24-Nov-09: Force India and BMW Sign Up Young Testers

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It’s the 24th November 2009 and this is F1 Minute.

We have some more teams signing up young drivers for the upcoming test. Firstly, Force India have confirmed they’ll be running DTM driver Paul di Resta, and Indy Lights champ JR Hildebrand. di Resta is popular within Mercedes and finished third in the DTM series this year. He has previously tested for McLaren, and is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Force India. Hildebrand has less idea what he is getting into but says: “I’m ecstatic to get my first taste of F1. I’ve heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I’ve ever sat in before.”

Meanwhile, BMW have confirmed they’ll run Alexander Rossi and Esteban Gutierrez, despite not having an entry next year. Mario Theissen says the pair were promised the test after winning Formula BMW championships, and depriving them of it was not an option.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

23-Nov-09: Mercedes Confirm Rosberg for 2010

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This is F1 Minute and it’s the 23rd November 2009.

Mercedes GP confirmed today that Nico Rosberg would be one half of their 2010 lineup. Rosberg joins the team after four seasons at Williams, and he says: “I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn.” For his part, Mr Brawn says: “2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula 1 to date and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year.”

Meanwhile, Mario Theissen has admitted they are no clearer on the future of the ex-BMW team. He said: “The situation has not changed. The team still does not have a grid slot. We expect to get one, but it is not done yet.”

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

03-Nov-09: Theissen Weighs Up His Options

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Welcome to F1 Minute, it’s the 3rd November 2009.

BMW boss Mario Theissen has said that he’s keeping his options open for the future. He said: “I certainly have the option to stay with BMW with the other racing programmes. But I deliberately pushed the decision out of my way until the final race, so I will decide in the coming weeks. But the top priority is to get a place on the grid for the team, and even after that I will think about my own future.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull have a decision to make over who their engine supplier will be for next year. It looked like they might want to change, as they were a high profile team struggling with engine reliability, but now Autosport reports that they will likely be staying with Renault. Christian Horner said: “Since Monza, Renault have remarkably raised their game and done everything they could for us to have such a strong finish of the year. Renault has fuel-efficient engines which will be very important in 2010.”

That’s all for now, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

Without a Shadow of Doubt

Mario Theissen on the pitwall for BMW. Theissen admitted today that getting the team on the grid for 2010 is his main priority, and only after that will he address his own future. He has options with BMW in other racing series, but has made no decisions as yet.

Credit: BMW AG

FIA – Abu Dhabi Conference 2

FRIDAY PRESS CONFERENCE – October 30, 2009

TEAM PRINCIPALS:
Bob BELL (Renault),
Ross BRAWN (Brawn GP),
Christian HORNER (Red Bull),
Mario THEISSEN (BMW Sauber)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: A question to you all. Please give us a comment about the circuit, the facilities, the importance about being here in Abu Dhabi and how you felt it has been for you.
Bob BELL: As everyone I sure would agree it is an absolutely fantastic facility and it is a wonderful opportunity for the teams to showcase themselves at a facility like this. We have been well and truly looked after and hosted well. That side of it is all fantastic too. I think it is great for the sport to be on show and operating at new locations throughout the world. I think the teams have settled in. We have not had the greatest of days but overall I think that was down to us, nothing to do with the circuit in particular. I think overall it is a great thing to be here.
Mario THEISSEN: It is a magnificent place, outstanding facilities. I cannot image that this will be topped anywhere else in the world. Very good working conditions for the teams. An interesting track, especially the pit lane exit, which is very special. We feel very well here. I think it is really great and I hope for a good weekend, for a full house and this can establish as the signature event in the coming years.
Christian HORNER: I think it is unbelievable really. The bar has been raised by the introduction of several venues, Singapore included, then we come here and Bernie (Ecclestone) has been winding us up for the past 18 months saying ‘wait until we get to Abu Dhabi.’ I mean it is just unbelievable what the country has done to build a venue such as this. It is quite mind blowing really and the circuit looks a quality circuit as well, not just a pretty background. The drivers seem to be enjoying it. We have been fantastically well looked after. It reminds me a lot of Silverstone.
Ross BRAWN: Just a stunning facility. I think it is a massive credit to the people here and to Bernie. I know we give Bernie a hard time sometimes but he still creates races and encourages people to build facilities like this. It is a stunning facility. It is a very interesting track, quite interesting combinations, quite challenging from a racing perspective. The pit lane is controversial but sometimes I think we are getting a bit sanitized in Formula One, so a bit of extra challenge for the drivers is not necessarily such a bad thing. I think it is just fantastic.

Q: What has been the reaction from the drivers, particularly the change in light if there was any reaction at all? Are there any other concerns that the drivers have mentioned? What do they think of the grip level?
BB: Our drivers have not commented on the lighting. I spoke to Fernando (Alonso) about it and he was quite happy with it. He was quite comfortable. The grip level, I think, he felt was better than perhaps we came here expecting and the circuit did improve but it wasn’t as bad as we imagined it to be. Overall on those two points very good.

Q: Can we include in that the pit lane exit? Were there concerns there?
BB: Well, it obviously raised some eyebrows to start with but we all seem to have got used to it and certainly our drivers have not raised any issues.
MT: Nick (Heidfeld) was very positive about the track right away. Robert wasn’t so sure initially. The pit lane is really difficult, well, the track generally was quite dusty in the morning and during the day and we could see even until the end of the FP2 the times got quicker and quicker. Especially in the pit lane it was apparently even dustier, so they had to be careful there. But other than that only positive comments.
CH: I think both drivers have really enjoyed the circuit. The tyres look a bit conservative and took a while to warm up and come in here. I think the only concerns our guys have raised is how quick these guys (Brawn) are in sector two.
RB: Take the wing off and you will be quick in sector two.
CH: Yeah.
RB: The lighting, no comment from our drivers. It is interesting that the lighting is a long way away from the circuit and it doesn’t seem to be casting any distracting shadows, so the lighting seems very good. They are enjoying the circuit. I think like any new circuit there will be some gentle evolution as the drivers get used to it and no doubt next year there will be a few modifications but nothing major is needed as far as we could see. They are enjoying it a great deal and I think it will be a great racing circuit. The slow entry onto the main straight and the slow exit may give a chance to overtake, so it is going to be quite hard on brakes. That will be a factor in the race and you saw a lot of teams they had problems with the graining of tyres but the track will improve tomorrow and that may not be an issue by Sunday. But as Christian said the tyres are perhaps a little bit conservative and as a result they are graining a little bit but no major issues.

Q: Bob, how is the team working forward to 2010? Are you expecting to remain Team Principal? Some people might suggest it is a rudderless ship in that there isn’t a Team Principal or there is a temporary Team Principal.
BB: We are all focussed on 2010. We do not hold any expectations about 2009 and we are making good progress. The team has picked itself up and is moving on very positively with the support particularly of Renault and all our partners and indeed some new ones as witnessed this weekend which is both good for the team and good for the sport. We are all moving ahead very positively. As for me I am happy to see the team through the next few months. That is my prime concern. There are some big issues we need to get in place and resolve before we go racing next year and that is my clear focus. Beyond that if Renault feel the most appropriate thing is for someone else to take over the helm I don’t have an issue with that and won’t stand in their way and equally if that decision came my way that is something I would have to consider in due course. But right now I am not being distracted by it. It is important that we get to the end of the year in good shape.

Q: Mario, can you update us on the future of BMW Sauber or Sauber as it will be?
MT: Well, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. I think we are making progress but the crucial issue still is the place on the grid. That’s all I can say, so there is no decision right now.

Q: Do you have a time frame when you can expect a decision?
MT: We don’t have a clear deadline but it is clear that time is running and it gets more and more difficult for the team as obviously you can only sign drivers and sponsors when you have a place on the grid.

Q: Is Robert’s problem in the last session going to require a ninth engine?
MT: Well, it has been an engine failure and it is related to our decision some events ago not to pick up a ninth engine for Robert. What we are trying to do is cover the final four race events with one engine, so Robert’s race engine for Sunday has had three races already. The consequence is that especially on this final Friday we had to use an engine with way in excess of 2000kms, so we were aware of the risk. I just had hoped it would blow up in the final lap of the session.

Q: So in fact you have got another engine which you will be using for the rest of the weekend which is still within the eight?
MT: Yes.

Q: Christian, how are you getting on with Sebastian’s (Vettel) engine plan?
CH: We are looking okay now. We got critical after a failure in Valencia. That plus us under quite a bit of pressure but I have to say Renault have supported us brilliantly and managed the mileage and exceeded the mileage with their target kilometres significantly. I think we were one of the highest mileage teams today. Sebastian has a race engine I think he last used in Japan for the race tomorrow, so there is absolutely no risk in terms of us using a ninth engine. Even if that engine failed we have another engine we could utilise. With the help of Renault we have managed to manage the situation.

Q: You’re definitely not going to win the World Championship for drivers and you are definitely going to finish second in the Constructors’. Is there a feeling of disappointment or is there great optimism and enjoyment of finishing in those positions?
CH: I think you have to reflect on the year and you have to reflect where the team has come from as well. This year has presented a significant step for the team. We have emerged as race winners and we were title contenders with both drivers throughout the bulk of the championship. A championship is, obviously this year, over 17 races and hats off to Jenson (Button) and the Brawn team. They quite simply did a stronger job over the duration. They stole a march on us earlier in the year, had great reliability. They dropped three points’ scores to our 12, but when you reflect on the second half of the season I don’t think there is anybody that has scored more points. For the team it has been a huge step and I am extremely proud of what all the guys in Milton Keynes have managed to achieve and we have got good foundations. We have been well supported by Renault as you don’t win races and achieve the kind of results we have had without great support from your engine supplier. There are a lot of lessons that have been learnt for this year and a lot we will take forward into 2010 and with continuity and reasonable stability in the regulations we think we can really build on what we have achieved this year and hopefully take the next step.

Q: Ross, obviously you did take lots of steps this season. What is the atmosphere like in the team back at the factory and here as well since Brazil?
RB: Obviously euphoria at what we have managed to achieve. Firstly, I would like to say the championship has been fought in a great spirit. I know sometimes the media likes grief or needle in the championship but I must say this championship has been notable for the spirit in which it has been fought. Good battles, good spirit within the teams and for me obviously with the results that we had a great championship to be proud of. It probably wasn’t until I got back to the factory that I appreciated how much it had meant to a lot of our people because they have been there a long time and not had any success and the team had won one race up until this year. We have still got people there from the very beginning of this version of the team as the team goes back as far as Tyrrell. It is a long-standing team but guys did come up and say we have worked a very long time for this and it was special to go back and share the pleasure of the championships with a lot of the people there who had been working hard for so long. They never gave up. We had such a difficult winter with no clear vision of where the team was going and the guys still worked enormous hours, made enormous commitments, worked their weekends and did everything that was needed not even knowing if they were going to go past February, so it has been very special in many ways and for me quite exceptional because of the contrast of where we were over the winter and where we are now. I must say in those circumstances I think Mario to a fair degree is seeing it now. Formula One does come together when teams are in difficulty. We had a lot of support from everyone during that period. We have our fierce competition, but I am glad to say Formula One still sticks together to help each other when teams are in difficulty.

Q: There has been quite a lot of focus on your drivers for 2010. Is there anything more you can tell us? Have you got closer to working things out with Jenson?
RB: No, we agreed that we would get through the championship. We agreed that nothing would happen for a few weeks after the championship, so the next two weeks will be pretty busy.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Ross, just on that. You mentioned in a radio interview on Sunday that you were 99 per cent certain that Jenson would re-sign for the team. Jenson remarked yesterday that he would not want to put any kind of percentage on it. What makes you so certain that you will actually re-sign him at the end of the day?
RB: I see the way Jenson works with the team and I see the way we work with him. I think we have given him the equipment this year to show what he can do and he knows our plans for the future. We have got another little matter that we have got to sort out, but I am sure we will find a resolution to that, so that’s why I am reasonably confident. Of course I want to keep Jenson in the team, so we are working hard to find the solution to keep Jenson in the team. He has done a fantastic job this year and I think he will be even stronger in the future with this championship behind him.

Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Mario Theissen answered this question in a press conference earlier this weekend, so can I ask the other three gentlemen to give a brief assessment of the direction you would like to see Formula One take now that Jean Todt is the president of the FIA?
BB: I think that one of the things that Formula One needs desperately is good strong leadership and direction. I’m not necessarily suggesting that we didn’t see that in the previous regime – we did, but perhaps it wasn’t always in the direction that we agreed with, but I think the thing we would want most from Jean is clear direction, positive dialogue with the teams, to ensure the direction that we take is in the best interests of the whole of Formula One and is sensibly balanced to meet the needs of the teams that are supported by manufacturers, the manufacturers’ requirements, all the stakeholders, the public, the sponsors, the circuits. There’s a lot of diverse requirements in Formula One and I think the FIA has a role to play in showing strong leadership that marshals all of those needs and does its utmost to ensure that they are all satisfied and I hope that’s what he brings to it and I have to hope that he will. His governance of Ferrari was obviously exceptional and if he can apply the same to Formula One in general then I think we will be in reasonably good shape for the future.
CH: I think I agree with Bob to be honest. I think that the really reassuring fact is that Jean has sat here, he’s had the problems that we face in running a team, so he can relate to the issues that we face in Formula One as he can in World Rally, as he can in sports cars, so his experience of motor sport is quite unique, he’s proved to be a phenomenal manager and achieve great success in his competitive career. He now steps into a different role and one where he’s responsible for fair play, for stability within the rules, for reducing costs, for improving safety and I think he’s a great candidate. I think there’s a real opportunity for the Formula One teams to work closely with Jean and his team, whomever he appoints to really focus on those aspects. Hopefully we can see a renewed close collaboration between the teams and the FIA.
RB: I think he’s an incredibly worthy successor to Max (Mosley) in that role. As Christian just mentioned, he’s experienced our sport and other sports at all levels. He was a navigator and won the World Championship as a rally navigator, ran a World Championship-winning rally team, ran a World Championship-winning Formula One team. There are very few people with that experience. Jean’s very good at bringing people together and finding solutions to difficult problems and finding solutions when there are a lot of different interests involved. He steered the ship of Ferrari over 12 or 13 years, I think, and particularly through the early periods it was very difficult and he managed it extremely well. He’s got a great ability to manage situations, and he particularly likes working in a team environment. He’s very strong at bringing out the qualities of people in a team environment and I know that he’s building a very good team around him at the FIA, so I look forward to the future with a great deal of optimism. A huge amount has been achieved over the last period: safety in Formula One is at a very high level, lots of things in Formula One are great and I think Jean will take that forward.

Q: (Walter Koster – Saarbrücker Zeitung) Quite another question and therefore it’s an unusual one: Mr Theissen, a short test of your memory after ten years in Formula One. Do you remember your colleagues the first time that you were sitting on such a podium as here and do know your first answer to the mediator’s question?
MT: No idea. Have you ever heard of the Alzheimer disease? But I’m sure the mediator knows… (He doesn’t).

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Question to Bob Bell: we heard that Heikki Kovalainen or Timo Glock could join Renault next year, or perhaps another driver. So could you tell us more about this? And the second question which links to it is what would that mean then for the French driver Romain Grosjean who comes from its ranks? Would it mean that Renault can’t keep a guy who comes from its own programme after six or seven races?
BB: It is a fact that there are quite a few drivers on the market at the minute, and I think, to do justice to the team, we have to look at all of the options, which is what we’re doing. We’re in the process of evaluating all of the drivers that are available and we will make a decision on which driver we attempt to reach agreement with as rapidly as we can. It’s important for the team to do that and we’re not ruling out any possibilities. Romain still remains a possibility but, as I say, in fairness to ensuring that we deliver the best driver line-up to the team, we need to look at all the possible options. If Romain does drop out of the equation, yes, it will be sad to lose him from the Renault programme and obviously he’s French, so that carries some consequences for the team but ultimately, and I think Renault fully support us in this, we need to put the best drivers in the car that we can afford for next year and if that’s Romain, fine, if it isn’t, if it’s someone else, then so be it but our objective next year is to have the strongest line-up.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Christian: have you, in your mind, already decided your engine for next year?
CH: We’ve had, as I said earlier, tremendous support from Renault. We have a great working relationship. It hasn’t just been this year, it’s been for the last three years and we’re reaching a critical path now where we’re going to have to make a commitment, taking everything into account. We believe we have all the facts in front of us now and we will be looking to make a decision pretty much imminently – immediately following this race, I think.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Ross, have you met Luca di Montezemolo here as the new World Champion?
RB: No, we’ve spoken on the phone. He’s been very gracious in his congratulations to me. We’ve had a quiet word on the phone but no, he very kindly spoke to me and sent a note both before and after the race, and then we spoke a few days ago.

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Christian, you joked at the start about Silverstone, but that track now appears to be the only option for a British Grand Prix next year, bearing in mind that Donington has fallen by the wayside, given its financial difficulties. Bernie said this week that Formula One does not need a British Grand Prix but I’m sure yourself and Ross and Bob as team principals of British-based teams would disagree with him.
CH: Absolutely. You also have to consider the difference in resources available to the different circuits. This circuit has a nation behind it; Silverstone is effectively a private entity. I think Silverstone and the British Grand Prix is a very important and significant part of the calendar. It’s a historic race, it’s been there since the start of the World Championship, it’s a great circuit, the drivers love it, it’s a local Grand Prix to probably more than fifty percent of the teams and I really sincerely hope that now that the Donington bit appears to have stumbled, that a solution can be found between Silverstone and FOM, and I’m sure that every effort is being made to achieve that. We would certainly see Silverstone as a great loss from the calendar should it not be there in 2010.
RB: We saw what was a fantastic event Silverstone was this year, the huge support it had. I think it was Damon Hill who made the point, which I completely concur with, that Formula One is what it is because of the balance of races it has, the history it has, the heritage it has. And the reason that Formula One as a championship and as a series is so attractive to countries like Abu Dhabi and the new races we’re going to is because of that heritage and that history, and if we destroy that, then perhaps we don’t remain as attractive for countries in the future. So we’ve got to get a balance between keeping the history and heritage of Formula One and the new opportunities we have at fantastic circuits like this, so I think it would be a tragedy if we lost Silverstone and I hope Bernie can find a solution with Silverstone to keep the race there. The Donington episode has been an unfortunate distraction but let’s hope that he can find a solution for the BRDC to run the race at Silverstone in the future.
BB: I totally agree with Ross that I think one of the great strengths of Formula One is its diversity and it would be very, very wrong to threaten that with an all new era and so that’s important and equally, as Christian said, it is the home Grand Prix for probably the majority of people who work in Formula One. And I know how important that is to the ordinary members of staff in the factories that turn out the pieces for Formula One and provide the entertainment, and I think it would be a great shame for all of those people and their families if they weren’t able to enjoy it locally. So I’m a great supporter of it, the team is a great supporter of it, and it would be a great shame if it was lost.

Q: (Amina Bentoutah – Al Dhafrah Magazine) What do you have as a project in the future concerning Formula One here in UAE, because we heard that they built a school for learning how to drive this kind of racing cars here in UAE on Yas Island, so will you send your drivers for six months or so next year?
RB: I must apologise, I’m not aware of driver training. What is very interesting is the technology side. There is a lot of interest from a number of countries to set up technology bases and I understand Williams have set one up in Qatar and we’re very interested in that sort of opportunity to share the technology and get benefits from both sides to train people. I’m very keen on the strength of Formula One as a medium for training engineers and developing technology, so I think there are great opportunities in those areas. I’m not so sure about the driving side. I’m not so aware of that, but certainly on the technology side, there’s huge interest in that side.
CH: The main thing is that you’ve got world class facilities, not just here in Abu Dhabi but in Bahrain, there’s a fantastic circuit just up the road in Dubai. Motor sport in the region is obviously taking off, and that’s not just the circuits, that’s the infrastructure behind it and I think karting infrastructures have been put in place and out of that will come drivers, will come technicians and any incentive to help youngsters to enter the world of motor sport we would fully support, and I think it’s only a matter of time before that happens.
MT: We have established Formula BMW in Asia/Pacific some years ago, including a racing centre for driver education in Bahrain. Initially it’s been quite difficult because there was no racing infrastructure. Young talents in Europe usually go karting for four, five or even more years before jumping into a formula car. This is different or has been different here but meanwhile the series has come along quite strongly and so we will continue next year.
BB: We’re not involved in any specific driver training facilities here or elsewhere but I certainly feel that Formula One can benefit and it can benefit the countries that it visits by a technological relationship. For example, we have some partnerships with academic institutions around the world where there are circuits, and I think that’s great for the local community, great for Formula One. It goes on quietly in the background, but it’s part of the business that we do and it’s important.

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Back again to Mr Bell: same topic, pretty much. Apart from the fact that he’s young and quite inexperienced, how would you grade Romain Grosjean’s performance this year so far? Apart from the fact that he’s young and inexperienced…
BB: Well, one of those points is fairly key and that is the inexperience. It is genuinely a fact that it is extremely difficult for a young driver now to enter Formula One mid-season with no real testing experience behind him. If he’s fortunate enough to be introduced to the team before the season starts and can get through a winter testing programme then that’s one thing to be dropped (into the team) in mid-season as Romain was. It’s very hard for any of them and so that’s a problem that Formula One has put upon itself, quite rightly so. The reduction in testing was done for good reason, I’m not being critical of it but it does make it difficult for drivers, so he’s had an uphill struggle. He’s done a sound job in dealing with that. He has two problems that he has to confront. Firstly, his team-mate is a double World Champion and that’s a hard metric to judge yourself against as a young driver. And we haven’t given him a particularly good car and that is equally hard for a young driver to come in. So it hasn’t been an easy birth for him in Formula One but that doesn’t deny that he’s got a lot of talent and I’m very sure that in the future we will see that talent exploited.

06-Oct-09: Theissen Concerned About BMW’s Future

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Today is the 6th October 2009, and this is F1 Minute.

The team formerly known as BMW are now facing a shaky future in the sport, as they were hoping for unanimous agreement from the existing teams for a 14th slot on the grid to be opened up for them. They didn’t get it. Vice-chairman of FOTA, John Howett, said the organisation did discuss the subject during a meeting ahead of Sunday’s race, but they decided it was an individual team decision rather than an association one.

It has also emerged that the Qadbak company who have invested in the team are under investigation by the Football Association for their involvement with Notts County, and one of their top people had assets seized by the court.

Mario Theissen says these things are making life difficult, as they are trying to talk to sponsors and drivers, and an uncertain future doesn’t exactly entice them along. The FIA will have to make their decision soon over the 14th place, and Theissen says they are waiting.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

FIA – Singapore GP Press Conference – Friday

FRIDAY PRESS CONFERENCE – September 25, 2009

TEAM PRINCIPALS:
Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari),
Norbert HAUG (Mercedes),
Sam MICHAEL (Williams),
Mario THEISSEN (BMW Sauber)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: A question to you all. Can you tell us how the engine situation is in your team? It is getting to that critical time of the year, just four races to go, and everybody is wondering how many engines everybody has got.
Sam MICHAEL: From our point of view it is quite okay. We have not had any failures so far this year, so we are managing our pool of eight between each driver and so far we are on schedule not to use any new engines. That can always change in the next few practice or race sessions, but at this stage it has worked out well. It is a manageable thing. You can handle probably one failure but once you get more than one, it becomes very tricky. You either have to reduce practice mileage or fit a new engine, but we are fine.
Mario THEISSEN: We are borderline after the two unexpected engine failures – fresh engine failures – we had recently. We have one fresh engine for each car for the final four races and apparently we have never done four races with one engine on the track. On the dyno it would work, but we have to see now where we are. Apparently we have some mileage left on used engines to cover the Fridays.
Q: So it is a little bit of management?
MT: Yes, but it will be tight. We are not sure if we get to Abu Dhabi with this engine, so we will see. Maybe we will have to pull a ninth engine.
Q: Norbert, you have got about six cars to deal with.
Norbert HAUG: We are fine so far. I hope it stays like that but as my colleagues already pointed out this can happen very quickly and if you have one small problem it will happen. I think it is absolutely important not to get complacent and have respect in front of the work you have to do. So far so good and I would say thank you to the guys in Brixsworth and Stuttgart. They did a fantastic job so far but again it is still quite a way to go and I hope we can continue this trend.
Stefano DOMENICALI: We have two engines for the next four races for each driver but I can really cut and paste what Norbert and Sam said. You cannot be complacent but this is the situation now and we need to see how the situation will evolve, but two for each driver.

Q: Another question to all of you. Can you give us a little feedback on how the session went and how the drivers have reacted to the changes to the circuit?
SM: It was quite okay. It was very dusty to start with. They spent a lot of time cleaning the track last year and they didn’t do that this year. That first session was ramping up quite a bit. I think in terms of lap time there have been three corners that have changed on the track. Out of those three corners we think it is possibly going to slow the lap time down by about two seconds. P1 last year we were in mid 46’s straight away and qualifying was 44.0, so this year it is about four seconds slower in the first session and maybe two-and-a-half seconds slower in P2 now, so it is definitely a slower track because of the lay-out changes. In terms of our programme everything went okay. We had some new aero parts on the car. A new front wing and rear wing and some diffuser modifications. All that checked out okay and we just did our homework for the race.
MT: Well, we have a big aero upgrade here and in order to bring that to the track we also had to do a new gearbox, a lower gearbox, which helps us to lower the engine cover at the rear end of the car. We had some problems today, both gearbox related. Both new parts but apparently with the new arrangement – and it can even happen with known parts – so Nick (Heidfeld) didn’t lose too much time in the morning. Robert (Kubica) lost 25 minutes in the afternoon. Apart from that it was okay. Performance, not happy yet, but it looks like the car is certainly better than before and I hope we can improve tomorrow.
NH: I would say it looked reasonable. We went through the planned programme. I think it is difficult to judge on the first day here like it was explained before with the dusty track the track really changes and it depends on the fuel load you are carrying, the tyres you are using and at which stage of the session. But all in all I think it looked quite okay. You can probably get an impression from the long runs and then kind of guess what people are doing normally during Fridays and then see where you are and I think that was not too bad. But having said that it will be incredibly tight again. From (Jenson) Button in fifth to Lewis (Hamilton) in ninth position, it is less than half-a-tenth and I think that says it all. I think if you have a situation like that in qualifying, if you lose less than half-a-tenth and this can happen at every corner or every kerb, then that costs you probably five places even if you have the same fuel load. I think it is very important. It is a driver’s track at the end of the day. It is probably not the most interesting in the calendar but during qualifying it will be all about commitment and to get the last half-tenth out of the car. I expect it to be incredibly tight and as Sam has pointed out, the track has changed quite a lot. I think in turn 10 the chicane is quite a tricky one. If you really misjudge it and get it wrong you definitely can ruin the chassis there. I think that is different to last year but all in all it is slower but not less challenging. I think the atmosphere is great and I think everybody will agree that it is probably the best pictures you can produce over a Formula One season.
SD: For us as you already know the situation is that we do not have any more upgrades by choice. We have to manage what we have. This is the situation that we have to face. Today for sure I cannot really add anything to the fact that in terms of the situation of the tyre degradation tomorrow the situation may be different as I think the track will be much better, no doubt. We had a couple of problems today, so we did not run as smoothly as we wanted but this is part of the game and let’s hope that we can fix everything for tomorrow.

Q: Sam, obviously engine plans are still up in the air. How close are you? When do you need to know which engine you are going to be running?
SM: From a technical point of view it is always best to know a long time in front. But we are still in the middle of that decision. That is all I can say as I don’t have any more information on that. As soon as I know, then I will start designing next year’s car around it.

Q: You would like to start already presumably?
SM: As I said with an engine decision you want to know as early as possible. I guess you could say that Brawn proved this year how late you can go, but I am sure they don’t want to plan to do that. It just shows what is possible if you have to.
SD: It is a decision that has to be taken very carefully, so just wait.

Q: Mario, you seem to have an engine but not necessarily an entry. What is the timescale? What has to happen for the Sauber team now?
MT: Well, apparently it is important now to get a solid entry, either number 13 or number 14. We are in the hands of the FIA more or less and we are working on that behind the scenes, but I do not have any confirmation today.

Q: When do you need to know by?
MT: The earlier the better, but for the time being we work towards next season in the same way as if the entry was there already.

Q: Norbert, a lot of people have been talking about your engines. They all seem to want them. What exactly is the capacity? How many teams can you handle?
NH: I think it depends on the final FIA decision to start with. It is still in the rules, it still says one customer team, but there is an exception already made. I think the final decision will be made sooner rather than later. Capacity-wise, due to the new regulations, due to the freeze, we are doing – including core builds, rebuilds – half of the number of engines we did for our own team two years ago. That is certainly going in the right direction. Capacity-wise it would be possible to supply three customer teams. But it is not certain that we are in a position to so, but capacity would not be a problem.

Q: Stefano, it has already been mentioned that one of your drivers, shall we say, is between a Spaniard and a Finn. What is the situation within the team?
SD: I think what I can say is repeat what our president said. In the last couple of days the situation has changed, so we will keep you updated as soon as we can say something. At the moment nothing to add on that.

Q: The Spaniard element of it seems to be the key to everybody else’s drivers.
SD: I have to focus on our problems to be honest. I do not know what the others will do when we have taken the decision.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Mario, can you confirm right now that Ferrari will be the engine supplier next year?
MT: We have been talking to Ferrari and we have got a very positive response from Ferrari but apparently the first thing that we need is a place on the grid.

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) If you have a place then you will have a Ferrari engine?
MT: That would be our favourite option.

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Question to all: Brawn GP were the fastest in the first session and then Red Bull were fastest in the second. Does it mean that it is going to be a Red Bull-Brawn GP fight like at the beginning of the season?
MT: No idea, let’s see tomorrow.
SD: We will see on Sunday. In my view we need to be pragmatic. I think that not only Red Bull and Brawn have done a step. I think McLaren have done a step. We must not forget that Force India did a big step in the last races. Williams has done a step. As Mario said everyone has done a step, so I think this race we need to be very careful but for sure it will be a tough race between the first teams.
NH: Well, we are certainly working on it that it is not a Brawn and Red Bull race here. We try to interfere but I am not sure if we can do it. I am quite convinced that not everybody in the top five was using the same amount of fuel, so things may change tomorrow. But of course they are strong and as Stefano pointed out other people have made steps as well and if you get your act together there may even be some surprises. I think there are probably five teams in a position, depending on the strategy, to fight for pole position which is very possible for Formula One.

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Which are the five teams?
NH: I think it needs to be kept open until tomorrow but I think your opinion is not much different to mine. Whether it is four or six I don’t know, but it is a handful at least.

Q: (Peter Haab – Motorsport Aktuell) Can you give us some information on Felipe Massa’s progress?
SD: With pleasure. Felipe is recovering quite well. He has started a training programme in terms of fitness and again starting his preparation. The next step will be to start a programme on the simulator and then the programme will be to do some kart running. And as soon as these things are fine, then we will decide when to put him back in a proper racing car.

Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) A question to all four of you: given that FOTA is all about unity and co-operation, given that some elements in this paddock would like nothing better than to divide and conquer, what do you guys think about Williams going against the grain and running KERS next year?
SM: One thing to be clear on: Williams have always said that we supported KERS, the concept of it, the ability to help Formula One with sustainability and the environment. We haven’t stopped the development of KERS and we never did do that, just like the other teams didn’t. I think at the moment we are discussing with FOTA the potential for an agreement not to run KERS next year. We are in the middle of that, in terms of days, so it would be wrong for us to come out and say that we are going to race KERS next year. In fact we never said that. In any statements, if you read carefully what we said was… at no point did we say we were going to race KERS, we just said we would continue developing it. I think if you ask most of the people who have KERS, they’re doing the same thing. So it’s quite different to say that we’re going against the grain of FOTA. We are in FOTA, we’ve only had one meeting in FOTA since we rejoined, so that is in the middle of process at the moment. I think it’s wrong to say that Williams are going against the grain of FOTA, especially at this time when we are talking to FOTA about exactly this point.

Q: (Tetsuo Tsugawa – Tetsu Enterprise) How much difference do you think there is between the Cosworth engine and the homologation engine? I believe they have still homologated their engine each year, but do you think they have some advantage?
NH: It’s difficult to say. Mario is the specialist.
MT: I have to say that I don’t know and probably none of us knows what they are doing with their original engine. Apparently, the engine was originally designed to (rev to) 20,000rpm plus. Now it’s 18,000. Apparently they have to retune the engine. I have no information where they are performance-wise and reliability-wise or durability-wise. So I just can’t answer the question now. We just have to see what happens when they are on the grid next year.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Mario, will you remain with Sauber next year or do you stay with BMW Motorsport?
MT: That is completely open and I will not deal with this question before the end of the season. We have put in a lot of effort to secure the future of the team and it would have been counter-productive if I had mixed it up with my own future. I’m not concerned about that and I can decide on that later on.

Q: (Mark Fogarty – Auto Action) To all of you: as we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive industry is diving headlong into new and different forms of technology for power plants for cars and it seems inevitable that the direction we’re going is away from supplementing the internal combustion engine. Why shouldn’t Formula One in fact be a proving ground for this new engine technology? Wouldn’t it be a place to develop things very quickly?
SD: I think we shouldn’t forget that Formula One should be the pinnacle of motor sport, but in the actual context of the situation that we are facing, we need to make sure that the rules that are decided are well balanced, otherwise we run the risk of having expensive technology, not applicable for all the teams that want to run in Formula One. So for sure the future of the powertrain in 2013 has to be considered very carefully, because for sure, one important element to keep the constructors interested in the Formula One business is to make sure that what we are doing here has a relevance in the automotive industry. But once again, it’s a matter of compromise, it’s a matter of balance: the cost of bringing new technology within the framework of the regulations in Formula One versus the reality that we have to have a lot of teams on the grid and they have to be able to spend money on that.
NH: I think there are really very good plans for the new engine formula, but it takes time, obviously, and that’s why we currently have this engine freeze. But the next engine generation will certainly be very different. Having said that, we’ve got some experience with KERS and I think we are all very much pro-KERS but if you have a competition race and the KERS technique then that just costs a lot of money. The technical guys behind me, especially, would love to have that and I don’t know one technical guy who would not love to go in that direction, but the question is what can you afford and where do you put your money? I think we have to accept that the next engine generation will be something absolutely new and special, but having said that, the specific consumption of the current engine is an absolute world record. I just think sometimes we need to accept that if you need to feed seven hundred and fifty horses you need to give them more than if you need to feed 75 horses and that’s very simple but it’s reality. And I think if we have a total look at Formula One, what’s happening in terms of the environment, it’s still a very positive issue, all in all, but it’s a conflict: what money you can spend, and street cars sometimes require different technical developments to racing cars. KERS hybrid was probably an example but you cannot put it in the same way you are building it for Formula One into a street car. The principle is comparable and you certainly learn, you do learn and we learned and we couldn’t have made it without our people from production development, so all in all, it was a very good example indeed, but an expensive one as well.
MT: Yeah, I think I was one of the strongest campaigners for KERS and I still think it’s been a fantastic opportunity for Formula One and it might well be one in the future, to take the technological lead and to do something to spend our excellent resources on, something that makes sense, that is sensible for the future. On the other hand, we have had a lot of discussions on the effort that you have to put behind it and I’m now in the very different situation of a team that has to survive without a manufacturer next year and you certainly then see the other side. I think we should put in as much innovation as possible, as affordable. We should go for what is possible in Formula One but without losing any competitors. That’s the trade-off we have to make, so this is also why BMW has supported the FOTA decision not to run KERS next year.
SM: Pretty similar to the other guys, in terms of the trade-off of F1 development. Obviously we’re not an engine manufacturer but we do silly things with the engine manufacturers that we work with that trade off to road cars, but as Norbert said, there are very different objectives for road car development as opposed to Formula One. One example is to look at diesel technology, and that was all the rage five or six years ago and that swamped road cars but it’s not necessarily the right thing for Formula One. There are lots of examples like that.

Q: (Ralf Bach – R & B) When the engines were frozen two years ago, everybody thought it was maybe the right thing to do. When Renault was allowed last year to maybe make the engine a little bit better, I thought OK, maybe they were so far away from the competition that they should be allowed to do it. But now I don’t understand anything anymore. Do you think it’s Formula One when Mercedes is forced to reduce the power of the engine, because they maybe have the best engine? Is this Formula One for people and spectators anymore?
SD: First of all, no one has said that the Mercedes engine has to be re-tuned.
NH: If you read the (FIA) press release this is not the case. I think maybe you should go through it once more. It is written very conditionally but it doesn’t speak about Mercedes at all. It’s not a Mercedes issue. It is just a general issue.
SD: We can discuss if freezing everything in Formula One is correct or not but this is a decision that once again went in the direction of trying to reduce the cost of Formula One. I think that, as an engine manufacturer, we have done a lot in order to reduce the cost for customers, in order to make sure that we were able to come and be on the grid in Formula One and I think this is due to FOTA and to the effort that the manufacturers made altogether. Then, if this is correct or not, I would say that’s a question that is difficult to answer. The opposite answer can be that if that was not the case, if we were here with the things that we have on the grid, question mark; we don’t know. But on the other subject, I cannot really answer because it’s not the specific issue that was discussed in the FIA. There is an engine working group that will deal with the engine situation, that will be discussed and we will discuss it within the group as always and see what the situation is but nothing more than that.
MT: Even as an engine guy I have supported the homologation because almost everything that we have achieved in the past two or three years in terms of cost reduction came from the engine side, through homologation and the extension of engine life, so that was certainly a very important and positive step. As you said before, we had the discussion a year ago about the Renault engine. It was dealt with within the engine working group and we came to a conclusion between the engine manufacturers that if there was a situation like this again, it should be dealt with in the same away again, and we would see what the outcome was.

24-Sep-09: Mutua Madrilena Cut Ties With Renault

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It is the 24th September 2009 and this is F1 Minute.

Renault are still dominating headlines this week, as sponsor Mutua Madrilena have terminated their contract with the team with immediate effect. The Spanish insurance giants did not want to be involved with a team that could do something so adverse to “affect the image, reputation and good name of the team’s sponsors.” They are going to keep on sponsoring Alonso, which is mighty convenient timing if he is about to move teams at the end of the year. Just saying.

Meanwhile in Singapore, Romain Grosjean has been feeling unwell and actually left the track early today to rest up at the hotel. The team are hoping he will be okay to complete the weekend, but reserve driver Lucas di Grassi has been limbering up in case he is needed.

Finally, Mario Theissen has said that BMW or whatever they will be called have a deal with Ferrari for engines if they can find a place on the grid next year. They just need that 14th place slot opened up.

That’s all for now, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

18-Sep-09: BMW Admit They’re Running Out of Engines

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It’s the 18th September 2009 and this is F1 Minute.

Both BMW drivers may run into trouble in terms of engine penalties before the season is out, as the failures in Italy weren’t repairable, as the team had hoped they might be. Boss Mario Theissen said: “Both drivers ran their engines from Spa in Sunday’s race at Monza, which leaves them with one more new engine each and several used ones for the remainder of the season. The key question will now be whether these will be enough.”

Meanwhile, organisers at Singapore are slightly worried about their upcoming Grand Prix, but not because they think the ongoing Renault troubles will overshadow it. They are more concerned about the weather, plus some haziness that has blown in from nearby forest fires. There is still a week to go, of course, but the FIA would make the decision if it was not safe to run the race. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

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

21-Aug-09: Alonso and Barrichello Lead Free Practice Times

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Today is the 21st August and this is F1 Minute.

Free Practice got underway today in Valencia, with Barrichello topping the morning session and Alonso leading the way in the afternoon. There were only two things of note, the first being Luca Badoer’s rather slow performance. He and Grosjean seemed to take to the track well in the morning, but by the afternoon Badoer appeared to be struggling. He happily admits he needs to up his game as soon as possible. The other incident of note was Alonso locking up in the afternoon and plowing straight into the side of Heidfeld. The BMW was lifted into the air, but came down safely.

Elsewhere, Martin Whitmarsh was interviewed about the future of McLaren’s drivers and said plainly that the paddock were waiting for Alonso’s move to Ferrari to be announced. He seemed pretty confident it was a done deal.

Finally, Mario Theissen has hinted that BMW have several offers from interested parties, and both he and Peter Sauber are working hard to try and save the team.

That’s all for now, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

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