Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 28th February

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Final Test in Barcelona

The cars get set for their second week of testing…

• “If they did that time with 150 kilos then they were quick. But this time is not the benchmark. It’s early days, and I would not say that any team has made any serious qualifying efforts so far.” Norbert Haug on Red Bull
  
• “I really don’t know where we are, compared to all the other teams. There is such a scatter of lap times and long runs, it is very difficult for me to judge. I think we are quite competitive, but let’s wait.” Pedro de la Rosa
  
• “We are trying to do the best that we can, and then we will find out in Bahrain whether it is enough or not. But to be honest it is never enough, so we are pushing very hard and trying to work as hard as possible in these tests, which are quite crucial for the first few races, and we hope to be ready in Bahrain.” Robert Kubica
  

All About Virgin

The team prepare for the season…

• “Unfortunately when we were running some experimental control settings on the car, which were adversely affecting its handling, this caught Lucas out on the entry to turn nine resulting in a spin and contact with the barrier. We’re going to need to spend the time before tomorrow replacing some broken suspension and wings. We should be back on track tomorrow morning when we hope to really start building up our mileage.” Nick Wirth
  
• “I am thrilled to be joining Virgin Racing. This role offers me a great opportunity to prepare myself for the Formula 1 environment, which is naturally where my longer-term ambitions lie. I look forward to learning from Timo and Lucas as well as soaking up as much information as possible from engineering meetings and time on the simulator.” Andy Soucek
  
• “The way of operating with CFD is just a bit quicker than windtunnel time. A lot of stuff in the windtunnel takes quite a lot of time to make the model and test in the tunnel. That goes much quicker with CFD, but we still have to show people that it is definitely working.” Timo Glock
  

Return of the Michael

Schumacher is ready to race…

• “I cannot make judgements specifically to other teams. At the moment we are not perfectly in the position we would like, to be competitive to win the first races straight away. But we are working hard, the season is long, and the main issue is not to be too far off. This is very difficult to judge right now, what is the real picture.” Michael Schumacher
  
• “For me the age doesn’t matter. I don’t feel like what it says on my passport. The guys I am around with, with most of them I still feel like it’s the good old days. It’s no different for me. It’s the challenge of driving the car, fighting with the other guys and going wheel-to-wheel. It’s a specific thing, it’s difficult to put in words.” Michael Schumacher
  
• “We are working very well together. It has taken very little time to work with the team and get on with everybody, they are very good guys. It’s very professional and a good atmosphere. But we have to prove ourselves on track, testing is one thing racing is another thing.” Michael Schumacher
  

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 14th February

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Three Launches

Force India, Red Bull and Lotus all reveal their new cars…

• “There is a compromise now: either make the car much longer or wider, or, as we have done, a combination of both. This of course has influenced the mechanical design solutions and also the aerodynamics, specifically with respects to the diffuser and bodywork.” Mark Smith
  
• “I think you are going to have four teams that are race-winning contenders this season. McLaren and Ferrari look like they have come up with good cars, and for sure the Mercedes GP team is going to be competitive with its driver line-up. But we are quietly confident we’ve made good progress during the winter.” Christian Horner
  
• “What this is about for me, and it is the first launch I have been to where the whole team is here, there is a fantastic buzz about this place, the whole team has given their heart and soul to this project. I want to thank Tony on behalf of the whole team to have the courage to back us and trust us.” Mike Gascoyne
  

Moving on to Jerez

Testing switches from Valencia to Jerez…

• “We are still in the first week here, and a bit low on parts, so that means if we have a crash we are more in trouble for the next test. So we decided to not do much running today and unfortunately parts didn’t arrive until quite late yesterday – 11 or 12 o’clock – and the mechanics had to work 24 hours a day to get the car ready for this morning.” Timo Glock
  
• “On a normal wet, slippery day at Jerez it felt fine. There were no real vices in the car. We still have to understand a few things with it but now it is shaken down we can start to do a bit of work tomorrow and in the back part of the month we can start to look at lap times.” Mark Webber
  
• “We went deeper into set-up work and understanding the car after what we did in Valencia. We were lucky with the weather because yesterday it was quite bad and the next two days don’t look very good. It was important to get a lot of things done.” Robert Kubica
  

Former Champs Talk

Three champions talk testing…

• “It’s very tough for all of us to understand what is the order of teams. We have four that I think are the major teams, and others that look very interesting such as Sauber, the car is quite quick, and the Renault – there is a question mark how quick it is.” Michael Schumacher
  
• “The team spirit is very good, very special. You feel part of a big team, part of a legendary team, and it’s a nice feeling. I keep enjoying life. The team is very, very friendly with me and I felt at home straightaway.” Fernando Alonso
  
• “We’ve only done one test and there’s such a huge variation with fuel loads so we have absolutely no idea – less of an idea than we had in the past. Some people could be driving with 30 kilos or 10 kilos, others could have 150. So it’s impossible to say.” Lewis Hamilton
  

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 7th February

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Testing in Valencia

The first pre-season test got underway…

• “With such narrow front tyres, and the shape of them as well – they’re a lot more curved – you do lose a lot of front grip. That’s what we’ve got to try and get back. That’s the biggest difference out of all the changes we’ve had this year.” Gary Paffett
• “I have a positive feeling. I’ve obviously kept a close eye on the development of the car and the results we got at the end of 2009 – so seeing this car evolve and having the input into it, I was very excited to get in the car today to see what parts we have improved.” Lewis Hamilton
• “It’s difficult to say where we are, the result was a quite good lap time, but with new rules and another team like Red Bull still to come it’s difficult to say where we are. But it was a really good start.” Kamui Kobayashi

More testing thoughts

Who was fast and who was slow…

• “There are no miracles in Formula 1: if you want to be fast you have to work hard for months and months and then you’ll meet your competitors, who have as much capacities and are as motivated as you” Stefano Domenicali
• “I think at the next test we might have more of an understanding when people are running very different fuel loads, and you can get an understanding of the difference of those loads and how much time per 10 kilos it is. Then you can work out who is quick and who isn’t.” Jenson Button
• “We all know how quickly Michael used to do it. We are all optimistic, as I am sure that he is, that there is a lot more to come. He has had one or two sessions but he hasn’t driven a Formula 1 car seriously for three years so it is pretty encouraging.” Ross Brawn on Schumacher

Potential F1 Newcomers

The grid could expand even more…

• “Stefan Grand Prix becomes the first team in F1 history who did send a 40 foot container full of equipment to the race in Bahrain without having entry for 2010 season.” Statement from Stefan GP
• “I had the chance to drive the Ferrari F1 car in Barcelona. It was great, I had fun and it was a very good test, with good lap times, but I think that it will be very difficult to see me driving in Formula 1.” Valentino Rossi… again
• “We’re going to be doing the majority of the Fridays, and being at all the grands prix, sitting in on the briefings, listening over the radio, and just making myself best prepared to hopefully become a race driver.” Paul di Resta, Force India

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 31st January

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

New Drivers in F1

Race and test seats see some new names…

• “Three years ago when I returned from Europe I couldn’t imagine getting this opportunity again. I know how difficult it is to get into F1. Thank God the results and many other things came together. There are five new teams in F1 with more seats available.” Jose Maria Lopez
• “If you are trying to win a championship, to not allow your principal drivers the Friday session is not something we would contemplate. But it’s something that some other teams are looking at and it’s a great opportunity for Paul.” Martin Whitmarsh on Paul di Resta
• “This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula 1 world champion one day.” Valtteri Bottas

Thoughts on Schumacher

Michael and more share some musings…

• “I’m hot. It’s just taking far too long to get going and we can’t wait for next week. I have no issues with the neck. I’ve done the GP2 test and lots of preparation in the winter, lots of check to make sure all is good.” Michael Schumacher
• “think there’s lots of analysis that show the peak of your physical condition is in your 30s. It depends on the sport and Michael is achieving the parameters he was achieving when he was younger, in terms of his training, endurance, stamina and strength. He’s already reaching the parameters he was achieving many years ago.” Ross Brawn
• “We can’t forget we wanted him to be Felipe Massa’s replacement last season. He will be one of our rivals, just like Mercedes, and Rosberg, McLaren, with two great drivers, and Red Bull. The title will be fought between ourselves and another three teams.” Stefano Domenicali

Testing Begins Soon

The teams start to ready their new cars…

• “Nico will start with the car. What we want to try and do is give both drivers a drive on the first day. The first day is about checking the car and inspecting all the pieces – and there will be several strip downs of critical parts.” Ross Brawn
• “Bahrain is a test, it’s not a first race for us. The cars are very advanced, we have a driver under contract and our intention is to be in Bahrain for the first race.” Daniel Eisen, Campos Meta
• “It is a very tight programme for everybody with the new car. We’ve only got four tests and we need to make the maximum amount of time prior to the first test. The performance of the car is the most important thing for all of us.” Ross Brawn

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 17th January

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Preparing to Test

The teams are starting to get ready for pre-season testing…

• “We have been given special dispensation to have six straight line/full-scale tunnel days, rather than the four to which all the other teams are limited. It is an example of how the FIA and the teams have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.” Peter Windsor
• “I think there is no other sport in the world where you test for seven days before the championship. I cannot imagine a tennis player testing seven times before Roland Garros, or a football player training seven days before a world cup, so this is something strange in our sport.” Fernando Alonso
• “All of the cars on the grid have had incredible reliability over the last few years – on the first day of running with the RB5 we did 90 laps. We’ve got high expectations in terms of track time with RB6 so we feel that it’s a plan that suits us and it’s one that we plan to execute.” Christian Horner on skipping the first test

Bernie Ecclestone’s Opinions

The FOM chief has been sharing his thoughts again…

• “Obviously when you speak to these people they say everything’s fine and there’s no drama. But I’m sure there is drama. I honestly believe that one or two of these new teams that are now coming in will be much better off running one car which is supplied by any of the other teams” Bernie Ecclestone
• “My idea was to make a much bigger gap between first and second, and maybe second and third. What I was trying to do was give people the incentive to overtake, not to sit there getting points.” Bernie Ecclestone
• “The other thing I’ve been pushing like crazy with people is that brakes these days are so efficient that – I’ll say this and it’s probably wrong – I could brake as late as anyone else if I saw the braking markers” Bernie Ecclestone

Talking Silverstone

The legacy that Donington has left behind…

• “Donington is a fabulous circuit and I think it’s such a tragedy frankly that it’s been buggered up so much. I’m afraid Simon Gillett’s done that circuit no favours whatsoever. An awful lot of promises, very few of which ever came to anything.” Jonathan Palmer
• “We are building the new Arena circuit. It has gone into the FIA for [F1] homologation so we should be able to run FIM MotoGP and F1 on it. The issue really for 2010, is whether we can do that logistically. So we have issues with maybe Paddock Club, and Paddock Club parking and things like that to resolve.” Richard Phillips, managing director of Silverstone
• “The facilities at Silverstone are already better than a lot of other grand prix circuits. We were at Barcelona for Formula 2 and the paddock area and buildings were far shabbier than Silverstone is now. Silverstone has worked really hard in the last year or two to smarten that place up and I think they’ve done a good job.” Jonathan Palmer

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 10th January

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Renault Make Some Changes

Eric Boullier takes over the helm at Renault…

• “Renault is one of the most famous and successful names in motorsport and I look forward to leading the team into the new season. In the past Renault has demonstrated that it is one of the top teams in Formula One and I am sure that with hard work and determination we can challenge at the front once again.” Eric Boullier
• “…it might be a Gravity driver or not, but I can guarantee that it will be even more difficult for a Gravity driver to be selected as they really will have to prove their worth to be chosen as Renault’s second driver.” Eric Boullier
• “There is a great value here that we need not to forget – and it would be stupid of me with no previous F1 experience to shake up everyone here. The team is very competent – they just need to be a little bit reassured and get more confidence for the future.” Eric Boullier

Drivers in New Teams

It’s all change on the grid for 2010…

• “Already at Renault, I drove the car, especially at the end of the season, very well. But, I think I have learned things that I have brought to this team and I can use in the future. And I can bring better results.” Heikki Kovalainen
• “All I can say is that I’m excited about working with Lewis, because that is exactly what we are going to have to do to be competitive this year. Really it makes my life a lot easier because I’m in a much more relaxed position than people telling me that I was going to destroy my team-mate.” Jenson Button
• “There were no doubts, really, but it was very important we understood who were in the key roles in the team and of course also the budget – it is fundamental you have that for the updates to the car.” Daniele Morelli, Kubica’s manager

Briatore Gets His Verdict

The Flavio Briatore saga continues…

• “It was a case of vengeance from Mosley, who has always managed the FIA and the World Council as if it was private property. He had reassured me, telling me they understood I didn’t have anything to do with that story. Then came that verdict. It was an ignoble thing after 18 years of F1.” Flavio Briatore
• “…in any case the FIA can easily change its rules so that it takes account of what the court said. They said we weren’t allowed to ban non-licence holders. Well obviously you can bring in a rule which does allow you to, if you wish. One thing’s for sure, it’s very far from over.” Max Mosley
• “There’s no reason he can’t carry on as a manager if he wants. I didn’t want to see him go in the first place, but it would be difficult for someone who has done something wrong to return in his old job or something similar.” Bernie Ecclestone

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 27th December

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Schumacher’s Big Comeback

Michael Schumacher joins Mercedes for 2010…

• “Michael and I kept very close over the years and I saw from his disappointment over the summer, when he couldn’t drive a Ferrari, how much passion he still has for the sport. We’re incredibly excited now about the prospect of Michael being part of the team.” Ross Brawn
  
• “I never left the race track. I was tired of F1 by the end of 2006, but in three years of absence I got back all the energy that I am feeling right now. I played around with motorbikes and I feel ready for some serious stuff now.” Michael Schumacher
  
• “It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula 1 and will be my team-mate at Mercedes GP. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed. It is also great news for our sport and the fans.” Nico Rosberg
  

Ecclestone Picks His Favourite

Bernie sets his sights on a new champion…

• “There are several – Hamilton, Alonso… But I will say this now: Vettel will be the next world champion.” Bernie Ecclestone
  
• “His return is good for F1. Now this is obviously the main point of conversation, and the entire world is talking about it. But I think that once the engines start again and the season begins, there will certainly be more important things to focus on.” Sebastian Vettel on Schumacher
  
• “Don’t forget, next year we have four current or former world champions in the shape of Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Schumacher on the starting line. I can’t remember the last time that happened.” Bernie Ecclestone
  

New Team Updates

Confirmed and potential teams talk of the future…

• “A number of people have asked me why we’ve been relatively quiet over the past six months or so. My answer is twofold – one, while the F1 politics were sorting themselves out there was very little that we could do or say. We’re all in the entertainment business we call F1 and there seemed little or no point in adding to the situation from the perspective of a new team.” Peter Windsor
  
• “We have suffered from changes to the FIA rules since we became part of Formula 1, but despite difficulties we have never considered the option of giving up on the championship. Our project is solid as it has always been and we confirm we will be in Bahrain in March and of course Abu Dhabi in November.” Statement from Campos
  
• “We will offer teams, who are changing drivers during the season, or even young drivers themselves, the chance to test our car so they can gain experience. It will be purely a commercial operation.” Zoran Stefanovich, Stefan GP
  

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 13th December

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Silverstone Gets 2010 Deal

The near-term future of the British GP is secure…

• “This will ensure that Great Britain will remain on the Formula 1 calendar for many years to come, which is something I have personally always wanted to see happen. The team at Silverstone already knows how to organise a good event, so now everyone can look forward to next summer at Silverstone.” Bernie Ecclestone
  
• “The place has an atmosphere that money can’t buy, and I have some fantastic memories of the track – winning both races in GP2 in 2006, getting an incredibly emotional and satisfying pole in ‘07 and winning in the wet in my championship year.” Lewis Hamilton
  
• “The BRDC and Silverstone have been absolutely mindful of the effect of the British Grand Prix on the industry in this country, which placed it in a difficult situation because they also had to think of their obligations to their own property and their own business. So it had to be a deal that was doable.” Damon Hill
  

Another Schumacher Comeback

The red team are keen on getting youngsters in the car…

• “Can someone who’s 40 or 41 years old compete against someone who is 24 years old? In other sports people have proven that they’re very capable even at that age, and I think that would add another fascinating aspect.” Nick Fry
  
• “He is exceptionally fit. He has never done anything else in his life — it’s the only thing he has devoted himself to — and the fact that he has gone and raced motorbikes shows that he has still got the need for speed.” Damon Hill
  
• “Schumacher coming back to F1 is great news for the sport. But I don’t know if it will be great news for Michael Schumacher. He will be putting his reputation on the line coming back into the sport.” Jenson Button
  

Brawn Recover From Their Year

Peter Sauber takes the helm once more…

• “The reaction we’ve got from most of the other teams is positive. Why anyone would not want to wish the name Mercedes, which I think is one of the top three brand names in the world, to be on a chassis would be an interesting discussion to have.” Nick Fry
  
• “After the race in Brazil it was an emotional moment and I was just knackered basically. I’d run out of steam because it was so stressful. Then you go through weeks of just waking up and not realising what you’ve achieved, other days you wake up and realise I’ve achieved my goal – I am world champion.” Jenson Button
  
• “The reality of life is that we have to up our game, because our competitors have upped their game. Cricket has gone from something that was as dull as ditchwater to something that is competition for F1. It is not the main competition, but it is example of how people have raised their game.” Nick Fry
  

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 6th December

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Young Driver Test

More sign-ups for 2010…

• “It is impressive what the car does, how predictable and precise its reactions are, and how high the overall grip level is. But I have to admit I am also a little bit disappointed because being a racing driver you always want to be the fastest!” Alexander Rossi, BMW
  
• “I am very happy to be able to drive for Sauber. It will be a second day for me – and it’s always good to get two days of testing instead of one. It will be very interesting to compare the differences between the two teams and the two cars.” Bertrand Baguette, Renault then Sauber
  
• “I don’t have any concrete plans for next year but I hope that I can build a solid relationship with Force India for the future off the back of this test.” Paul di Resta, Force India
  

Young Drivers and Ferrari

The red team are keen on getting youngsters in the car…

• “Ferrari contacted my manager Willi Weber. They had a bit of interest and there was some contact. It didn’t come out that way, as we know, and I think it worked out for the best because I was able to finish GP2, win it and start F1 clean with Williams, who are a great team.” Nico Hulkenberg
  
• “We are very happy to do this long-term deal, which was completed a short time ago. His role is undefined for the moment, but from now on, he will be at Ferrari’s disposal. His first Ferrari drive is obviously at this young driver test.” Nicolas Todt, manager of Jules Bianchi
  
• “It is very difficult to explain how I feel, but it is something very special. I know this is the first step on a journey that could turn out very nicely, but I’m equally aware that there is still a long way to go to Formula 1.” Jules Bianchi
  

Sauber Become 13th Team

Peter Sauber takes the helm once more…

• “The team can now turn its full attention to preparing for the forthcoming season. We have no doubt that Peter Sauber and his team will justify their nomination through good performance, and we wish them all every success in the future.” Mario Theissen
  
• “Subject to their signing the Concorde Agreement, BMW Sauber will be awarded the 13th entry in the Championship, taking the place of the departing Toyota team.” FIA Statement
  
• “This is excellent news for the workforce in Hinwil. After many weeks of uncertainty, we have finally secured our place on the grid for 2010. Now we can enter into concrete negotiations with drivers and sponsors.” Peter Sauber
  

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 15th November

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

New Team Preparations

Those new teams are beginning to get it together…

• “All four are professional setups that have impressed us a lot with their approach and you only need to look at what they have achieved in the past few months to realise that these are very serious teams.” Mike Gallagher, Cosworth
  
• “I want to score points for my new team and to be the best of all the new team. Long term I would like to be Formula 1 world champion, it’s not enough just to get there.” Bruno Senna
  
• “The teams I’ve been involved with before unquestionably benefited from Aerolab’s resources and know-how so it was an easy decision on my part to renew that relationship when it came to Lotus F1 Racing.” Mike Gascoyne
  

Young Driver Test

Teams sign up their young drivers for December…

• “It’s all my childhood dreams come true and, at the same time, it’s every racing driver’s ultimate goal. It’s thanks to Renault that I was able to get into single-seater racing, by winning a programme set up by Renault in Belgium to discover up-and-coming young talent from karting.” Bertrand Baguette
  
• “My target is to get to Formula 1 in the next few years so to be selected for this test is very important for my career. Of course, if I can get to F1 even sooner then that will be great, but first I must focus on Jerez.” Mirko Bortolotti
  
• “This is something I’ve dreamed about since I can remember, so I’m really looking forward to it. No way did I think I’d be getting this at the end of the year. I’m feeling very, very excited to be here and to see the seat’s getting done.” Daniel Ricciardo
  

The Shape of F1

The sport is going through some major changes…

• “It will take a while, it’s going to take a few years but Honda’s was their second or third involvement in Formula 1. Manufacturers look at the value to them of Formula 1, there’s no sentiment I’m afraid. So when it’s viable they come in, and when it’s not they don’t.” Ross Brawn
  
• “One of the things that wasn’t addressed in the 2009 rule changes was circuit design. If you look at tracks like Barcelona where nobody overtakes, and take exactly the same cars to tracks like Monza, Hockenheim etc, there’s plenty of overtaking. The difference is circuit layout.” Sam Michael
  
• “There has always been a core group. Ferrari have always been involved and Mercedes have a long history of being involved and riding the occasional storm. I think there are some manufacturers that take a day-to-day view and unfortunately those are leaving now but they are being filled up by a lot of private teams.” Ross Brawn
  

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