29-Feb-08: McLaren Unhappy with Italian Investigation
Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 29th February.
The Italian investigators that visited the McLaren factory and homes of the staff this week, said they found evidence that “clearly emerges the responsibilities of the management and some technicians at a high level in McLaren.”
McLaren have disputed this claim, saying that the wording of the statement is misleading and that facts about any searches made by the Italians are incorrect. The McLaren team are reported to want to contact the British Home Office with concerns about the way the Italians are handling the investigation.
In other news, Super Aguri have confirmed that they will be on the grid for Australia, laying rest to fears about the short term future of the team. Aguri Suzuki’s business partner Fumito Akita says it is not unusual for the team to be scrambling things together at the last minute.
And finally, Bernie Ecclestone has said that he is hoping to secure a deal to hold a French GP, not in Magny-Cours but in Paris. Ecclestone indicated that after this year, F1 will not return to Magny-Cours.
That’s all for this week, have a great weekend and join me on Monday for another F1 Minute.
28-Feb-08: McLaren Homes Visited by Italian Police
It’s the 28th February, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
The McLaren factory was visited by Italian police yesterday, as the top bods were questioned in regards to the Ferrari espionage last year. The police also turned up at the homes of several members of staff, although names have not been released. McLaren assured us that the visit was “part of a normal judicial process in connection with the ongoing investigation” and also that the police were satisfied with their co-operation.
Bridgestone have announced that they will supply more slick tyres for teams to test in April, as they continue to analyse the potential of a 2009 comeback. They also spoke of this year’s tyres, saying they are almost identical to those in 2007, except minor changes to the super-soft compound.
And in the world of predictions, Nelson Piquet is saying that he doesn’t believe Renault are expecting to win races, Alonso has said Lewis Hamilton could win but he thinks Raikkonen is the most likely champ, and Kimi has played down expectations saying he’s unsure who the strongest team are and that the testing results are not that reliable.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
27-Feb-08: Trulli Tops Final Pre-Season Test Day
Welcome to F1 Minute, today is the 27th February, and these are your top headlines.
Toyota were the fastest team on the final day of testing in Barcelona, with Trulli taking the top spot. He was ahead of Coulthard, who returned to the track after resting his neck injury yesterday, and Rosberg in the Williams was third. Renault had a better day in 6th and 7th, whilst Raikkonen was just ahead of Hamilton in 9th and 10th respectively. There were seven red flags throughout the day.
In other headlines:
The backing that Silverstone received from their local authority is being reviewed. A committee is looking into the upgrade plans due to complaints from residents that their concerns weren’t heard.
Bernie Ecclestone has defended Kimi Raikkonen’s party reputation, saying that any time the pair have spent together has always been very sensible, but Kimi is fun when he’s drunk.
Alonso has said he doesn’t regret moving to Renault, although he’s sure they won’t be fighting for podiums this year, whist Flavio says the Hamilton/Alonso feud will disappear even though they are working for rival teams.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
26-Feb-08: Coulthard Pulls out of Barcelona Test
Today is the 26th February, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
David Coulthard had to withdraw from testing in Barcelona today due to a minor injury to his neck. The Red Bull driver pulled a muscle during yesterday’s session and has had treatment for it today. He will be resting up now and hoping he’ll be alright for tomorrow. Red Bull drafted in Sebastian Vettel to take his place, as Toro Rosso were only running one car.
Two McLaren’s topped the tables today, with Hamilton just edging Kovalainen. Raikkonen was third in the Ferrari. Rosberg continued the fine form of Williams in 4th, and it’s worth pointing out Fisichella in the Force India was in 6th. It was the first completely dry day for a long time, and Button managed to raise Honda’s spirits with the 9th fastest time, while Renault struggled with Alonso in 13th and Piquet in 18th.
Elsewhere, Michael Schumacher spoke about his experience yesterday, and predicted that it will be a two horse race this year, McLaren and Ferrari. He said Ferrari are not as far ahead as everyone thinks, but they are strong.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
25-Feb-08: Hamilton Leads the Way at Final Test
This is F1 Minute for the 25th February.
The last official testing week began in Barcelona, with Lewis Hamilton leading the pack. He was just a few hundredths faster than Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari, who in turn was just a tenth faster than Michael Schumacher. There were three red flags during the day brought out by Heidfeld, Vettel and Piquet.
The test saw the debut of the new Force India car, with Sutil and Liuzzi taking to the track. They finished the day sandwiching a BMW, and ahead of two Toyotas and two Hondas.
Unfortunately, Super Aguri were not present at the test, and are unlikely to be able to join at all this week. Team boss Aguri Suzuki is currently in Japan holding crisis talks with both Honda and potential investors, but until their future is secure, the team can’t afford to test. They are, however, still preparing for the start of the season in Australia.
Very quickly to finish, a life-size replica of the F2008 made out of chocolate was given to a Ferrari owners club in Italy. It cost about £11,000, took a year to make, and was broken up into little pieces to be shared by the fan club members.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
22-Feb-08: Massa Fastest at Ferrari Only Test
Today is Friday, the 22nd February and this is F1 Minute.
Lots of headlines for you today, starting with Ferrari. They finished up a day of testing in Barcelona, having the track all to themselves. They ran an entire race weekend simulation, including practice and qualifying. Massa was out on track and finished the day saying that Ferrari are right where they want to be.
Jarno Trulli obviously agrees with him. Having previously said Ferrari may as well have won the championship already, and then saying Toyota would be competitive enough to fight near the top, he’s now saying that it will be hard for anyone other than McLaren or Ferrari to get on the podium this year.
Williams have enjoyed a good run at testing recently, and technical chief Sam Michael says it’s left the team with a “good feeling” but he doesn’t want to get over-confident and predict how the season will pan out for them.
And finally, Nelson Piquet Sr won’t be available to watch his son’s debut Grand Prix in Australia next month. Piquet Jr said his father will be away on business.
That’s all for this week, have a great weekend and meet me back here on Monday for another F1 Minute.
21-Feb-08: Nakajima Tops Timesheets at a Drying Barcelona
This is F1 Minute for the 21st February 2008.
Kazuki Nakajima put in the fastest time at Barcelona, after the circuit finally saw some decent weather. The track was wet first thing but dried up through the morning and afternoon. Nakajima was ahead of two McLarens and a Ferrari before his team mate Rosberg in 5th place. There were seven red flags in total with Kovalainen and Webber causing two each.
Over at Valencia, Klien took the new BMW out on track for the first time, although both Heidfeld and Kubica were faster than him. They completed two full race simulations including pit stops.
Kovalainen has been speaking out about the upcoming season, saying he feels more prepared this time round. He said he didn’t feel ready for the start in 2007, and is confident he’ll perform better one year on. He also said he’s going to do everything he can to beat team mate Hamilton.
And finally, Alonso has spoken out about the racism campaign, saying he doesn’t believe it’s necessary, that the Spanish fans aren’t racists and he agrees with Bernie that it was a one off incident.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
20-Feb-08: Wet Weather Conditions See Massa Fastest
I’m Christine, this is F1 Minute and it’s the 20th February.
Barcelona took the brunt of the wet weather today, with Felipe Massa topping the timesheets just ahead of Mark Webber in the Red Bull. Massa was also the cause of a red flag, spinning off in the morning, along with Timo Glock in the afternoon. McLaren were due to run but decided not to use up any of their limited testing miles in the wet weather.
Over in Valencia, BMW had improved conditions. The track was wet in the morning, but dried up in the afternoon. They carried out a full race simulation, and overall Kubica was slightly faster than Heidfeld.
In other news, the Fuji circuit have announced plans to improve customer satisfaction after complaints in 2007. Transport to and from the circuit is set for an overhaul, whilst fans should benefit from better viewing screens, more accessible walkways, and an increased number of staff.
Two very quick snippets to finish, Trulli has changed his mind and decided Toyota are capable of challenging the top cars next year, whilst Rosberg says his goal is simply to be better than in 2007.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
19-Feb-08: Rosberg is Top at a Wet Barcelona
Today is the 19th February 2008, and this is F1 Minute.
Teams faced a difficult test session in Barcelona today, with adverse weather conditions making things tricky. The track never completely dried up and only Red Bull, Williams, Renault and Toyota decided to run. Alonso pronounced the track too slippery, and Trulli said data comparison was hard when conditions keep changing. Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets, nearly 2 whole seconds faster than team mate Nakajima in second. There were four red flags throughout the day – two spins from Coulthard, one from Piquet, who also stopped on track in the morning.
Over at Valencia, BMW were working on their programme but could not complete everything they had planned. Kubica only completed 6 laps, and Heidfeld stuck to practicing pit stops. No times were issued.
Also today, we have learned a bit more about what Nigel Stepney said to the Italian magistrate regarding the espionage saga last year. He maintains he did not pass the information onto Coughlan, although they were in contact. His lawyer said Stepney is disappointed with Coughlan’s version of events.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
18-Feb-08: Super Aguri Pull Out of Barcelona Test
Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 18th February 2008.
Testing resumes in Barcelona tomorrow, but Super Aguri won’t be joining in. After delaying the launch of their new car to a simple track testing debut this week, they’ve now announced they won’t be taking part in the test at all. The statement released by the team simply said it was due to circumstances beyond their control. Speculation over the teams financial worries has increased now, but Super Aguri did say they intend to fully participate at next week’s test with two cars.
Over the weekend, Bernie Ecclestone spoke to the BBC about his feelings on the new anti-racism campaign from the FIA. He said the whole thing was unnecessary, the incident was a one off and it is nothing to worry about. The FIA have dismissed Ecclestone’s comments, however, and remain steadfast that promoting the campaign is the right thing to do.
And two other quick snippets, Lewis Hamilton has won a Laureaus Award for World Breakthrough of the Year, and Nigel Stepney met with the Italian magistrate today and was said to be “collaborative and thorough”.
That’s all for today, join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.