Nick Heidfeld believes he and BMW Sauber team-mate Robert Kubica are going to have to wait until the Singapore Grand Prix before seeing a major upturn in the pace of their car.
The F1.09 has failed to live up to pre-season expectations of being a world championship contender, with Heidfeld and Kubica only able to score eight points so far this year.
And although the team has vowed to keep pushing on with the development of the car, rather than switch the focus onto its 2010 challenger, Heidfeld thinks there is little chance of a return to front-running form for a few races yet.
Speaking at the Hungaroring on Thursday, Heidfeld said he did not expect BMW Sauber to follow the lead set by Ferrari and McLaren, who appear to have recovered from their early season troubles.
"It looks like McLaren has made a big step, especially judging by the last race," said Heidfeld. "Ferrari had made a big step a couple of races ago. We made a big step at Barcelona, and since then it is a bit up and down.
"I hope that we will get to a stage where we also made a big leap forward. And I hope this might be the case in Singapore, where we expect a lot of new things - and I hope that will move us forward. But until then, we have another package in Valencia, but my hopes are more for Singapore."
When suggested that would mean quite a lot of waiting, Heidfeld said: "Yes, it is too long. But there is nothing we can do now. So there is no more to say."
BMW Sauber is running a new front wing in Hungary this weekend, and Heidfeld is hoping that the warmer temperatures will help the team's performance.
"I think from a tyre perspective it should suit the car better. Sometimes we are in a similar condition to the Brawn – just with the fact that the car is slower anyway. So we hope we will get the tyres working here.
"The circuit itself doesn't suit the car ideally, if we look back to where we were at some other slow tracks. But on the other side since then, the car has changed quite a lot. I hope it suits the car for the tyres, and for the rest we will see.
"As we knew already a couple of weeks ago, we don't have a lot of updates here. The next big one is planned for Valencia, but we have a new front wing here – which is good as it was not planned. We also have some other minor updates."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Piquet F1 future
Nelson Piquet says his position at the Renault team until the end of the season is not 100 percent secure following a difficult first half of the campaign.
The Brazilian, in his second full season in Formula 1, has struggled to make an impression with the Renault, which has not been among the fastest cars so far.
Piquet is yet to a score a point and there were rumours already last week that his position for the Hungarian Grand Prix was in doubt.
Although the 23-year-old was confirmed for the Hungaroring race, he admitted on Thursday he is unsure if he will complete the season.
When asked if the situation was settled for the rest of the season, he said: "No, it is not 100 percent settled for the rest. That is why I am going to do my job and let my father do the rest."
He added: "There was a bit of a mess at the last race, I knew there was a big chance for me to be here - there was just conflict, and contracts, and a conflict of egos between a few people. But, it ended up with everything working well.
"The problem is that these days a contract in F1 doesn't mean much, and we have seen several cases already of drivers and teams breaking contracts, and it just stays that way. So, the only thing I can do is drive, do my best and leave my father to do his job and see what he can do.
"I always have to try and do my best, and now that I have a better chance now that I have the same car, and not only that – but it also looks like the car is quite quick. Then it is an easier chance to show something.
The Renault driver, overshadowed by team-mate Fernando Alonso this year, says he is now used to dealing with the uncertainty about his future.
"I have been facing this kind of situation since last year," he said. "It is not something new for me. The level we are at motorsport, we need to know how to deal with it. We are in the top level of motorsport and drivers need to know how to deal with these pressures and that kind of thing.
"I would say dealing like Lewis was at the end of his first season, fighting for the championship, that must have been even harder than what I am going through.
"This is only part of the stress of motorsport – Lewis must have been through much more stress than I am at the moment. You need to know how to deal with these kind of things."
The Brazilian, in his second full season in Formula 1, has struggled to make an impression with the Renault, which has not been among the fastest cars so far.
Piquet is yet to a score a point and there were rumours already last week that his position for the Hungarian Grand Prix was in doubt.
Although the 23-year-old was confirmed for the Hungaroring race, he admitted on Thursday he is unsure if he will complete the season.
When asked if the situation was settled for the rest of the season, he said: "No, it is not 100 percent settled for the rest. That is why I am going to do my job and let my father do the rest."
He added: "There was a bit of a mess at the last race, I knew there was a big chance for me to be here - there was just conflict, and contracts, and a conflict of egos between a few people. But, it ended up with everything working well.
"The problem is that these days a contract in F1 doesn't mean much, and we have seen several cases already of drivers and teams breaking contracts, and it just stays that way. So, the only thing I can do is drive, do my best and leave my father to do his job and see what he can do.
"I always have to try and do my best, and now that I have a better chance now that I have the same car, and not only that – but it also looks like the car is quite quick. Then it is an easier chance to show something.
The Renault driver, overshadowed by team-mate Fernando Alonso this year, says he is now used to dealing with the uncertainty about his future.
"I have been facing this kind of situation since last year," he said. "It is not something new for me. The level we are at motorsport, we need to know how to deal with it. We are in the top level of motorsport and drivers need to know how to deal with these pressures and that kind of thing.
"I would say dealing like Lewis was at the end of his first season, fighting for the championship, that must have been even harder than what I am going through.
"This is only part of the stress of motorsport – Lewis must have been through much more stress than I am at the moment. You need to know how to deal with these kind of things."
Cosworth expects strong engines
Cosworth fully expects its engines to be up to current standards of competitiveness in 2010, with the British firm confident it will return to Formula 1 in stronger shape than when it left.
The legendary engine maker will supply its V8 power units to new entrants Team US F1, Manor GP and Campos Meta next season, having last supplied F1 engines to Williams and Toro Rosso in 2006.
Speaking in an interview with itv.com/f1’s James Allen, Cosworth CEO Tim Routsis acknowledged that the manufacturer engines currently in use on the grid had come a long way in terms of reliability in the last three years – but says Cosworth has made sure it will return with a competitive unit.
“There is no doubt that the teams have made some epically big strides over the last few years in terms of engine reliability,” he said.
“The two things that really matter are that we provide a reliable and competitive engine.
“We realised that there was no future for anybody if we rocked up with an uncompetitive engine.”
Routsis revealed that Cosworth has carried out tests which prove its 2010-spec V8 units will be a match for the engines currently in use by the sport’s top teams.
“We wanted to verify that what we had made sense,” he said.
“So what we did was produce a complex model of the engine’s performance as it will be in 2010 and gave it to a third party agency with the largest body of data.
“We asked the question, ‘If you were to take all the results this year of the top three teams and substitute this engine into their cars, would it have affected the outcome of any of the races?’ Because that’s the ultimate measure of the competitiveness of the engine.
“The result that came back was that if the engine we are proposing for next year had been in any of the winning cars, the winning car would have still won. If it had been in any of the second place cars they would still have been second, or in one or two cases, would have won.”
Although Cosworth is having to detune its three-year old engines to F1’s current 18,000rpm limit, Routsis says the fact it has free reign over the areas in which to optimise the units to the rev restrictions has given it the opportunity to make big improvements.
“It will be a lot more fuel efficient, it will obviously be retuned to the 18,000 rpm limit as opposed to the 20,000rpm limit and we are doing quite a lot of work to make sure that it is optimised to give a competitive engine,” said Routsis.
“So whilst you would be able to put the two engines side by side and see a family resemblance, there is a lot of difference in the detail.
He added: “We have been given the opportunity to do a proper retune. A lot of activity that our competitors have been carrying out in the last three years has been an enormous amount of focus on areas which they were allowed to deal with, which represent small gains for enormous effort.
“We are trying to make sure that the things we focus on are the ones which give the big gains.”
Since leaving F1 at the end of 2006, Routsis says the firm’s successful diversification into areas including aerospace and defence engineering consultancy allowed it to return to its 2006 turnover levels last year despite no longer being involved in motorsport – which previously made up 94% of its business.
He believes its experience in the wider engineering world means that rather than being left behind in the F1 technological game, it has learnt crucial lessons which will help it improve both its output and efficiency.
“When we diversified we thought ‘hey, hey have we got something to offer’ because we are these motorsport hotshots, but we have had to do so much learning about how smart the rest of the world is over the last few years,” Routsis added.
“Actually, I think we are probably bringing back more to motorsport than we had in 2006 courtesy of some pretty hard lessons that have been given to us, particularly by the aerospace and defence boys such as how to really do things properly and efficiently.
“Motorsport has always enjoyed a huge amount of money and we thought as Cosworth that generally we would have less than everyone else and were pretty good at the way we went about it.
“Some of the lessons that we have learned from the wider world have re-set our baseline pretty harshly in terms of just how good the world outside motorsport has got in terms of engineering.
"I think sometimes in motorsport we can believe in our own publicity."
The legendary engine maker will supply its V8 power units to new entrants Team US F1, Manor GP and Campos Meta next season, having last supplied F1 engines to Williams and Toro Rosso in 2006.
Speaking in an interview with itv.com/f1’s James Allen, Cosworth CEO Tim Routsis acknowledged that the manufacturer engines currently in use on the grid had come a long way in terms of reliability in the last three years – but says Cosworth has made sure it will return with a competitive unit.
“There is no doubt that the teams have made some epically big strides over the last few years in terms of engine reliability,” he said.
“The two things that really matter are that we provide a reliable and competitive engine.
“We realised that there was no future for anybody if we rocked up with an uncompetitive engine.”
Routsis revealed that Cosworth has carried out tests which prove its 2010-spec V8 units will be a match for the engines currently in use by the sport’s top teams.
“We wanted to verify that what we had made sense,” he said.
“So what we did was produce a complex model of the engine’s performance as it will be in 2010 and gave it to a third party agency with the largest body of data.
“We asked the question, ‘If you were to take all the results this year of the top three teams and substitute this engine into their cars, would it have affected the outcome of any of the races?’ Because that’s the ultimate measure of the competitiveness of the engine.
“The result that came back was that if the engine we are proposing for next year had been in any of the winning cars, the winning car would have still won. If it had been in any of the second place cars they would still have been second, or in one or two cases, would have won.”
Although Cosworth is having to detune its three-year old engines to F1’s current 18,000rpm limit, Routsis says the fact it has free reign over the areas in which to optimise the units to the rev restrictions has given it the opportunity to make big improvements.
“It will be a lot more fuel efficient, it will obviously be retuned to the 18,000 rpm limit as opposed to the 20,000rpm limit and we are doing quite a lot of work to make sure that it is optimised to give a competitive engine,” said Routsis.
“So whilst you would be able to put the two engines side by side and see a family resemblance, there is a lot of difference in the detail.
He added: “We have been given the opportunity to do a proper retune. A lot of activity that our competitors have been carrying out in the last three years has been an enormous amount of focus on areas which they were allowed to deal with, which represent small gains for enormous effort.
“We are trying to make sure that the things we focus on are the ones which give the big gains.”
Since leaving F1 at the end of 2006, Routsis says the firm’s successful diversification into areas including aerospace and defence engineering consultancy allowed it to return to its 2006 turnover levels last year despite no longer being involved in motorsport – which previously made up 94% of its business.
He believes its experience in the wider engineering world means that rather than being left behind in the F1 technological game, it has learnt crucial lessons which will help it improve both its output and efficiency.
“When we diversified we thought ‘hey, hey have we got something to offer’ because we are these motorsport hotshots, but we have had to do so much learning about how smart the rest of the world is over the last few years,” Routsis added.
“Actually, I think we are probably bringing back more to motorsport than we had in 2006 courtesy of some pretty hard lessons that have been given to us, particularly by the aerospace and defence boys such as how to really do things properly and efficiently.
“Motorsport has always enjoyed a huge amount of money and we thought as Cosworth that generally we would have less than everyone else and were pretty good at the way we went about it.
“Some of the lessons that we have learned from the wider world have re-set our baseline pretty harshly in terms of just how good the world outside motorsport has got in terms of engineering.
"I think sometimes in motorsport we can believe in our own publicity."
Hungaroring
The momentum is with Red Bull after dominant back-to-back victories at Silverstone and the Nurburgring, so Brawn will be eager to strike back before Formula 1 adjourns for its extended four-week summer break, while McLaren finally appears to be on the up.
ITV.com/F1 assesses the form of all 20 drivers ahead of what promises to be an intriguing event at the Hungaroring.
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) - McLaren
Championship position: 11th, 9 points
After Hamilton’s impressive turn of speed at the Nurburgring came to nothing in the race, he is determined to capitalise on the car’s transformed performance in Hungary. Perhaps Lewis was over-eager at the start in Germany, but he’s really hustling the MP4-24 and as it starts to come on song he will surely be back on the podium before long. The slowish corners of the Hungaroring should be relatively forgiving of the car’s remaining deficiencies and make Hamilton a real threat.
Last five race results: 18th / 16th / 13th / 12th / 9th
(most recent first)
2. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) - McLaren
Championship position: 13th, 5 points
Forever in the shadow of his world champion team-mate, the Finn has continued to get on with his job with the minimum of fuss – although his frustration at not having the same updates as his team-mate began to surface in Germany. In the circumstances he did well to qualify just one place behind Hamilton and bring home a point. With the playing field levelled and a return to the scene of his maiden F1 win, the Finn will be hoping to kick-start a string of solid points-scoring finishes.
Last five race results: 8th / R / 14th / R / R
3. Felipe Massa (BR) - Ferrari
Championship position: 5th, 22 points
Stefano Domenicali has made it clear that Ferrari will shortly switch its focus to 2010, but in the meantime the Maranello squad seems finally to have got a handle on the F60. Massa has not finished outside the points since Bahrain, and said his first podium of the year in Germany was a great morale boost. Ferrari has not won here since Michael Schumacher’s dominant 2004 season, but with this season’s topsy-turvy hierarchy, another podium is not out of the question for the impressively consistent Massa.
Last five race results: 3rd / 4th / 6th / 4th / 6th
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) - Ferrari
Championship position: 10th, 10 points
A winner here for McLaren in 2005, Raikkonen’s heart has never truly seemed in it this season. With his WRC debut in Finland just around the corner, his head may also be in a different place. Few things seem to bother the laid-back Finn, but all the talk of Alonso taking his place might stir Kimi into action with only eight rounds remaining. Another anonymous race at the Nurburgring, on the other hand, would fuel speculation that he is nearing the end of his Ferrari tenure.
Last five race results: R / 8th / 9th / 3rd / R
5. Robert Kubica (POL) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 15th, 2 points
The Pole is clearly one of F1’s brightest talents, but doesn’t seem able to work many miracles with the underwhelming BMW F1.09 and, unlike last year, is struggling to assert himself over Heidfeld. On the three-year anniversary of his F1 debut here in 2006, a single point would rank as a success for Kubica. BMW really needs to give him a good car here so that a contract extension can be negotiated in the following four-week break.
Last five race results: 14th / 13th / 7th / R / 11th
6. Nick Heidfeld (D) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 12th, 6 points
Quietly racking up the points is a Heidfeld trademark, and means he often appears higher in the championship table than you might expect. The 2009 BMW has rarely allowed him to do this, but he reckoned only a delayed release from the pits came between him and eighth place in Germany. He usually goes well in Hungary and if he manages a top-10 qualifying berth you’d fancy him to pick up some stealthy points.
Last five race results: 10th / 15th / 11th / 11th / 7th
7. Fernando Alonso (E) - Renault
Championship position: 9th, 13 points
After an uncharacteristic qualifying error and a spin on the warm-up lap in Germany, normal service was resumed in the race as Alonso charged into the points and set fastest lap in the process. The double world champion unfailingly gets the best out of his equipment, and his late surge at the Nurburgring suggests the R29 might not be quite the dog it seemed. But he must ensure he qualifies well in Hungary, even at the expense of a less-than-ideal strategy.
Last five race results: 7th / 14th / 10th / 7th / 5th
8. Nelson Piquet Jr (BR) - Renault
Championship position: 19th, 0 points
Outqualified Alonso for the first time ever in Germany, but let the opportunity slip in all-too-familiar fashion. Flavio Briatore is renowned for being hard on his drivers – just ask Jarno Trulli – so you would have to assume Piquet is on borrowed time unless he can get his name on the score board pretty promptly. After Hungary, contract negotiations will really start in earnest, so a points finish would really boost his chances of staying in the F1 fold.
Last five race results: 13th / 12th / 16th / R / 12th
9. Jarno Trulli (I) - Toyota
Championship position: 6th, 21.5 points
Toyota’s form has fluctuated disconcertingly in recent races and Nurburgring was another case in point; Trulli’s second fastest lap only added to the puzzle. Jarno attributed the team’s struggles in Germany to the low track temperatures, in which case the TF109 should go much better in Hungary. The last maximum downforce race, Monaco, was an unmitigated disaster for Toyota – but the team is confident it now has a better understanding of what went wrong there. Hard to call.
Last five race results: 17th / 7th / 4th / 13th / R
10. Timo Glock (D) - Toyota
Championship position: 8th, 13 points
Having started from the pit lane, Glock made remarkable progress through the field at his home grand prix, just missing out on a point. He is notably adept at getting the best out of a fuel-heavy car, which often sees him climb up the order from middling qualifying positions, but at the Hungaroring a good grid position is not an optional extra. Achieved his best F1 finish to date here last year with a superb drive to second place.
Last five race results: 9th / 9th / 8th / 10th / 10th
11. Jaime Alguersuari (E) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: n/a
Being a rookie in F1 is never easy. Making your debut mid-season without the benefit of any testing is even harder. If this wasn’t enough, Alguersuari will also become the youngest ever F1 driver on Sunday, there’s a chance he will be replaced by WRC legend Sebastien Loeb at an unconfirmed point and Toro Rosso isn’t averse to firing drivers mid-season. However, he was the first Spaniard to win the British F3 championship and, with a major upgrade to the STR4 coming online in Hungary, don’t be surprised to see some impressive practice times from the youngster. Beating Buemi in the race will be his Everest.
Last five race results: n/a
12. Sebastien Buemi (CH) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: 14th, 3 points
Buemi has surprised many this year. He had won a handful of GP2 races from the reverse grid but nothing to suggest stardom beckoned, and yet he has consistently surpassed expectations and seen off a big-name team-mate. He won the sprint race here last year and will also benefit from the new aero package. If the team can quickly get to grips with the updated car, the Swiss has shown the potential to become a regular top-10 finisher. Hungary may be too soon for more points though.
Last five race results: 17th / 18th / 15th / R / R
14. Mark Webber (AUS) - Red Bull
Championship position: 3rd, 45.5 points
Webber was as dominant in Germany as anyone has been all season, which underlined both his own determination to win – and avoid getting shoe-horned into a supporting role to Vettel – and Red Bull’s technical supremacy since the RB5’s Silverstone upgrade. The Australian now has momentum on his side and will be looking to his stamp his authority inside the team once again. Another victory would give RBR a headache as it tries to decide who to back for the drivers’ title, but at the moment the pair are too well-matched for such calculations to come into play.
Last five race results: 1st / 2nd / 2nd / 5th / 3rd
15. Sebastian Vettel (D) - Red Bull
Championship position: 2nd, 47 points
Still Button’s closest challenger in the championship, the ‘next Schumi’ will be eager to keep chipping away at the Briton’s 21-point lead. When out in front the Vettel has looked imperious this year, so his rivals will be eager to keep him in check, and preferably off the front row of the grid. The young German has looked less impressive when stuck in traffic, partly due to the Red Bull’s apparent hyper-sensitivity to turbulence, so will be going all-out for pole. If he bags that, he will have one hand on the victory trophy.
Last five race results: 2nd / 1st / 3rd / R / 4th
16. Nico Rosberg (D) - Williams
Championship position: 7th, 20.5 points
Fourth place in Germany, achieved despite the handicap of carrying an extra 15kg of fuel for most of the race due to a fuel system problem, represented his best drive of an increasingly impressive 2009 campaign. The Williams has been competitive on most types of track, and both team and driver are showing much improved consistency, so expect Rosberg to challenge for his sixth consecutive points finish this weekend.
Last five race results: 4th / 5th / 5th / 6th / 8th
17. Kazuki Nakajima (J) - Williams
Championship position: 20th, 0 points
Kazuki has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough result in the past few races, but as yet has no points to show for his season compared to team-mate Rosberg’s 20.5. Outqualified Nico for the second time running in Germany but then got caught up in a first-lap melee with Trulli. He sorely needs to kickstart his campaign – Patrick Head likes him, but is that enough for a new contract? He must continue his strong recent qualifying form if he is to stand a chance of opening his points account at the Hungaroring.
Last five race results: 12th / 11th / 12th / R / 13th
20. Adrian Sutil (D) - Force India
Championship position: 18th, 0 points
It will be hard to repeat the heroics of the Nurburgring, where his fine drive looked set to be rewarded with Force India’s first ever points until his collision with nemesis Raikkonen. But as Vijay Mallya has pointed out, the small Silverstone-based squad has made bigger performance gains over the season than most others and in the right combination of circumstances it’s not hard to imagine Sutil scraping a point. May face increased competition from Toro Rosso in Hungary given the latter’s aero upgrade, but things are looking up.
Last five race results: 15th / 17th / 17th / 14th / R
21. Giancarlo Fisichella (I) - Force India
Championship position: 17th, 0 points
After a great drive at Silverstone Fisichella was overshadowed by the flying Sutil in Germany, but still put in another solid performance which included early passes on Heidfeld and Alonso and finished less than four seconds off a points finish. Nonetheless, it is Sutil who seems to rise to the occasion when an opportunity to mix it with the big boys arises. Fisi needs to reach Q2 in Hungary to give him the springboard for a top-10 finish.
Last five race results: 11th / 10th / R / 9th / 14th
22. Jenson Button (GB) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 1st, 68 points
Fifth at Silverstone and sixth at the Nurburgring were not in Jenson Button’s script, but despite these blips the Briton retains a healthy 21-point championship lead over Vettel, so there’s no cause for panic – yet. Furthermore, Hungary should suit both Button’s driving style and the Brawn BGP001; the likely higher temperatures and a closer gap between to two Bridgestone tyres should also help Brawn, so expect a much closer contest with Red Bull than in the past two races.
Last five race results: 5th / 6th / 1st / 1st / 1st
23. Rubens Barrichello (BR) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 4th, 44 points
The best way to overcome his post-Nurburgring fury will be to show the Brawn team that he still has it. The track and the conditions should suit the car so Barrichello has to hound Button and the Red Bulls all weekend. His outburst shows he wants it more than ever and a win for Brawn can only be around the corner – is that corner the Hungaroring? Expect him to be in the mix inside a very tight top four or five.
Last five race results: 6th / 3rd / R / 2nd / 2nd
ITV.com/F1's top tips for the Hungaroring
Winner: Button
Jenson’s smooth style suiting the abrasive circuit; the expected sultry conditions; the Brawn preferring the slow and medium-speed corners that the Hungaroring abounds in – it all adds up to a strong case for a Button resurgence. But we’re expecting a much less one-sided contest than the past few races.
Star performer: McLaren
The MP4-24 will certainly not go down as one of the better cars to emerge from Woking, but even the older-spec version was a useful tool around low-speed Monaco, and the lack of fast corners in Hungary should make the downforce shortfall less costly than usual. The latest upgrade clearly worked a treat, so on paper Hamilton and Kovalainen should enjoy their best weekend of the season.
Disappointment: Toro Rosso
The team is expecting a lot from its latest upgrade, which technical director Giorgio Ascanelli says should be as significant as the one Red Bull introduced at Silverstone. But you suspect it will take a couple of races to get the best out of it, while debutant Alguersuari will have a lot on his plate this weekend
ITV.com/F1 assesses the form of all 20 drivers ahead of what promises to be an intriguing event at the Hungaroring.
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) - McLaren
Championship position: 11th, 9 points
After Hamilton’s impressive turn of speed at the Nurburgring came to nothing in the race, he is determined to capitalise on the car’s transformed performance in Hungary. Perhaps Lewis was over-eager at the start in Germany, but he’s really hustling the MP4-24 and as it starts to come on song he will surely be back on the podium before long. The slowish corners of the Hungaroring should be relatively forgiving of the car’s remaining deficiencies and make Hamilton a real threat.
Last five race results: 18th / 16th / 13th / 12th / 9th
(most recent first)
2. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) - McLaren
Championship position: 13th, 5 points
Forever in the shadow of his world champion team-mate, the Finn has continued to get on with his job with the minimum of fuss – although his frustration at not having the same updates as his team-mate began to surface in Germany. In the circumstances he did well to qualify just one place behind Hamilton and bring home a point. With the playing field levelled and a return to the scene of his maiden F1 win, the Finn will be hoping to kick-start a string of solid points-scoring finishes.
Last five race results: 8th / R / 14th / R / R
3. Felipe Massa (BR) - Ferrari
Championship position: 5th, 22 points
Stefano Domenicali has made it clear that Ferrari will shortly switch its focus to 2010, but in the meantime the Maranello squad seems finally to have got a handle on the F60. Massa has not finished outside the points since Bahrain, and said his first podium of the year in Germany was a great morale boost. Ferrari has not won here since Michael Schumacher’s dominant 2004 season, but with this season’s topsy-turvy hierarchy, another podium is not out of the question for the impressively consistent Massa.
Last five race results: 3rd / 4th / 6th / 4th / 6th
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) - Ferrari
Championship position: 10th, 10 points
A winner here for McLaren in 2005, Raikkonen’s heart has never truly seemed in it this season. With his WRC debut in Finland just around the corner, his head may also be in a different place. Few things seem to bother the laid-back Finn, but all the talk of Alonso taking his place might stir Kimi into action with only eight rounds remaining. Another anonymous race at the Nurburgring, on the other hand, would fuel speculation that he is nearing the end of his Ferrari tenure.
Last five race results: R / 8th / 9th / 3rd / R
5. Robert Kubica (POL) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 15th, 2 points
The Pole is clearly one of F1’s brightest talents, but doesn’t seem able to work many miracles with the underwhelming BMW F1.09 and, unlike last year, is struggling to assert himself over Heidfeld. On the three-year anniversary of his F1 debut here in 2006, a single point would rank as a success for Kubica. BMW really needs to give him a good car here so that a contract extension can be negotiated in the following four-week break.
Last five race results: 14th / 13th / 7th / R / 11th
6. Nick Heidfeld (D) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 12th, 6 points
Quietly racking up the points is a Heidfeld trademark, and means he often appears higher in the championship table than you might expect. The 2009 BMW has rarely allowed him to do this, but he reckoned only a delayed release from the pits came between him and eighth place in Germany. He usually goes well in Hungary and if he manages a top-10 qualifying berth you’d fancy him to pick up some stealthy points.
Last five race results: 10th / 15th / 11th / 11th / 7th
7. Fernando Alonso (E) - Renault
Championship position: 9th, 13 points
After an uncharacteristic qualifying error and a spin on the warm-up lap in Germany, normal service was resumed in the race as Alonso charged into the points and set fastest lap in the process. The double world champion unfailingly gets the best out of his equipment, and his late surge at the Nurburgring suggests the R29 might not be quite the dog it seemed. But he must ensure he qualifies well in Hungary, even at the expense of a less-than-ideal strategy.
Last five race results: 7th / 14th / 10th / 7th / 5th
8. Nelson Piquet Jr (BR) - Renault
Championship position: 19th, 0 points
Outqualified Alonso for the first time ever in Germany, but let the opportunity slip in all-too-familiar fashion. Flavio Briatore is renowned for being hard on his drivers – just ask Jarno Trulli – so you would have to assume Piquet is on borrowed time unless he can get his name on the score board pretty promptly. After Hungary, contract negotiations will really start in earnest, so a points finish would really boost his chances of staying in the F1 fold.
Last five race results: 13th / 12th / 16th / R / 12th
9. Jarno Trulli (I) - Toyota
Championship position: 6th, 21.5 points
Toyota’s form has fluctuated disconcertingly in recent races and Nurburgring was another case in point; Trulli’s second fastest lap only added to the puzzle. Jarno attributed the team’s struggles in Germany to the low track temperatures, in which case the TF109 should go much better in Hungary. The last maximum downforce race, Monaco, was an unmitigated disaster for Toyota – but the team is confident it now has a better understanding of what went wrong there. Hard to call.
Last five race results: 17th / 7th / 4th / 13th / R
10. Timo Glock (D) - Toyota
Championship position: 8th, 13 points
Having started from the pit lane, Glock made remarkable progress through the field at his home grand prix, just missing out on a point. He is notably adept at getting the best out of a fuel-heavy car, which often sees him climb up the order from middling qualifying positions, but at the Hungaroring a good grid position is not an optional extra. Achieved his best F1 finish to date here last year with a superb drive to second place.
Last five race results: 9th / 9th / 8th / 10th / 10th
11. Jaime Alguersuari (E) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: n/a
Being a rookie in F1 is never easy. Making your debut mid-season without the benefit of any testing is even harder. If this wasn’t enough, Alguersuari will also become the youngest ever F1 driver on Sunday, there’s a chance he will be replaced by WRC legend Sebastien Loeb at an unconfirmed point and Toro Rosso isn’t averse to firing drivers mid-season. However, he was the first Spaniard to win the British F3 championship and, with a major upgrade to the STR4 coming online in Hungary, don’t be surprised to see some impressive practice times from the youngster. Beating Buemi in the race will be his Everest.
Last five race results: n/a
12. Sebastien Buemi (CH) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: 14th, 3 points
Buemi has surprised many this year. He had won a handful of GP2 races from the reverse grid but nothing to suggest stardom beckoned, and yet he has consistently surpassed expectations and seen off a big-name team-mate. He won the sprint race here last year and will also benefit from the new aero package. If the team can quickly get to grips with the updated car, the Swiss has shown the potential to become a regular top-10 finisher. Hungary may be too soon for more points though.
Last five race results: 17th / 18th / 15th / R / R
14. Mark Webber (AUS) - Red Bull
Championship position: 3rd, 45.5 points
Webber was as dominant in Germany as anyone has been all season, which underlined both his own determination to win – and avoid getting shoe-horned into a supporting role to Vettel – and Red Bull’s technical supremacy since the RB5’s Silverstone upgrade. The Australian now has momentum on his side and will be looking to his stamp his authority inside the team once again. Another victory would give RBR a headache as it tries to decide who to back for the drivers’ title, but at the moment the pair are too well-matched for such calculations to come into play.
Last five race results: 1st / 2nd / 2nd / 5th / 3rd
15. Sebastian Vettel (D) - Red Bull
Championship position: 2nd, 47 points
Still Button’s closest challenger in the championship, the ‘next Schumi’ will be eager to keep chipping away at the Briton’s 21-point lead. When out in front the Vettel has looked imperious this year, so his rivals will be eager to keep him in check, and preferably off the front row of the grid. The young German has looked less impressive when stuck in traffic, partly due to the Red Bull’s apparent hyper-sensitivity to turbulence, so will be going all-out for pole. If he bags that, he will have one hand on the victory trophy.
Last five race results: 2nd / 1st / 3rd / R / 4th
16. Nico Rosberg (D) - Williams
Championship position: 7th, 20.5 points
Fourth place in Germany, achieved despite the handicap of carrying an extra 15kg of fuel for most of the race due to a fuel system problem, represented his best drive of an increasingly impressive 2009 campaign. The Williams has been competitive on most types of track, and both team and driver are showing much improved consistency, so expect Rosberg to challenge for his sixth consecutive points finish this weekend.
Last five race results: 4th / 5th / 5th / 6th / 8th
17. Kazuki Nakajima (J) - Williams
Championship position: 20th, 0 points
Kazuki has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough result in the past few races, but as yet has no points to show for his season compared to team-mate Rosberg’s 20.5. Outqualified Nico for the second time running in Germany but then got caught up in a first-lap melee with Trulli. He sorely needs to kickstart his campaign – Patrick Head likes him, but is that enough for a new contract? He must continue his strong recent qualifying form if he is to stand a chance of opening his points account at the Hungaroring.
Last five race results: 12th / 11th / 12th / R / 13th
20. Adrian Sutil (D) - Force India
Championship position: 18th, 0 points
It will be hard to repeat the heroics of the Nurburgring, where his fine drive looked set to be rewarded with Force India’s first ever points until his collision with nemesis Raikkonen. But as Vijay Mallya has pointed out, the small Silverstone-based squad has made bigger performance gains over the season than most others and in the right combination of circumstances it’s not hard to imagine Sutil scraping a point. May face increased competition from Toro Rosso in Hungary given the latter’s aero upgrade, but things are looking up.
Last five race results: 15th / 17th / 17th / 14th / R
21. Giancarlo Fisichella (I) - Force India
Championship position: 17th, 0 points
After a great drive at Silverstone Fisichella was overshadowed by the flying Sutil in Germany, but still put in another solid performance which included early passes on Heidfeld and Alonso and finished less than four seconds off a points finish. Nonetheless, it is Sutil who seems to rise to the occasion when an opportunity to mix it with the big boys arises. Fisi needs to reach Q2 in Hungary to give him the springboard for a top-10 finish.
Last five race results: 11th / 10th / R / 9th / 14th
22. Jenson Button (GB) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 1st, 68 points
Fifth at Silverstone and sixth at the Nurburgring were not in Jenson Button’s script, but despite these blips the Briton retains a healthy 21-point championship lead over Vettel, so there’s no cause for panic – yet. Furthermore, Hungary should suit both Button’s driving style and the Brawn BGP001; the likely higher temperatures and a closer gap between to two Bridgestone tyres should also help Brawn, so expect a much closer contest with Red Bull than in the past two races.
Last five race results: 5th / 6th / 1st / 1st / 1st
23. Rubens Barrichello (BR) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 4th, 44 points
The best way to overcome his post-Nurburgring fury will be to show the Brawn team that he still has it. The track and the conditions should suit the car so Barrichello has to hound Button and the Red Bulls all weekend. His outburst shows he wants it more than ever and a win for Brawn can only be around the corner – is that corner the Hungaroring? Expect him to be in the mix inside a very tight top four or five.
Last five race results: 6th / 3rd / R / 2nd / 2nd
ITV.com/F1's top tips for the Hungaroring
Winner: Button
Jenson’s smooth style suiting the abrasive circuit; the expected sultry conditions; the Brawn preferring the slow and medium-speed corners that the Hungaroring abounds in – it all adds up to a strong case for a Button resurgence. But we’re expecting a much less one-sided contest than the past few races.
Star performer: McLaren
The MP4-24 will certainly not go down as one of the better cars to emerge from Woking, but even the older-spec version was a useful tool around low-speed Monaco, and the lack of fast corners in Hungary should make the downforce shortfall less costly than usual. The latest upgrade clearly worked a treat, so on paper Hamilton and Kovalainen should enjoy their best weekend of the season.
Disappointment: Toro Rosso
The team is expecting a lot from its latest upgrade, which technical director Giorgio Ascanelli says should be as significant as the one Red Bull introduced at Silverstone. But you suspect it will take a couple of races to get the best out of it, while debutant Alguersuari will have a lot on his plate this weekend
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Hungary guide
The Hungaroring presents plenty of challenges for drivers and engineers alike. The circuit features no high-speed corners, leading the teams to run the highest possible downforce levels, while the primary concern for the engine is ensuring good cooling in the usually hot conditions. The high summer temperatures also make life difficult for the drivers, who need to be in peak physical condition to cope with a race that gives them very little respite over its 70-lap distance. Renault explain how they plan to prepare the R29 for the race weekend…
Aerodynamics
The twisting, 14-corner layout of the Hungaroring features just one legitimate overtaking opportunity per lap, into Turn One. Apart from this straight of just over 700m, the circuit is filled with sequences of low to medium-speed corners, with short braking distances which make overtaking nearly impossible. The result is that the teams all run with maximum downforce levels, similar if not identical to those used in Monaco, in order to optimise not just cornering speeds, but also braking and traction. Maximum speeds achieved on the main straight rarely exceed 300km/h with the V8 engines.
As driver Fernando Alonso explains: "The circuit is quite intense for the drivers, as there are so many corners in a short lap. The high levels of downforce mean we can be quite aggressive with the car, and the physical loads are high in the quicker corners. The section of track from Turns Eight to 11 is all about accuracy, and anticipating the next corner. You need to find a good rhythm through the corners, and have confidence in a stable car balance to steer a smooth, quick course through this sequence."
Suspension
Mechanical grip is an important factor at a low-speed circuit such as this, and teams will generally try to run the car with softer settings all round to improve mechanical grip. The drivers want a responsive car in the low-speed sections, with good traction on corner exit, which will usually lead the teams to a forward mechanical bias (stiffer front/softer rear) in terms of set-up. However, rear tyre wear must be monitored very carefully, particularly to avoid overloading the softer compound available this weekend.
Tyres
Bridgestone will bring the soft and super-soft compounds from its 2009 range this weekend. The low-grip circuit conditions, coupled with the absence of high-speed corners, make these choices possible. As has become customary, the tyre management challenge for the weekend will be to control graining on the softest compound, and this should improve as the circuit rubbers-in throughout the weekend. Data collected during practice will determine whether the super-soft is suitable for use during the majority of the race, while cooler-than-expected temperatures, or overnight rain washing the circuit clean of rubber, could further complicate matters.
Alonso explains: "The track is always quite green and dusty at the start of the weekend, but it improves with every session and picks up a lot of grip as more rubber goes down. The first corner is the biggest braking zone and the only real overtaking opportunity on the circuit. It's a downhill right-hander that we approach in seventh gear at just under 300 km/h before braking down to 90km/h and downshifting to second gear. You need to take an early apex as the corner opens up on the exit so it's important to have good traction and get on the throttle early to carry good speed on the approach to Turn Two."
Cooling
Another important chassis parameter will be ensuring good cooling of the mechanical parts. Although the car's cooling capacity is now well-known, attention must be paid to ensuring the radiators are still well-cooled in spite of the high levels of front downforce run at this circuit. This will have been the object of particular attention in the wind tunnel, and will be fine-tuned during the weekend to ensure the cooling solution required brings the minimum performance penalty.
Engine
With the longest period spent at full throttle barely exceeding ten seconds, and with only 56 percent of the lap spent at full throttle (significantly lower than the average), this is not a demanding circuit for the engine. Of the 14 corners, five are taken in second gear at around 100km/h. Unlike Monaco, where the cars reach abnormally slow speeds in the hairpins, the minimum speed at the Hungaroring is approximately 90km/h. This means the engine spends the majority of its time in a relatively narrow operating window between 100km/h and 250km/h, and the closely-spaced gear ratios we use are selected to ensure optimum performance in this range. As always on a circuit featuring a large number of slow corners, good torque is important to help launch the cars out of the turns.
Aerodynamics
The twisting, 14-corner layout of the Hungaroring features just one legitimate overtaking opportunity per lap, into Turn One. Apart from this straight of just over 700m, the circuit is filled with sequences of low to medium-speed corners, with short braking distances which make overtaking nearly impossible. The result is that the teams all run with maximum downforce levels, similar if not identical to those used in Monaco, in order to optimise not just cornering speeds, but also braking and traction. Maximum speeds achieved on the main straight rarely exceed 300km/h with the V8 engines.
As driver Fernando Alonso explains: "The circuit is quite intense for the drivers, as there are so many corners in a short lap. The high levels of downforce mean we can be quite aggressive with the car, and the physical loads are high in the quicker corners. The section of track from Turns Eight to 11 is all about accuracy, and anticipating the next corner. You need to find a good rhythm through the corners, and have confidence in a stable car balance to steer a smooth, quick course through this sequence."
Suspension
Mechanical grip is an important factor at a low-speed circuit such as this, and teams will generally try to run the car with softer settings all round to improve mechanical grip. The drivers want a responsive car in the low-speed sections, with good traction on corner exit, which will usually lead the teams to a forward mechanical bias (stiffer front/softer rear) in terms of set-up. However, rear tyre wear must be monitored very carefully, particularly to avoid overloading the softer compound available this weekend.
Tyres
Bridgestone will bring the soft and super-soft compounds from its 2009 range this weekend. The low-grip circuit conditions, coupled with the absence of high-speed corners, make these choices possible. As has become customary, the tyre management challenge for the weekend will be to control graining on the softest compound, and this should improve as the circuit rubbers-in throughout the weekend. Data collected during practice will determine whether the super-soft is suitable for use during the majority of the race, while cooler-than-expected temperatures, or overnight rain washing the circuit clean of rubber, could further complicate matters.
Alonso explains: "The track is always quite green and dusty at the start of the weekend, but it improves with every session and picks up a lot of grip as more rubber goes down. The first corner is the biggest braking zone and the only real overtaking opportunity on the circuit. It's a downhill right-hander that we approach in seventh gear at just under 300 km/h before braking down to 90km/h and downshifting to second gear. You need to take an early apex as the corner opens up on the exit so it's important to have good traction and get on the throttle early to carry good speed on the approach to Turn Two."
Cooling
Another important chassis parameter will be ensuring good cooling of the mechanical parts. Although the car's cooling capacity is now well-known, attention must be paid to ensuring the radiators are still well-cooled in spite of the high levels of front downforce run at this circuit. This will have been the object of particular attention in the wind tunnel, and will be fine-tuned during the weekend to ensure the cooling solution required brings the minimum performance penalty.
Engine
With the longest period spent at full throttle barely exceeding ten seconds, and with only 56 percent of the lap spent at full throttle (significantly lower than the average), this is not a demanding circuit for the engine. Of the 14 corners, five are taken in second gear at around 100km/h. Unlike Monaco, where the cars reach abnormally slow speeds in the hairpins, the minimum speed at the Hungaroring is approximately 90km/h. This means the engine spends the majority of its time in a relatively narrow operating window between 100km/h and 250km/h, and the closely-spaced gear ratios we use are selected to ensure optimum performance in this range. As always on a circuit featuring a large number of slow corners, good torque is important to help launch the cars out of the turns.
Monday, 20 July 2009
Hungarian Grand Prix - Preview
======================================================================
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels east across Europe this weekend for
the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on the outskirts of
Budapest. In keeping with its philosophy of continuous improvement,
the team has a further package of upgrades available, including a
rear wing evolution, while two consecutive compounds of Bridgestone
Potenza tyre will be used. The soft and super soft compounds have
been chosen due to the specific requirements of the low-speed,
14-turn Hungaroring. The track has been a happy hunting ground in
recent years, with the team having a presence in the top six in
qualifying and the race on all its last four visits. Timo already has
a prized souvenir of the Hungaroring after achieving his first
Formula 1 podium there last year, when he finished a well-deserved
second place. That was Toyota's second podium in Hungary, following
Ralf Schumacher's third place in 2005, and the team is focused on
achieving another positive result this time around.
Read more :
http://www.toyota-f1.com/en/season/gp2009/10_hungary/preview.html
for more information, please visit our website :
http://www.toyota-f1.com
Drivers Championship
1 Jenson Button Brawn GP Formula One Team 68
2 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 47
3 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 45.5
4 Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team 44
5 Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 22
6 Jarno Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing 21.5
7 Nico Rosberg AT&T Williams 20.5
8 Timo Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing 13
9 Fernando Alonso ING Renault F1 Team 13
10 Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 10
11 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 9
12 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1 Team 6
13 Heikki Kovalainen Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 5
14 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 3
15 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber F1 Team 2
16 Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 2
17 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India F1 Team 0
18 Adrian Sutil Force India F1 Team 0
19 Nelsinho Piquet ING Renault F1 Team 0
20 Kazuki Nakajima AT&T Williams 0
Constructors Championship
1 Brawn GP Formula One Team 112
2 Red Bull Racing 92.5
3 Panasonic Toyota Racing 34.5
4 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 32
5 AT&T Williams 20.5
6 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 14
7 ING Renault F1 Team 13
8 BMW Sauber F1 Team 8
9 Scuderia Toro Rosso 5
10 Force India F1 Team 0
---- Race Schedule (All Local Time)-----------------------------------
FORMULA 1 Round 10 Grand Prix of Hungary
24th July Friday 10:00-11:30 Free Practice 1
14:00-15:30 Free Practice 2
25th July Saturday 11:00-12:00 Free Practice 3
14:00- Qualifying
26th July Sunday 14:00- Race
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels east across Europe this weekend for
the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on the outskirts of
Budapest. In keeping with its philosophy of continuous improvement,
the team has a further package of upgrades available, including a
rear wing evolution, while two consecutive compounds of Bridgestone
Potenza tyre will be used. The soft and super soft compounds have
been chosen due to the specific requirements of the low-speed,
14-turn Hungaroring. The track has been a happy hunting ground in
recent years, with the team having a presence in the top six in
qualifying and the race on all its last four visits. Timo already has
a prized souvenir of the Hungaroring after achieving his first
Formula 1 podium there last year, when he finished a well-deserved
second place. That was Toyota's second podium in Hungary, following
Ralf Schumacher's third place in 2005, and the team is focused on
achieving another positive result this time around.
Read more :
http://www.toyota-f1.com/en/season/gp2009/10_hungary/preview.html
for more information, please visit our website :
http://www.toyota-f1.com
Drivers Championship
1 Jenson Button Brawn GP Formula One Team 68
2 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 47
3 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 45.5
4 Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP Formula One Team 44
5 Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 22
6 Jarno Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing 21.5
7 Nico Rosberg AT&T Williams 20.5
8 Timo Glock Panasonic Toyota Racing 13
9 Fernando Alonso ING Renault F1 Team 13
10 Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 10
11 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 9
12 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1 Team 6
13 Heikki Kovalainen Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 5
14 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 3
15 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber F1 Team 2
16 Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 2
17 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India F1 Team 0
18 Adrian Sutil Force India F1 Team 0
19 Nelsinho Piquet ING Renault F1 Team 0
20 Kazuki Nakajima AT&T Williams 0
Constructors Championship
1 Brawn GP Formula One Team 112
2 Red Bull Racing 92.5
3 Panasonic Toyota Racing 34.5
4 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 32
5 AT&T Williams 20.5
6 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 14
7 ING Renault F1 Team 13
8 BMW Sauber F1 Team 8
9 Scuderia Toro Rosso 5
10 Force India F1 Team 0
---- Race Schedule (All Local Time)-----------------------------------
FORMULA 1 Round 10 Grand Prix of Hungary
24th July Friday 10:00-11:30 Free Practice 1
14:00-15:30 Free Practice 2
25th July Saturday 11:00-12:00 Free Practice 3
14:00- Qualifying
26th July Sunday 14:00- Race
Hungarian Grand Prix
With a distinct absence of high-speed corners and the expectation of hot summer temperatures, the Hungaroring is a unique and demanding challenge. And as Budapest beckons, the drivers and senior team members discuss their prospects for the race...
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 7th
"I enjoy visiting Budapest, and the Hungarian Grand Prix is an enjoyable one for me. The Hungaroring is a challenging track from a driver's perspective because it is very narrow with a lot of corners, even though it is quite a short lap. It might not be one of the fastest tracks on the calendar but it is actually good fun to drive, although you have to keep your concentration because you get punished badly by going off line. It is very close among several teams at the moment so it is difficult to predict what will happen in Hungary but if we can do a smooth weekend with no problems then we will be competitive. The last race weekend was very frustrating for me because we had a lot more performance than the result showed but we are all determined to make up for that with a good points finish in Hungary."
Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"Obviously Hungary is a special race in my career after the podium there last season. That was the first of several strong points finishes for me and I hope another competitive weekend there can get the ball rolling again this year. I am in a positive mood and optimistic I can score again. It was disappointing to just miss the points at the last race, especially in front of my home fans, but I made up 11 places after starting from the pit lane so we have the potential to finish much higher. One of my targets this weekend will be to get a perfect lap in qualifying because that has been an issue in the last couple of races for various reasons. Lap times are really close this year so if you are a tenth or two off your maximum pace in qualifying you can drop a few positions and that makes life harder in the race. We'll be pushing as hard as possible and I am sure we will bounce back."
Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis:
"We are looking forward with optimism to the Hungarian Grand Prix. Even though the Hungaroring is a low average speed circuit it consists mainly of medium-speed corners with very few really slow corners, but still you need plenty of downforce. The track is quite hard on brakes, which is demanding in terms of braking stability and cooling. Also, tyre grip and consistency management can be a challenge because the track surface and lay-out are very specific; it is low grip with high cornering severity. That created a risk that the hard specifications would struggle for grip while the soft specs could suffer severe graining but Bridgestone has reacted so we will use the soft and super soft tyre to avoid that situation. We are likely to face high ambient temperatures this weekend but the cooling efficiency of our car is very good so we can cope with these conditions without degrading the aerodynamic performance."
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“Traditionally this is some sort of a home race for us Finns, because there are so many fellow countrymen on the grandstands. I’ll show up with a new rear wing, which worked really well on Felipe’s car and there’s the possibility that we’ll have further modifications. The F60 should run pretty well at the Hungaroring with its many slow corners; furthermore the temperatures should be slightly higher than at the weekend in Germany: it would be great to gain another podium.”
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 17th
“I haven’t got very good results at this race but that doesn’t mean I don’t race well there: if you remember last year I had the win in my pocket, but then my engine unfortunately let me down with just two laps to go. It’s a nice circuit to drive even if it’s not really one of my favourites, but ask me how we will get on in this race and to be honest I really don’t know. I hope we can carry on making improvements to our package, carrying on in the same direction as in Germany.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“The Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits for drivers because you’re busy throughout the entire lap. It’s a bit like a kart circuit - there are lots of twists and turns and the only place to relax is along the start/finish straight, which is quite short. It’s also quite low-grip which makes overtaking particularly tricky. But I really enjoy the place - I won here in 2007 and was on pole last year. It’s a circuit that really rewards consistent, precise driving - push too hard and you tend to lose rather than gain time. Given the potential we showed in Germany last weekend, I’m hopeful of getting a result that demonstrates the improvement we’ve made over the past few weeks.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 1st
“Obviously, I won in Hungary in 2008 so it will be nice to come back to Budapest again. This race is likely to be won or lost in qualifying: you’ve got to be at the front and run an aggressive first stint if you are to succeed in the race. The track is also quite hard on tyres so you need to find a balance that will allow you to look after your rubber until the finish - the softer rubber, in particular, tends to suffer at the end of the race so you have to be careful. I’m really looking to running the team’s new upgrade package this weekend. I had a strong weekend at the Nurburgring and I didn’t let a single car past me in the race - with the improved car I’m really hopeful of getting another strong result at the Hungaroring.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“While Lewis demonstrated during practice and qualifying at the Nurburgring that our upgrade package appears to provide us with a sizeable step forward in performance, it was frustrating that damage to the rear bodywork left us unable to fully ascertain that benefit in the race itself. For Budapest, both Lewis and Heikki will be equipped with the new package and we are hopeful that it will enable us to mount a more sustained attack towards the front of the field. The Hungaroring is a circuit where we as a team have enjoyed many successes in the past and we travel there this weekend hoping to provide concrete evidence that we’re decisively turning our fortunes around for the remainder of the season.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
"The Grand Prix circuit just outside Budapest is, after Monaco, the one with the lowest average speed. The layout, consisting of more slower corners, where mechanical grip is especially important, should suit us quite well - as demonstrated already in Monaco. However, I currently would consider our technical performance still not good enough to repeat last year’s victory with Heikki - but in any case we at least have been in the lead for a few metres at the Nurburgring - until Lewis’s right-rear tyre was hit which caused a deflated tyre, damaging the underfloor - which prevented Lewis later from achieving good lap times. Everybody in the team is giving it their all to continue the upward trend with both cars.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Hungary is a very special Grand Prix for me. In 2006 I made my debut there, and there are always a lot of Polish fans as Budapest is quite close to Poland. Last year was amazing - it was like being in Poland. The Hungaroring is very special, tricky and physically demanding. Driving the main straight is the only time you can recover. Almost over the entire track you leave one corner and immediately approach the next. Beyond that, it is very hot in Hungary, which makes it demanding for the driver and the tyres. As a lot of corners are quite bumpy, the car’s balance will be another crucial factor.”
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 10th
“I’m very fond of the Hungaroring. The track suits me and I also have some good memories of racing there and achieving good results in the past. It was in Hungary in 1999 that I secured an early championship title in Formula 3000, and in 2006 and 2007 I was on the podium for BMW Sauber. We can generally expect high air temperatures in Hungary. That doesn’t bother me from a physical point of view, although the races on this twisty circuit are always exhausting, and it could help us get the tyres into the temperature window to work well. One drawback in terms of grip, especially at the start of the weekend, is always the dust that blows onto the track from the surrounding landscape.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
“This year our team heads for the Hungarian Grand Prix with muted expectations. So far our car just hasn’t been fast enough for any top placings. We are nevertheless working flat-out on ongoing development of the F1.09 - for two reasons. This year’s new aerodynamic regulations will remain the same for next season. What we are learning from our present car will flow virtually 1:1 into the concept for the F1.10. Besides that, under the test ban in force, the race weekend offers the only chance to track-test new developments and components. It’s an opportunity that has to be utilised. Beyond that, we naturally want to prove to our fans and, not least, to ourselves that we are also capable of reversing a deficit.”
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
“After Monaco, the Hungaroring has the second-lowest average speed of all the Formula One circuits. The mainly slow and medium-fast corners follow in quick succession and the start/finish straight is relatively short. Because dust continually blows onto the track, grip levels tend to be low at the beginning of each of the practice sessions, which can lead to understeer. For the car set-up the focus is primarily on the middle sector with its variety of corner combinations. Another factor that has to be taken into account is that the rear tyres come under heavy loads during the race. Air and track temperatures are traditionally very high in Hungary, which should favour the optimal use of tyres.”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 4th
"The memories of my win in 2003 in Hungary are very special as it was also Renault's first victory since returning to Formula One and it gave the whole team a lot of motivation and self-belief. I always enjoy visiting Budapest as it's a beautiful city, the people are friendly and there is usually a relaxed atmosphere in the paddock as everybody is looking forward to their summer holidays. It's one of the slowest tracks of the season and you are almost constantly in a corner so the track is quite demanding mentally and physically, especially with the high temperatures. With so many low-speed corners you need a stable front end because if you understeer wide it will cost you a lot of time. Good traction and mechanical grip are also important to get a clean exit from the slow corners. Overtaking is really difficult and the only real opportunity is into turn one at the end of the main straight, so it's important that we maximise our performance in qualifying so we can start the race well inside the top ten.”
Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I enjoyed Hungary last year and it was probably one of my best races as I finished sixth. It's also a circuit where I won in GP2. Although there are no quick corners, it's a fun place to drive and the twisty layout makes it feel like a go-kart track. It's still quite challenging and you have to find the rhythm of the circuit and be accurate through the slow corners as the exit of one corner is the entry to the next. Any mistakes therefore cost you a lot of time. I should have the same upgrades as Fernando in Hungary and I think I can be more competitive. As always I will be aiming to qualify in the top ten and hopefully score some points in the race. Qualifying will be vital as it's so tough to overtake at the Hungaroring because the braking zones are small and it's very dirty offline, so it's important that we concentrate on getting the most from Saturday.”
Bob Bell, Renault technical director
“In Germany we only had the new updates on Fernando's car, but next weekend Nelson will have the same upgrades as Fernando. There will also be some more bodywork updates that should take us another step further forward. Hungary will also give us more time to optimise all the previous upgrades in terms of car set-up, so I expect to see further benefits coming from the upgrade package we introduced in Germany. The problems we have been experiencing with the car in the first half of the year have not been related to specific circuit characteristics and are more general as we were lacking a little bit of performance in all areas of the car. To some extent those deficiencies have been corrected by the recent upgrades and so there's no reason why we can't produce a similar level of performance in Hungary as we did in Germany. The Hungaroring is also a circuit Fernando enjoys and has always gone well at so I think he can be competitive again.”
Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 7th
"I enjoy visiting Budapest, and the Hungarian Grand Prix is an enjoyable one for me. The Hungaroring is a challenging track from a driver's perspective because it is very narrow with a lot of corners, even though it is quite a short lap. It might not be one of the fastest tracks on the calendar but it is actually good fun to drive, although you have to keep your concentration because you get punished badly by going off line. It is very close among several teams at the moment so it is difficult to predict what will happen in Hungary but if we can do a smooth weekend with no problems then we will be competitive. The last race weekend was very frustrating for me because we had a lot more performance than the result showed but we are all determined to make up for that with a good points finish in Hungary."
Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"Obviously Hungary is a special race in my career after the podium there last season. That was the first of several strong points finishes for me and I hope another competitive weekend there can get the ball rolling again this year. I am in a positive mood and optimistic I can score again. It was disappointing to just miss the points at the last race, especially in front of my home fans, but I made up 11 places after starting from the pit lane so we have the potential to finish much higher. One of my targets this weekend will be to get a perfect lap in qualifying because that has been an issue in the last couple of races for various reasons. Lap times are really close this year so if you are a tenth or two off your maximum pace in qualifying you can drop a few positions and that makes life harder in the race. We'll be pushing as hard as possible and I am sure we will bounce back."
Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis:
"We are looking forward with optimism to the Hungarian Grand Prix. Even though the Hungaroring is a low average speed circuit it consists mainly of medium-speed corners with very few really slow corners, but still you need plenty of downforce. The track is quite hard on brakes, which is demanding in terms of braking stability and cooling. Also, tyre grip and consistency management can be a challenge because the track surface and lay-out are very specific; it is low grip with high cornering severity. That created a risk that the hard specifications would struggle for grip while the soft specs could suffer severe graining but Bridgestone has reacted so we will use the soft and super soft tyre to avoid that situation. We are likely to face high ambient temperatures this weekend but the cooling efficiency of our car is very good so we can cope with these conditions without degrading the aerodynamic performance."
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“Traditionally this is some sort of a home race for us Finns, because there are so many fellow countrymen on the grandstands. I’ll show up with a new rear wing, which worked really well on Felipe’s car and there’s the possibility that we’ll have further modifications. The F60 should run pretty well at the Hungaroring with its many slow corners; furthermore the temperatures should be slightly higher than at the weekend in Germany: it would be great to gain another podium.”
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 17th
“I haven’t got very good results at this race but that doesn’t mean I don’t race well there: if you remember last year I had the win in my pocket, but then my engine unfortunately let me down with just two laps to go. It’s a nice circuit to drive even if it’s not really one of my favourites, but ask me how we will get on in this race and to be honest I really don’t know. I hope we can carry on making improvements to our package, carrying on in the same direction as in Germany.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“The Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits for drivers because you’re busy throughout the entire lap. It’s a bit like a kart circuit - there are lots of twists and turns and the only place to relax is along the start/finish straight, which is quite short. It’s also quite low-grip which makes overtaking particularly tricky. But I really enjoy the place - I won here in 2007 and was on pole last year. It’s a circuit that really rewards consistent, precise driving - push too hard and you tend to lose rather than gain time. Given the potential we showed in Germany last weekend, I’m hopeful of getting a result that demonstrates the improvement we’ve made over the past few weeks.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 1st
“Obviously, I won in Hungary in 2008 so it will be nice to come back to Budapest again. This race is likely to be won or lost in qualifying: you’ve got to be at the front and run an aggressive first stint if you are to succeed in the race. The track is also quite hard on tyres so you need to find a balance that will allow you to look after your rubber until the finish - the softer rubber, in particular, tends to suffer at the end of the race so you have to be careful. I’m really looking to running the team’s new upgrade package this weekend. I had a strong weekend at the Nurburgring and I didn’t let a single car past me in the race - with the improved car I’m really hopeful of getting another strong result at the Hungaroring.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“While Lewis demonstrated during practice and qualifying at the Nurburgring that our upgrade package appears to provide us with a sizeable step forward in performance, it was frustrating that damage to the rear bodywork left us unable to fully ascertain that benefit in the race itself. For Budapest, both Lewis and Heikki will be equipped with the new package and we are hopeful that it will enable us to mount a more sustained attack towards the front of the field. The Hungaroring is a circuit where we as a team have enjoyed many successes in the past and we travel there this weekend hoping to provide concrete evidence that we’re decisively turning our fortunes around for the remainder of the season.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
"The Grand Prix circuit just outside Budapest is, after Monaco, the one with the lowest average speed. The layout, consisting of more slower corners, where mechanical grip is especially important, should suit us quite well - as demonstrated already in Monaco. However, I currently would consider our technical performance still not good enough to repeat last year’s victory with Heikki - but in any case we at least have been in the lead for a few metres at the Nurburgring - until Lewis’s right-rear tyre was hit which caused a deflated tyre, damaging the underfloor - which prevented Lewis later from achieving good lap times. Everybody in the team is giving it their all to continue the upward trend with both cars.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Hungary is a very special Grand Prix for me. In 2006 I made my debut there, and there are always a lot of Polish fans as Budapest is quite close to Poland. Last year was amazing - it was like being in Poland. The Hungaroring is very special, tricky and physically demanding. Driving the main straight is the only time you can recover. Almost over the entire track you leave one corner and immediately approach the next. Beyond that, it is very hot in Hungary, which makes it demanding for the driver and the tyres. As a lot of corners are quite bumpy, the car’s balance will be another crucial factor.”
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 10th
“I’m very fond of the Hungaroring. The track suits me and I also have some good memories of racing there and achieving good results in the past. It was in Hungary in 1999 that I secured an early championship title in Formula 3000, and in 2006 and 2007 I was on the podium for BMW Sauber. We can generally expect high air temperatures in Hungary. That doesn’t bother me from a physical point of view, although the races on this twisty circuit are always exhausting, and it could help us get the tyres into the temperature window to work well. One drawback in terms of grip, especially at the start of the weekend, is always the dust that blows onto the track from the surrounding landscape.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
“This year our team heads for the Hungarian Grand Prix with muted expectations. So far our car just hasn’t been fast enough for any top placings. We are nevertheless working flat-out on ongoing development of the F1.09 - for two reasons. This year’s new aerodynamic regulations will remain the same for next season. What we are learning from our present car will flow virtually 1:1 into the concept for the F1.10. Besides that, under the test ban in force, the race weekend offers the only chance to track-test new developments and components. It’s an opportunity that has to be utilised. Beyond that, we naturally want to prove to our fans and, not least, to ourselves that we are also capable of reversing a deficit.”
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
“After Monaco, the Hungaroring has the second-lowest average speed of all the Formula One circuits. The mainly slow and medium-fast corners follow in quick succession and the start/finish straight is relatively short. Because dust continually blows onto the track, grip levels tend to be low at the beginning of each of the practice sessions, which can lead to understeer. For the car set-up the focus is primarily on the middle sector with its variety of corner combinations. Another factor that has to be taken into account is that the rear tyres come under heavy loads during the race. Air and track temperatures are traditionally very high in Hungary, which should favour the optimal use of tyres.”
Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 4th
"The memories of my win in 2003 in Hungary are very special as it was also Renault's first victory since returning to Formula One and it gave the whole team a lot of motivation and self-belief. I always enjoy visiting Budapest as it's a beautiful city, the people are friendly and there is usually a relaxed atmosphere in the paddock as everybody is looking forward to their summer holidays. It's one of the slowest tracks of the season and you are almost constantly in a corner so the track is quite demanding mentally and physically, especially with the high temperatures. With so many low-speed corners you need a stable front end because if you understeer wide it will cost you a lot of time. Good traction and mechanical grip are also important to get a clean exit from the slow corners. Overtaking is really difficult and the only real opportunity is into turn one at the end of the main straight, so it's important that we maximise our performance in qualifying so we can start the race well inside the top ten.”
Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I enjoyed Hungary last year and it was probably one of my best races as I finished sixth. It's also a circuit where I won in GP2. Although there are no quick corners, it's a fun place to drive and the twisty layout makes it feel like a go-kart track. It's still quite challenging and you have to find the rhythm of the circuit and be accurate through the slow corners as the exit of one corner is the entry to the next. Any mistakes therefore cost you a lot of time. I should have the same upgrades as Fernando in Hungary and I think I can be more competitive. As always I will be aiming to qualify in the top ten and hopefully score some points in the race. Qualifying will be vital as it's so tough to overtake at the Hungaroring because the braking zones are small and it's very dirty offline, so it's important that we concentrate on getting the most from Saturday.”
Bob Bell, Renault technical director
“In Germany we only had the new updates on Fernando's car, but next weekend Nelson will have the same upgrades as Fernando. There will also be some more bodywork updates that should take us another step further forward. Hungary will also give us more time to optimise all the previous upgrades in terms of car set-up, so I expect to see further benefits coming from the upgrade package we introduced in Germany. The problems we have been experiencing with the car in the first half of the year have not been related to specific circuit characteristics and are more general as we were lacking a little bit of performance in all areas of the car. To some extent those deficiencies have been corrected by the recent upgrades and so there's no reason why we can't produce a similar level of performance in Hungary as we did in Germany. The Hungaroring is also a circuit Fernando enjoys and has always gone well at so I think he can be competitive again.”
British GP could alternate, says Bernie
Bernie Ecclestone has raised the prospect of the British Grand Prix alternating between Donington and Silverstone if the former is not ready to hold the 2010 race as planned.
With Donington’s financing of its £80m redevelopment project having been hit by the recession, Ecclestone indicated at Silverstone’s final scheduled F1 race last month that the event could return there after all next year if Donington fails to deliver on time.
And with Donington circuit CEO Simon Gillett still to confirm details of how the scheme will be funded, Ecclestone has now seemingly handed Silverstone a further lifeline by floating a race-share arrangement from next season.
"If they [Donington] don't do it, Donington will get together with Silverstone," the Formula 1 supremo told The Independent on Sunday newspaper.
After shocking the F1 paddock last summer by announcing a 10-year deal with Gillett to move the British race from its traditional Silverstone home, Ecclestone insisted he would not return the sport to the Northamptonshire venue even if Donington's plans fell through.
However after revealing last month that his change of stance towards Silverstone had come about because of a more constructive attitude from its owner the BRDC, Ecclestone has reiterated that the race will be back there in 2010 if Donington isn't ready and it in turn completes its own improvements to facilities.
"If Silverstone do all the things they promised me they are going to do, we are going to be at Silverstone," he added.
But while Silverstone has always made it clear it would welcome the British GP back should Donington not deliver, BRDC president Damon Hill has rejected the prospect of a race share arrangement.
The 1996 world champion says such a move would be “absurd” and that Ecclestone should instead negotiate a new long-term deal with Silverstone, Hill doubting the viability of Donington's plans.
“I am not in favour of rotating it,” he said.
"I think it's an insult. It's another absurd step to try and squeeze as much profit and as much benefit for the commercial rights-holder. It's not a long-term strategy."
"I'm in favour of the contract for the British Grand Prix being negotiated with Silverstone because I don't believe that the Donington project is viable."
Silverstone, however, has past experience of sharing the British round after the race alternated between the historic circuit and Brands Hatch between 1964 and 1986.
Germany is the only country to currently alternating the venue for its race, with the event switched annually between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring so the circuits can share the race-hosting fees.
With Donington’s financing of its £80m redevelopment project having been hit by the recession, Ecclestone indicated at Silverstone’s final scheduled F1 race last month that the event could return there after all next year if Donington fails to deliver on time.
And with Donington circuit CEO Simon Gillett still to confirm details of how the scheme will be funded, Ecclestone has now seemingly handed Silverstone a further lifeline by floating a race-share arrangement from next season.
"If they [Donington] don't do it, Donington will get together with Silverstone," the Formula 1 supremo told The Independent on Sunday newspaper.
After shocking the F1 paddock last summer by announcing a 10-year deal with Gillett to move the British race from its traditional Silverstone home, Ecclestone insisted he would not return the sport to the Northamptonshire venue even if Donington's plans fell through.
However after revealing last month that his change of stance towards Silverstone had come about because of a more constructive attitude from its owner the BRDC, Ecclestone has reiterated that the race will be back there in 2010 if Donington isn't ready and it in turn completes its own improvements to facilities.
"If Silverstone do all the things they promised me they are going to do, we are going to be at Silverstone," he added.
But while Silverstone has always made it clear it would welcome the British GP back should Donington not deliver, BRDC president Damon Hill has rejected the prospect of a race share arrangement.
The 1996 world champion says such a move would be “absurd” and that Ecclestone should instead negotiate a new long-term deal with Silverstone, Hill doubting the viability of Donington's plans.
“I am not in favour of rotating it,” he said.
"I think it's an insult. It's another absurd step to try and squeeze as much profit and as much benefit for the commercial rights-holder. It's not a long-term strategy."
"I'm in favour of the contract for the British Grand Prix being negotiated with Silverstone because I don't believe that the Donington project is viable."
Silverstone, however, has past experience of sharing the British round after the race alternated between the historic circuit and Brands Hatch between 1964 and 1986.
Germany is the only country to currently alternating the venue for its race, with the event switched annually between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring so the circuits can share the race-hosting fees.
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.
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Webber set to get new Red Bull deal
Mark Webber is set to be handed a fresh deal to stay with Red Bull Racing in 2010, with his team confirming that it plans to open contract talks with the Australian imminently.
With huge interest surrounding Webber following his maiden victory in the German Grand Prix, and on the back of an impressive first half to the campaign, Red Bull has set its sights on retaining him at least one more year.
Team principal Christian Horner said that talks would open soon with Webber, with the hope being that a deal can be put together to keep him alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
"Mark is doing a great job and he is a great team player," Horner told AUTOSPORT. "We have got a very good balance in the team and we will get around to talking to him about his contract shortly, but he is a very valued member of the team."
Although Webber is the man of the moment, and could yet end the season as world champion, his contract talks are unlikely to be totally straightforward.
Red Bull is under intense pressure to reduce its costs, having already made technical director Geoff Willis redundant, and it may need to put a squeeze on the amount it could pay Webber in 2010.
Furthermore, while Webber would prefer a lengthy deal that could keep him tied to Red Bull until the end of his career, the team is believed to favour a shorter contract.
But with the partnership yielding great results at the moment, and all eyes on beating Brawn GP to the championship, both sides may be willing to compromise in order to secure a deal.
With huge interest surrounding Webber following his maiden victory in the German Grand Prix, and on the back of an impressive first half to the campaign, Red Bull has set its sights on retaining him at least one more year.
Team principal Christian Horner said that talks would open soon with Webber, with the hope being that a deal can be put together to keep him alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
"Mark is doing a great job and he is a great team player," Horner told AUTOSPORT. "We have got a very good balance in the team and we will get around to talking to him about his contract shortly, but he is a very valued member of the team."
Although Webber is the man of the moment, and could yet end the season as world champion, his contract talks are unlikely to be totally straightforward.
Red Bull is under intense pressure to reduce its costs, having already made technical director Geoff Willis redundant, and it may need to put a squeeze on the amount it could pay Webber in 2010.
Furthermore, while Webber would prefer a lengthy deal that could keep him tied to Red Bull until the end of his career, the team is believed to favour a shorter contract.
But with the partnership yielding great results at the moment, and all eyes on beating Brawn GP to the championship, both sides may be willing to compromise in order to secure a deal.
Jean Todt stands for FIA presidency
Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has confirmed that he will stand for the presidency of the FIA later this year.
Just 24 hours after outgoing president Max Mosley endorsed Todt as the ideal candidate to replace him, the Frenchman has confirmed that he does intend to put himself forward for election.
He is the second candidate to put himself forward, with former world rally champion Ari Vatanen having announced his campaign last week.
Speaking about his decision to stand and revealing the key figures behind his bid, Todt said: "Following the decision of Max Mosley not to seek a further term of office and his unequivocal support of my candidacy, I have written to the FIA membership to inform them that I wish to stand for the presidency of the FIA.
"It is my intention to continue and expand the outstanding work of President Mosley, who for 16 years has worked tirelessly to strengthen the FIA's major motorsport championships and to position the FIA as the voice of the motoring public, actively promoting safe, clean and affordable mobility for all.
"Given the unique structure of the FIA and its twin roles in sport and mobility it takes more than a president to run the organisation and I am delighted to announce my leadership team.
"For the position of deputy president for mobility I would propose Brian Gibbons, chief executive of the New Zealand Automobile Association; for deputy president for sport I would propose, Graham Stoker, chairman of the Council of the UK's Motor Sports Association; and for president of the Senate I would propose Nick Craw, president of ACCUS and the current FIA deputy president (sport).
"I am confident that together we will offer the FIA the opportunity to elect a dynamic leadership team of outstanding experience and commitment. "
Mosley revealed his preference for Todt as the man to replace him in a letter to FIA member clubs on Wednesday, confirming that he was going to step down when his current term expires in October.
"Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motorsport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation," wrote Mosley.
"If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extend the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all areas where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support."
Todt's bid to stand as FIA president is likely to generate controversy in F1 - coming just weeks after teams suggested that they would prefer an 'independent' candidate who did not have any previous links to teams.
Furthermore there have been times throughout his Ferrari tenure, particularly during the numerous team orders controversies involving Michael Schumacher, that Todt earned fierce criticism from fans and media for putting his team ahead of the sport.
Just 24 hours after outgoing president Max Mosley endorsed Todt as the ideal candidate to replace him, the Frenchman has confirmed that he does intend to put himself forward for election.
He is the second candidate to put himself forward, with former world rally champion Ari Vatanen having announced his campaign last week.
Speaking about his decision to stand and revealing the key figures behind his bid, Todt said: "Following the decision of Max Mosley not to seek a further term of office and his unequivocal support of my candidacy, I have written to the FIA membership to inform them that I wish to stand for the presidency of the FIA.
"It is my intention to continue and expand the outstanding work of President Mosley, who for 16 years has worked tirelessly to strengthen the FIA's major motorsport championships and to position the FIA as the voice of the motoring public, actively promoting safe, clean and affordable mobility for all.
"Given the unique structure of the FIA and its twin roles in sport and mobility it takes more than a president to run the organisation and I am delighted to announce my leadership team.
"For the position of deputy president for mobility I would propose Brian Gibbons, chief executive of the New Zealand Automobile Association; for deputy president for sport I would propose, Graham Stoker, chairman of the Council of the UK's Motor Sports Association; and for president of the Senate I would propose Nick Craw, president of ACCUS and the current FIA deputy president (sport).
"I am confident that together we will offer the FIA the opportunity to elect a dynamic leadership team of outstanding experience and commitment. "
Mosley revealed his preference for Todt as the man to replace him in a letter to FIA member clubs on Wednesday, confirming that he was going to step down when his current term expires in October.
"Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motorsport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation," wrote Mosley.
"If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extend the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all areas where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support."
Todt's bid to stand as FIA president is likely to generate controversy in F1 - coming just weeks after teams suggested that they would prefer an 'independent' candidate who did not have any previous links to teams.
Furthermore there have been times throughout his Ferrari tenure, particularly during the numerous team orders controversies involving Michael Schumacher, that Todt earned fierce criticism from fans and media for putting his team ahead of the sport.
Q+A with Jarno Trulli
How was the German Grand Prix weekend for you?
Cold! The weather was more like a winter test, with very low track temperatures and some rain, which didn't help us. Our car works best in warmer conditions so when we saw the weather forecast for the weekend we knew it wouldn't be ideal for us, and that's how it turned out.
Practice seemed to go well, so what were your expectations going into qualifying?
I was quite happy with our performance in practice and we were in the top six in both Friday sessions which gave me confidence. Of course, it's difficult to know exactly where you stand after Friday because you don't know what programmes the other guys are running but I was quite hopeful. Apart from Monaco I have always been in Q3 this year and fighting for the top six, so that was the target again.
What happened?
In the end the conditions were very unfortunate for us and a few minutes of rain ruined qualifying for me. There was no problem getting through Q1 but the weather in Q2 was really changeable and in those conditions it is always a risk when it comes to tyre choice. There was a very small window towards the end of Q2 when it wasn't raining and the track was in reasonable condition but we were just a little bit too late going on to the option tyres and it started raining again.
What were your thoughts going into the race?
First of all we needed to understand what the weather would do. On Saturday it looked like we would have a wet race but the rain came on Sunday morning and the conditions for the race were okay, even though it was still quite cold. From 14th it is hard to have high expectations but we know our car is fundamentally competitive so I was determined to fight as hard as possible and try to make up some places. We were confident in our strategy and we never give up.
Can you explain what happened on the first lap?
As usual at the Nürburgring the first few corners were really tight and there was a lot of fighting for position. When you start in the middle of the field it is always pretty hectic but everything was fine until another car flew past me and bounced over my front wing. I could feel there was something wrong with my wing, even though I couldn't actually see the damaged part, so we had to pit for a new one.
How was your race after that?
Obviously it is extremely difficult to get anything from a race when you have to make an extra pit stop. Immediately after the pit stop I was quite quick and if you look at the lap times, mine were actually as fast as, or faster than, several of the cars in the top six so I caught up with the back of the field really quickly. But then I was stuck in traffic for the whole race which gave me no chance to get a decent result.
How do you assess the ultimate pace of the TF109 in the race?
It's hard to compare properly with the top cars because I was stuck in traffic for so long but I did have a few clear laps towards the end of the race, when I was on the medium tyres, and I put in some quick times. In the end I recorded the second fastest lap of the race which suggests we could have had a much better result if circumstances had worked out differently. But there is no point looking back on things; I always look forward and my focus now is to get a much more representative result in Hungary.
So what are your thoughts ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix?
Well, we can expect the temperatures to be a lot better than the Nürburgring, that's for sure. That should suit us well because generally our car is more competitive in warm weather. In the past we have done well in Hungary but every year is different so I don't know exactly what to expect. We are certainly pushing as hard as we can and the car has a lot more potential than the results in Nürburgring showed.
Cold! The weather was more like a winter test, with very low track temperatures and some rain, which didn't help us. Our car works best in warmer conditions so when we saw the weather forecast for the weekend we knew it wouldn't be ideal for us, and that's how it turned out.
Practice seemed to go well, so what were your expectations going into qualifying?
I was quite happy with our performance in practice and we were in the top six in both Friday sessions which gave me confidence. Of course, it's difficult to know exactly where you stand after Friday because you don't know what programmes the other guys are running but I was quite hopeful. Apart from Monaco I have always been in Q3 this year and fighting for the top six, so that was the target again.
What happened?
In the end the conditions were very unfortunate for us and a few minutes of rain ruined qualifying for me. There was no problem getting through Q1 but the weather in Q2 was really changeable and in those conditions it is always a risk when it comes to tyre choice. There was a very small window towards the end of Q2 when it wasn't raining and the track was in reasonable condition but we were just a little bit too late going on to the option tyres and it started raining again.
What were your thoughts going into the race?
First of all we needed to understand what the weather would do. On Saturday it looked like we would have a wet race but the rain came on Sunday morning and the conditions for the race were okay, even though it was still quite cold. From 14th it is hard to have high expectations but we know our car is fundamentally competitive so I was determined to fight as hard as possible and try to make up some places. We were confident in our strategy and we never give up.
Can you explain what happened on the first lap?
As usual at the Nürburgring the first few corners were really tight and there was a lot of fighting for position. When you start in the middle of the field it is always pretty hectic but everything was fine until another car flew past me and bounced over my front wing. I could feel there was something wrong with my wing, even though I couldn't actually see the damaged part, so we had to pit for a new one.
How was your race after that?
Obviously it is extremely difficult to get anything from a race when you have to make an extra pit stop. Immediately after the pit stop I was quite quick and if you look at the lap times, mine were actually as fast as, or faster than, several of the cars in the top six so I caught up with the back of the field really quickly. But then I was stuck in traffic for the whole race which gave me no chance to get a decent result.
How do you assess the ultimate pace of the TF109 in the race?
It's hard to compare properly with the top cars because I was stuck in traffic for so long but I did have a few clear laps towards the end of the race, when I was on the medium tyres, and I put in some quick times. In the end I recorded the second fastest lap of the race which suggests we could have had a much better result if circumstances had worked out differently. But there is no point looking back on things; I always look forward and my focus now is to get a much more representative result in Hungary.
So what are your thoughts ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix?
Well, we can expect the temperatures to be a lot better than the Nürburgring, that's for sure. That should suit us well because generally our car is more competitive in warm weather. In the past we have done well in Hungary but every year is different so I don't know exactly what to expect. We are certainly pushing as hard as we can and the car has a lot more potential than the results in Nürburgring showed.
Williams German GP Review
The AT&T Williams team maintained a high level of car development and brought a detailed aero upgrade to the Nürburgring, comprising a new front wing as well as diffuser and engine cover modifications. The upgrade was validated during Friday’s practice sessions and remained on the car for the remainder of the weekend. A change in direction on Friday and Saturday morning, intended to help the team prepare for Q3, meant that the team didn’t expect to run at the top of the timesheets in practice. The team also introduced a wheel modification to assist in the pitstops and this design change was validated on one car and will be raced on both FW31s in Hungary.
Both Friday and Saturday’s running was dominated by gusty wind conditions and low track temperatures, making tyre warm-up difficult. In Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session, both Nico and Kazuki progressed cleanly through Q1. Starting Q2 on option tyres, the team adopted a similar programme to many of its competitors and quickly aborted its first run on both cars as the rain fell, boxing for intermediate tyres. Finding sufficient pace on intermediates for both drivers proved problematic, a situation that wasn’t improved when there was a brief window for slicks which Nico managed to take advantage of, but found himself unable to repeat the good pace he had found in Q1. As a consequence, the qualifying performance was disappointing and the team took the decision to fuel the cars for a long first stint and start Sunday’s race on prime tyres, required given the penalty of carrying additional fuel.
Starting Sunday’s race on primes, despite the change in climatic conditions and many other teams electing to start the race on options, might have made Nico and Kazuki’s starts somewhat compromised. In the event, Nico had a very strong opening lap, passing cars on the outside of turn one and by the close of the lap had climbed six places from his start position. Kazuki’s start was however compromised by an accident that pushed him back down the field to P19, from which position he could only improve to P12. Towards the end of the first stint, fuel pressure drop-outs on Nico’s car meant that first stop was called a handful of laps early and he was obliged to carry additional fuel for the remainder of the race to compensate for the problem, without the penalty of which he may have had a good opportunity to challenge for P3.
Q&A WITH SAM MICHAEL, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Q. Were you pleased with the progress of the team at the Nürburgring?
We’re improving the performance levels of the FW31 every race, and that’s translating into greater competitiveness across a variety of tracks. All the teams are bringing upgrades to each race, so it’s encouraging to see that our development plan is working.
Q. How did the cool conditions affect tyre performance?
Quite a lot. It was difficult to get the tyres up to their correct operating conditions and then to keep them there. It was clear as early as Friday morning that it was going to be an issue and remain so throughout the weekend. When that happens there is also a high risk of graining, which is why we opted to run the harder prime tyre for the majority of the race.
Q. Please explain the rationale behind the team’s tyre choices during Q2.
Like the rest of the field, we did one lap on slick tyres but abandoned it when it started to rain and switched to intermediates. While on the Inters, Kazuki radioed in to say that the track was ready to go back on slicks, but it would be prudent to do another lap on the Inters. That almost paid off for him. By the time he went back out on the slicks, it had rained again and we’d missed the window. Nico was on a similar strategy. He was out on track at the right time with the slicks, but his car balance wasn’t right. There was some luck going on with the choices we made, but it was the same for everyone and we just didn’t do as good a job as the other teams.
Q. What caused the fuel system problem on Nico’s car in the race, and what were the ramifications?
Five laps before Nico’s first pit-stop we started to see issues with the fuel rail high pressure which forced us into pitting earlier than we had fuel for. We also added a large amount of extra fuel to give us the margin we needed at the second stop. This meant Nico had to carry the extra margin for the remainder of the race which slowed him down. We have now analysed the data and parts, understood the problem and put in place revisions to the system for Budapest GP.
Q. Do you think this was Nico’s best race in F1?
That’s fairly subjective but, if you judge him by his progression through the field and his recent first lap performances, it’s clear Nico is driving really well at the moment. His first lap at the Nürburgring reminded me of his performance in Istanbul where he also made significant gains in the opening lap.
Q. How would you sum up Kazuki’s performance at the Nürburgring?
Again, Kazuki was quick throughout qualifying and the race, demonstrated when he set the fifth fastest race lap time. Unfortunately, though, he spent the race in traffic so wasn’t able to show what he was capable of.
Q. Looking ahead, how do you expect the FW31 to perform in Hungary?
We should be competitive there too. We will be taking more upgrades to Budapest, but all the teams need to be bringing 0.2 seconds to every race just to stay where they are. It’s so close out there that you can’t afford not to bring new parts to every race.
Race ResultsDriver Grid Position Pit Stops Best Lap Result
N Rosberg 15 2 (18, 43) 1:34.403 (7th) 4th
K Nakajima 13 2 (15, 40) 1:34.238 (5th) 12th
Both Friday and Saturday’s running was dominated by gusty wind conditions and low track temperatures, making tyre warm-up difficult. In Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session, both Nico and Kazuki progressed cleanly through Q1. Starting Q2 on option tyres, the team adopted a similar programme to many of its competitors and quickly aborted its first run on both cars as the rain fell, boxing for intermediate tyres. Finding sufficient pace on intermediates for both drivers proved problematic, a situation that wasn’t improved when there was a brief window for slicks which Nico managed to take advantage of, but found himself unable to repeat the good pace he had found in Q1. As a consequence, the qualifying performance was disappointing and the team took the decision to fuel the cars for a long first stint and start Sunday’s race on prime tyres, required given the penalty of carrying additional fuel.
Starting Sunday’s race on primes, despite the change in climatic conditions and many other teams electing to start the race on options, might have made Nico and Kazuki’s starts somewhat compromised. In the event, Nico had a very strong opening lap, passing cars on the outside of turn one and by the close of the lap had climbed six places from his start position. Kazuki’s start was however compromised by an accident that pushed him back down the field to P19, from which position he could only improve to P12. Towards the end of the first stint, fuel pressure drop-outs on Nico’s car meant that first stop was called a handful of laps early and he was obliged to carry additional fuel for the remainder of the race to compensate for the problem, without the penalty of which he may have had a good opportunity to challenge for P3.
Q&A WITH SAM MICHAEL, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Q. Were you pleased with the progress of the team at the Nürburgring?
We’re improving the performance levels of the FW31 every race, and that’s translating into greater competitiveness across a variety of tracks. All the teams are bringing upgrades to each race, so it’s encouraging to see that our development plan is working.
Q. How did the cool conditions affect tyre performance?
Quite a lot. It was difficult to get the tyres up to their correct operating conditions and then to keep them there. It was clear as early as Friday morning that it was going to be an issue and remain so throughout the weekend. When that happens there is also a high risk of graining, which is why we opted to run the harder prime tyre for the majority of the race.
Q. Please explain the rationale behind the team’s tyre choices during Q2.
Like the rest of the field, we did one lap on slick tyres but abandoned it when it started to rain and switched to intermediates. While on the Inters, Kazuki radioed in to say that the track was ready to go back on slicks, but it would be prudent to do another lap on the Inters. That almost paid off for him. By the time he went back out on the slicks, it had rained again and we’d missed the window. Nico was on a similar strategy. He was out on track at the right time with the slicks, but his car balance wasn’t right. There was some luck going on with the choices we made, but it was the same for everyone and we just didn’t do as good a job as the other teams.
Q. What caused the fuel system problem on Nico’s car in the race, and what were the ramifications?
Five laps before Nico’s first pit-stop we started to see issues with the fuel rail high pressure which forced us into pitting earlier than we had fuel for. We also added a large amount of extra fuel to give us the margin we needed at the second stop. This meant Nico had to carry the extra margin for the remainder of the race which slowed him down. We have now analysed the data and parts, understood the problem and put in place revisions to the system for Budapest GP.
Q. Do you think this was Nico’s best race in F1?
That’s fairly subjective but, if you judge him by his progression through the field and his recent first lap performances, it’s clear Nico is driving really well at the moment. His first lap at the Nürburgring reminded me of his performance in Istanbul where he also made significant gains in the opening lap.
Q. How would you sum up Kazuki’s performance at the Nürburgring?
Again, Kazuki was quick throughout qualifying and the race, demonstrated when he set the fifth fastest race lap time. Unfortunately, though, he spent the race in traffic so wasn’t able to show what he was capable of.
Q. Looking ahead, how do you expect the FW31 to perform in Hungary?
We should be competitive there too. We will be taking more upgrades to Budapest, but all the teams need to be bringing 0.2 seconds to every race just to stay where they are. It’s so close out there that you can’t afford not to bring new parts to every race.
Race ResultsDriver Grid Position Pit Stops Best Lap Result
N Rosberg 15 2 (18, 43) 1:34.403 (7th) 4th
K Nakajima 13 2 (15, 40) 1:34.238 (5th) 12th
German GP winner
We managed to pin Mark down for ten minutes to get his reaction on Sunday’s race, his first Formula one victory and the celebrations with fellow Aussies…
Two days on, are you still basking in the glow of what you’ve done?
“Absolutely. It was a very special day. Personally, for me it was very nice but the fact that the team also got another one-two seems to have got ignored, but that was also very important. We’ve made the most out of the last couple of races, in which we couldn’t have done better. I’d had two second places, so I knew the momentum was with me and now I’ve got the win. It’s just great to finally get the victory.”
On Saturday night, after taking pole you said, “now we’ll try and get this monkey off my back.” Is the sense of relief almost bigger than the sense of achievement?
“That’s probably true. I’ve done a lot of races and for a huge majority of them, I didn’t have a chance of winning because the car wasn’t up to it and also, they featured a guy called Michael Schumacher and he tended to do a bit of damage himself. In that era, you needed to be in a Ferrari or a McLaren. Now, in this new era of F1, there are other teams in the mix and I am very happy that the situation with Red Bull Racing means we are in a position to challenge for podiums and wins at every grand prix, as long as we get things right.”
You had almost 100 well wishing texts prior to the race. Did that give you extra pressure?
“I had around 80 or 90 after qualifying and maybe 160 after the race. I didn’t know so many people had my bloody number! But, to be honest, I was pretty relaxed going into the race. I was keen for it to be dry, because that would mean fewer decisions to be made. I felt we probably had the Brawns covered and that my real opposition was going to be Sebastian maybe at some point in the race. Then the race exploded pretty quickly with drivers like Heikki (Kovalainen) in the mix and my drive-through penalty. But after around lap 40, I knew I just had to stay on it and bring the car home.”
Some drivers, Mansell and Hakkinen for example, took a long time to get win number one, but after that they were unstoppable. Allowing for the fact they obviously had competitive cars, do you feel it’s unlocked a door and winning could get easier now?
“I’ve now crossed the uncharted waters of pole position and a victory, so that can only help. It can’t be a hindrance, that’s for sure. To lead and not be the chaser was a first for me. I hope that the momentum can continue, even if there is no doubt there will be some tough races in the future. But getting this first win means that when it’s close, the races might seem more straightforward for me.”
You flew back Sunday. Were there any celebrations?
“I think I made a bit of a schoolboy error. We got back to the UK late on Sunday night and the downside was that Australia was just waking up, so having dealt with all the press here in Europe, I then had to deal with my home continent. I was flat out from nine in the evening ‘til two in the morning, as so many people were getting in touch to congratulate me. I couldn’t bring myself to switch my phone off, so there wasn’t much sleep, that’s for sure.”
You attended the Red Bull Racing factory debrief on Monday. What sort of reception did you get?
“It was incredible. As an intro for me, they played the recording of my car-to-pit radio as I crossed the line. I didn’t realise how long I was shouting for! The response was incredible. There are still a lot of people at the factory whom I worked with back in my Jaguar days there and we have been through a lot together. There are also a lot of new people, who haven’t been in Formula One for that long and they are at the start of an incredible journey. As a team, as a group of people working together, including those at Renault, everything that Dietrich (Mateschitz) has done, and Adrian (Newey) with his group and Christian (Horner), we have finally unlocked the door to success. The past few years have certainly been tough, but now we have clearly made the most of the new regulations and shown we are a team that can fight at the front. We know we can expect some fights this season with other teams coming through, but that’s what this sport is about and we’re ready for it.”
Then on Monday night, you went to a dinner with the Aussie test cricket team. What happened there?
“Ricky Ponting had a Foundation Dinner for his charity, which was a great event. He was kind enough to give me and Ann a fantastic table, so it was a wonderful night to be there with my cricketing heroes. There were over a thousand people and they made a bit of a deal about me being there which was nice. The reception from the English people at the event was equal to that from the Australians, which made me feel good too.”
There’s been a huge reaction from Australia. The whole country is really sports mad isn’t it?
“Yes, it takes a bit to get on the front pages of the papers there, but I am on them and that’s a great feeling too. It’s good for Red Bull and it’s true that, in Australia, if one of their sportsmen or women achieves something on the world stage, it is recognised.”
There was a lot of talk last weekend about Sir Jack Brabham, did you hear from him after the race?
“Yes, I got an email from him and his son, David, which was great. The Brabham family has always been fantastic towards me. I remember fifteen years ago, Jack telling me that he had always found it great to come over and beat those Europeans, even if he didn’t put it quite as diplomatically as that! Certainly, a small part of my victory is down to Jack, because my father was a great admirer of his and probably I wouldn’t have been racing cars without Jack lighting that little fire in the Webber family.”
You sounded almost in tears on the slowing down lap. Can you remember what thoughts went through your mind as you drove back to parc ferme?
“There were two main thoughts: I wanted to see my team. It’s always the first thing you want to do. The “in” lap is okay, but really you’re busting to get back and see the guys. The other thing was that I wanted to hear my Australian National Anthem.”
Before the race you said that if you were leading, it would seem like the longest race ever. Did it, or was there so much going on what with the collisions, penalty etc?
“It was pretty normal really and no, it didn’t drag much. Or maybe just a little bit through laps 40 to 47, when it got dark and I thought ‘shit, it’s going to rain’. I wanted to fast-forward a bit at that point as I didn’t want us to have to take any more decisions. The last ten laps didn’t take that long. It was good actually and I was surprised at how relaxed I felt, controlling the race to the flag.”
There’s only 1.5 points between you and your team-mate. How do you think the two of you are going to deal with this?
“The good thing is that it’s incredibly straightforward. All we drivers and the team have to do is turn up and try to do the best job we can. We know how important Saturday’s qualifying is and maybe one day that part of the weekend might not go as smoothly as planned for either myself or Sebastian. Plus there are other rivals mixed into that, so it’s not just a straight fight between the two of us. Sebastian and I might come across each other quite a bit in the races and that will be reflected in the points tally. It will continue to see-saw either way until one of us has a blip in performance. It’s unrealistic to expect us to have one-two finishes through to the end of the year and there will be interesting grands prix to come. For the team, it’s an incredible position to have both its drivers on virtually equal points, which bodes very well for the Constructors’ Championship. Jenson (Button) is our big hurdle in the Drivers’, as he is two grands prix in the lead in terms of points.”
After the race, your Dad said, “This is the greatest day of my life” and then corrected himself and added “at least equal with a couple of others.” He’s not exactly Mr Pushy Dad thank goodness, but how would you sum up how he’s helped you in life and in your career?
“He’s been incredible, particularly in the early days, because when you are very young, in your early teens, you can’t make all the big decisions for yourself and you need support. Dad was always very much a single-seater man and, as he said, “I wouldn’t like you to race taxis and I think the best racing car drivers in the world are in single-seaters,” so that was always the path we followed. I think back to how incredibly balanced he was with me, when I was out of the car, in terms of the total lack of pressure he put on me to go and do my best. He never had any problems with the guys I was racing, like some of the other bloody fathers can do. He doesn’t get heavily involved and that’s always been his style. Of course he’s proud, but he’s always let me get on with it and it was good to have him there for that special day.”
Two days on, are you still basking in the glow of what you’ve done?
“Absolutely. It was a very special day. Personally, for me it was very nice but the fact that the team also got another one-two seems to have got ignored, but that was also very important. We’ve made the most out of the last couple of races, in which we couldn’t have done better. I’d had two second places, so I knew the momentum was with me and now I’ve got the win. It’s just great to finally get the victory.”
On Saturday night, after taking pole you said, “now we’ll try and get this monkey off my back.” Is the sense of relief almost bigger than the sense of achievement?
“That’s probably true. I’ve done a lot of races and for a huge majority of them, I didn’t have a chance of winning because the car wasn’t up to it and also, they featured a guy called Michael Schumacher and he tended to do a bit of damage himself. In that era, you needed to be in a Ferrari or a McLaren. Now, in this new era of F1, there are other teams in the mix and I am very happy that the situation with Red Bull Racing means we are in a position to challenge for podiums and wins at every grand prix, as long as we get things right.”
You had almost 100 well wishing texts prior to the race. Did that give you extra pressure?
“I had around 80 or 90 after qualifying and maybe 160 after the race. I didn’t know so many people had my bloody number! But, to be honest, I was pretty relaxed going into the race. I was keen for it to be dry, because that would mean fewer decisions to be made. I felt we probably had the Brawns covered and that my real opposition was going to be Sebastian maybe at some point in the race. Then the race exploded pretty quickly with drivers like Heikki (Kovalainen) in the mix and my drive-through penalty. But after around lap 40, I knew I just had to stay on it and bring the car home.”
Some drivers, Mansell and Hakkinen for example, took a long time to get win number one, but after that they were unstoppable. Allowing for the fact they obviously had competitive cars, do you feel it’s unlocked a door and winning could get easier now?
“I’ve now crossed the uncharted waters of pole position and a victory, so that can only help. It can’t be a hindrance, that’s for sure. To lead and not be the chaser was a first for me. I hope that the momentum can continue, even if there is no doubt there will be some tough races in the future. But getting this first win means that when it’s close, the races might seem more straightforward for me.”
You flew back Sunday. Were there any celebrations?
“I think I made a bit of a schoolboy error. We got back to the UK late on Sunday night and the downside was that Australia was just waking up, so having dealt with all the press here in Europe, I then had to deal with my home continent. I was flat out from nine in the evening ‘til two in the morning, as so many people were getting in touch to congratulate me. I couldn’t bring myself to switch my phone off, so there wasn’t much sleep, that’s for sure.”
You attended the Red Bull Racing factory debrief on Monday. What sort of reception did you get?
“It was incredible. As an intro for me, they played the recording of my car-to-pit radio as I crossed the line. I didn’t realise how long I was shouting for! The response was incredible. There are still a lot of people at the factory whom I worked with back in my Jaguar days there and we have been through a lot together. There are also a lot of new people, who haven’t been in Formula One for that long and they are at the start of an incredible journey. As a team, as a group of people working together, including those at Renault, everything that Dietrich (Mateschitz) has done, and Adrian (Newey) with his group and Christian (Horner), we have finally unlocked the door to success. The past few years have certainly been tough, but now we have clearly made the most of the new regulations and shown we are a team that can fight at the front. We know we can expect some fights this season with other teams coming through, but that’s what this sport is about and we’re ready for it.”
Then on Monday night, you went to a dinner with the Aussie test cricket team. What happened there?
“Ricky Ponting had a Foundation Dinner for his charity, which was a great event. He was kind enough to give me and Ann a fantastic table, so it was a wonderful night to be there with my cricketing heroes. There were over a thousand people and they made a bit of a deal about me being there which was nice. The reception from the English people at the event was equal to that from the Australians, which made me feel good too.”
There’s been a huge reaction from Australia. The whole country is really sports mad isn’t it?
“Yes, it takes a bit to get on the front pages of the papers there, but I am on them and that’s a great feeling too. It’s good for Red Bull and it’s true that, in Australia, if one of their sportsmen or women achieves something on the world stage, it is recognised.”
There was a lot of talk last weekend about Sir Jack Brabham, did you hear from him after the race?
“Yes, I got an email from him and his son, David, which was great. The Brabham family has always been fantastic towards me. I remember fifteen years ago, Jack telling me that he had always found it great to come over and beat those Europeans, even if he didn’t put it quite as diplomatically as that! Certainly, a small part of my victory is down to Jack, because my father was a great admirer of his and probably I wouldn’t have been racing cars without Jack lighting that little fire in the Webber family.”
You sounded almost in tears on the slowing down lap. Can you remember what thoughts went through your mind as you drove back to parc ferme?
“There were two main thoughts: I wanted to see my team. It’s always the first thing you want to do. The “in” lap is okay, but really you’re busting to get back and see the guys. The other thing was that I wanted to hear my Australian National Anthem.”
Before the race you said that if you were leading, it would seem like the longest race ever. Did it, or was there so much going on what with the collisions, penalty etc?
“It was pretty normal really and no, it didn’t drag much. Or maybe just a little bit through laps 40 to 47, when it got dark and I thought ‘shit, it’s going to rain’. I wanted to fast-forward a bit at that point as I didn’t want us to have to take any more decisions. The last ten laps didn’t take that long. It was good actually and I was surprised at how relaxed I felt, controlling the race to the flag.”
There’s only 1.5 points between you and your team-mate. How do you think the two of you are going to deal with this?
“The good thing is that it’s incredibly straightforward. All we drivers and the team have to do is turn up and try to do the best job we can. We know how important Saturday’s qualifying is and maybe one day that part of the weekend might not go as smoothly as planned for either myself or Sebastian. Plus there are other rivals mixed into that, so it’s not just a straight fight between the two of us. Sebastian and I might come across each other quite a bit in the races and that will be reflected in the points tally. It will continue to see-saw either way until one of us has a blip in performance. It’s unrealistic to expect us to have one-two finishes through to the end of the year and there will be interesting grands prix to come. For the team, it’s an incredible position to have both its drivers on virtually equal points, which bodes very well for the Constructors’ Championship. Jenson (Button) is our big hurdle in the Drivers’, as he is two grands prix in the lead in terms of points.”
After the race, your Dad said, “This is the greatest day of my life” and then corrected himself and added “at least equal with a couple of others.” He’s not exactly Mr Pushy Dad thank goodness, but how would you sum up how he’s helped you in life and in your career?
“He’s been incredible, particularly in the early days, because when you are very young, in your early teens, you can’t make all the big decisions for yourself and you need support. Dad was always very much a single-seater man and, as he said, “I wouldn’t like you to race taxis and I think the best racing car drivers in the world are in single-seaters,” so that was always the path we followed. I think back to how incredibly balanced he was with me, when I was out of the car, in terms of the total lack of pressure he put on me to go and do my best. He never had any problems with the guys I was racing, like some of the other bloody fathers can do. He doesn’t get heavily involved and that’s always been his style. Of course he’s proud, but he’s always let me get on with it and it was good to have him there for that special day.”
Force India Race - German GP
The German Grand Prix demonstrated the much-improved performance of the Force India Formula One Team with both Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella racing competitively with the sharp end of the field. Ultimately the results of 15th and 11th respectively betray the increased competitivity as Adrian was able to race within the top five for one third of the race distance while Giancarlo fought his way up six places from his starting position.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
15th: 1:37:55.251
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21, VJM02/04):
11th: 1:37:45.637
Adrian had started from seventh, his highest-ever grid slot, and had moved into second place, just 1.2secs behind the leader Rubens Barrichello by the time of his first pit stop on lap 27. Sadly he was unable to capitalise on this as he clashed with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the exit of the first corner, causing damage to his front wing endplate that forced a return to the pits for a nose change. Relegated to 17th Adrian nevertheless pushed hard to claw back to 15th overall.
Giancarlo Fisichella made a good start from 18th and had scythed through the field to ninth by his first stop on lap 18. On his second stint the Italian lowered his lap times almost every lap until he had moved back into tenth by his second stop. On rejoining he hunted down the pack of Kovalainen, Glock, Heidfeld and Nakajima to sit just three seconds from a points-scoring position. On the penultimate lap of the race Giancarlo was able to take Nakajima to secure 11th overall, seven positions up on his starting slot.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
We shouldn’t be that disappointed with this result as we have had a good weekend and the next one will come very soon. All our development shows we are on the right track and that we are much more competitive. It was a good race for me: the start was a bit difficult but I lost just one position. In the first stint I did really well and it was looking very promising as I was up to second by my first stop. When I went out of the pit lane I saw Kimi coming on the outside of the corner and I just tried to hold my line but he went to the outside and I touched him and lost part of my front wing. That’s really when I thought the race was over for the points as I had to come back in. I kept pushing hard though as you never know what will happen. Overall I think we’ve learnt a lot; it’s the first time starting in the top 10 and it’s a different race up there! It’s been a good push for everyone in the team to get some more development so we can finally get some points.
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21)
After the qualifying I had yesterday, I thought it would be a difficult race but I really enjoyed it and again got close to the points. I had a good start and overtook a lot of cars in the opening laps. I could catch and pass people quite easily, although I started to get a lot of graining on the softer tyres near the end of the first stint. On the second stint it was again quite good and then right at the end of the race I was really catching the group in front. Perhaps with a few extra laps I could have found a way past a couple more to try and challenge Kovalainen for eighth. I think we can be quite happy with this weekend, even if again we didn’t get any points. We’ve taken a step forward and with some more developments coming through I think we could really have some more great races.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
It’s been largely all good this weekend and again I am very proud of the team and both our drivers. From free practice onwards we have shown a big step forward and our performance has been very competitive. It’s just a shame that after such a great weekend performance that we don’t have any points to show for it. Both that’s motorsport – these incidents happen. The next race is only in a couple of weeks so we’ll refocus on this and try to finish the job in Hungary.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
15th: 1:37:55.251
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21, VJM02/04):
11th: 1:37:45.637
Adrian had started from seventh, his highest-ever grid slot, and had moved into second place, just 1.2secs behind the leader Rubens Barrichello by the time of his first pit stop on lap 27. Sadly he was unable to capitalise on this as he clashed with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the exit of the first corner, causing damage to his front wing endplate that forced a return to the pits for a nose change. Relegated to 17th Adrian nevertheless pushed hard to claw back to 15th overall.
Giancarlo Fisichella made a good start from 18th and had scythed through the field to ninth by his first stop on lap 18. On his second stint the Italian lowered his lap times almost every lap until he had moved back into tenth by his second stop. On rejoining he hunted down the pack of Kovalainen, Glock, Heidfeld and Nakajima to sit just three seconds from a points-scoring position. On the penultimate lap of the race Giancarlo was able to take Nakajima to secure 11th overall, seven positions up on his starting slot.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
We shouldn’t be that disappointed with this result as we have had a good weekend and the next one will come very soon. All our development shows we are on the right track and that we are much more competitive. It was a good race for me: the start was a bit difficult but I lost just one position. In the first stint I did really well and it was looking very promising as I was up to second by my first stop. When I went out of the pit lane I saw Kimi coming on the outside of the corner and I just tried to hold my line but he went to the outside and I touched him and lost part of my front wing. That’s really when I thought the race was over for the points as I had to come back in. I kept pushing hard though as you never know what will happen. Overall I think we’ve learnt a lot; it’s the first time starting in the top 10 and it’s a different race up there! It’s been a good push for everyone in the team to get some more development so we can finally get some points.
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21)
After the qualifying I had yesterday, I thought it would be a difficult race but I really enjoyed it and again got close to the points. I had a good start and overtook a lot of cars in the opening laps. I could catch and pass people quite easily, although I started to get a lot of graining on the softer tyres near the end of the first stint. On the second stint it was again quite good and then right at the end of the race I was really catching the group in front. Perhaps with a few extra laps I could have found a way past a couple more to try and challenge Kovalainen for eighth. I think we can be quite happy with this weekend, even if again we didn’t get any points. We’ve taken a step forward and with some more developments coming through I think we could really have some more great races.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
It’s been largely all good this weekend and again I am very proud of the team and both our drivers. From free practice onwards we have shown a big step forward and our performance has been very competitive. It’s just a shame that after such a great weekend performance that we don’t have any points to show for it. Both that’s motorsport – these incidents happen. The next race is only in a couple of weeks so we’ll refocus on this and try to finish the job in Hungary.
Renault at German GP
Fernando Alonso, R2904, P7
1st stint: Laps 1 to 17, soft tyres
2nd stint: Laps 18 to 46, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 47 to 60, hard tyres
Fernando: “It was a difficult race because my start was very poor and we lost quite a few positions before the first corner. After that, the race was tough and we were stuck in traffic, but the car has clearly improved as I set the fastest lap and scored some points. The most important thing I take from the weekend is that we are competitive and we can be optimistic for the races to come.”
Nelson Piquet, R2903, P13
1st stint: Laps 1 to 26, hard tyres
2nd stint: Laps 27 to 47, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 48 to 60, soft tyres
Nelson: “It wasn’t an easy race for me today and I’m disappointed not to get a better result. I lost ground at the start as I had some problems warming up the tyres. After that I got held up in traffic, which made it very difficult to make any progress in the second half of the race. I pushed really hard all afternoon, but I just couldn’t match the pace of Fernando who had the new updates on his car.”
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
“Although we have come away with just two points, it has been a positive weekend for the team. Fernando had great pace, setting the fastest lap of the race and making good progress through the field. It’s just a shame that we were penalised by our qualifying position yesterday, where we lost out in the difficult weather conditions. We now need to build on this performance and continue making progress as we enter the second part of the season, just as we did last year.”
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
“The car looked a lot more competitive this weekend. Fernando’s problem in qualifying coupled with the team’s problem with the start made it a difficult race, but when he was out of the traffic he was able to show the exceptional pace of the car with the developments that have been made to it. With Nelson, we decided to go for a long first stint and, as the temperature came up on the grid, we decided to start on prime tyres. Again, he had a problem with the start and the warm-up of the tyres, which left him with too much to do to be able to capitalise on his grid position.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“Overall we have to be disappointed with the weekend. Despite bringing lots of developments here, we haven’t made the most of them. The car has clearly improved, but we didn’t have a good qualifying session or a good start today and it was only in the second half of the race that we could show the true potential of the car. So although we are disappointed with the result, we can take a lot of positives from the performance of the car for the rest of the season.”
1st stint: Laps 1 to 17, soft tyres
2nd stint: Laps 18 to 46, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 47 to 60, hard tyres
Fernando: “It was a difficult race because my start was very poor and we lost quite a few positions before the first corner. After that, the race was tough and we were stuck in traffic, but the car has clearly improved as I set the fastest lap and scored some points. The most important thing I take from the weekend is that we are competitive and we can be optimistic for the races to come.”
Nelson Piquet, R2903, P13
1st stint: Laps 1 to 26, hard tyres
2nd stint: Laps 27 to 47, hard tyres
3rd stint: Laps 48 to 60, soft tyres
Nelson: “It wasn’t an easy race for me today and I’m disappointed not to get a better result. I lost ground at the start as I had some problems warming up the tyres. After that I got held up in traffic, which made it very difficult to make any progress in the second half of the race. I pushed really hard all afternoon, but I just couldn’t match the pace of Fernando who had the new updates on his car.”
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
“Although we have come away with just two points, it has been a positive weekend for the team. Fernando had great pace, setting the fastest lap of the race and making good progress through the field. It’s just a shame that we were penalised by our qualifying position yesterday, where we lost out in the difficult weather conditions. We now need to build on this performance and continue making progress as we enter the second part of the season, just as we did last year.”
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
“The car looked a lot more competitive this weekend. Fernando’s problem in qualifying coupled with the team’s problem with the start made it a difficult race, but when he was out of the traffic he was able to show the exceptional pace of the car with the developments that have been made to it. With Nelson, we decided to go for a long first stint and, as the temperature came up on the grid, we decided to start on prime tyres. Again, he had a problem with the start and the warm-up of the tyres, which left him with too much to do to be able to capitalise on his grid position.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“Overall we have to be disappointed with the weekend. Despite bringing lots of developments here, we haven’t made the most of them. The car has clearly improved, but we didn’t have a good qualifying session or a good start today and it was only in the second half of the race that we could show the true potential of the car. So although we are disappointed with the result, we can take a lot of positives from the performance of the car for the rest of the season.”
Toro Rosso confirms Bourdais
Toro Rosso has confirmed that Sebastien Bourdais’s has been dropped from the team with immediate effect, bringing an early end to the Frenchman's disappointing second Formula 1 season.
However, Bourdais’s expected replacement Jamie Alguersuari has yet to be officially named as Sebastien Buemi’s new team-mate from the Hungarian Grand Prix, with STR to delay the announcement until shortly before next week’s race.
In a statement on Thursday morning announcing Bourdais’ departure mid-way through the campaign, team boss Franz Tost admitted the former Champ Car king had not performed to expectations in his second season at the team after being regularly outpaced by rookie Buemi.
“In Sebastien’s second year with us, the partnership has not met our expectations and therefore we have decided to replace him as from the next round of the World Championship, the Hungarian Grand Prix,” Tost said.
The team added that his replacement would be confirmed shortly before next week’s Budapest round, with its Spanish 19-year-old reserve driver Alguersuari set to become the youngest driver in F1 history.
Bourdais’s departure brings to an end a largely disappointing 27-race F1 stint, in which he scored just six points.
After finally arriving in motorsport’s premier series for the start of the 2008 season after winning four consecutive Champ Car titles in America, the 30-year-old initially struggled to make his mark alongside Sebastian Vettel at STR despite scoring two points on his debut in Australia.
However, as Toro Rosso made giant strides towards the front of the field in the second half of the campaign Bourdais’s form began to improve and would likely have added significantly to his eventual four-point tally but for several unfortunate incidents when running strongly in races.
But after seeing off the challenge of Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato during winter testing to hold onto his seat for 2009 alongside new Red Bull protégé Buemi, Bourdais struggled to match the 20-year-old’s pace in the opening nine races of the season.
Mounting speculation ahead of last weekend’s Nurburgring race suggested Bourdais had to perform strongly in Germany to save his drive, but he set the slowest time in qualifying and then retired from the race early on with a hydraulic problem.
Although reigning British F3 driver Alguersuari is expected to take over Bourdais’s seat from the Hungaroring, five-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to get a run-out in the seat next to Buemi towards the end of the season
However, Bourdais’s expected replacement Jamie Alguersuari has yet to be officially named as Sebastien Buemi’s new team-mate from the Hungarian Grand Prix, with STR to delay the announcement until shortly before next week’s race.
In a statement on Thursday morning announcing Bourdais’ departure mid-way through the campaign, team boss Franz Tost admitted the former Champ Car king had not performed to expectations in his second season at the team after being regularly outpaced by rookie Buemi.
“In Sebastien’s second year with us, the partnership has not met our expectations and therefore we have decided to replace him as from the next round of the World Championship, the Hungarian Grand Prix,” Tost said.
The team added that his replacement would be confirmed shortly before next week’s Budapest round, with its Spanish 19-year-old reserve driver Alguersuari set to become the youngest driver in F1 history.
Bourdais’s departure brings to an end a largely disappointing 27-race F1 stint, in which he scored just six points.
After finally arriving in motorsport’s premier series for the start of the 2008 season after winning four consecutive Champ Car titles in America, the 30-year-old initially struggled to make his mark alongside Sebastian Vettel at STR despite scoring two points on his debut in Australia.
However, as Toro Rosso made giant strides towards the front of the field in the second half of the campaign Bourdais’s form began to improve and would likely have added significantly to his eventual four-point tally but for several unfortunate incidents when running strongly in races.
But after seeing off the challenge of Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato during winter testing to hold onto his seat for 2009 alongside new Red Bull protégé Buemi, Bourdais struggled to match the 20-year-old’s pace in the opening nine races of the season.
Mounting speculation ahead of last weekend’s Nurburgring race suggested Bourdais had to perform strongly in Germany to save his drive, but he set the slowest time in qualifying and then retired from the race early on with a hydraulic problem.
Although reigning British F3 driver Alguersuari is expected to take over Bourdais’s seat from the Hungaroring, five-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb has been heavily linked to get a run-out in the seat next to Buemi towards the end of the season
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Horner RBR can win anywhere
Monday, 13 July 2009 12:16
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says his squad's German Grand Prix one-two proves it is now ready to take Brawn on in any conditions.
Although the Brawns were again slowed by their problems generating tyre temperature in the cool weather, as had been the case at Silverstone, Horner reckons his car is now simply the faster package.
"I think we'll see at Budapest, it's usually quite warm there, but I don't think the temperature was everything today," he said.
"The performance of the car was very good, and the drivers drove brilliantly.
"There are no high-speed corners here, so it was not high-speed corners (giving Red Bull an advantage) this weekend."
Horner believes momentum is now on Red Bull's side after its second straight one-two.
"We've taken a big haul of points out of the Brawns this weekend and both drivers have got closer in the championship too," he said.
"We'll just take each weekend as it comes, and with a few more weekends like this one and Silverstone, we will catch them.
"We're going to keep pushing, keep developing every race.
"The guys in Milton Keynes are doing a brilliant job.
"We've managed to get a little bit of performance on the car again this weekend, we'll do the same in Budapest and just keep pushing.
"I think we've got a very good basis now."
But he did admit that the season could yet turn back in Brawn's favour as there is still a long way to go.
"The pendulum's swung the last few events, but I think it will probably swing again over the next few events," Horner added.
"It could go against us at the Hungaroring.
"We're just going to focus race by race and the championship will take care of itself."
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says his squad's German Grand Prix one-two proves it is now ready to take Brawn on in any conditions.
Although the Brawns were again slowed by their problems generating tyre temperature in the cool weather, as had been the case at Silverstone, Horner reckons his car is now simply the faster package.
"I think we'll see at Budapest, it's usually quite warm there, but I don't think the temperature was everything today," he said.
"The performance of the car was very good, and the drivers drove brilliantly.
"There are no high-speed corners here, so it was not high-speed corners (giving Red Bull an advantage) this weekend."
Horner believes momentum is now on Red Bull's side after its second straight one-two.
"We've taken a big haul of points out of the Brawns this weekend and both drivers have got closer in the championship too," he said.
"We'll just take each weekend as it comes, and with a few more weekends like this one and Silverstone, we will catch them.
"We're going to keep pushing, keep developing every race.
"The guys in Milton Keynes are doing a brilliant job.
"We've managed to get a little bit of performance on the car again this weekend, we'll do the same in Budapest and just keep pushing.
"I think we've got a very good basis now."
But he did admit that the season could yet turn back in Brawn's favour as there is still a long way to go.
"The pendulum's swung the last few events, but I think it will probably swing again over the next few events," Horner added.
"It could go against us at the Hungaroring.
"We're just going to focus race by race and the championship will take care of itself."
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Webber F1 pole in Germany
Red Bull’s Mark Webber brilliantly claimed his first Formula 1 pole position after coming through a frenetic rain-affected qualifying session at the Nurburgring.
After on-off light rain showers ensured Q2 simply became a battle of survival for the grid’s top runners, dry conditions returned for the crucial pole shootout and Webber fought off competition from four other drivers in a nail-biting finale to secure pole at the 132nd attempt.
The Australian – who had shown his intentions for the weekend from the very first practice session when he topped the times – outqualified team-mate Sebastian Vettel for the first time, delivering a faultless final 1m32.230s lap to claim pole by just over 0.1s from Brawn’s Rubens Barrichello.
With the weekend-long chilly conditions in the Eifel Mountains region favouring RBR again as they did at Silverstone three weeks ago, championship leader Brawn may well be delighted with its qualifying result after its two drivers both made late jumps up the grid to sandwich the two Red Bulls.
Barrichello appeared particularly chuffed in the post-race press conference after outqualifying his championship-leading team-mate Jenson Button for the second successive race weekend, the Brazilian capping an impressive hour with a time 0.116s faster than the Briton could manage.
Button in turn sneaked ahead of other main title rival Vettel by a mere 0.007s in the closing seconds to head up the second row.
Lewis Hamilton and McLaren confirmed their astonishing Nurburgring progress by equalling their best qualifying result of a miserable season with fifth, the reigning world champion having even held provisional pole after his final run.
Even more surprising, however, was the sister car of Heikki Kovalainen netting sixth despite the Finn’s MP4-24 not carrying the same heavily upgraded aero package as Hamilton and the fact he earlier had clouted the barriers after sliding off in Q2.
But the shock of the session belonged to the upwardly-mobile Force India team, which made its maiden appearance in Q3 after Adrian Sutil had demonstrated his wet weather prowess to show up other more fancied runners in the rain-hit second stage.
The German then amazingly outqualified both Ferraris to claim seventh, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen having to settle for eighth and ninth respectively as the F60 struggled in the chilly and drizzly conditions
And to cap an session of notable ‘firsts’, the ever under-pressure Nelson Piquet Jr outqualified Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso for the first time in 27 attempts after finally making Q3 for the first time in 2009.
After the majority of Q1 had taken place in straightforward fashion, drizzle started to fall around the Nurburgring in the closing stages of the opening session which meant the drivers below the cut line at the time couldn’t improve on their final timed laps.
With the rain predicted to worsen, the remaining 15 runners were naturally keen to get on with Q2 as quickly as possible and queued up at the end of the pit lane before the green light to start the session was given.
However, as drivers jostled for position around the first sector in a bid to find some clear air it soon became clear it was too slippery for the slick tyres they had gone out on.
Several cars subsequently ran off the road – including Massa, who was lucky not to swipe the barriers after running too wide over a kerb.
However, while all drivers except Webber tip-toed their way back to the pits to take on intermediate tyres, Barrichello opted to play a waiting game back in the Brawn garage.
Then, as the drizzle began to ease again, the canny Brazilian went back out on slick tyres and set a lap far quicker than any one else was doing to guarantee progression to Q3.
By the time his rivals realised they had to follow suit the rain intensified slightly again, which set up a thrilling conclusion to the session as drivers gave it everything to try and make the top 10.
With Barrichello’s time remaining untouchable (1.3s clear) Piquet slotted into second and Sutil third, while Button, and the Ferraris, McLarens and Red Bulls all also managed to scramble their way to safety.
BMW’s Nick Heidfeld was one of the unlucky ones to miss out after dropping from eighth to 11th in the closing seconds, while a rare error in a pressure situation meant Alonso unusually couldn’t match Piquet.
The Spaniard was on a lap that should have been his fastest to that point, but touched a white line under braking for the chicane at the end of the lap and slid into the gravel trap
And while the double world champion expertly navigated his way out of trouble, he couldn’t find enough speed in his final lap to bring and brought up Piquet’s milestone.
Williams’s Kazuki Nakajima had bee the first to spin in the early stages of Q2 and eventually found himself in 13th ahead of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli.
But the Japanese driver can at least be satisfied with outqualifying team-mate Nico Rosberg after the German driver missed the top 10 for the first time in 2009 in 15th.
Two of the drivers with vested home interest had already fallen at Q1, with German carmaker BMW losing one driver with Robert Kubica (17th) and one of the grid’s five local drivers Timo Glock dropping out too (19th) – the Toyota ace having made several mistakes before that point.
With the drizzle having started before the end of Q1, both Glock and Kubica went out for final laps but were fighting a losing battle and joined regular Q1 victims Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India) and both Toro Rosso drivers below the cut line.
Sebastien Bourdais did nothing to help his chances of holding onto his Toro Rosso seat beyond this weekend as he slumped to the slowest qualifying time for the second time in three races.
With rumours having intensified at the Nurburgring that he is set to be replaced by new 19-year-old Red Bull reserve Jaime Alguersuari from Hungary, being comprehensively outqualified once again by rookie Buemi may now mean he has to perform miraculously in the race to save his F1 career.
The Frenchman was later moved forwards a place on the grid after fellow back-row-starter Glock was handed a largely academic three-place grid penalty for blocking Alonso in Q1.
German GP starting grid
1. WEBBER Red Bull
2. BARRICHELLO Brawn
3. BUTTON Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. HAMILTON McLaren
6. KOVALAINEN McLaren
7. SUTIL Force India
8. MASSA Ferrari
9. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
10. PIQUET Renault
11. HEIDFELD BMW
12. ALONSO Renault
13. NAKAJIMA Williams
14. TRULLI Toyota
15. ROSBERG Williams
16. KUBICA BMW
17. BUEMI Toro Rosso
18. FISICHELLA Force India
19. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
20. GLOCK Toyota*
*three-place grid penalty for impeding Alonso
After on-off light rain showers ensured Q2 simply became a battle of survival for the grid’s top runners, dry conditions returned for the crucial pole shootout and Webber fought off competition from four other drivers in a nail-biting finale to secure pole at the 132nd attempt.
The Australian – who had shown his intentions for the weekend from the very first practice session when he topped the times – outqualified team-mate Sebastian Vettel for the first time, delivering a faultless final 1m32.230s lap to claim pole by just over 0.1s from Brawn’s Rubens Barrichello.
With the weekend-long chilly conditions in the Eifel Mountains region favouring RBR again as they did at Silverstone three weeks ago, championship leader Brawn may well be delighted with its qualifying result after its two drivers both made late jumps up the grid to sandwich the two Red Bulls.
Barrichello appeared particularly chuffed in the post-race press conference after outqualifying his championship-leading team-mate Jenson Button for the second successive race weekend, the Brazilian capping an impressive hour with a time 0.116s faster than the Briton could manage.
Button in turn sneaked ahead of other main title rival Vettel by a mere 0.007s in the closing seconds to head up the second row.
Lewis Hamilton and McLaren confirmed their astonishing Nurburgring progress by equalling their best qualifying result of a miserable season with fifth, the reigning world champion having even held provisional pole after his final run.
Even more surprising, however, was the sister car of Heikki Kovalainen netting sixth despite the Finn’s MP4-24 not carrying the same heavily upgraded aero package as Hamilton and the fact he earlier had clouted the barriers after sliding off in Q2.
But the shock of the session belonged to the upwardly-mobile Force India team, which made its maiden appearance in Q3 after Adrian Sutil had demonstrated his wet weather prowess to show up other more fancied runners in the rain-hit second stage.
The German then amazingly outqualified both Ferraris to claim seventh, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen having to settle for eighth and ninth respectively as the F60 struggled in the chilly and drizzly conditions
And to cap an session of notable ‘firsts’, the ever under-pressure Nelson Piquet Jr outqualified Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso for the first time in 27 attempts after finally making Q3 for the first time in 2009.
After the majority of Q1 had taken place in straightforward fashion, drizzle started to fall around the Nurburgring in the closing stages of the opening session which meant the drivers below the cut line at the time couldn’t improve on their final timed laps.
With the rain predicted to worsen, the remaining 15 runners were naturally keen to get on with Q2 as quickly as possible and queued up at the end of the pit lane before the green light to start the session was given.
However, as drivers jostled for position around the first sector in a bid to find some clear air it soon became clear it was too slippery for the slick tyres they had gone out on.
Several cars subsequently ran off the road – including Massa, who was lucky not to swipe the barriers after running too wide over a kerb.
However, while all drivers except Webber tip-toed their way back to the pits to take on intermediate tyres, Barrichello opted to play a waiting game back in the Brawn garage.
Then, as the drizzle began to ease again, the canny Brazilian went back out on slick tyres and set a lap far quicker than any one else was doing to guarantee progression to Q3.
By the time his rivals realised they had to follow suit the rain intensified slightly again, which set up a thrilling conclusion to the session as drivers gave it everything to try and make the top 10.
With Barrichello’s time remaining untouchable (1.3s clear) Piquet slotted into second and Sutil third, while Button, and the Ferraris, McLarens and Red Bulls all also managed to scramble their way to safety.
BMW’s Nick Heidfeld was one of the unlucky ones to miss out after dropping from eighth to 11th in the closing seconds, while a rare error in a pressure situation meant Alonso unusually couldn’t match Piquet.
The Spaniard was on a lap that should have been his fastest to that point, but touched a white line under braking for the chicane at the end of the lap and slid into the gravel trap
And while the double world champion expertly navigated his way out of trouble, he couldn’t find enough speed in his final lap to bring and brought up Piquet’s milestone.
Williams’s Kazuki Nakajima had bee the first to spin in the early stages of Q2 and eventually found himself in 13th ahead of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli.
But the Japanese driver can at least be satisfied with outqualifying team-mate Nico Rosberg after the German driver missed the top 10 for the first time in 2009 in 15th.
Two of the drivers with vested home interest had already fallen at Q1, with German carmaker BMW losing one driver with Robert Kubica (17th) and one of the grid’s five local drivers Timo Glock dropping out too (19th) – the Toyota ace having made several mistakes before that point.
With the drizzle having started before the end of Q1, both Glock and Kubica went out for final laps but were fighting a losing battle and joined regular Q1 victims Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India) and both Toro Rosso drivers below the cut line.
Sebastien Bourdais did nothing to help his chances of holding onto his Toro Rosso seat beyond this weekend as he slumped to the slowest qualifying time for the second time in three races.
With rumours having intensified at the Nurburgring that he is set to be replaced by new 19-year-old Red Bull reserve Jaime Alguersuari from Hungary, being comprehensively outqualified once again by rookie Buemi may now mean he has to perform miraculously in the race to save his F1 career.
The Frenchman was later moved forwards a place on the grid after fellow back-row-starter Glock was handed a largely academic three-place grid penalty for blocking Alonso in Q1.
German GP starting grid
1. WEBBER Red Bull
2. BARRICHELLO Brawn
3. BUTTON Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. HAMILTON McLaren
6. KOVALAINEN McLaren
7. SUTIL Force India
8. MASSA Ferrari
9. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
10. PIQUET Renault
11. HEIDFELD BMW
12. ALONSO Renault
13. NAKAJIMA Williams
14. TRULLI Toyota
15. ROSBERG Williams
16. KUBICA BMW
17. BUEMI Toro Rosso
18. FISICHELLA Force India
19. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
20. GLOCK Toyota*
*three-place grid penalty for impeding Alonso
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Nurburgring
The Nurburgring has a reputation for being a 'complete' circuit in the sense that it includes a wide variety of corners. There are high-speed sections, medium-speed chicanes, and some very slow corners with high traction demands. The cars will have to meet all of these challenges this weekend. Overtaking is difficult but possible into the first corner and the chicane at Turns 13 and 14. However, the weather is a constant concern and no matter what the season, rain and cool conditions are an ever-present threat in the Eifel mountains. Renault explain how they plan to tweak their R29 for the German Grand Prix…
Aerodynamics
The Nurburgring demands some of the highest downforce levels of the season, not only for the numerous high and medium-speed corners, but also to maintain good stability under heavy braking for the first corner and the slow chicane of Turns 13 and 14.
As Renault driver Fernando Alonso explains: "The left-right chicane of Turns 13 and 14 is probably the best overtaking opportunity as it's one of the biggest braking zones of the lap. If you are following another car closely, you can pick up a good slipstream on the approach and make a lunge down the inside. We take it at about 100 km/h in second gear and you need to be aggressive with the curbs to straight-line the chicane as much as possible and carry speed through the corner."
Chassis balance
Corners such as Turns Five/Six, Eight/Nine and 10/11 in particular demand a neutral handling balance to avoid compromising the optimum line through the second corner in the sequence, and the engineers will often work through the weekend to dial out understeer in the medium-speed corners.
A quick, responsive change of direction is required in both the slow-speed section at the start of the lap, and through the quicker corners. Mechanical grip is particularly important through Turns One to Four, but cannot be achieved at the expense of aerodynamic performance around the rest of the lap.
Alonso explains: "The run through Turns One to Four is not very exciting for the drivers, but we spend a lot of time in them and that means that any mistake is likely to be very costly, especially in qualifying. We need to be precise with our braking and keep the car under control all the time as too much understeer, oversteer or a missed apex will put you out of shape for the following corners. The car balance is never perfect at such low speeds either, so we are always fighting understeer in the very slow corners, and a nervous rear end when we accelerate away."
Tyres
Tyre performance will, as always, be a critical performance parameter for all teams this weekend with Bridgestone providing the super-soft and medium compounds from its 2009 range. Ambient conditions will play a role in determining which compound is the preferred tyre for the race as we often experience cool temperatures at the Nurburgring.
Brakes
Wear on the brakes is not a major concern. None of the braking zones are particularly severe and there is no reason to think that wear levels on the discs and pads should be abnormally high as a result.
Engine
The Nurburgring is not a circuit that presents the engines with any extreme challenges, and its overall impact is further reduced by the fact that the circuit is situated at altitude, some 500m above sea level. This has the effect of reducing engine power by approximately five percent, while also reducing loads on certain engine components such as the pistons.
The engine is at full throttle for just over 64 percent of the lap - a value slightly above the season average of approximately 62 percent. The longest single period at full throttle barely exceeds ten seconds, so the main challenge for the engine team is ensuring strong performance from low revs so the engine launches well out of the slow corners, particularly Turn Seven which leads onto the uphill drag to Turn 10.
As Nelson Piquet explains: "We approach Turn Seven downhill in seventh gear at almost 300km/h before braking and downshifting to third for the hairpin. It's really important to stay online and hit the apex through this corner so that you can apply the throttle early on the exit to carry as much speed on the long drag back up the hill towards the high-speed chicane of Turns Eight and Nine."
The circuit includes a number of elevation changes, but none are sudden enough to cause the engine systems any concern. The only note of caution is finding the best line through some of the bumpier corners, and particularly the chicane, to avoid spending too much time on the rev limiter, which is potentially damaging for the engine.
Aerodynamics
The Nurburgring demands some of the highest downforce levels of the season, not only for the numerous high and medium-speed corners, but also to maintain good stability under heavy braking for the first corner and the slow chicane of Turns 13 and 14.
As Renault driver Fernando Alonso explains: "The left-right chicane of Turns 13 and 14 is probably the best overtaking opportunity as it's one of the biggest braking zones of the lap. If you are following another car closely, you can pick up a good slipstream on the approach and make a lunge down the inside. We take it at about 100 km/h in second gear and you need to be aggressive with the curbs to straight-line the chicane as much as possible and carry speed through the corner."
Chassis balance
Corners such as Turns Five/Six, Eight/Nine and 10/11 in particular demand a neutral handling balance to avoid compromising the optimum line through the second corner in the sequence, and the engineers will often work through the weekend to dial out understeer in the medium-speed corners.
A quick, responsive change of direction is required in both the slow-speed section at the start of the lap, and through the quicker corners. Mechanical grip is particularly important through Turns One to Four, but cannot be achieved at the expense of aerodynamic performance around the rest of the lap.
Alonso explains: "The run through Turns One to Four is not very exciting for the drivers, but we spend a lot of time in them and that means that any mistake is likely to be very costly, especially in qualifying. We need to be precise with our braking and keep the car under control all the time as too much understeer, oversteer or a missed apex will put you out of shape for the following corners. The car balance is never perfect at such low speeds either, so we are always fighting understeer in the very slow corners, and a nervous rear end when we accelerate away."
Tyres
Tyre performance will, as always, be a critical performance parameter for all teams this weekend with Bridgestone providing the super-soft and medium compounds from its 2009 range. Ambient conditions will play a role in determining which compound is the preferred tyre for the race as we often experience cool temperatures at the Nurburgring.
Brakes
Wear on the brakes is not a major concern. None of the braking zones are particularly severe and there is no reason to think that wear levels on the discs and pads should be abnormally high as a result.
Engine
The Nurburgring is not a circuit that presents the engines with any extreme challenges, and its overall impact is further reduced by the fact that the circuit is situated at altitude, some 500m above sea level. This has the effect of reducing engine power by approximately five percent, while also reducing loads on certain engine components such as the pistons.
The engine is at full throttle for just over 64 percent of the lap - a value slightly above the season average of approximately 62 percent. The longest single period at full throttle barely exceeds ten seconds, so the main challenge for the engine team is ensuring strong performance from low revs so the engine launches well out of the slow corners, particularly Turn Seven which leads onto the uphill drag to Turn 10.
As Nelson Piquet explains: "We approach Turn Seven downhill in seventh gear at almost 300km/h before braking and downshifting to third for the hairpin. It's really important to stay online and hit the apex through this corner so that you can apply the throttle early on the exit to carry as much speed on the long drag back up the hill towards the high-speed chicane of Turns Eight and Nine."
The circuit includes a number of elevation changes, but none are sudden enough to cause the engine systems any concern. The only note of caution is finding the best line through some of the bumpier corners, and particularly the chicane, to avoid spending too much time on the rev limiter, which is potentially damaging for the engine.
FOTA teams walk out of FIA talks
Doubts over the strength of the recent FIA/FOTA Formula 1 peace deal re-emerged on Wednesday after the eight FOTA teams walked out of a meeting with the governing body.
Just two weeks on from the agreement between the feuding sides which appeared to avert the threat of a breakaway championship, all 13 teams confirmed on the 2010 grid met with the FIA at the Nurburgring for discussions which the governing body says were designed to formalise the rule changes which had been agreed in the compromise deal.
However, the meeting ended in disarray when representatives from the eight FOTA teams staged a walkout before the talks got round to discussion of the further regulation alterations it wants to see introduced for next season.
In a statement the FIA added that while agreement had been reached on the majority of the previously proposed changes, issues over the minimum weight of next year’s cars remained unresolved – while the signing of a document that committed teams to bringing down costs to early-1990s levels had yet to be signed.
“Following the decision of the World Council on 24 June to revert to the pre-29 April version of the 2010 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations, the FIA today met the teams which have entered the 2010 Championship to seek their agreement to these changes,” the FIA statement read.
“All changes have now been agreed subject only to the maintenance of the minimum weight at 620 kg and the signing of a legally binding agreement between all the teams competing in 2010 to reduce costs to the level of the early 1990s within two years, as promised by the FOTA representative in Paris on 24 June.
“The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010.
“Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting.”
The latest twist to the long-running saga over F1's future adds to the growing doubts about the durability of the peace deal, the first of which emerged just days after the agreement was reached.
While the deal saw the governing body drop its divisive £40m budget cap rule and instead agree to the teams introducing their own measures with a promise of reducing budgets to early 1990s levels, a key aspect of the agreement was believed to be assurances from Max Mosley that he didn’t seek re-election as FIA president when his term of office expired in October.
However, Mosley subsequently indicated he may not stand down after all after accusing the FOTA teams of “dancing on my grave” after announcing he would take a back seat on F1 issues for the remainder of his term.
Just two weeks on from the agreement between the feuding sides which appeared to avert the threat of a breakaway championship, all 13 teams confirmed on the 2010 grid met with the FIA at the Nurburgring for discussions which the governing body says were designed to formalise the rule changes which had been agreed in the compromise deal.
However, the meeting ended in disarray when representatives from the eight FOTA teams staged a walkout before the talks got round to discussion of the further regulation alterations it wants to see introduced for next season.
In a statement the FIA added that while agreement had been reached on the majority of the previously proposed changes, issues over the minimum weight of next year’s cars remained unresolved – while the signing of a document that committed teams to bringing down costs to early-1990s levels had yet to be signed.
“Following the decision of the World Council on 24 June to revert to the pre-29 April version of the 2010 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations, the FIA today met the teams which have entered the 2010 Championship to seek their agreement to these changes,” the FIA statement read.
“All changes have now been agreed subject only to the maintenance of the minimum weight at 620 kg and the signing of a legally binding agreement between all the teams competing in 2010 to reduce costs to the level of the early 1990s within two years, as promised by the FOTA representative in Paris on 24 June.
“The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010.
“Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting.”
The latest twist to the long-running saga over F1's future adds to the growing doubts about the durability of the peace deal, the first of which emerged just days after the agreement was reached.
While the deal saw the governing body drop its divisive £40m budget cap rule and instead agree to the teams introducing their own measures with a promise of reducing budgets to early 1990s levels, a key aspect of the agreement was believed to be assurances from Max Mosley that he didn’t seek re-election as FIA president when his term of office expired in October.
However, Mosley subsequently indicated he may not stand down after all after accusing the FOTA teams of “dancing on my grave” after announcing he would take a back seat on F1 issues for the remainder of his term.
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