Former Williams team manager Dickie Stanford is to resume his old position from next month, with incumbent Tim Newton returning to a factory based position.
Stanford is present at the German Grand Prix to work alongside Newton, and he will do the same again at next weekend's race in Hungary before taking over full responsibility from the Belgian GP.
Newton, who has been team manager for five years, will become Williams' Production General Manager with direct responsibility for the race team.
Stanford is a Williams stalwart, and was team manager from 1994 until 2005 - when he took a factory role before returning to a track job as test team manager.
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Williams. Show all posts
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Barrichello: Tunnel used better now
Rubens Barrichello says Williams's strong results in Valencia and Silverstone can be traced to improvements in the way the team uses its wind tunnel.
The Brazilian finished fourth in the European Grand Prix and then followed that up with a competitive fifth in the British GP two weeks ago.
The Brazilian veteran believes that improved communication between the drivers and the team's wind tunnel staff has meant a recalibration in the kinds of improvements the facility is being tasked to develop.
"The tunnel was giving us 'A', and we were getting 'A', but that was not necessarily the best thing. Rather it was what I needed [to feel] from the car that we needed to develop from the tunnel," he explained. "The tunnel can find downforce in a straightline, but nowadays it is important to find it in the corners also. So a better translation of [the information] we had is how we got better.
"It's a normal process, you cannot just come in to a team, bang on the table and say that is the way it is done," he added. "Tunnels work differently - it's not like 'You won at Ferrari, you won at Brawn, and it's because of this'. It's because the whole thing gets shaped until you get it to a place where you are happy. The team is starting to work on a good level."
Barrichello, speaking prior to the German GP at Hockenheim, had already alluded to the process at Silverstone where he said: "It doesn't matter if the wind tunnel is saying it's better, if it's not better on the track then we need to change that.
"And that was a good way because right now the tunnel is reading a bit more towards what the drivers are saying and we are working on that, so that's why we have seen some improvements since Istanbul."
The 38-year-old also said that it was too early to assess whether the FW32 would be consistently competitive from now on, but reckoned that Silverstone, Hockenheim and the Hungaroring would provide the acid test.
"It is true that if a car goes well at Silverstone it can go well at some other tracks but this year the bumps changed the whole attitude of the car. At the end of the day, it is important that you don't go 'wow; because it goes well on one track.
"It needs to go well on different tracks and in between Silverstone, Budapest and Hockenheim we have very different tracks. So this will be a good test for the car.
"We are still keeping our feet on the ground and keeping for Q3 here and some good points in the race," he added. "Obviously we want to visit the podium this year.
"It's being going quite well. Silverstone was not as good a position as Valencia, but I think it was as good a race. If it wasn't for those safety cars in Valencia we would have finished seventh or eighth, and in Silverstone we finished fifth but that would have been sixth if Alonso didn't get a penalty.
"I think it is improving, it is going okay. We still don't have the car that we wish to have, but I like it."
The Brazilian finished fourth in the European Grand Prix and then followed that up with a competitive fifth in the British GP two weeks ago.
The Brazilian veteran believes that improved communication between the drivers and the team's wind tunnel staff has meant a recalibration in the kinds of improvements the facility is being tasked to develop.
"The tunnel was giving us 'A', and we were getting 'A', but that was not necessarily the best thing. Rather it was what I needed [to feel] from the car that we needed to develop from the tunnel," he explained. "The tunnel can find downforce in a straightline, but nowadays it is important to find it in the corners also. So a better translation of [the information] we had is how we got better.
"It's a normal process, you cannot just come in to a team, bang on the table and say that is the way it is done," he added. "Tunnels work differently - it's not like 'You won at Ferrari, you won at Brawn, and it's because of this'. It's because the whole thing gets shaped until you get it to a place where you are happy. The team is starting to work on a good level."
Barrichello, speaking prior to the German GP at Hockenheim, had already alluded to the process at Silverstone where he said: "It doesn't matter if the wind tunnel is saying it's better, if it's not better on the track then we need to change that.
"And that was a good way because right now the tunnel is reading a bit more towards what the drivers are saying and we are working on that, so that's why we have seen some improvements since Istanbul."
The 38-year-old also said that it was too early to assess whether the FW32 would be consistently competitive from now on, but reckoned that Silverstone, Hockenheim and the Hungaroring would provide the acid test.
"It is true that if a car goes well at Silverstone it can go well at some other tracks but this year the bumps changed the whole attitude of the car. At the end of the day, it is important that you don't go 'wow; because it goes well on one track.
"It needs to go well on different tracks and in between Silverstone, Budapest and Hockenheim we have very different tracks. So this will be a good test for the car.
"We are still keeping our feet on the ground and keeping for Q3 here and some good points in the race," he added. "Obviously we want to visit the podium this year.
"It's being going quite well. Silverstone was not as good a position as Valencia, but I think it was as good a race. If it wasn't for those safety cars in Valencia we would have finished seventh or eighth, and in Silverstone we finished fifth but that would have been sixth if Alonso didn't get a penalty.
"I think it is improving, it is going okay. We still don't have the car that we wish to have, but I like it."
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Williams to stick with Cosworth in 2011
Williams will continue to use Cosworth engines in 2011, company chairman Adam Parr has confirmed.
Williams is currently in the first season of a three-year supply contract with Cosworth, but had been linked with a Renault customer engine deal after coming close to signing with the French manufacturer last year.
"We are with Cosworth and I am very happy to confirm that that will continue next season," Parr told reporters at Silverstone on Thursday.
Cosworth has made improvements to its engine this season after friction between the two parties earlier in the year, and in last month's European Grand prix both Williams FW32s made it into Q3 in dry conditions for the first time.
But despite continuing with Cosworth, which returned to Formula 1 this year after three years on the sidelines, Parr is hopeful that the team will be able to secure a factory engine deal in the future.
"In the long-term, the best model for an independent Formula 1 team is to have a partnership with a car manufacturer that provides engines, some sponsorship and wants to go racing," he said.
"The team has had some fantastic partnership with BMW, Honda and Renault in the past and I think that's ultimately where we would like to go again."
Williams has used customer engines since its partnership with BMW ended after the 2005 season. Since then, its cars have been powered by Cosworth and Toyota units.
Williams is currently in the first season of a three-year supply contract with Cosworth, but had been linked with a Renault customer engine deal after coming close to signing with the French manufacturer last year.
"We are with Cosworth and I am very happy to confirm that that will continue next season," Parr told reporters at Silverstone on Thursday.
Cosworth has made improvements to its engine this season after friction between the two parties earlier in the year, and in last month's European Grand prix both Williams FW32s made it into Q3 in dry conditions for the first time.
But despite continuing with Cosworth, which returned to Formula 1 this year after three years on the sidelines, Parr is hopeful that the team will be able to secure a factory engine deal in the future.
"In the long-term, the best model for an independent Formula 1 team is to have a partnership with a car manufacturer that provides engines, some sponsorship and wants to go racing," he said.
"The team has had some fantastic partnership with BMW, Honda and Renault in the past and I think that's ultimately where we would like to go again."
Williams has used customer engines since its partnership with BMW ended after the 2005 season. Since then, its cars have been powered by Cosworth and Toyota units.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Williams and Lotus have both given their thumbs-up to the work that engine supplier Cosworth has done this year - as they rubbish speculation that they are looking at a move to Renault for 2011.
French car manufacturer Renault said in Monaco last weekend that it was hoping to expand its customer supply base for next year - prompting widespread rumours that Williams and Lotus could be targets.
However, both teams insist that they are happy with the progress that Cosworth has made and say they have every intention of seeing through the long-term contracts they have with the Northampton-based engine maker.
Cosworth itself has recognised the areas it needs to improve and Williams technical director Sam Michael said he welcomed the working relationship between his team and the engine supplier.
"We are extremely demanding of Cosworth because we want to get everything right, but they ask us to be like that as well," Michael told AUTOSPORT. "They want to be pushed because they don't want to be seen to be an engine that is just making up the numbers. And the only way they won't be like that is if they respond to us."
Williams CEO Adam Parr added: "I am happy with them and we are not looking at anyone else.
"But what I would say, and I think they have said too, is that the engine is good, we had very good pre-season testing, but we have had problems during the season with unexpected degradation issues.
"That has led to reliability issues because things are not lasting. So there is a requirement for some relatively simple changes to address those problems, but we are working on it."
High level Lotus sources have also confirmed that they too are pleased with the job that Cosworth has done on its return to F1, as the team looks forward to continued progress over the rest of the year.
Lotus is set to put its 2011 challenger into the wind tunnel soon, as it begins to shift focus between developing this year's car and beginning work on next season's model.
French car manufacturer Renault said in Monaco last weekend that it was hoping to expand its customer supply base for next year - prompting widespread rumours that Williams and Lotus could be targets.
However, both teams insist that they are happy with the progress that Cosworth has made and say they have every intention of seeing through the long-term contracts they have with the Northampton-based engine maker.
Cosworth itself has recognised the areas it needs to improve and Williams technical director Sam Michael said he welcomed the working relationship between his team and the engine supplier.
"We are extremely demanding of Cosworth because we want to get everything right, but they ask us to be like that as well," Michael told AUTOSPORT. "They want to be pushed because they don't want to be seen to be an engine that is just making up the numbers. And the only way they won't be like that is if they respond to us."
Williams CEO Adam Parr added: "I am happy with them and we are not looking at anyone else.
"But what I would say, and I think they have said too, is that the engine is good, we had very good pre-season testing, but we have had problems during the season with unexpected degradation issues.
"That has led to reliability issues because things are not lasting. So there is a requirement for some relatively simple changes to address those problems, but we are working on it."
High level Lotus sources have also confirmed that they too are pleased with the job that Cosworth has done on its return to F1, as the team looks forward to continued progress over the rest of the year.
Lotus is set to put its 2011 challenger into the wind tunnel soon, as it begins to shift focus between developing this year's car and beginning work on next season's model.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
No big Williams update until Monaco
Williams has warned that it could be the Monaco Grand Prix before it makes significant gains, as it will not be introducing as major an upgrade for Spain as many of its rivals are expected to.
The first European race of the season at Catalunya in ten days' time is set to see a huge number of new developments on the cars as teams make the most of being back on their home continent after four flyaway races, and of having a three-week break since Shanghai.
But Williams technical director Sam Michael said his team planned to bring its new parts later.
"We do have some stuff for Barcelona, and that's a good step, but I think the bigger steps will come for Monaco and Istanbul," he said.
Despite looking strong in the final pre-season tests Williams is currently only seventh in the constructors' championship with Rubens Barrichello's eighth place in Australia its best result of 2010.
However Michael remains confident that the FW32 has good potential that just needs to be extracted.
"We've made a lot of changes, so it's taking time to get us a little bit more up to speed," he said.
"We've got a good development programme for the car and a lot of stuff coming through in the next couple of races - Monaco and Istanbul.
"We'll just keep our head down and try and get that stuff on the car as quick as we can."
The first European race of the season at Catalunya in ten days' time is set to see a huge number of new developments on the cars as teams make the most of being back on their home continent after four flyaway races, and of having a three-week break since Shanghai.
But Williams technical director Sam Michael said his team planned to bring its new parts later.
"We do have some stuff for Barcelona, and that's a good step, but I think the bigger steps will come for Monaco and Istanbul," he said.
Despite looking strong in the final pre-season tests Williams is currently only seventh in the constructors' championship with Rubens Barrichello's eighth place in Australia its best result of 2010.
However Michael remains confident that the FW32 has good potential that just needs to be extracted.
"We've made a lot of changes, so it's taking time to get us a little bit more up to speed," he said.
"We've got a good development programme for the car and a lot of stuff coming through in the next couple of races - Monaco and Istanbul.
"We'll just keep our head down and try and get that stuff on the car as quick as we can."
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Williams increases share in hybrid arm
The Williams Formula 1 team has announced that it has increased its share in Williams Hybrid Power from 40 per cent to a majority stake of 78 per cent.
The team initially took the share in the company then known as Automotive Hybrid Power in the early days of F1's move towards Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) in 2008.
The magnetically loaded composite flywheel technology subsequently developed by the renamed Williams Hybrid Power organisation was never used in F1, but has been used in partnership with Porsche on its GT3 R Hybrid sportscar, which is currently racing in Nurburgring endurance events. WHP is also developing hybrid technologies for the road car market.
"I am delighted that we have now taken a larger stake in Williams Hybrid Power," said WHP chairmain and Williams F1 CEO Alex Burns.
"This agreement means that the business has the funding it needs for the development of a family of MLC flywheels to suit a range of applications in the automotive and other industries.
"I am confident that WHP will continue to deliver value to its customers and develop into a substantial, successful business."
The team initially took the share in the company then known as Automotive Hybrid Power in the early days of F1's move towards Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) in 2008.
The magnetically loaded composite flywheel technology subsequently developed by the renamed Williams Hybrid Power organisation was never used in F1, but has been used in partnership with Porsche on its GT3 R Hybrid sportscar, which is currently racing in Nurburgring endurance events. WHP is also developing hybrid technologies for the road car market.
"I am delighted that we have now taken a larger stake in Williams Hybrid Power," said WHP chairmain and Williams F1 CEO Alex Burns.
"This agreement means that the business has the funding it needs for the development of a family of MLC flywheels to suit a range of applications in the automotive and other industries.
"I am confident that WHP will continue to deliver value to its customers and develop into a substantial, successful business."
Monday, 26 April 2010
Chinese GP Race for Williams
A rain-affected Chinese Grand Prix delivered an unsatisfactory result for the AT&T Williams team at the Shanghai International Circuit this afternoon. Light drizzle at the start of the race quickly turned into continuous rain, which ultimately compromised the team’s strategy and led to a series of pitstops for both drivers to counter the conditions. At the conclusion of the 56 lap race, neither driver had made it into the points, with Rubens Barrichello finishing in 12th and Nico Hulkenberg in P15.
Rubens Barrichello:
The race didn’t go as planned. I was called into the pits for the intermediate tyres early on, it was a hard call and the race developed from there. I think we made good calls after that but by that time it was too late to recover.
Nico Hulkenberg:
It was a tough race and obviously not very satisfying for the team. Looking at the positives, it was good experience for me to complete the full race distance and experience all of the different conditions that we faced today. In particular, it was helpful to see how the car and tyres handled and we now have some good data for any races which might be similar in the future. Results-wise, though, this is nowhere near close enough to where we want to be.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was disappointing not to score points today with either car. Some of the calls on our pitstops were wrong, some were right, but overall we weren't fast enough and didn't make the right decisions. Rubens made a good start so we have improved in that area since Malaysia. We’re now looking ahead to Barcelona to take a step forward with our performance.
Race Result
Position
Driver
Team
Time
Fastest Lap
Grid Position
1
J Button
McLaren
1:46:42.886
1:42.886 (4th)
5
2
L Hamilton
McLaren
1+1.530
1:42.061 (1st)
6
3
N Rosberg
Mercedes
+9.484
1:43.245 (5th)
4
12
R Barrichello
AT&T Williams
+63.665
1:45.559 (14th)
11
15
N Hulkenberg
AT&T Williams
+ 1 lap
1:44.549 (12th)
16
Rubens Barrichello:
The race didn’t go as planned. I was called into the pits for the intermediate tyres early on, it was a hard call and the race developed from there. I think we made good calls after that but by that time it was too late to recover.
Nico Hulkenberg:
It was a tough race and obviously not very satisfying for the team. Looking at the positives, it was good experience for me to complete the full race distance and experience all of the different conditions that we faced today. In particular, it was helpful to see how the car and tyres handled and we now have some good data for any races which might be similar in the future. Results-wise, though, this is nowhere near close enough to where we want to be.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was disappointing not to score points today with either car. Some of the calls on our pitstops were wrong, some were right, but overall we weren't fast enough and didn't make the right decisions. Rubens made a good start so we have improved in that area since Malaysia. We’re now looking ahead to Barcelona to take a step forward with our performance.
Race Result
Position
Driver
Team
Time
Fastest Lap
Grid Position
1
J Button
McLaren
1:46:42.886
1:42.886 (4th)
5
2
L Hamilton
McLaren
1+1.530
1:42.061 (1st)
6
3
N Rosberg
Mercedes
+9.484
1:43.245 (5th)
4
12
R Barrichello
AT&T Williams
+63.665
1:45.559 (14th)
11
15
N Hulkenberg
AT&T Williams
+ 1 lap
1:44.549 (12th)
16
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Williams drivers say car lacking pace
Nico Hulkenberg admitted his Williams was simply not quick enough to achieve a better result at Sepang, despite scoring his first Formula 1 point.
The German had started the race from fifth position thanks to yesterday's rain-hit qualifying, but had to be content with a distant tenth position in toady's race.
Hulkenberg conceded there was not much he could have done due to the lack of pace from the Williams car.
"We picked up a point today, maybe because our car was more reliable, but that's racing," said Hulkenberg. "It was a tough race because we just don't have the pace at the moment.
"I wish we could do better, but we have some work to do to catch up."
Team-mate Rubens Barrichello went on to finish in 12th after nearly stalling his car at the start, something that sent him to the back of the grid from seventh position.
"I don't know what happened at the start, I'll go through that with the team," he said. "From there I went to the back of the field. We tried a different strategy to get us back up, but our car was just not competitive.
"We lost a nice opportunity today."
The German had started the race from fifth position thanks to yesterday's rain-hit qualifying, but had to be content with a distant tenth position in toady's race.
Hulkenberg conceded there was not much he could have done due to the lack of pace from the Williams car.
"We picked up a point today, maybe because our car was more reliable, but that's racing," said Hulkenberg. "It was a tough race because we just don't have the pace at the moment.
"I wish we could do better, but we have some work to do to catch up."
Team-mate Rubens Barrichello went on to finish in 12th after nearly stalling his car at the start, something that sent him to the back of the grid from seventh position.
"I don't know what happened at the start, I'll go through that with the team," he said. "From there I went to the back of the field. We tried a different strategy to get us back up, but our car was just not competitive.
"We lost a nice opportunity today."
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Hulkenberg hails qualifying breakthrough
Nico Hulkenberg hailed his qualifying performance as a breakthrough after reaching Q3 ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Williams rookie will start the race from fifth position after having reached the final qualifying segment for the first time.
Hulkenberg also qualified two places ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello.
"Yeah, good success," Hulkenberg told the BBC. "I mean finally a bit like a breakthrough. I'm obviously very happy even though I think it's very tight - the guys in front, I could have had them.
"Not an ideal lap but it's very difficult in these conditions anyway, but I'm quite happy where I am and happy for the team as well."
The German admitted it will be a big day for him tomorrow, but he claimed he is ready to attack to get a good result.
"It is, but I'll just get out there and get my job done, at least try to maintain my position and in the best case gain places. I'll not be shy."
The Williams rookie will start the race from fifth position after having reached the final qualifying segment for the first time.
Hulkenberg also qualified two places ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello.
"Yeah, good success," Hulkenberg told the BBC. "I mean finally a bit like a breakthrough. I'm obviously very happy even though I think it's very tight - the guys in front, I could have had them.
"Not an ideal lap but it's very difficult in these conditions anyway, but I'm quite happy where I am and happy for the team as well."
The German admitted it will be a big day for him tomorrow, but he claimed he is ready to attack to get a good result.
"It is, but I'll just get out there and get my job done, at least try to maintain my position and in the best case gain places. I'll not be shy."
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."
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Bahrain GP Review
The team return from the inaugural race of the season in Bahrain with just one point following Rubens' 10th place. Sam Michael de-briefs the weekend from a technical perspective.
Q: Did the performance of the FW32 match your pre-season expectations?
SM: We had quite a few issues to sort out in the days leading up to the Grand Prix and it became apparent early on that we would have some fire-fighting to do in the build-up to the race to ensure we finished on Sunday. Because of that, we had three or four things on the FW32 in Bahrain that we couldn't change quickly. Most of those elements can be corrected over the next couple of races and that should offer a good step in performance.
Q: Rubens set the sixth fastest lap of the race. Does that give us an indication of the car’s true potential?
SM: Not really. When Rubens set that time he actually had some damage on his car. We expect to be stronger in forthcoming races.
Q: How did the tyres hold up during the race, particularly during the early stages when the car was at its heaviest?
SM: Tyres weren't a problem. The option was the strongest tyre throughout the race. The prime was good, but it offered less grip.
Q: Did the team have any reliability problems during the course of the weekend?
SM: Yes. We had some issues during practice but, through a huge amount of effort and late nights put in by the team’s mechanics, we managed to keep them contained.
Q: Were you pleased with the performance of the Cosworth engine?
SM: Yes. The engine is good and the crew in Northampton have done an exceptional job in a short space of time.
Q: How did Nico handle his race debut?
SM: Nico handled himself well. He was quick throughout practice, but then he made a small, but time costly, mistake in qualifying. He then had a bit of a messy race. Nico is a smart guy who's developing a great relationship with his engineers, Tom McCullough and Andrew Murdoch, and I know he'll deliver.
Race Results
Driver Grid Position Pit Stops Best Lap Result
R Barrichello P11 1 1:59.833 (6th) 10th
N Hulkenberg P13 2 (3, 25) 2:01.401 (15th) 14th
Q: Did the performance of the FW32 match your pre-season expectations?
SM: We had quite a few issues to sort out in the days leading up to the Grand Prix and it became apparent early on that we would have some fire-fighting to do in the build-up to the race to ensure we finished on Sunday. Because of that, we had three or four things on the FW32 in Bahrain that we couldn't change quickly. Most of those elements can be corrected over the next couple of races and that should offer a good step in performance.
Q: Rubens set the sixth fastest lap of the race. Does that give us an indication of the car’s true potential?
SM: Not really. When Rubens set that time he actually had some damage on his car. We expect to be stronger in forthcoming races.
Q: How did the tyres hold up during the race, particularly during the early stages when the car was at its heaviest?
SM: Tyres weren't a problem. The option was the strongest tyre throughout the race. The prime was good, but it offered less grip.
Q: Did the team have any reliability problems during the course of the weekend?
SM: Yes. We had some issues during practice but, through a huge amount of effort and late nights put in by the team’s mechanics, we managed to keep them contained.
Q: Were you pleased with the performance of the Cosworth engine?
SM: Yes. The engine is good and the crew in Northampton have done an exceptional job in a short space of time.
Q: How did Nico handle his race debut?
SM: Nico handled himself well. He was quick throughout practice, but then he made a small, but time costly, mistake in qualifying. He then had a bit of a messy race. Nico is a smart guy who's developing a great relationship with his engineers, Tom McCullough and Andrew Murdoch, and I know he'll deliver.
Race Results
Driver Grid Position Pit Stops Best Lap Result
R Barrichello P11 1 1:59.833 (6th) 10th
N Hulkenberg P13 2 (3, 25) 2:01.401 (15th) 14th
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Williams: Bahrain preview 2010
After promising pre-season testing sessions, Williams report on their preparations for the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Sam Michael - AT&T Williams Technical DirectorSam Michael, Technical Director
The FW32 completed almost 7,000kms during winter testing with the new Cosworth engine installation. We have made great progress on reliability and we're still working on improving that, albeit at high mileages that we shouldn't encounter during race weekends.
Performance has been solid throughout the test sessions, but Bahrain will tell us where we are. We tested the majority of our Bahrain race package while in Barcelona, while a couple of additional parts will go straight to the race. Rubens and Nico will also go through their first race weekend as teammates. Signs from winter testing are that they'll push each other all the way!
Reubens Barrichello Williams driver 2010Rubens Barrichello
I'm delighted to be entering my eighteenth season. I'm so motivated and I'm in a much better physical condition than I have been at any other time. I'm also really happy to be driving for AT&T Williams. I've settled in well, and I already feel like I've been here five years!
We covered a lot of miles with the car during winter testing, working on reliability during the first few tests and then some upgrades for Bahrain at the final two. In terms of set-up, reliability and drivability of the engine, we've done a good job. The car has improved a lot and the team have done well preparing me so I'm completely familiar with everything heading into the first race.
I think we're strong, I'm optimistic, but it is very hard to draw a conclusion as to where we are so I'm going to wait and see. It's going to be a fantastic season with the new teams, the new drivers and the new regulations.
Nico Hulkenberg Williams driver 2010Nico Hulkenberg
Being a Formula One driver is a great feeling and I'm very excited about going to Bahrain. I learnt a lot as the team's test driver, which has prepared me well for the season ahead. Working in the factory has also helped give me more of a technical understanding of the car, it won't make me quicker, but it will help me with set-up.
Winter testing was good for us. Having completed a good amount of mileage, we are well placed going into the season. The Cosworth engine is also looking strong; it's powerful and reliable. We have potential, but we have to wait to see where the competition is. It's going to be an exciting season and I can't wait to start it!
Sam Michael - AT&T Williams Technical DirectorSam Michael, Technical Director
The FW32 completed almost 7,000kms during winter testing with the new Cosworth engine installation. We have made great progress on reliability and we're still working on improving that, albeit at high mileages that we shouldn't encounter during race weekends.
Performance has been solid throughout the test sessions, but Bahrain will tell us where we are. We tested the majority of our Bahrain race package while in Barcelona, while a couple of additional parts will go straight to the race. Rubens and Nico will also go through their first race weekend as teammates. Signs from winter testing are that they'll push each other all the way!
Reubens Barrichello Williams driver 2010Rubens Barrichello
I'm delighted to be entering my eighteenth season. I'm so motivated and I'm in a much better physical condition than I have been at any other time. I'm also really happy to be driving for AT&T Williams. I've settled in well, and I already feel like I've been here five years!
We covered a lot of miles with the car during winter testing, working on reliability during the first few tests and then some upgrades for Bahrain at the final two. In terms of set-up, reliability and drivability of the engine, we've done a good job. The car has improved a lot and the team have done well preparing me so I'm completely familiar with everything heading into the first race.
I think we're strong, I'm optimistic, but it is very hard to draw a conclusion as to where we are so I'm going to wait and see. It's going to be a fantastic season with the new teams, the new drivers and the new regulations.
Nico Hulkenberg Williams driver 2010Nico Hulkenberg
Being a Formula One driver is a great feeling and I'm very excited about going to Bahrain. I learnt a lot as the team's test driver, which has prepared me well for the season ahead. Working in the factory has also helped give me more of a technical understanding of the car, it won't make me quicker, but it will help me with set-up.
Winter testing was good for us. Having completed a good amount of mileage, we are well placed going into the season. The Cosworth engine is also looking strong; it's powerful and reliable. We have potential, but we have to wait to see where the competition is. It's going to be an exciting season and I can't wait to start it!
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Barrichello tips Williams to surprise
Rubens Barrichello is optimistic that his Williams team will prove to be one of the surprises of the year after encouraging times in recent tests.
Williams has spent much of the winter doing long runs and proving its reliability, but Nico Hulkenberg was quickest on Friday at Barcelona - and Barrichello thinks that performance has changed perceptions of their team.
"I think Nico's time on Friday was the very first time we tried low fuel in the car, and we surprised a few people, so all of a sudden Williams is being talked about in the paddock," he said.
"This winter it was very, very easy to become the hero of the winter test. If I took fuel out at every test I would've been first at every test, but would that have taught me what I now know from the car? I don't think so."
Thought reluctant to predict where Williams would be in the pecking order, Barrichello is confident that the team has gained ground during testing.
"We have improved - we can only say for ourselves - but we have improved a good second from Valencia," he said.
"We feel competitive, but I think Williams-Cosworth can be one of the teams to surprise people this year. But like I said it's really, really difficult and I'm just keeping myself very clear, my feet on the ground, and just working as hard as I can. But I feel the car is on a competitive level."
He is also certain that Williams is in great shape reliability-wise.
"The main topic of the first three tests, at Valencia, Jerez and Jerez, was to absolutely nail reliability - and we have done that very, very, very well," Barrichello said.
Williams has spent much of the winter doing long runs and proving its reliability, but Nico Hulkenberg was quickest on Friday at Barcelona - and Barrichello thinks that performance has changed perceptions of their team.
"I think Nico's time on Friday was the very first time we tried low fuel in the car, and we surprised a few people, so all of a sudden Williams is being talked about in the paddock," he said.
"This winter it was very, very easy to become the hero of the winter test. If I took fuel out at every test I would've been first at every test, but would that have taught me what I now know from the car? I don't think so."
Thought reluctant to predict where Williams would be in the pecking order, Barrichello is confident that the team has gained ground during testing.
"We have improved - we can only say for ourselves - but we have improved a good second from Valencia," he said.
"We feel competitive, but I think Williams-Cosworth can be one of the teams to surprise people this year. But like I said it's really, really difficult and I'm just keeping myself very clear, my feet on the ground, and just working as hard as I can. But I feel the car is on a competitive level."
He is also certain that Williams is in great shape reliability-wise.
"The main topic of the first three tests, at Valencia, Jerez and Jerez, was to absolutely nail reliability - and we have done that very, very, very well," Barrichello said.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Hulkenberg takes Williams to the top
Nico Hulkenberg gave Williams a boost by topping the times on the second day of testing at Barcelona on Friday – pipping Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari by 0.023s.
Alonso set a blistering pace in the morning and remained on top until mid-afternoon, when Hulkenberg uncorked a 1m20.614s on the second flying lap of a two-lap qualifying-style run.
It was an encouraging sign for the Grove-based squad, even if the huge unknown factor of how much fuel other teams were running continues to prevent a meaningful comparison of relative pace at the front of the field.
“We’ve had a good test here,” said Hulkenberg.
“P1 today is nice but means nothing, to be honest. We’re not in Bahrain yet!
“It’s positive for the team, and for me, to know what the car can do though.
“We did a lot of set-up work today and have found some interesting things so I feel ready and confident to go to Bahrain now.”
After an electrical problem delayed him on Thursday, Alonso wasted no time in showing Ferrari’s hand with a sequence of quick laps this morning while trying out a host of new aerodynamic components on the F10, including a shark fin engine cover.
The Spaniard switched his focus to a race simulation in the afternoon and finished with the day’s highest lap tally (133) despite causing a red flag moments before the scheduled end of the session.
Sauber continued to impress, Pedro de la Rosa posting a best time just 0.3s slower than Alonso’s shortly before the lunch break and finishing the day third fastest.
Tonio Liuzzi followed a similar schedule (short runs in the morning followed by a race simulation after lunch) and wound up fourth quickest in the Force India, leaving the Italian cautiously optimistic about the VJM02’s form.
“We can be quite happy about today's programme,” he said.
“We completed everything without any issues and the car showed very good reliability, even when we did the race simulation.
“Again it is responding very well and we are improving day by day so everything is looking positive.
“We still don't know where we are relative to the others, and we will only see in Bahrain, but overall we can be really happy.”
Sebastian Vettel virtually mirrored Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber’s Thursday programme and slightly improved on the Australian’s time (set on a dirtier track).
Vettel’s running was briefly interrupted when the RB6 developed an undisclosed technical problem in the afternoon and he stopped the car as a precaution, but he subsequently completed his race simulation successfully.
“It was good today – we didn’t have any major problems,” he reported.
“We had to stop in the afternoon for a minor issue, but it’s quite normal in testing.
“When you’re testing, you don’t want to risk any damage so it’s best to switch the car off and stop if you don’t have to push when there’s an alert in the background.
“We had a lot of rain in Jerez so we still have a lot to do over the last two days here, such as finding out more about the tyres and doing some set-up work.”
Jaime Alguersuari was sixth quickest for Toro Rosso on his final day of pre-season testing, mixing short runs with pit stop practice in the morning before moving on to a trouble-free race simulation.
Michael Schumacher kept a low profile as he focused on developing the set-up and balance of the W01 over long runs and did not indulge in any qualifying-style forays.
“We had a positive day but it was quite stop-start with some changes on the car and then the red flags towards the end of the day,” he said.
“We are working hard and, even if the programme doesn't run as smoothly as we would have liked, there is much more to come from the team both here and in Bahrain.
“We are working very well together and there is a good atmosphere within the team.”
Another former world champion, Lewis Hamilton, was a similarly low-key eighth in the McLaren ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica, whose track time was severely curtailed by a suspension problem in the afternoon.
“It’s frustrating to lose track time this afternoon because of a problem with the suspension, but I’m sure the team will get on top of the issue so that we can have a good weekend,” said the Pole, who completed 53 laps.
“We have some new aero parts coming on Saturday and Sunday, which will help improve the pace of the car.”
At the foot of the timesheet, Lotus got the better of its rival new team Virgin and also completed more laps – even though problems with the T127 (including a power steering failure) twice brought Jarno Trulli to a halt and caused red flags.
For Virgin it was a relief to get 52 laps in after Lucas di Grassi’s Thursday crash at Campsa had forced the mechanics to rebuild the chassis overnight and into the morning session.
Timo Glock finished 0.4s adrift of Trulli and 5.3s shy of Hulkenberg’s benchmark.
Testing times from Barcelona (Friday 26 February)
1 HULKENBERG Williams 1m20.614s (99)
2 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.637s (133)
3 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m20.973s (114)
4 LIUZZI Force India 1m21.056s (90)
5 VETTEL Red Bull 1m21.258s (125)
6 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m21.571s (104)
7 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m21.689s (85)
8 HAMILTON McLaren 1m22.152s (93)
9 KUBICA Renault 1m24.912s (53)
10 TRULLI Lotus 1m25.524s (70)
11 GLOCK Virgin 1m25.942s (52)
Alonso set a blistering pace in the morning and remained on top until mid-afternoon, when Hulkenberg uncorked a 1m20.614s on the second flying lap of a two-lap qualifying-style run.
It was an encouraging sign for the Grove-based squad, even if the huge unknown factor of how much fuel other teams were running continues to prevent a meaningful comparison of relative pace at the front of the field.
“We’ve had a good test here,” said Hulkenberg.
“P1 today is nice but means nothing, to be honest. We’re not in Bahrain yet!
“It’s positive for the team, and for me, to know what the car can do though.
“We did a lot of set-up work today and have found some interesting things so I feel ready and confident to go to Bahrain now.”
After an electrical problem delayed him on Thursday, Alonso wasted no time in showing Ferrari’s hand with a sequence of quick laps this morning while trying out a host of new aerodynamic components on the F10, including a shark fin engine cover.
The Spaniard switched his focus to a race simulation in the afternoon and finished with the day’s highest lap tally (133) despite causing a red flag moments before the scheduled end of the session.
Sauber continued to impress, Pedro de la Rosa posting a best time just 0.3s slower than Alonso’s shortly before the lunch break and finishing the day third fastest.
Tonio Liuzzi followed a similar schedule (short runs in the morning followed by a race simulation after lunch) and wound up fourth quickest in the Force India, leaving the Italian cautiously optimistic about the VJM02’s form.
“We can be quite happy about today's programme,” he said.
“We completed everything without any issues and the car showed very good reliability, even when we did the race simulation.
“Again it is responding very well and we are improving day by day so everything is looking positive.
“We still don't know where we are relative to the others, and we will only see in Bahrain, but overall we can be really happy.”
Sebastian Vettel virtually mirrored Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber’s Thursday programme and slightly improved on the Australian’s time (set on a dirtier track).
Vettel’s running was briefly interrupted when the RB6 developed an undisclosed technical problem in the afternoon and he stopped the car as a precaution, but he subsequently completed his race simulation successfully.
“It was good today – we didn’t have any major problems,” he reported.
“We had to stop in the afternoon for a minor issue, but it’s quite normal in testing.
“When you’re testing, you don’t want to risk any damage so it’s best to switch the car off and stop if you don’t have to push when there’s an alert in the background.
“We had a lot of rain in Jerez so we still have a lot to do over the last two days here, such as finding out more about the tyres and doing some set-up work.”
Jaime Alguersuari was sixth quickest for Toro Rosso on his final day of pre-season testing, mixing short runs with pit stop practice in the morning before moving on to a trouble-free race simulation.
Michael Schumacher kept a low profile as he focused on developing the set-up and balance of the W01 over long runs and did not indulge in any qualifying-style forays.
“We had a positive day but it was quite stop-start with some changes on the car and then the red flags towards the end of the day,” he said.
“We are working hard and, even if the programme doesn't run as smoothly as we would have liked, there is much more to come from the team both here and in Bahrain.
“We are working very well together and there is a good atmosphere within the team.”
Another former world champion, Lewis Hamilton, was a similarly low-key eighth in the McLaren ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica, whose track time was severely curtailed by a suspension problem in the afternoon.
“It’s frustrating to lose track time this afternoon because of a problem with the suspension, but I’m sure the team will get on top of the issue so that we can have a good weekend,” said the Pole, who completed 53 laps.
“We have some new aero parts coming on Saturday and Sunday, which will help improve the pace of the car.”
At the foot of the timesheet, Lotus got the better of its rival new team Virgin and also completed more laps – even though problems with the T127 (including a power steering failure) twice brought Jarno Trulli to a halt and caused red flags.
For Virgin it was a relief to get 52 laps in after Lucas di Grassi’s Thursday crash at Campsa had forced the mechanics to rebuild the chassis overnight and into the morning session.
Timo Glock finished 0.4s adrift of Trulli and 5.3s shy of Hulkenberg’s benchmark.
Testing times from Barcelona (Friday 26 February)
1 HULKENBERG Williams 1m20.614s (99)
2 ALONSO Ferrari 1m20.637s (133)
3 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m20.973s (114)
4 LIUZZI Force India 1m21.056s (90)
5 VETTEL Red Bull 1m21.258s (125)
6 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m21.571s (104)
7 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m21.689s (85)
8 HAMILTON McLaren 1m22.152s (93)
9 KUBICA Renault 1m24.912s (53)
10 TRULLI Lotus 1m25.524s (70)
11 GLOCK Virgin 1m25.942s (52)
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Valencia Day One - Williams
The team debuted the 2010 FW32 at Valencia today for day one of a three day test at the Spanish track. Rubens Barrichello opened the test, covering 75 laps and setting the sixth fastest time of the day with a 1:14.449.
Rubens will continue work with the car tomorrow while Nico Hulkenberg will take over testing duties on Wednesday.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was a productive first day testing, with the car completing 75 laps in total. Considering everything is new, in particular the Cosworth engine installation, it was good to get through the day without any major problems. We did have a minor software issue with the throttle control towards the end of the session, but that is easily sorted out for tomorrow. We are well underway with set-up work now and tuning the FW32 around the new Bridgestone tyres.
Rubens Barrichello:
I enjoyed today, it was like a first day at school! You can’t predict anything from the times today; and probably won’t be able to for the remainder of the tests because of the fuel loads people will run with such big tanks. It probably won’t be until Bahrain qualifying that we will see where everyone is. We are working on improving the balance of the car, but it’s running reliably, despite the small issue with the throttle. As everything is new, it was a good day
Rubens will continue work with the car tomorrow while Nico Hulkenberg will take over testing duties on Wednesday.
Sam Michael, Technical Director:
It was a productive first day testing, with the car completing 75 laps in total. Considering everything is new, in particular the Cosworth engine installation, it was good to get through the day without any major problems. We did have a minor software issue with the throttle control towards the end of the session, but that is easily sorted out for tomorrow. We are well underway with set-up work now and tuning the FW32 around the new Bridgestone tyres.
Rubens Barrichello:
I enjoyed today, it was like a first day at school! You can’t predict anything from the times today; and probably won’t be able to for the remainder of the tests because of the fuel loads people will run with such big tanks. It probably won’t be until Bahrain qualifying that we will see where everyone is. We are working on improving the balance of the car, but it’s running reliably, despite the small issue with the throttle. As everything is new, it was a good day
Bottas Named as Williams Test Driver
The AT&T Williams team today confirmed the appointment of Valtteri Bottas as its official test driver.
Valtteri, a 20-year old from Nastola, Finland, will take up the role vacated by Nico Hulkenberg as he steps up as a team race driver. Having begun karting at the age of six, Bottas has a strong record of success with seven years in the Finnish national squad. In 2006, he concluded his karting career by winning the WSK International Series Formula A, Finnish Formula A and Finnish ICA. In 2007, he moved to Formula Renault where, in 2008, he won both the Eurocup and NEC championships with 17 wins and 22 podiums from 28 starts. In 2009, he graduated to Formula 3 with ART and was the highest placed rookie, finishing third in the championship with six second place finishes and two pole positions in the 10-round Euroseries Championship. He also won the F3 Masters last year.
On his appointment, AT&T Williams Team Principal Frank Williams said, “Valtterri’s CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae. We hope that the role of official test driver in our squad will provide him with another step in his development. We wish him all the best in the Formula Three Euroseries this season.”
Valtteri said, “This is a great way to start 2010. I am very honoured to have been selected by a team as prestigious as AT&T Williams, one of the most significant names in the sport. This is an important step in my career but now the real work starts to get to the top. I am sure I will learn a lot with the team and I trust that together we will achieve great results for the years to come. This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula One World Champion one day. I take the opportunity to thank Sir Frank Williams and the senior management of the team and also to thank my management and my sponsors for all their work and support so far.”
Biography
Nationality: Finnish
Date of birth: 28 August 1989
Place of birth: Nastola, Finland
Lives: Oxford, UK and Villähde, Finland
Height: 1.73m
Weight: 70kg
Marital status: Single
Hobbies: Gym, roller skating, running
Website: www.valtteribottas.com
Single Seater Competition Stats To Date
Race Starts: 74
Wins: 23
Poles: 24
Career Highlights
2010: Formula 3 with ART, AT&T Williams official test driver
2009: Formula 3 Euroseries with ART, 3rd place, 1 pole, 6 second places, 62 points
2009: Formula 3 Masters, Zandvoort, polesitter and winner
2008: Formula Renault Eurocup Championship winner with Motopark Academy, 14 races, 5 wins, 7 poles, 10 podiums, 4 fastest laps, 139 points
2008: Formula Renault Northern European Cup Championship winner with Motopark Academy, 14 races, 12 wins, 13 poles, 365 points
2007: Formula Renault UK Winter Series, 4 races, 3 wins & Formula Renault Northern European Cup, 3rd in Championship
2006: Finnish Championship Formula A winner, Finnish Championship ICA winner, WSK International Series Formula A winner, NEZ Championship ICA runner up
2005: Finnish Championship ICA 3rd, Viking Trophy ICA winner
2004: Finnish Championship ICA Junior winner, Viking Trophy ICA Junior runner-up
2002: Selected for the Finnish National karting squad
Valtteri, a 20-year old from Nastola, Finland, will take up the role vacated by Nico Hulkenberg as he steps up as a team race driver. Having begun karting at the age of six, Bottas has a strong record of success with seven years in the Finnish national squad. In 2006, he concluded his karting career by winning the WSK International Series Formula A, Finnish Formula A and Finnish ICA. In 2007, he moved to Formula Renault where, in 2008, he won both the Eurocup and NEC championships with 17 wins and 22 podiums from 28 starts. In 2009, he graduated to Formula 3 with ART and was the highest placed rookie, finishing third in the championship with six second place finishes and two pole positions in the 10-round Euroseries Championship. He also won the F3 Masters last year.
On his appointment, AT&T Williams Team Principal Frank Williams said, “Valtterri’s CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae. We hope that the role of official test driver in our squad will provide him with another step in his development. We wish him all the best in the Formula Three Euroseries this season.”
Valtteri said, “This is a great way to start 2010. I am very honoured to have been selected by a team as prestigious as AT&T Williams, one of the most significant names in the sport. This is an important step in my career but now the real work starts to get to the top. I am sure I will learn a lot with the team and I trust that together we will achieve great results for the years to come. This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula One World Champion one day. I take the opportunity to thank Sir Frank Williams and the senior management of the team and also to thank my management and my sponsors for all their work and support so far.”
Biography
Nationality: Finnish
Date of birth: 28 August 1989
Place of birth: Nastola, Finland
Lives: Oxford, UK and Villähde, Finland
Height: 1.73m
Weight: 70kg
Marital status: Single
Hobbies: Gym, roller skating, running
Website: www.valtteribottas.com
Single Seater Competition Stats To Date
Race Starts: 74
Wins: 23
Poles: 24
Career Highlights
2010: Formula 3 with ART, AT&T Williams official test driver
2009: Formula 3 Euroseries with ART, 3rd place, 1 pole, 6 second places, 62 points
2009: Formula 3 Masters, Zandvoort, polesitter and winner
2008: Formula Renault Eurocup Championship winner with Motopark Academy, 14 races, 5 wins, 7 poles, 10 podiums, 4 fastest laps, 139 points
2008: Formula Renault Northern European Cup Championship winner with Motopark Academy, 14 races, 12 wins, 13 poles, 365 points
2007: Formula Renault UK Winter Series, 4 races, 3 wins & Formula Renault Northern European Cup, 3rd in Championship
2006: Finnish Championship Formula A winner, Finnish Championship ICA winner, WSK International Series Formula A winner, NEZ Championship ICA runner up
2005: Finnish Championship ICA 3rd, Viking Trophy ICA winner
2004: Finnish Championship ICA Junior winner, Viking Trophy ICA Junior runner-up
2002: Selected for the Finnish National karting squad
Monday, 7 December 2009
Williams,Jerez Test Summary
: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. 4.423km
Objective: Young driver test with Nico Hulkenberg and Andy Soucek
Weather: Mixed – cloudy, wet and sunny.
Average ambient temperature: 17°C
N Hulkenberg:
Total Days: 2, Total KMS: 884.6kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.184
A Soucek:
Total Days: 1, Total KMS: 384.801kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.158
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1:
“This week was all about giving young drivers a shot in the car. We spent the time evaluating Andy Soucek, who did a superb job on day one and really showed he can handle a Formula One car. Nico Hulkenberg took over for days two and three and worked on set-up with the high fuel loads we will be racing next season.”
Nico Hulkenberg:
“We’ve had two positive days at Jerez. It was good for me to get back in the car and get some laps in before next year. I covered a lot of mileage, which I was pleased about, and I got used to driving the F1 car quite quickly, which I wasn’t really expecting as it’s been quite a long time since my last outing. The car felt good and we fitted in a lot of set-up work, so I’m happy with the two days.”
Andy Soucek:
“Tuesday was a perfect day, a dream day. I thought I was near the front, but I never expected to finish at the top of the times. I’m very proud of myself but I also have to thank Williams for this opportunity. I still can’t believe I’ve just had my first Formula One test, it feels like a dream! This has been an amazing year for me and I think I deserve a seat in Formula One next year. I’m doing everything I can to secure a drive, and I think my performance this week will help with that objective.”
Objective: Young driver test with Nico Hulkenberg and Andy Soucek
Weather: Mixed – cloudy, wet and sunny.
Average ambient temperature: 17°C
N Hulkenberg:
Total Days: 2, Total KMS: 884.6kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.184
A Soucek:
Total Days: 1, Total KMS: 384.801kms, Best Overall Time: 1:19.158
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1:
“This week was all about giving young drivers a shot in the car. We spent the time evaluating Andy Soucek, who did a superb job on day one and really showed he can handle a Formula One car. Nico Hulkenberg took over for days two and three and worked on set-up with the high fuel loads we will be racing next season.”
Nico Hulkenberg:
“We’ve had two positive days at Jerez. It was good for me to get back in the car and get some laps in before next year. I covered a lot of mileage, which I was pleased about, and I got used to driving the F1 car quite quickly, which I wasn’t really expecting as it’s been quite a long time since my last outing. The car felt good and we fitted in a lot of set-up work, so I’m happy with the two days.”
Andy Soucek:
“Tuesday was a perfect day, a dream day. I thought I was near the front, but I never expected to finish at the top of the times. I’m very proud of myself but I also have to thank Williams for this opportunity. I still can’t believe I’ve just had my first Formula One test, it feels like a dream! This has been an amazing year for me and I think I deserve a seat in Formula One next year. I’m doing everything I can to secure a drive, and I think my performance this week will help with that objective.”
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Hulkenberg glad he waited for Williams
Nico Hulkenberg says he is glad he waited to make the move to Formula 1 with Williams next year - after revealing he turned down the chance to join Ferrari as Felipe Massa's replacement in the middle of last season.
Both Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella failed to score a point after taking over from the Brazilian, who suffered head injuries in a crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg, who has been promoted from a testing role to a race seat at Williams, said that his reputation could have taken a huge knock if he had been in the Ferrari rather than staying on to win the GP2 crown.
"Ferrari contacted my manager Willi Weber. They had a bit of interest and there was some contact," Hulkenberg told AUTOSPORT.
"It didn't come out that way, as we know, and I think it worked out for the best because I was able to finish GP2, win it and start F1 clean with Williams, who are a great team.
"It would have been bad for me not only to leave GP2 when I was in a position to win the title, but also for my reputation to be affected by bad results in F1.
"Look what happened to [Romain] Grosjean. A couple of tough races and then someone like [Kamui] Kobayashi turns up for two races and looks really good. It must have been very tough for him."
The 22-year-old German was delighted to break an eight-month lay-off from F1 action by setting the second quickest time during Jerez testing on Wednesday.
"To be honest, I got the feeling back pretty quickly, which surprised me. We had some very consistent running all day and the track conditions were pretty consistent too, so it was all very good.
"It was a lot of prepping for next year, driving with a heavy car and seeing what it's like with the balance and how the tyres behave. These are not next year's tyres, but still we can gather some information. For Thursday, the plan is pretty similar."
Both Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella failed to score a point after taking over from the Brazilian, who suffered head injuries in a crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg, who has been promoted from a testing role to a race seat at Williams, said that his reputation could have taken a huge knock if he had been in the Ferrari rather than staying on to win the GP2 crown.
"Ferrari contacted my manager Willi Weber. They had a bit of interest and there was some contact," Hulkenberg told AUTOSPORT.
"It didn't come out that way, as we know, and I think it worked out for the best because I was able to finish GP2, win it and start F1 clean with Williams, who are a great team.
"It would have been bad for me not only to leave GP2 when I was in a position to win the title, but also for my reputation to be affected by bad results in F1.
"Look what happened to [Romain] Grosjean. A couple of tough races and then someone like [Kamui] Kobayashi turns up for two races and looks really good. It must have been very tough for him."
The 22-year-old German was delighted to break an eight-month lay-off from F1 action by setting the second quickest time during Jerez testing on Wednesday.
"To be honest, I got the feeling back pretty quickly, which surprised me. We had some very consistent running all day and the track conditions were pretty consistent too, so it was all very good.
"It was a lot of prepping for next year, driving with a heavy car and seeing what it's like with the balance and how the tyres behave. These are not next year's tyres, but still we can gather some information. For Thursday, the plan is pretty similar."
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Soucek tops Jerez test for Williams
Andy Soucek set the pace on the first day of Formula 1 young driver testing at Jerez, despite an afternoon spin that brought out the red flags.
The 24-year-old Spaniard, who was testing for Williams as his prize for winning this year's Formula 2 championship, shot to the top of the timesheets during the first hour of running, and was never outside the top four thereafter.
His pace-setting lap of 1m19.158s came with an hour of running to go, and was after a spin and stall at the Michelin hairpin brought out the red flags.
Britain's Paul di Resta was an impressive second quickest, despite Force India having only run him in the afternoon, after JR Hildebrand drove the car during the morning.
The DTM front-runner's best lap, which came in the final 10 minutes of the session, was 0.211s slower than Soucek's and demoted Gary Paffett's McLaren to third.
The morning running was interrupted by an early red flag. Brendon Hartley spun his Toro Rosso between the chicane and Ferrari curve and clouted the barrier, knocking off the right-front wheel and nose of his car.
Daniel Ricciardo, who was following closely, spun in avoidance and ended up getting his Red Bull beached in the gravel.
Ricciardo recovered to set the fourth fastest time, ahead of Ferrari's Jules Bianchi and Brawn's Mike Conway.
Briton Oliver Turvey, who was testing as his prize for winning the 2006 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award, was given 90 minutes of running at the end of the day by McLaren.
He completed only 27 laps - less than anyone else - but improved his times more than anybody else in the final half hour. His best lap was 1.698s off the pace.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Soucek Williams 1m19.158s 87
2. Di Resta Force India 1m19.369s + 0.221s 46
3. Paffett McLaren 1m19.426s + 0.268s 54
4. Ricciardo Red Bull 1m19.534s + 0.376s 112
5. Bianchi Ferrari 1m19.626s + 0.486s 90
6. Conway Brawn 1m19.920s + 0.762s 58
7. Rossi Sauber 1m20.227s + 1.069s 82
8. Ericsson Brawn 1m20.333s + 1.175s 49
9. Baguette Renault 1m20.511s + 1.363s 105
10. Hildebrand Force India 1m20.537s + 1.379s 49
11. Turvey McLaren 1m20.856s + 1.698s 27
11. Hartley Toro Rosso 1m21.325s + 2.167s 69
All Timing Unofficial
The 24-year-old Spaniard, who was testing for Williams as his prize for winning this year's Formula 2 championship, shot to the top of the timesheets during the first hour of running, and was never outside the top four thereafter.
His pace-setting lap of 1m19.158s came with an hour of running to go, and was after a spin and stall at the Michelin hairpin brought out the red flags.
Britain's Paul di Resta was an impressive second quickest, despite Force India having only run him in the afternoon, after JR Hildebrand drove the car during the morning.
The DTM front-runner's best lap, which came in the final 10 minutes of the session, was 0.211s slower than Soucek's and demoted Gary Paffett's McLaren to third.
The morning running was interrupted by an early red flag. Brendon Hartley spun his Toro Rosso between the chicane and Ferrari curve and clouted the barrier, knocking off the right-front wheel and nose of his car.
Daniel Ricciardo, who was following closely, spun in avoidance and ended up getting his Red Bull beached in the gravel.
Ricciardo recovered to set the fourth fastest time, ahead of Ferrari's Jules Bianchi and Brawn's Mike Conway.
Briton Oliver Turvey, who was testing as his prize for winning the 2006 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award, was given 90 minutes of running at the end of the day by McLaren.
He completed only 27 laps - less than anyone else - but improved his times more than anybody else in the final half hour. His best lap was 1.698s off the pace.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Soucek Williams 1m19.158s 87
2. Di Resta Force India 1m19.369s + 0.221s 46
3. Paffett McLaren 1m19.426s + 0.268s 54
4. Ricciardo Red Bull 1m19.534s + 0.376s 112
5. Bianchi Ferrari 1m19.626s + 0.486s 90
6. Conway Brawn 1m19.920s + 0.762s 58
7. Rossi Sauber 1m20.227s + 1.069s 82
8. Ericsson Brawn 1m20.333s + 1.175s 49
9. Baguette Renault 1m20.511s + 1.363s 105
10. Hildebrand Force India 1m20.537s + 1.379s 49
11. Turvey McLaren 1m20.856s + 1.698s 27
11. Hartley Toro Rosso 1m21.325s + 2.167s 69
All Timing Unofficial
Monday, 30 November 2009
Soucek: Williams test a dream chance
Formula 2 champion Andy Soucek says his maiden Formula 1 test with the Williams team is a dream come true for him.
The 24-year-old Spaniard will make his F1 debut at Jerez tomorrow as a prize for winning the F2 championship this year.
Soucek says he's not putting himself under pressure for the test, but is confident he will be able to do a solid job.
"For me it is like a dream come true, having an F1 team focus on you for an entire day," said Soucek. "Williams really do set the highest standards, and every detail is examined and catered for - I even had three people analysing how my seat position could improve!
"It's a big responsibility driving Williams' car, and as always I'll be going out hoping to be fast and do the best job I can.
"However I'm not putting myself under too much pressure; I'm confident and relaxed more than anything else, and it will just be great to get experience from the test and get reference points of how Formula 1 works."
Soucek, winner of seven races in F2 this year, is aware that speed will not be the only factor in impressing the team.
"The test is about an accumulation of factors," he added. "You need to be able to create and build a good environment with the team, you have to deliver good and accurate reports on the car, and of course you have to be quick. If you put everything together, then you have a good test. I'm just going to be myself and be natural.
"I knew I had the test after Imola where I won the championship, so since then I have been training a lot, working on my neck and my fitness. F1 requires you to be in very good physical shape, so I have been working hard.
"It's also about your mental state, so I have spent the last few days with my grandmother and family in order to be fully focussed before the test. On Monday I will spend the whole day with my engineer making final adjustments, and then I'm sure the nerves will kick in the night before.
"Overall though I'm feeling very relaxed and confident. I have even had my Stilo helmet repainted with the Williams blue and white colour scheme, and it looks really good. The team made me feel very comfortable, and I can't wait to get out in the car
The 24-year-old Spaniard will make his F1 debut at Jerez tomorrow as a prize for winning the F2 championship this year.
Soucek says he's not putting himself under pressure for the test, but is confident he will be able to do a solid job.
"For me it is like a dream come true, having an F1 team focus on you for an entire day," said Soucek. "Williams really do set the highest standards, and every detail is examined and catered for - I even had three people analysing how my seat position could improve!
"It's a big responsibility driving Williams' car, and as always I'll be going out hoping to be fast and do the best job I can.
"However I'm not putting myself under too much pressure; I'm confident and relaxed more than anything else, and it will just be great to get experience from the test and get reference points of how Formula 1 works."
Soucek, winner of seven races in F2 this year, is aware that speed will not be the only factor in impressing the team.
"The test is about an accumulation of factors," he added. "You need to be able to create and build a good environment with the team, you have to deliver good and accurate reports on the car, and of course you have to be quick. If you put everything together, then you have a good test. I'm just going to be myself and be natural.
"I knew I had the test after Imola where I won the championship, so since then I have been training a lot, working on my neck and my fitness. F1 requires you to be in very good physical shape, so I have been working hard.
"It's also about your mental state, so I have spent the last few days with my grandmother and family in order to be fully focussed before the test. On Monday I will spend the whole day with my engineer making final adjustments, and then I'm sure the nerves will kick in the night before.
"Overall though I'm feeling very relaxed and confident. I have even had my Stilo helmet repainted with the Williams blue and white colour scheme, and it looks really good. The team made me feel very comfortable, and I can't wait to get out in the car
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