Out to Pasture
February 4, 2010 by Christine
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Nick Heidfeld poses at Melbourne Zoo for BMW ahead of the 2009 season. The German has been confirmed as reserve driver at Mercedes GP for 2010, making it an all German outfit based in Brackley. Heidfeld says he is slightly disappointed with not having a race seat for the upcoming season but is determined to make it work with his new team.
Credit: BMW AG
25-Dec-09: Merry Christmas from F1 Minute
December 25, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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It is the 25th December 2009, this is F1 Minute – Merry Christmas.
It has been quite the off season – the news hasn’t stopped, but finally, I think we’re in the clear. F1 Minute is ready to take it’s Christmas break but before we go, it’s time to sum up the year we’ve had.
Including this very show, we’ve completed 299 F1 Minute’s this year. That is 299 minutes of news about races, drivers, ex-drivers, politics, scandals, champions, breakaways, elections, testing, demonstrations, appeals, presidents, and much, much more.
2009 hasn’t been an easy year by any stretch of the imagination – there has been no point where we haven’t thought: “I’d really just like to concentrate on the racing now.” But, it’s been packed with news, both good and bad, and that is what we’re here for. Let’s hope 2010 has more of the same, only with the good outweighing the bad this time.
All that leaves me to say is thank you for listening, commenting and subscribing, happy holidays and I will be back in the new year with more from F1 Minute.
Force India – Tonio Liuzzi Season Review
November 20, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Of course I was really happy when my chance came, because I was dying being a third driver and watching races on TV! I think I’m born for racing, and I was suffering in that position. I got the chance and I think I did the maximum I could, because I had just five races to show my speed. I was pretty hopeful that I would race in 2010, but you know F1 changes a lot, so I had to maximise my five events in 2009.
It was pretty difficult! Fortunately I kept my motivation up, because I was really sure I would be back in the race car one day, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. But it was not easy at all.
Without testing it was pretty difficult, because F1 is quite different from other categories that I did this year, like Speedcar and A1GP. F1 is the cream of motor racing, and apart from the speed of the car you are competing with drivers that are mostly 100% at the top of their game, so it’s pretty challenging. It has been quite difficult, but I’m a fighter, and I think I showed in the races that I never give up. I like this kind of adventure or fight, and I coped with this pretty well, I think.
The most difficult thing was to get used to the driving style of the cars, because when I was driving before it was still grooved tyres, and not slicks. Without traction control with these tyres you require quite a different driving style. You can be more aggressive, you can brake harder, but you have to save the tyres in a different way. So for sure it’s been quite tough.
I think we always had strong races. It was a shame in Monza, because the car was really strong there, and we could have finished between third and fifth, which would have been a really beautiful comeback. It was a shame we broke a driveshaft in the race but that’s part of the game. Sometimes when luck is not with you, you cannot get more. After Luca Badoer went back to Ferrari and the other times a third driver drove nobody could believe that we could be so strong, but in fact it was the opposite thing for me, I was feeling really confident about everything there. I could have been even faster, because I was not 100% myself.
We were pretty unlucky in many respects. Singapore was the only race where we were not actually too quick, but in Brazil and Suzuka we had a really strong pace, but we were unlucky in qualifying. In Japan we broke the gearbox in P3, and when we rebuilt it we had no time to test and the car was sliding on the ground in qualifying. That’s why I was losing 0.5s on the straights. In Brazil I had a big aquaplaning moment when I was pretty strong in the rain, and I was pretty sure I would finish in Q3. But in the races we always had really strong race pace, so I’m pretty happy overall.
It’s been a crazy year, but I think the new rules made the championship so unpredictable. Our car was really strong on circuits with low drag and a lot of high speed corners and long straights. Williams were the opposite, they were good at slow circuits with a lot of downforce, and Toyota were the same. It’s been quite a mixed year. I think it’s been nice also for the show and for the spectators. The only cars that were consistently competitive were Brawn and Red Bull, and even they had different form at different circuits. So it’s been a great year from my point of view. Next year could be different, because I think the usual strong teams like McLaren and Ferrari could be back on top. But I think the new rules such as the ban on refuelling will keep the championship pretty interesting.
Of course – especially in Monza, when we were really competitive. That’s why I’m really happy that we showed our potential there. We showed that when we have a competitive car, we can fight with the big boys. In the past with Toro Rosso I never had such a competitive car, we always had to hope it rained!
I think the team has got a really great structure. When they were Jordan they showed that they could take opportunities, even if they didn’t have the financial positions of the bigger teams. This is the same now – we’ve worked so hard together to make this team grow. The group of people working there are really great – I think there are a lot of great minds. I think they can surprise a lot of people.
2009 Season Review with Hirohide Hamashima, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development
November 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
What were the key factors for Bridgestone in 2009?
We re-introduced slick tyres and this was a significant change in philosophy in the Formula One regulations away from the grooved tyres of the previous eleven seasons. The aerodynamic regulation changes meant that teams had to work hard to develop and refine their cars though the season, and this was made harder with there being no testing. We worked very closely with all of the teams to help them to achieve their goals in this intense competition.
This season we also responded to requests to make a bigger difference between the two different compounds that the regulations stipulate we bring to races. We achieved this with the concept of different temperature working ranges for our tyre allocations and this added another element of challenge for competitors at races.
Which were the most significant factors for the sport this season?
I think that the changes in regulations combined with no testing provided the biggest challenge. Previously there would be test days all through the season and teams would be able to develop their cars and test parts with the luxury of time and mileage. This year’s change meant that we saw a variety of competitors at the front of the field, and some incredible developments to the cars over the season despite these limiting factors.
Bridgestone used slick tyres in its first season of Formula One – how much tyre development has there been in the intervening eleven years?
We have learnt a lot from our participation in Formula One. The eleven seasons with grooved tyres were very good for our development. A grooved tyre is not a natural racing tyre so making it perform like one was a big challenge. The return to slicks meant we could apply the technology and lessons learnt to the ultimate racing tyre that is a slick.
Next season there will be a smaller front tyre, tell us about this.
For 2010 we will have a narrower front tyre. This will help to bring a better grip balance between the front and the rear grip of the cars. When we changed back to slick tyres the grooved tyre size was retained, meaning that the front gained proportionally more grip than the rear. This is addressed by making the front tyre narrower.
Also next year, there will be no refuelling – how much of an impact does this have for Bridgestone?
The cars will be around 100kg heavier at the start of a race so the tyre needs to be stronger. However, when you consider that the downforce acting on a car can be as much as 2000kg an extra 100kg is not so much of a change for us in terms of our tyre compounds and construction.
For competitors the omission of refuelling will add another challenge and I expect we will see an evolution of race strategies through the season as everyone begins to understand what works best. Drivers will have to use their tyre management skills at the beginning of the race, especially at the start, when the cars are heaviest and the tyres at their coolest.
There is the new destination of Korea on the provisional calendar for next year – are you looking forward to racing at another new location?
We have welcomed many new circuits to Formula One over the past few seasons and it is always interesting to embrace new challenges. Korea will be a new circuit on the calendar and we are also due to return to Montreal which can provide its very own challenges. Nineteen races will mean that we are very busy through the year!
Brawn GP Thanks Brackley
November 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Brawn GP would like to thank the hundreds of people who gathered outside Brackley Town Hall on Monday to celebrate the team’s achievement of the 2009 FIA Formula One Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships. Particular thanks go to the teachers and pupils of the local schools who turned out to applaud the team at their homecoming event.
The event, co-ordinated by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd in partnership with the Mayor of Brackley, Northamptonshire County Council and South Northants Council, saw a parade of Brawn GP employees through the town in open top buses and culminated with a civic ceremony in the market square. The buses were preceded by a Mercedes-Benz convertible with Team Principal Ross Brawn and CEO Nick Fry on-board.
Talking on-stage few minutes later, a very emotional Ross said: “Its fair to say that Ive had some very special days in my career in motor racing and this is in the top of the list. 2009 has been an incredible year for Brawn GP and to win both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships after all the difficult times that we went through over the winter is a testament to the team’s commitment and talent. With the Formula One season now having reached its conclusion, we were delighted to be able to return to Brackley and celebrate with the people of Northamptonshire. On behalf of Brawn GP, I would like to thank Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, the Mayor of Brackley, Northamptonshire County Council and South Northants Council for this opportunity and a fantastic event.”
2009 Season Review with Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport
November 10, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
How would you evaluate the 2009 season from Bridgestone’s perspective?
The 2009 season took place in very difficult economic circumstances but within the sport of Formula One we saw fantastic competition. It was great to see so many race winners and such close racing from the cars on track, despite all of the changes. We continued to provide fair service to all of the teams who this year had new challenges with many rule changes.
The return to slick tyres was met with a positive response from the teams and the many millions of fans around the world so this was very good for us. The story of Brawn Grand Prix and Jenson Button winning the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship titles was also remarkable and it was a great pleasure to be a part of it.
What does Bridgestone gain from its Formula One involvement?
Formula One is a highly visible marketing tool, not just for our brand but also for initiatives like the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign, for which we carry the green bands on the tyres at all events.
As well as our brand name featuring on all of our tyres at races there is also circuit branding which gains significant exposure. Through working with many of the world’s top motor manufacturers we have learnt many good lessons and established very good working relationships with them. For our sales companies around the world our involvement in Formula One gives them unique and valuable access to many top sporting events.
How important has Formula One been for Bridgestone?
Formula One has been crucial to us building the Bridgestone brand around the world. In Japan, the name Bridgestone has been famous for most of our company’s history however we needed something that would showcase our performance and technology around the world. Formula One achieves this perfectly as it is one of the world’s top sports and the only one where our products can be used as part of the sporting activity. We have developed many good business relationships in Formula One and we have worked very closely with the teams, the FIA, FOM, the circuits and it has been a pleasure to work with them this season. We also thank our staff for their hard work this year.
How will Bridgestone approach the 2010 season?
Next season will be our fourteenth season in Formula One. We will continue to deliver safe tyres to Formula One in a professional manner. Safety is always a priority for us and we will continue to promote environmental matters through the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.
It should be an interesting season as there will be no refuelling, which means that our tyres will change and we will also introduce a narrower front tyre too. There are 19 races scheduled with the return to Canada and a visit to Korea for the first time. We also look forward to welcoming new teams to this fabulous sport.
Williams – 2009 Season Review with Technical Director, Sam Michael
November 9, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Q: Thinking about 2009, what are your overall thoughts about the team’s season?
SM: 2009 was a good step forward from where we’ve been in previous seasons, particularly from an aerodynamic perspective and in terms of consistency of the car across different tracks. It was a very competitive season this year with only a second covering the field at some races, so it was also satisfying when we were getting an extra one or two tenths out the car at those tracks. Overall, this year was a good step forward, but we didn’t end it where we wanted to be.
Q: What were the highs and lows?
SM: I think the high points in terms of performance were when Nico was leading in Malaysia before the rain came and then Singapore before the white line incident. The car’s much stronger performance at Silverstone also upped our credibility as well.
Q: And how do you feel Nico and Kazuki performed?
SM: Nico’s done a great job for the team and scored all of our points this year. He’s come a long way as a driver since he joined us four years ago and we wish him all the best. Kazuki certainly improved as a driver this year and did a lot of work setting up the car over race weekends. If anything, he drove better this year than last. In 2008 he was scoring points, but in a car that wasn’t as competitive. The difference was that this year the field was so tight and therefore the grid so penalising. If you were a couple of tenths off, you just didn’t cut it.
Q: The team’s three year partnership with Toyota has come to an end with the move to Cosworth. How were Toyota as an engine partner?
SM: Our relationship with Toyota was excellent. They did some great development work for us and they always went the extra mile. We have only good memories of our time with them. It’s a loss for the sport that they have withdrawn, and we wish all the staff at Cologne well for the future.
Q: There were significant changes to the regulations for 2009 with the express purpose of improving the racing. Do you think they worked?
SM: I think that clearly the changes made the cars easier to follow, however, there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. One of the things that wasn’t addressed in the 2009 rule changes was circuit design. If you look at tracks like Barcelona where no one overtakes and take exactly the same cars to tracks like Monza, Hockenheim etc, there’s plenty of overtaking. The difference iscircuit layout. Organisers need to look closer at creating slower speed corners which feed onto straights and at removing chicanes. If you look at somewhere like Abu Dhabi, there are some good aspects to the circuit, but there are fundamental mistakes. There wasn’t good enough racing there and the organisers need to rectify that before next year. You can’t keep blaming car design. The FIA are looking into this now and will hopefully solve the problem.
Q: Can you take us through the regulation changes for next season?
SM: There will be three main changes: narrower front tyres, no refuelling and a ban on wheel farings. Narrower front tyres will shift weight distribution rearwards slightly, which will affect the aerodynamics and set-up of the car because of where the tyres position the wake. With no refuelling permitted, all the fuel will have to be carried at the start of the race, so the driver will have to manage brakes and tyres more effectively than they’ve ever done. A ban on wheel farings should also improve the wake behind the car, so drivers can get closer to each other. That should help to improve overtaking opportunities.
Q: Looking ahead to 2010, it’s all change at Williams, firstly with a completely new driver pairing. Can you explain the choice of Barrichello and Hulkenberg?
SM: We chose Rubens because he is a multiple Grand Prix winner and has a huge amount of experience; he also still has a huge amount of enthusiasm to win races. He’s quick and is the complete package. We’re combining Rubens with Nico Hulkenberg, a rookie, but one who’s won everything he’s competed in since he started karting. Nico has great potential for the future. Combining youth with experience, we have what we wanted.
Q: What can each bring to the team and what are your expectations for them?
SM: We expect both of them to deliver at the level of the car and beyond. Rubens is already having a motivating effect and we expect him to keep bringing that to everyone at Grove. Nico has worked on the factory floor all year, so everyone knows him and is behind him. We want them both to drive the factory towards wins. Unless you’ve worked with a race winner, you don’t know where that level is and that is something that Rubens will bring us which we anticipate will have a great effect on the team.
Q: The team is switching to Cosworth engines next year. Will they be able to compete against the likes of the Mercedes and Ferraris?
SM: Cosworth have a lot of work to do over the winter on the dynos, particularly on fuel consumption but, in terms of performance and reliability, it will be difficult to judge how competitive they are until we get out on track. They are an engineering-led company, they’re pushing hard and what we’ve seen so far is encouraging.
Q: How is winter development of the FW32 going?
SM: It’s going really well. It’s a big aero race over the winter to see how much downforce you can add and drag you can take off. It’s also a matter of optimising all the different design parts and mechanical development as well. Both are areas of intense activity at the moment and we’re making good progress, but there’s still a lot to do.
Q: When will the FW32 make its track debut?
SM: In the first week of February with the four, single car tests ahead of Bahrain.
Q: There is a young driver test coming up in December, who will the team have in the cockpit?
SM: We will be running Andy Soucek on day one as part of his prize for winning the F2 Championhip and then Nico Hulkenberg will take over for the remaining two days.
Q: What are the team’s ultimate objectives for 2010 and how will we achieve them?
SM: Our objective is to push everything to a much higher level from the solid base that we had with the FW31; from our drivers to the engines, chassis and trackside performance. Everyone in the factory is up for that and we want it to be a year about moving to the next level. We need to re-establish ourselves as one of the top teams and 2010 is our best opportunity to do that.
Season’s 1st
October 20, 2009 by Christine
Filed under F1 Big Picture
This week we are telling the story of Jenson Button’s in 2009, from its humblest beginnings to the championship winning weekend. Jenson Button celebrates the first race of the season, his first victory with Brawn, and the team’s first podium. Barrichello made it a Brawn 1-2, as well.
Credit: Brawn GP
Statement of BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen on the current situation
August 6, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
“Since the announcement on 29 July of our strategic realignment, we have done everything in our power to reach a rapid agreement on the sale of the team based at Hinwil. Regrettably, despite every effort, this has proved unsuccessful. The tight timeframe we faced simply did not allow us and the interested parties and investors enough time to find a solution for such a complex transaction. This means the team cannot sign the Concorde Agreement at present. The aim now is, over the coming weeks, to find a solution together with potential interested parties and Peter Sauber. Beyond that, we will see the 2009 season through to its conclusion with our unstinting sporting commitment.”
It’s the Same for Everybody
July 15, 2009 by Christine
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Nico Rosberg during the British Grand Prix weekend. Sam Michael has stated today that the reason Williams are enjoying increased consistency this year is because of the new regulations – he must be one of the only people to be in favour of them!
Credit: Bridgestone Corporation
