No Room for Nerves
March 8, 2010 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Renault driver Vitaly Petrov prepares to get in the car during F1 testing in Jerez. Petrov has said that he isn’t feeling nervous ahead of the season, although people keep asking him. He’s still learning but he says he’s used to racing and knows what’s expected of him. Team boss Eric Boullier confirmed the team were aiming for around about fourth in the championship – not aiming too high, then.
Credit: Andrew Ferraro / LAT Photographic
Cool Runnings
February 17, 2010 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Sébastien Buemi takes his Toro Rosso on an early morning lap of the Jerez circuit during Winter testing. Rain is expected to disrupt the weeks running, although skies did clear briefly on Wednesday afternoon.
Credit: Ker Robertson/Getty Images
Exit Baguette
December 1, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Bertrand Baguette exits the pits at the wheel of the Renault R29 in Jerez, Spain. The World Series by Renault champion could only manage 9th fastest time of the day, after completing a massive 105 laps under sunny Spanish skies.
Andy Soucek led the field while Brendon Hartley brought up the rear. Testing continues tomorrow.
Credit: Alastair Staley/LAT Photographic
Chasing Cars
August 24, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Luca Badoer behind the wheel of the F60 during the Valencian GP weekend. The Italian didn’t exactly make the most of his opportunities, facing the wrath of the stewards a couple of times, and finishing towards the back of the grid. However, his team seem to want to keep him for Spa.
Take It to the Bridge
August 21, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Romain Grosjean takes to the streets of Valencia for the first time – and for his first time behind the wheel. Grosjean put in a good and steady performance, whilst his teammate both posted the fastest time but also punted Heidfeld into the air during the afternoon.
Credit: Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic
19-May-09: Ferrari Drivers Confident for Monaco GP
May 19, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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This is F1 Minute for the 19th May 2009.
Massa and Raikkonen are both feeling very positive ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, with Massa suggesting that it could be the turnaround Ferrari are waiting for and Raikkonen confident a podium could be theirs. Kimi says: “It will be very important to see how things go during the free practice session to see if we made up some ground also on this track, like it happened in Spain. Last year we were able to place both cars in the first row and it would be a dream to repeat that.” And Felipe says: “The Spanish Grand Prix left me with good feelings, it was a different race from the others. I believe in the team, so I still count on a comeback on our part, both in the constructors’ and in the drivers’ championship.”
Of course today Ferrari took to the courts in France against the FIA’s 2010 regulations. The hearing lasted an hour, and apparently we’re expecting a decision tomorrow afternoon. That isn’t counting for appeals, though, of course.
That’s it for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
Brawn GP – Ross Brawn – Spanish Grand Prix Debrief
May 14, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
A: Our second one-two finish was a fantastic way to start the European season and we came away with maximum points to extend our lead in the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Jenson’s pole position on Saturday and the one-two result came after a great deal of hard work to maximise the performance of our new developments and I am extremely proud of Jenson, Rubens and the whole team.
Q: What was your strategy for the Spanish Grand Prix
A: Our strategy in Spain was for both drivers to have three pit stops. That was clearly the quickest strategy from our calculations and it gave us the advantage of a light fuel load for qualifying which paid off with Jenson on pole and Rubens in third position. Rubens had a fantastic start to the race to overtake Sebastian Vettel and Jenson before turn one and to be leading the race when the safety car came out. As the race developed and we approached the window for the first pit stops, it became clear that Jenson, who was stopping earlier than Rubens, would come out directly behind Nico Rosberg if we went with his planned three-stop strategy. That meant our strategy would have failed and therefore we changed him to two stops, as a conservative approach, to ensure that he could run in clean air. Rubens was going extremely quickly at the front at that time and his three-stop strategy was clearly the quickest option for him. Unfortunately his tyres did not perform well after his second stop which compromised his pace and ultimately cost him the race.
Q: How did Rubens feel immediately after the race
A: Straight after the race, when the adrenaline is still pumping like mad and they are immediately into the press conference and speaking to the media, the drivers often don’t know the full perspective of what happened during the race. They are in a little cocoon, effectively a goldfish bowl, during the race. All they see is what they are staring at through their visor. They don’t see all of the perspective of the race, they don’t know where the other cars are and they don’t know where they are going to come out after the pit stops. Rubens was naturally very angry and frustrated that he didn’t win the race. And in a way, I’m pleased that he’s angry and frustrated, as I don’t want drivers who are happy to concede. When Rubens got back and we had a full debrief, he was absolutely fine. Rubens has a Latin temperament and he wears his heart on his sleeve. That’s what led to his comments after the race and once he understood what had happened, those feelings disappeared completely.
Q: The team has always maintained that it does not have a number one driver. Is that the case
A: Yes. We do not have a number one driver and we do not intend to have one. Jenson and Rubens are on equal terms and conditions and they both get exactly the same equipment as best as we can.
Q: How is the atmosphere within the team
A: We are a small and close-knit team, both at the race track and at the factory, and our success is largely due to the fact that everyone is working so well together. Jenson and Rubens have been with the team for a few years now and they are fully integrated. Both are great team players. One of the key factors in creating such a good atmosphere comes from complete honesty. We have been, and will continue to be, completely honest with the drivers. They know the situation, their engineers know the situation, the team knows the situation. There is no favouritism.
Force India – Race – Spanish GP
May 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
The Spanish Grand Prix was a day of mixed fortunes for the Force India Formula One Team as Giancarlo Fisichella secured an encouraging 14th position while Adrian Sutil suffered the disappointment of a first lap retirement. Adrian made a good start from 19th position and had gained four positions into the first corner. Unfortunately through turn three he made contact with Jarno Trulli, who had skewed off line in his own separate incident. Adrian’s VJM02 picked up extensive damage and he retired on the spot.
2009 Spanish Grand Prix Race Report
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/03)
DNF: Accident (Lap 1)
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21, VJM02/04)
14th: 1:37:50.740 (+ 1 lap)
Giancarlo stayed clear of the melee and took advantage of the subsequent safety car period to pit for tyres and adjust his strategy. When the safety car withdrew Giancarlo stayed with the pack and had graduated to 10th by his first pit stop on lap 30. A long middle stint saw him fighting with Kubica, Piquet and Nakajima for 10th, however a problem with the fuel rig during his final stop dropped him to the rear of the field. The rig failed to discharge fuel when connected and Giancarlo was forced to return to the pits on the next lap. The Italian rejoined and continued to set his fastest times in the final 10 laps – including the 8th fastest lap of the race – to finish in 14th overall.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
‘I had a good start but then as I accelerated away from turn three I saw a car flying into me. Jarno had spun on the inside of the corner and he was just in front of me and I couldn’t do anything. It went so quickly and my car was damaged and I had to stop straight away. I wasn’t injured, just disappointed I couldn’t get to the end. I will have a good look at the accident after the race, but it was just one of those incidents that can happen at the start.’
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21)
‘The first corner was quite messy as Trulli spun in front of me and there was a lot of debris around the circuit. I was a little worried about having picked up some damage but in the end I was out of trouble and didn’t pick up anything. We decided to change the tyres under the safety car though and change the strategy, which was a good choice in the end. At the beginning the car was quite heavy and I tried to keep my pace. It wasn’t easy but then the car was getting better and in the last 10 laps I was one of the quickest on the circuit. Unfortunately in the last pit stop we had a problem with the refuelling so I had to come in and do another extra pit stop, which cost me the chance to go back ahead of Nakajima. Overall the car balance and grip were good so it’s encouraging for future races.’
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
‘Although the result was a fairly average one for us, I think there are positives we can take away. We’ve kept the upgrades coming through and, while we haven’t moved up the order, we certainly are closer than ever. Giancarlo’s times in the latter stages of the race also demonstrate a strong race performance and that we’ve got potential to achieve more. I think we can now look forward to Monaco with some confidence: we have further development coming through and it’s also been a good track for us in the past.’
Brawn GP – 2009 Spanish Grand Prix – Race
May 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Starting from third on the grid, Rubens had a fantastic start to the race as he passed Sebastian Vettel and Jenson, who started on pole, on the run down to the first corner. A multi-car collision brought out the safety car for the first four laps of the race with Rubens and Jenson heading the field in first and second positions.
With the racing underway on lap five, the two Brawn-Mercedes drivers concentrated on building a gap at the front. Jenson pitted first on lap 18 where his planned three-stop strategy was switched to a two-stop, followed by Rubens on lap 19. Rubens pitted for the second of his three stops on lap 31 and struggled with his tyres throughout his third stint which allowed Jenson to edge ahead on strategy by the time he came in for his final stop on lap 50.
Jenson took the chequered flag at the end of the 66-lap race to achieve his fourth victory and fifth consecutive podium of the season. Rubens’ second position and fastest lap of the race capped a fantastic start to Formula One’s European season for Brawn GP and engine partner Mercedes-Benz. The team has now extended its lead in the Constructors’ Championship with 68 points. Jenson leads the Drivers’ Championship on 41 points with Rubens in second place on 27 points.
JENSON BUTTON
“We thought that three-stops would be the quicker strategy here and that was what we fuelled for in Q3 yesterday. I had a good start from pole but Rubens had an absolute flier and I couldn’t hold him off. Having lost the lead and with the prospect of being caught behind Rosberg, we made the decision to switch to a two-stop strategy. The car felt so heavy with the fuel on board after my first stop but I worked really hard on my final two stints to make the strategy work for me. To come away with the win is a little unexpected but it means so much to continue our run of success. Obviously Rubens is disappointed not to have got the win today and he has been a huge help over the weekend in helping me overcome the issues that I faced on Friday. His turn will certainly come. There’s a great feeling within our team and I am very proud of them for producing such a great car. A special thanks to all the guys back at the factory in Brackley and to Norbert Haug and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. They supported our team through the difficult times and we couldn’t have achieved this without them.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“The race began really well for me and I had a great start overtaking Sebastian and Jenson to be leading the race coming out of turn one and through the safety car period. The car was feeling really good during the first stint and getting out from my first stop ahead of Nico on track set the race up nicely for me. I was quite surprised when Jenson’s strategy was switched and from then I knew that I had to go flat out to make my strategy work. However I suffered on my third set of tyres and was not able to get the lap times which would have kept me ahead of Jenson. It was a great result for Jenson and the team today but I am disappointed not to have won the race after having such a good weekend. I am a positive person however and I am confident that my victory will come soon.”
ROSS BRAWN
“A fantastic result for the team today after a great deal of hard work to maximise the performance of our new developments this weekend. Rubens had a great start to be leading the race from lap one and we asked both drivers to push as hard as possible to build a lead over the chasing pack. As we approached the window for the first pit stops, it became apparent that Jenson would come out directly behind Nico Rosberg if we went with his planned three-stop strategy. We therefore made the decision to switch Jenson onto a two-stop strategy to ensure that he could run in clean air. Rubens was going extremely quickly at the front at that time and his three-stop strategy was clearly the quickest option for him. Unfortunately his tyres did not perform well after his second stop which compromised his pace and ultimately cost him the race. Rubens has performed extremely well throughout this weekend and it has been largely thanks to his input that we have been able to maximise our pace and achieve the successes of today. Our second one-two finish is a fantastic way to start the European season and I am extremely proud of Jenson, Rubens and the team. Our thanks as always to Mercedes-Benz and all of our team partners for their continued support.”
BMW Sauber F1 Team – Spanish GP – Race
May 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
The BMW Sauber F1 Team scored two points at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday with Nick Heidfeld finishing seventh. While Heidfeld gained some places at the start, his team mate, Robert Kubica, lost several at this early stage and later in the race was stuck in traffic. He finished 11th. The new aero package on the F1.09 proved to be a clear improvement.
Nick Heidfeld: 7th
BMW Sauber F1.09-06 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap 1:23.878 min on lap 29 (10th fastest overall)
”It was a tough race but I think it was one of my better ones. I had hoped for points as a birthday present, but honestly didn’t really believe in this as I was starting from 13th. The start was the decisive time when I gained four positions. In the first corner I was hit from behind but luckily my car wasn’t damaged. It was not easy to defend my position against Kimi Raikkonen later on in the race, and our fight slowed me down, so I lost the contact with the front runners. Our pit crew did a fantastic job and got me in front of Nico Rosberg at my second pit stop. It is a great result for us and the race pace proved the new aero package is a clear improvement, which is very good news for the rest of the season.”
Robert Kubica: 11th
BMW Sauber F1.09-03 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap 1:24.078 min on lap 26 (11th fastest overall)
“At the start I lost several places due to a clutch problem. But that was only the beginning of a very difficult race. After the safety car period, my car had no grip at all. I just couldn’t push and the car was sliding all over the place. I really don’t understand what happened. Up to Q3 yesterday everything was going well, and the performance of the car was good, but today there was nothing I could do. We have to analyse what happened.”
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
“We made a come back for the start of the European season, although our situation after the first lap wasn’t that good. Robert got stuck in traffic at the start, lost five positions and was just able to avoid the early accident. Whereas Nick on the outside was able to gain some places. During the race it was our pit crew that did a great job and enabled Nick to get by another car with every pit stop. Two points for seventh place is not a big result, but it demonstrates the improved performance of the car with the new aero update. We can build on this.”
Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering):
“The significant modifications we made to the F1.09 obviously brought us one step forward. After the accident at the start Nick moved up from P13 to P9, and later he was able to gain another two positions. This was also thanks to the fantastic work by the pit crew with two excellent pit stops. Robert was unlucky as he was squeezed in at the start and lost a lot of positions. During the race he wasn’t able to drive at his true pace for most of the time because he was stuck in traffic. Now it’s all about bringing the next development steps onto the car as quickly as possible.”
