Sebastien Buemi has denied having committed to the Toro Rosso team for next year, despite claims from Franz Tost.
The team principal said on Thursday that both Buemi and team-mate Jaime Alguersuari would stay with the Faenza-based squad in 2010.
"I believe our drivers will be well prepared for 2011, which is why they are both confirmed for next year," said Tost.
"It is also logical, because one key role of Scuderia Toro Rosso is to bring on young drivers from the Red Bull Young Driver programme and at the ages of 21 and 20 respectively, both Seb and Jaime certainly still meet the right criteria."
Buemi, however, has denied having signed a contract with Toro Rosso and admitted he is still considering his options.
"I have not signed yet," Buemi was quoted as saying by Blick. "Also, there are some details that are missing, so the transfer market still open."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Toro Rosso. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toro Rosso. Show all posts
Friday, 16 July 2010
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Jerez Test – Day 1 - Toro Rosso
Circuit: Circuito de Jerez – 4.428kms; Driver: Sebastien Buemi; Chassis: STR5-02; Best time: 1:21.031, 84 laps
Formula One’s tour of Southern Spain continues, with the second pre-season test getting underway at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.
As predicted, rain was a constant factor, falling in varying degrees throughout the day, apart from the first half hour or so.
Sebastien’s best time of the day was set in that dry period and after this, the STR5 had its first taste of running in the wet, so that the day proved to be an effective test of the Bridgestone Intermediates and Extreme Wets.
It’s worth noting that the Intermediates are a new tyre, with the front sharing the same narrow width as the dry tyres. As for the Extremes, these are the same tyres as in 2009, however they are mounted on narrower rims for 2010.
Switching between the two types of tyre, our Swiss driver also evaluated mechanical set-up suited to the wet conditions, as well as carrying out some launch simulations. The car ran reliably all day and the Toro Rosso day ended slightly ahead of the final chequered flag as the entire wet running programme had been completed for the day.
Buemi continues driving tomorrow.
Formula One’s tour of Southern Spain continues, with the second pre-season test getting underway at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.
As predicted, rain was a constant factor, falling in varying degrees throughout the day, apart from the first half hour or so.
Sebastien’s best time of the day was set in that dry period and after this, the STR5 had its first taste of running in the wet, so that the day proved to be an effective test of the Bridgestone Intermediates and Extreme Wets.
It’s worth noting that the Intermediates are a new tyre, with the front sharing the same narrow width as the dry tyres. As for the Extremes, these are the same tyres as in 2009, however they are mounted on narrower rims for 2010.
Switching between the two types of tyre, our Swiss driver also evaluated mechanical set-up suited to the wet conditions, as well as carrying out some launch simulations. The car ran reliably all day and the Toro Rosso day ended slightly ahead of the final chequered flag as the entire wet running programme had been completed for the day.
Buemi continues driving tomorrow.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Toro Rosso New Car Hits The Track
Today was an important one in the history of Scuderia Toro Rosso as its first car designed entirely in-house, the STR5, made its track debut on the first day of pre-season testing.
With Sebastien Buemi at the wheel, the car (chassis number STR5-02) completed 10 laps before being sidelined with a gearbox control problem, which took some time to fix, before going back out on track for the final half hour. In total, he completed 18 laps, with a best time of 1.14.762.
Giorgio Ascanelli: “This morning we had a problem with one of the gearbox actuators, which we managed to improve, but not fix completely. It is too early to make any comment on the actual performance characteristics of the new car. In the short term, we will be trying to fix the actuator problem overnight, in the hope of having a better day tomorrow.”
Sébastien Buemi: “It’s good to start testing at last. This morning, we had a problem, which took a long time to analyse. We managed to get out again towards the end of the day, even though the fault was not completely fixed. At least we managed some running, which allowed us to work through the usual new car procedures, such as checking seat position, visibility from the cockpit, the systems and so on. But it is a bit too early to get an impression of what the car is like, especially those elements affected by the rule changes.”
Jaime Alguersuari: “It felt good to be back at a race track and hear the sound of F1 cars again, and I can’t wait until Wednesday, when I get my first turn behind the wheel.”
Buemi continues to drive tomorrow, while Alguersuari takes over on Wednesday.
With Sebastien Buemi at the wheel, the car (chassis number STR5-02) completed 10 laps before being sidelined with a gearbox control problem, which took some time to fix, before going back out on track for the final half hour. In total, he completed 18 laps, with a best time of 1.14.762.
Giorgio Ascanelli: “This morning we had a problem with one of the gearbox actuators, which we managed to improve, but not fix completely. It is too early to make any comment on the actual performance characteristics of the new car. In the short term, we will be trying to fix the actuator problem overnight, in the hope of having a better day tomorrow.”
Sébastien Buemi: “It’s good to start testing at last. This morning, we had a problem, which took a long time to analyse. We managed to get out again towards the end of the day, even though the fault was not completely fixed. At least we managed some running, which allowed us to work through the usual new car procedures, such as checking seat position, visibility from the cockpit, the systems and so on. But it is a bit too early to get an impression of what the car is like, especially those elements affected by the rule changes.”
Jaime Alguersuari: “It felt good to be back at a race track and hear the sound of F1 cars again, and I can’t wait until Wednesday, when I get my first turn behind the wheel.”
Buemi continues to drive tomorrow, while Alguersuari takes over on Wednesday.
Valencia Test – Day 2 - Toro Rosso
Circuit: Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana – 4.005 kms; Driver: Sébastien Buemi; Chassis: STR5-02; Best time: 1:13.823, 107 laps.
A better day today for the new car. Overnight, the team managed to locate and fix the gearbox actuator problem that meant the car spent much of yesterday in the garage.
Therefore today, Sébastien completed a good number of laps and the team worked through the normal programme for a new car: carrying out basic evaluations of the car systems and brakes, as well as starting to get an understanding of the two new Bridgestone compounds that are available here in Valencia.
Afterwards Sébastien said: “The car felt good today and I’m happy to have completed many more laps compared to yesterday. We still had some minor issues, but we were able to fix these. By the end of the day we have collected a lot of data to analyse, which will help us to get a better understanding of the new car. A comparison with the old car is difficult because of the different fuel loads and tyres that apply this year.
"All in all, it was a good day and we will see what we can learn tomorrow.”
For tomorrow’s final day of this test, Jaime Alguersuari takes over from Sebastien Buemi.
A better day today for the new car. Overnight, the team managed to locate and fix the gearbox actuator problem that meant the car spent much of yesterday in the garage.
Therefore today, Sébastien completed a good number of laps and the team worked through the normal programme for a new car: carrying out basic evaluations of the car systems and brakes, as well as starting to get an understanding of the two new Bridgestone compounds that are available here in Valencia.
Afterwards Sébastien said: “The car felt good today and I’m happy to have completed many more laps compared to yesterday. We still had some minor issues, but we were able to fix these. By the end of the day we have collected a lot of data to analyse, which will help us to get a better understanding of the new car. A comparison with the old car is difficult because of the different fuel loads and tyres that apply this year.
"All in all, it was a good day and we will see what we can learn tomorrow.”
For tomorrow’s final day of this test, Jaime Alguersuari takes over from Sebastien Buemi.
Q and A with Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost
Transforming themselves from Red Bull’s junior team to a fully blown independent Formula One constructor is a difficult task for Toro Rosso. But team principal Franz Tost remains hopeful of a successful 2010 season and is targeting eighth place in the standings. Whether it’s because of his ambitious and skilful young drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, or whether it’s down to the strong debut of the STR5, it’s clear Tost is a confident man…
Q: Franz, what are your first impressions of the STR5?
Franz Tost: So far I’ve had very positive impressions. It’s true that on the first day we struggled a little bit with the gearbox but the team around (technical director) Giorgio Ascanelli was able to fix it. On the second day we’ve been able to do a good number of laps and my impression about the car is quite positive. We will continue with our test programme as planned and expect no further interruptions.
Q: Could 2010 be a bit of a harder season for Toro Rosso now that you are building the car on your own?
FT: This process started one and a half years ago. In 2008 we were already building the monocoque in-house in Faenza. We had also established the design office and had started to design the engine’s packaging and the gearbox. That was logical because for years we have run a Ferrari engine, while Red Bull Racing have run a Renault engine. So what is happening now is not such a huge difference, but nevertheless we have had to bring in new people. We have increased the number of employees in all areas, not just in the design department but also in the aerodynamic department and on the manufacturing side. We are building up our capacity in most areas and have bought a couple of new machines to produce all parts in-house. It is still an ongoing process. To build a good Formula One team takes time as you have to find the right people and components to fit with what you already have.
Q: Why did it take so long to confirm Jaime Alguersuari as your second driver?
FT: Well, for me and Red Bull, it was always clear that Jaime would be our second driver in 2010. We started a programme with him last year and it was clear that he would also race this season with us, otherwise it wouldn’t have made sense to start with him at all. We consider him to be one of the most skilled Red Bull young drivers and therefore the decision was easy. It took some time because of some minor contractual issues.
Q: Did you want to keep him on tenterhooks?
FT: No, not at all. Everything that has been written about over the last few months is purely winter gossip. If there is nothing to write about people tend to read too much into things. There has been no testing - that’s the important thing for drivers - he hasn’t missed anything.
Q: You said that Giorgio Ascanelli fixed the gearbox issue of test day one. Is it likely to occur frequently?
FT: No, it doesn’t look that way. All I can say is - hopefully not!
Q: How do you expect your two young drivers to manage this season?
FT: In the past few weeks they have done a lot of physical training. I expect that Sebastian Buemi, as it is his second season and he knows all the tracks by now, will make another step forward. I guess for Jaime the first races will not be so easy because the tracks are new to him, but from Hungary onwards he knows them all, and it is then when I also expect some steps forward from him. In general I would say that I expect both drivers to run in the points.
Q: So you’re not expecting miracles right away?
FT: The important issue is that you can see that a driver is constantly improving his performance - race to race. And that’s not only limited to his on-track performances, but it’s about how he interacts with the engineers, how he communicates with the media, the whole package of what a driver’s life is. I am convinced that Jaime can do a good job and I am also convinced that he is a skilled driver.
Q: What are your objectives for this season?
FT: I hope that we will finish around eighth place in the constructors’ championship. As for the rest, we will see.
Q: How much support do you still get from Red Bull Technology (RBT)?
FT: As we have a different engine and drive train, there is no particular support for us. And contrary to what people believe, they have never built parts for us. In the past we’ve got the drawings from RBT but the parts have never been fabricated in Milton Keynes. They have always been either fabricated by us or through suppliers - not at Red Bull Racing.
Q: What’s your opinion on the new points system?
FT: I think it was a good decision. The difference between first and second places is now seven points. That should hopefully eventually increase overtaking manoeuvres. We will see if it delivers,
Q: What are your thoughts on Michael Schumacher’s comeback? You once worked with Willi Weber, so must know him very well...
FT: To be honest I am very much looking forward to seeing him on the grid. He has been a good friend for a long time and I admire him for being a very special driver, with some passion for Formula One. I am really anxious to see him fight with the youngsters. The number of fans watching races on television will dramatically increase because of his comeback, and that is exactly what we need in times like these.
Q: Franz, what are your first impressions of the STR5?
Franz Tost: So far I’ve had very positive impressions. It’s true that on the first day we struggled a little bit with the gearbox but the team around (technical director) Giorgio Ascanelli was able to fix it. On the second day we’ve been able to do a good number of laps and my impression about the car is quite positive. We will continue with our test programme as planned and expect no further interruptions.
Q: Could 2010 be a bit of a harder season for Toro Rosso now that you are building the car on your own?
FT: This process started one and a half years ago. In 2008 we were already building the monocoque in-house in Faenza. We had also established the design office and had started to design the engine’s packaging and the gearbox. That was logical because for years we have run a Ferrari engine, while Red Bull Racing have run a Renault engine. So what is happening now is not such a huge difference, but nevertheless we have had to bring in new people. We have increased the number of employees in all areas, not just in the design department but also in the aerodynamic department and on the manufacturing side. We are building up our capacity in most areas and have bought a couple of new machines to produce all parts in-house. It is still an ongoing process. To build a good Formula One team takes time as you have to find the right people and components to fit with what you already have.
Q: Why did it take so long to confirm Jaime Alguersuari as your second driver?
FT: Well, for me and Red Bull, it was always clear that Jaime would be our second driver in 2010. We started a programme with him last year and it was clear that he would also race this season with us, otherwise it wouldn’t have made sense to start with him at all. We consider him to be one of the most skilled Red Bull young drivers and therefore the decision was easy. It took some time because of some minor contractual issues.
Q: Did you want to keep him on tenterhooks?
FT: No, not at all. Everything that has been written about over the last few months is purely winter gossip. If there is nothing to write about people tend to read too much into things. There has been no testing - that’s the important thing for drivers - he hasn’t missed anything.
Q: You said that Giorgio Ascanelli fixed the gearbox issue of test day one. Is it likely to occur frequently?
FT: No, it doesn’t look that way. All I can say is - hopefully not!
Q: How do you expect your two young drivers to manage this season?
FT: In the past few weeks they have done a lot of physical training. I expect that Sebastian Buemi, as it is his second season and he knows all the tracks by now, will make another step forward. I guess for Jaime the first races will not be so easy because the tracks are new to him, but from Hungary onwards he knows them all, and it is then when I also expect some steps forward from him. In general I would say that I expect both drivers to run in the points.
Q: So you’re not expecting miracles right away?
FT: The important issue is that you can see that a driver is constantly improving his performance - race to race. And that’s not only limited to his on-track performances, but it’s about how he interacts with the engineers, how he communicates with the media, the whole package of what a driver’s life is. I am convinced that Jaime can do a good job and I am also convinced that he is a skilled driver.
Q: What are your objectives for this season?
FT: I hope that we will finish around eighth place in the constructors’ championship. As for the rest, we will see.
Q: How much support do you still get from Red Bull Technology (RBT)?
FT: As we have a different engine and drive train, there is no particular support for us. And contrary to what people believe, they have never built parts for us. In the past we’ve got the drawings from RBT but the parts have never been fabricated in Milton Keynes. They have always been either fabricated by us or through suppliers - not at Red Bull Racing.
Q: What’s your opinion on the new points system?
FT: I think it was a good decision. The difference between first and second places is now seven points. That should hopefully eventually increase overtaking manoeuvres. We will see if it delivers,
Q: What are your thoughts on Michael Schumacher’s comeback? You once worked with Willi Weber, so must know him very well...
FT: To be honest I am very much looking forward to seeing him on the grid. He has been a good friend for a long time and I admire him for being a very special driver, with some passion for Formula One. I am really anxious to see him fight with the youngsters. The number of fans watching races on television will dramatically increase because of his comeback, and that is exactly what we need in times like these.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Buemi Working Hard
While most people's thoughts turn to over indulging during the festive season, Sébastien Buemi is already busy preparing for the 2010 season, with fitness and driving his main priorities.
The Swiss driver spent most of last week at Red Bull's training camp, in Talgau, Austria. "It was a very intensive few days and very hard work," he said. "At first, they monitor your actual condition and in all areas, I had either maintained or improved my fitness levels, which they checked on running and cycling machines and some equipment that evaluates upper body strength. Then, using the data, I have been given a specific training programme to follow between now and the start of next season, targeting the areas where I need to improve the most."
Buemi also did a few days behind the wheel of a kart. "This is aimed at maintaining your reaction times and fine tuning your racecraft. The karts I drove are the very top level of professional karts, so they offer a very high level of grip, which means they are physically very demanding to drive and although you don't reach F1 speeds, it gives you a really effective upper body workout."
Sébastien has also been busy on the home front, moving in to his Monaco apartment. "But I'm looking forward to spending Christmas in Switzerland, as with all the travelling during the season, this will be my only real chance of spending some time with my family.
“And to all my fans out there, thanks for your support in 2009. Here's hoping we have a strong 2010 with plenty for you to cheer about."
The Swiss driver spent most of last week at Red Bull's training camp, in Talgau, Austria. "It was a very intensive few days and very hard work," he said. "At first, they monitor your actual condition and in all areas, I had either maintained or improved my fitness levels, which they checked on running and cycling machines and some equipment that evaluates upper body strength. Then, using the data, I have been given a specific training programme to follow between now and the start of next season, targeting the areas where I need to improve the most."
Buemi also did a few days behind the wheel of a kart. "This is aimed at maintaining your reaction times and fine tuning your racecraft. The karts I drove are the very top level of professional karts, so they offer a very high level of grip, which means they are physically very demanding to drive and although you don't reach F1 speeds, it gives you a really effective upper body workout."
Sébastien has also been busy on the home front, moving in to his Monaco apartment. "But I'm looking forward to spending Christmas in Switzerland, as with all the travelling during the season, this will be my only real chance of spending some time with my family.
“And to all my fans out there, thanks for your support in 2009. Here's hoping we have a strong 2010 with plenty for you to cheer about."
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
New Driver Testing: Toro Rosso's Engineer’s Reaction
Following Brendon Hartley and Mirko Bortolotti's tests in Spain, we caught up with chief engineer Laurent Mekies for his reaction to the three days.
“We tried to build a running plan that gives us the opportunity to compare Brendon and Mirko, to give them the opportunity to give some feedback on the car under different conditions, in a way that they can see how good their feeling and feedback is," said Laurent. “The second part of the programme is more technical. Every time we can, we test new elements that will be actually fitted onto the new car. So this can be mechanical or aerodynamic components, so that’s why you see us doing a lot of straightline passes, a lot of aerodynamic measurements.
“Another very important aspect is next year’s big rule change: the refuelling ban. The car will run much heavier, so we simulated the car with a very high mass. We don’t add the fuel, the monocoque is not big enough, but we added ballast to be more or less the weight of next year’s race start.”
Which was the main target for this test?
“The driver is the priority for this test. With the new testing rules, new drivers don’t really have a chance to drive a F1 car.”
How do you evaluate them?
“We have a similar programme for both and it's a simpler programme to our racing drivers'. For example, when we evaluate new components or a new set-up, we try to only change one item at a time, so they have a chance to understand what a tyre change is, what kind of feedback is required, what an aerodynamic change is, etc.”
What is the most important thing?
“To be honest, the most important thing will always be the speed, lap time.”
What about consistency?
“Yes, consistency is important. But you always prefer a driver who has very good speed, because you hope that – especially with young drivers – consistency comes with experience. Of course, there is consistency and the ability to give proper feedback, but all these things will come with experience. Speed also comes with experience, but to a lesser extent.”
Do you sometimes lie about set-up changes?
“No, we don’t tell lies! Sometimes we don't tell the driver about the changes we've done. It’s natural, if you know what you should expect, then you're already prepared to feel that. So sometimes we do blind tests, but this is for the team's and the driver's benefit.”
“We tried to build a running plan that gives us the opportunity to compare Brendon and Mirko, to give them the opportunity to give some feedback on the car under different conditions, in a way that they can see how good their feeling and feedback is," said Laurent. “The second part of the programme is more technical. Every time we can, we test new elements that will be actually fitted onto the new car. So this can be mechanical or aerodynamic components, so that’s why you see us doing a lot of straightline passes, a lot of aerodynamic measurements.
“Another very important aspect is next year’s big rule change: the refuelling ban. The car will run much heavier, so we simulated the car with a very high mass. We don’t add the fuel, the monocoque is not big enough, but we added ballast to be more or less the weight of next year’s race start.”
Which was the main target for this test?
“The driver is the priority for this test. With the new testing rules, new drivers don’t really have a chance to drive a F1 car.”
How do you evaluate them?
“We have a similar programme for both and it's a simpler programme to our racing drivers'. For example, when we evaluate new components or a new set-up, we try to only change one item at a time, so they have a chance to understand what a tyre change is, what kind of feedback is required, what an aerodynamic change is, etc.”
What is the most important thing?
“To be honest, the most important thing will always be the speed, lap time.”
What about consistency?
“Yes, consistency is important. But you always prefer a driver who has very good speed, because you hope that – especially with young drivers – consistency comes with experience. Of course, there is consistency and the ability to give proper feedback, but all these things will come with experience. Speed also comes with experience, but to a lesser extent.”
Do you sometimes lie about set-up changes?
“No, we don’t tell lies! Sometimes we don't tell the driver about the changes we've done. It’s natural, if you know what you should expect, then you're already prepared to feel that. So sometimes we do blind tests, but this is for the team's and the driver's benefit.”
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Toro Rosso Jerez Test - Day 1
Circuit: Jerez de la Frontera (4.423kms) Driver: Brendon Hartley; Chassis: STR4-03; Best time: 1:21.325, 69 laps
It is 'kindergarten week' at the Jerez circuit in Southern Spain as several Formula One teams are taking part in a three day session specifically aimed at young drivers. The criterion for taking part in the test is that a driver should not have driven in more than three Formula One grands prix.
Today, Brendon Hartley was at the wheel of the STR4. His programme did not get off to the best of starts, as he spun at the fast right hander, following the chicane, having just switched to different aero settings on the car. The damage was repaired in time for the New Zealander to get back on track by the end of the morning. His programme had three main elements: aero measurement testing in view of 2010, running the car with ballast to simulate the weight of next year’s cars on full tanks, as refueling is banned, and carrying out some brake testing.
“Apart from going off the track early on, I was generally happy with the way the day went, as I had not driven an F1 car for a while, so now I’m looking forward to making the best of Thursday when I get another run.”
Tomorrow, the STR4 will be entrusted to Mirko Bortolotti.
It is 'kindergarten week' at the Jerez circuit in Southern Spain as several Formula One teams are taking part in a three day session specifically aimed at young drivers. The criterion for taking part in the test is that a driver should not have driven in more than three Formula One grands prix.
Today, Brendon Hartley was at the wheel of the STR4. His programme did not get off to the best of starts, as he spun at the fast right hander, following the chicane, having just switched to different aero settings on the car. The damage was repaired in time for the New Zealander to get back on track by the end of the morning. His programme had three main elements: aero measurement testing in view of 2010, running the car with ballast to simulate the weight of next year’s cars on full tanks, as refueling is banned, and carrying out some brake testing.
“Apart from going off the track early on, I was generally happy with the way the day went, as I had not driven an F1 car for a while, so now I’m looking forward to making the best of Thursday when I get another run.”
Tomorrow, the STR4 will be entrusted to Mirko Bortolotti.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Toro Rosso season review
Between now and Christmas, ITV.com/f1 will look back through all 10 Formula 1 teams' 2009 seasons and their highs and lows.
In the first feature, we review how Toro Rosso slipped back to the tail of the field in 2009 after its remarkable 2008 season with Sebastian Vettel.
This was the final year that Toro Rosso was allowed to use chassis handed down from Red Bull.
It was also the first year that Red Bull came up with a winning car... and yet Toro Rosso took a big step backwards in 2009.
There was no repeat of the shock victory that Sebastian Vettel delivered at Monza a year earlier, or any hint of a podium, and having beaten the senior team to sixth in the 2008 constructors’ standings, this year Toro Rosso slipped to last – the worst result of its short history.
The most obvious change for this season was the absence of Vettel, the rising superstar being promoted to RBR where he would immediately become a title challenger.
That led to a protracted driver shoot-out at Toro Rosso over the winter, as Red Bull protege Sebastien Buemi, incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato all tried to stake a claim to an STR drive.
Red Bull’s seal of approval put Buemi at the top of the list, but money looked set to decide the second seat – and Bourdais had none of it (and little enthusiasm for finding any), and Sato didn’t have quite enough of it.
Ultimately the winter cost cuts convinced STR its need for extra finance was less desperate than it originally feared and so it stuck with Bourdais, hoping he would blossom in his second year of Formula 1 and help Buemi get up to speed.
But it didn’t quite work out like that.
Despite his unspectacular junior record, Buemi proved the quicker of the pair from the outset, leading Bourdais home as they stayed cool amid the usual Melbourne chaos to take seventh and eighth in the season opener.
Buemi also starred in China – breaking into the top ten in dry qualifying then fighting in the top six in the wet race and taking a point despite smashing his front wing when he ran into race leader Vettel during a safety car period, thankfully without harming the Red Bull.
Bourdais’ only highlight was eighth in Monaco, where Buemi had still out-qualified him before colliding with Nelson Piquet in the race, while the lowlight was definitely the Catalunya first corner tangle that saw Bourdais driving over the top of Buemi as they tried to avoid trouble ahead.
There was no doubting Bourdais’ talent, but in 18 months in F1 there had only been fleeting glimpses of it hidden among endless complaints that the car was incompatible with his driving style.
A less than positive presence in the garage, the Frenchman’s moody nature could have been indulged had he delivered on-track – but he wasn’t doing so, and the axe fell after Germany.
Replacement Jaime Alguersuari, the latest product of the Red Bull talent ladder, was the reigning British Formula 3 champion and a talented young prospect, but had only done straightline tests prior to his F1 debut in Hungary.
STR’s theory was that with testing now so restricted and Bourdais getting nowhere, it had nothing to lose by throwing Alguersuari in at the deep end and letting him use the remaining grands prix as a rehearsal for 2010.
After a media furore over his inexperience died down, Alguersuari was left in peace to get on with that learning process, and acquitted himself fairly well, although by the time of his arrival the team had fallen to the back – left standing as others accelerated development programmes.
Toro Rosso’s lack of resources meant it was hard pressed to keep up, and the upgrades that turned RBR into a world-beater only reached its sister team for the Hungarian GP, and it would be several more races before the small team and its novice drivers got the best from the package.
That breakthrough came in Japan, where Buemi in particular was staggeringly fast on his Suzuka debut.
A podium challenge looked possible after practice, but the drivers perhaps got carried away in their enthusiasm for suddenly having a quick car at a mega venue, resulting in four crashes – including a massive 130R shunt for Alguersuari in the race – in two days and zero points from the weekend.
Buemi stayed out of trouble in Brazil and Abu Dhabi though, and ended the year with two straight top ten starts and two more points finishes.
Normally such a strong end to the season would mean momentum could be carried through to next year’s campaign, but with Toro Rosso’s dispensation to use Red Bull chassis now expired, the underdog squad must create its own car for the first time since its Minardi days.
That’s a big step after four years as a customer, even though it did retain some of its design capacity, so 2010 could prove as low-key as this season for the hard-working team.
Toro Rosso’s 2009 highlight: Buemi’s heroics in the wet in China.
Lowlight: The team’s Spanish Grand Prix weekend ending with two mangled cars within seconds of the race start.
In the first feature, we review how Toro Rosso slipped back to the tail of the field in 2009 after its remarkable 2008 season with Sebastian Vettel.
This was the final year that Toro Rosso was allowed to use chassis handed down from Red Bull.
It was also the first year that Red Bull came up with a winning car... and yet Toro Rosso took a big step backwards in 2009.
There was no repeat of the shock victory that Sebastian Vettel delivered at Monza a year earlier, or any hint of a podium, and having beaten the senior team to sixth in the 2008 constructors’ standings, this year Toro Rosso slipped to last – the worst result of its short history.
The most obvious change for this season was the absence of Vettel, the rising superstar being promoted to RBR where he would immediately become a title challenger.
That led to a protracted driver shoot-out at Toro Rosso over the winter, as Red Bull protege Sebastien Buemi, incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato all tried to stake a claim to an STR drive.
Red Bull’s seal of approval put Buemi at the top of the list, but money looked set to decide the second seat – and Bourdais had none of it (and little enthusiasm for finding any), and Sato didn’t have quite enough of it.
Ultimately the winter cost cuts convinced STR its need for extra finance was less desperate than it originally feared and so it stuck with Bourdais, hoping he would blossom in his second year of Formula 1 and help Buemi get up to speed.
But it didn’t quite work out like that.
Despite his unspectacular junior record, Buemi proved the quicker of the pair from the outset, leading Bourdais home as they stayed cool amid the usual Melbourne chaos to take seventh and eighth in the season opener.
Buemi also starred in China – breaking into the top ten in dry qualifying then fighting in the top six in the wet race and taking a point despite smashing his front wing when he ran into race leader Vettel during a safety car period, thankfully without harming the Red Bull.
Bourdais’ only highlight was eighth in Monaco, where Buemi had still out-qualified him before colliding with Nelson Piquet in the race, while the lowlight was definitely the Catalunya first corner tangle that saw Bourdais driving over the top of Buemi as they tried to avoid trouble ahead.
There was no doubting Bourdais’ talent, but in 18 months in F1 there had only been fleeting glimpses of it hidden among endless complaints that the car was incompatible with his driving style.
A less than positive presence in the garage, the Frenchman’s moody nature could have been indulged had he delivered on-track – but he wasn’t doing so, and the axe fell after Germany.
Replacement Jaime Alguersuari, the latest product of the Red Bull talent ladder, was the reigning British Formula 3 champion and a talented young prospect, but had only done straightline tests prior to his F1 debut in Hungary.
STR’s theory was that with testing now so restricted and Bourdais getting nowhere, it had nothing to lose by throwing Alguersuari in at the deep end and letting him use the remaining grands prix as a rehearsal for 2010.
After a media furore over his inexperience died down, Alguersuari was left in peace to get on with that learning process, and acquitted himself fairly well, although by the time of his arrival the team had fallen to the back – left standing as others accelerated development programmes.
Toro Rosso’s lack of resources meant it was hard pressed to keep up, and the upgrades that turned RBR into a world-beater only reached its sister team for the Hungarian GP, and it would be several more races before the small team and its novice drivers got the best from the package.
That breakthrough came in Japan, where Buemi in particular was staggeringly fast on his Suzuka debut.
A podium challenge looked possible after practice, but the drivers perhaps got carried away in their enthusiasm for suddenly having a quick car at a mega venue, resulting in four crashes – including a massive 130R shunt for Alguersuari in the race – in two days and zero points from the weekend.
Buemi stayed out of trouble in Brazil and Abu Dhabi though, and ended the year with two straight top ten starts and two more points finishes.
Normally such a strong end to the season would mean momentum could be carried through to next year’s campaign, but with Toro Rosso’s dispensation to use Red Bull chassis now expired, the underdog squad must create its own car for the first time since its Minardi days.
That’s a big step after four years as a customer, even though it did retain some of its design capacity, so 2010 could prove as low-key as this season for the hard-working team.
Toro Rosso’s 2009 highlight: Buemi’s heroics in the wet in China.
Lowlight: The team’s Spanish Grand Prix weekend ending with two mangled cars within seconds of the race start.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Toro Rosso Brazil
From China To Brazil
It’s been a long time coming, but for the first time since the Chinese Grand Prix, we are back in the points again, thanks to Sébastien Buemi’s seventh place finish.
Points are always good, but in all honesty, we were hoping for more today, given that the Swiss driver started from sixth on the grid and, given the pace of the cars on Friday, maybe even starting from twelfth, in what was a typically chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix, Jaime Alguersuari might have hoped to head towards the top eight.
But luck and speed were lacking today and while you can’t do anything about the former, we will now be investigating how that speed went missing inbetween Friday free practice and race day. We have closed the gap to Force India just a little bit, now trailing them by six points, so there’s an obvious target for us for the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight’s time. Jaime feels he is continuing to move up a steep learning curve, but once he found himself in traffic today, there was little he could do. But every kilometre covered is another tick in the experience box.
Mark Webber always looked the most likely winner, starting from second place and so it turned out, the key moment coming when he was able to run a longer first stint than pole man Rubens Barrichello. The Brazilian has never had much luck at his home race and while he had at least looked likely to finish ahead of his Brawn team-mate, Jenson Button, a puncture requiring an additional stop in the closing stages of the 71 lap race saw him drop down to eighth. You could hear the collective moan from the crowd all the way in downtown Sao Paulo.
Mixed feelings at Brawn, because while a possible win slipped from their grasp, the rest of the race order meant that Jenson Button, who finished fifth from way down on the grid, is now the new Formula One Drivers’ World Champion and the fairytale continues with the new team, risen from the Honda ashes, securing the Constructors’ crown at its very first attempt. So well done to all of them.
Interlagos produced its usual fireworks, literally in the case of a botched pit stop for Heikki Kovalainen, who left the McLaren pit with the fuel hose still attached to the car. Fuel spraying out the broken end of the nozzle went all over the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, who was following him out of the pits and the red car looked for a moment to have been engulfed in a ball of flame. Super cool Kimi, slowed momentarily before getting on with his race, eventually coming home sixth.
It was day for fists as well as flames, as Jarno Trulli took great exception to a collision that ended his and Adrian Sutil’s race and the cameras lingered as the Italian came very close to punching the Force India driver.
It’s been a long time coming, but for the first time since the Chinese Grand Prix, we are back in the points again, thanks to Sébastien Buemi’s seventh place finish.
Points are always good, but in all honesty, we were hoping for more today, given that the Swiss driver started from sixth on the grid and, given the pace of the cars on Friday, maybe even starting from twelfth, in what was a typically chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix, Jaime Alguersuari might have hoped to head towards the top eight.
But luck and speed were lacking today and while you can’t do anything about the former, we will now be investigating how that speed went missing inbetween Friday free practice and race day. We have closed the gap to Force India just a little bit, now trailing them by six points, so there’s an obvious target for us for the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight’s time. Jaime feels he is continuing to move up a steep learning curve, but once he found himself in traffic today, there was little he could do. But every kilometre covered is another tick in the experience box.
Mark Webber always looked the most likely winner, starting from second place and so it turned out, the key moment coming when he was able to run a longer first stint than pole man Rubens Barrichello. The Brazilian has never had much luck at his home race and while he had at least looked likely to finish ahead of his Brawn team-mate, Jenson Button, a puncture requiring an additional stop in the closing stages of the 71 lap race saw him drop down to eighth. You could hear the collective moan from the crowd all the way in downtown Sao Paulo.
Mixed feelings at Brawn, because while a possible win slipped from their grasp, the rest of the race order meant that Jenson Button, who finished fifth from way down on the grid, is now the new Formula One Drivers’ World Champion and the fairytale continues with the new team, risen from the Honda ashes, securing the Constructors’ crown at its very first attempt. So well done to all of them.
Interlagos produced its usual fireworks, literally in the case of a botched pit stop for Heikki Kovalainen, who left the McLaren pit with the fuel hose still attached to the car. Fuel spraying out the broken end of the nozzle went all over the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, who was following him out of the pits and the red car looked for a moment to have been engulfed in a ball of flame. Super cool Kimi, slowed momentarily before getting on with his race, eventually coming home sixth.
It was day for fists as well as flames, as Jarno Trulli took great exception to a collision that ended his and Adrian Sutil’s race and the cameras lingered as the Italian came very close to punching the Force India driver.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Toro Rosso F1 racing blog Toro Rosso F1 team
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Our Brazilian Track Record
07 | 10 | 09
Our long haul trip to Brazil will take us to a track which is renowned for its bumpy nature and the fact that it’s at altitude.
It’s also a bit of a roller coaster, from the steep drop at the first set of corners to the grid which is actually on a slope and gets steeper towards the back, making race start for poor qualifiers even more of a challenge.
And that bumpy surface isn’t the only pain in the neck for the drivers because, like Istanbul Park, Autodromo Carlos Pace is one of the few anti-clockwise tracks.
It boasts instantly recognisable corners, such as the Senna Esses (that steep first corner drop), the hairpins at turns eight and eleven and the sweeping final corner, which leads up to the start-finish line. Each of the 71 laps is only 4.3km long, considerably shorter than most other circuits, and the lap times are reduced even further by the high speeds the cars attain through the Cafe Corner and along the home straight. The fastest lap time around Sao Paulo is a blink-and-you-miss-it 1:11.473 set by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.
Often called Interlagos (two lakes, now no longer there) from the district in which it’s situated, the circuit is actually named Autodromo Carlos Pace Sao after the Brazilian F1 driver who died in 1977. The circuit has been home to the Brazilian Grand Prix on and off since the event was first staged in 1973 in a race fittingly won by Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi.
The race moved to Rio de Janerio during the late ’70s and’ 80s, but returned to Sao Paulo in 1990 after a major re-development during local hero Ayrton Senna’s heyday. A trip to Senna’s grave in the city, to pay respects to the three-time world champion who died in 1994, is often one of the pilgrimages fans, drivers and members of the Paddock make when visiting Brazil.
Last year the race was the final date in the calendar and famously saw Lewis Hamilton clinch the world title from race winner Felipe Massa in the final lap and our own Sebastiasn Vettel charge to a brilliant fourth place in the rain.
Our own track record here looks like this:
2006
Speed 11th
Liuzzi 13th
2007
Liuzzi 13th
Vettel DNF
2008
Vettel 4th
Bourdais 14th
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Labels: Our Brazilian Track Record
Monday, 28 September 2009
Toro Rosso Japanese Track Record
If Monaco is the glamour track and Spa the drivers’ choice then it’s Suzuka which provides one of the most technically challenging F1 circuits.
From its figure of eight nature to the tight intricate Esses corners to the 180mph heart-stopping 130R, it’s one roller-coaster of a track. Fitting, as within its site lies a fully fledged amusement park – Motopia - and a real roller-coaster for the fans. And very often members of the Paddock.
It’s a welcome return to the circuit after a two-year absence when F1 visited Fuji, and for now and the foreseeable future, Suzuka will remain the home of the Japanese Grand Prix.
As it’s located in a relatively rural situation, the majority of drivers stay in one hotel and can be found in either its Italian or Chinese restaurants over the weekend and in its karaoke cabins on Sunday night. All this combined makes for one great F1 round, both on and off track…
Our track record in Japan looks like this:
2006 (Suzuka)
Liuzzi – 14th
Speed – 18th
2007 (Fuji Speedway)
Liuzzi – 9th
Vettel – DNF
2008 (Fuji Speedway)
Vettel – 6th
Bourdais – 10th
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:22 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso Japanese Track Record
Saturday, 26 September 2009
GP Singapore: Qualifying
26 | 09 | 09
Sébastien got through the first session – ending the evening 14th fastest during Q2. Jaime will start three places behind him after recording the 17th quickest time.
Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03)
“I am quite happy, as the session went smoothly without any mistakes. I got the most I could out of the car and am pleased to have got ahead of Trulli. I’m glad to finally be back in Q2. as it’s been a long time. Now we need to work on a race strategy, make a good start and run the pit stops well.”
3rd Practice Session 1.48.754, pos. 9th, 17 laps
Qualifying Session
1.47.369, pos. 14th
Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-02)
“We did quite well and we’re getting faster. It was quite difficult to do better than that, but I am feeling more comfortable with the track every time I get in the car. This has been the hardest track I have driven apart from Macau. With it being a street circuit, anything could happen tomorrow, so hopefully I can have a good race.”
3rd Practice Session 1.49.399, pos. 18th, 17 laps
Qualifying Session
1.48.340, pos. 17th
Laurent Mekies, Chief Engineer
“We had a very difficult Friday and made a major change to the car set-up overnight, which seems to have been a step in the right direction. Sebastien and Jaime also improved their performance. Jaime has got better throughout the weekend on a track that is difficult to learn and Sebastien is back in Q2 after a gap of a few races. We’re still not where we want to be, but having made a good step forward from Friday to today, there is still room to make another one for the race, which is likely to be very chaotic, so anything can happen.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 22:10 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: GP Singapore: Qualifying
Monday, 14 September 2009
GP Italy: Result
13 | 09 | 09
Séb finished his debut Italian Grand Prix in 13th place. A gearbox fault forced Jaime to retire after 19 laps.
Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03) Retired
(On hearing a message from the pit wall, Buemi followed the Safety Car into pit lane, therefore he did not take the chequered flag, so he is classified as retired.)
“Starting from the back, the race is never easy, but I feel my lap times were good and consistent, especially in the second stint, so I am reasonably happy. From now on, we go to tracks that are a bit slower and more technical than here, running with more downforce. Let’s see if that works better for us. Some teams have made good progress recently, so we must see if we can manage to close the gap.
Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-02) Retired lap 20
“I started from the pits, so at least I kept out of the trouble on the opening lap. After that my race was going okay and I was up behind Buemi. But then I had a gearbox problem which caused my retirement. I’d also had some other troubles on Friday and when a weekend starts badly it often ends badly. I’m very disappointed not to finish, as it is very important for me to do as many kilometres in the car as possible.
Franz Tost: “The race was a good lesson for Buemi, as he finished the race, pulled off a good overtaking move on Fisichella and, especially in his second stint on Option tyres, his performance level was good. Alguersuari had a gearbox problem, so we called him in to retire. The positive aspect of this weekend is that both drivers are learning and improving.”
.Related ArticlesOur Italian Track Record
30 | 08 | 09
The last European race on the calendar is one of the most prestigious and [...]
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Labels: GP Italy: Result
Monday, 7 September 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Toro Rosso drivers look forward to 2009 Italian GP
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Toro Rosso drivers look forward to 2009 Italian GP
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:03 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
No Health Cure at Spa
The Belgian circuit might be located in an area noted for its healthy spa waters, but this weekend was no health cure for Scuderia Toro Rosso, even if Jaime Alguersuari took an early bath after colliding with Hamilton at the second corner on the opening lap.
At least Sébastien Buemi saw the chequered flag, albeit in 12th place. The lack of points, combined with a very impressive performance from Giancarlo Fisichella, means we have now slipped to the bottom of the Constructors’ classification, three points behind Force India.
The STR4 showed some promise in the early stages of the Belgian weekend, but not enough was made of this in Qualifying. With Formula One being so competitive at the moment, and the majority of cars running reliably enough to finish races, our two drivers must get higher up on the grid on Saturday afternoon if they want to see their efforts rewarded on Sunday.
Looking outside the Toro Rosso garage, the Belgian Grand Prix was actually a fascinating race, with victory going to Kimi Raikkonen.
The unusual grid even gave rise to a ludicrous, but amusing conspiracy theory that a few teams whose future is in doubt had been given some softer tyres to help them get a good result! Before the race, there was much talk of the Ferrari getting the upper hand, but given that this is the Finn’s fourth win at Spa, we can assume driver talent might also have had something to do with it.
He did not have it all his own way, after scything through the field from sixth to second on the opening lap, then dispensing with Fisichella, once the Safety Car came in after it was needed to clear up the mess which put out four cars including Jaime’s.
If the pundits expected the Ferrari to comfortably pull away from the Force India, they were wrong and the race looked pretty open until after the second run of pit stops. With Button knocked out on lap one, Red Bull Racing was hoping to capitalise on this to close the gap in both championships. In the end, Sebastian Vettel made it to the podium in third spot, although he was behind Mark Webber in the early stages. However, the Australian was given a drive-through for an 'unsafe release' after a pit stop, ending up just outside the points in ninth.
Behind the top three, it was a good day for BMW, with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld coming home fourth and fifth ahead of Kovalainen’s McLaren. The last two points positions were filled by the Brawn of Rubens Barrichello and the Williams of Nico Rosberg.
We now head back to Faenza after the back-to-back Valencia and Spa races, to prepare to make the short trip down the road to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.
We don’t need reminding what happened there last year, but let’s be realistic, a point or two would be much appreciated.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:23 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: No Health Cure at Spa
Friday, 28 August 2009
Toro Rosso at Spa
Sebastien Buemi was in the FIA press conference on Thursday, looking back at Valencia and forward to Spa.
"I would say that Valencia was a difficult weekend in the end but we could improve our performance. We see that if we put everything together we can be in the top 10 which is quite positive. We just need to keep pushing hard. We will have another small step on the car for this weekend, so hopefully we will be able to have a clean weekend without any mistakes or whatever. I am sure if we can put everything together we can finish around P10 or P8.
Some of Buemi’s optimism comes from looking at Red Bull Racing’s performance.
"Now it is nearly 11 races I have done in F1, so I am getting used to it. We will see what we can do. The circuit should be good for our car as we saw Red Bull performed really well in Silverstone. It was a fast circuit and it is again the case here, so we should be quite confident at the moment.
"I’m just looking forward to driving the circuit because it’s a beautiful circuit, it’s one of my favourites."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:10 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso at Spa
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Toro Rosso looking for improvements at Spa
Disappointing is the only way to describe the outcome of the European Grand Prix for Scuderia Toro Rosso, with Sébastien sidelined with brake problems, after having to make an early stop to replace a nose and Jaime valiantly fighting on home turf despite the intense heat, which was more of a problem when his drink bottle system stopped delivering water with ten laps to go.
At least the Spaniard finished the race, gaining valuable experience now having completed all race laps in two grands prix.
Having had to deal with one race today, the mechanics immediately start another one, packing everything away in a rush to get the transporters on the road first thing tomorrow morning, for the long drive to Spa Francorchamps where we start all over again, when the green light comes on at the end of the pit lane for Friday morning’s free practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.
While Ferrari’s Luca Badoer came in for a lot of criticism this weekend, with people commenting he was too old to get the job done, Rubens Barrichello proved this sport isn’t all about the kids like our Seb and Jaime. The oldest man on the grid, the Brazilian drove a perfectly judged race to outpace the more fancied McLarens to claim his first win since his Ferrari days. Lewis Hamilton came second ahead of the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. The remaining points went to fourth placed Heikki Kovalainen, then the order was Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Robert Kubica.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:16 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso looking for improvements at Spa
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Buemi frustrated with Q2 pace slump
Sebastian Buemi was disappointed to qualify only 15th for the European Grand Prix as he believes there was more potential in his Toro Rosso, after the car got slower following his progression into Q2.
After setting a strong sixth-quickest time to emphatically seal a place in the second qualifying stage, Buemi then unusually lapped 0.6s off his Q1 effort meaning he made no progress from the 15th spot he was already guaranteed.
Had the Swiss rookie simply matched his Q1 lap he would had qualified two places higher, furthermore he believes the top-10 was even possible had the team got more out of its tyres and made the usual improvement in time in the second session.
Nevertheless, given STR had struggled to progress into Q2 before he did so in Hungary, the Swiss youngster is pleased the team is on the up again.
“Even though I got into Q2, I’m a bit disappointed, because in Q1 I was sixth with a good lap time and then in Q2, we did not manage the tyre situation well, especially on my “out” lap and I ended up doing worse than in Q1.
“Now we must look at what happened, because I think I might even have had the possibility to get into Q3.
“We are making progress.”
New team-mate Jaime Alguersuari again failed to clear the back row in his second Formula 1 qualifying session after lapping a full second slower than Buemi in Q1, although he was sparred the slowest qualifying time by the helpless Luca Badoer.
Spain’s new hope, however, took comfort from the fact he was close to the pace of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota immediately ahead of him on the grid and now, while expecting the sweltering conditions to prove a test, is eyeing another solid race finish on Sunday.
“I know what I am capable of and with this being only my second F1 qualifying session, I have to be patient," he said.
“I am happy that even though this track is longer than at my first race in Hungary, the gap to the drivers ahead of me is getting smaller.
“I am feeling more confident in the car every time I drive it.
“It’s going to be tough tomorrow as it seems to be getting hotter and hotter.
“I think I can do a good job in the race, bring the car home and hopefully end up at least in the top 15.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:27 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Buemi frustrated with Q2 pace slump
Friday, 21 August 2009
European Grand Prix: Friday Practice
In the first practice session in Valencia, Séb recorded a best time of 1:43.389 (11th) over 30 laps, while Jaime’s was 1:43.637 (13th) over 30 laps. Leading the table was Brawn’s Barrichello with 1:42.460.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:52 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: European Grand Prix: Friday Practice
Friday, 14 August 2009
Alguersuari to improve race skills outside of Grand Prix
At just 19, and with just one Grand Prix under his belt, Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari is by far the least experienced driver on the Formula One grid. However, Alguersuari, who was promoted to the Italian team’s race seat after Sebastien Bourdais was released from his contract early, is determined he’ll continue to race as much as possible outside of the F1 calendar to hone his skills.
The Spaniard enjoyed an impressive debut at the Hungarian race last month, qualifying in 19th and finishing the Hungaroring race in 15th, ahead of team mate Sebastien Buemi. A week later he was back in the cockpit of his Formula Renault 3.5 car at Portugal’s Portimao track.
Driving for Carlin, as part of his Red Bull-backed young driver training programme, he took his first victory in the series from pole. In addition to his decision to continue in Formula Renault, when his Formula One schedule allows, Alguersuari has also announced he will take part in a karting championship in Italy next month.
“I will be competing in the KZI World Karting Championship in Sarno, Naples in September,” he explained. “I am only interested in learning, and learning to compete against the best. Portimao and Sarno mean the same to me, pitting myself against the best drivers right now.”
Alguersuari will be back competing against his Formula One rivals in Valencia next weekend, as the European Grand Prix gets underway in the Spanish city.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:25 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to improve race skills outside of Grand Prix
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:26 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, 10 August 2009
Toro Rosso - Track Record in Valencia
There’s not much history to Valencia, as it only made its debut on the F1 calendar last year.
Built on the back of Alonso fever, after the Spaniard won two world titles, it promised a lot in terms of the venue but delivered little in terms of racing excitement. As a street circuit, it was billed as Spain’s answer to Monaco, but in terms of glamour, mayhem and excitement it currently falls far short of its target, but then you can’t create a history spanning decades in a matter of months.
The paddock certainly caused a stir. The garages offer adequate space and the trucks, instead of being out in the open as at most races, are under cover in what used to be a fish market, so the whole area has the feel of a giant exhibition centre.
The motorhome area is separated from the garages by a block of buildings and this is the crowning glory of the new venue as it affords fabulous views of the harbour used for the Americas Cup sailing races, a sport even more riven with politics than F1.
Last year, the whole port area, although home to some fantastic and futuristic architecture, including museums and Europe’s biggest aquarium, was pretty much a building site and a fine layer of dust covered everyone and everything.
As for the track, it is 5.419 kilometres in length long and incorporates a total of 25 turns - 11 right-handers and 14 left-handers. Cars hit a top speed of around 320 km/h and the lap record is held by last year’s race winner, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in a time of 1:38.708.
Our Track Record in Valencia:
2008
Sebastian Vettel 6th
Sébastien Bourdais 10th
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:48 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso - Track Record in Valencia
Friday, 7 August 2009
From the Toro Rosso website
Looking at the positive, the general view in the paddock was that our new boy, Jaime Alguersuari would be a danger to others and when he proved over the two days of qualifying that was not the case, the next piece of accepted wisdom was that he wouldn’t be able to finish this physically demanding race, because his neck wouldn’t be strong enough to hold his head up for 70 laps. Wrong again. In short, Jaime ticked all the boxes this weekend, learning and improving with every lap of the track.
Naturally, as the newest and youngest kid on the block, he was the focus of media attention, but let’s not forget that his team-mate is not exactly the world’s most experienced F1 driver, with just ten F1 starts under his belt. He didn’t have a great day, not helped by debris damaging his front wing early on, but he is mature enough to admit to having made mistakes and that is not something racing drivers find easy to do!
We now have to wait four weeks to resume battle in Valencia and for two of those, the Formula One World Championship takes its first ever official holiday in its 59-year history. It’s going to be frustrating for the designers and engineers champing at the bit to carry on moving forward with the development of TR4, but at least their kids might recognise them now and their pets might not growl when they walk in the front door at home!
You’ll never guess who won? Lewis Hamilton. Yes, really, the reigning world champion produced a typically aggressive and faultless performance, making the most of his KERS at the start to go from fourth on the grid to second immediately after the start. It was the Englishman’s and McLaren’s first victory of the year and joining him on the podium were second placed Kimi Raikkonen, which must have been a great morale booster for Ferrari after Massa’s terrible accident in qualifying and third placed Mark Webber for our friends at Red Bull Racing.
Round 11 of the world championship takes place in Valencia and so yet again the media spotlight will fall on our Alguersuari, as one of two Spanish drivers on the grid. Before getting there, Jaime will probably be the only F1 driver to get some cockpit time, as he is competing in another round of the World Series by Renault at the Algarve circuit Portimao next weekend.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:59 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: From the Toro Rosso website
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:11 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:38 0 comments Links to this post
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:09 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:21 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:38 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:05 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:51 0 comments Links to this post
Alguersuari treating GP as test
Formula 1's youngest ever rookie Jaime Alguersuari says that he will treat today's Hungarian Grand Prix as an extended test session, as he seeks to gain more track time for Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The 19-year-old Spaniard admitted after qualifying that he was still some way from his limit and that the 82 laps he completed during Friday's testing took a physical toll on him.
But the reigning British F3 champion added that he had been happy with his progress so far, despite an engine problem in qualifying relegating him to last on the grid.
"I feel free," said Alguersuari. "Free of charge and I feel this is testing. Tomorrow there are 19 cars which are racing and one that is testing, which is me. I have this philosophy.
"In qualifying I was not nervous because I knew what I could do. I knew if I was not doing a good enough job. I am learning. But I did a good job so I am happy."
By qualifying for the Hungarian GP, Alguersuari became the youngest person ever to do so, but he said this record was not important.
"It means nothing to be the youngest driver to drive F1 cars," he said. "It means a lot to be that close in the times, in means a lot to do a good performance, which with such a short time in the business is a good thing. Obviously being the youngest ever F1 driver, you can come here and crash at the first lap, it means nothing.
"I have reached my first target which was no mistakes through practice and qualifying, the next one is to finish the race. Then I want to keep making steps up until one day I hope to win the championship."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:46 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari treating GP as test
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:45 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, 24 July 2009
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:28 0 comments Links to this post
Alguersuari to prove himself
Formula One rookie Jaime Alguersuari goes into Friday’s two practice sessions in Hungary determined to prove that he deserves his place with Toro Rosso, after his arrival as Sebastien Bourdais’ replacement received a cautious welcome from his peers on Thursday.
The 19-year old Spaniard, whose name is pronounced ‘Heimi Al-gay-shuari’, raised a few eyebrows when he revealed that he has only done two straight-line tests in a Formula One car.
“To be honest, I have done just two aero tests,” he said. “For sure I am really happy to be here, to learn the car and learn a new situation but at the end it is just another car for me, another car in my racing career, in my life. I am very happy to drive and I am looking forward to it.
“I know this track. I raced here before. I am quite lucky for that. I know more or less all of the tracks in Europe but obviously the overseas ones I don’t know them really, like Japan, Singapore and Brazil, so for sure it is a good year to learn the tracks in Formula One as well."
He is the reigning British Formula Three champion, and the latest graduate from Red Bull’s young driver programme, but his peers are concerned that he has not actually done a full test session in a Formula One car.
“I started when I was 20,” said championship leader Jenson Button, “and I had done a fair bit of testing. It’s difficult, isn’t it? If you are offered an opportunity to race in F1, you are going to take it. But it could destroy his career if it goes badly. If it goes well, fantastic. But it’s a knife edge.”
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton agreed.
“When Juan Pablo Montoya left McLaren in 2006 there was a chance I would do the last three races but at that time I had only done straight-line running and that would have been the worst move of my career,” he said. “Before my debut I did eight solid tests. Formula One is difficult, and it takes preparation to build the confidence that you need to drive a car well.”
German Grand Prix winner Mark Webber was also sceptical. "I've never been a big fan of Formula One being a learning school but it seems like it is these days," the Australian said. "When you arrive in F1 you should be ready. It's not a place to learn. Anyway, some guys are doing that but it's harder without testing these days. I think we're going to see a bit more of it."
There was support from Alguersuari’s other Red Bull stablemate Sebastian Vettel, however, who made his Formula One debut at Indianapolis in 2007 aged 19. He blamed the system.
"I heard Mark was not so pleased about the fact that Jaime is driving this weekend," the German said. "I think in the end if there is anything to criticise then I think it is the rules. As you can see, you end up having a situation that a driver is entering F1 without having done a single test. So I think it is extremely difficult for young drivers, independent from their age, the next generation, to get to F1 as you have no chance to prove yourself. You have only one or two days.
"If you start skiing, you know how hard it is after one or two days to really know what is going on for instance. Therefore, I wish him all the best and I think he has enough time, but for sure it is not the easiest way to go.
"In the end you have to find your own way, and I think there is more than one person who gave him advice to just take his time. That is the most important thing. If he is really quick enough or not, you can't really tell by one race. It will come or it doesn't. Every other driver has made this experience in their own way."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:16 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to prove himself
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth policy
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth policy
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:15 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
In the run up to the race at the Hungaroring our Technical Director gives us his take on the season so far and tells us what we can look forward to in terms of car upgrades…
We seem to have slid to the back of the grid over the past few races. Why?
Giorgio Ascanelli: “There are several factors why our performance hasn’t matched up to what it was in the second half of last season. The first is that the drivers are very important and last year, Vettel matured enormously, getting over the difficult phase every young driver does, not understanding why he was fast or slow. A second factor was that last year, within the limits of our own capabilities, we went down a different route to Red Bull Racing, particularly with suspension and the braking system that was different to their car. The third point is that last year we were racing in an era where the technical rules had been more or less stable for a decade so performance levels flatten out, making it harder to come up with something new. This year, the pace of development has speeded up enormously and as a small team, we have been unable to keep up with that. Today, Red Bull for example is producing large steps forward in development on a monthly basis. We cannot do that as we don’t have the manpower. Furthermore, with a young and inexperienced driver like Buemi, when we do introduce changes, it is naturally harder for him to adapt to those changes.”
Is that a criticism of Buemi?
GA: “Absolutely not: to date, he has taken part in just nine grands prix and in four of those he retired early. Add in the fact there is no testing and he is getting very little time in the car. When a young driver first comes into F1, he is like a daredevil, taking risks, but as his understanding increases and he suffers a few set backs, it knocks his confidence which then has to be rebuilt. We cannot expect him to learn any faster: he is trying his best and doing a good job. Remember that when Vettel came to us, he had done one year as a third driver for BMW and had even taken part in one Grand Prix, but he could do no better than qualify eighteenth for us in his first race… in Hungary.”
We’ve been talking about this technical upgrade for weeks now. What is it?
GA: “In Hungary we have a major upgrade, which includes the floor, rear wing, rear wing endplates, a nose which has had to pass a new impact test, new brake ducts etc. – pretty much the whole damn lot! We’ve worked our hardest to get this modification package and to do it this year is much harder than the work we did last year.”
But don’t you just get all the new bits from Red Bull Technology in the UK?
GA: “There is a view that the only difference between our car and the Red Bull Racing one is the engine, but that is inaccurate. It involves the engine, gearbox, clutch, hydraulic system, water, oil and electrical systems; and all this on top of the actual aero parts in terms of bodywork. The further complication is that, although we have not run it, our car was designed so that it could incorporate the Ferrari KERS system and that is very different to the one used by Renault, around which the RB5 was designed. Therefore, we are not in a “cut and paste” situation when it came to getting the parts. It was not a case of getting a drawing from Red Bull Technology and simply manufacturing it. The two cars might look the same but if you try and fit the bodywork from one on the other, it would not fit. The rear suspension is also different because, in order to maintain the same wheelbase, it needed a different arrangement.”
Will it bring a performance advantage?
GA: “I will tell you once we’ve run it at the race track.”
If you had to situate our car in Hungary specification with Red Bull Racing’s development, where would it be?
GA: “It would be a package equivalent to the one they introduced at the British Grand Prix.”
Will it be good enough to score points?
GA: “That depends how far forward the other teams have gone, because nothing stays still in this sport. It’s not as simple as saying ‘last year we made a technical step forward for the second half of the year and performed well so the same thing will happen again.’ Last year, the Italian media was keen for me to puff out my chest and say ‘oh yes, I am very clever and I have managed to outperform our Red Bull cousins,’ but the simple answer about the end of last year is that Vettel is a great driver. I wasn’t a genius last year, but I don’t think I am an idiot this year!”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:27 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Toro Rosso have announced that Red Bull reserve driver Jaime Alguersuari will race for the team at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix and for the rest of the 2009 season. Alguersuari replaces Sebastien Bourdais, who parted company with the Italian squad last week.
At 19, the Spaniard will become the youngest-ever driver in the 59-year history of the Formula One world championship when he takes to the track at Budapest’s Hungaroring.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula One,” he said. “Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid.
“I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula One is never easy, coming into Formula One in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult. But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
Born in Barcelona, Alguersuari is the reigning British Formula Three champion and was competing in the World Series by Renault championship this year before being called on to make his Formula One debut.
Over the past few years he as made his way through the ranks of Red Bull’s young driver programme and, as a result, already knows Sebastien Buemi, his new team mate at Toro Rosso, well.
Explaining his choice of driver, team principal Franz Tost said: “Red Bull’s stated aim for Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its young driver programme. We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
“I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban. But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula One environment.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:37 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:58 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, 20 July 2009
Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Jaime Alguersuari will become the youngest Formula 1 driver in history in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix after Toro Rosso confirmed the young Spaniard as Sebastien Bourdais’ replacement on Monday morning.
The 19-year-old reigning British F3 champion had been expected to step up from his newly-held position as Red Bull’s reserve driver from the Hungaroring for several weeks following intense speculation over Bourdais’ future.
And after the Frenchman was officially dropped on Thursday, Alguersuari has now been given the nod to compete at the Hungaroring alongside fellow STR young gun Sebastien Buemi.
The delighted Spaniard acknowledges he faces a tough F1 baptism coming in during the middle of the season without any testing, but feels he is in the right environment to learn the ropes quickly.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula 1," Alguersuari said.
"Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid. "
"I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula 1 is never easy, coming into Formula 1 in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult.
"But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
STR team boss Franz Tost says Alguersuari was given the drive as he is currently the most mature driver on Red Bull's young driver books, adding that he expects it to take at least three races for the teenager to get fully up to speed.
“Red Bull’s stated aim for Scuderia Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its Young Driver Programme," he said.
"We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban.
"But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula 1 environment.”
Alguersuari – who claimed the title of the youngest ever British F3 champion last year – will succeed Mike Thackwell as F1’s youngest driver, the New Zealander having made his debut at 19 years, five months and 29 days in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix.
While Alguersuari was confirmed in the statement as simply the ‘new’ STR driver, it remains to be seen whether he will compete in all of the season’s remaining eight races.
World Rally legend Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to a drive for the final round of the campaign in Abu Dhabi on November 1.
Alguersuari’s promotion also means that Red Bull will have change its reserve driver for both of its Formula 1 teams for the third time this season, after also using Brendon Hartley and David Coulthard.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:34 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Hungarian Grand Prix
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:10 0 comments Links to this post
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Blog Archive
▼ 2009 (31)
▼ October (1)
Our Brazilian Track Record
► September (5)
Toro Rosso Japanese Track Record
GP Singapore: Qualifying
GP Italy: Result
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
No Health Cure at Spa
► August (9)
Toro Rosso at Spa
Toro Rosso looking for improvements at Spa
Buemi frustrated with Q2 pace slump
European Grand Prix: Friday Practice
Alguersuari to improve race skills outside of Gran...
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
Toro Rosso - Track Record in Valencia
From the Toro Rosso website
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
► July (16)
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock w...
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 20...
Alguersuari treating GP as test
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace...
Alguersuari to prove himself
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth polic...
Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
About Me
Our Brazilian Track Record
07 | 10 | 09
Our long haul trip to Brazil will take us to a track which is renowned for its bumpy nature and the fact that it’s at altitude.
It’s also a bit of a roller coaster, from the steep drop at the first set of corners to the grid which is actually on a slope and gets steeper towards the back, making race start for poor qualifiers even more of a challenge.
And that bumpy surface isn’t the only pain in the neck for the drivers because, like Istanbul Park, Autodromo Carlos Pace is one of the few anti-clockwise tracks.
It boasts instantly recognisable corners, such as the Senna Esses (that steep first corner drop), the hairpins at turns eight and eleven and the sweeping final corner, which leads up to the start-finish line. Each of the 71 laps is only 4.3km long, considerably shorter than most other circuits, and the lap times are reduced even further by the high speeds the cars attain through the Cafe Corner and along the home straight. The fastest lap time around Sao Paulo is a blink-and-you-miss-it 1:11.473 set by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.
Often called Interlagos (two lakes, now no longer there) from the district in which it’s situated, the circuit is actually named Autodromo Carlos Pace Sao after the Brazilian F1 driver who died in 1977. The circuit has been home to the Brazilian Grand Prix on and off since the event was first staged in 1973 in a race fittingly won by Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi.
The race moved to Rio de Janerio during the late ’70s and’ 80s, but returned to Sao Paulo in 1990 after a major re-development during local hero Ayrton Senna’s heyday. A trip to Senna’s grave in the city, to pay respects to the three-time world champion who died in 1994, is often one of the pilgrimages fans, drivers and members of the Paddock make when visiting Brazil.
Last year the race was the final date in the calendar and famously saw Lewis Hamilton clinch the world title from race winner Felipe Massa in the final lap and our own Sebastiasn Vettel charge to a brilliant fourth place in the rain.
Our own track record here looks like this:
2006
Speed 11th
Liuzzi 13th
2007
Liuzzi 13th
Vettel DNF
2008
Vettel 4th
Bourdais 14th
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:18 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Our Brazilian Track Record
Monday, 28 September 2009
Toro Rosso Japanese Track Record
If Monaco is the glamour track and Spa the drivers’ choice then it’s Suzuka which provides one of the most technically challenging F1 circuits.
From its figure of eight nature to the tight intricate Esses corners to the 180mph heart-stopping 130R, it’s one roller-coaster of a track. Fitting, as within its site lies a fully fledged amusement park – Motopia - and a real roller-coaster for the fans. And very often members of the Paddock.
It’s a welcome return to the circuit after a two-year absence when F1 visited Fuji, and for now and the foreseeable future, Suzuka will remain the home of the Japanese Grand Prix.
As it’s located in a relatively rural situation, the majority of drivers stay in one hotel and can be found in either its Italian or Chinese restaurants over the weekend and in its karaoke cabins on Sunday night. All this combined makes for one great F1 round, both on and off track…
Our track record in Japan looks like this:
2006 (Suzuka)
Liuzzi – 14th
Speed – 18th
2007 (Fuji Speedway)
Liuzzi – 9th
Vettel – DNF
2008 (Fuji Speedway)
Vettel – 6th
Bourdais – 10th
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:22 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso Japanese Track Record
Saturday, 26 September 2009
GP Singapore: Qualifying
26 | 09 | 09
Sébastien got through the first session – ending the evening 14th fastest during Q2. Jaime will start three places behind him after recording the 17th quickest time.
Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03)
“I am quite happy, as the session went smoothly without any mistakes. I got the most I could out of the car and am pleased to have got ahead of Trulli. I’m glad to finally be back in Q2. as it’s been a long time. Now we need to work on a race strategy, make a good start and run the pit stops well.”
3rd Practice Session 1.48.754, pos. 9th, 17 laps
Qualifying Session
1.47.369, pos. 14th
Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-02)
“We did quite well and we’re getting faster. It was quite difficult to do better than that, but I am feeling more comfortable with the track every time I get in the car. This has been the hardest track I have driven apart from Macau. With it being a street circuit, anything could happen tomorrow, so hopefully I can have a good race.”
3rd Practice Session 1.49.399, pos. 18th, 17 laps
Qualifying Session
1.48.340, pos. 17th
Laurent Mekies, Chief Engineer
“We had a very difficult Friday and made a major change to the car set-up overnight, which seems to have been a step in the right direction. Sebastien and Jaime also improved their performance. Jaime has got better throughout the weekend on a track that is difficult to learn and Sebastien is back in Q2 after a gap of a few races. We’re still not where we want to be, but having made a good step forward from Friday to today, there is still room to make another one for the race, which is likely to be very chaotic, so anything can happen.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 22:10 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: GP Singapore: Qualifying
Monday, 14 September 2009
GP Italy: Result
13 | 09 | 09
Séb finished his debut Italian Grand Prix in 13th place. A gearbox fault forced Jaime to retire after 19 laps.
Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03) Retired
(On hearing a message from the pit wall, Buemi followed the Safety Car into pit lane, therefore he did not take the chequered flag, so he is classified as retired.)
“Starting from the back, the race is never easy, but I feel my lap times were good and consistent, especially in the second stint, so I am reasonably happy. From now on, we go to tracks that are a bit slower and more technical than here, running with more downforce. Let’s see if that works better for us. Some teams have made good progress recently, so we must see if we can manage to close the gap.
Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-02) Retired lap 20
“I started from the pits, so at least I kept out of the trouble on the opening lap. After that my race was going okay and I was up behind Buemi. But then I had a gearbox problem which caused my retirement. I’d also had some other troubles on Friday and when a weekend starts badly it often ends badly. I’m very disappointed not to finish, as it is very important for me to do as many kilometres in the car as possible.
Franz Tost: “The race was a good lesson for Buemi, as he finished the race, pulled off a good overtaking move on Fisichella and, especially in his second stint on Option tyres, his performance level was good. Alguersuari had a gearbox problem, so we called him in to retire. The positive aspect of this weekend is that both drivers are learning and improving.”
.Related ArticlesOur Italian Track Record
30 | 08 | 09
The last European race on the calendar is one of the most prestigious and [...]
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:46 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: GP Italy: Result
Monday, 7 September 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Toro Rosso drivers look forward to 2009 Italian GP
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Toro Rosso drivers look forward to 2009 Italian GP
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:03 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
No Health Cure at Spa
The Belgian circuit might be located in an area noted for its healthy spa waters, but this weekend was no health cure for Scuderia Toro Rosso, even if Jaime Alguersuari took an early bath after colliding with Hamilton at the second corner on the opening lap.
At least Sébastien Buemi saw the chequered flag, albeit in 12th place. The lack of points, combined with a very impressive performance from Giancarlo Fisichella, means we have now slipped to the bottom of the Constructors’ classification, three points behind Force India.
The STR4 showed some promise in the early stages of the Belgian weekend, but not enough was made of this in Qualifying. With Formula One being so competitive at the moment, and the majority of cars running reliably enough to finish races, our two drivers must get higher up on the grid on Saturday afternoon if they want to see their efforts rewarded on Sunday.
Looking outside the Toro Rosso garage, the Belgian Grand Prix was actually a fascinating race, with victory going to Kimi Raikkonen.
The unusual grid even gave rise to a ludicrous, but amusing conspiracy theory that a few teams whose future is in doubt had been given some softer tyres to help them get a good result! Before the race, there was much talk of the Ferrari getting the upper hand, but given that this is the Finn’s fourth win at Spa, we can assume driver talent might also have had something to do with it.
He did not have it all his own way, after scything through the field from sixth to second on the opening lap, then dispensing with Fisichella, once the Safety Car came in after it was needed to clear up the mess which put out four cars including Jaime’s.
If the pundits expected the Ferrari to comfortably pull away from the Force India, they were wrong and the race looked pretty open until after the second run of pit stops. With Button knocked out on lap one, Red Bull Racing was hoping to capitalise on this to close the gap in both championships. In the end, Sebastian Vettel made it to the podium in third spot, although he was behind Mark Webber in the early stages. However, the Australian was given a drive-through for an 'unsafe release' after a pit stop, ending up just outside the points in ninth.
Behind the top three, it was a good day for BMW, with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld coming home fourth and fifth ahead of Kovalainen’s McLaren. The last two points positions were filled by the Brawn of Rubens Barrichello and the Williams of Nico Rosberg.
We now head back to Faenza after the back-to-back Valencia and Spa races, to prepare to make the short trip down the road to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.
We don’t need reminding what happened there last year, but let’s be realistic, a point or two would be much appreciated.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:23 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: No Health Cure at Spa
Friday, 28 August 2009
Toro Rosso at Spa
Sebastien Buemi was in the FIA press conference on Thursday, looking back at Valencia and forward to Spa.
"I would say that Valencia was a difficult weekend in the end but we could improve our performance. We see that if we put everything together we can be in the top 10 which is quite positive. We just need to keep pushing hard. We will have another small step on the car for this weekend, so hopefully we will be able to have a clean weekend without any mistakes or whatever. I am sure if we can put everything together we can finish around P10 or P8.
Some of Buemi’s optimism comes from looking at Red Bull Racing’s performance.
"Now it is nearly 11 races I have done in F1, so I am getting used to it. We will see what we can do. The circuit should be good for our car as we saw Red Bull performed really well in Silverstone. It was a fast circuit and it is again the case here, so we should be quite confident at the moment.
"I’m just looking forward to driving the circuit because it’s a beautiful circuit, it’s one of my favourites."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:10 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso at Spa
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Toro Rosso looking for improvements at Spa
Disappointing is the only way to describe the outcome of the European Grand Prix for Scuderia Toro Rosso, with Sébastien sidelined with brake problems, after having to make an early stop to replace a nose and Jaime valiantly fighting on home turf despite the intense heat, which was more of a problem when his drink bottle system stopped delivering water with ten laps to go.
At least the Spaniard finished the race, gaining valuable experience now having completed all race laps in two grands prix.
Having had to deal with one race today, the mechanics immediately start another one, packing everything away in a rush to get the transporters on the road first thing tomorrow morning, for the long drive to Spa Francorchamps where we start all over again, when the green light comes on at the end of the pit lane for Friday morning’s free practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.
While Ferrari’s Luca Badoer came in for a lot of criticism this weekend, with people commenting he was too old to get the job done, Rubens Barrichello proved this sport isn’t all about the kids like our Seb and Jaime. The oldest man on the grid, the Brazilian drove a perfectly judged race to outpace the more fancied McLarens to claim his first win since his Ferrari days. Lewis Hamilton came second ahead of the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. The remaining points went to fourth placed Heikki Kovalainen, then the order was Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Robert Kubica.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:16 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso looking for improvements at Spa
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Buemi frustrated with Q2 pace slump
Sebastian Buemi was disappointed to qualify only 15th for the European Grand Prix as he believes there was more potential in his Toro Rosso, after the car got slower following his progression into Q2.
After setting a strong sixth-quickest time to emphatically seal a place in the second qualifying stage, Buemi then unusually lapped 0.6s off his Q1 effort meaning he made no progress from the 15th spot he was already guaranteed.
Had the Swiss rookie simply matched his Q1 lap he would had qualified two places higher, furthermore he believes the top-10 was even possible had the team got more out of its tyres and made the usual improvement in time in the second session.
Nevertheless, given STR had struggled to progress into Q2 before he did so in Hungary, the Swiss youngster is pleased the team is on the up again.
“Even though I got into Q2, I’m a bit disappointed, because in Q1 I was sixth with a good lap time and then in Q2, we did not manage the tyre situation well, especially on my “out” lap and I ended up doing worse than in Q1.
“Now we must look at what happened, because I think I might even have had the possibility to get into Q3.
“We are making progress.”
New team-mate Jaime Alguersuari again failed to clear the back row in his second Formula 1 qualifying session after lapping a full second slower than Buemi in Q1, although he was sparred the slowest qualifying time by the helpless Luca Badoer.
Spain’s new hope, however, took comfort from the fact he was close to the pace of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota immediately ahead of him on the grid and now, while expecting the sweltering conditions to prove a test, is eyeing another solid race finish on Sunday.
“I know what I am capable of and with this being only my second F1 qualifying session, I have to be patient," he said.
“I am happy that even though this track is longer than at my first race in Hungary, the gap to the drivers ahead of me is getting smaller.
“I am feeling more confident in the car every time I drive it.
“It’s going to be tough tomorrow as it seems to be getting hotter and hotter.
“I think I can do a good job in the race, bring the car home and hopefully end up at least in the top 15.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:27 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Buemi frustrated with Q2 pace slump
Friday, 21 August 2009
European Grand Prix: Friday Practice
In the first practice session in Valencia, Séb recorded a best time of 1:43.389 (11th) over 30 laps, while Jaime’s was 1:43.637 (13th) over 30 laps. Leading the table was Brawn’s Barrichello with 1:42.460.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:52 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: European Grand Prix: Friday Practice
Friday, 14 August 2009
Alguersuari to improve race skills outside of Grand Prix
At just 19, and with just one Grand Prix under his belt, Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari is by far the least experienced driver on the Formula One grid. However, Alguersuari, who was promoted to the Italian team’s race seat after Sebastien Bourdais was released from his contract early, is determined he’ll continue to race as much as possible outside of the F1 calendar to hone his skills.
The Spaniard enjoyed an impressive debut at the Hungarian race last month, qualifying in 19th and finishing the Hungaroring race in 15th, ahead of team mate Sebastien Buemi. A week later he was back in the cockpit of his Formula Renault 3.5 car at Portugal’s Portimao track.
Driving for Carlin, as part of his Red Bull-backed young driver training programme, he took his first victory in the series from pole. In addition to his decision to continue in Formula Renault, when his Formula One schedule allows, Alguersuari has also announced he will take part in a karting championship in Italy next month.
“I will be competing in the KZI World Karting Championship in Sarno, Naples in September,” he explained. “I am only interested in learning, and learning to compete against the best. Portimao and Sarno mean the same to me, pitting myself against the best drivers right now.”
Alguersuari will be back competing against his Formula One rivals in Valencia next weekend, as the European Grand Prix gets underway in the Spanish city.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:25 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to improve race skills outside of Grand Prix
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:26 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, 10 August 2009
Toro Rosso - Track Record in Valencia
There’s not much history to Valencia, as it only made its debut on the F1 calendar last year.
Built on the back of Alonso fever, after the Spaniard won two world titles, it promised a lot in terms of the venue but delivered little in terms of racing excitement. As a street circuit, it was billed as Spain’s answer to Monaco, but in terms of glamour, mayhem and excitement it currently falls far short of its target, but then you can’t create a history spanning decades in a matter of months.
The paddock certainly caused a stir. The garages offer adequate space and the trucks, instead of being out in the open as at most races, are under cover in what used to be a fish market, so the whole area has the feel of a giant exhibition centre.
The motorhome area is separated from the garages by a block of buildings and this is the crowning glory of the new venue as it affords fabulous views of the harbour used for the Americas Cup sailing races, a sport even more riven with politics than F1.
Last year, the whole port area, although home to some fantastic and futuristic architecture, including museums and Europe’s biggest aquarium, was pretty much a building site and a fine layer of dust covered everyone and everything.
As for the track, it is 5.419 kilometres in length long and incorporates a total of 25 turns - 11 right-handers and 14 left-handers. Cars hit a top speed of around 320 km/h and the lap record is held by last year’s race winner, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in a time of 1:38.708.
Our Track Record in Valencia:
2008
Sebastian Vettel 6th
Sébastien Bourdais 10th
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:48 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Toro Rosso - Track Record in Valencia
Friday, 7 August 2009
From the Toro Rosso website
Looking at the positive, the general view in the paddock was that our new boy, Jaime Alguersuari would be a danger to others and when he proved over the two days of qualifying that was not the case, the next piece of accepted wisdom was that he wouldn’t be able to finish this physically demanding race, because his neck wouldn’t be strong enough to hold his head up for 70 laps. Wrong again. In short, Jaime ticked all the boxes this weekend, learning and improving with every lap of the track.
Naturally, as the newest and youngest kid on the block, he was the focus of media attention, but let’s not forget that his team-mate is not exactly the world’s most experienced F1 driver, with just ten F1 starts under his belt. He didn’t have a great day, not helped by debris damaging his front wing early on, but he is mature enough to admit to having made mistakes and that is not something racing drivers find easy to do!
We now have to wait four weeks to resume battle in Valencia and for two of those, the Formula One World Championship takes its first ever official holiday in its 59-year history. It’s going to be frustrating for the designers and engineers champing at the bit to carry on moving forward with the development of TR4, but at least their kids might recognise them now and their pets might not growl when they walk in the front door at home!
You’ll never guess who won? Lewis Hamilton. Yes, really, the reigning world champion produced a typically aggressive and faultless performance, making the most of his KERS at the start to go from fourth on the grid to second immediately after the start. It was the Englishman’s and McLaren’s first victory of the year and joining him on the podium were second placed Kimi Raikkonen, which must have been a great morale booster for Ferrari after Massa’s terrible accident in qualifying and third placed Mark Webber for our friends at Red Bull Racing.
Round 11 of the world championship takes place in Valencia and so yet again the media spotlight will fall on our Alguersuari, as one of two Spanish drivers on the grid. Before getting there, Jaime will probably be the only F1 driver to get some cockpit time, as he is competing in another round of the World Series by Renault at the Algarve circuit Portimao next weekend.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:59 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: From the Toro Rosso website
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:11 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:38 0 comments Links to this post
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:09 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:21 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:38 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:05 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:51 0 comments Links to this post
Alguersuari treating GP as test
Formula 1's youngest ever rookie Jaime Alguersuari says that he will treat today's Hungarian Grand Prix as an extended test session, as he seeks to gain more track time for Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The 19-year-old Spaniard admitted after qualifying that he was still some way from his limit and that the 82 laps he completed during Friday's testing took a physical toll on him.
But the reigning British F3 champion added that he had been happy with his progress so far, despite an engine problem in qualifying relegating him to last on the grid.
"I feel free," said Alguersuari. "Free of charge and I feel this is testing. Tomorrow there are 19 cars which are racing and one that is testing, which is me. I have this philosophy.
"In qualifying I was not nervous because I knew what I could do. I knew if I was not doing a good enough job. I am learning. But I did a good job so I am happy."
By qualifying for the Hungarian GP, Alguersuari became the youngest person ever to do so, but he said this record was not important.
"It means nothing to be the youngest driver to drive F1 cars," he said. "It means a lot to be that close in the times, in means a lot to do a good performance, which with such a short time in the business is a good thing. Obviously being the youngest ever F1 driver, you can come here and crash at the first lap, it means nothing.
"I have reached my first target which was no mistakes through practice and qualifying, the next one is to finish the race. Then I want to keep making steps up until one day I hope to win the championship."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:46 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari treating GP as test
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:45 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, 24 July 2009
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:28 0 comments Links to this post
Alguersuari to prove himself
Formula One rookie Jaime Alguersuari goes into Friday’s two practice sessions in Hungary determined to prove that he deserves his place with Toro Rosso, after his arrival as Sebastien Bourdais’ replacement received a cautious welcome from his peers on Thursday.
The 19-year old Spaniard, whose name is pronounced ‘Heimi Al-gay-shuari’, raised a few eyebrows when he revealed that he has only done two straight-line tests in a Formula One car.
“To be honest, I have done just two aero tests,” he said. “For sure I am really happy to be here, to learn the car and learn a new situation but at the end it is just another car for me, another car in my racing career, in my life. I am very happy to drive and I am looking forward to it.
“I know this track. I raced here before. I am quite lucky for that. I know more or less all of the tracks in Europe but obviously the overseas ones I don’t know them really, like Japan, Singapore and Brazil, so for sure it is a good year to learn the tracks in Formula One as well."
He is the reigning British Formula Three champion, and the latest graduate from Red Bull’s young driver programme, but his peers are concerned that he has not actually done a full test session in a Formula One car.
“I started when I was 20,” said championship leader Jenson Button, “and I had done a fair bit of testing. It’s difficult, isn’t it? If you are offered an opportunity to race in F1, you are going to take it. But it could destroy his career if it goes badly. If it goes well, fantastic. But it’s a knife edge.”
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton agreed.
“When Juan Pablo Montoya left McLaren in 2006 there was a chance I would do the last three races but at that time I had only done straight-line running and that would have been the worst move of my career,” he said. “Before my debut I did eight solid tests. Formula One is difficult, and it takes preparation to build the confidence that you need to drive a car well.”
German Grand Prix winner Mark Webber was also sceptical. "I've never been a big fan of Formula One being a learning school but it seems like it is these days," the Australian said. "When you arrive in F1 you should be ready. It's not a place to learn. Anyway, some guys are doing that but it's harder without testing these days. I think we're going to see a bit more of it."
There was support from Alguersuari’s other Red Bull stablemate Sebastian Vettel, however, who made his Formula One debut at Indianapolis in 2007 aged 19. He blamed the system.
"I heard Mark was not so pleased about the fact that Jaime is driving this weekend," the German said. "I think in the end if there is anything to criticise then I think it is the rules. As you can see, you end up having a situation that a driver is entering F1 without having done a single test. So I think it is extremely difficult for young drivers, independent from their age, the next generation, to get to F1 as you have no chance to prove yourself. You have only one or two days.
"If you start skiing, you know how hard it is after one or two days to really know what is going on for instance. Therefore, I wish him all the best and I think he has enough time, but for sure it is not the easiest way to go.
"In the end you have to find your own way, and I think there is more than one person who gave him advice to just take his time. That is the most important thing. If he is really quick enough or not, you can't really tell by one race. It will come or it doesn't. Every other driver has made this experience in their own way."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:16 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to prove himself
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth policy
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth policy
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:15 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
In the run up to the race at the Hungaroring our Technical Director gives us his take on the season so far and tells us what we can look forward to in terms of car upgrades…
We seem to have slid to the back of the grid over the past few races. Why?
Giorgio Ascanelli: “There are several factors why our performance hasn’t matched up to what it was in the second half of last season. The first is that the drivers are very important and last year, Vettel matured enormously, getting over the difficult phase every young driver does, not understanding why he was fast or slow. A second factor was that last year, within the limits of our own capabilities, we went down a different route to Red Bull Racing, particularly with suspension and the braking system that was different to their car. The third point is that last year we were racing in an era where the technical rules had been more or less stable for a decade so performance levels flatten out, making it harder to come up with something new. This year, the pace of development has speeded up enormously and as a small team, we have been unable to keep up with that. Today, Red Bull for example is producing large steps forward in development on a monthly basis. We cannot do that as we don’t have the manpower. Furthermore, with a young and inexperienced driver like Buemi, when we do introduce changes, it is naturally harder for him to adapt to those changes.”
Is that a criticism of Buemi?
GA: “Absolutely not: to date, he has taken part in just nine grands prix and in four of those he retired early. Add in the fact there is no testing and he is getting very little time in the car. When a young driver first comes into F1, he is like a daredevil, taking risks, but as his understanding increases and he suffers a few set backs, it knocks his confidence which then has to be rebuilt. We cannot expect him to learn any faster: he is trying his best and doing a good job. Remember that when Vettel came to us, he had done one year as a third driver for BMW and had even taken part in one Grand Prix, but he could do no better than qualify eighteenth for us in his first race… in Hungary.”
We’ve been talking about this technical upgrade for weeks now. What is it?
GA: “In Hungary we have a major upgrade, which includes the floor, rear wing, rear wing endplates, a nose which has had to pass a new impact test, new brake ducts etc. – pretty much the whole damn lot! We’ve worked our hardest to get this modification package and to do it this year is much harder than the work we did last year.”
But don’t you just get all the new bits from Red Bull Technology in the UK?
GA: “There is a view that the only difference between our car and the Red Bull Racing one is the engine, but that is inaccurate. It involves the engine, gearbox, clutch, hydraulic system, water, oil and electrical systems; and all this on top of the actual aero parts in terms of bodywork. The further complication is that, although we have not run it, our car was designed so that it could incorporate the Ferrari KERS system and that is very different to the one used by Renault, around which the RB5 was designed. Therefore, we are not in a “cut and paste” situation when it came to getting the parts. It was not a case of getting a drawing from Red Bull Technology and simply manufacturing it. The two cars might look the same but if you try and fit the bodywork from one on the other, it would not fit. The rear suspension is also different because, in order to maintain the same wheelbase, it needed a different arrangement.”
Will it bring a performance advantage?
GA: “I will tell you once we’ve run it at the race track.”
If you had to situate our car in Hungary specification with Red Bull Racing’s development, where would it be?
GA: “It would be a package equivalent to the one they introduced at the British Grand Prix.”
Will it be good enough to score points?
GA: “That depends how far forward the other teams have gone, because nothing stays still in this sport. It’s not as simple as saying ‘last year we made a technical step forward for the second half of the year and performed well so the same thing will happen again.’ Last year, the Italian media was keen for me to puff out my chest and say ‘oh yes, I am very clever and I have managed to outperform our Red Bull cousins,’ but the simple answer about the end of last year is that Vettel is a great driver. I wasn’t a genius last year, but I don’t think I am an idiot this year!”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:27 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Toro Rosso have announced that Red Bull reserve driver Jaime Alguersuari will race for the team at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix and for the rest of the 2009 season. Alguersuari replaces Sebastien Bourdais, who parted company with the Italian squad last week.
At 19, the Spaniard will become the youngest-ever driver in the 59-year history of the Formula One world championship when he takes to the track at Budapest’s Hungaroring.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula One,” he said. “Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid.
“I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula One is never easy, coming into Formula One in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult. But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
Born in Barcelona, Alguersuari is the reigning British Formula Three champion and was competing in the World Series by Renault championship this year before being called on to make his Formula One debut.
Over the past few years he as made his way through the ranks of Red Bull’s young driver programme and, as a result, already knows Sebastien Buemi, his new team mate at Toro Rosso, well.
Explaining his choice of driver, team principal Franz Tost said: “Red Bull’s stated aim for Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its young driver programme. We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
“I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban. But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula One environment.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:37 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:58 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, 20 July 2009
Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Jaime Alguersuari will become the youngest Formula 1 driver in history in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix after Toro Rosso confirmed the young Spaniard as Sebastien Bourdais’ replacement on Monday morning.
The 19-year-old reigning British F3 champion had been expected to step up from his newly-held position as Red Bull’s reserve driver from the Hungaroring for several weeks following intense speculation over Bourdais’ future.
And after the Frenchman was officially dropped on Thursday, Alguersuari has now been given the nod to compete at the Hungaroring alongside fellow STR young gun Sebastien Buemi.
The delighted Spaniard acknowledges he faces a tough F1 baptism coming in during the middle of the season without any testing, but feels he is in the right environment to learn the ropes quickly.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula 1," Alguersuari said.
"Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid. "
"I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula 1 is never easy, coming into Formula 1 in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult.
"But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
STR team boss Franz Tost says Alguersuari was given the drive as he is currently the most mature driver on Red Bull's young driver books, adding that he expects it to take at least three races for the teenager to get fully up to speed.
“Red Bull’s stated aim for Scuderia Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its Young Driver Programme," he said.
"We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban.
"But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula 1 environment.”
Alguersuari – who claimed the title of the youngest ever British F3 champion last year – will succeed Mike Thackwell as F1’s youngest driver, the New Zealander having made his debut at 19 years, five months and 29 days in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix.
While Alguersuari was confirmed in the statement as simply the ‘new’ STR driver, it remains to be seen whether he will compete in all of the season’s remaining eight races.
World Rally legend Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to a drive for the final round of the campaign in Abu Dhabi on November 1.
Alguersuari’s promotion also means that Red Bull will have change its reserve driver for both of its Formula 1 teams for the third time this season, after also using Brendon Hartley and David Coulthard.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:34 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Hungarian Grand Prix
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:10 0 comments Links to this post
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McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock w...
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 20...
Alguersuari treating GP as test
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace...
Alguersuari to prove himself
Red Bull team: Webber critical of F1’s youth polic...
Ascanelli On The STR4’s Progress In 2009
Alguersuari to Toro Rosso
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blo...
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Monday, 20 July 2009
Alguersuari, Toro Rosso
Jaime Alguersuari will become the youngest Formula 1 driver in history in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix after Toro Rosso confirmed the young Spaniard as Sebastien Bourdais’ replacement on Monday morning.
The 19-year-old reigning British F3 champion had been expected to step up from his newly-held position as Red Bull’s reserve driver from the Hungaroring for several weeks following intense speculation over Bourdais’ future.
And after the Frenchman was officially dropped on Thursday, Alguersuari has now been given the nod to compete at the Hungaroring alongside fellow STR young gun Sebastien Buemi.
The delighted Spaniard acknowledges he faces a tough F1 baptism coming in during the middle of the season without any testing, but feels he is in the right environment to learn the ropes quickly.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula 1," Alguersuari said.
"Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid. "
"I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula 1 is never easy, coming into Formula 1 in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any
testing is really difficult.
"But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
STR team boss Franz Tost says Alguersuari was given the drive as he is currently the most mature driver on Red Bull's young driver books, adding that he expects it to take at least three races for the teenager to get fully up to speed.
“Red Bull’s stated aim for Scuderia Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its Young Driver Programme," he said.
"We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban.
"But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula 1 environment.”
Alguersuari – who claimed the title of the youngest ever British F3 champion last year – will succeed Mike Thackwell as F1’s youngest driver, the New Zealander having made his debut at 19 years, five months and 29 days in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix.
While Alguersuari was confirmed in the statement as simply the ‘new’ STR driver, it remains to be seen whether he will compete in all of the season’s remaining eight races.
World Rally legend Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to an STR drive for the final round of the campaign in Abu Dhabi on November 1.
Alguersuari’s promotion also means that Red Bull will have to name a new reserve driver for both of its Formula 1 teams.
The 19-year-old reigning British F3 champion had been expected to step up from his newly-held position as Red Bull’s reserve driver from the Hungaroring for several weeks following intense speculation over Bourdais’ future.
And after the Frenchman was officially dropped on Thursday, Alguersuari has now been given the nod to compete at the Hungaroring alongside fellow STR young gun Sebastien Buemi.
The delighted Spaniard acknowledges he faces a tough F1 baptism coming in during the middle of the season without any testing, but feels he is in the right environment to learn the ropes quickly.
“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula 1," Alguersuari said.
"Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid. "
"I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula 1 is never easy, coming into Formula 1 in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any
testing is really difficult.
"But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”
STR team boss Franz Tost says Alguersuari was given the drive as he is currently the most mature driver on Red Bull's young driver books, adding that he expects it to take at least three races for the teenager to get fully up to speed.
“Red Bull’s stated aim for Scuderia Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its Young Driver Programme," he said.
"We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.
"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban.
"But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula 1 environment.”
Alguersuari – who claimed the title of the youngest ever British F3 champion last year – will succeed Mike Thackwell as F1’s youngest driver, the New Zealander having made his debut at 19 years, five months and 29 days in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix.
While Alguersuari was confirmed in the statement as simply the ‘new’ STR driver, it remains to be seen whether he will compete in all of the season’s remaining eight races.
World Rally legend Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to an STR drive for the final round of the campaign in Abu Dhabi on November 1.
Alguersuari’s promotion also means that Red Bull will have to name a new reserve driver for both of its Formula 1 teams.
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