When: Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October, 2009
Where: Suzuka Circuit, Japan
Round: 15 of 17
Standings
AT&T Williams: 30.5pts (6th)
N Rosberg: 30.5pts (7th)
K Nakajima: 0pts (17th)
Japan’s Hot Topics
Will the driver market remain at a stalemate or will there be some movement?
Could Suzuka’s infamous weather create a lottery result on Sunday?
How will the Drivers’ championship shape up?
Race Data
Friday
Practice 1: 10:00 - 11:30
Practice 2: 14:00 - 15:30
Saturday
Practice 3: 11:00 – 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 - 15:00
Sunday
Race: 14:00
Lap Distance: 5.807km
Laps: 53
Distance: 307.573kms
Suzuka, Japan
Back on the calendar for the first time since 2006, Suzuka will henceforth share the Japanese Grand Prix with Fuji Speedway. The circuit features many quick corners and sudden directional changes, which place a significant load on tyres, but the figure-of-eight configuration balances the load over the course of a lap so the wear rate is not as significant as the cornering speeds might suggest. Two-stop strategies are the norm, although that depends on local weather patterns: the region is prone to occasional typhoons.
Talking technical
Car dynamics
Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit’s corners expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute the corners in the circuit’s configuration and the greater propensity for understeer to compromise lap time. Average turn angle at Suzuka is 990 - which is below the average for the Championship. Suzuka is the only circuit on the Formula One calendar to feature a figure-of-eight configuration.
The end of straight (EOS) speed at Suzuka was 311kp/h in 2006. The Japanese track ranks as having the 4th highest EOS speed on the 2009 calendar, and this is one indicator of the wing level typically selected to optimise the downforce/drag ratio. Meanwhile, Suzuka also has the 3rd highest average lap speed of any of the tracks on the calendar.
Pitlane & refuelling strategy
The pitlane length and profile contribute to the determination of the optimum fuel strategy. The pitlane loss at Suzuka is approximately 19.9 seconds, which is the 10th most penalising pitlane in the Championship. To complete a normalised distance of 5km around Suzuka requires 2.37kg of fuel against an average of 2.42kg per 5km across all circuits this season, ranking the circuit as the 5th least demanding in terms of fuel consumption.
Safety car
Another key contributor to the determination of race strategy is the likelihood of safety car deployments, which are influenced by weather considerations, the availability of clear run-off areas that allow racing to continue while recovery takes place and the circuit profile, especially the character of the entry and exit into turn one at the start of the race. There has been only one safety car deployment during the five previous races at Suzuka which means the circuit’s character is unlikely to induce a safety car period.
Temperature, pressure & humidity
As an example, it is a long observed tradition that drivers arriving at Interlagos complain about a lack of grip and an absence of engine power. Having become acquainted with a baseline of engine and aerodynamic performance during the season, the climb to 750 metres above sea level for one of the final races can, courtesy of the reduction in air density, rob a Formula One car of engine power, aerodynamic performance and cooling. The losses can come close to double digit percentages and thus have a very real impact on car performance.
Air density is a factor of the prevailing ambient temperature, which varies most significantly by season, air pressure which is closely linked to altitude and, to a much smaller degree, by humidity. Thus if races are run at the same time each year, the factor that tends to have the greatest bearing on air density is elevation. Suzuka is 50m above sea level and has the 6th highest average pressure (1,009 mbar) of any race venue in the 2009 championship. As a consequence, the circuit’s ambient characteristics will have little effect on engine power.
What the drivers say
Thoughts on the Singapore Grand Prix
Nico “Singapore was good and bad. On the one hand, it was impressive to see how much the team has developed the car which allowed us to be right up there with the quickest teams. On the other hand, I robbed us of a very likely second place with a silly mistake.”
Kazuki “For me, the Singapore Grand Prix was a solid but flat race, I didn’t really have any bad moments, but there weren’t any highlights either. We were strong all weekend, and consistent too, but at the end of the day I didn’t manage to make up enough places during the race to get into a points-scoring position. I am now just hoping that it will happen at my home race later this week.”
What we’ll be doing between Singapore and Japan
Kazuki “I am flying to Tokyo on Monday morning for a sponsor day on Tuesday. I will then head out to Suzuka on Wednesday. My work won’t be done after the race weekend though as I have two more sponsor days on the Monday and Tuesday after the race! It sounds very busy, but this year’s schedule is better for me than the one I had last year when all the events were packed into the week before the race.”
Nico ”I am travelling to Hong Kong after Singapore for a day with RBS on Tuesday. I’ll then make my way over to Japan on Wednesday.”
About Japan
Kazuki “I kind of grew up around Suzuka. I have been to the circuit many, many times and it’s the place where I started karting. I’ve also watched countless races there, not just Formula One races, but many other forms of Japanese motorsport, so going to Suzuka feels like going home. Apart from a short trip last April, I haven’t been there for the past four years so it will be almost like a new experience. Overall, it’s just a very nice place and I can’t wait to get there.”
Nico “I am now looking forward to Suzuka because I think we can do well there. Personally, I think the track is one of the best on the calendar, up there with Spa. It’s also a good venue for Formula One because the fans are so enthusiastic which is always great.”
Suzuka from a technical perspective
Kazuki “Suzuka has a very technically challenging layout. It’s designed in a figure of eight shape, which has a mix of 16 slow and fast corners around the lap. One of my favourites is the famous 130R which is really unforgiving. It’s a really quick circuit so you have to make sure you have a well balanced set-up or you’re just punished the whole way round. The one thing you have to be careful of in Japan at this time of year is the weather which can be really variable, but that could just make it more exciting!”
Nico “I haven't been to Suzuka for three years now but I felt really comfortable on the track the last time that I raced there I am looking forward to driving it again.”
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Ferrari confirms Alonso to replace Kimi
Ferrari has finally confirmed Formula 1’s biggest open secret by announcing it has signed Fernando Alonso from Renault on a three-year deal from next season.
The double world champion will replace Kimi Raikkonen after Ferrari agreed to terminate its agreement with the Finnish driver one year early.
Alonso will therefore as expected partner Felipe Massa in Ferrari’s 2010 line-up, the Brazilian set to return from injury well in time for the new campaign.
“We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to date,” said Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali.
“Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari: in his first year with us, he managed to win the drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructors’ title in 2007 and 2008.
“Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”
The double world champion will replace Kimi Raikkonen after Ferrari agreed to terminate its agreement with the Finnish driver one year early.
Alonso will therefore as expected partner Felipe Massa in Ferrari’s 2010 line-up, the Brazilian set to return from injury well in time for the new campaign.
“We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to date,” said Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali.
“Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari: in his first year with us, he managed to win the drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructors’ title in 2007 and 2008.
“Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”
BMW Sauber F1 Team – Japanese Grand Prix Preview
Munich/Hinwil, 27th September 2009. The mere mention of Suzuka sets drivers’ pulses racing. This fabulous race track offers every type of corner in the book – from the spectacular esses after the start, to the challenging Spoon curve and the tight hairpin, all the way to the high-speed 130R. For three years almost to the day, drivers have had to forego the unique thrills of this circuit while Formula One was hosted by Fuji. 2009 sees the Japanese Grand Prix return to Suzuka this coming Sunday, 4th October.
Robert Kubica:
“I am really looking forward to going racing in Suzuka again. The circuit is one of the most exciting tracks to drive on – for me it is one of the best circuits in the world. There are a lot of really challenging high-speed corners, especially the 130R which is really fast. The fans there are fantastic. In 2006 a lot of them in the grandstands stayed at the circuit until very late in the night. They are really passionate and enjoy Formula One a lot.”
Nick Heidfeld:
“I’m thrilled that my favourite Formula One circuit is back on the calendar. It will be interesting to see what changes it has in store for us. I know the track has been partly resurfaced, and there’s always the possibility of the forces of nature intervening – we’ve already had an earthquake and a close call with a typhoon. The weather is always an issue and there’s been torrential rain often enough in Suzuka. It’s quite a long circuit, very varied, and it flows beautifully. The first section with its double-apex right-hander and sequence of esses is really superb. But you have to get into the flow properly; if you make a mistake in one turn, you’ll mess up all the rest.
“I really enjoy going to Japan. The first time round I didn’t immediately take to it, but since then I’ve become a great fan. I just love the food and the unique atmosphere. I’ll be spending a few days in Tokyo ahead of the race in Suzuka.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“It’s one race chasing the next on the home straight of the 2009 Formula One season. Seven days after the night race in Singapore we’ve got the next round in Suzuka, Japan, which completes the back-to-backs in a region that is extremely important for the BMW Group.
“This circuit is one of the most challenging for the drivers, making it a real favourite among them and the fans. A well-balanced car is a must in Suzuka. But it’s a tough track for the engine experts as well: in the ultra-fast 130R turn you get lateral acceleration forces of up to 6g and it’s essential the oil keeps flowing.”
Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering:
“With its many fast corner combinations, the Suzuka Circuit is one of the most challenging in the Formula One calendar. The gradients also contribute to making this a true race track. The esses in the first sector are crucial to lap times: you can lose a lot of time there if you don’t follow the ideal line. It’s a unique sector, no other Formula One circuit has anything like it. There’s also the tight hairpin, but the dominant feature are the medium and high-speed corners. It’s a real contrast to Singapore’s city circuit which has more of a stop-go rhythm. That’s why the car’s balance is so important in Suzuka. As for configuration, we’ll be setting the car up with a high downforce level similar to that in Singapore.”
History and background:
2009 marks the 21st Japanese Grand Prix to be staged at Suzuka. Formula One debuted at the track in 1987; prior to that two Japanese Grands Prix were held in 1976 and 1977 at the circuit below Mount Fuji, which also hosted the Formula One events in 2007 and 2008. In 1994 and 1995 the Pacific GP was held at Japan’s Aida circuit.
The 2004 Japanese Grand Prix remains seared in the memory of the teams who were there. On the Saturday the track was completely closed off due to an approaching typhoon, which eventually made landfall elsewhere. Amid heavy downpours on Friday, the teams had packed up and secured all their equipment. The all-clear came on Saturday afternoon and qualifying was held on Sunday morning. Formula One had already had a taste of natural forces at Suzuka in 2000 when the mild aftershocks of an earthquake could be felt during free practice.
The Suzuka Circuit is the only F1 track designed in a figure 8. It is located in the middle of a large leisure park dominated by its hallmark Ferris wheel.
The city of Suzuka lies on the southeast coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu and belongs to the Mie Prefecture. The car manufacturer Honda has major production plants in this city of 200,000 inhabitants. Its European twin city likewise has a strong automotive connection: Le Mans in France.
Robert Kubica:
“I am really looking forward to going racing in Suzuka again. The circuit is one of the most exciting tracks to drive on – for me it is one of the best circuits in the world. There are a lot of really challenging high-speed corners, especially the 130R which is really fast. The fans there are fantastic. In 2006 a lot of them in the grandstands stayed at the circuit until very late in the night. They are really passionate and enjoy Formula One a lot.”
Nick Heidfeld:
“I’m thrilled that my favourite Formula One circuit is back on the calendar. It will be interesting to see what changes it has in store for us. I know the track has been partly resurfaced, and there’s always the possibility of the forces of nature intervening – we’ve already had an earthquake and a close call with a typhoon. The weather is always an issue and there’s been torrential rain often enough in Suzuka. It’s quite a long circuit, very varied, and it flows beautifully. The first section with its double-apex right-hander and sequence of esses is really superb. But you have to get into the flow properly; if you make a mistake in one turn, you’ll mess up all the rest.
“I really enjoy going to Japan. The first time round I didn’t immediately take to it, but since then I’ve become a great fan. I just love the food and the unique atmosphere. I’ll be spending a few days in Tokyo ahead of the race in Suzuka.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“It’s one race chasing the next on the home straight of the 2009 Formula One season. Seven days after the night race in Singapore we’ve got the next round in Suzuka, Japan, which completes the back-to-backs in a region that is extremely important for the BMW Group.
“This circuit is one of the most challenging for the drivers, making it a real favourite among them and the fans. A well-balanced car is a must in Suzuka. But it’s a tough track for the engine experts as well: in the ultra-fast 130R turn you get lateral acceleration forces of up to 6g and it’s essential the oil keeps flowing.”
Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering:
“With its many fast corner combinations, the Suzuka Circuit is one of the most challenging in the Formula One calendar. The gradients also contribute to making this a true race track. The esses in the first sector are crucial to lap times: you can lose a lot of time there if you don’t follow the ideal line. It’s a unique sector, no other Formula One circuit has anything like it. There’s also the tight hairpin, but the dominant feature are the medium and high-speed corners. It’s a real contrast to Singapore’s city circuit which has more of a stop-go rhythm. That’s why the car’s balance is so important in Suzuka. As for configuration, we’ll be setting the car up with a high downforce level similar to that in Singapore.”
History and background:
2009 marks the 21st Japanese Grand Prix to be staged at Suzuka. Formula One debuted at the track in 1987; prior to that two Japanese Grands Prix were held in 1976 and 1977 at the circuit below Mount Fuji, which also hosted the Formula One events in 2007 and 2008. In 1994 and 1995 the Pacific GP was held at Japan’s Aida circuit.
The 2004 Japanese Grand Prix remains seared in the memory of the teams who were there. On the Saturday the track was completely closed off due to an approaching typhoon, which eventually made landfall elsewhere. Amid heavy downpours on Friday, the teams had packed up and secured all their equipment. The all-clear came on Saturday afternoon and qualifying was held on Sunday morning. Formula One had already had a taste of natural forces at Suzuka in 2000 when the mild aftershocks of an earthquake could be felt during free practice.
The Suzuka Circuit is the only F1 track designed in a figure 8. It is located in the middle of a large leisure park dominated by its hallmark Ferris wheel.
The city of Suzuka lies on the southeast coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu and belongs to the Mie Prefecture. The car manufacturer Honda has major production plants in this city of 200,000 inhabitants. Its European twin city likewise has a strong automotive connection: Le Mans in France.
Barrichello closing on Williams deal
Rubens Barrichello is closing in on a deal with Williams for 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned, in a move that could see him swap places with Nico Rosberg.
On the back of a season where he has resurrected his Formula 1 career, having turned a lifeline from Brawn GP into a full-scale assault on the world championship, Barrichello is poised to extend his stay in F1 for at least one more year.
Although his performances for Brawn were not enough to guarantee his future at the team, with Rosberg's move to the Brackley-based team an open secret in F1, Williams is believed to be keen to tap into Barrichello's vast experience and speed as it continues its push back to the front of the grid.
With Williams expected to sign rookie Nico Hulkenberg, the team has set its sights on an experienced team leader to help guide car development and help bring on a rookie team-mate.
Sources have claimed that Barrichello recently visited the Williams factory at Grove to discuss the plans for next year, and it is understood that an outline deal either has already been agreed or is close to being concluded.
Speaking in Singapore last weekend, Williams technical director Sam Michael made no secret of the fact that the team's preference was for a driver line-up that featured both experience and youth.
"If you have someone who is very experienced that is great because they have experience on set-up and car direction," he explained. "And if you have someone who is young, then they bring enthusiasm.
"We've had many different drivers in Williams over the years in both camps - experienced guys and rookies, and they have all had their plus and minuses. But the most important thing is that they are fast, this is first and foremost for us."
Barrichello has won two races this year and currently lies 15 points behind team-mate Jenson Button in the world championship standings, with three races to go.
Although Barrichello is close to a deal with Williams, it is not impossible that he could be kept by Brawn GP if the team fails to reach agreement with Button about the financial terms of a new contract for 2010.
Discussions between the world championship leader and the team over money for next year have not yet reached a conclusion. It is understood the two parties are still some way apart in their discussions about just how much Button should be paid on the back of his strong campaign, having agreed to a cut-price deal this year to ensure Brawn GP's future in F1.
However, Barrichello may feel it is better to take a guaranteed seat at Williams in the next few weeks rather than wait until after the season for the chance of something that may not happen.
Williams also held talks with Robert Kubica earlier this year, but the Polish driver is now expected to take up an offer he has from the Renault team.
On the back of a season where he has resurrected his Formula 1 career, having turned a lifeline from Brawn GP into a full-scale assault on the world championship, Barrichello is poised to extend his stay in F1 for at least one more year.
Although his performances for Brawn were not enough to guarantee his future at the team, with Rosberg's move to the Brackley-based team an open secret in F1, Williams is believed to be keen to tap into Barrichello's vast experience and speed as it continues its push back to the front of the grid.
With Williams expected to sign rookie Nico Hulkenberg, the team has set its sights on an experienced team leader to help guide car development and help bring on a rookie team-mate.
Sources have claimed that Barrichello recently visited the Williams factory at Grove to discuss the plans for next year, and it is understood that an outline deal either has already been agreed or is close to being concluded.
Speaking in Singapore last weekend, Williams technical director Sam Michael made no secret of the fact that the team's preference was for a driver line-up that featured both experience and youth.
"If you have someone who is very experienced that is great because they have experience on set-up and car direction," he explained. "And if you have someone who is young, then they bring enthusiasm.
"We've had many different drivers in Williams over the years in both camps - experienced guys and rookies, and they have all had their plus and minuses. But the most important thing is that they are fast, this is first and foremost for us."
Barrichello has won two races this year and currently lies 15 points behind team-mate Jenson Button in the world championship standings, with three races to go.
Although Barrichello is close to a deal with Williams, it is not impossible that he could be kept by Brawn GP if the team fails to reach agreement with Button about the financial terms of a new contract for 2010.
Discussions between the world championship leader and the team over money for next year have not yet reached a conclusion. It is understood the two parties are still some way apart in their discussions about just how much Button should be paid on the back of his strong campaign, having agreed to a cut-price deal this year to ensure Brawn GP's future in F1.
However, Barrichello may feel it is better to take a guaranteed seat at Williams in the next few weeks rather than wait until after the season for the chance of something that may not happen.
Williams also held talks with Robert Kubica earlier this year, but the Polish driver is now expected to take up an offer he has from the Renault team.
Massa makes karting return
Felipe Massa’s quest to return to fitness following the head injuries he suffered in his Hungarian Grand Prix accident in July took an encouraging step forward earlier this week when he completed two days of karting.
The Ferrari driver’s karting run-out in Brazil represented the first time the 28-year-old had returned to a track since he suffered a fractured skull after being hit by a loose spring in qualifying at the Hungaroring just over two months ago.
Massa, accompanied by his personal doctor Dino Altman at the test, drove a couple of laps at Grana Viana karting track near Sao Paulo on Monday before heavy rain scuppered the session, but returned a day later to complete 60 laps.
Ferrari says the Brazilian will continue to drive the kart in the forthcoming days, before flying to Italy next week to use its static simulator at its Maranello factory.
The 28-year-old’s first track return comes just days after Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali refused to rule out the possibility that Massa could make an unexpectedly early return to F1 competition before the Abu Dhabi finale on November 1.
Although the Italian team previously indicate that Massa would resume his F1 career at the start of next season – when it said expects him to be “100%” ready – Domenicali said in Singapore that Ferrari didn’t want to totally write-off the idea of a late 2009 return.
“I think it is too early to say that to be honest. We need to see step-by-step,” he said.
“We don’t have to anticipate anything, because he will be back 100%, but there is no reason why we need to anticipate something if there is something that is not ready.
“I don’t want to exclude anything, but I think that we need to be cautious.”
With Japan hosting the F1’s season’s third to last round this weekend, any Massa return this year could only happen in his home Brazil round on October 18 or, more realistically, in Abu Dhabi’s inaugural event two weeks later.
As it stands, Massa’s competitive return to track action is scheduled at International Challenge of Go-Kart Champs event in Brazil in late November.
The Ferrari driver’s karting run-out in Brazil represented the first time the 28-year-old had returned to a track since he suffered a fractured skull after being hit by a loose spring in qualifying at the Hungaroring just over two months ago.
Massa, accompanied by his personal doctor Dino Altman at the test, drove a couple of laps at Grana Viana karting track near Sao Paulo on Monday before heavy rain scuppered the session, but returned a day later to complete 60 laps.
Ferrari says the Brazilian will continue to drive the kart in the forthcoming days, before flying to Italy next week to use its static simulator at its Maranello factory.
The 28-year-old’s first track return comes just days after Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali refused to rule out the possibility that Massa could make an unexpectedly early return to F1 competition before the Abu Dhabi finale on November 1.
Although the Italian team previously indicate that Massa would resume his F1 career at the start of next season – when it said expects him to be “100%” ready – Domenicali said in Singapore that Ferrari didn’t want to totally write-off the idea of a late 2009 return.
“I think it is too early to say that to be honest. We need to see step-by-step,” he said.
“We don’t have to anticipate anything, because he will be back 100%, but there is no reason why we need to anticipate something if there is something that is not ready.
“I don’t want to exclude anything, but I think that we need to be cautious.”
With Japan hosting the F1’s season’s third to last round this weekend, any Massa return this year could only happen in his home Brazil round on October 18 or, more realistically, in Abu Dhabi’s inaugural event two weeks later.
As it stands, Massa’s competitive return to track action is scheduled at International Challenge of Go-Kart Champs event in Brazil in late November.
Force India's Preview - Japanese GP
Just one week after the Singapore round of the FIA Formula One World Championship the Force India Formula One Team will be back in action, this time at the Japanese Grand Prix, held from 2 – 4 October at the legendary Suzuka track.
The circuit, close to the fourth largest city in Japan, Nagoya, is almost 6km and features just about every type of corner, from slow chicanes to the awesome 130R – a sweeping left hander where cars reach up to 300kph in seventh gear while pulling 4 g. Since the track demands a medium to low downforce aero configuration, Force India is hopeful of a return to the strong form shown in the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix that required a similar set-up.
Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
How would you review the Singapore race – was it as expected?
We knew that after the results of Spa and Monza we had set a high expectation for ourselves, but we were realistic that we would find it more difficult at this circuit. I was nevertheless a little disappointed that we struggled quite as much as we did and we didn’t get into Q2 as expected. That said, we do understand the reasons why – Singapore is an exceptionally high downforce track and we have found this configuration difficult. Singapore is however the only type of track in the second half of the season so we had to make a decision to focus on the events where we could be competitive rather than putting resources towards just one event.
With this in mind, are you expecting a more competitive showing in Suzuka?
Yes, definitely. Suzuka is more low downforce and should suit the car well. Plus both drivers know and enjoy the circuit so their confidence will be high. Tonio is now fully up to speed and has completed perhaps the most physical event of the year in Singapore. Adrian too has driven the circuit extensively so I would say we are feeling positive. I’d hope to see another Q2 and then let’s see about points in the race. That’s got to be our goal going forward for the rest of the season now.
Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)
The next race on the calendar will be the Japanese Grand Prix. What are your thoughts ahead of this race?
I’m really looking forward to this race. I lived in Japan for a year in 2006 when I was competing in Japanese F3 and I know the track very well as we often raced there. It’s a brilliant drivers’ track, quite difficult to learn, but very rewarding when you get it right. I think our car will perform well there as well – as we’ve seen, we are very strong on the low and medium downforce tracks and Suzuka should suit us well. I feel very confident on the track and in the car and I am positive this combination will bring us some good results.
Were you disappointed with the performance over Singapore?
We knew Singapore would be difficult but we struggled a little more than we expected as we just couldn’t find a set-up that worked well enough with the tyres. We didn’t qualify as well as wanted and that really just compromised the race. I was very heavy at the start, trying to take any opportunity that came about, whether a safety car or rain, but then I got caught behind Alguersuari. He was very slow and I guess I just got frustrated and tried to find a way through. I’m sorry that Nick got caught up in the accident as well.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)
It was always going to hard for the team to follow Spa and Monza, but were you surprised how hard Singapore was?
It was a really tough weekend for us. We could aim for a top position in Monza, and in Singapore we had to wake up, and there was no passing into Q3 with both cars. I had a lot of problem with oversteer in qualifying and I lost a lot in the last four corners, otherwise I should have been really close to Adrian. We’ve struggled with such high downforce levels since the beginning of the year, and a lot of teams brought big updates for this configuration. That’s why we had a lot of problems, and we were never so competitive, but for us it was good to finish the race. For sure it’s the most physical race of the year, so it was good for me to complete 61 laps. It was important to get myself back to speed and back to physical condition.’
Do you think you are now back up to speed personally?
I think for Suzuka we will be in better shape. Singapore was a circuit where it’s difficult to get the feeling back, because the concentration is so high, and you have to try and stay away from the walls. It’s not a normal situation. But doing the whole race helped me a lot. I think we are getting close to my optimum speed. Now I think we are ready for Suzuka. I’ve been there once in 2006 and it’s a circuit I like. I’m more optimistic for there, because the configuration for our car is somewhere in between Spa and Singapore, so we should be more competitive. This year has been a bit of a crazy year but we cannot complain because we had two good races, Spa and Monza, and there are tracks coming up that will suit us more as well.
Force India Japanese Grand Prix points of note:
Although Adrian has never raced an F1 car in Suzuka, he has a lot of experience at the Japanese track after having raced four times at Suzuka in 2006 while competing in the Japanese F3 championship, which he later won with five victories. That same year he also made three appearances as Midland F1’s third driver, one of which came at Suzuka.
Singapore was Tonio Liuzzi’s first race finish for the team. He raced from 19th on the grid to 14th overall following a tough battle with Giancarlo Fisichella for the majority of the race. Tonio Liuzzi has raced at Suzuka once in F1, in 2006 with Toro Rosso. He finished the race in 14th position overall.
Between the Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix both Adrian and Tonio visited Tokyo, Japan, before heading up to Suzuka on Wednesday. The team arrived in Japan on the Tuesday after Singapore to turn the cars round, rebuild the garage and prepare for the Japanese Grand Prix. The turnaround will be a challenging one – after working on European time throughout Singapore the team will now have to switch to Japanese time, with only one day in between to acclimatise.
Dominic Harlow, chief engineer :
A welcome return of possibly the best ‘drivers’ circuit’ in F1. The Suzuka layout is unique in that it is a figure of eight, and the Esses and Dunlop corners as well as the awesome 130R give a real roller coaster lap.
It’s been partially re-surfaced since we last raced there, so it will be interesting to see how the tyres behave in what has traditionally been a challenging event for them. It’s important to have good aerodynamic efficiency and a stable platform to get the best of this track but, we expect it to suit our package and drivers well.
The circuit, close to the fourth largest city in Japan, Nagoya, is almost 6km and features just about every type of corner, from slow chicanes to the awesome 130R – a sweeping left hander where cars reach up to 300kph in seventh gear while pulling 4 g. Since the track demands a medium to low downforce aero configuration, Force India is hopeful of a return to the strong form shown in the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix that required a similar set-up.
Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
How would you review the Singapore race – was it as expected?
We knew that after the results of Spa and Monza we had set a high expectation for ourselves, but we were realistic that we would find it more difficult at this circuit. I was nevertheless a little disappointed that we struggled quite as much as we did and we didn’t get into Q2 as expected. That said, we do understand the reasons why – Singapore is an exceptionally high downforce track and we have found this configuration difficult. Singapore is however the only type of track in the second half of the season so we had to make a decision to focus on the events where we could be competitive rather than putting resources towards just one event.
With this in mind, are you expecting a more competitive showing in Suzuka?
Yes, definitely. Suzuka is more low downforce and should suit the car well. Plus both drivers know and enjoy the circuit so their confidence will be high. Tonio is now fully up to speed and has completed perhaps the most physical event of the year in Singapore. Adrian too has driven the circuit extensively so I would say we are feeling positive. I’d hope to see another Q2 and then let’s see about points in the race. That’s got to be our goal going forward for the rest of the season now.
Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)
The next race on the calendar will be the Japanese Grand Prix. What are your thoughts ahead of this race?
I’m really looking forward to this race. I lived in Japan for a year in 2006 when I was competing in Japanese F3 and I know the track very well as we often raced there. It’s a brilliant drivers’ track, quite difficult to learn, but very rewarding when you get it right. I think our car will perform well there as well – as we’ve seen, we are very strong on the low and medium downforce tracks and Suzuka should suit us well. I feel very confident on the track and in the car and I am positive this combination will bring us some good results.
Were you disappointed with the performance over Singapore?
We knew Singapore would be difficult but we struggled a little more than we expected as we just couldn’t find a set-up that worked well enough with the tyres. We didn’t qualify as well as wanted and that really just compromised the race. I was very heavy at the start, trying to take any opportunity that came about, whether a safety car or rain, but then I got caught behind Alguersuari. He was very slow and I guess I just got frustrated and tried to find a way through. I’m sorry that Nick got caught up in the accident as well.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)
It was always going to hard for the team to follow Spa and Monza, but were you surprised how hard Singapore was?
It was a really tough weekend for us. We could aim for a top position in Monza, and in Singapore we had to wake up, and there was no passing into Q3 with both cars. I had a lot of problem with oversteer in qualifying and I lost a lot in the last four corners, otherwise I should have been really close to Adrian. We’ve struggled with such high downforce levels since the beginning of the year, and a lot of teams brought big updates for this configuration. That’s why we had a lot of problems, and we were never so competitive, but for us it was good to finish the race. For sure it’s the most physical race of the year, so it was good for me to complete 61 laps. It was important to get myself back to speed and back to physical condition.’
Do you think you are now back up to speed personally?
I think for Suzuka we will be in better shape. Singapore was a circuit where it’s difficult to get the feeling back, because the concentration is so high, and you have to try and stay away from the walls. It’s not a normal situation. But doing the whole race helped me a lot. I think we are getting close to my optimum speed. Now I think we are ready for Suzuka. I’ve been there once in 2006 and it’s a circuit I like. I’m more optimistic for there, because the configuration for our car is somewhere in between Spa and Singapore, so we should be more competitive. This year has been a bit of a crazy year but we cannot complain because we had two good races, Spa and Monza, and there are tracks coming up that will suit us more as well.
Force India Japanese Grand Prix points of note:
Although Adrian has never raced an F1 car in Suzuka, he has a lot of experience at the Japanese track after having raced four times at Suzuka in 2006 while competing in the Japanese F3 championship, which he later won with five victories. That same year he also made three appearances as Midland F1’s third driver, one of which came at Suzuka.
Singapore was Tonio Liuzzi’s first race finish for the team. He raced from 19th on the grid to 14th overall following a tough battle with Giancarlo Fisichella for the majority of the race. Tonio Liuzzi has raced at Suzuka once in F1, in 2006 with Toro Rosso. He finished the race in 14th position overall.
Between the Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix both Adrian and Tonio visited Tokyo, Japan, before heading up to Suzuka on Wednesday. The team arrived in Japan on the Tuesday after Singapore to turn the cars round, rebuild the garage and prepare for the Japanese Grand Prix. The turnaround will be a challenging one – after working on European time throughout Singapore the team will now have to switch to Japanese time, with only one day in between to acclimatise.
Dominic Harlow, chief engineer :
A welcome return of possibly the best ‘drivers’ circuit’ in F1. The Suzuka layout is unique in that it is a figure of eight, and the Esses and Dunlop corners as well as the awesome 130R give a real roller coaster lap.
It’s been partially re-surfaced since we last raced there, so it will be interesting to see how the tyres behave in what has traditionally been a challenging event for them. It’s important to have good aerodynamic efficiency and a stable platform to get the best of this track but, we expect it to suit our package and drivers well.
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Japanese GP preview
After two years at Fuji, the Japanese Grand Prix is returning to Suzuka - which means the experienced drivers are delighted to be back at a circuit they all revere, and the younger generation finally get to try the celebrated venue on something other than their games consoles.
It's a sign of how much has changed during Suzuka's absence that eight of the 20 drivers will be making their first F1 appearance at the track, and that the last grand prix there saw Fernando Alonso in a Renault battling a soon-to-retire Michael Schumacher for the world championship.
The 3.6 mile track is a relentless series of challenging, fast corners - headlined by the high speed snaking S bends, and the super-fast bravery test of the 130R.
By the mid-2000s its facilities were fading a little and it was little surprise when the F1 bosses decided to switch to Fuji - which had just benefited from a vastly expensive rebuild.
But even in its heyday, Fuji was not as great a test of driver skill as Suzuka, and its emasculated modern incarnation paled in comparison to the memory of Suzuka's sweeps and dips.
So a deal was done for the two tracks to share the race from this year onwards, only for Toyota to decide that hosting F1 at Fuji was no longer cost-effective, leaving the race at Suzuka for at least the next three years, despite the latter's owner Honda withdrawing from the sport.
The teams will be looking forward to checking out the facelift Suzuka has had during its absence, while the drivers will be pleased to discover that the track layout remains unchanged.
The only criticism levelled at Suzuka was that it lacked overtaking opportunities - for although the hairpin and chicane require heavy braking, the straight before the former is too short and approaching the latter through the 130R creates 'dirty air' issues.
But it was harder to sympathise with those complaints after the breathtaking 2005 race, which saw Kimi Raikkonen charge from 17th on the grid to victory, driving around the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella at the first corner to take the lead with a lap to go.
Even that move was surpassed by Alonso's jaw-dropping 200mph pass on no less a talent than Schumacher on the outside of the 130R earlier in the day.
The lesson was that overtaking definitely was possible, if the drivers put their minds to it.
The inside-out grid that set up that stunning race was the result of a rain shower in qualifying, and Suzuka is generally regarded as one of the tracks most susceptible to turbulent weather.
But curiously it tends to be in practice and qualifying, not the race, that rain intervenes - for apart from a damp start in 1995 and mid-race drizzle in 2000, Suzuka hasn't seen a wet GP since the 1994 downpour.
The Suzuka crowds are among the world's most passionate, and while their adoration was directed at Honda-powered Ayrton Senna in the early days, more recently it was Takuma Sato who received the adulation.
With Honda and Sato both gone, this year local interest is provided by Toyota and Kazuki Nakajima, and both can be expected to deliver something above their average this weekend - particularly Toyota, which tends to turn it up on home ground (and isn't shy about using a slim race load to guarantee some Saturday headlines) and is on a roll after Timo Glock's brilliant Singapore podium.
But modern development restrictions mean there won't be any repeat of the 'Suzuka Special' engines Honda used to produce - ultra-powerful, but fragile, hand grenade power units designed to produce unbelievable qualifying laps but unlikely to last much longer.
We won't be seeing the Suzuka specialists of the past either.
In the early 1990s the Japanese racing scene briefly became a fashionable - and lucrative - option for young European drivers, and the endless testing miles on offer in Japan meant the likes of Eddie Irvine and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were Suzuka experts once they reached F1.
Japan has since fallen off the talent-spotters' radar, but Nakajima and Adrian Sutil (whose Japanese Formula 3 title got his career back on track in 2006) know their way around Suzuka better than most and could shine this weekend.
Making form predictions in this wildly-fluctuating season is almost impossible, but Red Bull has certainly been looking forward to getting to Suzuka's ultra-fast corners, and is perhaps the favourite to win, even though the team's title hopes are now all but dead.
If the results of the last seven races reflected the whole season, then Rubens Barrichello would head to Japan narrowly fending off Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in a very tense points battle, with Jenson Button and Mark Webber hanging on as outsiders.
But unfortunately for Barrichello, and luckily for Button, the first seven rounds of the year count too - which is why Button can clinch the championship this weekend if he out-scores his Brawn team-mate by five points.
To do that, he needs to either win with Barrichello off the podium, or take a top four finish with Rubens non-scoring, both of which seem fairly unlikely.
However given that nine of the 10 teams have had a car in the top three in qualifying or the race in the last three GPs, that Suzuka has so many unique characteristics and is uncharted territory for so many, the only reliable prediction is that whatever happens this weekend should be a fitting 'welcome back' for one of the sport's all-time favourite circuits.
It's a sign of how much has changed during Suzuka's absence that eight of the 20 drivers will be making their first F1 appearance at the track, and that the last grand prix there saw Fernando Alonso in a Renault battling a soon-to-retire Michael Schumacher for the world championship.
The 3.6 mile track is a relentless series of challenging, fast corners - headlined by the high speed snaking S bends, and the super-fast bravery test of the 130R.
By the mid-2000s its facilities were fading a little and it was little surprise when the F1 bosses decided to switch to Fuji - which had just benefited from a vastly expensive rebuild.
But even in its heyday, Fuji was not as great a test of driver skill as Suzuka, and its emasculated modern incarnation paled in comparison to the memory of Suzuka's sweeps and dips.
So a deal was done for the two tracks to share the race from this year onwards, only for Toyota to decide that hosting F1 at Fuji was no longer cost-effective, leaving the race at Suzuka for at least the next three years, despite the latter's owner Honda withdrawing from the sport.
The teams will be looking forward to checking out the facelift Suzuka has had during its absence, while the drivers will be pleased to discover that the track layout remains unchanged.
The only criticism levelled at Suzuka was that it lacked overtaking opportunities - for although the hairpin and chicane require heavy braking, the straight before the former is too short and approaching the latter through the 130R creates 'dirty air' issues.
But it was harder to sympathise with those complaints after the breathtaking 2005 race, which saw Kimi Raikkonen charge from 17th on the grid to victory, driving around the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella at the first corner to take the lead with a lap to go.
Even that move was surpassed by Alonso's jaw-dropping 200mph pass on no less a talent than Schumacher on the outside of the 130R earlier in the day.
The lesson was that overtaking definitely was possible, if the drivers put their minds to it.
The inside-out grid that set up that stunning race was the result of a rain shower in qualifying, and Suzuka is generally regarded as one of the tracks most susceptible to turbulent weather.
But curiously it tends to be in practice and qualifying, not the race, that rain intervenes - for apart from a damp start in 1995 and mid-race drizzle in 2000, Suzuka hasn't seen a wet GP since the 1994 downpour.
The Suzuka crowds are among the world's most passionate, and while their adoration was directed at Honda-powered Ayrton Senna in the early days, more recently it was Takuma Sato who received the adulation.
With Honda and Sato both gone, this year local interest is provided by Toyota and Kazuki Nakajima, and both can be expected to deliver something above their average this weekend - particularly Toyota, which tends to turn it up on home ground (and isn't shy about using a slim race load to guarantee some Saturday headlines) and is on a roll after Timo Glock's brilliant Singapore podium.
But modern development restrictions mean there won't be any repeat of the 'Suzuka Special' engines Honda used to produce - ultra-powerful, but fragile, hand grenade power units designed to produce unbelievable qualifying laps but unlikely to last much longer.
We won't be seeing the Suzuka specialists of the past either.
In the early 1990s the Japanese racing scene briefly became a fashionable - and lucrative - option for young European drivers, and the endless testing miles on offer in Japan meant the likes of Eddie Irvine and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were Suzuka experts once they reached F1.
Japan has since fallen off the talent-spotters' radar, but Nakajima and Adrian Sutil (whose Japanese Formula 3 title got his career back on track in 2006) know their way around Suzuka better than most and could shine this weekend.
Making form predictions in this wildly-fluctuating season is almost impossible, but Red Bull has certainly been looking forward to getting to Suzuka's ultra-fast corners, and is perhaps the favourite to win, even though the team's title hopes are now all but dead.
If the results of the last seven races reflected the whole season, then Rubens Barrichello would head to Japan narrowly fending off Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in a very tense points battle, with Jenson Button and Mark Webber hanging on as outsiders.
But unfortunately for Barrichello, and luckily for Button, the first seven rounds of the year count too - which is why Button can clinch the championship this weekend if he out-scores his Brawn team-mate by five points.
To do that, he needs to either win with Barrichello off the podium, or take a top four finish with Rubens non-scoring, both of which seem fairly unlikely.
However given that nine of the 10 teams have had a car in the top three in qualifying or the race in the last three GPs, that Suzuka has so many unique characteristics and is uncharted territory for so many, the only reliable prediction is that whatever happens this weekend should be a fitting 'welcome back' for one of the sport's all-time favourite circuits.
Interview with Bob Bell - new Renault F1 team boss
Bob, you have stepped up to become Team Principal in difficult circumstances – how are you approaching this role?
I am taking a very pragmatic and realistic approach to it. The team needed somebody to step in and see through the rest of the season. I have agreed to do that and I am very happy to do it. My motivation, as ever, is to see that the team continues and continues successfully – and I am very proud that I have been asked to do it and I relish the challenge.
Do you feel that the team has put the events from the past weeks behind it?
Definitely. From the outside, I think temporarily the team is perhaps not going to look in the greatest of light. But I saw this weekend that the team has put itself out of this unfortunate situation and worked, as ever, hard all weekend. We will demonstrate what it does on the track, and in the factories, and show people once again that we deserve the high reputation that we have always held.
How tough have the past few weeks been on all the people back at the factories in Enstone and Viry?
I think for all of us, myself included, were genuinely concerned that we could potentially lose our jobs over this. There were very deep and heartfelt feelings in the factory of sadness that we would find ourselves in the situation in the first place and then, of course, the potential consequence that we could have gone out of business.
How much of a shock was it to lose the backing of title partner ING?
To some extent it wasn't unexpected as they were due to finish with us at the end of the year anyway. They chose for their own reasons to terminate earlier than that, which was a disappointment but we will move on from it.
I am taking a very pragmatic and realistic approach to it. The team needed somebody to step in and see through the rest of the season. I have agreed to do that and I am very happy to do it. My motivation, as ever, is to see that the team continues and continues successfully – and I am very proud that I have been asked to do it and I relish the challenge.
Do you feel that the team has put the events from the past weeks behind it?
Definitely. From the outside, I think temporarily the team is perhaps not going to look in the greatest of light. But I saw this weekend that the team has put itself out of this unfortunate situation and worked, as ever, hard all weekend. We will demonstrate what it does on the track, and in the factories, and show people once again that we deserve the high reputation that we have always held.
How tough have the past few weeks been on all the people back at the factories in Enstone and Viry?
I think for all of us, myself included, were genuinely concerned that we could potentially lose our jobs over this. There were very deep and heartfelt feelings in the factory of sadness that we would find ourselves in the situation in the first place and then, of course, the potential consequence that we could have gone out of business.
How much of a shock was it to lose the backing of title partner ING?
To some extent it wasn't unexpected as they were due to finish with us at the end of the year anyway. They chose for their own reasons to terminate earlier than that, which was a disappointment but we will move on from it.
BMW sure Qadbak a 'strong' investor
Mario Theissen says he has no reason to doubt the strength and suitability of BMW Sauber’s mysterious new owner, but has called for patience as the Formula 1 world waits for Qadbak to break its silence and reveal its plans.
BMW announced earlier this month that it had agreed to sell the team to the Swiss-based investment foundation when it pulls out of F1 at the end of the season, yet no details as to the identity of the people behind the investment vehicle have emerged.
Questions surrounding Qadbak, meanwhile, have continued to surface in relation to its summer purchase of Notts County football club, with English Football League chiefs last week demanding to know more about the identity of the club’s owners with it yet to rubber-stamp the takeover through its ‘fit and proper persons’ test.
But despite the ongoing uncertainties over both the group’s football and F1 ventures, BMW motorsport director Theissen has expressed confidence that the future of the Hinwil team is in safe hands.
“The new owner of the team is a very strong company, and that is who BMW has negotiated with,” he told reporters in Singapore.
“I have no reason to question the strength and seriousness of this partner."
Asked if he was nevertheless concerned by the Football League’s investigation into Qadbak’s Notts County involvement, Theissen said he was sure the new owner was fully prepared for the challenge of maintaining the Sauber team as a strong F1 force and called for patience while it finalised its plans.
“I'm a bit surprised that these press articles have come about just now,” he said.
“We are happy that the team has been bought by an owner who is strong enough to run a Formula 1 team, who knows what to expect, and who does not take the approach of coming to Formula 1 just to be there.
“He wants to run a strong team, and I think this is the best outcome for the team we could have achieved.
“I think we should just be a bit patient now and wait until the new owner publishes his intentions and the way he wants to run the team, and give him the chance to sort everything out then go public.”
The mystery surrounding Qadbak’s involvement at Notts County was further increased last week when both the club’s chief executive and high-profile director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted they did not know the identity of the people bankrolling the club.
Theissen – who revealed in Singapore last Thursday that the team itself did not know who its new owners were – admitted the fact Qadbak had remained silent since agreeing to buy the Hinwil team was unusual, but said he expected more information to be made public soon.
“It might be unusual, but it is up to the owner how he handles it,” Theissen said.
“I have the impression that the new owner will take an interest in how the team is run, and the people who run the team.
“I think it's just a matter of time until these ideas and this information becomes public.”
When announcing it had secured the future of the Sauber team beyond the end of the season, BMW simply said that Qadbak “represents the interests of certain Middle East and European-based families
BMW announced earlier this month that it had agreed to sell the team to the Swiss-based investment foundation when it pulls out of F1 at the end of the season, yet no details as to the identity of the people behind the investment vehicle have emerged.
Questions surrounding Qadbak, meanwhile, have continued to surface in relation to its summer purchase of Notts County football club, with English Football League chiefs last week demanding to know more about the identity of the club’s owners with it yet to rubber-stamp the takeover through its ‘fit and proper persons’ test.
But despite the ongoing uncertainties over both the group’s football and F1 ventures, BMW motorsport director Theissen has expressed confidence that the future of the Hinwil team is in safe hands.
“The new owner of the team is a very strong company, and that is who BMW has negotiated with,” he told reporters in Singapore.
“I have no reason to question the strength and seriousness of this partner."
Asked if he was nevertheless concerned by the Football League’s investigation into Qadbak’s Notts County involvement, Theissen said he was sure the new owner was fully prepared for the challenge of maintaining the Sauber team as a strong F1 force and called for patience while it finalised its plans.
“I'm a bit surprised that these press articles have come about just now,” he said.
“We are happy that the team has been bought by an owner who is strong enough to run a Formula 1 team, who knows what to expect, and who does not take the approach of coming to Formula 1 just to be there.
“He wants to run a strong team, and I think this is the best outcome for the team we could have achieved.
“I think we should just be a bit patient now and wait until the new owner publishes his intentions and the way he wants to run the team, and give him the chance to sort everything out then go public.”
The mystery surrounding Qadbak’s involvement at Notts County was further increased last week when both the club’s chief executive and high-profile director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted they did not know the identity of the people bankrolling the club.
Theissen – who revealed in Singapore last Thursday that the team itself did not know who its new owners were – admitted the fact Qadbak had remained silent since agreeing to buy the Hinwil team was unusual, but said he expected more information to be made public soon.
“It might be unusual, but it is up to the owner how he handles it,” Theissen said.
“I have the impression that the new owner will take an interest in how the team is run, and the people who run the team.
“I think it's just a matter of time until these ideas and this information becomes public.”
When announcing it had secured the future of the Sauber team beyond the end of the season, BMW simply said that Qadbak “represents the interests of certain Middle East and European-based families
Japanese Grand Prix Technical Preview
How would you describe Suzuka as a circuit?
Jarno : It is a very technical and very challenging circuit. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction, so it is a very nice lay-out for a driver. Spa is very similar but I would say a little bit harder because it is longer. There are many different types of corner so you need your car to be strong in all areas and, as a medium-high-speed track, aerodynamics are very important. I am really looking forward to going back to Suzuka after two enjoyable trips to Fuji Speedway because it’s one of the sport’s great tracks.
Timo : Suzuka is a mega track, one of the best in the world. I am really looking forward to driving there again as it has been five years which is way too long! The main thing about Suzuka is that it is high speed and in a Formula 1 car that is a lot of fun. It is a really interesting circuit, with lots of different types of corners as well as up and downhill sections. It’s certainly not easy.
What is your favourite part of the track?
Jarno : The track is too good to only choose one part! The combination of fast corners at the start of the lap is great fun in a Formula 1 car then you have the quick left-hander of 130R followed by hard braking for the chicane which is quite challenging.
Timo : For me the most exciting part of the track is the first sector, turns three, four and five going uphill. You’re hitting over 300km/h so the speed and direction changes are really nice. It’s just an unbelievable combination of corners. In the past I think 130R was quite challenging but now it is flat-out, even with the new aerodynamic rules.
What memories do you have of Suzuka?
Jarno : I have some good and some bad memories of Suzuka. Generally I have not been particularly lucky there. I remember back in 2003 I was fastest in first qualifying but in the second session it rained at the wrong time and I had to start at the back. But even so I was really quick in the race and finished fifth; if I had started in the top six I think I could have won it. One of my best memories of Suzuka is making my Toyota debut there in 2004. It was a really special experience to go to Japan for the first time as a Toyota driver and in first qualifying I was on provisional pole; seeing the reaction from the team and the fans was great. Obviously the car wasn’t that competitive in race trim but it was good motivation to see what was possible.
Timo : I have only been to Suzuka once before and the first thing I remember is getting to the airport and realising my mobile phone didn’t work. It was my first time to be anywhere in Japan I wasn’t expecting that! I had to get another one. Apart from that I just remember the track being really, really impressive.
When was your first visit to Suzuka?
Jarno : I actually visited Suzuka for the first time many years ago before I reached Formula 1. It was in 1994 for a kart meeting and I won the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup, which was a very proud moment for me. I can’t remember too much about the visit but obviously it was a different experience for an Italian who has spent most of his time in Europe.
Timo : My first race at Suzuka was in 2004, the year they had to postpone qualifying until Sunday due to the typhoon. That was a really surreal experience, not only because we were back in our hotel on a Saturday afternoon when we should have been qualifying but also because it was the first time I saw a typhoon; it was very impressive. I was watching the TV to see if it would really hit Suzuka or not. In the end it rained a lot but it wasn’t as bad as expected. I didn’t have the best race because my car at the time wasn’t so competitive. I would have preferred to have a wet race but it stayed dry and I just got the car to the finish, in 15th.
What experiences have you had of the Japanese fans?
Jarno : The great thing about Japan, whether you go to Suzuka or Fuji, is the number of supporters we have there. As Toyota we have a lot of fans but I personally have a big fan club in Japan. I really enjoy spending some time with my fans in Japan during race week and I hope I can do the same again this year. They make it a special race for me because it feels like a second home Grand Prix. I have a lot of friends in Japan and I hope to celebrate with them on Sunday!
Timo : Last year I was really surprised how many fans were at Fuji supporting me and Toyota. They are so enthusiastic and they really love Formula 1. It’s a great feeling to drive around a track and see Toyota flags and banners giving me support. It is really motivating and I can’t wait to be back in Japan to experience it again. One thing I remember about being at Suzuka is that the fans surround you all the time. At the hotel there are always hundreds of fans waiting outside and if you drive in and out of the circuit they are everywhere, just wanting to say hello and give you their support. They are crazy, nice people and they create a really special atmosphere.
What are your targets for the Japanese Grand Prix?
Jarno : This year we should be competitive and we hope to be very strong so I hope to race well in our home Grand Prix. We are strong enough to be in the top six and we should be aiming to get near the podium. I hope to give the Japanese fans a good show and a result they can enjoy.
Timo : One day I would love to win the Japanese Grand Prix for Toyota; that is a dream. I don’t know if that will be possible this year so my target for the weekend is to fight for the podium; if I can stand on the podium in front of the Toyota fans that would be perfect.
What are you particularly looking forward to this weekend?
Jarno : That’s easy: spending time with my fans and driving at Suzuka again.
Timo : Aside from driving at Suzuka again, I am looking forward to two things; it will be great to be in Tokyo again because it’s a really cool city and I have spent a lot of time there the past couple of years. It’s good fun so I’m happy to have a short time there before the race. The other thing I am looking forward to is sushi; I am really a fan and the best sushi in the world is obviously in Japan.
Jarno : It is a very technical and very challenging circuit. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction, so it is a very nice lay-out for a driver. Spa is very similar but I would say a little bit harder because it is longer. There are many different types of corner so you need your car to be strong in all areas and, as a medium-high-speed track, aerodynamics are very important. I am really looking forward to going back to Suzuka after two enjoyable trips to Fuji Speedway because it’s one of the sport’s great tracks.
Timo : Suzuka is a mega track, one of the best in the world. I am really looking forward to driving there again as it has been five years which is way too long! The main thing about Suzuka is that it is high speed and in a Formula 1 car that is a lot of fun. It is a really interesting circuit, with lots of different types of corners as well as up and downhill sections. It’s certainly not easy.
What is your favourite part of the track?
Jarno : The track is too good to only choose one part! The combination of fast corners at the start of the lap is great fun in a Formula 1 car then you have the quick left-hander of 130R followed by hard braking for the chicane which is quite challenging.
Timo : For me the most exciting part of the track is the first sector, turns three, four and five going uphill. You’re hitting over 300km/h so the speed and direction changes are really nice. It’s just an unbelievable combination of corners. In the past I think 130R was quite challenging but now it is flat-out, even with the new aerodynamic rules.
What memories do you have of Suzuka?
Jarno : I have some good and some bad memories of Suzuka. Generally I have not been particularly lucky there. I remember back in 2003 I was fastest in first qualifying but in the second session it rained at the wrong time and I had to start at the back. But even so I was really quick in the race and finished fifth; if I had started in the top six I think I could have won it. One of my best memories of Suzuka is making my Toyota debut there in 2004. It was a really special experience to go to Japan for the first time as a Toyota driver and in first qualifying I was on provisional pole; seeing the reaction from the team and the fans was great. Obviously the car wasn’t that competitive in race trim but it was good motivation to see what was possible.
Timo : I have only been to Suzuka once before and the first thing I remember is getting to the airport and realising my mobile phone didn’t work. It was my first time to be anywhere in Japan I wasn’t expecting that! I had to get another one. Apart from that I just remember the track being really, really impressive.
When was your first visit to Suzuka?
Jarno : I actually visited Suzuka for the first time many years ago before I reached Formula 1. It was in 1994 for a kart meeting and I won the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup, which was a very proud moment for me. I can’t remember too much about the visit but obviously it was a different experience for an Italian who has spent most of his time in Europe.
Timo : My first race at Suzuka was in 2004, the year they had to postpone qualifying until Sunday due to the typhoon. That was a really surreal experience, not only because we were back in our hotel on a Saturday afternoon when we should have been qualifying but also because it was the first time I saw a typhoon; it was very impressive. I was watching the TV to see if it would really hit Suzuka or not. In the end it rained a lot but it wasn’t as bad as expected. I didn’t have the best race because my car at the time wasn’t so competitive. I would have preferred to have a wet race but it stayed dry and I just got the car to the finish, in 15th.
What experiences have you had of the Japanese fans?
Jarno : The great thing about Japan, whether you go to Suzuka or Fuji, is the number of supporters we have there. As Toyota we have a lot of fans but I personally have a big fan club in Japan. I really enjoy spending some time with my fans in Japan during race week and I hope I can do the same again this year. They make it a special race for me because it feels like a second home Grand Prix. I have a lot of friends in Japan and I hope to celebrate with them on Sunday!
Timo : Last year I was really surprised how many fans were at Fuji supporting me and Toyota. They are so enthusiastic and they really love Formula 1. It’s a great feeling to drive around a track and see Toyota flags and banners giving me support. It is really motivating and I can’t wait to be back in Japan to experience it again. One thing I remember about being at Suzuka is that the fans surround you all the time. At the hotel there are always hundreds of fans waiting outside and if you drive in and out of the circuit they are everywhere, just wanting to say hello and give you their support. They are crazy, nice people and they create a really special atmosphere.
What are your targets for the Japanese Grand Prix?
Jarno : This year we should be competitive and we hope to be very strong so I hope to race well in our home Grand Prix. We are strong enough to be in the top six and we should be aiming to get near the podium. I hope to give the Japanese fans a good show and a result they can enjoy.
Timo : One day I would love to win the Japanese Grand Prix for Toyota; that is a dream. I don’t know if that will be possible this year so my target for the weekend is to fight for the podium; if I can stand on the podium in front of the Toyota fans that would be perfect.
What are you particularly looking forward to this weekend?
Jarno : That’s easy: spending time with my fans and driving at Suzuka again.
Timo : Aside from driving at Suzuka again, I am looking forward to two things; it will be great to be in Tokyo again because it’s a really cool city and I have spent a lot of time there the past couple of years. It’s good fun so I’m happy to have a short time there before the race. The other thing I am looking forward to is sushi; I am really a fan and the best sushi in the world is obviously in Japan.
Monday 28 September 2009
2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW - McLaren
LEWIS HAMILTON“It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to race at Suzuka – so, as you can imagine, I’ll be really excited when practice starts there on Friday morning. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve raced Suzuka on computer games – and while it kind of gives you an idea of how the circuit goes, nothing can beat the real thing. It looks like a real driver’s circuit – the first sector esses look very demanding and the higher speed corners towards the end of the lap will probably require real precision and a good car set-up.
“I’m also really looking forward to returning to Japan – it’s one of my favourite countries and I love racing in front of the Japanese fans. It should be a great weekend.”
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN“I had one of my greatest Formula 1 drives in Japan, in the wet race at Fuji in 2007 when I finished second behind Lewis, so I have some fantastic memories of the country. While I’m really looking forward to racing at a classic racetrack like Suzuka for the first time, I don’t think the circuit will be ideal for our package: it’s a bit of a mix of places like Silverstone and Istanbul, with high speed corners, and will require a car with good downforce and mechanical and aero balance. But, that doesn’t put us off: the improvements we’ve made to the car over the course of the season have been genuinely remarkable and I think we still go to Japan confident that we can do a very good job.”
MARTIN WHITMARSH - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes“Along with Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka is one of Formula 1’s greatest circuits, and one that every driver relishes. Certainly, McLaren has had more than its fair share of spectacular moments there – we’ve won at Suzuka on six occasions, and I vividly remember the 2005 race, when Kimi [Raikkonen] took the lead on the final lap of one of the most spectacular grands prix I have ever witnessed.
“For 2009, we go to Japan knowing that overall victory will not be easy to achieve – but the improvements we evaluated in Singapore, particularly some useful changes to the floor, should give us a competitive boost and it will be interesting to see how our pace translates against that of our rivals.”
NORBERT HAUG - Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport“From a teams and drivers’ perspective, the Japanese Grand Prix is one of the biggest challenges of all 17 races this year. The track layout offers everything from the ultra-fast 130R corner to a slow hairpin. With Kimi Räikkönen we won there in 2005. With two race wins and 45 points from the last five races, the final one being last Sunday in Singapore, our team has continued this upwards trend. I don’t think we’ll be among the favourites for victory at Suzuka; however, everybody in the team is working hard to conclude the season with further good results in Japan and the following races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”
“I’m also really looking forward to returning to Japan – it’s one of my favourite countries and I love racing in front of the Japanese fans. It should be a great weekend.”
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN“I had one of my greatest Formula 1 drives in Japan, in the wet race at Fuji in 2007 when I finished second behind Lewis, so I have some fantastic memories of the country. While I’m really looking forward to racing at a classic racetrack like Suzuka for the first time, I don’t think the circuit will be ideal for our package: it’s a bit of a mix of places like Silverstone and Istanbul, with high speed corners, and will require a car with good downforce and mechanical and aero balance. But, that doesn’t put us off: the improvements we’ve made to the car over the course of the season have been genuinely remarkable and I think we still go to Japan confident that we can do a very good job.”
MARTIN WHITMARSH - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes“Along with Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka is one of Formula 1’s greatest circuits, and one that every driver relishes. Certainly, McLaren has had more than its fair share of spectacular moments there – we’ve won at Suzuka on six occasions, and I vividly remember the 2005 race, when Kimi [Raikkonen] took the lead on the final lap of one of the most spectacular grands prix I have ever witnessed.
“For 2009, we go to Japan knowing that overall victory will not be easy to achieve – but the improvements we evaluated in Singapore, particularly some useful changes to the floor, should give us a competitive boost and it will be interesting to see how our pace translates against that of our rivals.”
NORBERT HAUG - Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport“From a teams and drivers’ perspective, the Japanese Grand Prix is one of the biggest challenges of all 17 races this year. The track layout offers everything from the ultra-fast 130R corner to a slow hairpin. With Kimi Räikkönen we won there in 2005. With two race wins and 45 points from the last five races, the final one being last Sunday in Singapore, our team has continued this upwards trend. I don’t think we’ll be among the favourites for victory at Suzuka; however, everybody in the team is working hard to conclude the season with further good results in Japan and the following races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”
Japan preview quotes: Williams
Nico Rosberg: "Singapore was good and bad. On the one hand, it was impressive to see how much the team has developed the car which allowed us to be right up there with the quickest teams. On the other hand, I robbed us of a very likely second place with a silly mistake."
Kazuki Nakajima: "For me, the Singapore Grand Prix was a solid but flat race, I didn't really have any bad moments, but there weren't any highlights either. We were strong all weekend, and consistent too, but at the end of the day I didn't manage to make up enough places during the race to get into a points-scoring position. I am now just hoping that it will happen at my home race later this week."
What we'll be doing between Singapore and Japan
Kazuki Nakajima: "I am flying to Tokyo on Monday morning for a sponsor day on Tuesday. I will then head out to Suzuka on Wednesday. My work won't be done after the race weekend though as I have two more sponsor days on the Monday and Tuesday after the race! It sounds very busy, but this year's schedule is better for me than the one I had last year when all the events were packed into the week before the race."
Nico Rosberg: "I am travelling to Hong Kong after Singapore for a day with RBS on Tuesday. I'll then make my way over to Japan on Wednesday."
About Japan
Kazuki Nakajima: "I kind of grew up around Suzuka. I have been to the circuit many, many times and it's the place where I started karting. I've also watched countless races there, not just Formula One races, but many other forms of Japanese motorsport, so going to Suzuka feels like going home. Apart from a short trip last April, I haven't been there for the past four years so it will be almost like a new experience. Overall, it's just a very nice place and I can't wait to get there."
Nico Rosberg: "I am now looking forward to Suzuka because I think we can do well there. Personally, I think the track is one of the best on the calendar, up there with Spa. It's also a good venue for Formula One because the fans are so enthusiastic which is always great."
Suzuka from a technical perspective
Kazuki Nakajima: "Suzuka has a very technically challenging layout. It's designed in a figure of eight shape, which has a mix of 16 slow and fast corners around the lap. One of my favourites is the famous 130R which is really unforgiving. It's a really quick circuit so you have to make sure you have a well balanced set-up or you're just punished the whole way round. The one thing you have to be careful of in Japan at this time of year is the weather which can be really variable, but that could just make it more exciting!"
Nico Rosberg: "I haven't been to Suzuka for three years now but I felt really comfortable on the track the last time that I raced there I am looking forward to driving it again."
Kazuki Nakajima: "For me, the Singapore Grand Prix was a solid but flat race, I didn't really have any bad moments, but there weren't any highlights either. We were strong all weekend, and consistent too, but at the end of the day I didn't manage to make up enough places during the race to get into a points-scoring position. I am now just hoping that it will happen at my home race later this week."
What we'll be doing between Singapore and Japan
Kazuki Nakajima: "I am flying to Tokyo on Monday morning for a sponsor day on Tuesday. I will then head out to Suzuka on Wednesday. My work won't be done after the race weekend though as I have two more sponsor days on the Monday and Tuesday after the race! It sounds very busy, but this year's schedule is better for me than the one I had last year when all the events were packed into the week before the race."
Nico Rosberg: "I am travelling to Hong Kong after Singapore for a day with RBS on Tuesday. I'll then make my way over to Japan on Wednesday."
About Japan
Kazuki Nakajima: "I kind of grew up around Suzuka. I have been to the circuit many, many times and it's the place where I started karting. I've also watched countless races there, not just Formula One races, but many other forms of Japanese motorsport, so going to Suzuka feels like going home. Apart from a short trip last April, I haven't been there for the past four years so it will be almost like a new experience. Overall, it's just a very nice place and I can't wait to get there."
Nico Rosberg: "I am now looking forward to Suzuka because I think we can do well there. Personally, I think the track is one of the best on the calendar, up there with Spa. It's also a good venue for Formula One because the fans are so enthusiastic which is always great."
Suzuka from a technical perspective
Kazuki Nakajima: "Suzuka has a very technically challenging layout. It's designed in a figure of eight shape, which has a mix of 16 slow and fast corners around the lap. One of my favourites is the famous 130R which is really unforgiving. It's a really quick circuit so you have to make sure you have a well balanced set-up or you're just punished the whole way round. The one thing you have to be careful of in Japan at this time of year is the weather which can be really variable, but that could just make it more exciting!"
Nico Rosberg: "I haven't been to Suzuka for three years now but I felt really comfortable on the track the last time that I raced there I am looking forward to driving it again."
Renault and Alonso claim first podium of the season
Fernando Alonso, R2904, P3
“This was a great result for the team allowing us to be positive and put behind us the past few weeks. I had a good start and great pace throughout the race and third place came as a result of a good strategy and a solid race. Everyone at Enstone, Viry and here at the circuit has done a great job and this has paid off today. Now we go to Suzuka in high spirits.”
Romain Grosjean, R2903, DNF
“It was a disappointing weekend for me. The car just wasn't right and we had recurring brake problems which we hoped we had solved before the race. I had a good start and a good first lap when I felt my brakes failing and so the team asked me to retire. It’s too bad because I was comfortable and enjoying this track and racing at night. Now we will have to work hard and get the car back in order for Japan next week.”
Bob Bell, Team Principal
“Today was absolutely fantastic. It’s wonderful to get a podium at any time but to get one after what the team has just been through is really positive and gives us great strength to move on now. Unfortunately Romain had more brake problems which put him out of the race early on. It’s clear he has a lot of potential for the future and he just needs to move on from this race and make sure he completes a solid race in Japan. Everybody in the team will now go to the final three races very buoyed by this result because it shows that the team can fight for the podium.”
Jean-François Caubet, Managing Director
“To end the weekend with a podium is a great result. When we arrived here on Wednesday we did not think it was achievable, but little-by-little we have made it possible. In the end the race team put together a strategy that worked very well today. It’s great to get a podium here and it’s extremely important for Renault, for our partner TOTAL and for our sponsors, and for Renault F1 Team. We showed that Renault F1 has what it takes to fight at the front.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“The engines have run perfectly this weekend. We were using the same engines we ran in Spa and Monza so it was their third race and they have delivered once again. The only issue we had was a small alert in the race, but we managed it and it had no consequence on the result of the race. To finish on the podium here isn’t easy because it’s an unforgiving circuit where you cannot afford to make any mistakes. Today we showed that the whole team is focussed and it’s a super result for us.”
“This was a great result for the team allowing us to be positive and put behind us the past few weeks. I had a good start and great pace throughout the race and third place came as a result of a good strategy and a solid race. Everyone at Enstone, Viry and here at the circuit has done a great job and this has paid off today. Now we go to Suzuka in high spirits.”
Romain Grosjean, R2903, DNF
“It was a disappointing weekend for me. The car just wasn't right and we had recurring brake problems which we hoped we had solved before the race. I had a good start and a good first lap when I felt my brakes failing and so the team asked me to retire. It’s too bad because I was comfortable and enjoying this track and racing at night. Now we will have to work hard and get the car back in order for Japan next week.”
Bob Bell, Team Principal
“Today was absolutely fantastic. It’s wonderful to get a podium at any time but to get one after what the team has just been through is really positive and gives us great strength to move on now. Unfortunately Romain had more brake problems which put him out of the race early on. It’s clear he has a lot of potential for the future and he just needs to move on from this race and make sure he completes a solid race in Japan. Everybody in the team will now go to the final three races very buoyed by this result because it shows that the team can fight for the podium.”
Jean-François Caubet, Managing Director
“To end the weekend with a podium is a great result. When we arrived here on Wednesday we did not think it was achievable, but little-by-little we have made it possible. In the end the race team put together a strategy that worked very well today. It’s great to get a podium here and it’s extremely important for Renault, for our partner TOTAL and for our sponsors, and for Renault F1 Team. We showed that Renault F1 has what it takes to fight at the front.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“The engines have run perfectly this weekend. We were using the same engines we ran in Spa and Monza so it was their third race and they have delivered once again. The only issue we had was a small alert in the race, but we managed it and it had no consequence on the result of the race. To finish on the podium here isn’t easy because it’s an unforgiving circuit where you cannot afford to make any mistakes. Today we showed that the whole team is focussed and it’s a super result for us.”
2009 Brawn - Singapore
Posted: Sunday 27 September 2009 at 16:49Brawn GP extended the team’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix this evening with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello bringing their Brawn-Mercedes cars home in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Both drivers had good first laps to set up the points-scoring opportunity with Rubens gaining two places to be running in seventh position and Jenson making up one place to tenth position. Rubens pitted first on lap 19, gaining a place over Mark Webber, whilst Jenson was held up behind Heikki Kovalainen before pitting earlier than planned when the safety car came out on lap 21.
A problem with engaging neutral at his second stop on lap 46 cost Rubens valuable time allowing Jenson, who was fuelled five laps longer, to gain fifth place when he stopped on lap 51. After a below-par qualifying performance on Saturday, the team recovered well to add a further seven points to its Championship tally with three races of the season remaining.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P5 01:48.369
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P6 01:48.598
Weather Hot & humid - Max 77.6% humidity
Temperatures Air: 29-30°C Track: 29-32°C
JENSON BUTTON
“It was a good race for me and I’m happy with fifth position and four more points today. Getting ahead of Kazuki off the line was key and that really made my race. The first stint was quite frustrating as I could see Rubens getting away from me whilst I was stuck behind Heikki with a heavier fuel load. The safety car then made it very difficult as I still had fuel for a few more laps and should have been able to make up two places at my first stop. I had to put in some quick laps before my second stop to close up to Rubens and then we were pushing to catch Sebastian before deciding to save the brakes and settle for the fifth position. The weekend hasn’t been quite what we expected but it’s good to come through from 11th on the grid to score points today. I’ll go to Japan tomorrow feeling very positive and looking forward to the next race.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“It was a pretty eventful weekend for me and a tough race today. I had a great start to make up two places and everything was going well in the first stint. It’s a shame that the safety car didn’t play into my hands but I was in a good position. Unfortunately I had a problem on my second pit stop when I couldn’t engage neutral and the engine stalled which lost me the crucial time needed to stay ahead of Jenson. After that my brakes were struggling and I couldn’t fight anymore so we came home with sixth position. It could have been a better weekend but I only lost a point to Jenson in the championship despite everything that happened so I’m staying positive.”
ROSS BRAWN
“Jenson, Rubens and the team put in a very good performance today to achieve two points-scoring positions after what was a disappointing qualifying result for us yesterday. Both drivers did exactly what they needed to do at the start with Jenson getting ahead of Nakajima and Rubens taking two places from Kubica and Kovalainen. From there, the pace was good and whilst the safety car didn’t play in our hands particularly for either driver, we were able to make steady progress up the field. A longer than planned pit stop for Rubens when the car stalled as he entered the box lost him some time however the pit crew recovered the situation superbly and he was safe for sixth position. Jenson put in some quick laps before his stop to make up the required time for fifth place which we settled for and decided to bring both cars safely home. We will go away from Singapore with further valuable points in the championship having done as we intended and recovered well from qualifying.”
Both drivers had good first laps to set up the points-scoring opportunity with Rubens gaining two places to be running in seventh position and Jenson making up one place to tenth position. Rubens pitted first on lap 19, gaining a place over Mark Webber, whilst Jenson was held up behind Heikki Kovalainen before pitting earlier than planned when the safety car came out on lap 21.
A problem with engaging neutral at his second stop on lap 46 cost Rubens valuable time allowing Jenson, who was fuelled five laps longer, to gain fifth place when he stopped on lap 51. After a below-par qualifying performance on Saturday, the team recovered well to add a further seven points to its Championship tally with three races of the season remaining.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P5 01:48.369
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P6 01:48.598
Weather Hot & humid - Max 77.6% humidity
Temperatures Air: 29-30°C Track: 29-32°C
JENSON BUTTON
“It was a good race for me and I’m happy with fifth position and four more points today. Getting ahead of Kazuki off the line was key and that really made my race. The first stint was quite frustrating as I could see Rubens getting away from me whilst I was stuck behind Heikki with a heavier fuel load. The safety car then made it very difficult as I still had fuel for a few more laps and should have been able to make up two places at my first stop. I had to put in some quick laps before my second stop to close up to Rubens and then we were pushing to catch Sebastian before deciding to save the brakes and settle for the fifth position. The weekend hasn’t been quite what we expected but it’s good to come through from 11th on the grid to score points today. I’ll go to Japan tomorrow feeling very positive and looking forward to the next race.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“It was a pretty eventful weekend for me and a tough race today. I had a great start to make up two places and everything was going well in the first stint. It’s a shame that the safety car didn’t play into my hands but I was in a good position. Unfortunately I had a problem on my second pit stop when I couldn’t engage neutral and the engine stalled which lost me the crucial time needed to stay ahead of Jenson. After that my brakes were struggling and I couldn’t fight anymore so we came home with sixth position. It could have been a better weekend but I only lost a point to Jenson in the championship despite everything that happened so I’m staying positive.”
ROSS BRAWN
“Jenson, Rubens and the team put in a very good performance today to achieve two points-scoring positions after what was a disappointing qualifying result for us yesterday. Both drivers did exactly what they needed to do at the start with Jenson getting ahead of Nakajima and Rubens taking two places from Kubica and Kovalainen. From there, the pace was good and whilst the safety car didn’t play in our hands particularly for either driver, we were able to make steady progress up the field. A longer than planned pit stop for Rubens when the car stalled as he entered the box lost him some time however the pit crew recovered the situation superbly and he was safe for sixth position. Jenson put in some quick laps before his stop to make up the required time for fifth place which we settled for and decided to bring both cars safely home. We will go away from Singapore with further valuable points in the championship having done as we intended and recovered well from qualifying.”
Force India - Singapore GP
Tonio Liuzzi has secured his first race finish for the Force India Formula One Team in today’s Singapore Grand Prix. The Italian raced from 19th on the grid to 14th at the chequered flag after a race-long battle with former team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella. Tonio used a two stop strategy and stayed with the Ferrari, matching Giancarlo’s lap times, until his third and final stop for supersoft tyres.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
DNF Accident Lap 23
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
14th +93.502secs
This final set of tyres produced excessive graining in the closing stages of the race and Tonio dropped back a little but he nevertheless pushed until the final corner to achieve his first race finish for the team.
Adrian Sutil was a premature retirement from the tough, humid race. Adrian moved up one place at the start and was bottled up behind Jaime Alguersuari. After his first pit stop Adrian saw an opportunity to pass into turn 10 but spun off line while trying to overtake. When he tried to rejoin the track, Nick Heidfeld - unsighted by Adrian - was exiting the previous corner and had nowhere to go except into the nosecone of the VJM02. Adrian’s brake system was damaged in the secondary impact and he returned to the pits to attempt repair, but ultimately was forced to retire.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
It was quite frustrating at the start as we knew with the one stop we were very heavy, but Jaime [Alguersuari] was very slow and really fighting with the car. He was holding me up a lot and I tried a few times to pass him but I finally saw a chance. I tried and it wasn’t enough - I was a little late on the brakes, spun and that’s it. Then Nick came around the corner and hit my front wing as I was stuck in the corner. I didn’t see him coming as I was on the move already and couldn’t react to it, but I’m sorry for it. It was a race incident. After the accident I then had a problem with the brakes and lost all the rear pressure and I had to stop as it was too dangerous to drive. We should be much better in Suzuka - I really can’t wait for it. It’s one of my favourite circuits and I have big hopes for a better result.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
It has been an ultra difficult weekend and race for us. The conditions are very difficult from the beginning as we were starting on the last row and trying to get some points was always going to be tough. Also having two cars with KERS in front of me didn’t help. I couldn’t overtake Giancarlo [Fisichella] even though I was quicker on my first two stints. On the third stint we started to have a lot of graining with the rear tyres with the soft compound and I just couldn’t catch him. In the end it was a difficult race but we are more optimistic for the next races.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
We thought this was going to be a difficult race with the high downforce configuration and it indeed proved to be true. We tried all we could to gain some places but ultimately it was too big a challenge to score some points today. I am however very pleased that Tonio has achieved his first race finish for the team and again trailed home a Ferrari. Adrian tried to make up places but it just didn’t work out for him. But it was a racing incident and these things happen when you are pushing hard. We are now looking forward to Suzuka where we hope we will see a truer reflection of our performance
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
DNF Accident Lap 23
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
14th +93.502secs
This final set of tyres produced excessive graining in the closing stages of the race and Tonio dropped back a little but he nevertheless pushed until the final corner to achieve his first race finish for the team.
Adrian Sutil was a premature retirement from the tough, humid race. Adrian moved up one place at the start and was bottled up behind Jaime Alguersuari. After his first pit stop Adrian saw an opportunity to pass into turn 10 but spun off line while trying to overtake. When he tried to rejoin the track, Nick Heidfeld - unsighted by Adrian - was exiting the previous corner and had nowhere to go except into the nosecone of the VJM02. Adrian’s brake system was damaged in the secondary impact and he returned to the pits to attempt repair, but ultimately was forced to retire.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
It was quite frustrating at the start as we knew with the one stop we were very heavy, but Jaime [Alguersuari] was very slow and really fighting with the car. He was holding me up a lot and I tried a few times to pass him but I finally saw a chance. I tried and it wasn’t enough - I was a little late on the brakes, spun and that’s it. Then Nick came around the corner and hit my front wing as I was stuck in the corner. I didn’t see him coming as I was on the move already and couldn’t react to it, but I’m sorry for it. It was a race incident. After the accident I then had a problem with the brakes and lost all the rear pressure and I had to stop as it was too dangerous to drive. We should be much better in Suzuka - I really can’t wait for it. It’s one of my favourite circuits and I have big hopes for a better result.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
It has been an ultra difficult weekend and race for us. The conditions are very difficult from the beginning as we were starting on the last row and trying to get some points was always going to be tough. Also having two cars with KERS in front of me didn’t help. I couldn’t overtake Giancarlo [Fisichella] even though I was quicker on my first two stints. On the third stint we started to have a lot of graining with the rear tyres with the soft compound and I just couldn’t catch him. In the end it was a difficult race but we are more optimistic for the next races.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
We thought this was going to be a difficult race with the high downforce configuration and it indeed proved to be true. We tried all we could to gain some places but ultimately it was too big a challenge to score some points today. I am however very pleased that Tonio has achieved his first race finish for the team and again trailed home a Ferrari. Adrian tried to make up places but it just didn’t work out for him. But it was a racing incident and these things happen when you are pushing hard. We are now looking forward to Suzuka where we hope we will see a truer reflection of our performance
Ferrari - previous Japanese GP
This year's Nippon Grand Prix will be the twenty fifth in its history and 2009 marks a welcome return to the Suzuka circuit, which rivals Spa-Francorchamps as a driver favourite. The very first race was held at Mount Fuji in 1976 and has gone down in history for its dramatic outcome: Ferrari’s Niki Lauda, who had nearly died earlier that year in a fiery crash at the Nurburgring, was still in the running for the Drivers’ title. Conditions were atrocious that Sunday, with very heavy rain making for treacherous conditions and the Austrian took the brave decision not to race, thus handing the championship to James Hunt, who also won the race a year later. However, that race was marred by an accident that claimed the lives of two spectators and the Japanese Grand Prix then disappeared from the calendar for a decade. When it returned in 1987, it was held at the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit, which the Japanese company used as a test track for its road cars. Designed by Dutchman, John Hugenholz, it provides a fantastic high speed challenge and is the only circuit on the calendar featuring a figure-of-eight layout, which sees cars pass over one another during a lap. For the past two years, the Grand Prix returned to the Toyota-owned and much revised Mount Fuji circuit, but from now on the race will alternate, year by year, between the two venues.
Usually taking place towards the end of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has often proved to be the title decider, as was the case in its first year at Suzuka, when a practice injury to Nigel Mansell handed the crown to his Williams team-mate, Nelson Piquet, while Ferrari had the honour of recording the first Suzuka win, courtesy of Gerhard Berger. Most famously, Suzuka was the scene of an ongoing and acrimonious feud between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. In '89, the Brazilian tried to pass the Frenchman at the chicane: Prost retired immediately knowing he had the title, but his McLaren team-mate rejoined and retook the lead, but was disqualified. The following year, this time with Prost driving for Ferrari, the title fight was on again and the two men crashed at the first corner, handing the crown to Senna. There were other notable Ferrari-McLaren duels played out here, in a more sporting fashion, between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. In 2000, the German won, to take his third world title, his first with the Scuderia, thus bringing the Drivers' title back to Maranello for the first time in twenty years. In 2003, Michael was again in the running for the championship, (his sixth) but having started from fourteenth on the grid, he faced a major challenge. He succeeded, by climbing up the order to take the one vital point that comes with eighth place. The Scuderia has won here a total of seven times, five times thanks to Schumacher, once with Rubens Barrichello and once with the aforementioned Berger.
In 2008, Kimi finished third and Felipe eighth, in an incident packed race at Fuji. Starting from second and fifth respectively, they were both forced off the track at the first corner, after a more than opportunistic move from Lewis Hamilton and in the closing stages, Felipe, the fastest man on track, was hit by Sebastien Bourdais, as the Frenchman came out of the pits. Both Felipe and Hamilton also had drive-through penalties in a very closely fought contest, as the title battle hotted up. For its 2009 comeback race, Suzuka will have undergone a variety of modifications to improve safety and the old-fashioned if charming paddock facilities are also due to be revamped prior to the race. Unchanged will be the Suzukaland Theme Park, originally built to entertain the workers and their families from the Honda factories in the town. It has always been a popular attraction for the F1 crowd, providing the unusual spectacle of seeing a fearless Formula 1 driver, white faced and shaking after getting off one of the rides!
Usually taking place towards the end of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has often proved to be the title decider, as was the case in its first year at Suzuka, when a practice injury to Nigel Mansell handed the crown to his Williams team-mate, Nelson Piquet, while Ferrari had the honour of recording the first Suzuka win, courtesy of Gerhard Berger. Most famously, Suzuka was the scene of an ongoing and acrimonious feud between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. In '89, the Brazilian tried to pass the Frenchman at the chicane: Prost retired immediately knowing he had the title, but his McLaren team-mate rejoined and retook the lead, but was disqualified. The following year, this time with Prost driving for Ferrari, the title fight was on again and the two men crashed at the first corner, handing the crown to Senna. There were other notable Ferrari-McLaren duels played out here, in a more sporting fashion, between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. In 2000, the German won, to take his third world title, his first with the Scuderia, thus bringing the Drivers' title back to Maranello for the first time in twenty years. In 2003, Michael was again in the running for the championship, (his sixth) but having started from fourteenth on the grid, he faced a major challenge. He succeeded, by climbing up the order to take the one vital point that comes with eighth place. The Scuderia has won here a total of seven times, five times thanks to Schumacher, once with Rubens Barrichello and once with the aforementioned Berger.
In 2008, Kimi finished third and Felipe eighth, in an incident packed race at Fuji. Starting from second and fifth respectively, they were both forced off the track at the first corner, after a more than opportunistic move from Lewis Hamilton and in the closing stages, Felipe, the fastest man on track, was hit by Sebastien Bourdais, as the Frenchman came out of the pits. Both Felipe and Hamilton also had drive-through penalties in a very closely fought contest, as the title battle hotted up. For its 2009 comeback race, Suzuka will have undergone a variety of modifications to improve safety and the old-fashioned if charming paddock facilities are also due to be revamped prior to the race. Unchanged will be the Suzukaland Theme Park, originally built to entertain the workers and their families from the Honda factories in the town. It has always been a popular attraction for the F1 crowd, providing the unusual spectacle of seeing a fearless Formula 1 driver, white faced and shaking after getting off one of the rides!
Singapore race analysis - title contenders take a back seat
After 61 punishing laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the podium featured not one team or driver in the running for the 2009 championship. Instead it was McLaren, Toyota, and Renault celebrating. However, Jenson Button and Brawn left Singapore quietly satisfied, the former having extended his championship lead to 15 points, the latter having all but wrapped up the constructors’ crown with three rounds remaining. We take a team-by-team look at Sunday's race...
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, P7
Hamilton had to disengage and reboot his KERS system after the telemetry suggested a possible impending glitch, but otherwise his MP4-24 performed faultlessly as he controlled the race throughout and stormed to a superb victory that made amends for his crash on the final lap at Monza. Kovalainen was completely overshadowed, but his seventh place brought McLaren’s score to 12 points for their evening’s work and brings them within three points of Ferrari.
Toyota
Timo Glock, P2
Jarno Trulli, P12
Why is it that every time Toyota score a good result it seems to have been through unobtrusive endeavour? Glock was not quite quick enough to run with the three early leaders, but was always in contention for a podium after Rosberg’s pit-exit error. Second was well deserved, and may prove crucial in determining Toyota’s future. Poor old Trulli felt lousy with flu all weekend, lost out to the safety car, and struggled for traction all evening.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, P3
Romain Grosjean, Retired lap 3, brakes
Alonso was delighted with Renault’s first podium of the season, and it certainly could not have come at a better time for the beleaguered team. Grosjean was unable to make any progress, as persistent brake problems brought him retirement after only three laps.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel P4
Mark Webber, Retired lap 46, brakes
Vettel was a podium contender right up until the moment he went pit lane speeding on the 38th lap. At times bits fell off his RB5, notably the right-hand mirror, and later he reported that the car was on the limit with its brakes, so he had to lift early and baby them, especially after Webber’s demise on the 46th lap when his failed dramatically. The Australian met trouble early after a great outside pass on Alonso was negated when he was instructed by the stewards to hand places back to the Spaniard and to Glock, dropping from an initial fourth to sixth.
Brawn
Jenson Button, P5
Rubens Barrichello, P6
Both drivers had good opening laps, as Barrichello planned to run a shorter first stint than Button. That all went to plan as the safety car spoiled the latter’s longer run strategy. Later, however, the Brazilian had a problem engaging neutral in his second stop on lap 46. Button, fuelled five laps longer and the fastest man out there at one point in the final stages, was able to sprint by to take fifth place. He hounded Vettel for a while, closing to within 1.5s, before brake consideration obliged Brawn to tell their drivers to back off. Button did, Barrichello didn’t, but the Englishman had enough in hand by the flag and extended his world championship lead by a point as Brawn moved further ahead of Red Bull.
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, P8
Nick Heidfeld, Retired lap 20, hit by Sutil
Heidfeld’s race was compromised long before the start when his F1.09 was found to be fractionally underweight. Since they were obliged to start from the pit lane the team opted to change the engine and gearbox, but after an early charge he was the innocent victim when Sutil’s attempt to pass Alguersuari prompted a spin and the Force India driver collected the German’s car. Heidfeld was not amused. Kubica, meanwhile, was always in the fight for a point, even though he lucked out by refuelling just before the safety car. But he also suffered a lot of rear tyre degradation with the untried new rear-end set-up which made the final 10-15 laps of each stint painfully slow. The Pole said afterwards that it was hardest point he ever earned.
Williams
Kazuki Nakajima, P9
Nico Rosberg, P11
Oh dear, oh dear! Williams came so near, yet ended up so far after Rosberg slid over the white line on the exit to the pits after his first refuelling stop on the 18th lap. Prior to that he had been keeping Hamilton honest, maintaining hopes that Williams might just be on the cusp of possible victory. That earned him a drive-through, and that was all she wrote. Nakajima pushed Kubica hard for the final point at the end, but was also having to fend off a hungry Raikkonen, so a day that promised much ended in huge disappointment.
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, P10
Giancarlo Fisichella, P13
The lack of ongoing development of Ferrari’s elegant F60 becomes more apparent with each race, and both Raikkonen and Fisichella struggled all weekend here. The Finn reported that he was sliding all over the place on the softer rubber in his final stint. The Italian looked hopeless as he fumbled round at the back, the Ferrari dream turning more to nightmare.
Force India
Tonio Liuzzi, P14
Adrian Sutil, Retired lap 23, accident damage and brake problems
Sutil became very frustrated when he was trapped behind Alguersuari and it was only a matter of time before it ended in tears. On the 20th lap he snagged the right rear of the Toro Rosso, spun, and collected an angry Heidfeld. Subsequently, after a stop for repairs, he retired with brake problems. Liuzzi almost made it past the Fisichella road block, but had to back off when the older Italian moved over and they touched. He was way quicker than the Ferrari in his first two stints, but in the third on the supersoft Bridgestone he suffered graining rears and lost any chance of maintaining his challenge.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, P16, not classified
Jaime Alguersuari, P15, not classified
Buemi ran quite strongly until tyre degradation reared its ugly head. Later, in his second pit stop he did not get any fuel, necessitating a third stop until a gearbox problem brought him to a halt in the pits just as Alguersuari was also calling it a day. The Spaniard had headed the tail-end train until he was assaulted by Sutil, and later stopped with brake issues
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, P7
Hamilton had to disengage and reboot his KERS system after the telemetry suggested a possible impending glitch, but otherwise his MP4-24 performed faultlessly as he controlled the race throughout and stormed to a superb victory that made amends for his crash on the final lap at Monza. Kovalainen was completely overshadowed, but his seventh place brought McLaren’s score to 12 points for their evening’s work and brings them within three points of Ferrari.
Toyota
Timo Glock, P2
Jarno Trulli, P12
Why is it that every time Toyota score a good result it seems to have been through unobtrusive endeavour? Glock was not quite quick enough to run with the three early leaders, but was always in contention for a podium after Rosberg’s pit-exit error. Second was well deserved, and may prove crucial in determining Toyota’s future. Poor old Trulli felt lousy with flu all weekend, lost out to the safety car, and struggled for traction all evening.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, P3
Romain Grosjean, Retired lap 3, brakes
Alonso was delighted with Renault’s first podium of the season, and it certainly could not have come at a better time for the beleaguered team. Grosjean was unable to make any progress, as persistent brake problems brought him retirement after only three laps.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel P4
Mark Webber, Retired lap 46, brakes
Vettel was a podium contender right up until the moment he went pit lane speeding on the 38th lap. At times bits fell off his RB5, notably the right-hand mirror, and later he reported that the car was on the limit with its brakes, so he had to lift early and baby them, especially after Webber’s demise on the 46th lap when his failed dramatically. The Australian met trouble early after a great outside pass on Alonso was negated when he was instructed by the stewards to hand places back to the Spaniard and to Glock, dropping from an initial fourth to sixth.
Brawn
Jenson Button, P5
Rubens Barrichello, P6
Both drivers had good opening laps, as Barrichello planned to run a shorter first stint than Button. That all went to plan as the safety car spoiled the latter’s longer run strategy. Later, however, the Brazilian had a problem engaging neutral in his second stop on lap 46. Button, fuelled five laps longer and the fastest man out there at one point in the final stages, was able to sprint by to take fifth place. He hounded Vettel for a while, closing to within 1.5s, before brake consideration obliged Brawn to tell their drivers to back off. Button did, Barrichello didn’t, but the Englishman had enough in hand by the flag and extended his world championship lead by a point as Brawn moved further ahead of Red Bull.
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, P8
Nick Heidfeld, Retired lap 20, hit by Sutil
Heidfeld’s race was compromised long before the start when his F1.09 was found to be fractionally underweight. Since they were obliged to start from the pit lane the team opted to change the engine and gearbox, but after an early charge he was the innocent victim when Sutil’s attempt to pass Alguersuari prompted a spin and the Force India driver collected the German’s car. Heidfeld was not amused. Kubica, meanwhile, was always in the fight for a point, even though he lucked out by refuelling just before the safety car. But he also suffered a lot of rear tyre degradation with the untried new rear-end set-up which made the final 10-15 laps of each stint painfully slow. The Pole said afterwards that it was hardest point he ever earned.
Williams
Kazuki Nakajima, P9
Nico Rosberg, P11
Oh dear, oh dear! Williams came so near, yet ended up so far after Rosberg slid over the white line on the exit to the pits after his first refuelling stop on the 18th lap. Prior to that he had been keeping Hamilton honest, maintaining hopes that Williams might just be on the cusp of possible victory. That earned him a drive-through, and that was all she wrote. Nakajima pushed Kubica hard for the final point at the end, but was also having to fend off a hungry Raikkonen, so a day that promised much ended in huge disappointment.
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, P10
Giancarlo Fisichella, P13
The lack of ongoing development of Ferrari’s elegant F60 becomes more apparent with each race, and both Raikkonen and Fisichella struggled all weekend here. The Finn reported that he was sliding all over the place on the softer rubber in his final stint. The Italian looked hopeless as he fumbled round at the back, the Ferrari dream turning more to nightmare.
Force India
Tonio Liuzzi, P14
Adrian Sutil, Retired lap 23, accident damage and brake problems
Sutil became very frustrated when he was trapped behind Alguersuari and it was only a matter of time before it ended in tears. On the 20th lap he snagged the right rear of the Toro Rosso, spun, and collected an angry Heidfeld. Subsequently, after a stop for repairs, he retired with brake problems. Liuzzi almost made it past the Fisichella road block, but had to back off when the older Italian moved over and they touched. He was way quicker than the Ferrari in his first two stints, but in the third on the supersoft Bridgestone he suffered graining rears and lost any chance of maintaining his challenge.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, P16, not classified
Jaime Alguersuari, P15, not classified
Buemi ran quite strongly until tyre degradation reared its ugly head. Later, in his second pit stop he did not get any fuel, necessitating a third stop until a gearbox problem brought him to a halt in the pits just as Alguersuari was also calling it a day. The Spaniard had headed the tail-end train until he was assaulted by Sutil, and later stopped with brake issues
Podium helps secure Renault F1 future
Renault's podium finish in the Singapore Grand Prix will help makes it future in Formula 1 even more secure, claims its stand-in managing director Jean-Francois Caubet.
After a turbulent few weeks for the team in the wake of the race-fix controversy from Singapore 12 months ago, Fernando Alonso helped deliver the French car manufacturer an emotional and crucial first podium finish of the season in Sunday's race.
And although Renault had already decided several weeks ago that its involvement in the race-fix matter would not force it out of the sport, Caubet admits that the third placed finish will be a big boost in convincing chiefs that remaining in F1 was the right decision.
"For Renault it's important to keep going because everybody asked the question, is Renault stopping or not?" Caubet told AUTOSPORT shortly after speaking to Renault F1 president Bernard Rey by telephone.
"It's not the question for the headquarters it is a question of the team. I think in F1 if you have good results you have no problem, if you start to have bad results then it is a full stop. And we were at the limit."
Caubet praised the motivation and attitude of team members in delivering such a strong result in difficult circumstances in Singapore - and thinks the situation can only improve under its new temporary management structure.
"[Team principal] Bob Bell is managing very well," said Caubet. "Okay, Pat [Symonds] has left but we've got a number two, so it's not a big change.
"Flavio is a big character. I think we won two titles with him and we must respect him. But the problem is not this one. The problem is to build the future a little bit differently, more in the Renault culture because we have been in F1 for 35 years now and the Renault culture is probably different - not fundamentally different, but different. And we must share with Renault a lot of things that we did not share."
Caubet also said that he had no problem with Alonso dedicating his podium finish to Flavio Briatore - even though the former team principal has been banned from F1 for life by the FIA for fixing last year's Singapore GP.
"Not at all," he said when asked if it was a problem what Alonso did. "We won two world championships with Flavio and we will keep a very good relationship with Flavio.
"A few people made a mistake and that is the price of the mistake, that is all. We are here because Flavio built the team and Fernando. That's the reality and we don't want to suggest anything else. But we want to turn the page."
After a turbulent few weeks for the team in the wake of the race-fix controversy from Singapore 12 months ago, Fernando Alonso helped deliver the French car manufacturer an emotional and crucial first podium finish of the season in Sunday's race.
And although Renault had already decided several weeks ago that its involvement in the race-fix matter would not force it out of the sport, Caubet admits that the third placed finish will be a big boost in convincing chiefs that remaining in F1 was the right decision.
"For Renault it's important to keep going because everybody asked the question, is Renault stopping or not?" Caubet told AUTOSPORT shortly after speaking to Renault F1 president Bernard Rey by telephone.
"It's not the question for the headquarters it is a question of the team. I think in F1 if you have good results you have no problem, if you start to have bad results then it is a full stop. And we were at the limit."
Caubet praised the motivation and attitude of team members in delivering such a strong result in difficult circumstances in Singapore - and thinks the situation can only improve under its new temporary management structure.
"[Team principal] Bob Bell is managing very well," said Caubet. "Okay, Pat [Symonds] has left but we've got a number two, so it's not a big change.
"Flavio is a big character. I think we won two titles with him and we must respect him. But the problem is not this one. The problem is to build the future a little bit differently, more in the Renault culture because we have been in F1 for 35 years now and the Renault culture is probably different - not fundamentally different, but different. And we must share with Renault a lot of things that we did not share."
Caubet also said that he had no problem with Alonso dedicating his podium finish to Flavio Briatore - even though the former team principal has been banned from F1 for life by the FIA for fixing last year's Singapore GP.
"Not at all," he said when asked if it was a problem what Alonso did. "We won two world championships with Flavio and we will keep a very good relationship with Flavio.
"A few people made a mistake and that is the price of the mistake, that is all. We are here because Flavio built the team and Fernando. That's the reality and we don't want to suggest anything else. But we want to turn the page."
Ferrari set to confirm Alonso for 2010. Kimi to McLaren ?
Ferrari could announce its 2010 deal with Fernando Alonso as early as next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, with the Spaniard's move to the Maranello team now all but confirmed.
With lawyers working hard on the last few details of Kimi Raikkonen's release from his contract with Ferrari, a move that will pave the way for the Finn to return to McLaren, the Maranello-based outfit has openly admitted that it wants to announce its line-up as quickly as possible.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said at Singapore on Sunday night: "I think that as soon as we are ready we will let you know. We don't want to wait too long."
When asked by AUTOSPORT if that announcement could come as early as Suzuka, Domenicali said: "It is a possibility, but it is not guaranteed."
Neither Ferrari nor Renault are now denying that Alonso is on his way to the Italian outfit, in a deal that has been widely predicted for several months.
Renault's stand-in managing director Jean-Francois Caubet told AUTOSPORT after the Singapore Grand Prix that his outfit would be sad to see Alonso leave after this season.
"I think Fernando will miss Renault and Renault will miss Fernando," he explained.
Once the Ferrari-Alonso announcement is made, Renault is expected to confirm that Polish driver Robert Kubica will lead its team in 2010.
With lawyers working hard on the last few details of Kimi Raikkonen's release from his contract with Ferrari, a move that will pave the way for the Finn to return to McLaren, the Maranello-based outfit has openly admitted that it wants to announce its line-up as quickly as possible.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said at Singapore on Sunday night: "I think that as soon as we are ready we will let you know. We don't want to wait too long."
When asked by AUTOSPORT if that announcement could come as early as Suzuka, Domenicali said: "It is a possibility, but it is not guaranteed."
Neither Ferrari nor Renault are now denying that Alonso is on his way to the Italian outfit, in a deal that has been widely predicted for several months.
Renault's stand-in managing director Jean-Francois Caubet told AUTOSPORT after the Singapore Grand Prix that his outfit would be sad to see Alonso leave after this season.
"I think Fernando will miss Renault and Renault will miss Fernando," he explained.
Once the Ferrari-Alonso announcement is made, Renault is expected to confirm that Polish driver Robert Kubica will lead its team in 2010.
Sunday 27 September 2009
Hamilton takes dominant Singapore win
Lewis Hamilton more than made up for his last-lap crash at Monza two weeks ago with a flawless performance under the lights in the Singapore Grand Prix that secured his and McLaren’s second win of the season.
Meanwhile Jenson Button moved a step closer to realising his world title dreams, overcoming a disastrous qualifying session to beat his Brawn GP team-mate and title rival Rubens Barrichello to fifth place and thereby extending his championship lead by one point.
While Hamilton led for almost the entire 61-lap race distance, his path to victory was eased by pit lane indiscretions by Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel that earned each a drive-through penalty.
An impressive Timo Glock took full advantage to move up to second place and claim Toyota’s first podium since the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, equalling his career-best Formula 1 result in the process.
And following a hugely turbulent fortnight in which its whole Formula 1 future was on the line and the race-fixing scandal led to the departure of the team’s top brass, Renault finally made some positive headlines as Fernando Alonso hustled the R29 to the podium for the first time in 2009.
Vettel salvaged fourth to keep his personal title ambitions mathematically alive, but with Button finishing right on his tail in fifth the RBR driver is a near insurmountable 25 points adrift with just 30 left up for grabs.
Barrichello, who also lost time during a slightly slow second stop, had to settle for sixth, while Kovalainen increased his points-scoring streak to six races in seventh.
Hamilton made a perfect getaway from pole position, but fellow front-row starter Vettel was once again slow away and Rosberg snatched second place into the first complex of corners.
A thrusting Alonso beat Mark Webber off the line and tried to go the long way around Vettel, but succeeded only in sapping momentum onto the back straight.
Webber and Glock both pounced, but Webber would later be instructed to cede both positions for taking to the Tarmac apron on the outside of turn seven to pass Alonso, relegating the Australian to sixth.
Leader Hamilton quickly established a small cushion before Rosberg stabilised the gap around the two-second mark, with Vettel a similar margin behind in third and Glock and Alonso losing touch in fourth and fifth respectively.
Hamilton had a minor scare when the team radioed him to say that his Kinetic Energy Recovery System was malfunctioning, but the boffins in the McLaren garage toggled a few switches and soon solved the problem.
The first major development at the front came at the first round of pit stops, when Rosberg was a little too eager on the pit lane exit and strayed over the white ‘blend’ line.
He tried to make amends by ducking back inside the line, but the stewards applied the letter of the law and promptly issued a drive-through penalty.
Before Rosberg could respond, however, the safety car was deployed following a collision between Adrian Sutil and Nick Heidfeld.
Sutil had spent many laps fruitlessly looking for a way past a struggling Jaime Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso before finally losing patience and making a half-hearted bid into turn five.
He backed out of it and threw the Force India into a spin to avoid hitting Alguersuari, but then lit up the rear tyres to spin the car through 360 degrees – and collected an unsuspecting Heidfeld on the apex of the corner.
Hamilton, Alonso and Barrichello all made it into the pits before the field queued up behind the safety car, but the full-course yellow was unwelcome for Button, who had been hoping to use a long first stint to leapfrog some of the cars in front of him but now had to pit in sequence with the leaders.
It was even worse news for Rosberg, who would fall to the back of the field as the cars concertinaed behind the pace car.
At the restart on lap 25 Hamilton led from Rosberg, Vettel, Glock, Alonso and Barrichello, with Button running eighth behind Heikki Kovalainen.
Rosberg served his drive-through penalty two laps later and plummeted to 14th, giving Vettel a clear shot at Hamilton.
The Red Bull had taken on less fuel than the McLaren and Vettel seized his chance to latch onto Hamilton’s tail, harrying him all the way until his second pit stop on lap 39.
Then, in his haste to lose as little time as possible, Vettel – like Rosberg earlier – made a costly blunder, exceeding the pit lane speed limit and incurring a drive-through penalty.
He compounded his woes by bouncing over a high kerb and damaging his car’s diffuser, robbing it of vital downforce and giving him a handful in the cockpit for the remainder of the race.
As Hamilton continued his serene progress to victory, Vettel’s penalty promoted Glock and Alonso to second and third respectively.
Alonso enjoyed a brief spell in the lead courtesy of a long middle stint, but the extra low-fuel laps were not enough to overhaul Glock and Timo comfortably kept the Renault at bay to take second on a weekend that had initially looked inauspicious for Toyota.
The main excitement in the closing stages of what had been a largely processional race involved the Brawn team-mates and championship rivals.
The turning point came when a brake failure sent Mark Webber spinning into the barriers at turn one with 15 laps to go.
Anticipating another safety car intervention, most of those yet to make their second stops dived into the pits – including Barrichello and Heikki Kovalainen, who had been lying fifth and sixth ahead of seventh-placed Button.
The marshals quickly cleared Webber’s car from the scene, however, so the safety car was not required.
Button had held his nerve and now had five low-fuel laps with which to make time up on Barrichello and Kovalainen.
Having struggled for pace for most of the weekend, Button hit a purple patch just at the right moment and reeled off a succession of quick laps – faster, in fact, than anyone else on the circuit at that stage.
As a result he emerged from his final stop in fifth place, comfortably in front of Barrichello and hard on the heels of Vettel, who hadn’t suffered as badly as Rosberg from his penalty since there had been no safety car to compress the field.
Button briefly entertained thoughts of challenging Vettel, but soon had to back off to nurse drastically fading brakes, an affliction that had already claimed not only Webber but also Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso.
Barrichello began to close on his team-mate but he too was in trouble with brake wear and ran out of laps to mount a challenge.
Kovalainen finished a rather anonymous seventh in a race that his team-mate had won so convincingly, although that did extend his points-scoring streak to six races.
Robert Kubica lost ground as the safety car phase clashed with his planned first stop, but nevertheless took the final point following a positive debut weekend for BMW’s heavily upgraded F1.09.
Singapore Grand Prix result (61 laps)
1. HAMILTON McLaren
2. GLOCK Toyota +9.6s
3. ALONSO Renault +16.6s
4. VETTEL Red Bull +20.2s
5. BUTTON Brawn +30.0s
6. BARRICHELLO Brawn +31.8s
7. KOVALAINEN McLaren +36.1s
8. KUBICA BMW +55.0s
9. NAKAJIMA Williams +56.0s
10. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +58.8s
11. ROSBERG Williams +59.7s
12. TRULLI Toyota +73.0s
13. FISICHELLA Ferrari +79.8s
14. LIUZZI Force India +93.5s
R. ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso +14 laps
R. BUEMI Toro Rosso +14 laps
R. WEBBER Red Bull +16 laps
R. SUTIL Force India +38 laps
R. HEIDFELD BMW +42 laps
R. GROSJEAN Renault +58 laps
Meanwhile Jenson Button moved a step closer to realising his world title dreams, overcoming a disastrous qualifying session to beat his Brawn GP team-mate and title rival Rubens Barrichello to fifth place and thereby extending his championship lead by one point.
While Hamilton led for almost the entire 61-lap race distance, his path to victory was eased by pit lane indiscretions by Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel that earned each a drive-through penalty.
An impressive Timo Glock took full advantage to move up to second place and claim Toyota’s first podium since the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, equalling his career-best Formula 1 result in the process.
And following a hugely turbulent fortnight in which its whole Formula 1 future was on the line and the race-fixing scandal led to the departure of the team’s top brass, Renault finally made some positive headlines as Fernando Alonso hustled the R29 to the podium for the first time in 2009.
Vettel salvaged fourth to keep his personal title ambitions mathematically alive, but with Button finishing right on his tail in fifth the RBR driver is a near insurmountable 25 points adrift with just 30 left up for grabs.
Barrichello, who also lost time during a slightly slow second stop, had to settle for sixth, while Kovalainen increased his points-scoring streak to six races in seventh.
Hamilton made a perfect getaway from pole position, but fellow front-row starter Vettel was once again slow away and Rosberg snatched second place into the first complex of corners.
A thrusting Alonso beat Mark Webber off the line and tried to go the long way around Vettel, but succeeded only in sapping momentum onto the back straight.
Webber and Glock both pounced, but Webber would later be instructed to cede both positions for taking to the Tarmac apron on the outside of turn seven to pass Alonso, relegating the Australian to sixth.
Leader Hamilton quickly established a small cushion before Rosberg stabilised the gap around the two-second mark, with Vettel a similar margin behind in third and Glock and Alonso losing touch in fourth and fifth respectively.
Hamilton had a minor scare when the team radioed him to say that his Kinetic Energy Recovery System was malfunctioning, but the boffins in the McLaren garage toggled a few switches and soon solved the problem.
The first major development at the front came at the first round of pit stops, when Rosberg was a little too eager on the pit lane exit and strayed over the white ‘blend’ line.
He tried to make amends by ducking back inside the line, but the stewards applied the letter of the law and promptly issued a drive-through penalty.
Before Rosberg could respond, however, the safety car was deployed following a collision between Adrian Sutil and Nick Heidfeld.
Sutil had spent many laps fruitlessly looking for a way past a struggling Jaime Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso before finally losing patience and making a half-hearted bid into turn five.
He backed out of it and threw the Force India into a spin to avoid hitting Alguersuari, but then lit up the rear tyres to spin the car through 360 degrees – and collected an unsuspecting Heidfeld on the apex of the corner.
Hamilton, Alonso and Barrichello all made it into the pits before the field queued up behind the safety car, but the full-course yellow was unwelcome for Button, who had been hoping to use a long first stint to leapfrog some of the cars in front of him but now had to pit in sequence with the leaders.
It was even worse news for Rosberg, who would fall to the back of the field as the cars concertinaed behind the pace car.
At the restart on lap 25 Hamilton led from Rosberg, Vettel, Glock, Alonso and Barrichello, with Button running eighth behind Heikki Kovalainen.
Rosberg served his drive-through penalty two laps later and plummeted to 14th, giving Vettel a clear shot at Hamilton.
The Red Bull had taken on less fuel than the McLaren and Vettel seized his chance to latch onto Hamilton’s tail, harrying him all the way until his second pit stop on lap 39.
Then, in his haste to lose as little time as possible, Vettel – like Rosberg earlier – made a costly blunder, exceeding the pit lane speed limit and incurring a drive-through penalty.
He compounded his woes by bouncing over a high kerb and damaging his car’s diffuser, robbing it of vital downforce and giving him a handful in the cockpit for the remainder of the race.
As Hamilton continued his serene progress to victory, Vettel’s penalty promoted Glock and Alonso to second and third respectively.
Alonso enjoyed a brief spell in the lead courtesy of a long middle stint, but the extra low-fuel laps were not enough to overhaul Glock and Timo comfortably kept the Renault at bay to take second on a weekend that had initially looked inauspicious for Toyota.
The main excitement in the closing stages of what had been a largely processional race involved the Brawn team-mates and championship rivals.
The turning point came when a brake failure sent Mark Webber spinning into the barriers at turn one with 15 laps to go.
Anticipating another safety car intervention, most of those yet to make their second stops dived into the pits – including Barrichello and Heikki Kovalainen, who had been lying fifth and sixth ahead of seventh-placed Button.
The marshals quickly cleared Webber’s car from the scene, however, so the safety car was not required.
Button had held his nerve and now had five low-fuel laps with which to make time up on Barrichello and Kovalainen.
Having struggled for pace for most of the weekend, Button hit a purple patch just at the right moment and reeled off a succession of quick laps – faster, in fact, than anyone else on the circuit at that stage.
As a result he emerged from his final stop in fifth place, comfortably in front of Barrichello and hard on the heels of Vettel, who hadn’t suffered as badly as Rosberg from his penalty since there had been no safety car to compress the field.
Button briefly entertained thoughts of challenging Vettel, but soon had to back off to nurse drastically fading brakes, an affliction that had already claimed not only Webber but also Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso.
Barrichello began to close on his team-mate but he too was in trouble with brake wear and ran out of laps to mount a challenge.
Kovalainen finished a rather anonymous seventh in a race that his team-mate had won so convincingly, although that did extend his points-scoring streak to six races.
Robert Kubica lost ground as the safety car phase clashed with his planned first stop, but nevertheless took the final point following a positive debut weekend for BMW’s heavily upgraded F1.09.
Singapore Grand Prix result (61 laps)
1. HAMILTON McLaren
2. GLOCK Toyota +9.6s
3. ALONSO Renault +16.6s
4. VETTEL Red Bull +20.2s
5. BUTTON Brawn +30.0s
6. BARRICHELLO Brawn +31.8s
7. KOVALAINEN McLaren +36.1s
8. KUBICA BMW +55.0s
9. NAKAJIMA Williams +56.0s
10. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +58.8s
11. ROSBERG Williams +59.7s
12. TRULLI Toyota +73.0s
13. FISICHELLA Ferrari +79.8s
14. LIUZZI Force India +93.5s
R. ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso +14 laps
R. BUEMI Toro Rosso +14 laps
R. WEBBER Red Bull +16 laps
R. SUTIL Force India +38 laps
R. HEIDFELD BMW +42 laps
R. GROSJEAN Renault +58 laps
Sunday weather update - settled conditions for race
Welcome to race day for the 14th round of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Singapore Grand Prix.
It will settled, with an ambient temperature high of 29 degrees Celsius, and humidity to match.
The race will run over 61 laps of the 5.073-kilometre (3.152-mile) circuit, or 309.316 kilometres (192.209 miles). It starts at 2000 hours local time, which is eight hours ahead of GMT.
There have been several changes to the track. The pit entry has been realigned to leave the track before Turn 22, and the pit exit has been realigned to join the track after the first corner. There are new kerbs on the entry to Turns One and Five, and a new surface between Turns Five and Seven.
The second and third apexes of Turn 10 have been moved left and right respectively to make the chicane slower, and the three apexes of Turn 10 have been redesigned in order to reduce the risk of a car being damaged if it crosses them. The apexes of Turns 13 and 14 have been tightened slightly. And the wall around the outside of Turns 22 and 23 has been moved closer to the track.
It will settled, with an ambient temperature high of 29 degrees Celsius, and humidity to match.
The race will run over 61 laps of the 5.073-kilometre (3.152-mile) circuit, or 309.316 kilometres (192.209 miles). It starts at 2000 hours local time, which is eight hours ahead of GMT.
There have been several changes to the track. The pit entry has been realigned to leave the track before Turn 22, and the pit exit has been realigned to join the track after the first corner. There are new kerbs on the entry to Turns One and Five, and a new surface between Turns Five and Seven.
The second and third apexes of Turn 10 have been moved left and right respectively to make the chicane slower, and the three apexes of Turn 10 have been redesigned in order to reduce the risk of a car being damaged if it crosses them. The apexes of Turns 13 and 14 have been tightened slightly. And the wall around the outside of Turns 22 and 23 has been moved closer to the track.
Teams to seek 2010 calendar talks
Formula 1 teams are to seek talks with the sport's commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone to try and reshuffle next year's calendar because of concerns about travel arrangements, AUTOSPORT has learned.
The FIA announced a provisional version of the calendar following last week's hearing of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris.
Although most of the 19-race schedule, which begins in Bahrain on March 14 is acceptable, there has been some worry about the logistics of some of the events - and especially having the Turkish Grand Prix on May 30, just one week after Monaco.
Shipping the cars by either boat or road over back-to-back weekends will be especially tough - and the option of turning Turkey into a 'flyaway' event would then have repercussions on the following proper flyaway in Canada.
Toyota F1 president John Howett told AUTOSPORT that the matter of the calendar would be discussion during a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
"There needs to be further outline discussions on the additional race," explained Howett. "We need to understand what is envisaged, because logistically there are some challenges that need a major change.
"If you made Turkey a flyaway, you are then struggling with a flyaway to Montreal. There are some issues that we need practically to resolve."
The Montreal event has been provisionally scheduled for June 13, pending the completion of a contract with Formula One Management. Should those discussions not be successful, then the Monaco/Turkey problem would be resolved, because Istanbul would move back to the slot currently held by Canada.
The FOTA meeting in Singapore is also due to include discussions about the future of KERS, with Williams vowing to continue development of the technology, and the sorting out of more details regarding the Resource Restriction Agreement.
The FIA announced a provisional version of the calendar following last week's hearing of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris.
Although most of the 19-race schedule, which begins in Bahrain on March 14 is acceptable, there has been some worry about the logistics of some of the events - and especially having the Turkish Grand Prix on May 30, just one week after Monaco.
Shipping the cars by either boat or road over back-to-back weekends will be especially tough - and the option of turning Turkey into a 'flyaway' event would then have repercussions on the following proper flyaway in Canada.
Toyota F1 president John Howett told AUTOSPORT that the matter of the calendar would be discussion during a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
"There needs to be further outline discussions on the additional race," explained Howett. "We need to understand what is envisaged, because logistically there are some challenges that need a major change.
"If you made Turkey a flyaway, you are then struggling with a flyaway to Montreal. There are some issues that we need practically to resolve."
The Montreal event has been provisionally scheduled for June 13, pending the completion of a contract with Formula One Management. Should those discussions not be successful, then the Monaco/Turkey problem would be resolved, because Istanbul would move back to the slot currently held by Canada.
The FOTA meeting in Singapore is also due to include discussions about the future of KERS, with Williams vowing to continue development of the technology, and the sorting out of more details regarding the Resource Restriction Agreement.
Saturday 26 September 2009
Ferrari's look at the Singapore circuit
Before the event, purists and cynics in the sport of Formula 1 had their doubts about the Singapore Grand Prix, which would celebrate the eight hundredth Formula 1 race to count towards the World Championship by being run at night under floodlights.
In the end, the 2008 inaugural race was a huge success, rewarded with the prize for the best run grand prix of the year. Singapore had staged races on a street circuit back in the Sixties and even held an event called the Malaysian Grand Prix, but nothing on the scale of this new venture with the track running around the Marina Bay area. Visually, the spectacle was stunning and the lighting, backed up with several fail-safe systems, drew praise from the drivers, who said it was so good, they forgot it was night time and that it was even better than racing in natural sunlight.
The track layout was relatively fast and interesting for a street circuit, although there were some teething troubles, which will be addressed prior to this year's race: modifications to the first three corners to improve overtaking chances and changes to Turn 10, where the kerbs caused considerable damage. If there were concerns about racing under artificial light, prior to the event there was also a question mark over how drivers and team personnel would cope with the double difficulty of adapting to the jet-lag and dealing with a working day that would run from early afternoon to the early hours of the morning. In the end, these fears were unfounded, with the majority of people adapting by sticking to European time, by going to bed around four in the morning and getting up at midday.
Hotels had even allocated 'quiet' floors, with staff under instruction not to disturb guests to make up rooms and so forth. When the cars ran on track, the colours and liveries looked much brighter than usual, reminiscent of computer racing games and the backdrop, including a Big Wheel – the largest in Asia - and the road traffic high in the sky on Singapore’s flyover system, made for a visual feast.
While the race itself was exciting, it was not a good one for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, who left Singapore without any points. The arrival of the Safety Car after Nelson Piquet had a big crash turned the event into a lottery, favouring those who had refuelled just prior to the incident and then the men from Maranello made a mistake when both its drivers came in together for a double-stop. Felipe was first in, but was released from the stop while the fuel line was still attached the car. He stopped at the end of pit lane while mechanics rushed to remove it. Meanwhile, Kimi had to wait for this incident to be dealt with before he was refuelled. On top of that, the Brazilian was given a drive-through penalty for a 'dangerous release,' and Kimi crashed out in the closing stages. A race to forget.
In the end, the 2008 inaugural race was a huge success, rewarded with the prize for the best run grand prix of the year. Singapore had staged races on a street circuit back in the Sixties and even held an event called the Malaysian Grand Prix, but nothing on the scale of this new venture with the track running around the Marina Bay area. Visually, the spectacle was stunning and the lighting, backed up with several fail-safe systems, drew praise from the drivers, who said it was so good, they forgot it was night time and that it was even better than racing in natural sunlight.
The track layout was relatively fast and interesting for a street circuit, although there were some teething troubles, which will be addressed prior to this year's race: modifications to the first three corners to improve overtaking chances and changes to Turn 10, where the kerbs caused considerable damage. If there were concerns about racing under artificial light, prior to the event there was also a question mark over how drivers and team personnel would cope with the double difficulty of adapting to the jet-lag and dealing with a working day that would run from early afternoon to the early hours of the morning. In the end, these fears were unfounded, with the majority of people adapting by sticking to European time, by going to bed around four in the morning and getting up at midday.
Hotels had even allocated 'quiet' floors, with staff under instruction not to disturb guests to make up rooms and so forth. When the cars ran on track, the colours and liveries looked much brighter than usual, reminiscent of computer racing games and the backdrop, including a Big Wheel – the largest in Asia - and the road traffic high in the sky on Singapore’s flyover system, made for a visual feast.
While the race itself was exciting, it was not a good one for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, who left Singapore without any points. The arrival of the Safety Car after Nelson Piquet had a big crash turned the event into a lottery, favouring those who had refuelled just prior to the incident and then the men from Maranello made a mistake when both its drivers came in together for a double-stop. Felipe was first in, but was released from the stop while the fuel line was still attached the car. He stopped at the end of pit lane while mechanics rushed to remove it. Meanwhile, Kimi had to wait for this incident to be dealt with before he was refuelled. On top of that, the Brazilian was given a drive-through penalty for a 'dangerous release,' and Kimi crashed out in the closing stages. A race to forget.
Singapore GP Williams Qualifying
.Nico Rosberg matched his career-best qualifying result of P3 recorded in Malaysia in 2006 in a scintillating performance in Singapore tonight. Having set the fastest low fuel lap in Q2, he secured the third best time despite only having the benefit of one run in final qualifying and was midway through an improving lap when a red flag incident concluded the session. Team-mate Kazuki Nakajima was close to his fourth appearance in the top ten shoot-out this season and held P10 until the dying seconds of the second qualifying session when he was edged out by just under two tenths of a second. He has, however, freedom on his fuel strategy for tomorrow’s night race.
Nico Rosberg:
It’s been a great day as it has been the result of some good work to change and adapt the set-up of the car in practice and even in Q1. Going into qualifying, it all came alive in Q2 and I got a super lap in. Although Q3 was not as easy on heavy fuel loads, I think we are seeing the benefit of a lot of development work that has gone into the car and I am really pleased for the whole team that we have made another step towards a podium finish and we may even be able to fight for a win sometime soon. P3 is a great position to start from tomorrow and I will be on the clean side of the track, which might prove to be important.
Kazuki Nakajima:
It was frustrating to be P11 and just miss out making it into Q3. The car had more potential if I had been able to find more from the tyre on warm up, but I had quite a few different points on the lap where I was struggling. That said, I think we have a good chance to score some points from where we are tomorrow.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was a fantastic qualifying performance from Nico tonight with his true pace only shown in Q2 because of the red flag in Q3. So I’m really happy for him and expect him to race well tomorrow. Kazuki just missed the cut for Q3, but can race for points tomorrow with a good fuel strategy. We could see from yesterday’s practice that the FW31 upgrades were working well, so development is going in the right direction and well done to everybody in the team that has contributed to this progress
Nico Rosberg:
It’s been a great day as it has been the result of some good work to change and adapt the set-up of the car in practice and even in Q1. Going into qualifying, it all came alive in Q2 and I got a super lap in. Although Q3 was not as easy on heavy fuel loads, I think we are seeing the benefit of a lot of development work that has gone into the car and I am really pleased for the whole team that we have made another step towards a podium finish and we may even be able to fight for a win sometime soon. P3 is a great position to start from tomorrow and I will be on the clean side of the track, which might prove to be important.
Kazuki Nakajima:
It was frustrating to be P11 and just miss out making it into Q3. The car had more potential if I had been able to find more from the tyre on warm up, but I had quite a few different points on the lap where I was struggling. That said, I think we have a good chance to score some points from where we are tomorrow.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was a fantastic qualifying performance from Nico tonight with his true pace only shown in Q2 because of the red flag in Q3. So I’m really happy for him and expect him to race well tomorrow. Kazuki just missed the cut for Q3, but can race for points tomorrow with a good fuel strategy. We could see from yesterday’s practice that the FW31 upgrades were working well, so development is going in the right direction and well done to everybody in the team that has contributed to this progress
Qualifying - Singapore GP Force India
The Force India Formula One Team endured a disappointing qualifying under the lights of Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit as neither Adrian Sutil nor Tonio Liuzzi made the cut for Q2. Hopes had been high for the team to enter into the second segment following the outstanding results of Spa and Monza, however a combination of traffic and the tricky high downforce configuration saw this ambition confounded. Adrian will start from 16th position and Tonio from 20th for tomorrow’s 61 lap race.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP3: 17th 1:49.122 (17 laps)
Q1: 16th 1:48.231 (10 laps)
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP3: 16th 1:49.055 (16 laps)
Q1: 20th 1:48.792 (8 laps)
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
As we can see, we are still very quick on the straights and on the high speed circuits such as Spa and Monza, but here it is all about downforce. It’s a very similar configuration to Monte Carlo, but about twice as long with twice as many corners and that’s why we lost so much over one lap. We have had a problem with the grip level the whole weekend. I did expect us to be a little bit more competitive, but the field is very tight and if you lose out a bit in the traffic suddenly you are at the back. I lost some time on my fastest lap when Giancarlo [Fisichella] was in front of me in the middle sector and I finished 16th. It’s going to be difficult but let’s see what we can do. It’s a long race and anything is possible and we will still be giving it our best.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
We knew we would struggle more on this type of circuit compared to the low downforce tracks such as Spa and Monza but we didn’t expect it would be this much. We were suffering with a lack of traction and weren’t able to find the right balance - Adrian and I seem to have the same problems. My quickest lap was quite clean, perhaps there were a couple of tenths more in it, but to get through to Q2 this time would have been quite difficult. With more fuel on board we are quite competitive but from this point on the grid it will be tough. However at a circuit like this anything can happen and if we have a good pace in the race and a good balance we could still get some points. Street circuits are always a bit crazy so we won’t give up just yet.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
After the outstanding performance in Spa and Monza we were expecting more of a challenge this weekend for sure. We feel we have a car that is now amongst the quickest in the field but unfortunately in high downforce trim we are not seeing a reflection of this performance as teams that were behind us in Spa and Monza are ahead of us here. There are however only two extraordinarily high downforce tracks on the calendar - here and Monaco - so we cannot trade this improvement in performance for just one race. We are still looking forward to the Grand Prix, which is sure to be eventful, long and challenging and will try our best to continue our current run of points’ scoring finishes. We are however anticipating a better performance at the more traditional tracks of Suzuka and Interlagos, which will be sure to suit us a lot better.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP3: 17th 1:49.122 (17 laps)
Q1: 16th 1:48.231 (10 laps)
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP3: 16th 1:49.055 (16 laps)
Q1: 20th 1:48.792 (8 laps)
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
As we can see, we are still very quick on the straights and on the high speed circuits such as Spa and Monza, but here it is all about downforce. It’s a very similar configuration to Monte Carlo, but about twice as long with twice as many corners and that’s why we lost so much over one lap. We have had a problem with the grip level the whole weekend. I did expect us to be a little bit more competitive, but the field is very tight and if you lose out a bit in the traffic suddenly you are at the back. I lost some time on my fastest lap when Giancarlo [Fisichella] was in front of me in the middle sector and I finished 16th. It’s going to be difficult but let’s see what we can do. It’s a long race and anything is possible and we will still be giving it our best.
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
We knew we would struggle more on this type of circuit compared to the low downforce tracks such as Spa and Monza but we didn’t expect it would be this much. We were suffering with a lack of traction and weren’t able to find the right balance - Adrian and I seem to have the same problems. My quickest lap was quite clean, perhaps there were a couple of tenths more in it, but to get through to Q2 this time would have been quite difficult. With more fuel on board we are quite competitive but from this point on the grid it will be tough. However at a circuit like this anything can happen and if we have a good pace in the race and a good balance we could still get some points. Street circuits are always a bit crazy so we won’t give up just yet.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
After the outstanding performance in Spa and Monza we were expecting more of a challenge this weekend for sure. We feel we have a car that is now amongst the quickest in the field but unfortunately in high downforce trim we are not seeing a reflection of this performance as teams that were behind us in Spa and Monza are ahead of us here. There are however only two extraordinarily high downforce tracks on the calendar - here and Monaco - so we cannot trade this improvement in performance for just one race. We are still looking forward to the Grand Prix, which is sure to be eventful, long and challenging and will try our best to continue our current run of points’ scoring finishes. We are however anticipating a better performance at the more traditional tracks of Suzuka and Interlagos, which will be sure to suit us a lot better.
Renault at Singapore, Qualifying: Hamilton on pole, Fernando P5
Saturday 26 September 2009 | RF1 Paddock Pass
| Qualifying | Singapore
The World Champion benefited from a red flag in the final moments of Q3 to secure pole position for tomorrow's Singapore Grand Prix, while Fernando Alonso will start from fifth.
As the session started, news came through that Rubens Barrichello had finally had to change the gearbox that he had been nursing through the last two races. That meant that he would incur a 5-place grid penalty to be added to wherever he qualified.
In Q1, it soon became clear that those who had been struggling in practice were likely to be in danger of dropping out of qualifying early. Despite lots of attempts, Adrian Sutil (Force India), Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari), Romain Grosjean and Tonio Liuzzi (Force India) all had early baths and missed the Q2 cut.
In the second part of qualifying all the drivers opted to run the super-soft tyres. The first surprise came from Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) who struggled to break into the top ten and qualified 13th. Jenson Button was in a similar position as he made some small errors, which cost him a place in Q3 as he qualified in 12th. Also knocked out were Jarno Trulli (Toyota), Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) and the second Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi. Nico Rosberg clocked the best time, more than half a second clear of his nearest rival and staked his claim for a potential pole position.
The final part of qualifying saw Lewis Hamilton set the initial pace after the first round of quick laps, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull Renault and the Williams of Rosberg. All the drivers then headed for the pits for fresh rubber to begin their final flying laps. But the session was cut short as Barrichello crashed into the barriers with less than a minute of the session remaining, brining out the red flags and preventing anybody from improving their time. The first two rows of the grid will therefore be as follows: Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber. Prior to his crash, Barrichello was fifth fastest, but with his 5-place penalty he will start the race from tenth. Fernando set the sixth fastest time, which becomes fifth on the grid - a better result than he expected at the start of qualifying.
| Qualifying | Singapore
The World Champion benefited from a red flag in the final moments of Q3 to secure pole position for tomorrow's Singapore Grand Prix, while Fernando Alonso will start from fifth.
As the session started, news came through that Rubens Barrichello had finally had to change the gearbox that he had been nursing through the last two races. That meant that he would incur a 5-place grid penalty to be added to wherever he qualified.
In Q1, it soon became clear that those who had been struggling in practice were likely to be in danger of dropping out of qualifying early. Despite lots of attempts, Adrian Sutil (Force India), Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari), Romain Grosjean and Tonio Liuzzi (Force India) all had early baths and missed the Q2 cut.
In the second part of qualifying all the drivers opted to run the super-soft tyres. The first surprise came from Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) who struggled to break into the top ten and qualified 13th. Jenson Button was in a similar position as he made some small errors, which cost him a place in Q3 as he qualified in 12th. Also knocked out were Jarno Trulli (Toyota), Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) and the second Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi. Nico Rosberg clocked the best time, more than half a second clear of his nearest rival and staked his claim for a potential pole position.
The final part of qualifying saw Lewis Hamilton set the initial pace after the first round of quick laps, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull Renault and the Williams of Rosberg. All the drivers then headed for the pits for fresh rubber to begin their final flying laps. But the session was cut short as Barrichello crashed into the barriers with less than a minute of the session remaining, brining out the red flags and preventing anybody from improving their time. The first two rows of the grid will therefore be as follows: Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber. Prior to his crash, Barrichello was fifth fastest, but with his 5-place penalty he will start the race from tenth. Fernando set the sixth fastest time, which becomes fifth on the grid - a better result than he expected at the start of qualifying.
Qualifying analysis - fuel-laden Hamilton the man to beat
Thankfully for Lewis Hamilton it was Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello whose accident safeguarded his pole position, and not McLaren team mate Heikki Kovalainen. The Brazilian’s meeting with the Turn Five wall, just as the key second runs were getting underway in the final part of Q3, and with only 26s left, ensured that nobody got to improve on their first efforts. Would Sebastian Vettel or Nico Rosberg have gone faster? We will never know…
For the record, these were the fuel weights: Hamilton 660.5 kg; Vettel 651; Rosberg 657.5; Webber 654.5; Barrichello 655.5; Alonso 658; Glock 660.5; Heideld 650; Kubica 664; Kovalainen 664.5.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 47.891s, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 49.778s, P10, will start P9
Hamilton was delighted to be able to redeem himself after his crash at Monza, and to reward his mechanics for a very long night building him a car round a new monocoque. The integral KERS wiring of his initial chassis showed signs of potential problems, so a new tub was flown out as a precaution. He felt he could have gone at least a couple of tenths faster had he done a second run. On corrected fuel weights, he looks very strong. A frustrated Kovalainen, like the Red Bull duo, did his banker lap on the soft Bridgestone tyre, but was unable to use the set of new super softs that his crew had kept back for his final effort.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 48.204s P2
Mark Webber, 1m 48.722, P4
Vettel maintained his record as the only man to get through to Q3 in every race this year, but was disappointed to miss out on his second run as his grid time was set on used tyres and he kept a new set back for that final effort. He is in a very confident frame of mind, however. Webber said he never feels his first run is to count for the grid, and thus had something in reserve for the second which never came. He too set his time on scrubbed rubber, and likewise will be hunting for a strong result to close down the gap to the troubled Brawns.
Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 48.348s, P3
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 47.013s, P11
Rosberg was very pleasantly surprised by third overall, and even more so by his FW31’s fantastic pace in Q2 when he set the weekend’s fastest lap by a couple of tenths. He said he was delighted with the way Friday’s significant set-up changes had highlighted the correct route to get so much out of the car, and that he is confident of fighting for a podium finish. Nakajima said he didn’t get enough from his tyres on his out lap.
Brawn GP
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 48.828s, P5, will start P10 due to gearbox penalty
Jenson Button, 1m 47.141s, P12
As if Barrichello’s gearbox change penalty wasn’t bad enough, the Brazilian clobbered the Turn Five wall hard as he tried to improve on his final run. He felt that he might have damaged the floor earlier straddling a kerb, and reported that the car hadn’t felt quite right just before he went off on the dust that lay off line. Button suddenly lost his previous speed and struggled to 12th place as understeer made his BGP001 difficult under braking and led to a flat-spotted front tyre. He knows that, just as in Valencia, he is in for a tough race.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 49.054s, P6, will start P5
Romain Grosjean, 1m 48.544s, P19
Alonso said his pace was not as good as it could have been, and that if necessary he would drive a defensive race. At the other end of the grid, Grosjean reported problems with the brakes on his R29, hence his trip down the Turn Seven escape road on his Q1 out lap.
Toyota
Timo Glock, 1m 49.180s, P7, will start P6
Jarno Trulli, 1m 47.413s, P15
Toyota bounced back here, with Glock feeling confident in his TF109’s performance, especially in Q2 when he immediately went a second faster than he had previously. Trulli, however, complained of lack of grip.
BMW Sauber
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 49.307s, P8, will start P7
Robert Kubica, 1m 49.514s, P9, will start P8
BMW Sauber’s major rear-end revamp bore some good fruit here as Heidfeld and Kubica easily qualified in the top 10. The German, however, was very disappointed not to get the chance to run the softer Bridgestone on his second run, when he expected to be much quicker. Kubica said the same, explaining that the harder tyre lost him two tenths in the first two corners alone.
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 47.177s, P13
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 48.350s, P18
This was a very disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari. The F60 is showing its relative age as other teams brought along big updates and the Scuderia preferred to focus on 2010. Raikkonen said there was nothing more he could do, while Fisichella said he simply hasn’t yet developed the requisite level of confidence in his car and that he still felt it was driving him rather than the other way round.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, 1m 47.369s, P14
Jaime Alguersuari, 1m 48.340, P17
Buemi got going pretty well this weekend and reported that his qualifying went smoothly. Alguersuari got faster as the weekend progressed, but reported the Marina Bay circuit to be the hardest he has driven bar Macau.
Force India
Adrian Sutil, 1m 48.231s, P16
Tonio Liuzzi 1m 48.792s, P20
Sutil said his VJM02 was still very quick in a straight line, but that it has lacked grip all weekend. He also felt that he lost time (ironically to former team mate Fisichella) in the middle sector of his final lap, but the stewards deemed the Italian had no case to answer after reviewing the evidence. Liuzzi always said he expected a tougher time here than in Monza, and that he never found the right balance after a slight misunderstanding with his engineer led to a mite too much front-wing flap.
For the record, these were the fuel weights: Hamilton 660.5 kg; Vettel 651; Rosberg 657.5; Webber 654.5; Barrichello 655.5; Alonso 658; Glock 660.5; Heideld 650; Kubica 664; Kovalainen 664.5.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 47.891s, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 49.778s, P10, will start P9
Hamilton was delighted to be able to redeem himself after his crash at Monza, and to reward his mechanics for a very long night building him a car round a new monocoque. The integral KERS wiring of his initial chassis showed signs of potential problems, so a new tub was flown out as a precaution. He felt he could have gone at least a couple of tenths faster had he done a second run. On corrected fuel weights, he looks very strong. A frustrated Kovalainen, like the Red Bull duo, did his banker lap on the soft Bridgestone tyre, but was unable to use the set of new super softs that his crew had kept back for his final effort.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 48.204s P2
Mark Webber, 1m 48.722, P4
Vettel maintained his record as the only man to get through to Q3 in every race this year, but was disappointed to miss out on his second run as his grid time was set on used tyres and he kept a new set back for that final effort. He is in a very confident frame of mind, however. Webber said he never feels his first run is to count for the grid, and thus had something in reserve for the second which never came. He too set his time on scrubbed rubber, and likewise will be hunting for a strong result to close down the gap to the troubled Brawns.
Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 48.348s, P3
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 47.013s, P11
Rosberg was very pleasantly surprised by third overall, and even more so by his FW31’s fantastic pace in Q2 when he set the weekend’s fastest lap by a couple of tenths. He said he was delighted with the way Friday’s significant set-up changes had highlighted the correct route to get so much out of the car, and that he is confident of fighting for a podium finish. Nakajima said he didn’t get enough from his tyres on his out lap.
Brawn GP
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 48.828s, P5, will start P10 due to gearbox penalty
Jenson Button, 1m 47.141s, P12
As if Barrichello’s gearbox change penalty wasn’t bad enough, the Brazilian clobbered the Turn Five wall hard as he tried to improve on his final run. He felt that he might have damaged the floor earlier straddling a kerb, and reported that the car hadn’t felt quite right just before he went off on the dust that lay off line. Button suddenly lost his previous speed and struggled to 12th place as understeer made his BGP001 difficult under braking and led to a flat-spotted front tyre. He knows that, just as in Valencia, he is in for a tough race.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 49.054s, P6, will start P5
Romain Grosjean, 1m 48.544s, P19
Alonso said his pace was not as good as it could have been, and that if necessary he would drive a defensive race. At the other end of the grid, Grosjean reported problems with the brakes on his R29, hence his trip down the Turn Seven escape road on his Q1 out lap.
Toyota
Timo Glock, 1m 49.180s, P7, will start P6
Jarno Trulli, 1m 47.413s, P15
Toyota bounced back here, with Glock feeling confident in his TF109’s performance, especially in Q2 when he immediately went a second faster than he had previously. Trulli, however, complained of lack of grip.
BMW Sauber
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 49.307s, P8, will start P7
Robert Kubica, 1m 49.514s, P9, will start P8
BMW Sauber’s major rear-end revamp bore some good fruit here as Heidfeld and Kubica easily qualified in the top 10. The German, however, was very disappointed not to get the chance to run the softer Bridgestone on his second run, when he expected to be much quicker. Kubica said the same, explaining that the harder tyre lost him two tenths in the first two corners alone.
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 47.177s, P13
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 48.350s, P18
This was a very disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari. The F60 is showing its relative age as other teams brought along big updates and the Scuderia preferred to focus on 2010. Raikkonen said there was nothing more he could do, while Fisichella said he simply hasn’t yet developed the requisite level of confidence in his car and that he still felt it was driving him rather than the other way round.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, 1m 47.369s, P14
Jaime Alguersuari, 1m 48.340, P17
Buemi got going pretty well this weekend and reported that his qualifying went smoothly. Alguersuari got faster as the weekend progressed, but reported the Marina Bay circuit to be the hardest he has driven bar Macau.
Force India
Adrian Sutil, 1m 48.231s, P16
Tonio Liuzzi 1m 48.792s, P20
Sutil said his VJM02 was still very quick in a straight line, but that it has lacked grip all weekend. He also felt that he lost time (ironically to former team mate Fisichella) in the middle sector of his final lap, but the stewards deemed the Italian had no case to answer after reviewing the evidence. Liuzzi always said he expected a tougher time here than in Monza, and that he never found the right balance after a slight misunderstanding with his engineer led to a mite too much front-wing flap.
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