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Author: David Bodapati
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Vettel wins Canadian GP
Montreal, 9 June 2013 (IST 1.22 am Monday): Reigning World Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany drove from lights to flag to notch up his 29th victory to put Team Red Bull Racing on top in the Canadian Grand Prix here on Sunday to extend his Drivers’ Championship lead as well as the Constructors’ lead.
Spaniard Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari overtook a struggling Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG Petronas in the last lap to take the second place.
Sahara Force India did a great job for a double points finish in their 100th race as Paul di Resta, who was one of the only four drivers to start on Medium tyres, did a one-stop race to finish 7th after starting from 17th while Adrian Sutil who was running behind him on 8th place for long was penalised with a drive through penalty for ignoring blue flags and ultimately finished 10th to take the last point.
Vettel now has 132 points in the drivers’ championship and Alonso pushed Kimi Raikkonen (88) to third place with 96 points. Paul di Resta has 34 points in the 8th place while Sutil garnered 17 points to stand at 11th place.
Both the McLarens finished outside the points as Sergio Perez and Jenson Button finished 11th and 12th respectively. Mclaren’s record of 64 point-scoring races ends on the 45th anniversary of their 1st win. They had never failed to score since Button joined
Mark Webber brought the other Red Bull in a fourth place finish while Nico Rosberg was fifth in the Mercedes. Jean Eric Vergne brought his STR Ferrari in sixth.
ends
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Ghosh-Naik win Nashik Rally
Nashik, 9 June 2013: Kolkota driver Amittrajit Ghosh along with co-driver Ashwin Naik continued their charge winning the overall win at the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) here on Sunday. The duo piloted the Mitsubishi Cedia to first place overall to continue their winning spree after clinching the opening round of the 2013 season at the South India rally in Chennai.
Vikram Mathias and co-driver Srikanth Gowda, also in a Cedia came second while Arjun Rao Aroor and co-driver Satish Rajgopal took third overall in their Volkswagen Polo.
In the SUV category, it was Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif who topped the field in the Mahindra XUV, scoring the times not only in the class but also overall despite not being eligible for overall honours. The second place went to Lohitt V Urs and co-driver Bonnie Thomas, as the duo managed to overcome their mechanical problems.
Asad Khan and co-driver Zayne Asrar won the honours in Junior INRC category in a Maruti Esteem. Aniruddha Rangnekar (co-driver Nitin Jacob) and Rohan Pawar (co-driver Arjun Mehta), finished second and third respectively in their Polos.
The next round of the Indian National Rally Championship is scheduled at Coimbatore on July 19.
Provisional Results:
INRC Overall: 1.Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Group N Cedia) (1hr, 28mins, 16.0secs); 2. Vikram Mathias / Srikanth Gowda (Group N Cedia) (1:28:45.0); 3. Arjun Rao Aroor / Satish Rajagopal (VW Polo) (1:31:01.0).
INRC 1600cc: 1.VikramRao Aroor / Rajagopal; 2. Raghunandan B / Suraj K (Honda City) (1:33:17.0);
3. Byram Godrej / Prajval Pai (VW Polo) (1:33:51.0).Junior INRC: 1.Asad Khan / Zayne Asrar (Maruti Esteem) (1:36:12.0); 2. Anirudha Ranganekar / Nitin Jacob (VW Polo) (1:39:57.0); 3. Rohan Pawar / Arjun Mehta (VW Polo) (1:43:46.0).
SUV NRC: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) (1:26:29.0); 2. Lohitt V Urs / Bonnie Thomas (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) (1:46:12.0);
IRC: 1.Karamjit Singh / Jagdev Singh (VW Polo) (1:27:40.0); 2. Sumit Punjabi / Dr S Dinesh (Cedia) (1:46:00.0).
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Raikkonen to start on P 10 after a grid penalty
Montreal, 9 June 2013: Lotus and Toro Rosso drivers handed grid drops after pit lane rule infringement.
Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo have been handed grid penalties for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Both drivers were demoted two places following an incident at the restart of Q2 following the red flags for Felipe Massa’s crash at Turn 3. Both Raikkonen and Ricciardo started from outside the fast lane of pit lane, which was deemed by the FIA stewards to be a breach of Article 23.6 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.
As Raikkonen was penalised first, he initially drops to P11, with Ricciardo rising to ninth. But when the Toro Rosso driver takes his demotion, the Finn climbs back to 10th. Ricciardo will thus start 11th. Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, meanwhile, rises to ninth on the grid.
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Vettel on pole; Hamilton second
8 June 2013 (IST Sat Morn) FIA Saturday Press Coference
(DRIVERS
1 – Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)
2 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)
3 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams)
TV UNILATERAL
Q: Sebastian, you seemed to be on top of those extraordinary conditions all the way through qualifying. Was that the case?
Sebastian VETTEL: Well it was very, very tricky, especially because you never knew what the conditions were like the next time you were out. So obviously it was intermediate tyres throughout but extremely tricky to adapt, especially in the last qualifying section. We decided to have two runs, we thought the second run will be quicker because we had a new set of tyres left but it started to drizzle, in the last sector in particular, in the last chicane. I went straight on one lap and then the second lap I had a mistake somewhere else, so it turned out that the conditions were best for the first run. So that was a bit of a surprise because obviously you target on a set of new tyres to push a little bit harder. Very happy the first lap was good enough. It was very tight with Lewis. I think at the end everybody was improving in the first two sectors but then the last one was… yeah, those last two corners didn’t allow anyone to go quicker, which surely I didn’t mind but I think it was showing how difficult the whole qualifying session was for everyone. Congratulations to Valtteri, I think he did an extraordinary job putting the Williams on P3 but for us, extremely happy with the result and looking forward to the race tomorrow. I think we had strong pace yesterday so no matter the conditions, we should be in decent shape.
Q: Lewis, is that what cost you right at the end? Was that the rain in the final sector?
Lewis HAMILTON: I don’t know really… no, I was doing a pretty good lap, I think I was six or seven tenths up, even so I went wide. I don’t know whether I would have kept it but all I needed to keep was a tenth or so, a bit unfortunate – but I’m still happy to be here for the team.
Q: Valtteri, congratulations. What does this mean, to be in the top three?
Valtteri BOTTAS: Thank you. Of course it means a lot. It’s way more up in the grid than what we really could ever imagine. It’s been so difficult, the first six races for us and it will be a nice boost for the team. We really got everything quite right today.
Q: Sebastian, as you say, no points today. What chances tomorrow? As you said, you don’t really fear any of the conditions. Are you worried about rain or not?
SV: Well, I don’t know if there’s anybody who can give a precise forecast for every corner. As we saw today, it was really tricky in some places, then drier than expected in other places and the next lap was completely different. So, yeah, a bit difficult to foresee how the weather is behaving tomorrow – but the forecast, I think, looks a little bit friendlier than today. So at this stage – the last thing I heard at least – we expect dry conditions. But we’ll see. It doesn’t really matter. We have a couple of tyres left, surely lots of slick tyres but also in the rain we should be in decent shape. I think it could be an interesting race with mixed conditions tomorrow. So, a long one, 70 laps here and a lot of things that can happen in every single lap.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Sebastian, well done again. Another consideration is, have you got any Intermediates left? You were saying you might have a couple of tyres left. If it is wet tomorrow, have you got any Intermediates left?
SV: No, we don’t have a new set left but obviously it was only a very short run in the last qualifying. I think the sets we used, one was completely new and the other just scrubbed, so yeah, I think it’s tricky. Everyone used up their intermediates to qualify as high up as possible but the bottom line is I think we’re in good shape regarding tyres for both dry – obviously, just like everyone else – and rain conditions.
Q: It did seem to be an extraordinary session. You had mass starts in the pitlane. It was amazing!
SV: Yeah. I wasn’t part of that group and actually I did a mistake there because I was too late getting out in Q2 after the red flag, after Felipe had the crash. Yeah, I didn’t want to join the train and get stuck but obviously we left a little bit too late and I didn’t get to do a timed lap at all. Fortunately I made it through to Q3. The time we set before was good enough – but we didn’t get a run in and we were supposed to, so yeah, I messed up the timing a little bit there but fortunately it didn’t cost us anything.
Q: Lewis, did it all go according to plan? Maybe you felt you could have been on pole.
LH: Pole was definitely there, so it’s a bit unfortunate but that’s the way it goes.
Q: Did everything go according to plan?
LH: No.
Q: Is that what makes you a little unhappy then?
LH: …
Q: What are the chances tomorrow? What do you feel about the weather tomorrow?
LH: I’ve not really seen what the weather’s going to be like tomorrow. I was told that it’s going to be dry – or maybe raining in the morning and drying out for the race. But, as Sebastian said, it’s changing and it’s going to be good fun. It should be interesting as it has been for the last few years. It’s been very tricky – but I hope it’s dry.
Q: Valtteri, what do you want tomorrow? More rain?
VB: Definitely! I think the fact is in the dry the car doesn’t belong to P3 at the moment, so yeah, of course some rain would help us like it did in the qualifying. Because I think we found, for the Inter tyres especially, a quite good way of how to really work the tyre, the right temperatures and everything – so I hope so.
Q: You did a good job in Monaco keeping it out of the wall – a lot of rookies might have ended up in the wall. You’ve done the same thing here. You’ve been a pretty safe pair of hands as far as I can see. Do you feel that? Are you happy with your performances?
VB: I think you can never be totally happy with the situation we are in. I still have zero points and there’s still a lot to learn. When I look back there’s so many things you always could have done better. It’s been OK but it could be always better.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valterri, congratulations. Would you have ever dreamed to be on the second row and also could you please describe your lap?
VB: Thank you. I don’t think we expected to be on the first or second row. I think everyone in our team was hoping for rain because there’s always a chance if you get the timing right, get everything right, you can maybe finish a bit higher than where the car is sometimes. But yes, the race is tomorrow. If it’s dry, for sure it’s going to be difficult, it’s not going to be easy, so let’s see.
Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Valterri, we’ve seen that you’re ten places ahead of your teammate. Is this because you like the track, you like the conditions? You’re both in the same car.
VB: I think today was very tricky and it was a lot about the tyre getting a good lap, just at the right time, when the track is in the best condition, having good track position, everything, so it’s not as simple in this weather, so that’s why there can even be ten places between teammates.
Q: (Stefan Barbé – L’Equipe) If it’s dry tomorrow, do you think you had enough time yesterday to evaluate the tyres for long run pace in the afternoon?
LH: We did a long run like everyone else, so we have a good understanding what the tyres and the car feels like in the dry and obviously we’ve had the rain and the wet so we should be set for tomorrow.
SV: I think it was good that practice two yesterday was dry so it allowed everyone to get a read on both soft tyre and the harder or the medium tyre, supersoft and medium.
VB: I think everyone has plenty of dry tyres so we’ll see.
Q: (Massimo lopes Pegna– La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sebastian, are you surprised to see Ferrari so far behind you?
SV: I don’t know where they are but obviously I saw Felipe losing the car into turn three so I’m aware that he’s not very high up. He obviously didn’t take part in Q3. For Fernando, I don’t know where he starts but I think generally – as Valterri touched on – it was quite tricky today and when you were not on the circuit at the right time, then you can be faster than everybody else, for example, but it’s not happening. I think we’ve all experienced it to some extent today. Some, obviously… on average, I think us three up here, we got away with it and mostly used the track in the best condition but you can never really say that you have always been out when it was absolutely at its best, and that makes a big difference. We’re talking easily half a second, a second, two seconds per lap.
Q: (Bill Beacon – Canadian Press) Lewis, you’ve won here three times, conditions are a lot stranger this time around; how confident are you that you can have a fourth victory here?
LH: Well, it’s good to be on the front row, that makes it a little bit… brings up the chances a little bit but it’s going to be a tough race tomorrow. Obviously Sebastian’s very quick, even the Ferraris are very quick on the long runs so I guess it really depends on the conditions and at the end of the day I’ve got to do the job. As you know, I love it here so, there’s a great crowd even though the weather was not so great today. I’m sure there will be even more people tomorrow so let’s hope we can put on a good show for them.
Ends
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Di Resta quickest in first practice in Canada
Montreal, 7 June 2013: Late flying lap puts Sahara Force India driver Paul Di Resta at the top of the timesheet in rain-hit session on Friday at the Circuit Filles Villeneuve here.
Force India’s Paul di Resta popped at the top of the leaderboard in the last few seconds of a rain-affected Free Practice (FP1).
First practice at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was dominated by the conditions, which saw rain fall steadily in the lead up to the session – but the rain held off during the session itself, and thus drivers went through the whole range of tyres as a dry line formed.
The early laps were on the full wet tyre, followed by the bulk of the session being run on the intermediates. Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne appeared on Pirelli’s experimental slick tyre shortly after the hour mark but pronounced it too wet. Sebastian Vettel tried on the medium shortly afterwards on his Red Bull but struggled to match his time on the inters. Only in the last ten minutes did the majority of the field appear on dry tyres, by which point the track was sufficiently dry for them to be marginally quicker than the inters.
That triggered big changes to the leaderboard. Jenson Button went into P1 with a lap of 1:21.551, the first runner to do so on slicks but several runners went under that mark in the last minute of the session, with Di Resta, anonymous to that point, being the man at the top when the chequered flag signalled the end of proceedings.
Di Resta’s time of 1:21.020 was six seconds away from a good, dry practice time of 2012, indicating how marginal the surface was. Several drivers had spins and minor excursions during that last ten minutes, with Williams’ Pastor Maldonado hitting the wall and shattering his nosecone at Turn Four.
Earlier in the session Jules Bianchi had been the only casualty, taking to the escape road at that same chicane, struggling to turn his Marussia around and being asked to switch off his engine by his pit crew. The intermediate running had seen Nico Rosberg for Mercedes continuing his strong form with a series of fastest laps, though as the session went on Vettel overhauled him and would finish FP1 with the fastest time on the inters.
Canadian Grand Prix first practice times
1 Paul di Resta Force India 1:21.020
2 Jenson Button McLaren 1:21.108 0.088
3 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:21.258 0.238
4 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:21.308 0.288
5 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 1:21.608 0.588
6 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:22.068 1.048
7 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.402 1.382
8 Sergio Pérez McLaren 1:22.587 1.567
9 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:23.047 2.027
10 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1:23.131 2.111
11 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:23.341 2.321
12 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:23.352 2.332
13 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:23.386 2.366
14 Adrian Sutil Force India 1:23.417 2.397
15 Esteban Gutiérrez Sauber 1:23.957 2.937
16 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:25.054 4.034
17 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1:25.354 4.334
18 Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1:25.753 4.733
19 Max Chilton Marussia 1:25.821 4.801
20 Alexander Rossi Caterham 1:27.143 6.123
21 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:27.522 6.502
22 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:29.306 8.286ends
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Euphoria of Monaco is gone, focus is on Montreal: Rosberg
DRIVERS – Charles PIC (Caterham), Jean-Eric VERGNE (Toro Rosso), Giedo VAN DER GARDE (Caterham), Pastor MALDONADO (Williams), Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes), Felipe MASSA (Ferrari)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Charles, your second Formula One season, now of course with Caterham. What are your feelings about that? Do you feel that you’re making progress yourself now that you are in your second season?
Charles PIC: Yeah, of course. The first races were a bit difficult for us and then from China and Bahrain especially we made steps forwards and the car was working much better and I think we are still in this positive mood. We have to keep working like that. Monaco was not an easy one for us. I think the pace and performance was quite good, especially in the race, but then we had this issue with the gearbox. Overall I’m happy with the evolution we have had.
To some extent you are the team leader, in that you have more experience than Giedo. Is the progress with the car being driven by you?
CP: No, I think when you do progress it’s driven by everybody in the team. It’s a team effort and teamwork, driven by the two drivers and all the team.
Jean-Eric, you’ve already had a busy morning. What have you been up to already today?
Jean-Eric VERGNE: I was at the Polytechnic school, with the FIA for the Action for Road Safety campaign and we had a bit of a chat with the students about safety, the Golden Rules and it was nice. I drove a simulator, so yeah.
Well, you obviously had a very good qualifying in Monaco and followed it up with a good race, it was the fourth time you’ve finished eighth in a grand prix. The question is whether the car is suited to here and can you carry over that performance to here?
JEV: Yeah, hopefully. Everything can happen in Canada. Last year wasn’t really a good race for me but you know I think we can carry on the momentum. Definitely the car is getting better and better every race. We obviously don’t have anything new here but I think the whole package that we have is good enough to make a good race again here. I think the improvement on the car is going to continue for the whole season and I’m really pleased with that.
And the improvement with you in qualifying, that’s important?
JEV: Definitely. You know, you need to work really well during the whole weekend and to have a good qualifying, especially in Monaco, is really important. I think I’m just improving race by race, it’s as simple as that.
Giedo, a good performance again in Monaco. Here we are at another temporary circuit, but a circuit you don’t know. Can you carry over that performance from Monaco to here?
Giedo VAN DER GARDE: We’ll see by Saturday. I think so. The progress is going quite well. We knew that our first four races would be tough but the last few ones we made good progression. The relationship with the team is getting better, the work relationship is good, so I think we can do a good job here again.
You said earlier on in the year that you’d need probably a third of the season to find your feet. Are you finding your feet now?
GVDG: Yeah, as a rookie it’s not easy to come in and the first four races were just to learn as much as possible and now the progress is going really well, the relationship with the engineers is really well, with the whole team. So I’m a happy man at the moment.
Again, this is a new circuit to you. Are you finding it difficult to learn circuits?
GVDG: We did some practice on the simulator and I like more or less always a street circuit, so let’s see how it goes.
Q: Pastor, a big accident in Monaco, any after-effects from that?
Pastor MALDONADO: No, no, I’m OK. I was OK. It was a reset.
Q: We’ve had a third of the season. Are you seeing progress at Williams?
PM: Yes. I mean, it was quite difficult to understand the car since the beginning of the season. Especially from the first race. We’ve been fighting a lot to try to fix the problems. We fix the problems but they are not easy to show. We have been working very hard, 24hours a day in the factory, especially in the wind tunnel. The problems are coming from aerodynamic. We’ve been trying to make some progress. I think we understand now a bit more the car and hopefully this race should be much better for us.
Q: What difference should a new chassis make?
PM: The chassis is more-or-less the same. Just some new parts, aero parts. Hopefully we are going to solve… not all the problems… but have a step forward. We have been expecting that for some time.
Q: Felipe, we saw you last in a [medical] collar. And you also have a new chassis here. Tell us a little more about that accident.
Felipe MASSA: It was two accidents actually! It looks really similar, if you look from the television, but it was completely different accident. The first one, it was, I had… just locked the wheels, went over the bumps and then I went straight. I hit the guardrail first and then I went straight. And the second one, I had a failure in the suspension. It was two different accidents in the same place. It looks very similar but it was two different things. The good thing is that I’m fine. I just felt a little bit of pain on my neck after because two crashes on the same place, in the same direction, y’know? But it was just muscles and its fine. One hundred per cent fine.
Q: And no dent in your confidence?
FM: No. For sure no. One hundred per cent confident for here.
Q: How important is a good result here for Ferrari? Because it wasn’t a very good result in Monaco.
FM: Yeah, I think it’s very important. We didn’t have the weekend we expected in Monaco. Just looking forward to going back to a good weekend – for both: for me, for Fernando, for the team. I hope the car works well on this track and we can fight for another podium again?
Q: Nico, has the euphoria of Monaco finally worn off?
Nico ROSBERG: Unfortunately yes! It goes quite quick in this sport. Already a couple of days afterwards, the focus went completely to Montreal. I mean, first of all understanding what we did right and wrong in Monaco and then preparing for Montreal and trying to get the most out of this weekend.
Q: But you seem to be on a roll with pole positions. What chances?
NR: Yes, well, qualifying has been very good. Our car has been the quickest car in qualifying for quite some time now. So, as a speed, I think we just have a very, very fast car. So I’m confident I’ll be quite far up the grid again in qualifying here. It is a different situation a little bit here: it’s lower downforce so that could mix things up a little bit, different track and everything so we’ll have to wait and see – but qualifying should be good, yeah.
Q: It is a very different circuit in terms of demands; high speed and low grip as opposed to low speed and high grip, so it should be interesting to see if the car works here as well.
NR: Yes – and that’s why we need to be a little bit carefully coming here. It could be a little bit of a different situation. Some other teams might be stronger or whatever. But in general we’re going to be there or thereabouts.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Nico, I understand you’re not allowed to comment on an awful lot of aspects of the recent tyre test, but one thing that we were wondering is because it was a Pirelli-specific test – you weren’t testing new components, anything like that – why were you and Lewis doing the driving rather than (test driver) Sam (Bird)?
NR: Don’t know. That was what the team decided. I think also for Pirelli it’s better if we are in the car, because it’s more representative because Sam doesn’t drive much, so for sure he won’t be able to go on our pace and bring the Pirellis through the laps exactly as we would, who had the experience of the Grand Prix that weekend. So definitely for Pirelli it’s an advantage to have us in the car, I would say.
Q: (Alex Popov – RTR) Nico, there are a lot of completely useless statistics but one that is interesting about Canada is that you have qualified 6-0 here against your teammates and Lewis has qualified 5-0 against his teammates, so how important will it be on Saturday for you?
NR: I didn’t know that. It’s a track I like, definitely. I enjoy this track. I’m confident coming here and qualifying is going to be exciting and important also, but a little bit less important at this track (than Monaco) maybe because you can overtake and tyre degradation is going to be an issue, so there’s going to be a lot happening in the race. But anyway, as in all tracks, even with this statistic or no statistics, it’s always a big challenge to try and be ahead of Lewis in qualifying because he’s obviously very very quick.
Q: (Alex Popov – RTR) For everybody, would you comment on Sergio’s race in Monaco? Do you agree with Kimi’s views or not?
J-EV: I’m not going to comment.
CP: No.
Looks like a non-starter I’m afraid.
Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Felipe, why have you never got on the podium here, is there a special reason for that?
FM: So, why I never made a podium here? I think my best result was fourth. I think last year was pretty much in the right direction as well, I just spun but I was pretty quick during the weekend. Why, I don’t know. But I will try, definitely, one hundred percent.
Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Nico, if you say it was just a normal test, why were you and Lewis using anonymous helmets?
NR: Don’t want to comment on that. Sorry.
Q: (Luis Fernando Ramos – Racing Magazine) Nico and Felipe, the more experienced of the drivers; if it’s dry tomorrow you will try these new Pirelli tyres in free practice; is this a track too specific to draw any conclusions or will it be OK, you can draw conclusions from here and use them on other circuits in the season?
NR: For sure you can draw conclusions, yeah. Hopefully we will get a few dry laps and it will be good to try them and understand a bit more of what is to come and what to expect in the next races.
FM: I don’t think it will be so easy to have a conclusion. First of all, it’s maybe raining; you can forget about a conclusion and you need to see how many laps you can do on the tyres to understand (them), so it’s not also an easy track to understand. It’s a track that is getting better all the time, during practice, so it won’t be so easy to get a conclusion, I think.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Serra) Felipe, you had a tough moment after the accident in 2009 when you had to come back and drive. Is it easier now or is it almost the same from a psychological point of view?
FM: It’s completely different because I don’t remember anything about my accident and now I remember everything (about my two in Monaco) but that wasn’t the problem. I was fine so I just got out of the car and it was no problem. I think when you are OK you don’t have any problem, you just jump in the car and you go out again. It’s completely different from 2009.
Q: (Sean Gordon – The Globe and Mail) What are your favourite memories of Montreal, whether it’s on or off the track?
FM: I hope it will be this weekend. Well, I think it was a very good race that I did for Sauber in 2004, I guess. I was fourth, so it was a very good race. I think that was the best.
NR: Not sure, maybe the qualifying my first year; I’m not sure if I was fifth or sixth, but it was a great qualifying that year, so maybe that was a good memory.
PM: I have no good memories of this track.
GvdG: I think my best memory is in 2001 when I was here for the Kart World Championship. It was my first race in Formula Super A and I won the first race, so it was a good memory. Long way back.
J-EV: I don’t really remember. Maybe my holidays here. That’s it.
CP: Last year it was my first time here. Qualifying was a bit tough for us but we had a good race afterwards, so I think it was last year’s race.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Nico, last year after Monaco you were 17 points behind the leader; now you are 60 points behind. Do you think you could still be in a better position for the rest of the season, right now, compared to last year?
NR: Last year, at the same point in time, I was quite confident for the rest of the season, because we were really in a good string of results. I think there were six races where I got the most points so at the same point in time I was quite confident, but looking back, of course, it didn’t go well. Now, again, I’m confident, yeah, because the car is very fast at the moment and it’s just a matter of getting a better grip on the tyres and trying to understand them better and better and we’re in that process at the moment. It’s really not easy but I think hopefully we’re making some progress. We will see again this weekend. This weekend is going to be a big challenge for that but if we can get a grip on that then it’s going to be a good next couple of races so I’m quite confident, yeah, maybe more confident now, then.
Q: (Pierre Durocher – Journal de Montréal) Nico, how concerned are you about the tyre wear on this track?
NR: It will definitely be one of the key aspects of the weekend. We have the supersofts again here, degradation is going to be an issue and possibly that’s going to be the decider as to who wins the race, who has the best control over that.
Q: Which would you prefer: a dry or wet race, given the problems you have been having with the tyres?
NR: I don’t know. Possibly even wet, yeah, because our car is really quick in the wet. I’ve been feeling very comfortable in the wet this year, maybe even wet, yeah.
Q: (Ernesto Nigro – F1 Plus.com) In-season testing over the use of simulators; how much more effective would that be and would you welcome it back?
FM: It would be welcomed, definitely. A simulator is always what we have, to try to understand something, but it’s always a simulator so when you are in the real situation on the track, you definitely understand a lot better so it would be welcome.
NR: Just as Felipe said, it’s so difficult to get the simulator one hundred percent realistic so there are always several things that are better when you test the real car, more accurate.
GvdG: I think it’s also good for a rookie to have more track time, of course. It’s how it is now.
Q: (Olivier Arbour – Radio Canada) To all of you: what do you think about Sergio Perez’s driving; do you share Button’s view that he should maybe calm down, or are you more on Raikkonen’s side?
GvdG: If nobody comments I will comment. I know Checco quite well, we were teammates together in 2010. I think he’s a real fighter, you know, and he’s a guy who wants to win – everybody likes to win – but of course how he raced in Monaco, sometimes he did well, sometimes going over (the top) but I think it’s a tough call.
PM: No comment.
Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) This subject is old but it’s interesting to hear from all of you who never won the World Championship up to now, about the Wall of Champions here. Is there any particular reasons it attracts World Champions there, is there any technical challenge that explains all the incidents we have there?
NR: It’s a nice little legend, it’s a difficult corner, yeah, because if you go in a little bit too fast you get that second kerb too much and you’re in the wall, so it’s a very very challenging corner, but there’s no reason to explain why a lot of World Champions have gone in there.
FM: It’s two different things: it’s a different corner, it’s a corner that if you try to be a bit too aggressive you can hit the wall but it’s two different things.
Ends
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Force India will carry forward its form: Mallya
Montreal, 3 June 2013: Team Principal of Sahara Force India, Vijay Mallya, hopes the team can carry its form into the Canadian Grand Prix.“The emotions of Monaco are still fresh in our memory as our attention turns to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Both our drivers and the team performed superbly on the streets of Monte Carlo and it is very satisfying to see us fifth in the Championship after a third of the season,” Mallya said.“The race in Monaco showed the sheer class of our two drivers, and probably helped silence some critics of the team. Adrian’s moves on two former World Champions will stay in our memories for a long time, and so will Paul’s determined performance as he went from 17th to ninth,” he added.“I think we are now knocking on the door of our first podium finish since 2009, and it’s time to do that all-important step. Montreal would be a great place to do so – it is a track that favours overtaking and our car has shown the race pace to finish among the leaders, so everything is possible,” the Force India principal said.“I am proud of everyone in the team because we have achieved good results – and claimed 44 points – despite some very unfortunate occurrences. With a bit more luck, we would be even further ahead of McLaren: but the focus is on the future. We know our rivals will be more competitive in the next few rounds, but we have shown we can mix with the big teams and we intend to do so for the coming races too.“The Canadian Grand Prix also marks the 100th Grand Prix for Sahara Force India. When we started back in 2008 we simply had the ambition to break out of Q1 and we dreamed of scoring points. Seeing where we stand today is therefore extremely rewarding and motivates us all to continue working just as hard for the next 100 races,” the team Principal and Managing Director concluded.Paul di Resta provided his thoughts on CanadaPaul, Monaco was a mixture of emotions for you, but you picked up points in the end with an impressive recovery drive…I think it’s a sign of our competitiveness that we were a bit disappointed with ninth. I definitely felt we had the performance to be higher up the points, but the issues in qualifying put us on the back foot. That’s the thing with Monaco, it’s all about track position, but I did enjoy a few overtaking moves into turn one. Although more was possible I’m still happy to continue my run of points finishes.Canada will be the team’s 100th race – do you think you can give the team something to celebrate?We’ve been competitive on every track this year and that’s a credit to the team, so we expect to be at our usual level once again. It’s traditionally a track that has suited us, so we go there confident that we can fight towards the front once again. 100 races is a significant achievement and it’s great to see how much the team has grown during that time. It’s a credit to the commitment of the shareholders and hopefully we can give them something to smile about come Sunday evening.Tell us about the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?It’s an unusual track but tends to produce exciting racing with some really good overtaking opportunities. It’s tight, because it’s a street course, so it’s another track where there is no margin for error. Straight-line speed is important, as is a car that’s stable under braking and capable of riding the curbs well.Adrian on CanadaAdrian, how good did it feel to finish fifth in Monaco – your best result in the principality…It felt very nice. After four difficult races I was ready to get this result. We had several missed opportunities, but I tried my best to stay positive because I could see the potential of the car. So it felt very good to have a race where I could deliver a strong result. But it was not the easiest of weekends for me because I lost track time on Saturday and I damaged my front wing on the first lap of the race. So, all things considered, it was very satisfying to come away with fifth place.Some commentators named you driver of the day for your ‘cheeky’ overtaking moves at the hairpin…I had the feeling from the first lap onwards that there was a possibility to pass cars at this corner. After the restart, when all the cars were bunched up, I saw the gap and went for it. I got ahead of Jenson first and then Fernando as well. Overtaking always feels good, but in Monaco it’s extra special because you have to judge things perfectly.What about Montreal? Do you think you will go well there?It’s definitely one my favourite races on the calendar because it’s a great city. It’s also an interesting and unusual track, and it can be a long race with different scenarios and strategy options. I like the circuit, but for some reason I’ve never had good results there. Hopefully we can change that this year.ends -
Mahindra Racing’s hard work pays off
Mugello, 2 June 2013: Mahindra rider Miguel Oliveira claimed the only Indian motorcycle grand prix team’s best yet finish at Mugello on Sunday with a hard-fought fourth place, and added a new lap record to the books.
But the Portuguese star was “a little disappointed”: after leading at the mid-point of the race he missed the top-three podium by less than half a second, a Mahindra Racing press release said.
The podium is the next target, but the team had more than enough to celebrate in Italy. The exclusive and all-new Mahindra MGP3O is in only its fifth race after being designed and built in just six months. Already the aim to join the front runners has been achieved.
The race was a thriller from the start, with the Moto3™ pack jostling for position on the fast and sweeping 5.245-km Mugello circuit. Oliveira started from the second row and was ninth into the first corner, but 7th and climbing by the end of the lap.
He set a new lap record on the fourth lap, and next time round was third. From then on played a major role in a six-strong group that broke away for an enthralling battle to the end. They swapped positions constantly, with Miguel taking his turn up front on lap 15.
The final shoot-out had the crowd holding its breath. Victory went to Luis Salom (KTM) by just 0.099 of a second, with the similarly mounted Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales in his wheeltracks, and Miguel inches behind. Alex Marquez and pole starter Jonas Folger (both KTM) were still close, the top five covered by eight tenths. Wild card and grand prix first-timer Andrea Locatelli was 22nd, in the thick of a tight pack chasing 15th position, with ten riders crossing the line in just over two seconds.
Team regular Efrén Vázquez, still recuperating from collarbone surgery less than two weeks ago, withdrew from the race, but expects to return in better condition at Catalunya in a fortnight. Mahindra Racing CEO Mufaddal Choonia explained: “The team decided Efrén needed a bit more time to recover, and it was prudent not to start, and risk further injury.”
Today’s result regained a clear third place in the Constructor’s Championship for the marque, while Oliveira gained significant ground, now lying seventh overall.
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA – Fourth Place
“It was a difficult race – on the limit every lap to stay with the front group. The slipstream is very important here, so I couldn’t risk losing contact. I’m a little bit upset not to reach the podium, but happy with the whole weekend: good qualifying and race. At the last race I fell while with the front group, and we were up front again here. It gives plenty of motivation to keep pushing for more.”Copyright © 2013 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. All rights reserved.ANDREA LOCATELLI – 22nd Place
“My first grand prix was quite an experience, fighting with a big group of more experienced riders. The Mahindra was good all weekend, and helped me to keep my place. I am happy with this start.”MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO Mahindra Racing
“Delighted with the result. We were running a little thirsty this weekend because we had no points at the last race. For the moment, the thirst has been quenched. Hats off to Miguel with a fantastic ride, and hats off to the technical team who put together a bike that could help him stay with the leading group throughout the race, and fight for the podium. We know where we have to work to improve, and we will be back to the drawing board to find what’s missing. The bike is strong already, and it is always harder to find improvements when you are already at a high level. We look forward to Catalunya, and hope Efrén will be back to full fitness and racing at this next round.”ends
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Medium, Supersoft for Montreal; a Pirelli preview
Milan, 3 June 2013: The Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal is an interesting circuit with a mixture of long, fast straights and slow corners. Pirelli will bring the P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft tyres to Montreal: both tyres with a low working range, which makes them perfectly matched to the likely weather conditions at the semi-permanent Canadian track. Temperatures are usually quite cool and there have been a number of wet races in the past, which means that the Cinturato Green intermediates and Cinturato Blue wet tyres might also make an appearance. In addition, Pirelli will also bring two sets per car of a prototype medium tyre, which features a revised rear construction that is likely to be used for the rest of the season, for use on Friday only.
Paul Hembery: “Canada is always one of the most unpredictable races of the year and this is partly because it is so challenging for tyres, mostly due to the heavy braking and traction demands of the circuit. Coupled with a high degree of track evolution over the weekend, effective tyre management has always been a key to success in Montreal, right from when the circuit was inaugurated in the late 1970s. We’d expect two to three pit stops per car, but we’ll only be able to make a precise forecast after Friday once we’ve seen some running out on track. It’s a circuit where weather conditions often play a key role: our very first Canadian Grand Prix in 2011 actually turned out to be the longest race in Formula One history because of heavy rain and a subsequent race stoppage. Last year was dry, but we witnessed a new record with the seventh winner from seven races. Because of the high degree of tyre wear and degradation, we would expect to see a number of different strategies at work, as was the case last year – with teams deciding whether to go for a ‘sprint’ strategy or to do fewer stops and put the accent on endurance. Last year the ‘sprint’ approach won the race, but with so many different parameters at work, the teams will have to analyse the data – not to mention the weather forecast – very carefully before committing to any particular tactics. Often a flexible approach works best in Canada, so we can also expect many teams to be leaving their options open, allowing the drivers to really make the difference when it counts.”
Jean Alesi: “Canada will always be an incredibly special place for me, because of course it’s where I won the race in 1995, driving for Ferrari, with the number of Gilles Villeneuve: number 27. It’s hard to describe the emotion, but it was just an amazing feeling of joy and an incredible atmosphere, with the crowd running onto the track afterwards… Canada is always a place where the fans are absolutely fantastic; it’s a great feeling to go to a country where Formula One is embraced so enthusiastically. For a driver it is a really big challenge too: as so many of the grandstands are close to the track and the walls are very close as well, so it feels a bit like Monaco in some ways. But of course it’s a lot faster than Monaco and this is why it is challenging for the tyres as well. The main characteristic is acceleration and braking: you cover a really wide range of speeds from flat-out on the straight to very slow corners. It’s important to manage the tyres properly and have a good strategy to cope with these demands. I think we’re in for a fantastic race, this is a grand prix I always really look forward to.”
The circuit from a tyre point of view:
Along with Singapore, Korea and Monaco, Canada has a very high safety car probability. This is one of the reasons why a flexible strategy often pays dividends there. A safety car can change the complexion of a race entirely – and while this wasn’t the case in Monaco two weeks ago, in Canada there are many more opportunities for overtaking.
The race winner last year (Lewis Hamilton) stopped twice, while the second and third placed finishers stopped only once. The strategies all the way down the top 10 were half and half: five out of the top 10 stopped twice and the other five stopped once. Last year was a different tyre nomination though: soft and supersoft.
With a semi-permanent track that is not used extensively during the year, there’s a risk of graining. This occurs when a cold tyre that is not up to temperature slides excessively against the track surface instead of finding grip, and causing an unusual pattern of wear. This phenomenon is mostly seen at the start of the weekend when the track is at its most slippery, without any rubber laid down.
Further information on Canada and the demands it places on the tyres, as well as more information about how graining occurs, can be found on a 3D animated video starring Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola. This is copyright-free for media use on Pirelli’s Formula One website: www.pirelli.com/f1pressarea
Technical tyre notes:
One of the reasons why Canada is so demanding for the tyres is that the cars tend to run low downforce to maximise their speed on the straights. This means that the tyres are doing all the work when it comes to getting the car round the corners, putting the emphasis on mechanical rather than aerodynamic grip.
The rear tyres are particularly challenged at Montreal, due to the heavy traction demands out of slow corners and the hairpin. It’s very easy to produce wheelspin if drivers are too eager on the throttle, which accentuates rear tyre wear. The track is also quite bumpy, which also provokes wheelspin as the rear tyres break traction.
Adding to the punishment for the tyres in Canada are the kerbs: a well-known feature of the track. The kerbs in Canada are high and aggressive, with the cars hitting them at approximately 130kph through the final corner, close to the famous ‘wall of champions’.
The tyre choices so far:
PZero Red PZero Yellow PZero White PZero Orange Australia Supersoft Medium Malaysia Medium Hard China Soft Medium Bahrain Medium Hard Spain Medium Hard Monaco Supersoft Soft Canada Supersoft Medium Meet the Pirelli F1 Team: Anna Playford – Formula One tyre engineer
Anna, from Chichester in the United Kingdom, is one of Pirelli’s 15-strong squad of engineers that travel to every grand prix. This year, the team that she has been assigned to is Williams. During grand prix weekends she acts as the link between the team and Pirelli.
Her job at the track predominately consists of looking after the Pirelli products and making sure that the tyres run within the parameters that have been set. As well as monitoring tyre performance and characteristics in real time, she analyses additional tyre-related data (such as pressures, temperatures and wear). All this information is put into a daily report presented to the team at their evening meetings. This report helps the team make further decisions regarding their race strategy and set-up for the following sessions.
Away from races, Anna is based at Pirelli’s technical hub in the UK, known as the DTC (Didcot Technical Centre). While there, she continues to go through data from the race weekend, producing reports for Pirelli HQ in Milan as well as preparing for the upcoming events. Anna is also involved in some R&D projects there, as well as the development of tools which enables Pirelli to continuously upgrade the service that is provided to the teams.
Currently Anna is the only female engineer in the line-up, having been inspired to get into Formula One through her father. She then studied motorsport engineering at college, joining Pirelli in 2011.
Away from work, Anna enjoys spending time with family and friends – as well as fitting in some essential shopping opportunities…
Other news from Pirelli:
The second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series, which is exclusively equipped by Pirelli for race versions of roadgoing supercars, took place at Silverstone the weekend before the Canadian Grand Prix. Darren Turner, Frederic Makowiecki and Stefan Mucke dominated the race for Aston Martin and clinched the victory in a Aston Martin V12 vantage
The second round of the British Rally Championship – another series exclusively supplied by Pirelli – also took place last weekend at the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland, named after the legendary Formula One World Champion. Last year’s Pirelli UK Star Driver Jukka Korhonen won the event with his co-driver Marko Salminen at the wheel of a Pirelli-equipped Citroen DS3.
Pirelli recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its close collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, the largest technical university in Italy, by inviting a number of its students to a driver day at the Vizzola circuit in northern Italy. As well as recruiting several graduates from the university, Pirelli also undertakes some research projects jointly with the Politecnico each year.
ends
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Latvala-Anttila of VW win WRC Round 6
2 June 2013:
Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), in a Volkswagen Polo R WRC win the sixth round, the Rally of Greece on Sunday after the protest was cleared by FIA. Victory for the boys in blue: Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) won the Acropolis Rally in Greece in the Polo R WRC. Volkswagen’s fourth win this season in the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) marked the duo’s first triumph for Volkswagen. Two other points finishes gave the factory team from Wolfsburg further reason to celebrate: Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) claimed fourth place with an impressive final spurt – in just their third event as the crew of a Polo R WRC. Meanwhile, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia defended their lead in the WRC Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship by coming from behind to snatch tenth place. On top of all that, Volkswagen is still leading in the Manufacturer’s Championship.
Everything falls into place – Jari-Matti Latvala’s firsts and successes
Jari-Matti Latvala first took on the “Acropolis” at the age of 18 and achieved his first win ten years later, claiming victory in one of the classic events of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) – the Rally Greece. And he stood at the top of the podium for the first time in Volkswagen’s racing colours. It was the 28-year-old’s eighth race win in the World Championship and his third podium finish, having claimed third place in Portugal and Argentina. Latvala won four of the 14 stages in Greece. So far, the Finn has achieved 276 SS best times. Latvala succeeded in adapting the Polo R WRC to his style of driving by changing the set-up of the differential at the Rally Argentina and making a number of minor adjustments in Greece. This paved the way for his success. Consistency, speed and perfectly calculated risk-taking enabled Latvala to bag his first win at the “Acropolis”.The ultimate acid test – clouds of dust and melon-sized rocks
The Rally Greece is considered the ultimate acid test in the World Rally Championship. Thick dust, soaring temperatures, no end of coarse gravel and melon-sized rocks all put the three Volkswagen Polo R WRCs and the Volkswagen crews to the test. Although this season’s Rally Greece was shorter than in previous years, it remained just as punishing from start to finish for the cars in 2013. Deep grooves in soft sand alternated with rougher sections. Given the difficult conditions, the drivers’ starting positions on the three days of rallying played a crucial role in determining their chances.A real fighter – Sébastien Ogier’s setback and fightback
It started out as a small problem but it had a big impact: on the very first day, fuel pressure issues cost Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia their chance of securing another top finish. A cable connection came loose, interrupting the supply of power to the fuel pump. The Volkswagen team replaced the wiring loom in the Polo R WRC #8 just to be on the safe side. Having achieved five podium finishes in the first five rallies – including three wins – this setback in the very first stage of the “Acropolis” earned the pairing a ten-minute time penalty. Sébastien Ogier restarted under the Rally 2 regulations and fought his way into tenth place in the Special Stages on Saturday and Sunday, thereby winning one point for the overall standings in the Drivers’ Championship. Ogier also managed to secure three points by achieving the best time in the so-called Power Stage – when additional points are awarded for first, second and third – despite being at a disadvantage because he had to open the route. With this performance, Ogier defended his lead in the WRC. Now, almost halfway through the season, he is 52 points ahead of his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, who edged up to second position by winning in Greece.A steep learning curve – Andreas Mikkelsen develops positively and puts in a final spurt
Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) also contributed towards Volkswagen’s success at the Rally Greece. Fourth place overall is not just Mikkelsen’s biggest success in his career to date, it is also indicative of a new level of maturity. The “Acropolis” was only Mikkelsen’s third rally behind the wheel of the Polo R WRC. From tyre damage and brake problems to SS best times and playing catch-up – the Rally Greece proved a real emotional roller coaster for Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula. The highlight came right at the end for the Norwegian/Finnish duo. After having to pay tribute to the toughness of the “Acropolis” on Saturday – an air hose came loose and punched through a brake pipe on the front right-hand side of the car, then a puncture cost them more valuable time – Volkswagen’s junior driver could do no wrong on Sunday. With three best times in the Special Stages – his first solo in the WRC – Mikkelsen fought his way from fifth place to fourth and bagged an extra point in the final Power Stage. Mikkelsen secured his place in the WRC record books at the Rally Germany back in 2008 at the same time as record-breaking World Champion Sébastien Loeb and Petter Solberg (SS 19, “Circus Maximus”) when he became the youngest driver ever to win a Special Stage.Quotes following day three of the Rally Greece
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
“I’m absolutely thrilled and I’d like to dedicate this win to the whole Volkswagen team. The new season got off to a very difficult start for me, but the team always believed in me and supported me really well. I’m delighted to see so many happy faces now. Winning the Rally Acropolis also means a lot to me because it’s extremely tough and it’s a real classic. Ever since I entered the event for the first time here at the age of 18, I’ve dreamed of winning it one day. The last stage felt like the longest and hardest for a some time – I felt every single stone and jolt in the car and couldn’t wait for the finishing line to come into sight. Today is a day for celebrating!”Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
“Tenth place and points for coming first in the Power Stage – that was the best we could do this time. Of course it’s frustrating to feel that both you and the car have what it takes for a podium finish, but a minor technical glitch with the power supply to the fuel pump thwarted us in the very first Special Stage. From that point on, it was all about maintaining a high speed, making it across the finishing line every day and being in the right place when our rivals were struggling. We defended our lead in the overall competition – now we have to look ahead to the coming rallies when we want to be back at the front of the pack again.”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“What an incredible rally and what an incredible final day. Everything went in our favour today after yesterday’s difficulties. We got into a good rhythm and tried to put pressure on Nasser Al-Attiyah in fourth place. And it worked. I had caught up and even got just ahead of Nasser by the end of the first run through the stages this morning. The fact that we also scored no less than three best times in the Special Stages was the icing on the cake, of course. On balance, we’re satisfied with the outcome of the Rally Greece and our performance. It’s the best WRC result of my career, so I’m really pleased. And it’s thanks to my mechanics, who did outstanding work yesterday. All of that whets my appetite for more – I can’t wait for the next rally in Sardinia.”Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
“Winning the Rally Greece is a success for the whole team. Jari-Matti Latvala put in an absolutely perfect performance and really earned this win with patience and calculated risk-taking at the right time. The fact that a puncture would have made the difference between a win and a medal-less fourth shows just how much credit is due for this performance. Three different manufacturers on the podium is evidence that the World Rally Championship is a very close-run thing. That’s why I’m proud of the whole team and absolutely delighted for Jari-Matti. I was also very impressed by Andreas Mikkelsen here in Greece – he overcame all the difficulties he faced and took fourth place at the end with an unstoppable final spurt. Sébastien Ogier also deserves a great deal of respect for his performance – despite technical difficulties on day one, he made the best of the situation and ultimately collected valuable points for both WRC championships. Following on from this great performance across the board, I’m already looking forward to the Rally Italy in Sardinia in three weeks’ time.”And then there was …
… one Japanese fan’s tribute to “Mister Mysterios”. Inspired by Julien Ingrassia’s alter ego – the masked man “Mister Mysterio” who became a running gag with the help of a French journalist just over a year ago – Yukari Okamoto made a miniature model of the man in the wrestling mask and presented this “Mini Mysterio” to Sébastien Ogier’s co-driver. To see what the XXL and XXS versions look like together, go to www.facebook.com/elmistermysterio
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
Rally Greece – resultsFriday,
31 May 2013km #7
Latvala/
Anttila#8
Ogier/
Ingrassia#9
Mikkelsen/
MarkkulaSS 01 Kineta–Pissia 47.70 P03
(+ 36.3s)Retired P05
(+ 54.4s)SS 02 Kineta 26.05 P02
(+ 2.8s)P07
(+ 20.2s)Overall classification P03
(+ 39.1s)P05
(+ 1m 14.6s)Saturday,
01 June 2013km #7
Latvala/
Anttila#8
Ogier/
Ingrassia#9
Mikkelsen/
MarkkulaSS 03 Klenia Mycenae 1 17.41 P01 P08
(+ 22.3s)P06
(+ 17.7s)SS 04 Ghymno 1 17.61 P01 P04
(+ 19.3s)P07
(+ 30.6s)SS 05 Kefalari 1 18.40 P01 P03
(+ 9.3s)P08
(+ 41.3s)SS 06 Ziria 1 21.36 P02
(+ 0.1s)P04
(+ 10.8s)P09
(+ 40.7s)SS 07 Klenia Mycenae 2 17.41 P01 P02
(+ 3.7s)P03
(+ 4.5s)SS 08 Ghymno 2 17.61 P02
(+ 4.6s)P03
(+ 15.0s)P05
(+ 19.0s)SS 09 Kefalari 2 18.40 P02
(+ 1.5s)P03
(+ 5.8s)P09
(+ 14.6s)SS 10 Ziria 2 21.36 P03
(+ 11.4s)P01 P10
(+ 35.5s)Overall classification P01 P10
(+ 10m 29.5s)P05
(+ 04m 11.8s)Sunday,
02 June 2013km #7
Latvala/
Anttila#8
Ogier/
Ingrassia#9
Mikkelsen/
MarkkulaSS 11 Pissia 1 11.47 P05
(+ 3.9s)P03
(+ 2.4s)P01 SS 12 Loutraki 1 30.14 P04
(+ 5.5s)P02
(+ 0.7s)P01 SS 13 Pissia 2 11.47 P05
(+ 5.7s)P06
(+ 6.0s)P01 SS 14 Loutraki 2 30.14 P04
(+ 13.2s)P01 P03
(+ 11.6s)Overall classification P01 P10
(+ 10m 10.3s)P04
(+ 03m 55.1s)
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
Rally Greece – final result1 Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen 4h 31m 01.2s 2 Daniel Sordo/Carlos Del Barrio (E/E), Citroën + 1m 50.0s 3 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Ford + 2m 14.1s 4 Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN), Volkswagen + 3m 55.1s 5 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Giovanni Bernacchini (Q/I), Ford + 4m 12.6s 6 Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S), Ford + 5m 48.7s 7 Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Citroën + 8m 00.7s 8 Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst (CZ/CZ). Ford + 8m 01.2s 9 Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor (RUS/A), Ford + 8m 11.1s 10 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen + 10m 10.3s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
Rally Greece – results powerstage1 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 20m 38.5s 2 Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor (RUS/A), Ford + 9.9s 3 Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN), Volkswagen + 11.6s
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), standings
Drivers’ classificationPoints 1 Sébastien Ogier 126 2 Jari-Matti Latvala 74 3 Sébastien Loeb 68 4 Mikko Hirvonen 61 5 Thierry Neuville 50 6 Dani Sordo 47 7 Mads Østberg 46 8 Evgeny Novikov 31 9 Nasser Al-Attiyah 30 10 Martin Prokop 27 11 Andreas Mikkelsen 25 Manufacturers’ classification Points 1 Volkswagen Motorsport 180 2 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 162 3 Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team 83 4 Qatar World Rally Team 71 5 Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team 29 Jipocar Czech National Team 29 7 Volkswagen Motorsport II 26 8 Lotos WRC Team 12