15-Dec-08: Algarve and Jerez Tests Kick Off
This is F1 Minute and it’s the 15th December 2008.
There were two tests going on today, with McLaren and Ferrari at the new Algarve track, and Red Bull, BMW and Williams all still at Jerez. The Portuguese track was very picturesque but suffered from high speed winds, and Massa only managed 36 laps before calling it a day as he felt ill. Gary Paffett managed to complete double the distance and was a second faster than the Ferrari.
At Jerez, Buemi continued to lead the way as he did last week, only this time he was on duty in the Red Bull. He finished ahead of Heidfeld in the BMW and Brendon Hartley, also in a Red Bull, who’s hoping to get his superlicence asap. Nico Hulkenberg in the Williams completed 100 laps but finished the day last of five drivers.
Finally, this weekend, Renault boss Flavio Briatore let slip that he will walk away from Formula 1 in 2010, after being asked if he wanted to join home-team Ferrari. He said he wouldn’t be in the sport long enough.
That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
Quotes Roundup - Week Ending 9th Nov
November 9, 2008 by Christine
Filed under Weekly Quotes
The very best from the mouths of those in the know.
Reactions to the Brazilian Grand Prix
On the closest Formula 1 championship finish…
- “In all my years in Formula One, I haven’t seen such an incredibly exciting finish to a championship. I always said that we’d be fighting until the last corner of the last Grand Prix and that’s exactly what happened at the end of a brilliantly tense competition.” Luca di Montezemolo
- “He is great. Lewis went out there to win the title and he has won it. I believe the finale was amazing - but congratulations to Lewis. It was fantastic for the sport. It was fantastic for the television and an amazing finish.” Flavio Briatore
- “Both Felipe and Lewis are fantastic drivers to be honest. They have done the sport a credit, both of them, with their approach and their attitude. It is a shame that one of them had to lose as both did a great job.” Ross Brawn
Renault’s Driver Announcement
On the re-signing of Alonso and Piquet…
- “I have decided to stay with the ING Renault F1 team because, as I have often repeated this season, they have always been my first choice and I feel very happy and comfortable with them. It’s a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly.” Fernando Alonso
- “Although I have had a tough year, I have learned a lot from my rookie season and I will aim to put that experience to good use next season. I want to thank the team for their support this year and for the trust they have shown in me for the future.” Nelson Piquet Jr
- “This gives the ING Renault F1 Team one of the most exciting driver pairings with the perfect blend of youth and experience.” Flavio Briatore
Team Principals and Future Plans
On 2009 and beyond…
- “For me the reference point is BMW and the job they have done, it is pretty impressive. They have still to continue their climb but I think if we as a team achieve the competitiveness BMW manage to we will be quite pleased.” Ross Brawn
- “We have come a long way this season, but we need more and that requires some radical reorganisation of the management structure to ensure the maximum productivity. I would like to thank Colin Kolles for his tireless efforts in keeping such a small team alive and to Mike Gascoyne for bringing his wealth of technical expertise. Both have played an instrumental part in making the team what it is today.” Vijay Mallya
- “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 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.” Mario Theissen
The ING Renault F1 Team confirms its 2009 driver line-up
November 5, 2008 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
The ING Renault F1 Team is pleased to announce that it will field an unchanged line-up next season
with Fernando Alonso signing a two year extension for 2009 and 2010, and Nelson Piquet confirmed
for a further season.
“We are happy to confirm both Fernando and Nelson for next season,” commented Managing Director, Flavio Briatore. “This gives the ING Renault F1 Team one of the most exciting driver pairings with the perfect blend of youth and experience. Fernando’s commitment for the next two seasons confirms the faith he has in the team and we are delighted to continue working with him. He has been a big asset throughout this difficult season and his leadership and talent, matched with the team’s hard work and determination, have paid off with our recent performances, which have placed the ING Renault F1 Team back among the top competitors of Formula 1.”
Fernando Alonso commented: “I have decided to stay with the ING Renault F1 team because, as I have often repeated this season, they have always been my first choice and I feel very happy and comfortable with them. It’s a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly.”
“After a difficult start to the season, we have overcome our difficulties and constantly improved our
performances,” continued Fernando. “My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan, and my recent second place podium finish in Brazil, have proved how competitive we can be. In the past we have won championships together, as well as going through tough moments, but we are now determined to show that we can repeat that success together in the coming seasons.”
Nelson Piquet added: “Obviously I am delighted to have the opportunity to race for the ING Renault F1 Team for a second year. Although I have had a tough year, I have learned a lot from my rookie season and I will aim to put that experience to good use next season. I want to thank the team for their support this year and for the trust they have shown in me for the future. I’m already excited about 2009 and looking forward to working with the team over the winter so that we can start next season strongly.”
02-Oct-08: Williams Confirm Nakajima for 2009
Welcome to F1 Minute for the 2nd October 2008.
Williams have confirmed their driver lineup for next season and it remains unchanged. We already knew that Rosberg would be driving for them in 2009, but now Nakajima has been signed up for next year as well. Frank Williams believes it is good to be consistent with the two drivers, plus Nico Hulkenberg as tester, and says: “Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport. Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well.”
Also today, Flavio Briatore has apparently said he will be taking a different role at Renault next year, and bringing a team director on board to run the day-to-day business. Briatore has said he already has someone in mind.
Finally, Red Bull believe they have found what caused Webber’s gearbox to malfunction in Singapore. They’ve narrowed it down to an electrical surge from the tramlines on the street circuit. What are the chances?
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
10-Aug-08: Williams Talks of Illegal Engine Development
Welcome to F1 Minute for the 10th August 2008.
Just recently, there has been an eruption in the speculation that some teams may be getting round the engine homologation rules and making gains in that particular area above and beyond their rivals. Renault boss Flavio Briatore caused a stir when he said that they were sticking to the rules to the letter, explaining why they had fallen behind others in terms of speed.
Everyone denies it, of course, but Frank Williams has spoken up, saying that he believes there may have been engine developments by the manufacturer teams, but he doesn’t believe they are deliberately trying to flout the regulations. He quoted an anecdote he heard that a Red Bull driver swapped from the Renault powered car to the Ferrari powered Toro Rosso and was amazed at the difference in speed. The best quote from Mr Williams, however, is this: “No one is cheating, but some people are better at bending the rules and knowing where to stop bending, than people who would never dream of even trying to squeeze something.”
That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
29-Jul-08: F1 Teams Come Together to Work on Concorde Agreement
It’s the 29th July 2008, and this is F1 Minute.
Representatives of each of the F1 teams, plus Bernie Ecclestone and a colleague from CVC got together in Italy today to discuss the future of the sport. The meeting took place at the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, and a spokesperson for Ferrari called it “extremely productive.” The most notable outcome for now, is that the teams are going to set up a new group called the Formula One Teams Association to try and sort out the Concorde Agreement with the FIA and FOM. Let’s hope they can achieve something.
The teams agreed on this new group unanimously, which should please Flavio Briatore as he has been reported as saying that things in F1 really need to change. His list of complaints include the fact that they need to have a majority rule, they need a single Director of Operations to represent all the teams, and he would like to see Max Mosley concentrating on his job instead of his personal life. Wouldn’t we all?
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
11-Mar-08: Patrick Head Suggests Reverse Grids
Today is the 11th March 2008, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
Co-owner of Williams, Patrick Head has ruffled feathers today by speculating on what can be done to F1 to make it more exciting. He is suggesting that reversing the grid will promote overtaking and encourage different strategies. Head says the FIA have to be a little bit more adventurous with their plans for mixing things up, although he does admit that his ideas will upset F1 purists.
Ron Dennis has apparently told his staff at the Technology Centre that he will not be quitting his role as head of the team. Speculation has been circulating but just before jetting off to Melbourne Dennis assured his staff that he won’t be stepping down. In the last few days, though, he has been quoted as saying he’ll decide when it’s time to quit, and there are other things he wants to do in life besides F1.
In other McLaren news, Flavio Briatore has had a dig at Lewis Hamilton, saying he wasn’t much of a team player in 2007 and his feud with Alonso is the main reason McLaren lost the championship.
That’s all for today, 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.
31-Jan-08: Renault’s R28 Launches in Paris
Today is the 31st January and here is your F1 Minute.
Renault launched their new R28 in Paris today, although there are no radical changes to the car, it’s paint job or it’s sponsors. Team boss Flavio Briatore spoke about his aims for the year and said that getting back onto the podium needs to be job one. He said 2007 was a disaster and they must do better. Of the driver line-up, Briatore was most complementary saying it was motivating to have Alonso back on board, and Piquet is a promising young talent. He said he is often asked of the chances of a French driver being on the team, but he feels that’s a job for the future.
Alonso himself said he feels Renault are about a second behind their rivals for the top spots, that there is no possibility to fight McLaren and Ferrari for race wins – yet. Alonso said he didn’t regret leaving Renault because of the poor performance they had last year, whilst he was enjoying another crack at the title, but he’s happy to be back. He wants to work with the team to get them back to a competitive position.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
23-Jan-08: Kovalainen on Top in Valencia
Today is the 23rd January 2008, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
Kovalainen has put McLaren at the top of the testing timesheets in Valencia. The two Ferrari’s were sandwiched between the McLarens, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth. Williams continued their strong showing and Red Bull showed an improvement in pace, although Mark Webber was the cause of two red flags during the day. Felipe Massa also caused a red flag in the morning. Rubens Barrichello was driving the new Honda RA108, but unfortunately finished at the bottom of the timesheets.
In other news, Flavio Briatore has been speaking about the welcome return of Alonso to the Renault garage. He said that the Spaniard is stronger and more motivated after the difficult season he had with McLaren. He was also quick to point out that the double world champion won’t find the same troubles with rookie driver Nelsinho Piquet. Quote: “I won’t be the new Ron Dennis. I know how to manage the team and I don’t want any dispute. Each person directs the team in their own way but I can guarantee that there will be no problems this season.”
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.