The Virgin Racing boys did an incredible job today, reaching the halfway mark with Lucas and completing 70% of the race distance with Timo.
When the entire pit crew decamped to the end of the pit lane for the start of the race, both cars got away seamlessly in challenging conditions. And not only that, but we had a race of our own with Michael Schumacher. Okay, so it lasted for around half a lap, but at one point Timo definitely overtook Michael. It was short, but very sweet and perked up the pit crew no end.
The Virgin Racing cars lined up for the start of the 58-lap race in the pit lane, after changing the collectors in both fuel systems following yesterday’s fuel pick-up problem. The ‘will it? – won’t it?’ weather conditions fired enough of a warning salvo to make most of the field decide to opt for intermediate tyres and it was definitely raining as the race got underway, although a full-blown downpour never materialised.
The start procedure worked well and Timo and Lucas avoided getting caught up in the first lap mayhem. The highlight of the opening laps was most definitely a lap 5 tussle with Michael Schumacher as he was working his way back up the field after an early pit stop. Timo in particular fought hard to keep him at bay and having been passed he decided to have another go and retook Michael until giving way to the seven time world champion became inevitable. It was fun while it lasted!
Timo Glock #24
“The start of the race was okay. After leaving the pit lane I was able to catch up Chandhok and some other cars and we had a bit of fun fighting with Michael. The car felt reasonably good in the wet and dry conditions. It was a little busy with all the traffic when we became lapped.
So it was a real shame that we had a problem just 15 laps from the end of the race when I started to feel that there was something wrong with the way the car was feeling. I came in and we found a problem which we now know to be a camber shim having worked loose, and this was causing the suspension to move around on the left rear.
Had we not had the suspension issue I think we would have been looking good for our first chequered flag. So we have to take the positives and see that in some ways we have made progress, albeit there is still a lot of work ahead.”
Lucas di Grassi #25
“The early part of the race was okay for me. The car was behaving quite well at the beginning. Unfortunately, we didn’t time the strategy well to change to slicks but otherwise things were going okay. So it’s a shame that we were hit by another problem - a hydraulic problem – and we had to retire after 26 laps. For sure we will find the problem, fix it and be better for the next race. These are small steps that maybe other people can’t see but they are good steps for us. We are working very hard to improve our situation and I have confidence that we will.”
Nick Wirth, Technical Director
“With the fuel pick-up problems we’d seen on Saturday, it was unfortunately necessary for us to break Parc Ferme this morning and convert our fuel system back to the specification that we had tested on Friday, albeit with further modifications.
The team did a great job to get that done in time as we weren’t allowed to start that work until midday today. Both cars therefore had to start from the pit lane and we were immediately into a very aggressive fuel-saving strategy, which we’d practised in the Simulators last week.
The drivers and the team coped well with the unusual driving style that this called for, as well as the tricky conditions, and overall they both did a brilliant job for the team today. Lucas’ race ended with an internal hydraulic leak, the cause of which we have yet to identify.
We got to 70% distance with Timo and were on target to finish the race fuel-wise when it seems that a rear suspension bracket came loose and allowed some setting shims to eventually fall out, which ended his race. So ultimately we leave here yet to finish our first Grand Prix but with clear signs that our performance is improving.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“Today I’d like to applaud the team on a terrific job in the face of a challenging set of circumstances, at the end of a difficult weekend. The start from the pit lane was seamless and the boys were ‘on it’ in both pit stops.
We got to almost half distance with Lucas and nearly three-quarters of the race with Timo and with the problems we’ve had I am very proud of the way the team have coped. We can go into Malaysia with our heads held high and knowing that things will get better as we get more of the season under our belts.”
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Australia Preview - Red Bull, or Prancing Horse?
After all the anticipation of the opening round of the championship in Bahrain a fortnight ago, this weekend’s second round is almost as eagerly awaited - if only to see if anyone catch match Red Bull’s fearsome speed, or unsettle Ferrari’s finishing ability.
As things stand after events at Sakhir, Red Bull start the favourite in Melbourne from Ferrari, with McLaren and Mercedes a little slower unless they can get effective updates on to their cars quickly enough.
"We are kind of on the same level as Mercedes, I would say," McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton said after Bahrain. "We just did maybe a better job in Bahrain but it's a battle between us and Mercedes to see who can step up and improve faster and do a better job.
"As for the Red Bull, it’s ridiculously faster than anyone else. It's insane. The downforce they had on their car last year was at some points just about double what we had. Even at the end of the year they had so much more than us, even though we had won a couple of Grands Prix. They have got the fastest car by quite a big step. They should be quite a lot further ahead in general."
Hamilton also believes that, despite Fernando Alonso setting fastest lap in Bahrain by a second from Force India’s Adrian Sutil, that there is still a gap between the Ferrari and the Red Bull. “Fernando was very quick in the race and they are obviously a little bit closer, but it's a good half second,” said the British driver.
Ferrari’s team principal Stefano Domenicali was delighted with their first one-two since France in 2008, but says the reds need to raise their game after reliability concerns obliged them to fit fresh engines for the race, and Felipe Massa had an overheating problem in the race.
"We have just done a check of all the problems we faced in the three days we had in Bahrain," Domenicali said. “Of course the result in the end was very, very good - it was excellent, a first and second place in the first race. It was really an outstanding achievement, but we have seen the list of problems was quite high and we need to address them all and make sure that these are solved before the start of the race in Australia."
Behind the big four, Renault and Force India are expected to fight for ‘best of the rest’ honours, with Williams hoping to take a step closer to them. The R30 showed more speed than expected in Bahrain, but both Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov were unlucky not to score points. Force India’s Sutil will be hoping to avoid mistakes, while Vitantonio Liuzzi is determined to build on his good start to the season.
BMW Sauber, too, hope that they have cured the two disparate hydraulic problems that brought Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi to premature halts.
Among the newcomers, Virgin showed they have the fastest car so far but it too has been plagued by hydraulic issues, as was Karun Chandhok’s HRT. The Indian will be hoping for a lot more track time than he got in Bahrain, as he and team mate Bruno Senna get to grips with Formula One racing, while Lotus are hoping that an update can get them some more speed.
Albert Park is a notoriously bumpy track and is always very green on Friday before it rubbers in. Grip levels are usually quite low anyway, so the set-up priority focuses on driveability to generate maximum driver confidence. It is also very hard on brakes, and there have been disc failures in the past.
The ban on refuelling may be felt even more keenly here because of that factor, and management of Bridgestone’s hard and soft compounds could be trickier than it proved in Bahrain even though the compounds are harder here.
Interestingly, the weather forecast suggests that rain showers might further enliven proceedings.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Australia preview quotes - Virgin, Ferrari, Force India, Williams
After the spectacular but sparse desert setting of Bahrain, the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship heads to Australia and the bustling metropolis of Melbourne for round two. Both the city and circuit are favourites - not just with those in the stands, but also with those hard at work in the paddock and on the track…
Timo Glock, Virgin
2009 Qualifying - DSQ, 2009 Race - 4th
“Australia is usually a good race. It’s a great city and I look forward to it every year. It’s one of the best weekends on the Formula One calendar. The track itself is a street course, very different from a race track, and quite special. I got a bird’s-eye view of it on Wednesday when I flew over the track in a heli - a bit of fun and a great way to recce the track layout. It’s a fantastic circuit and I’m hoping it will bring us good luck. We had a tough time in Bahrain but there were some positives too. We learnt some good lessons which can only make us stronger. The main target is to do everything we can to ensure reliability doesn’t stop us from making it to the flag. Hopefully we’ll get another strong qualy in the bag too.”
Lucas di Grassi, Virgin
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I’ve been to Australia a few times but I’ve never raced at Albert Park before, so it will be an interesting weekend! Basically, I can’t wait to get back in the car again and experience the track. Australia as a destination actually reminds me of Brazil - the weather is nice and the people are warm and friendly. I’ve been out here for a few days now, acclimatising to the time difference and ensuring I’m relaxed for the weekend ahead. As for the relaxation part, I went surfing with Championship winning surfer Damien Hardman along the Great Ocean Road on Wednesday. I’m a big surfer - and pretty good, if I say so myself - so it was fun to head out of the city to catch a few waves before we get down to the serious stuff.
“We’re hoping to make a few waves on track this weekend also. We obviously want to build on what we saw in qualifying and reach the finish. I was really pleased with my debut qualifying and race start but obviously I want to carry that through to the race now. I’m looking forward to it.”
Nick Wirth, Virgin technical director
“It was disappointing to end our debut race with two retirements, but we take a lot of encouragement from knowing that our issues are specific and isolated, which means they are easily addressed. No one said the first few races would be easy and Bahrain was gruelling to say the least. But far better to flush out the problems early on and deal with them and that is exactly what we have been doing in the two week gap between these two races. We have some new parts which we hope will provide a robust solution to the new hydraulic problem and transmission issue we experienced in Bahrain.
“Melbourne represents a new and different challenge. This isn’t an easy track to contend with because it’s a street circuit. It lacks grip on Friday before its starts to rubber in, but the track conditions can change from session to session. The lap is full of stops and starts, so we have to manage the brakes and also the track surface is quite bumpy. All of these factors conspire to make car set-up quite a challenge, but it’s one we’re looking forward to. We saw some very positive signs in terms of our qualifying and race pace, and the drivers and engineers have done their homework on our Simulators back at Wirth Research, so we are looking to build on the performance level seen in Bahrain and ensure that both cars get to cross the finish line.”
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2009 Qualifying - 10th, 2009 Race - 5th
“The one-two win in Sakhir gave us confidence and was a great result, but we can't take anything for granted. We have to keep our feet on the ground, keep calm and stay concentrated. In Melbourne we're starting from square one. Nothing has changed for me - there are four teams and eight drivers who can fight for victory and we have to give it our all to stay ahead of everybody else. I like the Albert Park track. It's quite a technical circuit with some pretty interesting corners. Overtaking has never been easy and what is even more important now, like on all city circuits, is the result in the qualifying. We have to see how the tyres behave with different fuel loads and temperatures, which will be different from the ones we had during testing and in Bahrain. The weekend in Melbourne is one of my preferred ones for the atmosphere at the paddock and in the city. It's really special and it seems that everybody is following the event. Let's hope we can provide a good show for our fans.”
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2009 Qualifying - 16th, 2009 Race - 9th
“The Australian event is one of my favourites. It's quite a nice street circuit with a few run off areas through a park so it's very beautiful. But it's also very challenging with a lot of quick corners and a few slow speed corners so altogether it's a great circuit to race on. I also have a lot of history there - I made my race debut for Spyker at the track in 2007, it was where Force India made their race debut the next year and then last year I was ninth. If we can get that position again this year that's two points! We've got to aim for this or higher - I'm pretty happy with where we were in qualifying and how we performed in the Bahrain race so we've got a lot of reasons to look forward to Australia now.”
Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We have some new developments on the front and rear wing. I'm pretty hopeful it will be a step forward as every upgrade we made last year was positive, so the correlation from the wind tunnel seems to be working well. Of course you never know what the others are bringing but I would hope this would move us a little closer to the teams in front. My target would be to get into Q3 this time out and then, of course, get into the points again.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
“We've got a solid car to start with, and we've got a good base, and now it's about the development rate for the rest of the year. With the new upgrades we have in the pipeline for Australia I can say with every faith that we can carry the momentum forward.”
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2009 Qualifying - 2nd, 2009 Race - 2nd
“Melbourne is a great place for a Grand Prix. The racing is always competitive so it’s a good track from a fan perspective; it’s also a very social city so it’s nice to hang out there. I like Albert Park a lot. It doesn’t really feel like a street circuit, it’s very challenging and has some interesting corners to negotiate. We had some minor problems in Bahrain but we have resolved them now for Australia. I’m positive we will have a stronger race this weekend.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Williams
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“As a circuit, I don't know Albert Park at all as I haven’t raced there yet. I spent a few days in the factory last week going through practice runs on the simulator and running through data with my engineers which was really helpful but nothing beats having time on the track itself. Bahrain wasn't the best race for me, but there were some positives to be taken from it because it highlighted where we need to do some more work. I’m hoping that we will have a more successful weekend in Australia as a result of what I learnt in Bahrain, and what the team have worked on since we came home. I'm flying out to Sydney on Saturday morning for a driver day with RBS on Tuesday. I then have an appearance for Randstad on Wednesday in Melbourne before heading to the circuit.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Albert Park is a low grip street circuit, and you’re normally on the limit when it comes to tyre graining. As a result, careful management of car set-up throughout the weekend is a pre-requisite. We will have some improvements for the FW32 in Australia that we will roll out during Friday’s practice sessions. It's going to be a really interesting weekend in terms of seeing how the teams perform on such a different track in comparison to Sakhir. In terms of strategy, Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne.”
Robert Kubica, Renault
2009 Qualifying - 4th, 2009 Race - 14th
“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain. Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us. The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“My goal now has to be to get closer and closer to the top ten without making any more mistakes. The most important thing is to learn the track and understand how it flows. I need to get out there and feel the tarmac, see the kerbs, walk a lap to have the right feeling for what I need to do. Then I will do the best job I can and we’ll see what happens.”
Alan Permane, Renault chief race engineer
“Albert Park is a track where you need good braking stability because it’s very bumpy in the braking zones. You also need good traction because the lap is mostly made up of second and third gear chicanes where a good change of direction is important. In the final part of the lap the car wants to understeer, especially through the final corner onto the pit straight, so you need a good front end to cope with this. We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There’s a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce. The target is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”
Karun Chandhok, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend. I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain. We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006. I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener. We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 1st, 2009 Race - 1st
“I have some extremely pleasant memories of racing in Australia. As with most drivers on the grid, Albert Park was my first introduction to Formula One, and I really enjoyed my debut, running as high as fourth before retiring. I was on pole in 2006, although I had another non-finish. Of course, last year was a fairytale race for me - I took pole and victory, which was one of the most satisfying and emotional moments of my career. Looking ahead to this year, I think we head to the Albert Park circuit feeling more confident of our overall pace. It’s quite a contrast to Bahrain: no tight, low-speed sections and plenty of faster corners. We think the track configuration should suit our package. We learnt some very useful lessons about MP4-25 in the opening race, and the whole team is keen to put them into practice this weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 13th, 2009 Race - DSQ
“I’ve always enjoyed Albert Park. I had a great race here on my Formula One debut in 2007, won the race a year later and made full use of KERS to drive through the field there last year. But, for me, the best things about the Australian Grand Prix are the people and the atmosphere. The fans in the grandstands, the people in the city and the organisation at the track are all fantastic, and it is one of the most welcoming and relaxing events of the year. I really love it. I had a great race in Bahrain: despite losing time in the opening stint, I pushed like crazy for the whole race and I’m pleased that we’ve got some decent points on the board. I’m looking forward to Melbourne. I like the circuit, I think we’ll go well there and I don’t think we’ll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Coming just a fortnight after the opening race in Bahrain, there’s been only minimal time to add developments to the MP4-25. But we’ve got a number of smaller components that we expect to add to the car ahead of the race. We’ve had the chance to reflect upon it, and I believe that our start to the season has been mostly encouraging. Our race pace in Bahrain looked respectable - we had the fastest car for much of the second half of the race - and I think we now have a clearer idea of how to set the car up over a grand prix weekend. Of course, we’re under no illusions that the opposition will be tough - and we expect a fantastic battle in Melbourne this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix organisers put on a fantastic event and it’s an event I always look forward to with huge enthusiasm. I hope that we can put on a great show for everyone.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 5th, 2009 Race - 6th
"The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has always been a successful race for me. I have been in the points for my last three races and had my first podium finish there in 2008 when I finished third. Melbourne is a great city so I really enjoy visiting and the Albert Park street circuit is exciting. It's quite a challenging track as the public roads are always dirty to begin with and there are a lot of bumps to negotiate. With the change in the time of the race last year, the low sun was one of the most difficult things due to the late afternoon start."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing. As in previous times, I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend. I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne and most of the time, we saw interesting races there. I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain. Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"The team did a good job in Bahrain but we accept that we were not competitive enough and that we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders. I was very pleased with the performance of Nico and Michael and the way that they worked together to provide clear and consistent feedback to develop the car over the weekend. Whilst our car is fundamentally strong, we have a development plan in place for the next few races which should bring the required performance improvements to compete at the front. Looking ahead to the next two races, the Australian Grand Prix is always a popular race with the teams and the fans so we hope to see a more exciting race at Albert Park next weekend. We then head to Malaysia for the home race of our title partner Petronas. With an exciting programme of activities scheduled at the Petronas Pit Pulse fan zone in Kuala Lumpur, it will be a busy and enjoyable fortnight for the team."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The forthcoming Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park is the first of two races within eight days. The layout of the traditional race track in Melbourne, which will host its 15th Formula One World Championship race since 1996, is quite different to Bahrain where the season-opener took place. I expect quite a challenging race for us. The base of our car is good and the team is working hard and focused to achieve the next development steps. It will take some time to close the gap but we will definitely close it sooner rather than later. Our spirit is first-class and the whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in Melbourne."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I'm very much looking forward to this Grand Prix. I really want our performance in Bahrain to be forgotten. Also it is one of my favourite Grands Prix because of the great atmosphere there. My last race there was in 2002. In 2005 I drove in Friday practice. This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me. I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne. Reliability was never an issue in testing, and it was very unlucky that we retired with both cars in Bahrain and with two different reasons as well. Albert Park is a difficult track with many chicanes, stop and go corners and bumps. As it is not a permanent race track it changes significantly over the weekend. This makes it important to read the track properly in order to deal with the grip level. It will not be easy for us in Australia and we need to work hard to be able to fight for points."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"For sure I hope we will be more competitive in Melbourne than we were in Bahrain - we just have to be. I only know the track from the Toyota simulator which I have been in after the race in Bahrain. I like the lay-out of the Albert Park Circuit, and I also like Melbourne as a place. I have been there twice as a reserve driver. The city is great and the spectators are true fans, so I can't wait to race in front of that crowd. To me a four week trip begins now and I'm really excited about that. From Melbourne we go to Kuala Lumpur and before the race in Shanghai I go and spend some time in Japan."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia. We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly. I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne. The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready for the race.
"The Albert Park Circuit is a stop-and-go track, being very demanding on the brakes and requiring high brake stability as well. At the same time good traction is a must. You drive with maximum downforce. Especially at the beginning of the weekend, the grip level is very low and then improves continuously. You have to make sure this development doesn't confuse your set-up work and so you have to keep working in the right direction. I'm curious about how the tyres will be working. Last year the softer of the two compounds was degrading badly after just a few laps. This time Bridgestone is providing us with a harder compound, which naturally has an impact on the set-up."
Timo Glock, Virgin
2009 Qualifying - DSQ, 2009 Race - 4th
“Australia is usually a good race. It’s a great city and I look forward to it every year. It’s one of the best weekends on the Formula One calendar. The track itself is a street course, very different from a race track, and quite special. I got a bird’s-eye view of it on Wednesday when I flew over the track in a heli - a bit of fun and a great way to recce the track layout. It’s a fantastic circuit and I’m hoping it will bring us good luck. We had a tough time in Bahrain but there were some positives too. We learnt some good lessons which can only make us stronger. The main target is to do everything we can to ensure reliability doesn’t stop us from making it to the flag. Hopefully we’ll get another strong qualy in the bag too.”
Lucas di Grassi, Virgin
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I’ve been to Australia a few times but I’ve never raced at Albert Park before, so it will be an interesting weekend! Basically, I can’t wait to get back in the car again and experience the track. Australia as a destination actually reminds me of Brazil - the weather is nice and the people are warm and friendly. I’ve been out here for a few days now, acclimatising to the time difference and ensuring I’m relaxed for the weekend ahead. As for the relaxation part, I went surfing with Championship winning surfer Damien Hardman along the Great Ocean Road on Wednesday. I’m a big surfer - and pretty good, if I say so myself - so it was fun to head out of the city to catch a few waves before we get down to the serious stuff.
“We’re hoping to make a few waves on track this weekend also. We obviously want to build on what we saw in qualifying and reach the finish. I was really pleased with my debut qualifying and race start but obviously I want to carry that through to the race now. I’m looking forward to it.”
Nick Wirth, Virgin technical director
“It was disappointing to end our debut race with two retirements, but we take a lot of encouragement from knowing that our issues are specific and isolated, which means they are easily addressed. No one said the first few races would be easy and Bahrain was gruelling to say the least. But far better to flush out the problems early on and deal with them and that is exactly what we have been doing in the two week gap between these two races. We have some new parts which we hope will provide a robust solution to the new hydraulic problem and transmission issue we experienced in Bahrain.
“Melbourne represents a new and different challenge. This isn’t an easy track to contend with because it’s a street circuit. It lacks grip on Friday before its starts to rubber in, but the track conditions can change from session to session. The lap is full of stops and starts, so we have to manage the brakes and also the track surface is quite bumpy. All of these factors conspire to make car set-up quite a challenge, but it’s one we’re looking forward to. We saw some very positive signs in terms of our qualifying and race pace, and the drivers and engineers have done their homework on our Simulators back at Wirth Research, so we are looking to build on the performance level seen in Bahrain and ensure that both cars get to cross the finish line.”
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2009 Qualifying - 10th, 2009 Race - 5th
“The one-two win in Sakhir gave us confidence and was a great result, but we can't take anything for granted. We have to keep our feet on the ground, keep calm and stay concentrated. In Melbourne we're starting from square one. Nothing has changed for me - there are four teams and eight drivers who can fight for victory and we have to give it our all to stay ahead of everybody else. I like the Albert Park track. It's quite a technical circuit with some pretty interesting corners. Overtaking has never been easy and what is even more important now, like on all city circuits, is the result in the qualifying. We have to see how the tyres behave with different fuel loads and temperatures, which will be different from the ones we had during testing and in Bahrain. The weekend in Melbourne is one of my preferred ones for the atmosphere at the paddock and in the city. It's really special and it seems that everybody is following the event. Let's hope we can provide a good show for our fans.”
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2009 Qualifying - 16th, 2009 Race - 9th
“The Australian event is one of my favourites. It's quite a nice street circuit with a few run off areas through a park so it's very beautiful. But it's also very challenging with a lot of quick corners and a few slow speed corners so altogether it's a great circuit to race on. I also have a lot of history there - I made my race debut for Spyker at the track in 2007, it was where Force India made their race debut the next year and then last year I was ninth. If we can get that position again this year that's two points! We've got to aim for this or higher - I'm pretty happy with where we were in qualifying and how we performed in the Bahrain race so we've got a lot of reasons to look forward to Australia now.”
Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We have some new developments on the front and rear wing. I'm pretty hopeful it will be a step forward as every upgrade we made last year was positive, so the correlation from the wind tunnel seems to be working well. Of course you never know what the others are bringing but I would hope this would move us a little closer to the teams in front. My target would be to get into Q3 this time out and then, of course, get into the points again.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
“We've got a solid car to start with, and we've got a good base, and now it's about the development rate for the rest of the year. With the new upgrades we have in the pipeline for Australia I can say with every faith that we can carry the momentum forward.”
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2009 Qualifying - 2nd, 2009 Race - 2nd
“Melbourne is a great place for a Grand Prix. The racing is always competitive so it’s a good track from a fan perspective; it’s also a very social city so it’s nice to hang out there. I like Albert Park a lot. It doesn’t really feel like a street circuit, it’s very challenging and has some interesting corners to negotiate. We had some minor problems in Bahrain but we have resolved them now for Australia. I’m positive we will have a stronger race this weekend.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Williams
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“As a circuit, I don't know Albert Park at all as I haven’t raced there yet. I spent a few days in the factory last week going through practice runs on the simulator and running through data with my engineers which was really helpful but nothing beats having time on the track itself. Bahrain wasn't the best race for me, but there were some positives to be taken from it because it highlighted where we need to do some more work. I’m hoping that we will have a more successful weekend in Australia as a result of what I learnt in Bahrain, and what the team have worked on since we came home. I'm flying out to Sydney on Saturday morning for a driver day with RBS on Tuesday. I then have an appearance for Randstad on Wednesday in Melbourne before heading to the circuit.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Albert Park is a low grip street circuit, and you’re normally on the limit when it comes to tyre graining. As a result, careful management of car set-up throughout the weekend is a pre-requisite. We will have some improvements for the FW32 in Australia that we will roll out during Friday’s practice sessions. It's going to be a really interesting weekend in terms of seeing how the teams perform on such a different track in comparison to Sakhir. In terms of strategy, Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne.”
Robert Kubica, Renault
2009 Qualifying - 4th, 2009 Race - 14th
“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain. Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us. The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“My goal now has to be to get closer and closer to the top ten without making any more mistakes. The most important thing is to learn the track and understand how it flows. I need to get out there and feel the tarmac, see the kerbs, walk a lap to have the right feeling for what I need to do. Then I will do the best job I can and we’ll see what happens.”
Alan Permane, Renault chief race engineer
“Albert Park is a track where you need good braking stability because it’s very bumpy in the braking zones. You also need good traction because the lap is mostly made up of second and third gear chicanes where a good change of direction is important. In the final part of the lap the car wants to understeer, especially through the final corner onto the pit straight, so you need a good front end to cope with this. We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There’s a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce. The target is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”
Karun Chandhok, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend. I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain. We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006. I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener. We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 1st, 2009 Race - 1st
“I have some extremely pleasant memories of racing in Australia. As with most drivers on the grid, Albert Park was my first introduction to Formula One, and I really enjoyed my debut, running as high as fourth before retiring. I was on pole in 2006, although I had another non-finish. Of course, last year was a fairytale race for me - I took pole and victory, which was one of the most satisfying and emotional moments of my career. Looking ahead to this year, I think we head to the Albert Park circuit feeling more confident of our overall pace. It’s quite a contrast to Bahrain: no tight, low-speed sections and plenty of faster corners. We think the track configuration should suit our package. We learnt some very useful lessons about MP4-25 in the opening race, and the whole team is keen to put them into practice this weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 13th, 2009 Race - DSQ
“I’ve always enjoyed Albert Park. I had a great race here on my Formula One debut in 2007, won the race a year later and made full use of KERS to drive through the field there last year. But, for me, the best things about the Australian Grand Prix are the people and the atmosphere. The fans in the grandstands, the people in the city and the organisation at the track are all fantastic, and it is one of the most welcoming and relaxing events of the year. I really love it. I had a great race in Bahrain: despite losing time in the opening stint, I pushed like crazy for the whole race and I’m pleased that we’ve got some decent points on the board. I’m looking forward to Melbourne. I like the circuit, I think we’ll go well there and I don’t think we’ll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Coming just a fortnight after the opening race in Bahrain, there’s been only minimal time to add developments to the MP4-25. But we’ve got a number of smaller components that we expect to add to the car ahead of the race. We’ve had the chance to reflect upon it, and I believe that our start to the season has been mostly encouraging. Our race pace in Bahrain looked respectable - we had the fastest car for much of the second half of the race - and I think we now have a clearer idea of how to set the car up over a grand prix weekend. Of course, we’re under no illusions that the opposition will be tough - and we expect a fantastic battle in Melbourne this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix organisers put on a fantastic event and it’s an event I always look forward to with huge enthusiasm. I hope that we can put on a great show for everyone.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 5th, 2009 Race - 6th
"The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has always been a successful race for me. I have been in the points for my last three races and had my first podium finish there in 2008 when I finished third. Melbourne is a great city so I really enjoy visiting and the Albert Park street circuit is exciting. It's quite a challenging track as the public roads are always dirty to begin with and there are a lot of bumps to negotiate. With the change in the time of the race last year, the low sun was one of the most difficult things due to the late afternoon start."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing. As in previous times, I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend. I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne and most of the time, we saw interesting races there. I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain. Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"The team did a good job in Bahrain but we accept that we were not competitive enough and that we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders. I was very pleased with the performance of Nico and Michael and the way that they worked together to provide clear and consistent feedback to develop the car over the weekend. Whilst our car is fundamentally strong, we have a development plan in place for the next few races which should bring the required performance improvements to compete at the front. Looking ahead to the next two races, the Australian Grand Prix is always a popular race with the teams and the fans so we hope to see a more exciting race at Albert Park next weekend. We then head to Malaysia for the home race of our title partner Petronas. With an exciting programme of activities scheduled at the Petronas Pit Pulse fan zone in Kuala Lumpur, it will be a busy and enjoyable fortnight for the team."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The forthcoming Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park is the first of two races within eight days. The layout of the traditional race track in Melbourne, which will host its 15th Formula One World Championship race since 1996, is quite different to Bahrain where the season-opener took place. I expect quite a challenging race for us. The base of our car is good and the team is working hard and focused to achieve the next development steps. It will take some time to close the gap but we will definitely close it sooner rather than later. Our spirit is first-class and the whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in Melbourne."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I'm very much looking forward to this Grand Prix. I really want our performance in Bahrain to be forgotten. Also it is one of my favourite Grands Prix because of the great atmosphere there. My last race there was in 2002. In 2005 I drove in Friday practice. This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me. I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne. Reliability was never an issue in testing, and it was very unlucky that we retired with both cars in Bahrain and with two different reasons as well. Albert Park is a difficult track with many chicanes, stop and go corners and bumps. As it is not a permanent race track it changes significantly over the weekend. This makes it important to read the track properly in order to deal with the grip level. It will not be easy for us in Australia and we need to work hard to be able to fight for points."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"For sure I hope we will be more competitive in Melbourne than we were in Bahrain - we just have to be. I only know the track from the Toyota simulator which I have been in after the race in Bahrain. I like the lay-out of the Albert Park Circuit, and I also like Melbourne as a place. I have been there twice as a reserve driver. The city is great and the spectators are true fans, so I can't wait to race in front of that crowd. To me a four week trip begins now and I'm really excited about that. From Melbourne we go to Kuala Lumpur and before the race in Shanghai I go and spend some time in Japan."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia. We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly. I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne. The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready for the race.
"The Albert Park Circuit is a stop-and-go track, being very demanding on the brakes and requiring high brake stability as well. At the same time good traction is a must. You drive with maximum downforce. Especially at the beginning of the weekend, the grip level is very low and then improves continuously. You have to make sure this development doesn't confuse your set-up work and so you have to keep working in the right direction. I'm curious about how the tyres will be working. Last year the softer of the two compounds was degrading badly after just a few laps. This time Bridgestone is providing us with a harder compound, which naturally has an impact on the set-up."
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Australia preview quotes - Williams, Renault, HRT and more
After the spectacular but sparse desert setting of Bahrain, the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship heads to Australia and the bustling metropolis of Melbourne for round two. Both the city and circuit are favourites - not just with those in the stands, but also with those hard at work in the paddock and on the track…
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2009 Qualifying - 2nd, 2009 Race - 2nd
“Melbourne is a great place for a Grand Prix. The racing is always competitive so it’s a good track from a fan perspective; it’s also a very social city so it’s nice to hang out there. I like Albert Park a lot. It doesn’t really feel like a street circuit, it’s very challenging and has some interesting corners to negotiate. We had some minor problems in Bahrain but we have resolved them now for Australia. I’m positive we will have a stronger race this weekend.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Williams
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“As a circuit, I don't know Albert Park at all as I haven’t raced there yet. I spent a few days in the factory last week going through practice runs on the simulator and running through data with my engineers which was really helpful but nothing beats having time on the track itself. Bahrain wasn't the best race for me, but there were some positives to be taken from it because it highlighted where we need to do some more work. I’m hoping that we will have a more successful weekend in Australia as a result of what I learnt in Bahrain, and what the team have worked on since we came home. I'm flying out to Sydney on Saturday morning for a driver day with RBS on Tuesday. I then have an appearance for Randstad on Wednesday in Melbourne before heading to the circuit.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Albert Park is a low grip street circuit, and you’re normally on the limit when it comes to tyre graining. As a result, careful management of car set-up throughout the weekend is a pre-requisite. We will have some improvements for the FW32 in Australia that we will roll out during Friday’s practice sessions. It's going to be a really interesting weekend in terms of seeing how the teams perform on such a different track in comparison to Sakhir. In terms of strategy, Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne.”
Robert Kubica, Renault
2009 Qualifying - 4th, 2009 Race - 14th
“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain. Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us. The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“My goal now has to be to get closer and closer to the top ten without making any more mistakes. The most important thing is to learn the track and understand how it flows. I need to get out there and feel the tarmac, see the kerbs, walk a lap to have the right feeling for what I need to do. Then I will do the best job I can and we’ll see what happens.”
Alan Permane, Renault chief race engineer
“Albert Park is a track where you need good braking stability because it’s very bumpy in the braking zones. You also need good traction because the lap is mostly made up of second and third gear chicanes where a good change of direction is important. In the final part of the lap the car wants to understeer, especially through the final corner onto the pit straight, so you need a good front end to cope with this. We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There’s a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce. The target is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”
Karun Chandhok, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend. I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain. We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006. I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener. We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 1st, 2009 Race - 1st
“I have some extremely pleasant memories of racing in Australia. As with most drivers on the grid, Albert Park was my first introduction to Formula One, and I really enjoyed my debut, running as high as fourth before retiring. I was on pole in 2006, although I had another non-finish. Of course, last year was a fairytale race for me - I took pole and victory, which was one of the most satisfying and emotional moments of my career. Looking ahead to this year, I think we head to the Albert Park circuit feeling more confident of our overall pace. It’s quite a contrast to Bahrain: no tight, low-speed sections and plenty of faster corners. We think the track configuration should suit our package. We learnt some very useful lessons about MP4-25 in the opening race, and the whole team is keen to put them into practice this weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 13th, 2009 Race - DSQ
“I’ve always enjoyed Albert Park. I had a great race here on my Formula One debut in 2007, won the race a year later and made full use of KERS to drive through the field there last year. But, for me, the best things about the Australian Grand Prix are the people and the atmosphere. The fans in the grandstands, the people in the city and the organisation at the track are all fantastic, and it is one of the most welcoming and relaxing events of the year. I really love it. I had a great race in Bahrain: despite losing time in the opening stint, I pushed like crazy for the whole race and I’m pleased that we’ve got some decent points on the board. I’m looking forward to Melbourne. I like the circuit, I think we’ll go well there and I don’t think we’ll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Coming just a fortnight after the opening race in Bahrain, there’s been only minimal time to add developments to the MP4-25. But we’ve got a number of smaller components that we expect to add to the car ahead of the race. We’ve had the chance to reflect upon it, and I believe that our start to the season has been mostly encouraging. Our race pace in Bahrain looked respectable - we had the fastest car for much of the second half of the race - and I think we now have a clearer idea of how to set the car up over a grand prix weekend. Of course, we’re under no illusions that the opposition will be tough - and we expect a fantastic battle in Melbourne this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix organisers put on a fantastic event and it’s an event I always look forward to with huge enthusiasm. I hope that we can put on a great show for everyone.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 5th, 2009 Race - 6th
"The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has always been a successful race for me. I have been in the points for my last three races and had my first podium finish there in 2008 when I finished third. Melbourne is a great city so I really enjoy visiting and the Albert Park street circuit is exciting. It's quite a challenging track as the public roads are always dirty to begin with and there are a lot of bumps to negotiate. With the change in the time of the race last year, the low sun was one of the most difficult things due to the late afternoon start."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing. As in previous times, I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend. I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne and most of the time, we saw interesting races there. I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain. Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"The team did a good job in Bahrain but we accept that we were not competitive enough and that we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders. I was very pleased with the performance of Nico and Michael and the way that they worked together to provide clear and consistent feedback to develop the car over the weekend. Whilst our car is fundamentally strong, we have a development plan in place for the next few races which should bring the required performance improvements to compete at the front. Looking ahead to the next two races, the Australian Grand Prix is always a popular race with the teams and the fans so we hope to see a more exciting race at Albert Park next weekend. We then head to Malaysia for the home race of our title partner Petronas. With an exciting programme of activities scheduled at the Petronas Pit Pulse fan zone in Kuala Lumpur, it will be a busy and enjoyable fortnight for the team."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The forthcoming Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park is the first of two races within eight days. The layout of the traditional race track in Melbourne, which will host its 15th Formula One World Championship race since 1996, is quite different to Bahrain where the season-opener took place. I expect quite a challenging race for us. The base of our car is good and the team is working hard and focused to achieve the next development steps. It will take some time to close the gap but we will definitely close it sooner rather than later. Our spirit is first-class and the whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in Melbourne."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I'm very much looking forward to this Grand Prix. I really want our performance in Bahrain to be forgotten. Also it is one of my favourite Grands Prix because of the great atmosphere there. My last race there was in 2002. In 2005 I drove in Friday practice. This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me. I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne. Reliability was never an issue in testing, and it was very unlucky that we retired with both cars in Bahrain and with two different reasons as well. Albert Park is a difficult track with many chicanes, stop and go corners and bumps. As it is not a permanent race track it changes significantly over the weekend. This makes it important to read the track properly in order to deal with the grip level. It will not be easy for us in Australia and we need to work hard to be able to fight for points."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"For sure I hope we will be more competitive in Melbourne than we were in Bahrain - we just have to be. I only know the track from the Toyota simulator which I have been in after the race in Bahrain. I like the lay-out of the Albert Park Circuit, and I also like Melbourne as a place. I have been there twice as a reserve driver. The city is great and the spectators are true fans, so I can't wait to race in front of that crowd. To me a four week trip begins now and I'm really excited about that. From Melbourne we go to Kuala Lumpur and before the race in Shanghai I go and spend some time in Japan."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia. We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly. I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne. The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready for the race.
"The Albert Park Circuit is a stop-and-go track, being very demanding on the brakes and requiring high brake stability as well. At the same time good traction is a must. You drive with maximum downforce. Especially at the beginning of the weekend, the grip level is very low and then improves continuously. You have to make sure this development doesn't confuse your set-up work and so you have to keep working in the right direction. I'm curious about how the tyres will be working. Last year the softer of the two compounds was degrading badly after just a few laps. This time Bridgestone is providing us with a harder compound, which naturally has an impact on the set-up."
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2009 Qualifying - 2nd, 2009 Race - 2nd
“Melbourne is a great place for a Grand Prix. The racing is always competitive so it’s a good track from a fan perspective; it’s also a very social city so it’s nice to hang out there. I like Albert Park a lot. It doesn’t really feel like a street circuit, it’s very challenging and has some interesting corners to negotiate. We had some minor problems in Bahrain but we have resolved them now for Australia. I’m positive we will have a stronger race this weekend.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Williams
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“As a circuit, I don't know Albert Park at all as I haven’t raced there yet. I spent a few days in the factory last week going through practice runs on the simulator and running through data with my engineers which was really helpful but nothing beats having time on the track itself. Bahrain wasn't the best race for me, but there were some positives to be taken from it because it highlighted where we need to do some more work. I’m hoping that we will have a more successful weekend in Australia as a result of what I learnt in Bahrain, and what the team have worked on since we came home. I'm flying out to Sydney on Saturday morning for a driver day with RBS on Tuesday. I then have an appearance for Randstad on Wednesday in Melbourne before heading to the circuit.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Albert Park is a low grip street circuit, and you’re normally on the limit when it comes to tyre graining. As a result, careful management of car set-up throughout the weekend is a pre-requisite. We will have some improvements for the FW32 in Australia that we will roll out during Friday’s practice sessions. It's going to be a really interesting weekend in terms of seeing how the teams perform on such a different track in comparison to Sakhir. In terms of strategy, Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne.”
Robert Kubica, Renault
2009 Qualifying - 4th, 2009 Race - 14th
“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain. Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us. The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“My goal now has to be to get closer and closer to the top ten without making any more mistakes. The most important thing is to learn the track and understand how it flows. I need to get out there and feel the tarmac, see the kerbs, walk a lap to have the right feeling for what I need to do. Then I will do the best job I can and we’ll see what happens.”
Alan Permane, Renault chief race engineer
“Albert Park is a track where you need good braking stability because it’s very bumpy in the braking zones. You also need good traction because the lap is mostly made up of second and third gear chicanes where a good change of direction is important. In the final part of the lap the car wants to understeer, especially through the final corner onto the pit straight, so you need a good front end to cope with this. We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There’s a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce. The target is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”
Karun Chandhok, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend. I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain. We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006. I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener. We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 1st, 2009 Race - 1st
“I have some extremely pleasant memories of racing in Australia. As with most drivers on the grid, Albert Park was my first introduction to Formula One, and I really enjoyed my debut, running as high as fourth before retiring. I was on pole in 2006, although I had another non-finish. Of course, last year was a fairytale race for me - I took pole and victory, which was one of the most satisfying and emotional moments of my career. Looking ahead to this year, I think we head to the Albert Park circuit feeling more confident of our overall pace. It’s quite a contrast to Bahrain: no tight, low-speed sections and plenty of faster corners. We think the track configuration should suit our package. We learnt some very useful lessons about MP4-25 in the opening race, and the whole team is keen to put them into practice this weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 13th, 2009 Race - DSQ
“I’ve always enjoyed Albert Park. I had a great race here on my Formula One debut in 2007, won the race a year later and made full use of KERS to drive through the field there last year. But, for me, the best things about the Australian Grand Prix are the people and the atmosphere. The fans in the grandstands, the people in the city and the organisation at the track are all fantastic, and it is one of the most welcoming and relaxing events of the year. I really love it. I had a great race in Bahrain: despite losing time in the opening stint, I pushed like crazy for the whole race and I’m pleased that we’ve got some decent points on the board. I’m looking forward to Melbourne. I like the circuit, I think we’ll go well there and I don’t think we’ll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Coming just a fortnight after the opening race in Bahrain, there’s been only minimal time to add developments to the MP4-25. But we’ve got a number of smaller components that we expect to add to the car ahead of the race. We’ve had the chance to reflect upon it, and I believe that our start to the season has been mostly encouraging. Our race pace in Bahrain looked respectable - we had the fastest car for much of the second half of the race - and I think we now have a clearer idea of how to set the car up over a grand prix weekend. Of course, we’re under no illusions that the opposition will be tough - and we expect a fantastic battle in Melbourne this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix organisers put on a fantastic event and it’s an event I always look forward to with huge enthusiasm. I hope that we can put on a great show for everyone.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 5th, 2009 Race - 6th
"The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has always been a successful race for me. I have been in the points for my last three races and had my first podium finish there in 2008 when I finished third. Melbourne is a great city so I really enjoy visiting and the Albert Park street circuit is exciting. It's quite a challenging track as the public roads are always dirty to begin with and there are a lot of bumps to negotiate. With the change in the time of the race last year, the low sun was one of the most difficult things due to the late afternoon start."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing. As in previous times, I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend. I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne and most of the time, we saw interesting races there. I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain. Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"The team did a good job in Bahrain but we accept that we were not competitive enough and that we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders. I was very pleased with the performance of Nico and Michael and the way that they worked together to provide clear and consistent feedback to develop the car over the weekend. Whilst our car is fundamentally strong, we have a development plan in place for the next few races which should bring the required performance improvements to compete at the front. Looking ahead to the next two races, the Australian Grand Prix is always a popular race with the teams and the fans so we hope to see a more exciting race at Albert Park next weekend. We then head to Malaysia for the home race of our title partner Petronas. With an exciting programme of activities scheduled at the Petronas Pit Pulse fan zone in Kuala Lumpur, it will be a busy and enjoyable fortnight for the team."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The forthcoming Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park is the first of two races within eight days. The layout of the traditional race track in Melbourne, which will host its 15th Formula One World Championship race since 1996, is quite different to Bahrain where the season-opener took place. I expect quite a challenging race for us. The base of our car is good and the team is working hard and focused to achieve the next development steps. It will take some time to close the gap but we will definitely close it sooner rather than later. Our spirit is first-class and the whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in Melbourne."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I'm very much looking forward to this Grand Prix. I really want our performance in Bahrain to be forgotten. Also it is one of my favourite Grands Prix because of the great atmosphere there. My last race there was in 2002. In 2005 I drove in Friday practice. This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me. I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne. Reliability was never an issue in testing, and it was very unlucky that we retired with both cars in Bahrain and with two different reasons as well. Albert Park is a difficult track with many chicanes, stop and go corners and bumps. As it is not a permanent race track it changes significantly over the weekend. This makes it important to read the track properly in order to deal with the grip level. It will not be easy for us in Australia and we need to work hard to be able to fight for points."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"For sure I hope we will be more competitive in Melbourne than we were in Bahrain - we just have to be. I only know the track from the Toyota simulator which I have been in after the race in Bahrain. I like the lay-out of the Albert Park Circuit, and I also like Melbourne as a place. I have been there twice as a reserve driver. The city is great and the spectators are true fans, so I can't wait to race in front of that crowd. To me a four week trip begins now and I'm really excited about that. From Melbourne we go to Kuala Lumpur and before the race in Shanghai I go and spend some time in Japan."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia. We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly. I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne. The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready for the race.
"The Albert Park Circuit is a stop-and-go track, being very demanding on the brakes and requiring high brake stability as well. At the same time good traction is a must. You drive with maximum downforce. Especially at the beginning of the weekend, the grip level is very low and then improves continuously. You have to make sure this development doesn't confuse your set-up work and so you have to keep working in the right direction. I'm curious about how the tyres will be working. Last year the softer of the two compounds was degrading badly after just a few laps. This time Bridgestone is providing us with a harder compound, which naturally has an impact on the set-up."
Friday, 19 March 2010
BMW Sauber expect ‘significant improvement’ in Australia
Many pundits had tipped BMW Sauber as one of the dark horses for 2010 after their promising pace in pre-season testing. That promise failed to materialise in Bahrain with a double DNF, but having rested and regrouped the Swiss team are predicting far better things for round two in Australia.
Neither Pedro de la Rosa nor Kamui Kobayashi progressed beyond Q2 at Sakhir - the Swiss team’s first outing since BMW’s departure - and both men subsequently retired from the race with hydraulic problems. However, technical director Willy Rampf believes they are now on top of the issues.
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia,” he commented. “The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready.”
Given their early exit in Bahrain - Kobayashi on lap 12 of 49, De la Rosa on lap 29 - drawing conclusions about BMW Sauber’s true race pace was difficult. That notwithstanding, Rampf is confident both the Japanese and the Spaniard will have a much quicker car under them at Albert Park next weekend.
“We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly,” he stated. “I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne.”
While Kobayashi has only ever driven the temporary street circuit on a simulator, De la Rosa is a veteran of three Australian Grand Prix starts, with a best finish of sixth place on his Formula One race debut with Arrows back in 1999. As to whether that experience will count for much in 2010, he is unsure.
“My last race there was in 2002 and in 2005 I drove in Friday practice,” explained the former McLaren tester. “This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me.”
Nevertheless, he too is expecting an improvement on Bahrain, concluding: “I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne.”
Neither Pedro de la Rosa nor Kamui Kobayashi progressed beyond Q2 at Sakhir - the Swiss team’s first outing since BMW’s departure - and both men subsequently retired from the race with hydraulic problems. However, technical director Willy Rampf believes they are now on top of the issues.
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia,” he commented. “The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready.”
Given their early exit in Bahrain - Kobayashi on lap 12 of 49, De la Rosa on lap 29 - drawing conclusions about BMW Sauber’s true race pace was difficult. That notwithstanding, Rampf is confident both the Japanese and the Spaniard will have a much quicker car under them at Albert Park next weekend.
“We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly,” he stated. “I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne.”
While Kobayashi has only ever driven the temporary street circuit on a simulator, De la Rosa is a veteran of three Australian Grand Prix starts, with a best finish of sixth place on his Formula One race debut with Arrows back in 1999. As to whether that experience will count for much in 2010, he is unsure.
“My last race there was in 2002 and in 2005 I drove in Friday practice,” explained the former McLaren tester. “This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me.”
Nevertheless, he too is expecting an improvement on Bahrain, concluding: “I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne.”
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