Renault F1 - Jerez Testing, Day 2

Fernando Alonso, R28-05, 106 laps, 469 km, fastest lap 1:19.907

The ING Renault F1 Team remained in Jerez today to continue with its final test of the 2008 season as Fernando Alonso returned to the cockpit of the R28 for the first time since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite a chilly start to the day, the team made the most of a warm and sunny afternoon to continue with its technical programme and add further miles to the car. Fernando also sampled slick tyres with a car set up to best simulate 2009 settings. Despite a brief interruption to the programme in the morning, the team completed its objectives for the day. The team now looks forward to the final day of work tomorrow when Fernando will again be on driving duty.

Fernando Alonso: “It was a good day and I’m happy to be back in the car. Unfortunately I damaged the car a little bit in the morning and so we lost some running, but the team did a good job to repair the car quickly and I was able to run almost all of the afternoon without any problems. It was nice to run on the slick tyres as they are more grippy, but when you lose the downforce from the car they don’t feel massively different to grooved tyres.”

Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: “It’s good for Fernando to be back in the car and to get some experience on the 2009 tyres. Fernando learnt a lot about the tyres and the engineers learnt a lot from his feedback and setting the car up with him. On the technical side we continued with a similar programme to yesterday, putting mileage on the car and managed to achieve the main objectives for the day.”

01-Dec-08: Hockenheim Reveal Doubt About F1 Future

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Today is the 1st December 2008, and this is F1 Minute.

Hockenheim has become the next circuit to admit they’re struggling for money and will have to rethink their F1 commitment. At the moment, Hockenheim alternates hosting the German Grand Prix with the Nurburgring, and is due to return to the calendar in 2010. However, reports suggest that the track made a loss of over 5 million Euros this year, and says the only way to carry on is with government intervention. With so many well known circuits struggling financially, Bernie Ecclestone is going to have to sit up and take notice, isn’t he? Let me know what you think at F1Minute.com.

Elsewhere this weekend, Brazil was the scene of yet more racing action, as Renault were there for their lastroadshow of the year. More than 100,000 people turned up and enjoyed the demos from Nelson Piquet. Also in Brazil, Barrichello won the charity kart race organised by Felipe Massa. The F1 veteran beat off the likes of Massa, Michael Schumacher, Badoer, Liuzzi and di Grassi.

That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

14-Nov-08: Rumours Surface of Ecclestone’s Split with Wife

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Today is the 14th November 2008, and this is F1 Minute.

A number of UK newspapers are reporting that Bernie Ecclestone’s wife Slavica has moved out of the family home, and the possibility seems to be pretty high that a divorce will follow. Apparently Ms Ecclestone moved out whilst Bernie was at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Whilst what happens in Bernie’s personal life isn’t really any of our business, this could be the UK’s most expensive divorce and it may even affect the ownership of Formula 1.

The Telegraph is reporting that Bernie says his wife moved out due to the noise of building works next door, and he doesn’t know if divorce is on her mind or not. Slavica won’t comment on rumours that she has already spoken to lawyers.

Elsewhere today, there is talk that organisers of the Chinese Grand Prix are considering not extending their contract post 2010, as ticket sales have been poor, sponsors may be pulling out, and of course, costs are only ever going to go up.

That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

Brazilian Grand Prix Debrief - Q+A with Timo Glock

How did the rain at the end of the race affect your strategy?

In the final laps we saw that we had the opportunity to make up some places due to the rain. It started to rain lighty on parts of the circuit with around six laps to go and at that stage everyone was on dry tyres. We took the decision to stay out on dry tyres even though the intensity of the rain was increasing we were sure we could make up positions when the other cars pitted for wet weather tyres and because it was only on the last couple of laps that the wet tyre was superior. We stayed out and I was up to fourth but it was not easy in those conditions in the last laps.

What was it like in wet conditions with dry tyres?

It was not so bad until the final lap when the rain really began to come down very heavily and it was just impossible. It was so difficult to just keep the car on the track because it was very wet and the car was basically undriveable in those conditions. I was sliding everywhere, with absolutely no grip at all.

Were you taking it easy on the final lap?

Absolutely not! It was completely the opposite; the final lap was one of the hardest laps I have done in Formula 1 because there was no grip at all and on dry tyres it was almost impossible to keep the car on track. I was pushing really hard to keep fourth place and if you look at the lap times I was actually faster than Jarno on the final lap and he was the only other car on dry tyres at that stage.

Was it the right decision to stay on dry tyres?

Absolutely no doubt about it. We were running seventh before the rain came and we would have probably finished there if it had been totally dry. Instead we finished sixth so that shows the strategy was the right one.

Did you realise the significance of Lewis Hamilton fighting with you on the final lap?

To be honest I was racing for Toyota and my place which is the correct thing to do. I didn’t even know that Lewis was directly behind me. The team told me that Sebastian Vettel was catching me and they kept me updated on his position but I was concentrating so hard on keeping the car on the track. I didn’t even know that Lewis had overtaken me until after the race. I was passed by three or four cars on the final lap and it was not easy to keep track of what was going on.

This is the end of your first season with Panasonic Toyota Racing, how do you assess the year?

It has been very positive for me. At the start of the season I set myself a target of scoring 20 points and in the end I have finished with 25 and a podium in Budapest, so I am very happy with that. The first few races were a bit difficult as I was adjusting to a new car and a new team but we all worked really hard to improve and we made good progress. Finishing fourth in Canada was a big boost for me and the team but the turning point was Hockenheim, where I was really competitive in the race until the mechanical problem. After that I was fighting high up the grid in pretty much every race and we scored a lot of points. But this is only the first step and next year I want to achieve a lot more, so we are already working hard to make another step.

02-Nov-08: Hamilton Becomes 2008 World Champion

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This is F1 Minute for the 2nd November.

I cannot do that race justice in a minute, but here are the bare facts you need to know about the Brazilian Grand Prix:

• The race start was delayed by ten minutes due to a brief but strong shower of rain. This made tyre decisions crucial, and most chose intermediates.
• Coulthard and Piquet where the only retirees, unfortunately both at the first corner. A sad end for DC.
• Alonso lost places at the start, but made them up again, and he and Vettel became big contenders for podiums. For the majority of the race, Hamilton was running in fifth.
• The rain returned, just a few laps from the end, and everyone pitted again for intermediate tyres.
• Massa had basically led from start to finish and was good to take the chequered flag.
• Vettel overtook Hamilton and knocked him out of a championship winning position, but on the last corner of the last lap of the season, Glock, who was on dry tyres, fell out of contention and allowed Lewis back into 5th.
• Lewis Hamilton is the 2008 World Drivers Champion. Ferrari collect the constructors title.

That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Brazilian Grand Prix report

Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) has been crowned 2008 FIA Formula One drivers’ champion after finishing fifth in a nail-biting season finale played out in Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) won the race and looked set to become champion with Hamilton only regaining the fifth place to win the title within sight of the finishing line.

Massa won by over thirteen seconds from Fernando Alonso (ING Renault F1 Team) with Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) finishing a further three seconds behind. Sebastian Vettel finished fourth ahead of Hamilton whilst Timo Glock (Panasonic Toyota Racing) took sixth. Heikki Kovalainen (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) finished seventh and Jarno Trulli (Panasonic Toyota Racing) took the final championship point with eighth.

The drivers’ championship went in Hamilton’s favour with 98 points to Massa’s 97. Raikkonen was tied on 75 points with Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber F1 Team) but the out-going drivers’ champion takes third position through virtue of more race wins. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro won the constructors’ championship with 172 points to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ 151. The BMW Sauber F1 Team finished third with 135.

Today’s race was an epic conclusion to a thrilling season. Rain fell just before the scheduled start meaning the start was delayed by ten minutes. All drivers started on Bridgestone’s wet tyre, but the rain proved short-lived and drivers were soon making pit stops for Bridgestone’s dry tyres. In the final ten minutes of the race the rain started again leading to a flurry of activity as competitors pitted to return to the wet tyres.

Glock did not make a final stop for wets, opting to remain on the dry tyres, but was unable to keep fourth place and was passed by Vettel and Hamilton a handful of corners before the chequered flag, meaning Hamilton won the championship. The race’s fastest lap, a 1min 13.736secs, was set by Massa using the medium compound on lap 36.

Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres will next be in test action at Barcelona on November 17-19. Two compounds of 2009 specification slick tyres will be available for teams as will one compound of the 2008 specification grooved tyre. The next Grand Prix is scheduled to take place in 21 weeks’ time at Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix on March 27-29.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport says:
“Congratulations to Felipe Massa and Ferrari for a fantastic race win, and congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and McLaren Mercedes for winning the drivers’ championship. This was a superb way to end a great season and not many races have been as exciting as we saw today. Bridgestone celebrated its 200th Grand Prix this year. Ten years ago we celebrated the first drivers’ and constructors’ world championships won with our tyres when Mika Hakkinen and McLaren Mercedes triumphed, so it is an honour to see Lewis Hamilton win the drivers’ title using our tyres today. Lewis has driven with Bridgestone tyres for most of his career, from the early days in karting, through the GP2 Series to Formula One. We also celebrate the eighth constructors’ championship won using our tyres by Ferrari and this is a momentous achievement. This was the first season where we have been the Official Tyre Supplier to Formula One and we offer our thanks to all teams and organisers around the world, the FIA and all of our Bridgestone personnel in Formula One and around the world.”

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
“Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for winning the 2008 drivers’ championship. Congratulations also to Felipe Massa for winning his home Grand Prix and well done to Ferrari for winning the constructors’ championship. We are very appreciative of the fine battles we saw on track today in a very exciting race. The weather was crucial and it made for difficult tyre choices for competitors. Everyone started on the wet tyre then opted for the dry tyres for their second stint. The race pace was very good in the conditions and the rain at the end made it very interesting indeed. Looking back over the season I am very happy with Bridgestone’s participation. We have enabled very close competition throughout the year and there were no tyre defects. Thank you to all Bridgestone staff and all competitors. We now look forward to the 2009 season and a return to Bridgestone slick tyres.”

Toyota - Brazilian Grand Prix - Race Round-Up

Today’s Weather: Shower delayed start for 10 minutes, then drying track before further late shower. Air 24-27°C, track 24-30°C
Constructors’ Championship Points: 56 (5th)
Drivers’ Championship Points: Jarno Trulli 31 (9th) Timo Glock 25 (10th)

Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-07)
Summary: From 10th on the grid he moved up a place on the first lap. Fuelled heavily, he made an early stop just for dry tyres on lap eight. He made up further ground, passing Giancarlo Fisichella for sixth soon after. Showed consistently good pace before making his only fuel stop on lap 36. When the late shower came he stayed out on dry tyres and held fourth but struggled for grip and lost two spots on the last lap.
Race Classification: 6th (+44.368s)
Qualifying Classification: 10th Lap Time: 1m 14.230s (+1.862s in Q3) Grid: 10th

“I was on dry tyres at the end of the race when it was raining quite badly and it was just impossible on the last lap. I was fighting as hard as I could but it was so difficult to just keep the car on the track and I lost positions right at the end of the lap. Finishing in the top six is a decent result for me because I’d been struggling with the car earlier in the weekend but we were very close to fourth place so I am a bit disappointed. It’s the end of my first season with Toyota and I’m happy with it as a whole. It was not easy for me early on but we improved the car a lot and I also improved myself during the year. Since Hockenheim it’s been positive for me; beating my target of 20 points and finishing on the podium as well is a good achievement. Now we have to work even harder for next year to make another step forward.”

Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Made a strong start to hold second place into the first corner. He briefly led but dropped down the order after pitting for dry tyres on lap 11. He gained ground before his second stop on lap 43. Rejoined in ninth, stayed out on dry tyres during the late shower and took a hard-earned point.
Race Classification: 8th (+1m 08.463s)
Qualifying Classification: 2nd Lap Time: 1m 12.737s (+0.369s in Q3) Grid: 2nd

“It was an eventful race. We had a good start and the first laps were pretty good, when I was following Felipe Massa. It started to dry up and we went for dry tyres. Unfortunately I got stuck behind Fisichella who was much slower than me. I didn’t have the top speed to overtake him so I lost a lot of time over those laps. As soon as I got away from him I was one of the quickest on the track, I was recovering quite a lot and closing the gap to the guys in front but it was not enough. When it rained we took the choice to stay on dry tyres and we got a point. Having started second we missed an opportunity but overall we have done a good championship and I am pretty happy with that. Now we are aiming to make even bigger progress for next year. Finally I would like to say that my five years working with Richard Cregan has been fantastic and I wish him all the best with his new career.”

Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
“It’s good to finish the season with both cars in the points even if that was a mixed day for us. Timo drove very well and his strategy paid off in these uncertain conditions. He stayed out on dry tyres at the end but just failed to hold on to fourth place. Clearly we came in with high hopes for Jarno after his excellent qualifying yesterday but the weather didn’t work in his favour. There was a problem at his first pit stop and he lost some time, so that cost him position. He did well to score a point in difficult conditions. Overall it is good to finish a positive season for us with a double points finish. We are happy with the progress we have made but our ambitions are higher than this and we want to make more progress. Now we can head into the winter with confidence that we can take another step in 2009.”

Honda - Brazilian GP: Race

The 2008 Formula One World Championship reached its conclusion this afternoon in Brazil, where the Honda Racing F1 Team’s RA108s came home in 13th and 15th positions. Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button both improved on their 15th and 17th grid positions to give the team its 10th two-car finish of the year.

A thrilling season-finale had everyone guessing before it had even begun, when a rain shower on the grid forced the start to be delayed while the cars switched to wet weather tyres. Both Honda drivers then made good get-aways and managed to steer clear of trouble at the first corner, where David Coulthard ended his final Grand Prix in the barrier and brought out the Safety Car.

The race restarted at the beginning of lap five with Rubens in 11th place and Jenson in 14th. Rubens lost a position to Nick Heidfeld on lap six and on the following lap Jenson became one of the first drivers to pit for dry tyres. Rubens switched to dries on lap nine and the Honda drivers circulated in the midfield for the middle segment of the race.

On lap 33 Jenson made his second pitstop, from which he rejoined in 15th place. Rubens made his second stop on lap 40, emerging just ahead of Jenson. They changed positions at Turn 1 on lap 43 and circulated in formation until Jenson made his third pitstop on lap 56.

Rubens pitted for what should have been the final time on lap 64, just as rain was starting to fall again and Jenson followed a lap later, both cars switching to extreme wets. Just four laps from the end, Rubens was forced to pit again after his tyres completely overheated because they did not suit the conditions, making this a busy day for the pit crew who performed eight faultless pitstops.

JENSON BUTTON

Q. Talk us through your race today and the calls that you made on strategy?
A. “I had a good start to the race, making up three positions out of the first couple of corners, however from there we suffered from being held up in traffic. We made an unusual call on my strategy, pitting early and switching to what would have been a three-stop programme to avoid the traffic situation. When I did have clean air, the car’s performance was actually not bad, however unfortunately the strategy didn’t really work out for us. We then needed to stop again for wet tyres at the end of the race anyway and fitting the extreme wets didn’t pay off for us. This weekend brings a difficult and frustrating season to a close for our team but I am proud of the way in which we have persevered and maintained our motivation right to the last race.”

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

Q. Your home Grand Prix produced an exciting outcome today. How was your race?
A. “It was a crazy race with the weather playing a big role in the result today. It was actually quite a competitive race for us in the context of the car’s performance and I was running just outside the top ten before the final pit stop. When the rain came right at the end of the race, we took a gamble by fitting the extreme wets, thinking that it might pay off if the rain was particularly heavy. That didn’t work out for us and I dropped a few places when I was forced to stop again just three laps later because the tyres completely overheated. We’ve always done our utmost to extract the maximum performance from the car this year and it is a credit to us that this resulted in a podium finish at Silverstone. Thank you to everyone at the team for keeping their heads up during a difficult year.”

ROSS BRAWN, Team Principal

Q. Sum up your final race of the season today?
A. “The sudden shower just prior to the start of the race set the tone for what was always going to be a very exciting race here today. We fitted the standard wet tyres, which was the correct choice by the time we began the race following the delayed start. When the conditions improved, we were amongst the earlier cars to stop for dry tyres and both drivers gained positions because of that. In the ensuing laps, the cars were running together and being held up in traffic so we decided to pit Jenson early and split the remainder of the race, leaving Rubens running to plan. In the end, as the race continued to unfold, this strategy favoured Rubens. With the advancing rain at the end of the race we pitted both cars and fitted the extreme wet tyres. This was a large roll of the dice in anticipation of a potentially torrential downpour which, had it paid off, could have moved us much further up the field. Unfortunately the level of rain did not exceed the limits of the standard wet tyre that everyone else had opted for, however from where we were in the field it was a risk we could afford to take. Today we close the book on a difficult season for our team and look forward to concentrating all our efforts on 2009. Finally, I would like to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on winning the Drivers’ Championship and Ferrari on securing the Constructors’ title. It has been a very exciting season for the sport and today’s race was a fitting finale to a fantastic championship fought with a great spirit.”

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update

Felipe Massa will start from pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix after using Bridgestone’s soft compound tyre to set a time of 1min 12.368secs at Interlagos. He was over three tenths faster than his next quickest rival, Jarno Trulli (Panasonic Toyota Racing), who will join him on the front row .

Kimi Raikkonen was the third fastest and will be joined on the second row by drivers’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes). Heikki Kovalainen (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) was fifth fastest and Fernando Alonso (ING Renault F1 Team) was sixth. Sebastian Vettel (Scuderia Toro Rosso) set the seventh fastest time and Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber F1 Team) was eighth. Sebastien Bourdais (Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Timo Glock (Panasonic Toyota Racing) were the final two drivers to qualify in the top ten.

In the morning practice session Fernando Alonso topped the times with a 1min 12.141secs lap, set using the soft compound. Alonso was over seven hundredths faster than Hamilton, with Kovalainen the third quickest. Times were close, illustrated by the fact that the top seventeen cars were within a second of each other.

Today saw a discernable difference in weather between the morning practice session and afternoon qualifying session, with the afternoon warmer than the morning. Today’s fastest lap time, a 1min 11.768secs, was set by Kovalainen using the soft tyre in Q2. Last year’s pole time was a 1min 11.931secs set by Massa using the super soft compound. Massa also set the day’s fastest lap time in
2007, a 1min 11.810secs, set using the super soft in FP3.

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
“Congratulations to Felipe Massa for a stunning lap to give him pole position in front of a massive Brazilian crowd. This is his third consecutive pole position in Brazil and I’m sure he will be strong in tomorrow’s race. Congratulations also to Jarno Trulli for qualifying on the front row for the first time since 2005. Tomorrow we should have an interesting battle for the championship as Massa is on pole and Hamilton has a very fast McLaren Mercedes, as was illustrated by Kovalainen’s fastest lap in Q2. The circuit surface condition is better than it was yesterday, but we are still seeing graining. The key point in tomorrow’s race will be who manages the graining phase of their tyres the best in order to get a strong result.”

Toyota - Brazilian Grand Prix - Qualifying Round-Up

Today’s Weather: Sunny and warm. Air 21-22°C, track 38-41°C
Best 2008 grid position: 2nd Jarno Trulli (Brazil)
Best 2008 race result: 2nd Timo Glock (Hungary)

Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Made the front row with a stunning drive PROVISIONAL GRID: 2nd
FP3 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 12.457s (+0.316s) Laps: 19
Q1 6th Best Lap Time: 1m 12.226s (+0.396s) Laps: 3
Q2 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 12.107s (+0.339s) Laps: 6
Q3 2nd Best Lap Time: 1m 12.737s (+0.369s) Laps: 6

“Before coming here I knew this was one of those difficult, technical tracks where I could be strong and my car could be very competitive. So I have been preparing and waiting for this grand prix and now here I am. We have been competitive all weekend and I played my cards during qualifying, saving my tyres and getting ready for Q3. In the end I put in a really good lap. It’s ironic because for the first time in my career I thought I might not make it on Friday because I was feeling really ill with flu. So after this result I have to thank the whole team for the job - the mechanics, the engineers and also to the doctor. I am really happy for everyone and this shows the progress we have made this season. Now we hope to finish on a high.”

Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-07)
Summary: Made it safely into Q3 and row five PROVISIONAL GRID: 10th
FP3 13th Best Lap Time: 1m 12.712s (+0.571s) Laps: 22
Q1 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 12.223s (+0.393s) Laps: 9
Q2 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 11.909s (+0.141s) Laps: 9
Q3 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 14.230s (+1.862s) Laps: 6

“We worked hard today to improve the set-up after the problems we had yesterday. In the end we found a decent balance this afternoon. During Q2 I found a good rhythm and the car felt quick. I made it under 1m 12s on my penultimate run but at the end of the session we went out again on a set of options. In hindsight we could have saved those tyres for Q3, which might have helped. The top ten is not bad but we could have achieved slightly more.”

Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
“Clearly we are delighted by the outcome of qualifying. For Jarno things went exactly as expected. We had several indications throughout the weekend that he was very comfortable and quick here. Then he did a very strong performance so congratulations to him. He was caught out by a gust of wind in the second outing in Q2 but the first outing was good enough. For Timo things went even better than expected. He was struggling more with the balance of the car yesterday but today he was able to put everything together when it mattered. The two cars are obviously on different strategies, which considering the unstable weather predicted for tomorrow should put the team in a strong position. The tyre situation is challenging as this circuit is severe for tyres but we feel that we will be able to handle both compounds well. So now we are looking forward very much to an exciting race to finish the season.”

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