After a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris on Wednesday, Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, issued the following statement:
All currently competing teams have committed to the FIA Formula One World Championship.
There will be no alternative series or championship and the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009.
As part of this agreement, the teams will, within two years, reduce the costs of competing in the championship to the level of the early 1990s. The manufacturer teams have agreed to assist the new entries for 2010 by providing technical assistance.
The manufacturer teams have further agreed to the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body. They have also committed to the commercial arrangements for the FIA Formula One World Championship until 2012 and have agreed to renegotiate and extend this contract before the end of that period.
All teams will adhere to an upgraded version of the governance provisions of the 1998 Concorde Agreement.
The following teams have been accepted for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.
TEAM / CONSTRUCTOR
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO / FERRARI
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES / McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM / BMW SAUBER
RENAULT F1 TEAM / RENAULT
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING / TOYOTA
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO / STR TBA
RED BULL RACING / RBR TBA
AT&T WILLIAMS / WILLIAMS TOYOTA
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM / FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM / BRAWN TBA
CAMPOS META TEAM / CAMPOS COSWORTH
MANOR GRAND PRIX / MANOR COSWORTH
TEAM US F1 / TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
In view of this new agreement and with the prospect of a stable future for Formula One, FIA President Max Mosley has confirmed his decision not to stand for re-election in October this year.
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Friday 26 June 2009
Thursday 25 June 2009
Ferrari: Peace deal a victory for FOTA
Ferrari has hailed Wednesday’s breakthrough agreement with the FIA as a victory for the Formula One Teams’ Association and the realisation of its purpose.
The eight FOTA teams have abandoned plans to break away from Formula 1 and start their own rival championship after the governing body made major concessions at the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
FIA president Max Mosley – the focal point of FOTA’s ire – has agreed to stand down when his current term ends in October, and also to drop his controversial £40m budget cap in favour of FOTA-influenced cost-cutting measures.
Mosley suggested following Wednesday’s meeting that he had achieved his key aims of cutting costs and attracting new teams to F1, but Ferrari presented the outcome as an unqualified victory for FOTA.
“Today the FIA World Council accepted the proposals formulated by FOTA for the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship,” Ferrari declared in a statement on its official website.
“A Championship which will be held, as suggested by FOTA, in the spirit of sporting and technological competition, with clear and fixed rules and transparent governance, handled by the F1 Commission.
“The objective is to avoid continual changes decided on by one person alone and to gradually reduce costs, to get back to levels of spending similar to those of the early Nineties within the next two years.
“The FOTA teams constantly promoted these objectives in the interests of motorsport and all its protagonists, first and foremost the fans.”
Details of the governance reforms that have been agreed remain opaque, but the FIA indicated that changes would be made as part of an amended Concorde Agreement – while emphasising that the manufacturer teams had agreed to recognise “the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body
The eight FOTA teams have abandoned plans to break away from Formula 1 and start their own rival championship after the governing body made major concessions at the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
FIA president Max Mosley – the focal point of FOTA’s ire – has agreed to stand down when his current term ends in October, and also to drop his controversial £40m budget cap in favour of FOTA-influenced cost-cutting measures.
Mosley suggested following Wednesday’s meeting that he had achieved his key aims of cutting costs and attracting new teams to F1, but Ferrari presented the outcome as an unqualified victory for FOTA.
“Today the FIA World Council accepted the proposals formulated by FOTA for the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship,” Ferrari declared in a statement on its official website.
“A Championship which will be held, as suggested by FOTA, in the spirit of sporting and technological competition, with clear and fixed rules and transparent governance, handled by the F1 Commission.
“The objective is to avoid continual changes decided on by one person alone and to gradually reduce costs, to get back to levels of spending similar to those of the early Nineties within the next two years.
“The FOTA teams constantly promoted these objectives in the interests of motorsport and all its protagonists, first and foremost the fans.”
Details of the governance reforms that have been agreed remain opaque, but the FIA indicated that changes would be made as part of an amended Concorde Agreement – while emphasising that the manufacturer teams had agreed to recognise “the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body
Wednesday 24 June 2009
F1 peace deal averts breakaway threat
Formula 1 pulled back from the brink on Wednesday as rebel teams struck an 11th-hour deal with the FIA to prevent the sport splitting in two.
Following a meeting of the governing body’s World Motor Sport Council in Paris, the Formula One Teams’ Association dropped plans to form a breakaway championship in exchange for concessions from the FIA over cost-cutting and governance.
As part of the deal Max Mosley will stand down as FIA president when his current term of office ends in October – having signalled on Tuesday that he would seek re-election if what he saw as FOTA’s threat to the governing body’s authority persisted.
Mosley has also had to abandon his controversial budget cap scheme, although the manufacturer squads have agreed to deliver major additional cost savings over the next two years and have pledged their commitment to Formula 1 until 2012.
“There will be no split,” said Mosley.
“We have agreed to a reduction of costs.
“There will be one F1 championship but the objective is to get back to early 1990s level of spending within two years.”
Speaking about his own position, Mosley added: “I will not be up for re-election now we have peace.”
F1's commercial impresario Bernie Ecclestone, who had vowed to do everything in his power to keep the sport intact, declared that he was “very happy common sense has prevailed”.
The breakthrough ends months of public wrangling over the future direction of Formula 1, in which the eight FOTA teams have been at loggerheads with the FIA over its plans to introduce a budget cap in 2010 and the manner in which it governs the sport.
Specifics of the cost-cutting measures have not yet been released, but it appears the FIA has received undertakings from the teams to reduce costs on an aggressive timescale, but without the enforcement mechanism that a budget cap would entail.
One of FOTA’s main objections to the budget cap scheme was the potential intrusiveness of the auditing process and the power it would hand to the governing body to pore over the teams’ accounts.
The teams also wanted a phased approach to cost reduction to allow them time to downsize their organisations in an orderly fashion, and the two-year timetable mentioned by Mosley represents such a ‘glide path’.
However, getting budgets down to early 1990s levels by the end of 2011 will take them close to Mosley’s original target of £40 million per year. By what means such a drastic reduction is to be achieved remains to be seen.
The FOTA teams and car manufacturers had made it plain that Mosley’s abrasive leadership style was at the core of their objections to F1’s governance, and that they would not accept his remaining in office for a fifth term.
Mosley claims that he always intended to step down this October and only reconsidered that position because of what he saw as FOTA’s bid to emasculate the FIA, a threat which has now receded.
But there is no doubt the teams will regard it as a victory to have extracted from Mosley a firm pledge to bring his turbulent 16-year reign to an end in four months' time.
Now that all the current teams have signed up to next year's championship, the FIA will shelve plans to issue legal proceedings against Ferrari and FOTA and has confirmed the 2010 entry list.
Following a meeting of the governing body’s World Motor Sport Council in Paris, the Formula One Teams’ Association dropped plans to form a breakaway championship in exchange for concessions from the FIA over cost-cutting and governance.
As part of the deal Max Mosley will stand down as FIA president when his current term of office ends in October – having signalled on Tuesday that he would seek re-election if what he saw as FOTA’s threat to the governing body’s authority persisted.
Mosley has also had to abandon his controversial budget cap scheme, although the manufacturer squads have agreed to deliver major additional cost savings over the next two years and have pledged their commitment to Formula 1 until 2012.
“There will be no split,” said Mosley.
“We have agreed to a reduction of costs.
“There will be one F1 championship but the objective is to get back to early 1990s level of spending within two years.”
Speaking about his own position, Mosley added: “I will not be up for re-election now we have peace.”
F1's commercial impresario Bernie Ecclestone, who had vowed to do everything in his power to keep the sport intact, declared that he was “very happy common sense has prevailed”.
The breakthrough ends months of public wrangling over the future direction of Formula 1, in which the eight FOTA teams have been at loggerheads with the FIA over its plans to introduce a budget cap in 2010 and the manner in which it governs the sport.
Specifics of the cost-cutting measures have not yet been released, but it appears the FIA has received undertakings from the teams to reduce costs on an aggressive timescale, but without the enforcement mechanism that a budget cap would entail.
One of FOTA’s main objections to the budget cap scheme was the potential intrusiveness of the auditing process and the power it would hand to the governing body to pore over the teams’ accounts.
The teams also wanted a phased approach to cost reduction to allow them time to downsize their organisations in an orderly fashion, and the two-year timetable mentioned by Mosley represents such a ‘glide path’.
However, getting budgets down to early 1990s levels by the end of 2011 will take them close to Mosley’s original target of £40 million per year. By what means such a drastic reduction is to be achieved remains to be seen.
The FOTA teams and car manufacturers had made it plain that Mosley’s abrasive leadership style was at the core of their objections to F1’s governance, and that they would not accept his remaining in office for a fifth term.
Mosley claims that he always intended to step down this October and only reconsidered that position because of what he saw as FOTA’s bid to emasculate the FIA, a threat which has now receded.
But there is no doubt the teams will regard it as a victory to have extracted from Mosley a firm pledge to bring his turbulent 16-year reign to an end in four months' time.
Now that all the current teams have signed up to next year's championship, the FIA will shelve plans to issue legal proceedings against Ferrari and FOTA and has confirmed the 2010 entry list.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Ecclestone: I will not let F1 disintegrate
Monday, 22 June 2009 17:22
Bernie Ecclestone says he is determined to do whatever it takes to keep Formula 1 intact as the FIA versus FOTA row continues to escalate.
With the FOTA teams insisting they are pressing on with plans to launch a breakaway series, while the FIA both prepares to launch legal action against them and simultaneously holds out an apparent olive branch for negotiations to resume, the sport's future remains riddled with uncertainty.
Highlighted by many as a potential peacemaker, Ecclestone said he would do his utmost to defuse the crisis.
“I have given 35 years of my life and more to Formula 1,” he told The Times.
“My marriage broke up because of Formula 1, so I am sure as hell not going to let things disintegrate over what is, in the end, basically nothing.”
Ecclestone had previously suggested that he would respond aggressively if any rival series tried to muscle in on the television and circuit contracts his Formula One Management organisation had secured for the FIA world championship, while during the Silverstone weekend he was evasive whenever questioned about how he might resolve the row.
But the F1 ringmaster agreed with Max Mosley's suggestion that there was now very little separating the warring sides' positions.
“If you analyse the problems, there aren't any that can't be easily solved,” said Ecclestone.
While the teams' complaints have mainly centred on the FIA's proposed 2010 rules and ongoing governance issues, they have also indicated that they want changes to the way F1's revenue is distributed – and particularly for Ecclestone and F1's owner CVC to pass on a larger share to the teams.
Bernie Ecclestone says he is determined to do whatever it takes to keep Formula 1 intact as the FIA versus FOTA row continues to escalate.
With the FOTA teams insisting they are pressing on with plans to launch a breakaway series, while the FIA both prepares to launch legal action against them and simultaneously holds out an apparent olive branch for negotiations to resume, the sport's future remains riddled with uncertainty.
Highlighted by many as a potential peacemaker, Ecclestone said he would do his utmost to defuse the crisis.
“I have given 35 years of my life and more to Formula 1,” he told The Times.
“My marriage broke up because of Formula 1, so I am sure as hell not going to let things disintegrate over what is, in the end, basically nothing.”
Ecclestone had previously suggested that he would respond aggressively if any rival series tried to muscle in on the television and circuit contracts his Formula One Management organisation had secured for the FIA world championship, while during the Silverstone weekend he was evasive whenever questioned about how he might resolve the row.
But the F1 ringmaster agreed with Max Mosley's suggestion that there was now very little separating the warring sides' positions.
“If you analyse the problems, there aren't any that can't be easily solved,” said Ecclestone.
While the teams' complaints have mainly centred on the FIA's proposed 2010 rules and ongoing governance issues, they have also indicated that they want changes to the way F1's revenue is distributed – and particularly for Ecclestone and F1's owner CVC to pass on a larger share to the teams.
Monday 22 June 2009
Cosworth - a Formula One history
Legendary engine builders Cosworth will return to Formula One racing next season after a three-year absence, having agreed three-year supply deals with 2010 newcomers Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1. Their last appearance was with Williams and Toro Rosso at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, which marked the end of a 38-year run of F1 involvement.
Originally the brainchild of British engineers Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, Cosworth was set-up in a small London workshop in 1958. The pair, convinced their future paths lay in designing engines for racing cars, began working on the development of a Ford 105E unit almost immediately. Success followed and in 1960, Jim Clark drove to victory in a Cosworth-powered Lotus 18 in a Formula Junior race held at Goodwood.
The win would be the first of many for the engine builders and as their reputation grew, the company expanded and relocated to Northampton in the mid-sixties. In 1966, Duckworth signed a contract with Ford to develop a new three-litre Formula One engine. The agreement spawned the legendary DFV (Double Four Valve) engine and marked the beginning of a relationship which would last for almost four decades.
Duckworth’s DFV was a quantum leap forward in terms of engine design and remains the most successful in the history of Formula One racing. The first unit was delivered to Lotus in time for the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix and fittingly it was Jim Clark who drove it to a historic victory on its maiden outing.
The same engine, in different guises, would go on to win a total of 155 Grands Prix over the next 15 years. Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Nelson Piquet were just some of the names who took titles in the 1970s driving Cosworth-powered cars. Success wasn’t solely reserved for Formula One racing. In the seventies, the DFX version dominated the Indy/Cart series in the US, clinching a total of 10 championships and 151 wins during a 14-year reign.
Cosworth had supplanted the DFV with a new engine, the HB, by the late 1980s. This new design won 11 races between 1989 and 1993, before being replaced by the Zetec V8 F1, which powered Michael Schumacher to his first title for Benetton in 1994. When Benetton switched to Renault power the following year, Cosworth began supplying the Ford-supported Sauber team.
Another switch in 1996 saw Cosworth designing a new V10 engine for the Stewart Grand Prix team, run by three-time world champion Jackie Stewart. A three-year partnership followed, with steady progress resulting in Johnny Herbert’s victory in the 1999 European Grand Prix. In 2000, Ford bought Stewart, and Cosworth - by then already owned by the car manufacturer - continued to supply engines to the rechristened Jaguar team, alongside several other customer teams.
Ford departed Formula One racing at the end of 2004 and Cosworth once more came under new ownership. In 2005, both Red Bull and Minardi were powered by the company’s V10 engines, whilst in 2006 Cosworth supplied Williams with a newly-designed V8 and provided Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso with the older, rev-limited V10. The V8 proved an immediate hit, with Nico Rosberg scoring a fastest lap in Bahrain, and the engine received much praise - particularly for its ability to regularly rev to the magical 20,000 rpm mark.
However, it wasn’t enough to stop an inevitable Williams-Toyota deal for 2007. Toro Rosso also called time on their Cosworth contract and when the then Spyker team sealed a Ferrari deal it effectively ended Cosworth’s run of almost four decades in F1 racing. However, it didn’t stop the company retaining close ties with the FIA, whose ongoing efforts to bring down costs have included offering new teams a sensibly -priced, fixed-cost engine option. A new chapter in Cosworth’s F1 history has begun.
Originally the brainchild of British engineers Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, Cosworth was set-up in a small London workshop in 1958. The pair, convinced their future paths lay in designing engines for racing cars, began working on the development of a Ford 105E unit almost immediately. Success followed and in 1960, Jim Clark drove to victory in a Cosworth-powered Lotus 18 in a Formula Junior race held at Goodwood.
The win would be the first of many for the engine builders and as their reputation grew, the company expanded and relocated to Northampton in the mid-sixties. In 1966, Duckworth signed a contract with Ford to develop a new three-litre Formula One engine. The agreement spawned the legendary DFV (Double Four Valve) engine and marked the beginning of a relationship which would last for almost four decades.
Duckworth’s DFV was a quantum leap forward in terms of engine design and remains the most successful in the history of Formula One racing. The first unit was delivered to Lotus in time for the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix and fittingly it was Jim Clark who drove it to a historic victory on its maiden outing.
The same engine, in different guises, would go on to win a total of 155 Grands Prix over the next 15 years. Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Nelson Piquet were just some of the names who took titles in the 1970s driving Cosworth-powered cars. Success wasn’t solely reserved for Formula One racing. In the seventies, the DFX version dominated the Indy/Cart series in the US, clinching a total of 10 championships and 151 wins during a 14-year reign.
Cosworth had supplanted the DFV with a new engine, the HB, by the late 1980s. This new design won 11 races between 1989 and 1993, before being replaced by the Zetec V8 F1, which powered Michael Schumacher to his first title for Benetton in 1994. When Benetton switched to Renault power the following year, Cosworth began supplying the Ford-supported Sauber team.
Another switch in 1996 saw Cosworth designing a new V10 engine for the Stewart Grand Prix team, run by three-time world champion Jackie Stewart. A three-year partnership followed, with steady progress resulting in Johnny Herbert’s victory in the 1999 European Grand Prix. In 2000, Ford bought Stewart, and Cosworth - by then already owned by the car manufacturer - continued to supply engines to the rechristened Jaguar team, alongside several other customer teams.
Ford departed Formula One racing at the end of 2004 and Cosworth once more came under new ownership. In 2005, both Red Bull and Minardi were powered by the company’s V10 engines, whilst in 2006 Cosworth supplied Williams with a newly-designed V8 and provided Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso with the older, rev-limited V10. The V8 proved an immediate hit, with Nico Rosberg scoring a fastest lap in Bahrain, and the engine received much praise - particularly for its ability to regularly rev to the magical 20,000 rpm mark.
However, it wasn’t enough to stop an inevitable Williams-Toyota deal for 2007. Toro Rosso also called time on their Cosworth contract and when the then Spyker team sealed a Ferrari deal it effectively ended Cosworth’s run of almost four decades in F1 racing. However, it didn’t stop the company retaining close ties with the FIA, whose ongoing efforts to bring down costs have included offering new teams a sensibly -priced, fixed-cost engine option. A new chapter in Cosworth’s F1 history has begun.
Sunday 21 June 2009
Virgin Brawn link-up
Branson joined forces with Brawn GP before the Australian Grand Prix
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson says his company are unlikely to sponsor Formula 1 team Brawn GP next season because it will be too expensive.
Virgin helped Brawn GP get off the ground when they formed after Honda pulled out of F1 in December 2008.
But the team's success is set to see their sponsorship rates rise.
"I suspect next year the price will be astronomical and we may have to look somewhere else with a smaller team," Branson told Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek.
Brawn GP's Jenson Button currently leads the drivers' standings, while the team are also top of the constructors' championship ahead of Sunday's British GP.
As a result, Ross Brawn's outfit has become a more attractive proposition for sponsorship, although Branson says his company have earned the benefit they wanted from the partnership.
"We have most likely got the mileage we needed from it," he added. "Their [Brawn GP's] value has gone from next to nothing to £50m a year and we're delighted for them."
With the budget-cap row in F1 reaching crisis point this week after eight leading teams - including Brawn - announced plans for a breakaway series, sponsorship is a key issue as teams and investors alike wait to see what form of competition goes ahead in 2010.
Branson called for "sense to prevail" and the sport to remain unified as the opposing sides seek a way forward.
"I think it would be a great pity [for them to split]," he said. "Both sides need to sit down and sense needs to prevail.
"There are good arguments on both sides. Certainly the cost base of Formula 1 needs to be reduced and most of the teams seem to agree to that.
"The difference between the two sides needs to be sorted out."
If a split does happen and a rival championship established, Brawn admits his team will need financial support from their cash-rich rivals to thrive.
"There has to be a structure which supports the small teams," said the team chief, whose outfit have no funding in place for 2010.
"I'm confident a system will be in place to provide the funding that teams like mine will need."
Brawn dismissed concern that a new championship made of teams from the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) could not match the financial pull of the historic Formula 1 brand.
"I think the Fota teams are confident that their sponsors will follow them into this championship," he said Brawn.
"They've had discussions with their sponsors and a lot of people see this as a new and exciting opportunity to re-shape Formula One."
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson says his company are unlikely to sponsor Formula 1 team Brawn GP next season because it will be too expensive.
Virgin helped Brawn GP get off the ground when they formed after Honda pulled out of F1 in December 2008.
But the team's success is set to see their sponsorship rates rise.
"I suspect next year the price will be astronomical and we may have to look somewhere else with a smaller team," Branson told Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek.
Brawn GP's Jenson Button currently leads the drivers' standings, while the team are also top of the constructors' championship ahead of Sunday's British GP.
As a result, Ross Brawn's outfit has become a more attractive proposition for sponsorship, although Branson says his company have earned the benefit they wanted from the partnership.
"We have most likely got the mileage we needed from it," he added. "Their [Brawn GP's] value has gone from next to nothing to £50m a year and we're delighted for them."
With the budget-cap row in F1 reaching crisis point this week after eight leading teams - including Brawn - announced plans for a breakaway series, sponsorship is a key issue as teams and investors alike wait to see what form of competition goes ahead in 2010.
Branson called for "sense to prevail" and the sport to remain unified as the opposing sides seek a way forward.
"I think it would be a great pity [for them to split]," he said. "Both sides need to sit down and sense needs to prevail.
"There are good arguments on both sides. Certainly the cost base of Formula 1 needs to be reduced and most of the teams seem to agree to that.
"The difference between the two sides needs to be sorted out."
If a split does happen and a rival championship established, Brawn admits his team will need financial support from their cash-rich rivals to thrive.
"There has to be a structure which supports the small teams," said the team chief, whose outfit have no funding in place for 2010.
"I'm confident a system will be in place to provide the funding that teams like mine will need."
Brawn dismissed concern that a new championship made of teams from the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) could not match the financial pull of the historic Formula 1 brand.
"I think the Fota teams are confident that their sponsors will follow them into this championship," he said Brawn.
"They've had discussions with their sponsors and a lot of people see this as a new and exciting opportunity to re-shape Formula One."
British Grand Prix - Race Round-Up
======================================================================
1 S. Vettel Red Bull Racing
2 M. Webber Red Bull Racing
3 R. Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team
4 F. Massa Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
5 N. Rosberg AT&T Williams
6 J. Button Brawn GP Formula One Team
7 J. Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing
8 K. Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
9 T. Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing
Panasonic Toyota Racing left Silverstone with two points after a
frustrating British Grand Prix at Silverstone today. Hopes were high
for a podium challenge after an extremely competitive qualifying
performance but on another chilly Silverstone afternoon they turned
to disappointment when the red lights went out to signify the start
of the race. Jarno Trulli started on the second row but a launch
issue saw him lose ground off the line to leave him seventh at the
end of the first lap. Timo Glock dropped three places to 11th on the
opening lap. Jarno's first pit stop came on lap 18 and he opted for
another set of soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with fast work by the
pit crew moving him up to sixth. Timo made his first pit stop a lap
later and followed the same tyre strategy, emerging again in 11th.
With track temperatures only 30°C, the team chose a short final
stint for both drivers on the hard tyres. Jarno dropped to seventh
but Timo came out ninth and fighting for the final point. As Jarno
brought the car home in seventh, Timo hounded the eighth-placed Kimi
Raikkonen but there was no opportunity to pass.
1 S. Vettel Red Bull Racing
2 M. Webber Red Bull Racing
3 R. Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team
4 F. Massa Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
5 N. Rosberg AT&T Williams
6 J. Button Brawn GP Formula One Team
7 J. Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing
8 K. Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
9 T. Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing
Panasonic Toyota Racing left Silverstone with two points after a
frustrating British Grand Prix at Silverstone today. Hopes were high
for a podium challenge after an extremely competitive qualifying
performance but on another chilly Silverstone afternoon they turned
to disappointment when the red lights went out to signify the start
of the race. Jarno Trulli started on the second row but a launch
issue saw him lose ground off the line to leave him seventh at the
end of the first lap. Timo Glock dropped three places to 11th on the
opening lap. Jarno's first pit stop came on lap 18 and he opted for
another set of soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with fast work by the
pit crew moving him up to sixth. Timo made his first pit stop a lap
later and followed the same tyre strategy, emerging again in 11th.
With track temperatures only 30°C, the team chose a short final
stint for both drivers on the hard tyres. Jarno dropped to seventh
but Timo came out ninth and fighting for the final point. As Jarno
brought the car home in seventh, Timo hounded the eighth-placed Kimi
Raikkonen but there was no opportunity to pass.
FIA post-race press conference - Great Britain
Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA
1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h22m49.328s; 2nd Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1h23m04.516s; 3rd Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP), 1h23m30.503s.
Q: Sebastian, your first dry grand prix victory. Fantastic start. In the first stint you are pulling away at a second a lap from everyone else. You were told to calm down by your team in the middle stint but was it really as easy as it looked today?
Sebastian Vettel: You know, it is never easy. It is a long, long race and I think particularly at this fantastic circuit everyone of us is enjoying it a lot. Fast corners. it is a dream, really, so you have to stay focused and keep your eyes open all the time. It is not easy. But as you say the start was very important, then in the first stint I tried to push as hard as I could to pull away and make a gap which I knew would be crucial as then I would benefit basically the whole race from it which worked perfectly well. I had a fantastic car. I mean it was unbelievable. I was able to push, push, push more and more and more and the tyres were very consistent, so very good tyres as well. I am very pleased. The second stint wasn't easy at all when the team said to me 'be careful'. I had a lot of traffic and a lot of lapped cars at that stage and they were battling each other, so it was quite tricky you know when you come from behind and you can’t really get close. They are fighting between themselves. It was anything else but easy. You had to stay patient and it was difficult as I knew I had a big gap but I couldn’t see, so I was always asking and checking ‘how much is the gap, how is the pace, how are we doing.’ It was great and in the last pit stop I was in clean air. From then I think the last 10 laps I was counting every single lap down and I had quite a big gap to Mark, so I was controlling the race from that point onwards. You could say the last 10 laps were quite easy but before that obviously it wasn’t. I was pushing very hard and in the second stint it was more like a slalom. I had to pass a lot of lapped cars but after that obviously it was fantastic. I am very, very pleased with the result. I mean fantastic. It shows that we are on the right way. Every single one has been working hard and it doesn’t matter whether here at the track or back at the factory. Bringing the car to where it is just now is fantastic. It was all kind of last minute but we did it and we proved both of us that it is a step in the right direction, so I am very pleased. Also I want to thank Silverstone. It is only my second time here but I enjoyed it so much and when I looked left and right in the last two laps the people were already standing up and clapping and cheering. It was fantastic. The emotions then especially as I crossed the chequered flag. Every single person in the grandstands I have to thank. It was fantastic. The atmosphere was great. This is what I was dreaming of when I saw the first grands prix here in Silverstone in the era of Mansell and so on, so it is kind of unreal now to think I am here and I have made it. I have won this grand prix, so I am very, very happy.
Q: Mark, where was your chance of victory lost? Do you think it was yesterday in qualifying or today in the first stint behind Rubens?
Mark Webber: Probably yesterday. I mean we needed to get on the front row at least and I think then the first stint today we knew the way that Sebastian was pulling away and Rubens was doing his best, his car did not look that easy, and I was just sitting in behind. It is so difficult to get close here, so the race was virtually lost in that first stint. From then on Sebastian had such a gap after the first 20 laps of the race that it was absolutely no chance for me to bridge that gap. It was way too big. As he said we had a lot of traffic in the second stint. Then in the last stint it was just a question of getting the car home. The guys reported that I had some damage at the back of the car, so from the second stop we had to use a different gear pattern for the last stint but in general I want to echo Sebastian’s words. This team, the guys have absolutely buried themselves, at the factory. The night shifts, the attention to detail now they go into, is an absolute credit to them. They have been led very well and they are responding to that. And results help. It is an incredible injection for them to get these top results, a one-two on the home turf. The factory down the road is the ultimate result for them. It is the best I could have done today. I don’t think I could have got much more from that result, so congratulations to Sebastian, he did a good first stint and that is what laid the foundations. That was really my race. I enjoyed it and again Silverstone what an amazing track. We love driving these Formula One cars here. It is just incredible to go through that first sector lap after lap after lap. It is a brilliant place for a Formula One car and certainly destroys a lot of the other venues we have been picked in the last few years of our careers if you like. And the British fans are always fantastic, so it was great.
Q: Rubens, a lot of pressure on Brawn GP this weekend. It has been a difficult weekend for the team. What do you take away from this and how much pride do you personally take from your performance today?
Rubens Barrichello: A lot of pride because at the end of the day it was very difficult. I mean yesterday as I said we were thinking that third was the best we could have and we knew that if the track didn't change a little bit it was going to be difficult to beat them. They were the class of field this weekend. I am proud of the achievement I had. The second stint was very, very difficult on the harder tyres. It was difficult to hold on to people and with the winds crossing the track which sometimes would throw you onto the marbles. In turn one I had a couple where I was running off the track and it was very, very difficult to know if the wind would hit you or not at that time, so it was difficult to follow the lines. Unfortunately they were really, really fast but I did what I had to do. My target to the end of the year is really to close the gap on Jenson and I think we all did today. Also I want to thank all the doctors that helped me this weekend because I was in terrible back pain and Doctor Cecarelli and the doctors at Toro Rosso and my friends there that helped me and my physio as my back really hurt the whole weekend and they helped me big time, so I could finish the race in good feeling.”
Q: Sebastian, was this dominance this weekend all about the track and the conditions or are you and Red Bull really on a roll now which is going to say something about the second half of the season?
SV: I wouldn't mind if we could continue like that but I think it is a bit of everything. This circuit is fantastic and suits our car. A lot of high speed corners. Mark was saying the first sector is just great every single lap and I have seen our car is behaving fantastically well in all these sorts of corners, medium speed, high speed, so the rhythm is really nice here, so I think that is one reason. On the other hand I think we have made a nice step forward. I think it helps us of course in medium speed and high speed corners but also in low speed, so I think we have improved the car a bit everywhere. Therefore I think it all came together and we did a good job, the whole team was working perfectly fine and therefore I think if you want to say it in that way we were quite dominant today.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Sebastian, give us an idea about how different the tyres were. Did you have any problems with the different types?
SV: No, I mean looking at the result I wouldn’t say problems. I am very, very pleased obviously. To sum up the race the most crucial stint was the first one. I knew I had to have a good start and then defend first position and then I tried every single lap to push as hard as I could to build up a gap. I knew that it would only help me for whatever comes in the second and third stint. It worked perfectly well. I could see on the board every single lap nearly a second more, a second more, a second more, so it was fantastic to see. The tyres were, I have to say, very consistent, both compounds, the soft ones and the hard ones. We were not 100 per cent sure before the race which was the preferred one. You never know on Sunday. The conditions can change and so on, so it wasn’t that easy but I think in the end we did the right thing. Then obviously towards the end you feel a little bit the tyres starting to go off, so it becomes a bit more difficult out of the low speed to control the traction but I think the car was fantastic today. As I said in the first stint I was able to open up a very big gap. The second stint was quite difficult because there was a lot of traffic, a lot of lapped cars, and it was sometimes quite tricky and also my engineer came on the radio and reported to me to be patient enough as obviously they were fighting between themselves and I was catching up. The only thing you want is to pass, so you want them to let you by. On the other hand they are fighting themselves. I have been in the other position and saw the leader behind me, me in the middle of nowhere and fighting against the others. Then the last thing you want to do is pull over and let the car behind you by to lose time. But I have to say very good behaviour by all the drivers. Of course you are losing time. But still I think it was a very, very good for every single one. Then in the third stint obviously I could see on the board again and I was all the time in radio contact with the team asking for pace and how we were doing and so on. In the end we were just about saving the car and bringing the result home. Fantastic here; one and two. The factory is down the road, so as I said yesterday I can only make huge compliments. Every single one, it doesn’t matter here in the factory or at the track, has been working very hard and it has been tough to get this car where it is now so, especially the update we had for here was pretty much on the edge but we made it and I think it totally paid off. Results are the best way to say thank you to every single one. Also a lot of people were here at the circuit. Apart from all the spectators, I have to say the atmosphere was great. I regret a little bit I am not an Englishman as the fans are fantastic. Already in the last few laps I could see the people standing up and cheering. At the time I wanted to wave and say ‘thank you’ but then I said there have been stories in the past where it didn’t look too good with drivers doing it and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Then when I crossed the line it was unbelievable. Also the whole podium ceremony was fantastic, so thank you.
Q: At half distance you lost three seconds. Was that because of traffic?
SV: Yes, as I said the middle stint – pretty much the middle of the race around lap 30 - I caught three cars. Fernando (Alonso), Lewis (Hamilton) and Nelson (Piquet) and it was quite tricky. As my engineer said to be patient I tried to be. I knew I had quite a big gap and I wasn’t in a rush to pass. The last thing I wanted was to have a collision or anything. Also with the debris at some stage I was quite cautious but I think that was the main reason. I had no issues from the car. It was working perfectly fine from lap one to lap 60.
Q: Rubens has mentioned the winds affecting his car. Did they affect yours?
SV: Yes, it did. He is totally right. I think the best example was turn one. I think from the beginning of the race to the end of the race the wind turned roughly 180 degrees. You could feel on the speed you were simple able to have going into Maggots and then Becketts. It was quite tricky. You arrive there and you are always on the edge and sometimes the wind is just taking you and then you end up in the marbles. You try not to lose too much time but I have to say the car was very, very good today especially in sector one, so I was very pleased, so we were able to cope very well I think even with the windy conditions.
Q: And Nürburgring next.
SV: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. It’s my home race, we have had this home race for the team, kind of, strictly speaking not! I think as everyone noticed the anthem this time, the national anthem for the team was the right one (Austrian) but the factory is down the road, so it’s a fantastic result here at home. And the next one is for me at home, which is great. I hope to continue and try to repeat what we did here, which won’t be easy but for sure, that’s what we’re aiming for.
Q: Mark, when you were behind Rubens, how much were you bottled up, how close could you get, was it just a matter of waiting for him to make a mistake?
MW: No I wasn’t worried about… I think it’s Rubens’s second or third Grand Prix, so he’s quite experienced and I knew that he was doing the best he could and that was the case. It’s very hard to get close at Silverstone, it was a question of me saving fuel. I was just saving fuel and more fuel and then just making sure I jumped him at the first stop. Obviously it was disappointing to see Sebastian disappearing because I knew how important that situation in qualifying was which happened to me. But anyway, I don’t think I could have got much more out of today. I said before the race, the first race is with Rubens and if that happens quite quickly then maybe I can have a race with Sebastian. If my first stint was behind Rubens then Sebastian was going to have a boring race; that’s what I said before the race and that turned out to be the case. He had quite a straightforward afternoon and so did I, actually, in the end. As Sebastian said there was a lot of traffic in the second stint and in the end it was just controlling throughout the stint. There was no way, ever, given how close we are, that I was ever going to close twenty seconds in two stints, it was never going to happen. We’re pushing the car together, the development is in the same direction, so all this stuff is good for us. The guys have buried themselves at the factory, including Renault with the engines. Obviously Dietrich (Mateschitz), the big boss back in Austria, is very proud of us today, getting a first and second again this year and I’m looking forward to my day when I can jump into the seat next to me. But today I’m actually happy with what I got out of it. Sebastian deserves to win today, so we’ll take it to another day.
Q: You mentioned a gear problem just now, you didn’t seem to lose too much time with it; could you just explain what happened?
MW: The guys said I had some damage to my bodywork. I don’t know if it was from the Bourdais/Kovalainen shunt at turn eight because I was quite close to that and it just happened in front of me. I don’t know where the damage was to the car but the guys asked me to… actually it wasn’t a gearbox problem. I had to use a different rev profile for the lap, so we needed to use different gears in different corners, so that was always a new challenge for the driver to work out exactly what the engineers want you to do. Then they said ‘don’t do that too long because now the engine’s getting another problem,’ so we had a few little things bubbling away but it didn’t really affect… I’m sure I’ll find out a bit more about it later but it was a case of me getting the car home.
Q: Rubens, when you were ahead of Mark, did you know you were probably in trouble?
RB: Yeah, we knew from yesterday the car that they had, so it was going to be a difficult one. It was close actually. When I came around the first corner and he was exiting the pits I needed not a little bit to stay in front but all in all, you saw him, when he was in front he disappeared and there was nothing I could do. And to make things worse, I think it was probably a tough choice to go on the harder tyres right in the middle. There was very little between the tyres all through the weekend but in the race I think the softer tyres performed better, so to have a long stint on the harder tyre was a tough call. Then I saw Rosberg and Massa coming along, so it was a tough race for me. The car is balanced but we lack grip. We were hoping that the weather could get a little hotter but it never did, so it was a struggle but having said that, I’m happy because all in all I took some points out of Jenson, so for me that’s the target that I have achieved.
Q: You’ve had a bit of a worry about the tyre temperatures at this circuit. Do you think that may be the same situation at the Nürburgring? We don’t know what the weather’s going to be, obviously.
RB: Nürburgring can be snowing or it can be deadly hot, so it’s a very difficult place to see what’s going to happen. It’s three weeks away, we have a chance there that it could be hotter or anything but we need to work on that (tyre temperature). We had that situation before in Shanghai and the Red Bulls were quite strong and I believe that that’s the situation right now. We haven’t all of a sudden lost performance, we just think it’s to do with a little bit of the weather.
Q: You mentioned your back; when did that make itself apparent?
RB: On the trip, on the way to England (from Brazil) I started to feel my back, especially my lower back, hurting. After I ran on Friday morning, when I got out of the car, it was really, really stiff. The massage wasn’t doing anything and obviously nowadays you cannot take any medicine, so I had to check the doctors and check everyone and they helped me big time. So I’m feeling good. Luckily the position that I’m sitting in the car is comfortable for the lower back. From now on it’s going to be a problem but it’s fine as long as it’s not a problem with the car, it’s fine.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) This is question for Rubens and Sebastian: do you think you are putting back interest into the championship after the six wins out of seven races for Jenson Button, and how difficult do you think it will be to catch him?
RB: Jenson has been quite strong in every race this year. Let’s say he birdied the first holes, I hope he bogeys the next ones and I can birdy. It’s pretty much like that. I hope that this is a turnaround here.
SV: As Rubens said, I think Jenson was very strong in all eight races we’ve had so far and he totally deserves to be in this position. Looking at the championship, he obviously has quite a comfortable lead still but we’re trying to do our best and I think the only thing that makes sense is to use every single opportunity we have. As I said before, we’re working very, very hard, the team is very determined and we know where we want to be, we want to win. I think that’s the only way to turn it around. For sure it won’t be easy but we are totally up for the fight. The season is still very long, anything can happen still. You never know what is going to happen.
Q: (Bob Bull – BBC Three Counties Radio) Question for Rubens: Felipe Massa was right on your tail having started from eleventh. Are the Ferraris getting closer to the Brawns as well? You didn’t beat him by a great amount.
RB: Well, I think Ferrari is strong everywhere in any case. The fact is that with their car, and whatever the behaviour is, they are stronger in some races and not in some others. Here, they didn’t seem to be very competitive in qualifying, especially with Felipe, but then he had a good strategy and he made up the gap. But the cars are very similar. If you take Istanbul, in qualifying, for example, there was 1.4s between the whole grid. If you have the car adjusted to one particular track you’re going to have something happening quite quickly. Plus, I think Formula One is now developing so fast and we have new parts for the car at every race and everyone is doing that. You’re going to see teams coming from the back, for sure.
Q: (Mohammed Khan – The National, Abu Dhabi) Sebastian, what will it take to overhaul Jenson? You talk about perfection, is it going to take perfection for the rest of the season for Red Bull to catch them?
SV: I think the only thing it takes is towards the end of the season to collect more points and then at the end you sum it up and whoever has scored more becomes champion. That’s all it takes. Of course there’s hard work behind it, as Rubens says. Every single team is pushing hard. I think the fact that we’re very competitive this weekend is down to a lot of factors. First of all, I think we have made a step forward. The car was brilliant here and this circuit suits us. On top of that I think the conditions were right for us, we had no issues with the tyres, so everything was working and it was very close to being perfect which is very, very difficult to achieve but it should always be the target. In the end, you can’t really foresee what’s going to happen but I can assure you we will try very, very hard to improve, even from where we are now and try to collect more points than all our competitors.
Q: (Don Kennedy – Hawke’s Bay Today, New Zealand) This was billed as Jenson Button’s race to lose, if you like. Do you think you’ve not only gained on the track from the result today but also psychologically, and perhaps Rubens that might even apply to you?
RB: Like I said, he was on a roll. It’s almost as if everything was opening right up in front of him and he used that for him very well. There’s nothing to say against that. We are sportsmen and if you can make that into a turnaround and work for yourself with the energy and try to get everything for you, you’re doing very well. But I think Jenson is quite mature already, so he’s going to be strong. It’s not that I think that with one sixth place he can flick it up, I think everything that we’re going to conquer towards the end of the season we’re going to conquer, he’s not going to give us any opportunity but that’s why it’s nice and I think it’s a good challenge.
SV: In the end I can only confirm what Rubens says, you know. When it comes to me, I’m not really a fan of all these psychological tricks and mindset and so on. All I try to do is to squeeze the car out every single time, every single lap and to do the best I can. Of course, sometimes you might have to attack more than is probably good for you and you might risk a lot and sometimes lose it. Yes, it happens, I think that happens in sports, that happens in motor racing and I think that’s human. As I said, in the end you have to use every single day you have and the one who is most consistent and has done the best job fully deserves to win in the end. It might be a one point advantage or a fifty points’ advantage to the guy behind.
Q: (Sean McGreevy – CSMA Magazine) There have been a lot of politics this weekend. In your opinion, what does F1 need to do to secure its future?
SV: Ha, that’s a good one. I knew that something would come up. I think we have to see everything clearly. We’re all in the same boat, all the drivers. Everything we want, and in the end the only thing we want, is to race against each other. We want to compete with the best cars in the world against the best drivers. I think that has been the attraction of Formula One and that’s why Formula One is the peak of motor sport. We are all here to race. When it comes to all these politics, I know there’s a lot going on. Maybe you can say I should be more concerned but all I’m worried about now is what happens to me in the sport. I think that as a professional sportsman you should always have your focus on what really matters, and if you ask me what matters, the only thing that matters right now is what we do with the car at the track, so I think that is the most important thing. On top of that, I think it’s quite complex and to really have an opinion you have to have enough knowledge and to have enough knowledge you have to be one of the people who are able to know what is really going on and I have to admit that I don’t really care that much what’s happening. All I care about is what happens to my car and what is happening to me at the track. I think we are all of the same opinion in a way. The last thing we want is to have too much holiday. We all like and we all love racing, I think that’s the reason why we are here, and we want to continue fighting against each other and find out every single weekend and every single year who is the best one.
Q: (Adam Scriven – Racing Post) Mark, the earlier questions about the championship situation weren’t addressed to you but you’re still very much in the title race. How do you rate your chances at the moment?
MW: Well, I’m getting some pretty good results. I’ve had very consistent Sunday afternoons. Saturday is crucial, we know that, in terms of how tight it is between the four of us, and especially in the last few events. I’m still very confident that I can haul some good points in the future. Whether it’s enough to be consistently ahead of these guys remains to be seen but thanks for flagging that up. I’m out there and yeah, I’m very happy with my performances so far this year. It doesn’t take much to turn things round, so I’m looking forward to Nürburgring. It could be mixed conditions and then we’ve got Budapest. Yeah, there are some good races coming up which will test us again and yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h22m49.328s; 2nd Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1h23m04.516s; 3rd Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP), 1h23m30.503s.
Q: Sebastian, your first dry grand prix victory. Fantastic start. In the first stint you are pulling away at a second a lap from everyone else. You were told to calm down by your team in the middle stint but was it really as easy as it looked today?
Sebastian Vettel: You know, it is never easy. It is a long, long race and I think particularly at this fantastic circuit everyone of us is enjoying it a lot. Fast corners. it is a dream, really, so you have to stay focused and keep your eyes open all the time. It is not easy. But as you say the start was very important, then in the first stint I tried to push as hard as I could to pull away and make a gap which I knew would be crucial as then I would benefit basically the whole race from it which worked perfectly well. I had a fantastic car. I mean it was unbelievable. I was able to push, push, push more and more and more and the tyres were very consistent, so very good tyres as well. I am very pleased. The second stint wasn't easy at all when the team said to me 'be careful'. I had a lot of traffic and a lot of lapped cars at that stage and they were battling each other, so it was quite tricky you know when you come from behind and you can’t really get close. They are fighting between themselves. It was anything else but easy. You had to stay patient and it was difficult as I knew I had a big gap but I couldn’t see, so I was always asking and checking ‘how much is the gap, how is the pace, how are we doing.’ It was great and in the last pit stop I was in clean air. From then I think the last 10 laps I was counting every single lap down and I had quite a big gap to Mark, so I was controlling the race from that point onwards. You could say the last 10 laps were quite easy but before that obviously it wasn’t. I was pushing very hard and in the second stint it was more like a slalom. I had to pass a lot of lapped cars but after that obviously it was fantastic. I am very, very pleased with the result. I mean fantastic. It shows that we are on the right way. Every single one has been working hard and it doesn’t matter whether here at the track or back at the factory. Bringing the car to where it is just now is fantastic. It was all kind of last minute but we did it and we proved both of us that it is a step in the right direction, so I am very pleased. Also I want to thank Silverstone. It is only my second time here but I enjoyed it so much and when I looked left and right in the last two laps the people were already standing up and clapping and cheering. It was fantastic. The emotions then especially as I crossed the chequered flag. Every single person in the grandstands I have to thank. It was fantastic. The atmosphere was great. This is what I was dreaming of when I saw the first grands prix here in Silverstone in the era of Mansell and so on, so it is kind of unreal now to think I am here and I have made it. I have won this grand prix, so I am very, very happy.
Q: Mark, where was your chance of victory lost? Do you think it was yesterday in qualifying or today in the first stint behind Rubens?
Mark Webber: Probably yesterday. I mean we needed to get on the front row at least and I think then the first stint today we knew the way that Sebastian was pulling away and Rubens was doing his best, his car did not look that easy, and I was just sitting in behind. It is so difficult to get close here, so the race was virtually lost in that first stint. From then on Sebastian had such a gap after the first 20 laps of the race that it was absolutely no chance for me to bridge that gap. It was way too big. As he said we had a lot of traffic in the second stint. Then in the last stint it was just a question of getting the car home. The guys reported that I had some damage at the back of the car, so from the second stop we had to use a different gear pattern for the last stint but in general I want to echo Sebastian’s words. This team, the guys have absolutely buried themselves, at the factory. The night shifts, the attention to detail now they go into, is an absolute credit to them. They have been led very well and they are responding to that. And results help. It is an incredible injection for them to get these top results, a one-two on the home turf. The factory down the road is the ultimate result for them. It is the best I could have done today. I don’t think I could have got much more from that result, so congratulations to Sebastian, he did a good first stint and that is what laid the foundations. That was really my race. I enjoyed it and again Silverstone what an amazing track. We love driving these Formula One cars here. It is just incredible to go through that first sector lap after lap after lap. It is a brilliant place for a Formula One car and certainly destroys a lot of the other venues we have been picked in the last few years of our careers if you like. And the British fans are always fantastic, so it was great.
Q: Rubens, a lot of pressure on Brawn GP this weekend. It has been a difficult weekend for the team. What do you take away from this and how much pride do you personally take from your performance today?
Rubens Barrichello: A lot of pride because at the end of the day it was very difficult. I mean yesterday as I said we were thinking that third was the best we could have and we knew that if the track didn't change a little bit it was going to be difficult to beat them. They were the class of field this weekend. I am proud of the achievement I had. The second stint was very, very difficult on the harder tyres. It was difficult to hold on to people and with the winds crossing the track which sometimes would throw you onto the marbles. In turn one I had a couple where I was running off the track and it was very, very difficult to know if the wind would hit you or not at that time, so it was difficult to follow the lines. Unfortunately they were really, really fast but I did what I had to do. My target to the end of the year is really to close the gap on Jenson and I think we all did today. Also I want to thank all the doctors that helped me this weekend because I was in terrible back pain and Doctor Cecarelli and the doctors at Toro Rosso and my friends there that helped me and my physio as my back really hurt the whole weekend and they helped me big time, so I could finish the race in good feeling.”
Q: Sebastian, was this dominance this weekend all about the track and the conditions or are you and Red Bull really on a roll now which is going to say something about the second half of the season?
SV: I wouldn't mind if we could continue like that but I think it is a bit of everything. This circuit is fantastic and suits our car. A lot of high speed corners. Mark was saying the first sector is just great every single lap and I have seen our car is behaving fantastically well in all these sorts of corners, medium speed, high speed, so the rhythm is really nice here, so I think that is one reason. On the other hand I think we have made a nice step forward. I think it helps us of course in medium speed and high speed corners but also in low speed, so I think we have improved the car a bit everywhere. Therefore I think it all came together and we did a good job, the whole team was working perfectly fine and therefore I think if you want to say it in that way we were quite dominant today.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Sebastian, give us an idea about how different the tyres were. Did you have any problems with the different types?
SV: No, I mean looking at the result I wouldn’t say problems. I am very, very pleased obviously. To sum up the race the most crucial stint was the first one. I knew I had to have a good start and then defend first position and then I tried every single lap to push as hard as I could to build up a gap. I knew that it would only help me for whatever comes in the second and third stint. It worked perfectly well. I could see on the board every single lap nearly a second more, a second more, a second more, so it was fantastic to see. The tyres were, I have to say, very consistent, both compounds, the soft ones and the hard ones. We were not 100 per cent sure before the race which was the preferred one. You never know on Sunday. The conditions can change and so on, so it wasn’t that easy but I think in the end we did the right thing. Then obviously towards the end you feel a little bit the tyres starting to go off, so it becomes a bit more difficult out of the low speed to control the traction but I think the car was fantastic today. As I said in the first stint I was able to open up a very big gap. The second stint was quite difficult because there was a lot of traffic, a lot of lapped cars, and it was sometimes quite tricky and also my engineer came on the radio and reported to me to be patient enough as obviously they were fighting between themselves and I was catching up. The only thing you want is to pass, so you want them to let you by. On the other hand they are fighting themselves. I have been in the other position and saw the leader behind me, me in the middle of nowhere and fighting against the others. Then the last thing you want to do is pull over and let the car behind you by to lose time. But I have to say very good behaviour by all the drivers. Of course you are losing time. But still I think it was a very, very good for every single one. Then in the third stint obviously I could see on the board again and I was all the time in radio contact with the team asking for pace and how we were doing and so on. In the end we were just about saving the car and bringing the result home. Fantastic here; one and two. The factory is down the road, so as I said yesterday I can only make huge compliments. Every single one, it doesn’t matter here in the factory or at the track, has been working very hard and it has been tough to get this car where it is now so, especially the update we had for here was pretty much on the edge but we made it and I think it totally paid off. Results are the best way to say thank you to every single one. Also a lot of people were here at the circuit. Apart from all the spectators, I have to say the atmosphere was great. I regret a little bit I am not an Englishman as the fans are fantastic. Already in the last few laps I could see the people standing up and cheering. At the time I wanted to wave and say ‘thank you’ but then I said there have been stories in the past where it didn’t look too good with drivers doing it and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Then when I crossed the line it was unbelievable. Also the whole podium ceremony was fantastic, so thank you.
Q: At half distance you lost three seconds. Was that because of traffic?
SV: Yes, as I said the middle stint – pretty much the middle of the race around lap 30 - I caught three cars. Fernando (Alonso), Lewis (Hamilton) and Nelson (Piquet) and it was quite tricky. As my engineer said to be patient I tried to be. I knew I had quite a big gap and I wasn’t in a rush to pass. The last thing I wanted was to have a collision or anything. Also with the debris at some stage I was quite cautious but I think that was the main reason. I had no issues from the car. It was working perfectly fine from lap one to lap 60.
Q: Rubens has mentioned the winds affecting his car. Did they affect yours?
SV: Yes, it did. He is totally right. I think the best example was turn one. I think from the beginning of the race to the end of the race the wind turned roughly 180 degrees. You could feel on the speed you were simple able to have going into Maggots and then Becketts. It was quite tricky. You arrive there and you are always on the edge and sometimes the wind is just taking you and then you end up in the marbles. You try not to lose too much time but I have to say the car was very, very good today especially in sector one, so I was very pleased, so we were able to cope very well I think even with the windy conditions.
Q: And Nürburgring next.
SV: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. It’s my home race, we have had this home race for the team, kind of, strictly speaking not! I think as everyone noticed the anthem this time, the national anthem for the team was the right one (Austrian) but the factory is down the road, so it’s a fantastic result here at home. And the next one is for me at home, which is great. I hope to continue and try to repeat what we did here, which won’t be easy but for sure, that’s what we’re aiming for.
Q: Mark, when you were behind Rubens, how much were you bottled up, how close could you get, was it just a matter of waiting for him to make a mistake?
MW: No I wasn’t worried about… I think it’s Rubens’s second or third Grand Prix, so he’s quite experienced and I knew that he was doing the best he could and that was the case. It’s very hard to get close at Silverstone, it was a question of me saving fuel. I was just saving fuel and more fuel and then just making sure I jumped him at the first stop. Obviously it was disappointing to see Sebastian disappearing because I knew how important that situation in qualifying was which happened to me. But anyway, I don’t think I could have got much more out of today. I said before the race, the first race is with Rubens and if that happens quite quickly then maybe I can have a race with Sebastian. If my first stint was behind Rubens then Sebastian was going to have a boring race; that’s what I said before the race and that turned out to be the case. He had quite a straightforward afternoon and so did I, actually, in the end. As Sebastian said there was a lot of traffic in the second stint and in the end it was just controlling throughout the stint. There was no way, ever, given how close we are, that I was ever going to close twenty seconds in two stints, it was never going to happen. We’re pushing the car together, the development is in the same direction, so all this stuff is good for us. The guys have buried themselves at the factory, including Renault with the engines. Obviously Dietrich (Mateschitz), the big boss back in Austria, is very proud of us today, getting a first and second again this year and I’m looking forward to my day when I can jump into the seat next to me. But today I’m actually happy with what I got out of it. Sebastian deserves to win today, so we’ll take it to another day.
Q: You mentioned a gear problem just now, you didn’t seem to lose too much time with it; could you just explain what happened?
MW: The guys said I had some damage to my bodywork. I don’t know if it was from the Bourdais/Kovalainen shunt at turn eight because I was quite close to that and it just happened in front of me. I don’t know where the damage was to the car but the guys asked me to… actually it wasn’t a gearbox problem. I had to use a different rev profile for the lap, so we needed to use different gears in different corners, so that was always a new challenge for the driver to work out exactly what the engineers want you to do. Then they said ‘don’t do that too long because now the engine’s getting another problem,’ so we had a few little things bubbling away but it didn’t really affect… I’m sure I’ll find out a bit more about it later but it was a case of me getting the car home.
Q: Rubens, when you were ahead of Mark, did you know you were probably in trouble?
RB: Yeah, we knew from yesterday the car that they had, so it was going to be a difficult one. It was close actually. When I came around the first corner and he was exiting the pits I needed not a little bit to stay in front but all in all, you saw him, when he was in front he disappeared and there was nothing I could do. And to make things worse, I think it was probably a tough choice to go on the harder tyres right in the middle. There was very little between the tyres all through the weekend but in the race I think the softer tyres performed better, so to have a long stint on the harder tyre was a tough call. Then I saw Rosberg and Massa coming along, so it was a tough race for me. The car is balanced but we lack grip. We were hoping that the weather could get a little hotter but it never did, so it was a struggle but having said that, I’m happy because all in all I took some points out of Jenson, so for me that’s the target that I have achieved.
Q: You’ve had a bit of a worry about the tyre temperatures at this circuit. Do you think that may be the same situation at the Nürburgring? We don’t know what the weather’s going to be, obviously.
RB: Nürburgring can be snowing or it can be deadly hot, so it’s a very difficult place to see what’s going to happen. It’s three weeks away, we have a chance there that it could be hotter or anything but we need to work on that (tyre temperature). We had that situation before in Shanghai and the Red Bulls were quite strong and I believe that that’s the situation right now. We haven’t all of a sudden lost performance, we just think it’s to do with a little bit of the weather.
Q: You mentioned your back; when did that make itself apparent?
RB: On the trip, on the way to England (from Brazil) I started to feel my back, especially my lower back, hurting. After I ran on Friday morning, when I got out of the car, it was really, really stiff. The massage wasn’t doing anything and obviously nowadays you cannot take any medicine, so I had to check the doctors and check everyone and they helped me big time. So I’m feeling good. Luckily the position that I’m sitting in the car is comfortable for the lower back. From now on it’s going to be a problem but it’s fine as long as it’s not a problem with the car, it’s fine.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) This is question for Rubens and Sebastian: do you think you are putting back interest into the championship after the six wins out of seven races for Jenson Button, and how difficult do you think it will be to catch him?
RB: Jenson has been quite strong in every race this year. Let’s say he birdied the first holes, I hope he bogeys the next ones and I can birdy. It’s pretty much like that. I hope that this is a turnaround here.
SV: As Rubens said, I think Jenson was very strong in all eight races we’ve had so far and he totally deserves to be in this position. Looking at the championship, he obviously has quite a comfortable lead still but we’re trying to do our best and I think the only thing that makes sense is to use every single opportunity we have. As I said before, we’re working very, very hard, the team is very determined and we know where we want to be, we want to win. I think that’s the only way to turn it around. For sure it won’t be easy but we are totally up for the fight. The season is still very long, anything can happen still. You never know what is going to happen.
Q: (Bob Bull – BBC Three Counties Radio) Question for Rubens: Felipe Massa was right on your tail having started from eleventh. Are the Ferraris getting closer to the Brawns as well? You didn’t beat him by a great amount.
RB: Well, I think Ferrari is strong everywhere in any case. The fact is that with their car, and whatever the behaviour is, they are stronger in some races and not in some others. Here, they didn’t seem to be very competitive in qualifying, especially with Felipe, but then he had a good strategy and he made up the gap. But the cars are very similar. If you take Istanbul, in qualifying, for example, there was 1.4s between the whole grid. If you have the car adjusted to one particular track you’re going to have something happening quite quickly. Plus, I think Formula One is now developing so fast and we have new parts for the car at every race and everyone is doing that. You’re going to see teams coming from the back, for sure.
Q: (Mohammed Khan – The National, Abu Dhabi) Sebastian, what will it take to overhaul Jenson? You talk about perfection, is it going to take perfection for the rest of the season for Red Bull to catch them?
SV: I think the only thing it takes is towards the end of the season to collect more points and then at the end you sum it up and whoever has scored more becomes champion. That’s all it takes. Of course there’s hard work behind it, as Rubens says. Every single team is pushing hard. I think the fact that we’re very competitive this weekend is down to a lot of factors. First of all, I think we have made a step forward. The car was brilliant here and this circuit suits us. On top of that I think the conditions were right for us, we had no issues with the tyres, so everything was working and it was very close to being perfect which is very, very difficult to achieve but it should always be the target. In the end, you can’t really foresee what’s going to happen but I can assure you we will try very, very hard to improve, even from where we are now and try to collect more points than all our competitors.
Q: (Don Kennedy – Hawke’s Bay Today, New Zealand) This was billed as Jenson Button’s race to lose, if you like. Do you think you’ve not only gained on the track from the result today but also psychologically, and perhaps Rubens that might even apply to you?
RB: Like I said, he was on a roll. It’s almost as if everything was opening right up in front of him and he used that for him very well. There’s nothing to say against that. We are sportsmen and if you can make that into a turnaround and work for yourself with the energy and try to get everything for you, you’re doing very well. But I think Jenson is quite mature already, so he’s going to be strong. It’s not that I think that with one sixth place he can flick it up, I think everything that we’re going to conquer towards the end of the season we’re going to conquer, he’s not going to give us any opportunity but that’s why it’s nice and I think it’s a good challenge.
SV: In the end I can only confirm what Rubens says, you know. When it comes to me, I’m not really a fan of all these psychological tricks and mindset and so on. All I try to do is to squeeze the car out every single time, every single lap and to do the best I can. Of course, sometimes you might have to attack more than is probably good for you and you might risk a lot and sometimes lose it. Yes, it happens, I think that happens in sports, that happens in motor racing and I think that’s human. As I said, in the end you have to use every single day you have and the one who is most consistent and has done the best job fully deserves to win in the end. It might be a one point advantage or a fifty points’ advantage to the guy behind.
Q: (Sean McGreevy – CSMA Magazine) There have been a lot of politics this weekend. In your opinion, what does F1 need to do to secure its future?
SV: Ha, that’s a good one. I knew that something would come up. I think we have to see everything clearly. We’re all in the same boat, all the drivers. Everything we want, and in the end the only thing we want, is to race against each other. We want to compete with the best cars in the world against the best drivers. I think that has been the attraction of Formula One and that’s why Formula One is the peak of motor sport. We are all here to race. When it comes to all these politics, I know there’s a lot going on. Maybe you can say I should be more concerned but all I’m worried about now is what happens to me in the sport. I think that as a professional sportsman you should always have your focus on what really matters, and if you ask me what matters, the only thing that matters right now is what we do with the car at the track, so I think that is the most important thing. On top of that, I think it’s quite complex and to really have an opinion you have to have enough knowledge and to have enough knowledge you have to be one of the people who are able to know what is really going on and I have to admit that I don’t really care that much what’s happening. All I care about is what happens to my car and what is happening to me at the track. I think we are all of the same opinion in a way. The last thing we want is to have too much holiday. We all like and we all love racing, I think that’s the reason why we are here, and we want to continue fighting against each other and find out every single weekend and every single year who is the best one.
Q: (Adam Scriven – Racing Post) Mark, the earlier questions about the championship situation weren’t addressed to you but you’re still very much in the title race. How do you rate your chances at the moment?
MW: Well, I’m getting some pretty good results. I’ve had very consistent Sunday afternoons. Saturday is crucial, we know that, in terms of how tight it is between the four of us, and especially in the last few events. I’m still very confident that I can haul some good points in the future. Whether it’s enough to be consistently ahead of these guys remains to be seen but thanks for flagging that up. I’m out there and yeah, I’m very happy with my performances so far this year. It doesn’t take much to turn things round, so I’m looking forward to Nürburgring. It could be mixed conditions and then we’ve got Budapest. Yeah, there are some good races coming up which will test us again and yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
Button tyre temp struggle
Sunday, 21 June 2009 00:00
Jenson Button said Brawn’s problems generating tyre temperature in the cool conditions was what restricted him to a disappointing sixth place in the British Grand Prix.
Brawn was comprehensively outpaced by Red Bull for the first time this year in dry conditions and, after starting sixth, Button endured a frustrating race amid the increasingly distant chasing pack.
At one stage it looked like he might barely scrape a point, but he gained two places at the final pit stops and then found a new lease of life after switching to the grippier soft tyres in the final stint, catching Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa but having to settle for sixth.
Button said his pace in the closing stages – when he lapped within 0.5s of winner Sebastian Vettel’s best time – showed that Brawn’s main problem was tyre temperature, not a fundamentally slow car.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen today,” he said.
“I think I showed that when I was on the soft tyre I had good pace.
“I don’t know what it was like compared to my team-mate but compared to Rosberg and Massa the pace in the last stint was phenomenal and we had a good car.
“But on the hard tyre the car just doesn’t work and I couldn’t get any tyre temp. Plus you can’t overtake here and I got a terrible start.
“[Jarno] Trulli in front got a really slow getaway, as they [Toyota] normally do, and I had nowhere to go.
“I tried to go to the inside but the gap wasn’t there and the outside was full, so I was stuck and everyone just shot by on the outside.
“In the first stint I slowed up a little bit behind Trulli just to see what times I could do, and I was sort of eight-tenths or one second quicker than him – but you still can’t overtake.
“I was able to jump two of them in the pit stop but Massa got me because he was going very long.
“I could reel in Rosberg and Massa at the end of the race like they were stood still, but you can’t overtake and if you don’t get the qualifying right, which I didn’t, and you get a bad start, you’re stuck.”
While he acknowledged that Red Bull has made a step forward with its latest aerodynamic upgrade, Button felt this weekend’s cool conditions played into its hands and exaggerated its advantage.
“I haven’t had sleepless nights thinking about the championship,” insisted Button, who still has a hefty 23-point cushion over team-mate Barrichello and 25 points in hand over Vettel.
“Vettel gained seven points on me here, which is obviously not good, but I got three points on a weekend that we weren’t very strong.
“We’ve just got to hope that Nurburgring is a bit warmer than here.
“They’re going to be very quick – they’ve got a quick car and their aero package has helped them a lot.
“But I don’t think it’s as big as it looks; I think it’s because our car is not working in these temperatures.”
Jenson Button said Brawn’s problems generating tyre temperature in the cool conditions was what restricted him to a disappointing sixth place in the British Grand Prix.
Brawn was comprehensively outpaced by Red Bull for the first time this year in dry conditions and, after starting sixth, Button endured a frustrating race amid the increasingly distant chasing pack.
At one stage it looked like he might barely scrape a point, but he gained two places at the final pit stops and then found a new lease of life after switching to the grippier soft tyres in the final stint, catching Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa but having to settle for sixth.
Button said his pace in the closing stages – when he lapped within 0.5s of winner Sebastian Vettel’s best time – showed that Brawn’s main problem was tyre temperature, not a fundamentally slow car.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen today,” he said.
“I think I showed that when I was on the soft tyre I had good pace.
“I don’t know what it was like compared to my team-mate but compared to Rosberg and Massa the pace in the last stint was phenomenal and we had a good car.
“But on the hard tyre the car just doesn’t work and I couldn’t get any tyre temp. Plus you can’t overtake here and I got a terrible start.
“[Jarno] Trulli in front got a really slow getaway, as they [Toyota] normally do, and I had nowhere to go.
“I tried to go to the inside but the gap wasn’t there and the outside was full, so I was stuck and everyone just shot by on the outside.
“In the first stint I slowed up a little bit behind Trulli just to see what times I could do, and I was sort of eight-tenths or one second quicker than him – but you still can’t overtake.
“I was able to jump two of them in the pit stop but Massa got me because he was going very long.
“I could reel in Rosberg and Massa at the end of the race like they were stood still, but you can’t overtake and if you don’t get the qualifying right, which I didn’t, and you get a bad start, you’re stuck.”
While he acknowledged that Red Bull has made a step forward with its latest aerodynamic upgrade, Button felt this weekend’s cool conditions played into its hands and exaggerated its advantage.
“I haven’t had sleepless nights thinking about the championship,” insisted Button, who still has a hefty 23-point cushion over team-mate Barrichello and 25 points in hand over Vettel.
“Vettel gained seven points on me here, which is obviously not good, but I got three points on a weekend that we weren’t very strong.
“We’ve just got to hope that Nurburgring is a bit warmer than here.
“They’re going to be very quick – they’ve got a quick car and their aero package has helped them a lot.
“But I don’t think it’s as big as it looks; I think it’s because our car is not working in these temperatures.”
Vettel and lack of Silverstone opposition
Sunday, 21 June 2009 14:35
Sebastian Vettel utterly dominated the British Grand Prix to take the first dry-weather victory of his Formula 1 career and Red Bull Racing’s second ever 1-2 to keep his, and the team's, title hopes alive.
Having blown his chances of a victory two weeks ago in Turkey after making an error on the opening lap from pole-position, the 21-year-old German made no mistake this time and capitalised on RBR’s new-found superiority to disappear into the distance to end Jenson Button and Brawn's winning streak.
With title leader Button's difficult home weekend culminating in only sixth place, Vettel's second win of the season reduces his deficit to the Briton to 25 points.
Indeed Button's overall points lead is now slightly trimmed to 23 after Rubens Barrichello salvaged a podium for Brawn in third.
Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber's race was compromised after he failed to get past Barrichello on the opening lap and by the time he did so at the first round of pit stops, Vettel was long gone and he had to settle for his third second place of the year.
Ferrari claimed an unexpectedly strong result with Felipe Massa in fourth after the Brazilian used fuel strategy and strong race pace to climb from 11th on the grid, while Nico Rosberg took fifth for Williams for the second straight race.
Button had a largely miserable afternoon, dropping three places to ninth on the opening lap and then struggling to make any headway.
But the points leader claimed a potentially crucial two extra points after leapfrogging Jarno Trulli and Kimi Raikkonen with a late final stop.
At the start, Vettel seemed to get away solidly but nevertheless made sure Barrichello wasn’t going to attack him going into Copse by moving across to the right to cover any advances from the Brazilian.
The Ferraris, meanwhile, took advantage of the fact they were the only team left running KERS this weekend to catapult off the line.
Raikkonen in particular really hooked things up from ninth to take four cars via a daring move down the outside on the edge of the grass, slotting into fifth behind Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) through the fast right-hander.
All this was bad news for Button who, although having no problems getting away off the line, got boxed in below a slow-starting Trulli directly ahead and fell behind Raikkonen, Rosberg and Massa.
With the latter two carrying more fuel than his Brawn, it was a nightmare scenario – but he only had to wait a lap to move back up a position after Massa ran wide at Stowe.
Team-mate Barrichello needed a similar error from Vettel after failing to get past the heavier fuelled Red Bull at the start, but the race-leader was in no mood to sacrifice his big chance of keeping his title hopes alive.
The 21-year-old German was simply sensational over the first stint, invariably a second a lap faster than the Silverstone specialist, indeed the whole field.
By the end of lap two he was already 2.5s clear, three laps later it was 5.2s and that jaw-dropping margin of superiority saw him almost 11 seconds clear after 10 laps.
The sister car of Webber, meanwhile, having failed to beat Barrichello off the line, was unable to unlock the RB5’s massive undoubted advantage tucked up as he was behind the Brawn, running in its turbulent air under a second back.
He was finally released when Barrichello, now over 20s adrift of Vettel, headed for service and a switch from soft, to hard, tyres on lap 19.
This was now the Australian’s moment to push if he wasn’t have to have his already frustrating weekend wrecked even more and, although he only had a lap’s more worth of fuel to make the difference, he duly responded.
After a quick in-lap was followed by a perfect service from his RBR mechanics, he trundled down the 50mph pit lane as Barrichello put the power down coming out of Woodcote and down towards Copse.
Webber had just done enough though to establish a Red Bull 1-2 – and it really was just, as he left the elongated pit exit a hair's breath ahead of Barrichello.
He then held it together through the single-file Becketts complex and down the Hangar Straight to head off in what he probably knew was a forlorn pursuit of his team-mate.
Indeed after Vettel pitted a lap later for an equally trouble-free stop, he returned to the track with a 22s advantage over Webber and the race all but won.
And while Webber easily pulled away from Barrichello, the Brazilian was about to come under attack from the runners behind after the opening pit stops had helped shuffle the order.
As expected, Nakajima was the first to pit on lap 15 and may have assumed his error-free first stint running in fifth may have at the very least solidly kept him in the points positions.
However, the reality for the Japanese turned out to be very different.
First Raikkonen moved ahead of him after taking to the pit lane a lap later, although the former champion was then jumped in turn by both Rosberg and Trulli as the pair, along with Button, pitted together on lap 18.
So with the Williams man now leading that pack on the track, ahead of Trulli, Raikkonen, Button, the unfortunate Nakajima suddenly found himself out of the points.
Indeed he eventually would run ninth as Massa, not having let his second-lap slip fluster him, had stealthily kept the cars ahead in sight and then produced his ace card – a heavier fuel load courtesy of only having qualifyed 11th – to turn his weekend around.
Suddenly showing more of the kind of speed that Ferrari had been searching for all weekend, the Brazilian moved up to second on the road while the cars ahead peeled off into the pits and, after heading for the pit lane himself on lap 23, re-emerged behind Rosberg in fifth.
With Webber now joining the dominant Vettel in the distance, the battle for the final podium position turned out to be the race’s most intriguing tussle.
Barrichello seemed to be struggling even more on the harder compound and increasingly fell into the clutches of both Rosberg and Massa.
The Brawn driver's lack of pace duly backed the Williams into the Ferrari, meaning the trio ran within two seconds of each other for much of the second stint.
And, with overtaking so difficult at Silverstone, the fight looked set to be decided by the timing of their second stops.
Indeed Massa’s race engineer Rob Smedley told his driver over the radio that all he had to do was keep within two and a half seconds of the Williams to claim fourth, Ferrari expecting Rosberg to stop earlier.
That's exactly how it would play out.
With Rosberg first in for fuel on lap 44 Massa successfully moved ahead by pitting a lap later, the Ferrari ace now left to hope that he could even claim a first podium of the year by taking another place from his compatriot in the Brawn.
Barrichello, however, would run two laps longer and actually comfortably re-emerged from his stop with his third place secured.
Had the order stayed the way it was at the time, this would have been enough for Barrichello to claw a handy five points back on Button in the title chase.
However, Brawn's second stint strategy would play to the points leader's advantage as well.
Having at one stage even looked in a danger of dropping out of the points such was his problems with grip – the Brawn struggling to warm its tyres in the cool conditions – Button stayed out four and six laps respectively longer than Trulli and Raikkonen to move back up to the sixth place he had started in.
Indeed frustratingly for the points leader his car suddenly came alive on his final new set of new soft tyres, yet despite catching Massa and Rosberg at a fast rate of knots he ran out of laps and had to settle for three points.
Trulli and Raikkonen’s topsy-turvy afternoons eventually ended with seventh and eighth places respectively, the latter Ferrari just holding off the other Toyota of Timo Glock.
While Red Bull’s dominance largely made for a processional afternoon at the front, there were some excitingly combative duels towards the back of the field involving several of the sport’s biggest name drivers and their struggling teams.
Central to many of the battles were former two-time champion Fernando Alonso (the Renault driver having made a disastrous start from 10th) and reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton.
But while their wheel-to-wheel battles may have been fun, the former British GP winners will take little encouragement from their weekends.
Indeed, for grim statistical reading, Alonso’s 14th place represented the Spaniard’s worst race classification since he finished 16th in a Minardi at Silverstone in his 2001 debut year, while Hamilton's notched up the worst result of his 43-race career with 16th.
Home hero Hamilton tried everything he could to make up for McLaren's shocking lack of downforce, pulling off impressive moves on BMW's Nick Heidfeld at Maggotts and Alonso at Copse during the afternoon, but a later spin at Vale more aptly summed up his dismal home race weekend.
British Grand Prix result - 60 laps
1. VETTEL Red Bull
2. WEBBER Red Bull +15.1s
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn +41.1s
4. MASSA Ferrari +45.0s
5. ROSBERG Williams +45.9s
6. BUTTON Brawn +46.2s
7. TRULLI Toyota +68.3s
8. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +69.6s
9. GLOCK Toyota +69.8s
10. FISICHELLA Force India +71.5s
11. NAKAJIMA Williams +74.0s
12. PIQUET Renault +1 lap
13. KUBICA BMW +1 lap
14. ALONSO Renault +1 lap
15. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
16. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
17. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
18. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1 lap
R. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +23 laps
R. KOVALAINEN McLaren +24 laps
Sebastian Vettel utterly dominated the British Grand Prix to take the first dry-weather victory of his Formula 1 career and Red Bull Racing’s second ever 1-2 to keep his, and the team's, title hopes alive.
Having blown his chances of a victory two weeks ago in Turkey after making an error on the opening lap from pole-position, the 21-year-old German made no mistake this time and capitalised on RBR’s new-found superiority to disappear into the distance to end Jenson Button and Brawn's winning streak.
With title leader Button's difficult home weekend culminating in only sixth place, Vettel's second win of the season reduces his deficit to the Briton to 25 points.
Indeed Button's overall points lead is now slightly trimmed to 23 after Rubens Barrichello salvaged a podium for Brawn in third.
Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber's race was compromised after he failed to get past Barrichello on the opening lap and by the time he did so at the first round of pit stops, Vettel was long gone and he had to settle for his third second place of the year.
Ferrari claimed an unexpectedly strong result with Felipe Massa in fourth after the Brazilian used fuel strategy and strong race pace to climb from 11th on the grid, while Nico Rosberg took fifth for Williams for the second straight race.
Button had a largely miserable afternoon, dropping three places to ninth on the opening lap and then struggling to make any headway.
But the points leader claimed a potentially crucial two extra points after leapfrogging Jarno Trulli and Kimi Raikkonen with a late final stop.
At the start, Vettel seemed to get away solidly but nevertheless made sure Barrichello wasn’t going to attack him going into Copse by moving across to the right to cover any advances from the Brazilian.
The Ferraris, meanwhile, took advantage of the fact they were the only team left running KERS this weekend to catapult off the line.
Raikkonen in particular really hooked things up from ninth to take four cars via a daring move down the outside on the edge of the grass, slotting into fifth behind Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) through the fast right-hander.
All this was bad news for Button who, although having no problems getting away off the line, got boxed in below a slow-starting Trulli directly ahead and fell behind Raikkonen, Rosberg and Massa.
With the latter two carrying more fuel than his Brawn, it was a nightmare scenario – but he only had to wait a lap to move back up a position after Massa ran wide at Stowe.
Team-mate Barrichello needed a similar error from Vettel after failing to get past the heavier fuelled Red Bull at the start, but the race-leader was in no mood to sacrifice his big chance of keeping his title hopes alive.
The 21-year-old German was simply sensational over the first stint, invariably a second a lap faster than the Silverstone specialist, indeed the whole field.
By the end of lap two he was already 2.5s clear, three laps later it was 5.2s and that jaw-dropping margin of superiority saw him almost 11 seconds clear after 10 laps.
The sister car of Webber, meanwhile, having failed to beat Barrichello off the line, was unable to unlock the RB5’s massive undoubted advantage tucked up as he was behind the Brawn, running in its turbulent air under a second back.
He was finally released when Barrichello, now over 20s adrift of Vettel, headed for service and a switch from soft, to hard, tyres on lap 19.
This was now the Australian’s moment to push if he wasn’t have to have his already frustrating weekend wrecked even more and, although he only had a lap’s more worth of fuel to make the difference, he duly responded.
After a quick in-lap was followed by a perfect service from his RBR mechanics, he trundled down the 50mph pit lane as Barrichello put the power down coming out of Woodcote and down towards Copse.
Webber had just done enough though to establish a Red Bull 1-2 – and it really was just, as he left the elongated pit exit a hair's breath ahead of Barrichello.
He then held it together through the single-file Becketts complex and down the Hangar Straight to head off in what he probably knew was a forlorn pursuit of his team-mate.
Indeed after Vettel pitted a lap later for an equally trouble-free stop, he returned to the track with a 22s advantage over Webber and the race all but won.
And while Webber easily pulled away from Barrichello, the Brazilian was about to come under attack from the runners behind after the opening pit stops had helped shuffle the order.
As expected, Nakajima was the first to pit on lap 15 and may have assumed his error-free first stint running in fifth may have at the very least solidly kept him in the points positions.
However, the reality for the Japanese turned out to be very different.
First Raikkonen moved ahead of him after taking to the pit lane a lap later, although the former champion was then jumped in turn by both Rosberg and Trulli as the pair, along with Button, pitted together on lap 18.
So with the Williams man now leading that pack on the track, ahead of Trulli, Raikkonen, Button, the unfortunate Nakajima suddenly found himself out of the points.
Indeed he eventually would run ninth as Massa, not having let his second-lap slip fluster him, had stealthily kept the cars ahead in sight and then produced his ace card – a heavier fuel load courtesy of only having qualifyed 11th – to turn his weekend around.
Suddenly showing more of the kind of speed that Ferrari had been searching for all weekend, the Brazilian moved up to second on the road while the cars ahead peeled off into the pits and, after heading for the pit lane himself on lap 23, re-emerged behind Rosberg in fifth.
With Webber now joining the dominant Vettel in the distance, the battle for the final podium position turned out to be the race’s most intriguing tussle.
Barrichello seemed to be struggling even more on the harder compound and increasingly fell into the clutches of both Rosberg and Massa.
The Brawn driver's lack of pace duly backed the Williams into the Ferrari, meaning the trio ran within two seconds of each other for much of the second stint.
And, with overtaking so difficult at Silverstone, the fight looked set to be decided by the timing of their second stops.
Indeed Massa’s race engineer Rob Smedley told his driver over the radio that all he had to do was keep within two and a half seconds of the Williams to claim fourth, Ferrari expecting Rosberg to stop earlier.
That's exactly how it would play out.
With Rosberg first in for fuel on lap 44 Massa successfully moved ahead by pitting a lap later, the Ferrari ace now left to hope that he could even claim a first podium of the year by taking another place from his compatriot in the Brawn.
Barrichello, however, would run two laps longer and actually comfortably re-emerged from his stop with his third place secured.
Had the order stayed the way it was at the time, this would have been enough for Barrichello to claw a handy five points back on Button in the title chase.
However, Brawn's second stint strategy would play to the points leader's advantage as well.
Having at one stage even looked in a danger of dropping out of the points such was his problems with grip – the Brawn struggling to warm its tyres in the cool conditions – Button stayed out four and six laps respectively longer than Trulli and Raikkonen to move back up to the sixth place he had started in.
Indeed frustratingly for the points leader his car suddenly came alive on his final new set of new soft tyres, yet despite catching Massa and Rosberg at a fast rate of knots he ran out of laps and had to settle for three points.
Trulli and Raikkonen’s topsy-turvy afternoons eventually ended with seventh and eighth places respectively, the latter Ferrari just holding off the other Toyota of Timo Glock.
While Red Bull’s dominance largely made for a processional afternoon at the front, there were some excitingly combative duels towards the back of the field involving several of the sport’s biggest name drivers and their struggling teams.
Central to many of the battles were former two-time champion Fernando Alonso (the Renault driver having made a disastrous start from 10th) and reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton.
But while their wheel-to-wheel battles may have been fun, the former British GP winners will take little encouragement from their weekends.
Indeed, for grim statistical reading, Alonso’s 14th place represented the Spaniard’s worst race classification since he finished 16th in a Minardi at Silverstone in his 2001 debut year, while Hamilton's notched up the worst result of his 43-race career with 16th.
Home hero Hamilton tried everything he could to make up for McLaren's shocking lack of downforce, pulling off impressive moves on BMW's Nick Heidfeld at Maggotts and Alonso at Copse during the afternoon, but a later spin at Vale more aptly summed up his dismal home race weekend.
British Grand Prix result - 60 laps
1. VETTEL Red Bull
2. WEBBER Red Bull +15.1s
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn +41.1s
4. MASSA Ferrari +45.0s
5. ROSBERG Williams +45.9s
6. BUTTON Brawn +46.2s
7. TRULLI Toyota +68.3s
8. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +69.6s
9. GLOCK Toyota +69.8s
10. FISICHELLA Force India +71.5s
11. NAKAJIMA Williams +74.0s
12. PIQUET Renault +1 lap
13. KUBICA BMW +1 lap
14. ALONSO Renault +1 lap
15. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
16. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
17. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
18. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1 lap
R. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +23 laps
R. KOVALAINEN McLaren +24 laps
Saturday 20 June 2009
British Grand Prix - Free Practice Round-Up
======================================================================
1 S. Vettel Red Bull Racing
2 M. Webber Red Bull Racing
3 A. Sutil Force India F1 Team
4 K. Nakajima AT&T Williams
5 F. Alonso ING Renault F1 Team
6 R. Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team
7 L. Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
8 J. Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing
13 T. Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing
Panasonic Toyota Racing made a promising start to practice for the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone on a windy, cloudy day at the
birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship. In contrast to the
last race in Turkey, track temperatures were a moderate 34°C while
the air temperature was a relatively chilly 17°C. With revisions to
the TF109 to test before the decisive business of qualifying and the
race, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were kept busy comparing different
set-ups in the morning. In the afternoon the focus switched to the
hard and soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, last used together just two
weeks ago in the Turkish Grand Prix. In Istanbul the difference
between the two compounds, especially in qualifying, was not as great
as anticipated but with lower track temperatures today, tyre
behaviour needed re-evaluating. Both drivers completed more than a
race distance over the two sessions leaving the team in good shape
for the rest of the weekend.
1 S. Vettel Red Bull Racing
2 M. Webber Red Bull Racing
3 A. Sutil Force India F1 Team
4 K. Nakajima AT&T Williams
5 F. Alonso ING Renault F1 Team
6 R. Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team
7 L. Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
8 J. Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing
13 T. Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing
Panasonic Toyota Racing made a promising start to practice for the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone on a windy, cloudy day at the
birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship. In contrast to the
last race in Turkey, track temperatures were a moderate 34°C while
the air temperature was a relatively chilly 17°C. With revisions to
the TF109 to test before the decisive business of qualifying and the
race, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were kept busy comparing different
set-ups in the morning. In the afternoon the focus switched to the
hard and soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, last used together just two
weeks ago in the Turkish Grand Prix. In Istanbul the difference
between the two compounds, especially in qualifying, was not as great
as anticipated but with lower track temperatures today, tyre
behaviour needed re-evaluating. Both drivers completed more than a
race distance over the two sessions leaving the team in good shape
for the rest of the weekend.
Friday 19 June 2009
FIA takes legal action over breakaway
The FIA has announced that it will take legal action against the FOTA teams following their decision to launch a rival championship in 2010.
The eight FOTA squads declared last night that they could not reach a deal to end the row with the FIA over next year's regulations and the governance of the sport, so would go it alone next year.
All the FOTA teams submitted conditional entries for next season and subsequently withdrew them, but the governing body said last week that it intended to hold Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Ferrari to previous agreements that it insisted committed the trio to Formula 1.
The FIA made Ferrari the focal point of its anger when announcing its plan for legal action this afternoon (Friday).
"The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series," it said in a statement.
"The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.
"The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay."
The statement added that the scheduled announcement of the 2010 entry list tomorrow will be delayed due to the legal proceedings.
"Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights," it said.
The eight FOTA squads declared last night that they could not reach a deal to end the row with the FIA over next year's regulations and the governance of the sport, so would go it alone next year.
All the FOTA teams submitted conditional entries for next season and subsequently withdrew them, but the governing body said last week that it intended to hold Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Ferrari to previous agreements that it insisted committed the trio to Formula 1.
The FIA made Ferrari the focal point of its anger when announcing its plan for legal action this afternoon (Friday).
"The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series," it said in a statement.
"The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.
"The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay."
The statement added that the scheduled announcement of the 2010 entry list tomorrow will be delayed due to the legal proceedings.
"Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights," it said.
N.Technology withdraws F1 application
By Steven English and Pablo Elizalde Friday, June 19th 2009, 09:16 GMT
Italian squad N.Technology has withdrawn its application to enter Formula 1 in 2010, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
N.Technology was one of several teams who were on the reserve list after not being included on the original one released last week by the FIA.
However, AUTOSPORT understands the team has decided to inform Formula 1's ruling body that it has withdrawn its application because the circumstances have changed since it applied and it no longer wants to be involved in a sport without the major manufacturers.
The move comes after the Formula One Teams' Association announced plans for a breakaway championship after failing to reach a compromise deal with the FIA.
N.Technology follows Lola in withdrawing its application this week.
Italian squad N.Technology has withdrawn its application to enter Formula 1 in 2010, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
N.Technology was one of several teams who were on the reserve list after not being included on the original one released last week by the FIA.
However, AUTOSPORT understands the team has decided to inform Formula 1's ruling body that it has withdrawn its application because the circumstances have changed since it applied and it no longer wants to be involved in a sport without the major manufacturers.
The move comes after the Formula One Teams' Association announced plans for a breakaway championship after failing to reach a compromise deal with the FIA.
N.Technology follows Lola in withdrawing its application this week.
Practice 1: Vettel leads Red Bull 1-2
Friday, 19 June 2009 11:40
While Formula 1’s existential crisis gripped the paddock, Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber in a Red Bull Racing 1-2 in a thoroughly overshadowed first Friday practice session at Silverstone.
Vettel pipped his team-mate in the dying seconds of the 90-minute session as Red Bull showed it will pose a major challenge to Brawn’s supremacy on the high-speed Northamptonshire circuit.
Home hero Jenson Button was third quickest for Brawn ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, giving a symmetrical look to the top of the timesheet.
Fernando Alonso was fifth fastest for Renault ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton.
Full report to follow shortly…
British Grand Prix free practice session one times
1. VETTEL Red Bull 1m19.400s
2. WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.682s
3. BUTTON Brawn 1m20.227s
4. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m20.242s
5. ALONSO Renault 1m20.458s
6. MASSA Ferrari 1m20.471s
7. TRULLI Toyota 1m20.585s
8. HAMILTON McLaren 1m20.650s
9. ROSBERG Williams 1m20.815s
10. FISICHELLA Force India 1m20.838s
11. SUTIL Force India 1m20.913s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m21.029s
13. HEIDFELD BMW 1m21.103s
14. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m21.179s
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m21.384s
16. GLOCK Toyota 1m21.386s
17. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m21.489s
18. PIQUET Renault 1m21.525s
19. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m21.590s
20. KUBICA BMW 1m21.801s
While Formula 1’s existential crisis gripped the paddock, Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber in a Red Bull Racing 1-2 in a thoroughly overshadowed first Friday practice session at Silverstone.
Vettel pipped his team-mate in the dying seconds of the 90-minute session as Red Bull showed it will pose a major challenge to Brawn’s supremacy on the high-speed Northamptonshire circuit.
Home hero Jenson Button was third quickest for Brawn ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, giving a symmetrical look to the top of the timesheet.
Fernando Alonso was fifth fastest for Renault ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton.
Full report to follow shortly…
British Grand Prix free practice session one times
1. VETTEL Red Bull 1m19.400s
2. WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.682s
3. BUTTON Brawn 1m20.227s
4. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m20.242s
5. ALONSO Renault 1m20.458s
6. MASSA Ferrari 1m20.471s
7. TRULLI Toyota 1m20.585s
8. HAMILTON McLaren 1m20.650s
9. ROSBERG Williams 1m20.815s
10. FISICHELLA Force India 1m20.838s
11. SUTIL Force India 1m20.913s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m21.029s
13. HEIDFELD BMW 1m21.103s
14. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m21.179s
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m21.384s
16. GLOCK Toyota 1m21.386s
17. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m21.489s
18. PIQUET Renault 1m21.525s
19. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m21.590s
20. KUBICA BMW 1m21.801s
Ecclestone urged to broker peace deal
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been urged to step forward and broker a peace deal between teams and the FIA to head off the threat of a breakaway championship.
The eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) sent shockwaves through F1 on Thursday night when they announced that they were setting up a rival championship for next year.
With fears that the breakaway could prove damaging, just as American racing suffered when Champ Car and the Indy Racing League split, former world champion Jackie Stewart believes that Ecclestone must play a part in sorting the situation out.
"The biggest player now that may have to be involved in this is Bernie, because after all he has the commercial rights," said Stewart.
"I am sure he does not want a breakaway group, because then that would seriously threaten [F1 owners] CVC and the Bernie Ecclestone package.
"Bernie knows how to do things, he has been very successful in F1 and the sport has been successful with much of what he has done. So he will be playing a fairly big role within the next two or three days.
"But frankly now the teams have made their decision and I don't think they will necessarily have to talk to the FIA at all this weekend. I think they should just get on with the British GP because it is one of the biggest events in the calendar.
"It is very important for the leaders of the world championship to consolidate their position and I believe they should not even bother to talk until Monday or Tuesday."
Ecclestone's role in events is being seen as crucial now, with sources close to FOTA suggesting that the body would not be averse to him playing a role in its new championship.
The man himself was keeping tight-lipped about the situation on Friday morning, however, ducking questions from the media about the situation.
"You'll have to ask Max about it," said Ecclestone about the breakaway plans. "For me, this situation is just back to the future."
Stewart believes that teams' frustrations at the way F1 has been run was the spur for making the bold step to set up their own series.
"I think it's been coming for some time," said Stewart, who has been a long-term critic of the FIA. "I think the teams feel that they have been bullied in some way for quite a long time, trying to force things through.
"I've said for a long time that the FIA needs to be restructured and there needs to be more corporate governance. If that had taken place we would not be in the position we're in at the present time.
"The constant change of the values of what has been suggested, with Max saying first of all £30 million [for a budget cap], then £40 million, then £40 million and we won't put engines or motorhomes in that, it is constantly changing the goalposts. I don't think you can do that in a sport that is the largest capital investment sport in the world."
There are now suggestions that the only way a breakaway can be averted is if FIA president Max Mosley sees through with his plans to step down from his current role when his term ends in October.
An announcement on his intentions could be made as early as next week, with the World Motor Sport Council meeting on Wednesday.
Stewart has no doubts that teams want Mosley's reign of running the sport to come to an end.
"I think they do want Max to go because I think frankly some of the decisions made over the year have been very questionable... I think a lot of people are kind of fed up with the dictatorial attitude."
He added: "I think right now the teams don't have to do anything. They just have to decide how they are going to do what they have said they are going to do, but I think from their point of view it seems that they have made that decision. I think it is now up to the FIA to perhaps come with a totally different proposal."
The eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) sent shockwaves through F1 on Thursday night when they announced that they were setting up a rival championship for next year.
With fears that the breakaway could prove damaging, just as American racing suffered when Champ Car and the Indy Racing League split, former world champion Jackie Stewart believes that Ecclestone must play a part in sorting the situation out.
"The biggest player now that may have to be involved in this is Bernie, because after all he has the commercial rights," said Stewart.
"I am sure he does not want a breakaway group, because then that would seriously threaten [F1 owners] CVC and the Bernie Ecclestone package.
"Bernie knows how to do things, he has been very successful in F1 and the sport has been successful with much of what he has done. So he will be playing a fairly big role within the next two or three days.
"But frankly now the teams have made their decision and I don't think they will necessarily have to talk to the FIA at all this weekend. I think they should just get on with the British GP because it is one of the biggest events in the calendar.
"It is very important for the leaders of the world championship to consolidate their position and I believe they should not even bother to talk until Monday or Tuesday."
Ecclestone's role in events is being seen as crucial now, with sources close to FOTA suggesting that the body would not be averse to him playing a role in its new championship.
The man himself was keeping tight-lipped about the situation on Friday morning, however, ducking questions from the media about the situation.
"You'll have to ask Max about it," said Ecclestone about the breakaway plans. "For me, this situation is just back to the future."
Stewart believes that teams' frustrations at the way F1 has been run was the spur for making the bold step to set up their own series.
"I think it's been coming for some time," said Stewart, who has been a long-term critic of the FIA. "I think the teams feel that they have been bullied in some way for quite a long time, trying to force things through.
"I've said for a long time that the FIA needs to be restructured and there needs to be more corporate governance. If that had taken place we would not be in the position we're in at the present time.
"The constant change of the values of what has been suggested, with Max saying first of all £30 million [for a budget cap], then £40 million, then £40 million and we won't put engines or motorhomes in that, it is constantly changing the goalposts. I don't think you can do that in a sport that is the largest capital investment sport in the world."
There are now suggestions that the only way a breakaway can be averted is if FIA president Max Mosley sees through with his plans to step down from his current role when his term ends in October.
An announcement on his intentions could be made as early as next week, with the World Motor Sport Council meeting on Wednesday.
Stewart has no doubts that teams want Mosley's reign of running the sport to come to an end.
"I think they do want Max to go because I think frankly some of the decisions made over the year have been very questionable... I think a lot of people are kind of fed up with the dictatorial attitude."
He added: "I think right now the teams don't have to do anything. They just have to decide how they are going to do what they have said they are going to do, but I think from their point of view it seems that they have made that decision. I think it is now up to the FIA to perhaps come with a totally different proposal."
FOTA to launch rival championship
Friday, 19 June 2009 00:27
The Formula One Teams’ Association has thrown the sport into total chaos by announcing its eight members plan to set up their own breakaway series at the end of the season.
Following weeks of talks with the FIA aimed at breaking the deadlock in the bitter row over the 2010 budget cap and governance of Formula 1, a joint statement from Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Brawn, Toyota and both Red Bull teams issued on Thursday night said they had grown tired of the governing body’s demands and had been left with “no alternative” other than to initiate a new series.
The threat, which would be cataclysmic for F1 if carried out, comes after the eight FOTA members met for 11th-hour talks at Renault's Enstone factory on Thursday evening to decide whether they would accept FIA president Max Mosley’s final compromise offer and submit unconditional entries for the 2010 season ahead of Friday’s deadline.
In its bombshell statement FOTA accused both the governing body and F1's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone of trying to divide the group, adding that while it has strived to strike a peace it was no longer willing to "compromise on the fundamental values of the sport".
The FOTA statement said: "The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.
"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.
“It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.
“These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners."
FOTA says its new championship will include all of Formula 1's existing household stars and major figures, with “transparent governance” one of its key goals.
It added that it would welcome new entrants to join its series and promised to improve the experience for fans.
“This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders," the statement added.
“The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.”
Should there be no U-turn from the teams' alliance and they go ahead with their intention to set up a rebel championship, then it will mark a destructive conclusion to one of the biggest controversies in Formula 1's 60-year history.
After the FIA's World Motor Sport Council raised the ire of the teams by unilaterally passing an optional £40m budget cap, and two sets of technical regulations, for 2010 at the end of April, Ferrari, Renault, Toyota and Red Bull all threatened to pull their teams out of the sport at the end of the year if the rules stood as published.
With Mosley adamant a budget cap was necessary to safeguard F1’s future amid the recession and entice much-needed new teams onto the grid, FOTA remained at loggerheads with it over the future direction of the sport and several rounds of crisis talks ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix last month failed to end the standoff.
And while Williams and Force India were suspended from the teams' body after breaking ranks and submitting unconditional entries for the 2010 season, the remaining teams all made conditional applications for next season – stressing they would only enter if the 2009 rules were retained and a new Concorde Agreement signed.
McLaren, Renault, BMW, Brawn and Toyota were all subsequently handed provisional entries but told to drop their conditions by this Friday or risk being excluded from next year's grid.
Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, meanwhile, were entered unconditionally with the FIA insisting they were duty-bound to continue in the sport until 2012 due to previous contractual agreements with the governing body and FOM.
But after further meetings between the two warring sides broke down on Tuesday, and a last-ditch exchange of letters detailing their respective compromise offers failed to break the deadlock heading into Friday, FOTA has now taken the most dramatic step available to it.
The teams' alliance added in its statement that it believed that it had already introduced a number of major cost reduction measures to get spending in the sport under control, reiterating that its members had offered the FIA their commitment to F1 until 2012 if its terms were met.
"Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport," its statement added.
"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community.
"FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.
"In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives.
"The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.
"Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012."
The FIA's next move may be to promote the provisional new entrants it left on a standby list for the 2010 grid while it waited for a resolution to the FOTA row, with Prodrive one of the teams hoping to get the opportunity to join the already confirmed Team US F1, Manor and Campos squads.
Furthermore should the FOTA rival series become a reality, then it is likely to trigger a legal battle between the governing body and Ferrari and both Red Bull-owned teams
Ferrari has insisted the FIA broke the terms of its 2005 agreement with the governing body by introducing the budget cap without its consultation.
The Formula One Teams’ Association has thrown the sport into total chaos by announcing its eight members plan to set up their own breakaway series at the end of the season.
Following weeks of talks with the FIA aimed at breaking the deadlock in the bitter row over the 2010 budget cap and governance of Formula 1, a joint statement from Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Brawn, Toyota and both Red Bull teams issued on Thursday night said they had grown tired of the governing body’s demands and had been left with “no alternative” other than to initiate a new series.
The threat, which would be cataclysmic for F1 if carried out, comes after the eight FOTA members met for 11th-hour talks at Renault's Enstone factory on Thursday evening to decide whether they would accept FIA president Max Mosley’s final compromise offer and submit unconditional entries for the 2010 season ahead of Friday’s deadline.
In its bombshell statement FOTA accused both the governing body and F1's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone of trying to divide the group, adding that while it has strived to strike a peace it was no longer willing to "compromise on the fundamental values of the sport".
The FOTA statement said: "The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.
"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.
“It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.
“These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners."
FOTA says its new championship will include all of Formula 1's existing household stars and major figures, with “transparent governance” one of its key goals.
It added that it would welcome new entrants to join its series and promised to improve the experience for fans.
“This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders," the statement added.
“The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.”
Should there be no U-turn from the teams' alliance and they go ahead with their intention to set up a rebel championship, then it will mark a destructive conclusion to one of the biggest controversies in Formula 1's 60-year history.
After the FIA's World Motor Sport Council raised the ire of the teams by unilaterally passing an optional £40m budget cap, and two sets of technical regulations, for 2010 at the end of April, Ferrari, Renault, Toyota and Red Bull all threatened to pull their teams out of the sport at the end of the year if the rules stood as published.
With Mosley adamant a budget cap was necessary to safeguard F1’s future amid the recession and entice much-needed new teams onto the grid, FOTA remained at loggerheads with it over the future direction of the sport and several rounds of crisis talks ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix last month failed to end the standoff.
And while Williams and Force India were suspended from the teams' body after breaking ranks and submitting unconditional entries for the 2010 season, the remaining teams all made conditional applications for next season – stressing they would only enter if the 2009 rules were retained and a new Concorde Agreement signed.
McLaren, Renault, BMW, Brawn and Toyota were all subsequently handed provisional entries but told to drop their conditions by this Friday or risk being excluded from next year's grid.
Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, meanwhile, were entered unconditionally with the FIA insisting they were duty-bound to continue in the sport until 2012 due to previous contractual agreements with the governing body and FOM.
But after further meetings between the two warring sides broke down on Tuesday, and a last-ditch exchange of letters detailing their respective compromise offers failed to break the deadlock heading into Friday, FOTA has now taken the most dramatic step available to it.
The teams' alliance added in its statement that it believed that it had already introduced a number of major cost reduction measures to get spending in the sport under control, reiterating that its members had offered the FIA their commitment to F1 until 2012 if its terms were met.
"Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport," its statement added.
"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community.
"FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.
"In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives.
"The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.
"Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012."
The FIA's next move may be to promote the provisional new entrants it left on a standby list for the 2010 grid while it waited for a resolution to the FOTA row, with Prodrive one of the teams hoping to get the opportunity to join the already confirmed Team US F1, Manor and Campos squads.
Furthermore should the FOTA rival series become a reality, then it is likely to trigger a legal battle between the governing body and Ferrari and both Red Bull-owned teams
Ferrari has insisted the FIA broke the terms of its 2005 agreement with the governing body by introducing the budget cap without its consultation.
Thursday 18 June 2009
Weekend weather update
cloudy but dry at Silverstone Welcome to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the eighth round of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Though it will be foggy on Thursday, with an ambient temperature high of 17 degrees Celsius, it will brighten for the rest of the weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will each be partly cloudy but dry, with temperature highs respectively of 17, 20 and 19 degrees.
The race will run over its usual 60 laps of the 5.141 kilometre (3.194 mile) circuit, or 308.355 kilometres (191.600 miles), and starts at 1300 hours local time, which is an hour ahead of GMT.
Though it will be foggy on Thursday, with an ambient temperature high of 17 degrees Celsius, it will brighten for the rest of the weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will each be partly cloudy but dry, with temperature highs respectively of 17, 20 and 19 degrees.
The race will run over its usual 60 laps of the 5.141 kilometre (3.194 mile) circuit, or 308.355 kilometres (191.600 miles), and starts at 1300 hours local time, which is an hour ahead of GMT.
Williams out-developing Ferrari
Nico Rosberg reckons Williams is currently improving its car at a faster rate than large manufacturer-backed teams like Ferrari and Toyota and can take another step closer to the front at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
In recent years the Grove-based outfit has tended to start the season promisingly only to fall ever further behind as its better-funded rivals outpaced it in the development stakes.
So far this year Williams has maintained its form much better and scored its best result last time out in Turkey, where Rosberg finished a strong fifth and beat Felipe Massa’s Ferrari on merit.
“I think we’ve definitely made progress in development, compared to the past two years where we’ve always fallen back a little bit,” the German told reporters on Thursday.
“This year we’re always there and developing well.
“I think one has to say Williams is doing a great job this year, because our budget is much smaller than some other big teams who we’re fighting against directly like Ferrari and Toyota, and we’re developing quicker than them.
“So it’s been going well and I think I can be pretty pleased with that. Of course we want to be a bit further up, but we’re on the right path.”
Rosberg believes Williams has remedied one of its main weaknesses from last season – inconsistent performance from one circuit to another – and will not struggle through Silverstone’s fast, downforce-dependent corners as it has in recent years.
The FW31 will also feature a significant aerodynamic upgrade at this weekend’s race, leaving Rosberg hopeful of making further inroads into the top teams’ advantage.
“I’m hoping for points, for sure, and I think we can do even better than that; I think we can finish in the top six, maybe,” he said.
“We have a good update on the car, we’ve been strong in recent races and our direct competition brought their updates at the last race, where we were also looking good.
“It was surprising that we beat Ferrari fair and square [in Turkey], to be honest; we really drove away from them. That was a little bit surprising – I didn’t expect it to be that way.
“Even though this has been our weakest track in the past, somehow this year we’re much more consistent from one track to another and I have a feeling our car could do well here.
“What we’ve managed to achieve until now is just to stay in a similar place – top eight all the time – but I’m hoping that for Silverstone we might make a little step forward, because we have a big step on the car.”
In recent years the Grove-based outfit has tended to start the season promisingly only to fall ever further behind as its better-funded rivals outpaced it in the development stakes.
So far this year Williams has maintained its form much better and scored its best result last time out in Turkey, where Rosberg finished a strong fifth and beat Felipe Massa’s Ferrari on merit.
“I think we’ve definitely made progress in development, compared to the past two years where we’ve always fallen back a little bit,” the German told reporters on Thursday.
“This year we’re always there and developing well.
“I think one has to say Williams is doing a great job this year, because our budget is much smaller than some other big teams who we’re fighting against directly like Ferrari and Toyota, and we’re developing quicker than them.
“So it’s been going well and I think I can be pretty pleased with that. Of course we want to be a bit further up, but we’re on the right path.”
Rosberg believes Williams has remedied one of its main weaknesses from last season – inconsistent performance from one circuit to another – and will not struggle through Silverstone’s fast, downforce-dependent corners as it has in recent years.
The FW31 will also feature a significant aerodynamic upgrade at this weekend’s race, leaving Rosberg hopeful of making further inroads into the top teams’ advantage.
“I’m hoping for points, for sure, and I think we can do even better than that; I think we can finish in the top six, maybe,” he said.
“We have a good update on the car, we’ve been strong in recent races and our direct competition brought their updates at the last race, where we were also looking good.
“It was surprising that we beat Ferrari fair and square [in Turkey], to be honest; we really drove away from them. That was a little bit surprising – I didn’t expect it to be that way.
“Even though this has been our weakest track in the past, somehow this year we’re much more consistent from one track to another and I have a feeling our car could do well here.
“What we’ve managed to achieve until now is just to stay in a similar place – top eight all the time – but I’m hoping that for Silverstone we might make a little step forward, because we have a big step on the car.”
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Official timing application for iPhone announced
Soft Pauer Ltd has announced the launch of its official Formula One Timing and Track Positioning Application for iPhone and iPod touch users.
This unique application allows fans to simultaneously track the progress of all cars in real time on a dynamic track map which offers a variety of views of the circuit, including the unique ability to see a bird's eye view of the action. The data is taken directly from the official timing feeds generated at each circuit, giving the user unprecedented portable access to the information used by race engineers in the pit lane, with the added ability to track the individual driver of your choice. So for the first time, fans will be able to get a full, detailed picture of the racing action wherever they are.
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO of Soft Pauer commented: “We're very pleased to offer fans an added dimension to the experience of watching Grands Prix. We hope that they will take advantage of this new opportunity to get a full picture of the racing action wherever they go.”
Bernie Ecclestone commented: “I’m very excited by this application as it will allow fans to keep in touch with what is going on whilst on the move.”
This unique application allows fans to simultaneously track the progress of all cars in real time on a dynamic track map which offers a variety of views of the circuit, including the unique ability to see a bird's eye view of the action. The data is taken directly from the official timing feeds generated at each circuit, giving the user unprecedented portable access to the information used by race engineers in the pit lane, with the added ability to track the individual driver of your choice. So for the first time, fans will be able to get a full, detailed picture of the racing action wherever they are.
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO of Soft Pauer commented: “We're very pleased to offer fans an added dimension to the experience of watching Grands Prix. We hope that they will take advantage of this new opportunity to get a full picture of the racing action wherever they go.”
Bernie Ecclestone commented: “I’m very excited by this application as it will allow fans to keep in touch with what is going on whilst on the move.”
British Grand Prix - quotes
With its legendary history and the fact that several teams count the event as their home race, the British Grand Prix has always held a special significance with many of the Formula One drivers. Here they explain why...
Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 17th, 2008 Race - DNF
"The British Grand Prix is always an amazing weekend and I can't wait to race at Silverstone in front of our home fans on Sunday. To be leading the championship going into my home Grand Prix is something that I've never experienced before and it puts a smile on my face every time I think about it. I've raced at Silverstone from some fairly tough positions in the past but the fans have always been so supportive and I'd love to give them a performance that they can really enjoy this weekend. We took a good step forward with the balance of our car in Turkey but know that our closest competitors are going to be good in the high-speed corners so it will be an interesting weekend. If we come away with a good result, I'll be so happy on Sunday!
"The layout of Silverstone makes it one of the classic racing circuits and along with Suzuka and Spa, it has to be one of the best tracks out there. Every driver who races here loves the place as it's so fast and you can really push the car to its limits. It's a great circuit for the fans as you can see just how amazing the cars are from the speed, the change of the direction and the braking. I particularly love the section of the track around Becketts which is one of the best complexes in Formula One and a great place to watch the race. I have so many memories of Silverstone going right back to Mansell's win in 1987 and my first Formula One race there in 2000 when David Coulthard won and I finished fifth. It's strange to think that this might be our last race at Silverstone and I can't imagine not having a British Grand Prix so we'll be going all out to put on a fantastic show."
Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - 3rd
"Silverstone is one of my all-time favourite circuits and I absolutely love racing there. The track is fantastic as it is one of the few remaining on the calendar that are high-speed, fast-flowing and really allow you to let the car go through the quick corners. It is also a very safe track and that's important from a driver's perspective. Becketts is probably the most impressive corner with a 290km/h bend which leads into a challenging complex. Overtaking can be pretty spectacular if you get it right in one of the high-speed sections although the best opportunities are probably the slower corners at Vale and Abbey.
"I have some amazing memories from Silverstone over the years and it feels really sad that this might be the last time that we race there. I spent so much time testing and racing at the circuit when I was younger that it almost feels like a home track and the crowds are always supportive, even if you aren't British! My win here in 2003 was really special and it's fantastic to be returning this year with a car that has the potential to compete for the victory. There's a lot of expectation going into the weekend as our team's home Grand Prix but we will remain calm and just focus on doing the best job that we possibly can."
Ross Brawn, Brawn GP team principal
"The British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be a particularly special weekend for our team this year. Our base in Brackley is just eight miles from the circuit and we are very proud, as a British team, to be going into our home race leading the constructors' and drivers' championships. I have been fortunate enough to have been on the winning team at Silverstone in the past and it is an extremely special feeling that I would love to share with this team. We are holding a family day at our factory on Sunday for everyone who is not working at the track and it would be fantastic to head back there in the evening with a great result to celebrate what should be a very memorable weekend. Whilst it is very sad that this may be the last race at Silverstone as it is such a wonderful race track, the most important thing is that we retain the British Grand Prix for the future."
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 13th
“On paper, this weekend’s British Grand Prix takes place at a track with some similarities to the last race in Istanbul, where we were not so competitive. This weekend’s track also features fast corners, flowing sections and a final slow sector and we will have the same two types of tyre from Bridgestone, but that doesn’t mean I think we will struggle as much as we did a fortnight ago. For a start, the new components we have on the car this weekend, including a front wing and a lighter chassis, should make us more competitive. But, more importantly, in Turkey we went backwards over the course of the weekend, after being very competitive on Friday and on Saturday morning. We now know why that happened, which is the most important thing: we believe that with the very high track temperatures, we ran too low on the downforce and should have run with more rear wing, because as the temperature rises, the grip from the tyres went down and we needed to compensate for that. As the temperature gradually got higher, our cars were running slower and slower in the first sector of the track; the one where you need the most downforce. In other words, the problem we had was related to the way we worked, rather than any specific fault on the car.
“So I think we can be more competitive this weekend, with these changes to the car. Apparently this is the last time we will race at Silverstone and I have to say that I have always enjoyed racing here, even if my track record is nothing special, especially in the wet and if you think back to last year, I had a terrible afternoon in the rain. All the same, it is a nice track and I hope that where we go next for the British Grand Prix will be as good as Silverstone in terms of its layout and the pleasure it provides in terms of driving.”
Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Silverstone is one of the older tracks we race at and has kept much of its original layout which has made it one of the few remaining true driver’s tracks. As you’d expect, it’s therefore very demanding on the cars and the drivers, but mainly on the tyres. All the high speed corners put a lot of load onto the tyres so we have to be really careful with them. We also have to watch the weather. Everyone knows how unpredictable summer can be in the UK so anything can happen. Silverstone is also exposed to quite strong winds which can affect the car and which we have to take into consideration in the set-up process. I really enjoy going to Silverstone. As I’ve lived in Oxford for a few years now, the British Grand Prix is kind of a home race for me after Japan. The British fans seem to really love Formula One and make a big weekend of it, so it should be a bit more lively than Turkey! Williams has a lot of history at Silverstone, winning our first race there in 1979 and then our 100th as well, so it’s also a bit of a special weekend for the team.”
Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 20th, 2008 Race - 9th
“Silverstone is a great circuit, one of the few remaining tracks that really challenge a driver. It has quite a varied layout but really is dominated by the fast corners. Our car is much better suited to these types of circuits this year, so I’m going to Silverstone with more optimism than I did last! As well as taking into consideration the high speed corners for set-up, you have to consider the relatively slow sector three. We have to work quite hard to make sure we get the optimum balance on the car to hook up a competitive lap time because of those extremes. Overtaking isn’t easy at Silverstone, so qualifying is also really important here. Even though I’m German, it still feels special racing in front of the British fans when you drive for a British team. The atmosphere is amazing at Silverstone, and I know that lots of people come for the weekend who are based in the factory. As a reward for all their efforts this year, it would be amazing if we could deliver a really good result on Sunday.”
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 18th, 2008 Race - DNF
“The team is based about 400m from the main gates and Silverstone feels like a second home to me now as I go there so often. The race is a very special one, not just because it's the home race, there is something about the atmosphere that has a buzz unlike anywhere else. The British fans love their motorsport and it's not just for Lewis or Jenson, you really feel their enthusiasm for the sport in general. The track is also a very good one. It's very fast and there are some great sections such as the Copse to Maggotts section that you have to take quickly but be gentle on the gas and on the brakes - I know, I've had some offs there in the past! The final complex slows the lap down a bit and you lose your rhythm slightly but the final turn on Woodcote can be tricky to get right. The walls are very close!
“We have a new aero package at Silverstone and I am really looking forward to driving it. We've looked at the numbers back in the factory and it shows a clear improvement so I am keen to get my hands on it and really try and mix it up in the midfield. I had quite a good race in Turkey and could fight with both the McLarens and also a Brawn so just a little bit more performance could see us in the hunt for points. But it's so competitive out there we have to be right on top of our game right through from free practice.”
Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 19th, 2008 Race - DNF
“Silverstone is such a historic track and the atmosphere is always great that racing there is always a special feeling, but for sure I do feel something more now I'm with Force India. The whole team work so hard and quite often for little reward in terms of points and results, that I really hope I can put on a good show while they can see it. With the new upgrades coming through I'm pretty confident that would be possible. For me, it's one of the best circuits of the year. The first part of the circuit, from Copse to Becketts is very high speed, taken nearly flat. We slow down just a little bit at the end of the pit straight, then we go flat again. We lift the throttle pedal just a little for four at the middle of the complex and then back on it again for five. Even turn seven, Stowe, is another nice, quick fourth gear corner before a hairpin in turn eight, Vale. Through Club it's quite difficult as the car is sliding around on four wheels, with the rear end very nervous. Under the bridge is now quite easy, but a few years ago it was much more difficult. The last corner through the complex is typically understeer but you need to have a good exit as then you're across the start finish line. If this year will be the last race at Silverstone, I'll be sad to see it go.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
“We have a fairly large upgrade scheduled for this weekend. We will introduce changes to the front wing, bodywork and floor with one or two detail updates elsewhere as well. It's a significant step forward and I am very pleased that the team has been able to explore, build and then get this on the car before the summer break. Our rate of development has, I would say, been quite impressive given the small number of people and the limited budget we have available and I hope the overall package will take a step forward this weekend.
“Because it's home to us Silverstone is special, and we're unveiling a new package for Silverstone. And hopefully we'll get the improved performance out of the car and get to Q2 without difficulty. The World Twenty20 is on as well, so all my cricket friends are in the UK. Kevin Pietersen will probably attend - as you know he plays for my team. There will be a lot of people from India and South Africa, so I am looking forward to a good mix of all my business interests!”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I remain optimistic and determined to get a better result at Silverstone. The R29 has always worked well in high-speed corners and so we should be more competitive this weekend. We will also have some new developments, which should give us some extra performance. In terms of the track, it's a great place to drive a Formula One car and as this is probably the last time we will race at Silverstone, I will make sure I enjoy the experience.”
Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - DNF
“It's a track that I love and hopefully we can go there and get a good result. It's the local race for Enstone and so we always have good support there and the British fans are really enthusiastic about Formula One. It almost feels like a home race for me as I've been living in the UK for five years now and it's a track where I raced a lot earlier in my career. As I've already said, qualifying will be crucial, especially due to the high-speed layout of the track which makes overtaking very difficult.”
Bob Bell, Renault technical director
“We've got reasonably high expectations for Silverstone, although we're remaining realistic because we know we're not suddenly going to be fighting for the podium. The high-speed nature of the track should suit us and the R29 will work well in the quick corners. Our braking performance is probably an area where we are losing out at the moment, but Silverstone is not especially demanding on the brakes and so we go there confident of delivering a better result than we did in Turkey.
“We have a development to the diffuser, which is a reasonable step forward, as well as an upgrade to the front wing package. We explored some developments to the front wing in Turkey and will be running it again in Silverstone with further enhancements that we believe will improve the car. We also have some mechanical changes, more to do with functionality than performance, but they're still important and should help us.
“It's a very special race for all the teams based in the UK as it's a focal point in the middle of the season. Usually a lot of staff from the team go to the race and there is always a special atmosphere which all the teams enjoy. We go to every race determined to do the best job we can, but we'd love to put on a good show in Silverstone.”
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 14th, 2008 Race - 7th
"It was very satisfying to get back on track with our strong result in Turkey. I believe we belong at the front of the grid this year and it was important to bounce back and show how competitive we really are. The team has pushed hard with development and we must continue to do this to close the gap on the cars in front of us. I expect our car should go well at Silverstone as we have been very competitive on circuits with similar characteristics, so I am fired up to fight at the front again. Silverstone is a special place to race because of the passionate fans and the history surrounding the track. Personally I am not a huge fan of Silverstone and it hasn't always been kind to me, although I was one of the fastest cars last year in the wet. But it is an important circuit to Formula 1 and it will be a loss. If this is the last Grand Prix at Silverstone for a while, I hope I can leave there with some happy memories."
Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 12th, 2008 Race - 12th
"I am looking forward to the British Grand Prix and I think we have a great chance at Silverstone. It's an enjoyable place to race because the fans are so enthusiastic about Formula 1 and it's a really exciting lay-out. So it is a pity the Grand Prix is leaving Silverstone but then again new venues can be exciting too. The main feature of Silverstone is speed because there are some fantastic fast corners which are really good fun for a driver. This year I am particularly looking forward to this race because our car should be strong at this type of track. We were really competitive in Turkey with some new parts on the car and we expect to build on that this weekend. It was unfortunate my qualifying didn't go as planned in Istanbul because I could have been up with Jarno in the top six but I am really motivated to make sure everything goes to plan this weekend. The front of the grid is pretty close at the moment so if we get the maximum from our package then we can be battling with the fastest cars."
Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis:
"We expect to be strong at the British Grand Prix because the lay-out should suit our package. So far this season we have been extremely competitive at tracks which require high aero efficiency so we have high hopes for Silverstone. With the exception of Monaco we have been strong at all tracks and Turkey was a return to form for us. Even though we are in the top three in terms of performance we are still missing a little in order to be systematically contending to win. That is our target and we are working hard to close the gap. We expect to build on our Turkish performance and deliver a genuinely competitive car this weekend."
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"I've always really liked driving at Silverstone and I've been there many times. I first raced at the track in Formula 3000 and then did a lot of kilometres there in my early days as a Formula One test driver. I've always enjoyed competing at the circuit but, despite the number of laps I've covered there, for some reason it has never been one of my showcase tracks, unlike Budapest or Suzuka. Last year's race in Silverstone was great. In the middle of all the chaos caused by the weather we opted for the right tyres, and I was able to pull off several good overtaking manoeuvres and finish second. The whole opening section at Silverstone is fantastic - very fast and unmistakable. I would be really disappointed if Silverstone did end up being taken off the calendar. I've never found the circuit outdated - traditional yes, but not antiquated. In addition to the wonderful corners at the track, the very special atmosphere generated by the fans would be a big loss."
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DNF
"I always like to go racing at Silverstone. The British fans are amazing. It is a historic motor sport place and you can always feel the special racing atmosphere there. Usually the weather is quite unpredictable at Silverstone. Wind plays an important role. Especially in the high- speed corners it can have a big effect on the car's behaviour. From a driver's perspective the circuit is quite challenging. The first sector is very fast and has a couple of real high-speed corners. I think Silverstone might be a track that suits our car."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"Going into the British Grand Prix we are well aware that we still have a serious amount of work to do. However, we can now build on our performance in Istanbul. We fitted a double- decker diffuser for the first time in Turkey and the effect was clear. Our car was fast enough to score points thanks to our own performance. Of course, nobody within the team is satisfied with the result, but we will use it as a platform to put the next steps into action. We have increased our speed of development and will arrive at Silverstone with another package of new components. From now on we will introduce significant improvements to the car at two to three-race intervals, and these will include further development stages of the double-decker diffuser. We are a long way away from writing off the 2009 season."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"To be quick at Silverstone you need to have a car with a lot of downforce, but above all one with very good balance. The track is characterised by its many medium and high-speed corners, and it is critical that the drivers carry a lot of speed out of them. Maggots-Becketts-Chapel is one of the best and most challenging combinations on the Formula One calendar. The track surface is pretty rough, which means that tyres come in for a good deal of punishment. Bridgestone is bringing the same two compounds to Silverstone which did such a good job in Istanbul. We used the double-decker diffuser for the first time in Turkey and took a step forward as a result. This was certainly pleasing, but we are still far from satisfied with the situation. Our intention is to introduce improvements to the car at short intervals. We will be running a further developed front wing at Silverstone with the aim of improving the balance of the car. I am confident we can continue our upward trend."
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 1st
“The two greatest things about racing at Silverstone are the fans and the track itself. It’s great to see and meet people from all across the country and the world who have made the journey to Silverstone for the Santander British Grand Prix. When I’m in the car, I can actually see the fans around the circuit waving banners and cheering. It’s as if they were racing every lap with me - incredible! Driving the track is incredible too. I love Silverstone - it’s an amazing place to drive. Copse, Becketts and Bridge are all absolutely fantastic, flat-out corners that really show you the power and grip of a Formula One car. It’s a perfect place for the race, so let’s hope it’s not the last time we race at this track.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“Silverstone: what a fantastic circuit! I got my first Formula One pole position here last year and I remember how great the car was to drive on the limit. I love fast corners - it’s when a Formula One car really feels at its best and your whole body is just on the limit. While we know our car won’t be at its best through the fast corners, the challenge as a racing driver is to push to the limit so I’m just going to try my hardest. After a couple of disappointing races, it would be fantastic to get back into the points in one of the team’s home races.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Our home race has been highly successful for us in the past. We’ve won the British Grand Prix on 14 occasions - 12 of those wins coming at Silverstone. The most recent, of course, was Lewis’s fantastic victory in the rain last year - which stands as one of Formula One’s greatest-ever wet weather drives. For this year, we come off a difficult race in Turkey, determined to do better in front of our home crowd.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
“Silverstone is a great track with a unique layout. We have fond memories of this traditional circuit with Lewis’s superb victory in the rain, more than a minute ahead of the second finisher last year, certainly being the most memorable moment. One year later, however, we will not be in a position to win. Since the beginning of this season we are in a catching up process. This is because we have not yet managed to get the best technical package out of the new rules in contrast to what we achieved with the old regulations in previous years when we built a winning car which we fought for the world championship with and won it.
“Nevertheless, everybody in the team is highly motivated to further reduce our gap to the top - particularly on fast circuits. We are currently experiencing tough times, but this is not new for us: after a year without victories in 2006 we missed our target to win the title by one point in 2007 and then, a year after, we clinched the world championship with Lewis in 2008. We all work in a calm, focused and concentrated way to get our job done. And we will manage to do so - but certainly not overnight.”
Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 17th, 2008 Race - DNF
"The British Grand Prix is always an amazing weekend and I can't wait to race at Silverstone in front of our home fans on Sunday. To be leading the championship going into my home Grand Prix is something that I've never experienced before and it puts a smile on my face every time I think about it. I've raced at Silverstone from some fairly tough positions in the past but the fans have always been so supportive and I'd love to give them a performance that they can really enjoy this weekend. We took a good step forward with the balance of our car in Turkey but know that our closest competitors are going to be good in the high-speed corners so it will be an interesting weekend. If we come away with a good result, I'll be so happy on Sunday!
"The layout of Silverstone makes it one of the classic racing circuits and along with Suzuka and Spa, it has to be one of the best tracks out there. Every driver who races here loves the place as it's so fast and you can really push the car to its limits. It's a great circuit for the fans as you can see just how amazing the cars are from the speed, the change of the direction and the braking. I particularly love the section of the track around Becketts which is one of the best complexes in Formula One and a great place to watch the race. I have so many memories of Silverstone going right back to Mansell's win in 1987 and my first Formula One race there in 2000 when David Coulthard won and I finished fifth. It's strange to think that this might be our last race at Silverstone and I can't imagine not having a British Grand Prix so we'll be going all out to put on a fantastic show."
Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - 3rd
"Silverstone is one of my all-time favourite circuits and I absolutely love racing there. The track is fantastic as it is one of the few remaining on the calendar that are high-speed, fast-flowing and really allow you to let the car go through the quick corners. It is also a very safe track and that's important from a driver's perspective. Becketts is probably the most impressive corner with a 290km/h bend which leads into a challenging complex. Overtaking can be pretty spectacular if you get it right in one of the high-speed sections although the best opportunities are probably the slower corners at Vale and Abbey.
"I have some amazing memories from Silverstone over the years and it feels really sad that this might be the last time that we race there. I spent so much time testing and racing at the circuit when I was younger that it almost feels like a home track and the crowds are always supportive, even if you aren't British! My win here in 2003 was really special and it's fantastic to be returning this year with a car that has the potential to compete for the victory. There's a lot of expectation going into the weekend as our team's home Grand Prix but we will remain calm and just focus on doing the best job that we possibly can."
Ross Brawn, Brawn GP team principal
"The British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be a particularly special weekend for our team this year. Our base in Brackley is just eight miles from the circuit and we are very proud, as a British team, to be going into our home race leading the constructors' and drivers' championships. I have been fortunate enough to have been on the winning team at Silverstone in the past and it is an extremely special feeling that I would love to share with this team. We are holding a family day at our factory on Sunday for everyone who is not working at the track and it would be fantastic to head back there in the evening with a great result to celebrate what should be a very memorable weekend. Whilst it is very sad that this may be the last race at Silverstone as it is such a wonderful race track, the most important thing is that we retain the British Grand Prix for the future."
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 13th
“On paper, this weekend’s British Grand Prix takes place at a track with some similarities to the last race in Istanbul, where we were not so competitive. This weekend’s track also features fast corners, flowing sections and a final slow sector and we will have the same two types of tyre from Bridgestone, but that doesn’t mean I think we will struggle as much as we did a fortnight ago. For a start, the new components we have on the car this weekend, including a front wing and a lighter chassis, should make us more competitive. But, more importantly, in Turkey we went backwards over the course of the weekend, after being very competitive on Friday and on Saturday morning. We now know why that happened, which is the most important thing: we believe that with the very high track temperatures, we ran too low on the downforce and should have run with more rear wing, because as the temperature rises, the grip from the tyres went down and we needed to compensate for that. As the temperature gradually got higher, our cars were running slower and slower in the first sector of the track; the one where you need the most downforce. In other words, the problem we had was related to the way we worked, rather than any specific fault on the car.
“So I think we can be more competitive this weekend, with these changes to the car. Apparently this is the last time we will race at Silverstone and I have to say that I have always enjoyed racing here, even if my track record is nothing special, especially in the wet and if you think back to last year, I had a terrible afternoon in the rain. All the same, it is a nice track and I hope that where we go next for the British Grand Prix will be as good as Silverstone in terms of its layout and the pleasure it provides in terms of driving.”
Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Silverstone is one of the older tracks we race at and has kept much of its original layout which has made it one of the few remaining true driver’s tracks. As you’d expect, it’s therefore very demanding on the cars and the drivers, but mainly on the tyres. All the high speed corners put a lot of load onto the tyres so we have to be really careful with them. We also have to watch the weather. Everyone knows how unpredictable summer can be in the UK so anything can happen. Silverstone is also exposed to quite strong winds which can affect the car and which we have to take into consideration in the set-up process. I really enjoy going to Silverstone. As I’ve lived in Oxford for a few years now, the British Grand Prix is kind of a home race for me after Japan. The British fans seem to really love Formula One and make a big weekend of it, so it should be a bit more lively than Turkey! Williams has a lot of history at Silverstone, winning our first race there in 1979 and then our 100th as well, so it’s also a bit of a special weekend for the team.”
Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 20th, 2008 Race - 9th
“Silverstone is a great circuit, one of the few remaining tracks that really challenge a driver. It has quite a varied layout but really is dominated by the fast corners. Our car is much better suited to these types of circuits this year, so I’m going to Silverstone with more optimism than I did last! As well as taking into consideration the high speed corners for set-up, you have to consider the relatively slow sector three. We have to work quite hard to make sure we get the optimum balance on the car to hook up a competitive lap time because of those extremes. Overtaking isn’t easy at Silverstone, so qualifying is also really important here. Even though I’m German, it still feels special racing in front of the British fans when you drive for a British team. The atmosphere is amazing at Silverstone, and I know that lots of people come for the weekend who are based in the factory. As a reward for all their efforts this year, it would be amazing if we could deliver a really good result on Sunday.”
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 18th, 2008 Race - DNF
“The team is based about 400m from the main gates and Silverstone feels like a second home to me now as I go there so often. The race is a very special one, not just because it's the home race, there is something about the atmosphere that has a buzz unlike anywhere else. The British fans love their motorsport and it's not just for Lewis or Jenson, you really feel their enthusiasm for the sport in general. The track is also a very good one. It's very fast and there are some great sections such as the Copse to Maggotts section that you have to take quickly but be gentle on the gas and on the brakes - I know, I've had some offs there in the past! The final complex slows the lap down a bit and you lose your rhythm slightly but the final turn on Woodcote can be tricky to get right. The walls are very close!
“We have a new aero package at Silverstone and I am really looking forward to driving it. We've looked at the numbers back in the factory and it shows a clear improvement so I am keen to get my hands on it and really try and mix it up in the midfield. I had quite a good race in Turkey and could fight with both the McLarens and also a Brawn so just a little bit more performance could see us in the hunt for points. But it's so competitive out there we have to be right on top of our game right through from free practice.”
Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India
2008 Qualifying - 19th, 2008 Race - DNF
“Silverstone is such a historic track and the atmosphere is always great that racing there is always a special feeling, but for sure I do feel something more now I'm with Force India. The whole team work so hard and quite often for little reward in terms of points and results, that I really hope I can put on a good show while they can see it. With the new upgrades coming through I'm pretty confident that would be possible. For me, it's one of the best circuits of the year. The first part of the circuit, from Copse to Becketts is very high speed, taken nearly flat. We slow down just a little bit at the end of the pit straight, then we go flat again. We lift the throttle pedal just a little for four at the middle of the complex and then back on it again for five. Even turn seven, Stowe, is another nice, quick fourth gear corner before a hairpin in turn eight, Vale. Through Club it's quite difficult as the car is sliding around on four wheels, with the rear end very nervous. Under the bridge is now quite easy, but a few years ago it was much more difficult. The last corner through the complex is typically understeer but you need to have a good exit as then you're across the start finish line. If this year will be the last race at Silverstone, I'll be sad to see it go.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
“We have a fairly large upgrade scheduled for this weekend. We will introduce changes to the front wing, bodywork and floor with one or two detail updates elsewhere as well. It's a significant step forward and I am very pleased that the team has been able to explore, build and then get this on the car before the summer break. Our rate of development has, I would say, been quite impressive given the small number of people and the limited budget we have available and I hope the overall package will take a step forward this weekend.
“Because it's home to us Silverstone is special, and we're unveiling a new package for Silverstone. And hopefully we'll get the improved performance out of the car and get to Q2 without difficulty. The World Twenty20 is on as well, so all my cricket friends are in the UK. Kevin Pietersen will probably attend - as you know he plays for my team. There will be a lot of people from India and South Africa, so I am looking forward to a good mix of all my business interests!”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I remain optimistic and determined to get a better result at Silverstone. The R29 has always worked well in high-speed corners and so we should be more competitive this weekend. We will also have some new developments, which should give us some extra performance. In terms of the track, it's a great place to drive a Formula One car and as this is probably the last time we will race at Silverstone, I will make sure I enjoy the experience.”
Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - DNF
“It's a track that I love and hopefully we can go there and get a good result. It's the local race for Enstone and so we always have good support there and the British fans are really enthusiastic about Formula One. It almost feels like a home race for me as I've been living in the UK for five years now and it's a track where I raced a lot earlier in my career. As I've already said, qualifying will be crucial, especially due to the high-speed layout of the track which makes overtaking very difficult.”
Bob Bell, Renault technical director
“We've got reasonably high expectations for Silverstone, although we're remaining realistic because we know we're not suddenly going to be fighting for the podium. The high-speed nature of the track should suit us and the R29 will work well in the quick corners. Our braking performance is probably an area where we are losing out at the moment, but Silverstone is not especially demanding on the brakes and so we go there confident of delivering a better result than we did in Turkey.
“We have a development to the diffuser, which is a reasonable step forward, as well as an upgrade to the front wing package. We explored some developments to the front wing in Turkey and will be running it again in Silverstone with further enhancements that we believe will improve the car. We also have some mechanical changes, more to do with functionality than performance, but they're still important and should help us.
“It's a very special race for all the teams based in the UK as it's a focal point in the middle of the season. Usually a lot of staff from the team go to the race and there is always a special atmosphere which all the teams enjoy. We go to every race determined to do the best job we can, but we'd love to put on a good show in Silverstone.”
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 14th, 2008 Race - 7th
"It was very satisfying to get back on track with our strong result in Turkey. I believe we belong at the front of the grid this year and it was important to bounce back and show how competitive we really are. The team has pushed hard with development and we must continue to do this to close the gap on the cars in front of us. I expect our car should go well at Silverstone as we have been very competitive on circuits with similar characteristics, so I am fired up to fight at the front again. Silverstone is a special place to race because of the passionate fans and the history surrounding the track. Personally I am not a huge fan of Silverstone and it hasn't always been kind to me, although I was one of the fastest cars last year in the wet. But it is an important circuit to Formula 1 and it will be a loss. If this is the last Grand Prix at Silverstone for a while, I hope I can leave there with some happy memories."
Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 12th, 2008 Race - 12th
"I am looking forward to the British Grand Prix and I think we have a great chance at Silverstone. It's an enjoyable place to race because the fans are so enthusiastic about Formula 1 and it's a really exciting lay-out. So it is a pity the Grand Prix is leaving Silverstone but then again new venues can be exciting too. The main feature of Silverstone is speed because there are some fantastic fast corners which are really good fun for a driver. This year I am particularly looking forward to this race because our car should be strong at this type of track. We were really competitive in Turkey with some new parts on the car and we expect to build on that this weekend. It was unfortunate my qualifying didn't go as planned in Istanbul because I could have been up with Jarno in the top six but I am really motivated to make sure everything goes to plan this weekend. The front of the grid is pretty close at the moment so if we get the maximum from our package then we can be battling with the fastest cars."
Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis:
"We expect to be strong at the British Grand Prix because the lay-out should suit our package. So far this season we have been extremely competitive at tracks which require high aero efficiency so we have high hopes for Silverstone. With the exception of Monaco we have been strong at all tracks and Turkey was a return to form for us. Even though we are in the top three in terms of performance we are still missing a little in order to be systematically contending to win. That is our target and we are working hard to close the gap. We expect to build on our Turkish performance and deliver a genuinely competitive car this weekend."
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"I've always really liked driving at Silverstone and I've been there many times. I first raced at the track in Formula 3000 and then did a lot of kilometres there in my early days as a Formula One test driver. I've always enjoyed competing at the circuit but, despite the number of laps I've covered there, for some reason it has never been one of my showcase tracks, unlike Budapest or Suzuka. Last year's race in Silverstone was great. In the middle of all the chaos caused by the weather we opted for the right tyres, and I was able to pull off several good overtaking manoeuvres and finish second. The whole opening section at Silverstone is fantastic - very fast and unmistakable. I would be really disappointed if Silverstone did end up being taken off the calendar. I've never found the circuit outdated - traditional yes, but not antiquated. In addition to the wonderful corners at the track, the very special atmosphere generated by the fans would be a big loss."
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DNF
"I always like to go racing at Silverstone. The British fans are amazing. It is a historic motor sport place and you can always feel the special racing atmosphere there. Usually the weather is quite unpredictable at Silverstone. Wind plays an important role. Especially in the high- speed corners it can have a big effect on the car's behaviour. From a driver's perspective the circuit is quite challenging. The first sector is very fast and has a couple of real high-speed corners. I think Silverstone might be a track that suits our car."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"Going into the British Grand Prix we are well aware that we still have a serious amount of work to do. However, we can now build on our performance in Istanbul. We fitted a double- decker diffuser for the first time in Turkey and the effect was clear. Our car was fast enough to score points thanks to our own performance. Of course, nobody within the team is satisfied with the result, but we will use it as a platform to put the next steps into action. We have increased our speed of development and will arrive at Silverstone with another package of new components. From now on we will introduce significant improvements to the car at two to three-race intervals, and these will include further development stages of the double-decker diffuser. We are a long way away from writing off the 2009 season."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"To be quick at Silverstone you need to have a car with a lot of downforce, but above all one with very good balance. The track is characterised by its many medium and high-speed corners, and it is critical that the drivers carry a lot of speed out of them. Maggots-Becketts-Chapel is one of the best and most challenging combinations on the Formula One calendar. The track surface is pretty rough, which means that tyres come in for a good deal of punishment. Bridgestone is bringing the same two compounds to Silverstone which did such a good job in Istanbul. We used the double-decker diffuser for the first time in Turkey and took a step forward as a result. This was certainly pleasing, but we are still far from satisfied with the situation. Our intention is to introduce improvements to the car at short intervals. We will be running a further developed front wing at Silverstone with the aim of improving the balance of the car. I am confident we can continue our upward trend."
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 1st
“The two greatest things about racing at Silverstone are the fans and the track itself. It’s great to see and meet people from all across the country and the world who have made the journey to Silverstone for the Santander British Grand Prix. When I’m in the car, I can actually see the fans around the circuit waving banners and cheering. It’s as if they were racing every lap with me - incredible! Driving the track is incredible too. I love Silverstone - it’s an amazing place to drive. Copse, Becketts and Bridge are all absolutely fantastic, flat-out corners that really show you the power and grip of a Formula One car. It’s a perfect place for the race, so let’s hope it’s not the last time we race at this track.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“Silverstone: what a fantastic circuit! I got my first Formula One pole position here last year and I remember how great the car was to drive on the limit. I love fast corners - it’s when a Formula One car really feels at its best and your whole body is just on the limit. While we know our car won’t be at its best through the fast corners, the challenge as a racing driver is to push to the limit so I’m just going to try my hardest. After a couple of disappointing races, it would be fantastic to get back into the points in one of the team’s home races.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Our home race has been highly successful for us in the past. We’ve won the British Grand Prix on 14 occasions - 12 of those wins coming at Silverstone. The most recent, of course, was Lewis’s fantastic victory in the rain last year - which stands as one of Formula One’s greatest-ever wet weather drives. For this year, we come off a difficult race in Turkey, determined to do better in front of our home crowd.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
“Silverstone is a great track with a unique layout. We have fond memories of this traditional circuit with Lewis’s superb victory in the rain, more than a minute ahead of the second finisher last year, certainly being the most memorable moment. One year later, however, we will not be in a position to win. Since the beginning of this season we are in a catching up process. This is because we have not yet managed to get the best technical package out of the new rules in contrast to what we achieved with the old regulations in previous years when we built a winning car which we fought for the world championship with and won it.
“Nevertheless, everybody in the team is highly motivated to further reduce our gap to the top - particularly on fast circuits. We are currently experiencing tough times, but this is not new for us: after a year without victories in 2006 we missed our target to win the title by one point in 2007 and then, a year after, we clinched the world championship with Lewis in 2008. We all work in a calm, focused and concentrated way to get our job done. And we will manage to do so - but certainly not overnight.”
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