pay off on the road car side as well. It needs to be efficient in terms of environmental impact and also the effort it takes.

“But I think we are on the right track. In the future my expectation is that the powertrain will change from what we have today with the combustion engine and the gearbox to a complex unit incorporating a smaller combustion engine, an electric motor generator, an electric storage unit, control electronics and probably a very different type of transmission.

“The true innovation will lie in the adaptation of these individual components and the integration into a more efficient powertrain. I think F1 can take the lead in that.”

“F1 should certainly be looking to introduce further environmentally-focused regulations in future,” Honda’s Ross Brawn added.

“To develop hybrid and heat recovery technologies which can then be used on road cars demonstrates that F1 can play an important role in developing energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies.

“Since the launch of our earthdreams initiative at the beginning of the 2007 season, we have had fantastic support from within the Honda family and from our team partners. With more and more organisations understanding the importance of the environmental agenda, we are finding many of our current partners are benefiting from this initiative and using the message it portrays to showcase their own environmental working practices.”

By Forumula1.net on Thursday, October 9, 2008

Cost-cutting talks to be held after China GP

2008-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

FIA President Max Mosley has said that F1 will be in serious difficulties if drastic cost-cutting measures are not in place by 2010.

“It has become apparent, long before the present economic difficulties, that Formula One was unsustainable,” Mosley explained to the BBC.

“Very crudely expressed, one of the teams at the back of the grid cannot possibly hope to raise more than - including the money they get from Bernie - say 40 million Euro, let’s say £30-35 million, which in the real world is a huge sum of money, but that’s the most they can raise. To compete today, they need two or three times that and even then they’re at the back of the grid.

“You can’t run a business where the outgoings are two to three times the income, not for very long. It depends at the moment on millionaires - or billionaires, we don’t have millionaires any more - millionaires subsidising them, people like Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher or Dietrich Mateschitz of Red Bull. Without them, those teams wouldn’t be there.

“We’ve already got two gaps, we’re likely to lose two or three more of the independent teams. Formula One cannot continue like that, that’s been obvious for some time.

“At the moment we’ve got 20 cars. If we lost two teams we’d have 16, three teams 14. It then would cease to be a credible grid.

“Some of the manufacturers may be in difficulty now as well, because if you look at their share prices, their profitability, their sales, the days when they could just toss out 100, 200, 300 million Euro a year, which is what Formula One costs those big companies, I think they’re finished. I really think it’s a serious situation.

“If we can’t get this done for 2010, we would be in serious difficulty. I think we can survive through 2009, but if we don’t get it done in 2010, we may be in serious problems.

“There are various things we can do, but the most obvious would be to reduce the cost of the drivetrain. At present, if you can believe this, the engine and gearbox together, for an independent team, is upwards of 30 million Euro a year. That could be done for probably five per cent of that cost without the person in the grandstand noticing any difference at all.

“Even those big spenders, if they’re given the opportunity to save 100 or 200 million Euro a year, they will do so. And we’ve got various means of making sure they don’t spend the money, but it does need some draconian changes.”

It has now been revealed that Mosley will meet with the Formula One team’s Association [FOTA] in the days after the Chinese Grand Prix to discuss cost-cutting measures within the sport.

By Forumula1.net on Thursday, October 9, 2008

Canada axed from 2009 F1 calendar

2008-10-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Grand Prix will not feature on the 2009 Formula 1 calendar, meaning North America will not be hosting any F1 races next season. It will be the first time since 1987 that Montreal will not be hosting a grand prix.

The 2009 calendar is currently:

Australia            29 March
Malaysia             5 April
Bahrain              19 April
Spain                10 May
Monaco               24 May
Turkey               7 June
Great Britain        21 June
France               28 June
Germany              12 July
Hungary              26 July
Europe (Valencia)    23 August
Belgium              30 August
Italy                13 September
Singapore            27 September
Japan                11 October
China                18 October
Brazil               1 November
Abu Dhabi            15 November

The calendar shows that the Turkish Grand Prix has been moved back two months, from August to June, to create a summer break for the teams.

Surprisingly, the organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix were not informed of the decision to drop the race, and learnt about the plans through the media.

“The organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix learned of the axing of the Canadian Grand Prix from the 2009 Formula One championship calendar through the media,” a statement from the organisers read. “Consequently, no comments will be issues before speaking with the interested parties of Formula One Management and the Federation International de l’Automobile.”

By Forumula1.net on Wednesday, October 8, 2008

McLaren give Di Resta four day test

2008-10-08T12:41:00.001-07:00

British driver Paul di Resta is being given a four day test by McLaren at Silverstone later in the month. The 22 year old Scottish driver currently races in the DTM series for Mercedes, finishing 5th last year and being the highest driver in the standings to drive a non-2007 car. He is currently in second place in this season’s DTM championship.

Di Resta is being given the test as part of McLaren’s Young Driver initiative, a programme which allows teams to carry out testing without the strict mileage and tyre restrictions.

By Forumula1.net on Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Piccinini to step down from FIA

2008-10-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Marco Piccinini, the FIA’s Deputy President and chair of the World Motor Sport Council, will be stepping down at the end of his term in November to concentrate on other professional commitments.

Piccinini was elected as Deputy President of the FIA in 1998 and was re-elected in both 2001 and 2005.

Piccinini has many other business interests including being a Member of the Board for Directors of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Italcementi S.p.A, Compagnie Monegasque de Banque, Church’s Shoes Ltd. and the Villa Nazareth Foundation amongst others.

By Forumula1.net on Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Ferrari to revert back to lollipop pit-stop system

2008-10-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

Following issues with their ‘traffic light’ pit-stop system in Singapore, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that Ferrari will be using the more traditional pit-stop lollipop for the remainder of the 2008 season.

“We are going back to the old system with a lollipop,” Domenicali explained to Sky Italia. “We have recognised that the team needs to be calm. At this stage of the season and with all the tension, it is better for everyone who works in the heat of the battle todo with as little stress as possible.”

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Heidfeld & Kubica confirmed at BMW for 2009

2008-10-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

BMW Sauber have confirmed that they are retaining both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica for the 2009 season, with Christian Klien staying as their test driver.

“We see Nick and Robert as a strong driver pairing and Christian as an experienced test driver,” Mario Theissen explained. “We are in no doubt that we will again achieve our ambitious aims with them in the team’s fourth year.”

The announcement ends speculation that the team were considering not renewing Heidfeld’s contract thanks to a less than spectacular season, and rumours that Fernando Alonso was looking for a possible move to the team.

The news means that Heidfeld will remain with BMW Sauber for the fourth consecutive year in a row.

“I’m very pleased about this announcement and about the confidence that the team have shown in me,” Heidfeld said. “I’ve always said that I was happy to stay with BMW Sauber because we’ve managed to achieve what we set out to do at this stage and I really hope that we will be battling it out for the title itself next year.

“There have been times this season when neither I nor the team could honestly say that we were satisfied with the way things were going, but we have always pulled together and come through.”

With Heidfeld confirmed at BMW, it seems to be odds on that Alonso will remain with Renault as his only other option for a 2009 race-seat would be with the Honda team.

By Forumula1.net on Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Japan Preview Quotes: BMW Sauber

2008-10-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

The mountain calls. Following the night race in Singapore Formula One now heads for the Japanese Alps to race at the foot of the sacred volcano of Mount Fuji.

There are still three races on the agenda, including the Japanese Grand Prix on 12th October. Rarely has a season proved as diverse and unpredictable as this one. The battle for the top places in the World Championship rankings is about to enter its decisive phase.

Nick Heidfeld:
“Firstly, I’m hoping Fuji won’t bring the kind of torrential rain we had in 2007. Basically I enjoy driving in the rain, but with last year’s deluge it was just impossible. Visibility was zero, which led to a number of collisions. Somebody drove into my car as well and damaged it. Even so, shortly before the end I was in sixth place, but then an engine problem put me out of the race.

“It’s a fun circuit. There are lots of uphill and downhill gradients and several blind corners. But I’m a bit hard on it as Suzuka was always my favourite GP track. One feature of the Fuji circuit that stands out is its extremely long straight.

“It’s a beautiful landscape, and the road from the hotel to the track could serve as an excellent rally special stage. I hope Mount Fuji is going to show its face again. Overall there doesn’t seem to be much going on in the area, but that’s fine after all the hustle and bustle of Singapore.”

Robert Kubica:
“This season we go to Fuji for the second year in a row. I guess everybody remembers last year’s Japanese Grand Prix as the weather conditions were crazy. It was extremely wet and visibility was poor. From a driver’s perspective the track is very interesting. There are some challenging corners with different radii and also some blind corners. Under dry conditions it was very enjoyable to drive, although the last sector is quite slow as there are a lot of tight corners.

“As always in Japan, I think the fans will bring a unique atmosphere to the Formula One track. Usually they come to the track early in the morning and leave it after us.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“The spectacular night-race premiere in Singapore is over. For the next two races we will be stopping off in Asia as well, first in Japan and just a week later in China. Some team members flew back to Munich and Hinwil from Singapore, while others stayed on in Asia for a few days’ relaxation. Others, in turn, are travelling to South Korea, where Nick will be doing some demo drives with the Formula One car on Saturday and Sunday.

“The Fuji Speedway celebrated its successful comeback to the F1 calendar in 2007. The circuit is in a picturesque setting in the Japanese Alps, against the backdrop of Mount Fuji that rises majestically behind it. Last year, however, the sacred mountain could only be seen on Friday, and in the sunshine it was the most photographed view. Unfortunately, it then disappeared behind a thick wall of fog and rain and was never seen again. The weather had a profound impact on the entire race weekend in 2007.

“After our unlucky experience with the Safety Car regulations in Singapore – the second time this season – which lost us important points, we aim to make up for lost ground in Japan. In the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships the leaders are bunched close together, which promises plenty of excitement for the remaining races.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“After the spectacular night race in Singapore, Formula One will be returning to normality in Fuji. Last year was our first race there, though it was dominated by a very wet track. But we still managed to gather some information in terms of the car set-up.

“At around 1.5 kilometres, Fuji boasts the longest genuine straight of any Grand Prix circuit. It means there are real overtaking opportunities. At the same time, the medium-fast and fast turns require plenty of downforce, which calls for a compromise in the aero set-up. In Fuji we drive with medium downforce, comparable to Valencia. Bridgestone supplies the two medium tyre compounds, which shouldn’t pose us any major problems.

“After Singapore’s turbulent race, where the Safety Car phase threw a spanner into the works, we want to achieve a strong points haul with both cars in Japan.”

History and background:

The Fuji race track opened its gates in 1966. It has already hosted Formula One races in 1976 and 1977, and even then became notorious for its rain. At the start of the 1976 GP – the closing race of the season – the rain was bucketing down. Aquaplaning forced defending champion Niki Lauda to park his Ferrari in the pits after just two laps. Mario Andretti went on to win the race, and James Hunt was crowned World Champion with a single-point lead.

In 2005 the complex was given a complete overhaul in order to meet the Formula One standards set out by the FIA. 2007 saw the return of Formula One to the Fuji circuit. As of 2009, the Japanese Grand Prix is to be held alternately in Suzuka and Fuji.

The Speedway takes its name from Fujiyama or Fuji-san, as the mountain is more commonly known today. Both “yama” and “san” can mean “mountain”, depending on whether one follows Kunyomi or Onyomi pronunciation.

The composite volcano rising to a height of 3,776 metres above sea level is Japan’s tallest mountain. Its rock is dated 100,000 years old. Not only is the volcano a highly popular photo opportunity, it is still active, though classified as harmless. The last eruption was recorded in 1707.

Mount Fuji is in the Japanese Alps on the main island of Honshu. Its summit marks the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures. Geologically, the volcano is located where the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine plates meet.

Thanks to its gently sloping contours, it is relatively easy to climb. The first to do so was a Japanese monk in the year 663. Today such an expedition has lost any trace of exclusivity, with thousands of people congregating at its peak in summer.

Source: BMW Sauber

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 4, 2008

Japan Preview Quotes: McLaren

2008-10-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

The newly christened constructors’ championship leaders look ahead to what will be a crucial Japanese Grand Prix under Mount Fuji.

Lewis Hamilton

Was it difficult to hold back in Singapore, or have you started driving with one eye on the world championship?
“Actually, I think I learned something when I was behind David Coulthard in Singapore: previously, you’d tell yourself to be consistent and avoid any unnecessary mistakes – but it’s one thing saying it and another to do it.

And once you get in the car, it can be hard to stop the instincts you’ve been developing since you were eight years old. But I actually think Singapore was a good learning experience: there was less pressure to achieve a victory because of the unusual circumstances, which meant I was actually able to start thinking of the world championship. I hate driving for points, but I think we can all see the benefit of that approach at the moment.”

Fuji was the venue of possibly your most memorable victory of 2007, what are your feelings as you head back to Japan?
“I love Japan. Last year might have been difficult because of the wet weather and the poor visibility, but I actually really enjoyed that weekend. The Japanese fans are some of my favourite in the world: so passionate, but really polite, charming and respectful. As for the race, one of the questions I get asked most is whether I prefer to drive in the rain: my answer is always the same, I’ll race in the wet or dry, I don’t mind. But it’s always easier for us drivers to race in the dry; I’d always prefer a dry race. This weekend, I’ll be hoping for dry weather for another reason – I want the fans at the track to have the best weekend possible and to enjoy the atmosphere of one of the season’s best races.”

Heikki Kovalainen

Last year’s Japanese Grand Prix was the scene of one of your most impressive drives, are you looking forward to going back?
“Absolutely. Last year was one of those races where everything went right for me, one of those races where you can perform to a higher level than the car. I didn’t qualify too well but kept my head, drove sensibly, didn’t make any mistakes and battled with Kimi to finish second – my first Formula 1 podium. It was the highlight of my season. Of course, I love Japan, I’m looking forward to visiting Tokyo and also getting back to a circuit where I’ve got plenty of good memories.”

What sort of set-up do you need for a lap of Fuji?
“There is no single corner at Fuji that particularly contributes to your laptime. It’s relatively easy to understand the corners, and it’s not a particularly tricky circuit. So it’s a place where you can’t afford to make any mistakes, you have to be absolutely precise and extract the maximum from your car to be fast. And that’s not easy: you’ve still got to understand the car and find a good set-up: finding the ideal compromise is the tricky bit.”

Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
What sort of challenge does the Fuji circuit provide from an engineering point of view?

“It’s not a particularly extreme circuit; it’s not a place that really places a premium on the car or the driver – unless it’s raining, of course. But, as a result, it’s a circuit where you really benefit from solid, clever engineering rather than raw power or efficient aerodynamics. This year, we’re bringing a number of smaller components to the car ahead of the race and will be working hard with our engineers to ensure that we can maximise our track time in order to get our cars well-balanced. Of course, we are reliant on good weather – and we learnt last year that this is not always forthcoming when you’re racing on the side of a mountain!”

Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
Why did Lewis Hamilton not win after Felipe Massa’s refuelling problems? At the time he was second and the winner came from 15th on the grid, the runner-up from eighth – Lewis ended up third.

“Up until his first pit stop, Lewis was in second position. The first Safety Car period beginning on lap 15, of course, brought forward those drivers who had pitted shortly before – like, for example, David, who was ahead of Lewis for 20 laps after his pitstop and who drove significantly more slowly than Lewis’s race speed would have allowed. Drivers who could race without traffic after the Safety Car deployment had an advantage, so, as a consequence, the current Safety Car rules came under criticism.”

What are the specific challenges for drivers and teams at Fuji?
“The 4.5km track at Mount Fuji is quite a difficult task for drivers and engineers. The near-1.5km-long front straight is the longest of all circuits on the Formula 1 calendar; here the cars race at full throttle for 20 seconds. At Turn 10, the cars reach only about 70km/h. Therefore, it will be quite a challenge for drivers and engineers to find the best compromise for the set-up between the high-speed section and the slow corners. Last year’s data can only be used in a limited way due to the heavy rain encountered during that event.”

Prior to the final three grands prix of the season, Lewis leads the Drivers‘ Championship by seven points; in the constructors‘ rankings, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes leads by a single point. How do you approach these three races?
“Three grands prix within three weeks, on two different continents, in three different time zones are a big challenge for all drivers and teams. Since Lewis’s victory in Silverstone, where he re-gained the championship lead, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has scored 77 points. Our closest competitors, Ferrari and BMW Sauber, have achieved 43 and 46 points respectively. Lewis scored 46 points during that time. For the seventh time in a row, Lewis arrives at a grand prix as the championship leader. Everybody in the team will work hard to achieve that at the final race in Brazil.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 4, 2008

Briatore to take on revised role at Renault

2008-10-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Flavio Briatore has revealed that as of next year, he will be taking on a revised role within the Renault team. Briatore has also said that he has earmarked an assistant who will help him run the Renault team during the 2009 season.

Briatore’s contract with Renault runs out at the end of the year however he has so far not signed any contract extensions. Despite this, he has told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that he will definitely still be with Renault next season albeit in a new role.

“Next year, I won’t have a 360 degree role in the team any more. There will be a director, who I have already earmarked, to look after the day-to-day management. That way I will be able to concentrate on the most important matters.”

Briatore is also confident that Alonso will remain and that the team can return to the top of F1 once more.

“The victory [at Singapore] has not changed anything. Fernando has not signed to anyone and I think is happy to stay, but we will see at the end of the championship. What can we offer him? An innovative team and a mix of cards that play in our favour.

“In F1 there are cycles. In difficult moments, Carlos Ghosn didn’t want to lower our budget. F1 in not just about the money otherwise Toyota would will all the Grands Prix!

“At Renault, we have to renew the whole aerodynamics department. When you change 40 people, you must wait for them to gel. Now we are ready to start again. We have the right people and are young and capable.

By Forumula1.net on Friday, October 3, 2008

Horner: Tram caused Webber’s gearbox failure

2008-10-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Red Bull Racing have revealed that a freak set of circumstances may have been to blame for Mark Webber’s retirement from the Singapore Grand Prix. Webber was on-course to finish on the podium, however a mechanical failure – his first of the season – forced him to retire from the race on Lap 30.

Webber’s car limped to the pits with a broken gearbox after it had tried to select two gears at the same time. Team principal Christian Horner explained to Autosport that a bizarre set of coincidences might have been the cause of the issue.

“At Turn 13, the gearbox selected two gears at one,” Horner explained. “The moog valve controlling the gearshift had been triggered into changing to seventh while he was still in fifth yet after interrogating the software we can see that it at no time was allowing for this. We can see a momentary electrical surge at the precise moment which seems to have triggered the moog valve.

“It was exactly what [Toro Rosso] suffered from with Bourdais in Friday practice at exactly the same place. A tram line runs beneath the track at that corner and it seems as if static from a passing tram at the very moment Mark was in the corner passed through the ground.”

By Forumula1.net on Friday, October 3, 2008

Ecclestone focuses on more night racing

2008-10-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

Bernie Ecclestone has said that the number of races on the 2009 F1 calendar is about right, despite pushing for 20 races on the calendar earlier in the year.

“No more races,” Ecclestone told Bloomberg. “We don’t want any more! We have too many races – we have to lose some.”

It appears that Ecclestone has switched his focus from cramming more races into the Formula 1 calendar to night racing following the success of first ever night race in Singapore last month. Ecclestone has already revealed that he would like Malaysia to become a night race along with Japan, with countries who are hoping to host races such as India and South Korea also possibly heading for night racing.

Even though their time zone does not demand a night race, Abu Dhabi race bosses are seriously considering running their race at night under floodlights after the positive reaction to the Singapore Grand Prix. Although they have yet to confirm what time they are planning the race start to be, bosses have confirmed that night racing is definitely a possibility.

By Forumula1.net on Friday, October 3, 2008

McLaren vow to avoid mistakes of last year

2008-10-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

McLaren have vowed to adopt a more disciplined approach in the decisive remaining races in the world championship as memories of last year’s title meltdown are invoked.

Hamilton narrowly missed out on the world championship in his maiden year after bad luck and incident – including his infamous excursion into the pit-lane gravel in the rain at China and an over-ambitious over-taking attempt on team mate Fernando Alonso in Brazil – wrecked havoc with his title bid.

“I think an inherent weakness in the team and Lewis last year was the overwhelming desire to win the races at almost any risk,” McLaren CEO told The Guardian.

“That is more forgivable in Lewis, you would like to have that in a young racing driver. We as a team should have been more disciplined than we were.”

“We wanted to win and pushed too hard when we didn’t need to,” he added, “championships aren’t won like that.”

Lewis Hamilton extended his championship lead to seven points after settling for third place in last week’s Singapore Grand Prix having been instructed not to overtake Nico Rosberg in the closing stages.

McLaren vowed in Singapore that neither the team or Hamilton will take unnecessary risks in the remaining races and are set on maintaining their advantage in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

By Christopher Hayes on Friday, October 3, 2008

Singapore Night F1 Race-Alonso Winner

2008-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Alonso reigns supreme in Singapore

Double world champion gives Singapore’s Marina Bay a christening to remember after winning dramatic inaugural night race;

Ferrari incompetence in the pits puts Hamilton in pole position for the title.

He said he needed a miracle. And on lap 15 it came, his team-mate ironically the bearer.

When Nelson Piquet threw his Renault into the wall, bringing out the safety car, any chance of a straight forward outcome to the inaugural Singapore race was lost as the Marina Bay circuit opened its gates to a flood of spectacle and drama.

Prior to Piquet’s collision it was a distinctly less complex picture that had begun to emerge under the night lights. Felipe Massa led Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the field through the first corner without major incident - a knock between Heikki Kovalainen and Robert Kubica excluded - and had begun to build up a sizable cushion over his championship protagonist.

By Lap 12 Hamilton was beginning to struggle to keep the Brazilian in sight and had the added concern of Kimi Raikkonen steaming up onto his gearbox.

“I started well, but then my rear tyres faded and, although we had good pace, I wasn’t in a position to challenge Felipe ahead of me,” explained Hamilton.

Alonso, who qualified fifteenth after being hit with a fuel problem in qualifying, was on a short first stint and pitted for fuel early on Lap 13. That dropped him to the rear of the field and appeared to mark the end of his race.

Then all hell broke loose under the night sky. The Piquet-induced safety car bunched up the field right in the middle of the pit-stop window. Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica were among those to get caught out and were forced to stop for fuel while the pitlane was closed, later taking their respective ten second penalties.

The rest of the field waited patiently behind the safety car and Massa led the charge into the pitlane the moment it re-opened leaving Rosberg (yet to take his drive-through penalty) leading the one-stoppers of Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fissichella, and the short-stinting Fernando Alonso. The Red Bull cars of Mark Webber and David Coulthard were also in the mix behind Alonso having also stopped early in the race.

That was the moment that it all begun to unravel for poor old Felipe Massa. Ferrari’s controversial semi-automatic pit-release signal gave the Brazilian the green light to leave the pitlane before the refuelling hose had been detached. The Ferrari driver carried the hose down the pitlane, much to the delight of the McLaren mechanics, before stopping and waiting for it to be de-attached.

“When he came in, we had a problem with the fuel rig, we had a problem with our refuelling system,” Massa’s race engineer Rob Smedley explained to German broadcaster Premiere. “He saw the green light and he correctly left the pit box, but it shouldn’t have been a green light, so it was a failure of the team and not of him.”

“And, for that, he had to stop at the end of the pit lane, and then we sent the guys up an they pulled the fuel nozzle out and then he got a drive-through penalty and then he got a puncture. So, what could go wrong, did go wrong.”

“Unfortunately, it’s just one of them things, everything always happens at the worst possible time, that’s why you’ve just got to be 100 percent waterproof with all your reliability and today we weren’t. Today we were useless.”

The incident was almost identical to Ferrari’s pit-lane faux-pas in Valencia, only this time the stewards were less sympathetic and docked Massa with a drive through penalty on the grounds of “unsafe” release. Game over. The Brazilian was dropped to the rear of the field. A spin at Turn 18 with ten laps to go sealed his fate.

The debacle also dashed Raikkonen’s Singaporean hopes. The Finn had been forced to queue behind Massa in the pits and bore the brunt of Ferrari’s bungle as much as the Brazilian himself. Unlike Massa though, Raikkonen recovered to fifth and was sitting pretty when the safety car re-remerged in the closing stages. That was until he dropped his Ferrari into the wall with only four laps remaining.

Zero points for Ferrari and advantage McLaren in the constructors’ championship for the first time this season.

Lewis Hamilton emerged from his pit-stop behind the trail of one-stoppers and short-stinters, three places behind Alonso in the provisional lead, but behind a much slower David Coulthard.

“During my first pit stop I lost a bit of time because everybody came in due to the Safety Car period,” said the McLaren driver. “After that I was unfortunately stuck behind David and although I was clearly faster it was really difficult to overtake him.”

The McLaren driver, sensing the opportunity presented by Massa’s demise, made little impression on the Red Bull car and it wasn’t until Lap 41 that he leapfrogged Coulthard, by which point Alonso and second place man Nico Rosberg were out of reach.

The final safety car period provided Hamilton with a chance to pass Rosberg for extra points, but by then the Briton appeared happy to just bring his car home in the points; he settled for third.

“After the second re-start, I tried to stay as close as possible behind Nico; however, I didn’t want to take chances - particularly as the Ferraris were outside the points. Also, this is not a track where overtaking is easy.”

Toyota’s Timo Glock managed to claw his way up to fourth having pushed hard after his first stop to leap frog his one-stopping team mate Jarno Trulli and the Red Bull duo. Sebastian Vettel finished fifth ahead of Nick Heidfeld, David Coulthard and Kazuki Nakajima.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to Fernando Alonso. The double world champion had showed impressive pace throughout the weekend, and in a strange quirk of fate it was his qualifying misfortune that enabled to triumph by virtue of a strategy selection based on his fifteenth place grid slot. The win is Alonso’s twentieth and the first in over a year.

“Fantastic! First podium of the season and the first victory,” enthused Alonso after the race. “I’m extremely happy, I can’t believe it.”

“I think I need a couple of races to realise that we won a race; it seems impossible. Here we’ve been competitive; we had bad luck in qualifying, but great luck in the race. The safety car helped me a lot and I was able to win the race.”

“We chose to do a very short first stint, recognising that in fifteenth place you can’t overtake.”

“So we tried something very different: very short first sting and try to make as many positions at the start, and we would see from there. It was very lucky. The pace was there all through the race and we were always able to pull out a gap to the cars behind us.”

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fernando Alonso of Renault wins the first ever night race in Formula one

2008-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

The podium in the 15th race of 2008 Formula One Worldchampionship was taken by Fernando Alonso (Renault) - 1st, Nico Roseberg (Williams-Toyota) - 2nd and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) -3rd.

Today's race was the first race in Singapore and the first ever night race in the history of Formula 1.

The race had started with Felipe Massa in pole position and he was being considered by everyone as the top contender for today's race, but things went sour for him after a pit-stop incident. He started off after a pit stop while the fuel rig had not yet been removed.

The hose came off from its mooring spitting a lot of fuel into the air. Massa lost a lot of time and managed to rejoin the race at the 18th position. By the time he finished the race, he had manged to come up to the 13th position.

The fate of the Indian team, Force India, drivers was not very good in today's race also.

Giancarlo Fisichella completed the race in the 14 position while Adrian Sutil the other driver of Force India team had to drop out of the race in the 49th lap.

After the first night race, Lewis Hamilton is leading the championship chart with 84 points, followed by Felipe Massa with 77 points. In the constructors standings table, McLaren- Mercedes is at the top with 135 point, while Ferrari is behind by only 1 point at 134.

Massa captures pole for F1's first night race at Singapore

2008-09-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Singapore (Sports Network) - Ferrari's Felipe Massa won the pole Saturday for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, beating McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in the final seconds of the third and final qualifying session. The Brazilian driver rounded the 3.148-mile Singapore Street Circuit in one minute, 44.801 seconds.

It was Massa's fifth Formula One pole of the season and the 14th of his career.

"The car was just perfect and so nice to drive," Massa said. "I managed to do a perfect lap so that always helps when I have a good car and don't make any single mistakes in whatever corner you go."

Hamilton will start on the outside pole after posting a time of 1:45.456.

"Fortunately we got through and managed to still secure a good spot on the front row, but obviously not as smooth sailing as some other people," Hamilton said.

Hamilton almost missed the third session. He finished 0.10 seconds ahead of Jarno Trulli for the 10th and final transfer spot in Q3. Hamilton enters the first-ever F1 night-time event with only a one-point lead over Massa in the World Championship standings.

The FIA's International Court of Appeal on Tuesday denied Hamilton's appeal to overturn a 25-second penalty that cost him the victory in the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this month.

Hamilton appeared before a five-judge panel in Paris on Monday to contest the timed penalty that was assessed to the British driver by race stewards at Spa- Francorchamps after he gained an advantage by cutting a chicane while battling Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for the lead in the final laps.

McLaren officials filed an appeal two weeks ago on the grounds their driver had relinquished the lead back to Raikkonen immediately following the incident. However, the court rejected McLaren's right to appeal.

"Having heard the explanations of the parties, the Court has concluded that the appeal is inadmissible," the FIA stated in their decision.

The FIA also noted, "Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive-through penalties are 'not susceptible to appeal'."

Defending F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen (1:45.617) and Robert Kubica (1:45.779) will make up row two.

The forecast at race time calls for rain. Two weeks ago, Torro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel survived wet track conditions at Monza to capture the Italian Grand Prix. The 21-year-old German driver became the youngest grand prix winner in the history of F1. Vettel will start seventh.

The race begins Sunday at 8 a.m. (et).

Red Bull F1 Singapore - Night Race

2008-09-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Felipe Massa’s pit lane disaster

2008-09-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Singapore Night Race

2008-09-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Alonso: I need a miracle now

2008-09-28T04:43:00.000-07:00

Fernando Alonso struggled to conceal his frustration at dropping out of qualifying in Singapore, and now he reckons he will need a miracle to claw his way into the points.

The Spaniard went quickest of all in the opening practice sessions and looked well placed to challenge for the front two rows of the grid in qualifying.

But when a fuel problem intervened in Q2 forcing him onto the sidelines, there was little the double world champion could do but gesture his frustration. He will start the race from fifteenth place.

“It’s a really big disappointment because we had a real chance to do something special today, perhaps not pole position but to at least qualify in the top four,” Alonso rued after the ordeal was over.

“Our weekend was going really well and we had big hopes for this evening. I know that starting in the middle of the pack will make for a difficult race and I will need a miracle with the strategy to be able to make progress on this street circuit where it looks difficult to overtake. “

Things didn’t get much better for team-mate Nelson Piquet who again showed promise in the practice sessions before failing to scrape through into Q2 in an all too familiar sight for the Brazilian.

“I’m disappointed with my session,” he said after placing sixteenth, once place behind Alonso. “The car was working well and I was happy with the balance at the end of the final free practice session earlier this evening, but in qualifying we could not repeat that.”

“The race tomorrow will be tricky, but once again I will do all I can to fight back through the field.”

The result is a huge blow to Renault’s championship hopes. The French team are locked in a fierce battle with Toyota for fourth place and having had the measure of the Japanese squad in recent races, another solid points-haul looked to be on the cards in Singapore.

“All the way through practice Fernando has shown a potential on this wonderful new circuit better than we have had all year,” reflected Renault’s Pay Symonds.

“That makes it doubly frustrating to have this problem in qualifying which prevented Fernando and the team from showing what we could have done.”

“But as a team we never give up, and as it is apparently difficult to overtake here, we will have to be creative!”

Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Track Operations added: “At the moment we can only look at the data on our systems and so we have to wait to recover Fernando’s car to understand exactly what happened.”

“It is of course an enormous disappointment because we were in a position to aim for a great result this evening. We now have to decide our strategy for tomorrow, but we can be sure that our drivers will do everything to progress in the race.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, September 27, 2008

Singapore Grand Prix-Formula-1

2008-09-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

‘We will be competitive,’ asserts relieved Dennis

A relieved Ron Dennis warned that McLaren will be competitive in Sunday’s historic Singapore Grand Prix, despite being outclassed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in qualifying.

The McLaren team principal could do little more than watch and wait in the second qualifying session as Lewis Hamilton battled to escape elimination after making a mistake on his first flying lap.

“After I ran wide in the second part of qualifying I decided to play it safe on the one remaining run,” explained the British ace, “At the last sector I was really fast, but I still have to improve in the first two sectors; particularly at turn five I lost a bit of time.”

The Briton scraped through into Q3 by a mere tenth of a second where he hustled his McLaren onto the front row of the grid, albeit a full half a second behind Felipe Massa.

“That was a pretty stressful qualifying hour!” exclaimed Ron Dennis after the ordeal was over. “Lewis was hampered by a yellow flag on one of his runs and by traffic on another, which made things a little too close for comfort in the second session, but then did a very good job in the final session.”

Dennis also hinted that McLaren have adopted a competitive fuel strategy with Hamilton: the 61-year-old was quick to point out that Singapore’s long three mile street track carries a hefty fuel weight penalty, and he seemed happy with Hamilton’s performance in light of this.

“It’s all about race strategy,” he said. “Fuel weight is a very significant factor in terms of lap time on this circuit, so let’s just say that we’re looking forward to a close and competitive race tomorrow.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, September 27, 2008

Singapore Grand Prix-Formula One

2008-09-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

Heidfeld hit with grid penalty

Nick Heidfeld will be demoted three places on the grid for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix after stewards deemed him to have impeded Rubens Barrichello in qualifying.

Heidfeld was peeling off into the pitlane in Q1 when Rubens Barrichello, who was on a flying lap, caught the BMW Sauber driver.

The pitlane entry has already come under fire this weekend for being on the racing line.

Heidfeld qualified in sixth place but will drop to ninth. This promotes Sebastian Vettel to sixth, Timo Glock to seventh, and Nico Rosberg to eighth.

Heidfeld believes the penalty was unfair. He told autosport.com: “The GPS system does not work here. Normally we are pretty good from the team side to inform me of cars arriving, but here it is not just working.”

“It doesn’t show you cars, it then shows the wrong cars or the wrong positions. So I was not informed because the GPS does not work.”

“The last part of the circuit was so tight and I watched the mirrors but you don’t see cars coming. When I saw him (Rubens) I tried to do the best I could to get out of the way.”

“After the white line I tried to be as quick into the pitlane without moving completely right and going into his way. It was the best I could do. But apparently not enough.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, September 27, 2008

Singapore Grand Prix

2008-09-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

Massa hails “perfect” Singapore pole lap

Felipe Massa conceded that qualifying for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix couldn’t have gone much better after he clinched pole by over half a second to Lewis Hamilton.

The Brazilian is only a single point behind Hamilton in the world championship after the Briton’s appeal against his Belgian GP penalty was thrown out by the FIA.

Massa’s pole position provides him with the perfect platform to take the fight to his title rival and seize the initiative in the world championship.

“The car was just perfect and so nice to drive,” Massa said after qualifying. “I managed to do a perfect lap but that is always helped when you have a perfect car and no mistakes, so that is always a great achievement.”

“It’s just a great feeling. I came to the last corner thinking ‘don’t make a mistake, don’t go over the limit’ - because everything can always be worse than it actually is - so I was just taking it corner by corner, not making a mistake, and when I got to the last corner I was thinking ‘maybe I can take it easy’, but I couldn’t.

“It’s so fantastic when you’re taking the best out of the car, it’s one of the most incredible feelings you can feel as a racing driver, and when you achieve what you want its a great achievement.”

Massa lapped the new street circuit in a 1:44.801 which was a full 0.664 seconds quicker than Hamilton. Even allowing for a lighter fuel load, Massa appeared to have a significant advantage over his rivals around the spectacular Marina Bay arena.

“Felipe produced a fantastic lap,” said Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali. “The F2008 confirmed that it is competitive in qualifying, with half this season’s poles going to our drivers.”

“Now we must not get over excited but keep our feet firmly on the ground. Tomorrow should see a long race, riddled with difficulties. In order to win, everything will need to be executed perfectly, right down to the smallest detail.”

Luca Baldisserri added: “On a track with so many twists and turns, Felipe was the only one to put together the perfect lap in Q3 and his gap to the others is the proof of that.”

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, September 27, 2008