INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Matti Latvala-Anttila of Volkswagen take the lead

    1 June 2013: Jari-Matti Latvala of Volkswagen heads the leaderboard of the Acropolis Rally after 10 of the 14 stages in this, the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Finn has stayed out of trouble throughout the day to pull out more than a minute advantage with just Sunday’s stages to run. Dani Sordo remains second and Thierry Neuville has climbed one position up the leaderboard to hold the final provisional podium position.
    Today’s route was the longest of one of the toughest events in the calendar and, like yesterday, the rough rock-strewn stages have taken their toll. In total, the route took in two identical loops of four stages covering 149.56 competitive kilometres. Yesterday’s sensation, Evgeny Novikov, maintained his overnight advantage through the opening stage, setting equal fastest time with Latvala. However, in the following stage the Russian hit a stone and broke a wheel, losing him over four minutes as he was forced to stop and change it. As a consequence, he dropped from first to eighth, handing the lead to stage winner Latvala. The Finn then won the following stage, gradually increasing his advantage over Sordo. He and third-placed Neuville have largely run without problems and while each has a reasonable advantage over the other, they remain well ahead of the chasing pack.
    Nasser Al-Attiyah has moved from sixth to fourth this evening and has been in the thick of a battle with Andreas Mikkelsen, although the Norwegian has been hampered by brake problems and a puncture in the final stage. Martin Prokop fought hard to maintain position ahead of Mads Østberg, whose bad luck continues. Suspension damage, steering problems and a puncture have all slowed his charge but he has nevertheless moved ahead of Prokop and from ninth to sixth this evening. Mikko Hirvonen has been lucky to escape with just a puncture and broken wheel today and Evgeny Novikov’s problems continued during the day; a broken brake disc, damaged suspension and a spin have all conspired to keep him in ninth position this evening. FIA World Rally Championship leader Sébastien Ogier started the day in 23rd position, having been forced onto the side-lines with fuel pressure problems yesterday, and has climbed into 10th overall. Eleventh is held by Formula One star Robert Kubica, the Pole also leading the FIA WRC 2 Championship category by more than two minutes.
    Acropolis Rally – Unofficial Results after Day 2
    1.   Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila
    2.   Dani Sordo/Carlos Del Barrio
    3.   Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul
    4.   Nasser Al-Attiyah/Giovanni Bernacchini
    5.   Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula
    6.   Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson
    7.   Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst
    8.   Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen
    9.   Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor
    10. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    2 hr 32 min 42.8sec
    2 hr 33 min 46.9sec
    2 hr 34 min 25.9sec
    2 hr 36 min 28.9sec
    2 hr 36 min 54.6sec
    2 hr 38 min 09.1sec
    2 hr 38 min 33.1sec
    2 hr 40 min 35.0sec
    2 hr 40 min 58.9sec
    2 hr 43 min 12.3sec

     

  • FIA statement

    The FIA  has asked Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 and Scuderia Ferrari Team which have taken part in tyre tests in the 2013 season to reply to a disciplinary inquiry in pursuance of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules.
    This follows the Stewards’ Report from the Monaco Grand Prix and represents supplementary information required by the FIA in the light of the replies received from Pirelli, who were asked for clarifications on Tuesday May 28th.Pirelli tyres2013

  • Monaco is a distant memory; I’m ready for Canada: Kimi

    After a frustrating Monaco Grand Prix where his gap to the Drivers’ Championship lead increased from four 
    to 21 points, Kimi heads to Montréal focused on getting right back in the fight.

    Excerpts from an Interview:
    What are your feelings after Monaco?
    We had a bad result on Sunday in Monaco; that was clear for anyone to see. It could have been even
    worse, but it could have been much better as well. We came out with one point so at least we got
    something back after losing the solid fifth place, but that’s not much consolation. The car felt good for
    qualifying and the race which is a positive as it was another circuit – and a difficult circuit – where we’ve
    been able to have the car pretty much as we wanted. We still lack just a little bit of speed in qualifying
    sometimes, but our race pace was good again; not that you can show that when you’re stuck behind slower
    cars like we saw in Monaco. We don’t know how the car will be in Montréal – we will have the answer to
    that question soon – but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be competitive again.

    It was quite some fightback you made at the end of the race…
    Well, that was a bit different as I had fresh tyres and we should never have been in that position in the first
    place, but it was good to at least get a point at the end. In a way, it almost makes it more frustrating as
    when we had the clean air after the pit stop it was probably the first time you saw how quick our car really
    was.

    You were pretty frustrated after the race?
    No-one wants to lose so many points thanks to the actions of another driver, but that race is over; Monaco
    is just a distant memory and I’m all ready for Canada.

    What’s your opinion of Canada?
    I have won there which was pretty good, but I have experienced some setbacks there as well. Many times
    the race has been quite a lottery as there seem to be different things which affect it. The weather can
    change a lot, sometimes the tyres or the track aren’t working very well, sometimes there are a lot of safety
    cars, or sometimes another driver runs into the back of you when you’re waiting at a red light. As for the
    place itself, I’ve always liked Montréal. It is one of the nicest cities we visit all year.

    What do you need for a good result in Canada?
    A good car. Like at every circuit you need to get the set-up exactly right. You need a well-balanced chassis
    in the medium downforce configuration and you don’t want to be too hard on brakes as there’s a lot of
    aggressive braking there. It’s something I quite enjoy, the stop and go style of the circuit.

    Is Montréal another circuit where qualifying is crucial?
    Qualifying is important at every circuit, but not as essential as it was in Monaco to get a good result. It’s not
    easy to get past, but there are one or two places to overtake.

    What are your thoughts on the Championship after losing ground to Sebastian Vettel?
    For sure we lost ground on the lead in Monaco, but it’s not over yet. It’s still early in the season and twentyone points behind is not too much to catch up; especially if Sebastian has a bad weekend too at some
    point. The most important thing is that we return to our race level before Monaco to get things going our
    way as soon as possible.

    ends

  • Pirelli makes its argument

    Milan, 31 May 2013: Formula One Tyre supplier Pirelli addressed a Press Conference here at 1pm with facility for journalists to attend through conference calls and made a sincere effort to clear the doubts about the testing it did with Mercedes AMG Petronas before the Monaco Grand Prix.

    The Tyre major said in a Press Release later in the evening: “Pirelli, in development testing with teams carried out in 2013, has not favoured any teams and, as always, acted professionally, with transparency and in absolute good faith. The tyres used were not from the current championship but belonged to a range of products still being developed in view of an eventual renewal of the supply contract. Further, none of the tests were carried for the purpose of enhancing specific cars, but only to test tyre solutions for future championships. The use of the car utilized by Mercedes, in particular, was the result of direct communication between FIA and the team itself. Pirelli did not ask in any way that a 2013 car be used: not of Mercedes nor Fia nor the teams which, during the year, were offered the opportunity of participating in tests for the development of tyres for 2014. The tyres that will be tested by the teams in the free practice at the Montreal Grand Prix have never been used by the teams before.  With regard to the new tyres, the problem of delamination has been solved by Pirelli’s technicians exclusively through laboratory testing. Delamination, which only occurred on four occasions and always because of on-track detritus, has never put the drivers’ safety at risk, but does risk harming Pirelli’s image. This is why the company decided to intervene.  

    The release further said: “With regard to the rules which govern its conduct, the company has always respected the contractual limits which bind it to the FIA, teams and championship’s organizers, and has always respected the principles of sporting loyalty.”

    Pirelli, however, feels the need to reaffirm the indisputable need to carry out tests for the development of tyres which are adequate and regulated by rules which are clear and shared by all the interested parties. The company confirms its availability, as communicated to the teams many times in the past, to organize tests for the development of tyres for 2014 with all the teams in the championship.

    PIRELLI’S ANSWERS TO FIA

    With regard to requests for information received from FIA, Pirelli promptly provided the answers needed to clarify what happened at the tests, as far as its own responsibilities went, it adds.

     DEVELOPMENT TESTS FOR 2014 TYRES WERE OFFERED TO ALL:  NO FAVOURTISM

    Pirelli said: The tests were conducted in observance of the contract between Pirelli and FIA, which gives the supplier the possibility of carrying out tests for the development of tyres with each team of up to 1,000 kilometres, without specifying the type of car to be used, nor sanctioning the simultaneous presence of all the teams for the running of the tests. In this regard, Pirelli has since 2010 made it clear that it is neither possible nor useful to carry out this type of test with all the teams simultaneously.  In fact, this type of testing aimed at technological development and researching new solutions, involves many tyres of different types which must be tested with a single car at a time. Testing for championship specifications is different, as occurs in winter testing which require the participation of all the teams, so as to find the most satisfying solutions for all the cars in the competition. For this reason, Pirelli insists on the need for winter testing under conditions which are truly representative of the situations which will be met during the championship.

    Already in March 2012, Pirelli sent an email to all the teams, Fia and Fom, inviting the teams to indicate their availability for testing for the development of tyres for 2013. Further, the company explained that it was necessary to conduct the tests with the teams’ cars because it did not have a suitable one of its own (Pirelli has the use of an adapted 2010 Renault and, before that, a 2009 Toyota).

    The invitation was subsequently repeated in various official contexts and repeated to some teams last March for the development of tyres for 2014.

    For development of 2014 tyres:

    The company said: This test, as always, carried out with a single compound never used in a championship, regarded structures not in use in the current season and not destined to be used later during the 2013 season. The tyre tests were conducted “in the dark”, which means that the teams had no information on which specifications were being tested or about the goal of the testing; nor did they receive any type of information afterwards.

    Further, the tests did not regard delamination in any way, as that problem was dealt with and resolved by Pirelli’s technicians through laboratory tests, with the support of data gathered during the first races of the season.

    Pirelli always asked for representative cars, that is, with performances comparable to those of the cars being used in the championship underway, without ever referring to those effectively used in the 2013 races.

    The release further continued:

    The Barcelona test was conducted in cooperation with Mercedes between May 15 and May 17, 2013. The teams made available one car and two first tier drivers, who alternated at the wheel on different days.

    The trials were done with a base compound, not in use this year, and 12 different structures which had never been used in 2013, only one of which with kevlar.

    The team did not obtain any advantage with regard to knowledge of the behaviour of the tyres in use in the current championship.

    The type of car used during the tests was the subject of direct discussions between Mercedes and FIA, as shown in the exchange of emails between the team and Pirelli. In particular, Mercedes informed Pirelli that its 2011 car could not be used and that it had already contacted Fia regarding the use of the 2013 car. There is no doubt that the questions relating to the vehicle were the exclusive domain of the team and that Pirelli was excluded from these questions (notwithstanding Pirelli’s need, from a technical point of view, to have a representative car in terms of impact on the performance of the tyres).

    To confirm that this was an ordinary development test and not aimed at specific interventions, Pirelli made no specific requests about the drivers or about the tye of Mercedes staff that would be present during the tests and had fielded its normal team for development testing.

    EXPERIMENTAL TYRES FOR THE CANADA GP NEVER USED BEFORE

    The tyres with the new structures in kevlar which will be given to the teams during the free practice at the Montreal Grand Prix will for the first time be track tested, following laboratory development. The new tyres have overcome the problem of delamination. This phenomenon in no manner compromises the drivers’ safety but risks damaging the company’s image. At the Canada tests, the teams will have the opportunity to express their opinions and make observations.

    NO CHANGE TO THE “DURATION” OF THE TYRES

    Pirelli, ready as it is to make changes at any moment, has made no modifications that effect the duration of the tyres and, consequently, on the number of pit stops during the race because of a lack of unanimity of the part of the teams.

    ends

  • Sir Moss, Hamilton attend F1 event at Silverstone

    Silverstone, 31 May 2013: Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Lewis Hamilton accepted an invitation to visit Silverstone on Friday 31st May. The two British Grand Prix winners were accompanied by a MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One car and a stunning Mercedes-Benz W 196.

    It is the very car that won Grands Prix in Germany and Switzerland at the hands of five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio in 1954, and the same model raced by Sir Stirling Moss at the British Grand Prix in 1955 – his first ever F1 World Championship victory, a Mercedes AMG Petronas release said.

     

    ends

    Sir Moss with Hamilton at Silverstone for an F1 event. A Mercedes AMG Petronas photo
    Sir Moss with Hamilton at Silverstone for an F1 event. A Mercedes AMG Petronas photo

  • Ogier fastest in qualifying

    Excellent starting position for Volkswagen at the Rally Greece: Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) set the fastest time in qualifying for the “Acropolis” to earn first choice of starting position. Their team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) were just behind in sixth and ninth in the remaining two Polo R WRCs. Sébastien Ogier opted to start the opening leg of the Rally Greece eleventh, making him the last of the drivers in the top WRC category. Jari-Matti Latvala will be the fourth man out onto the route, right behind Andreas Mikkelsen, who starts third.

    Note to editors: the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) starts with the opening two special stageson Friday evening. Volkswagen will provide further information and quotes from day one of the Rally Greece immediately after the “Kineta” night stage (start: 21:26 hrs local time).

    Quotes after qualifying for the Rally Greece    
    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
    “Ninth is obviously not the result we were after. Unfortunately this means we will have to start very near the front of the field this evening, and will basically be sweeping the route clean for the cars after us. The qualifying stage was very sandy and soft, and deep ruts formed. I had problems steering and sticking to the ideal racing line in these ruts. That was my first time in the Polo R WRC on such soft ground, and we will have to reconsider the set-up of my car before the start.”

    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
    “A good qualifying for us. We saw during the Recce just how important qualifying could be this time over the course of the rally. There is a lot of loose gravel on the special stages. As such, it is enormously important to have a clean line, particularly as the field only includes eleven World Rally Cars this time. I took a few more risks than usual and gave everything to ensure I was able to select the final starting position, and it paid off.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “Qualifying went well for us. A lot of dust found its way into the cockpit, which made it hard to see. At one point I veered off the line. Apart from that, it was a clean run. As such, sixth place is a good result for us. The Rally Greece is definitely the biggest challenge we will face this season. We are ready. I am particularly looking forward to this evening’s night stage, which is something very special. Over the course of the entire rally it will be important to find the fight balance between saving material and attacking. Our minimum goal is, obviously, to reach the finish here in Loutraki on Sunday.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “We have made a successful start to the Rally Greece. Sébastien Ogier opened up with a perfect run and has chosen to start last. We face a big challenge for man and machine here at the ‘Acropolis Rally’. The starting order is extremely important. Compliments also to Andreas Mikkelsen, who is improving bit by bit. Sixth place is a fantastic result for him. With the team’s interests in mind and an eye on the Manufacturers’ Championship, he selected a poor start position in front of Jari-Matti Latvala, in order to allow his team-mate a better starting position. Jari-Matti Latvala was not particularly happy with the set-up today. Despite this, we are happy with the team result.”

    And then there was …
    … one section of the Rally Greece, which the competitors tackle four times on three different routes. On Friday, the World Rally Cars tackled the gravel route to the east of the rally base in Loutraki, between Platavos and Polita, as part of the first and the longest special stage of the “Acropolis”, the “Kineta-Pissia”. The evening’s shorter “Kineta” variant and Sunday’s “Loutraki”, which forms the twelfth and 14th stages, also take the drivers along the same stretch.

    ends

  • Pirelli to test new P Zero range during Canadian FP

    Milan, 29 May 2013: The Formula One teams will have an opportunity to test the new range of Pirelli P Zero tyres during free practice at the Canadian Grand Prix, while the tyres used for the actual race will remain in their original 2013 specification.

    In order to provide some testing time before any new range of tyres is introduced, the P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft for Canada will be in exactly the same specification as that which the teams started the season, with no adjustments, a Pirelli release said.

    This new tyre will be brought to Canada as an experimental tyre for free practice, as allowed by the current regulations. Each driver will receive two sets of this new medium compound for use during Friday’s two sessions only.

    Following feedback from the teams and drivers, the new specification of tyre is then set to be introduced from the British Grand Prix at the end of June, and will remain in place until the end of the year.

    The aim of introducing the new tyre is to prevent any instances of the tread detaching itself from the structure. However, the performance and wear characteristics of the new tyre will not be significantly different, with the aim of keeping up the spectacle and retaining a strategic element to all the races.

    ends

    A Pirelli file photo of the current range of tyres.
    A Pirelli file photo of the current range of tyres.

  • Mike to replace Alex as Williams’ CEO

    Grove (UK). 29 May 2013: Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC (Ticker: WGF1) has announced that Mike O’Driscoll will become Group CEO with effect from Wednesday May 20, 2013.

    O’Driscoll, formerly Managing Director of Jaguar Cars (2007 – 2011) and ex-President of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover in North America (2001 – 2007), has been appointed Group CEO to guide the long term future of Williams. The newly created role will see the Williams F1 Team and Williams Advanced Engineering united under one management structure and will enable Mike to provide support to Sir Frank Williams, founder and Team Principal and to work in partnership with Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, a press release said.

    Mike will lead the Executive Committee who will report to him and in turn he will report to Sir Frank Williams and the Williams Grand Prix Holdings board.

    Alex Burns, previously Chief Executive Officer of Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC, will leave the company with immediate effect. Williams thanks him for the significant contribution he has made to the business and wishes him well in his future endeavours.

    Sir Frank Williams said: “Mike has been a valued member of our Board since 2011 as a Non-Executive Director and I am delighted that his day to day involvement in the company is to significantly increase. This new role strengthens the company and will help us achieve our goals both on the race track and in diversification. Mike brings with him significant skills and a wealth of experience. Working with Claire, I am in no doubt that the future of Williams is in safe hands.”

    Claire Williams said: “Today’s announcement is not only great news for the company, but is further evidence of the execution of our long term strategy for business success. Mike brings with him a unique mix of skills and capabilities and he is a passionate motorsport enthusiast with significant automotive industry experience. I have every confidence that he can drive the business forward to deliver an improved performance for both the Williams F1 Team and Williams Advanced Engineering.”

    Mike O’Driscoll, Williams Group CEO, said: “I am honoured that the Board has entrusted me with the position of Group CEO. I have been proud to serve as a Non-Executive Director since 2011 and in my new role, I am very much looking forward to helping Sir Frank and Claire achieve the ambitious goals we have set ourselves.”

  • Raj Bharath wins at Shanghai Circuit: Formula Masters

    ·         Posts first win of the season under mixed conditions.

    ·         Rounds off the weekend with a solid haul of points with a fourth place in race one, second place in race two and finally a win in race three.Shanghai (China), 26 May 2013

    Podium photo from an earlier race when Raj finished second.
    Podium photo from an earlier race when Raj finished second.

    : After getting on the podium with a second place yesterday, Indian youngster Raj Bharath went one better and posted his first win of the 2013 Formula Masters championship in the final race at Shanghai International Circuit here today.

    Backed by Bangalore-based real estate developer Embassy Group and driving for Meco Motorsport, Raj had started fifth on the grid with an inspired strategy in mixed weather conditions which paid off. Afiq Yazid and Akash Nandy finished second and third respectively.

    In the minutes leading up to the race, there was a faint drizzle but the entire field with exception of Raj decided to stay on slick tyres as the rain was expected to ease off in a couple of laps.

    However, the team decided to put Raj on wet tyres, hoping that Raj’s pace advantage in the opening laps would help him get in the lead and build up a big gap by the time the rain eased off and drivers on slicks would be quicker once again.

    The start didn’t turn out as planned though, since the race direction decided to go for a safety car start at the last minute – something which Raj wasn’t aware of as he didn’t have a radio in the car.

    “I was thinking it was the formation lap when I suddenly saw everyone take off at the penultimate corner. Only after I came into the final corner that I realised it was a rolling start but I had already lost a place by then”, said Raj.

    Having gone backwards already, Raj began to charge hard trying to get back in the pack and was passing cars by the end of the first lap.

    Three laps later, he was firmly in the lead and pushing further to build up a gap before the rain subsided, which happened soon after and the track dried up quickly, rendering his wet tyres gripless.

    “The wet tyres wear out pretty quickly on a dry track as their tread is meant to displace water, so all of a sudden I had no grip but only oversteer and understeer”, chuckledRaj.

    Lady luck seemed to be in his favour though, as another faint drizzle came down two laps from the finish, cooling the tyres and disrupting the rhythm of his opponents behind as they had to be cautious on slicks.

    “That shower gave me some much needed some room to breathe and we were only two laps from the finish, but I knew it was going to be tight”, he added.

    The track dried out soon once again and his opponents began to gain hand over fist on Raj and the Indian’s advantage began to erode at a rapid rate.

    Raj had to defend heavily on the final lap as his opponents were significantly quicker as their slick tyres offered far better grip than Raj’s worn out wet weather tyres.

    “I could see two cars filling up my mirrors, but I kept focussed and made sure that I didn’t make any mistakes, as that would’ve put paid to all the hard work till then.

    In the end, Raj crossed the line 1.1 seconds ahead of second placed Afiq Yazid and 1.2 seconds ahead of third placed Akash Nandy.

    Surmising his thoughts for the weekend, Raj said, “I got my first win here in Shanghai last year so we were hoping to repeat that coming into this weekend.

    “But understanding the new tyres and engine package took a little more time than expected, but I am happy we finally sealed that elusive win and scored a solid haul of points which helps the championship.

    “I’ve been in China for almost a month so now I’m just looking forward to get back home and come back for round three at Ordos in another month’s time”, he concluded.

    ABOUT RAJ BHARATH:

    Born November 20, 1994 in Bangalore, Raj took his first steps in motorsport with karting in 2008 – like all aspiring F1 drivers. Then aged 14, he immediately showed glimpses of his potential in his debut year, winning the trophy for the ‘Most promising rookie of the year’ in the National Karting championship.

    He eventually won the title in 2010 and progressed to Formula BMW Asia in 2011 followed by the Ferrari Academy supported Formula Pilota in 2012.

    For 2013, Raj aims to participate in the Formula Masters China and win the championship before moving to Europe in 2014, and getting closer to his aim of making it to Formula 1.

    Career highlights:

    2008       Most promising rookie in the JK Rotax Karting championship.
    2009       Second runner-up in JK Rotax Max Karting championship.
    2010       Rotax Max Karting NATIONAL CHAMPION.
    2011       Debut in Formula BMW Asia Pacific – five top ten finishes.
    2012       Formula Pilota China – 10 podium finishes and three wins.

    Formula Masters China car specifications

    Chassis: Tatuus FA010, FIA F3 homologated
    Engine:     Volkswagen Formula EVO 2.0
    Gearbox: Six-speed sequential with LSD
    Power:     180 PS
    Torque:     200Nm
    Suspension: Double-wishbone with pushrod activation
    Brakes:     Four-pot Dixcel calipers
    Tyres:     Front – 180/550 R13
    Rear – 240/570 R13
    Weight:     540kg with driver

    Formula Masters China calendar

    Zhuhai (China)                  10-12 May
    Shanghai (China)                 24-26 May
    Ordos (China)                        28-30 June
    Inje (Korea)                            2-4 August
    Sepang (Malaysia)              13-15 Sep
    Shanghai (China)                 25-27 Oct
    Macau Grand Prix                 8-10 Nov

  • To win at home is very special: Rosberg

    DRIVERS

     1 – Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

    2 – Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)

    3 – Mark WEBBER (Red Bull Racing)

    TV UNILATERAL

    Q: Nico, you controlled the race from pole position but you had to deal with two safety cars, a red flag, a lot of mental resets no doubt, but describe your feelings right now, you’re a Monaco Grand Prix winner?

    Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, amazing! This is my home, I’ve grown up here lived all my life here, I’ve gone to school here. So now to win at home is very special; a very special day for me. The whole weekend really went perfectly, qualifying [everything]. The start was very close. I had a terrible start! I was close to Sebastian and then with Lewis also, but then that worked out well. After that I could control the pace. The car was really good, the tyres held on ok, so that was really the key to the victory. So massive thanks to the team for having improved from Barcelona and I’m just ecstatic

    Q: Sebastian, podium for you today, I guess you must be delighted that you’ve extended your championship lead?

    Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, I think overall I’m very happy and pleased with the result. We know that it’s very difficult to overtake here. I think first of all congratulations to Nico, he did a very good job, a very controlled race. I think he had the pace and the tyres to respond whenever we tried to get a little bit closer, yeah. The start of the race… fantastic start but no room. I think I could have gone past both Mercedes but didn’t have the room, had to lift. Then Mark came and it was tight into the first corner. And after that I was a bit surprised by the slow pace in the opening laps. Usually you expect two silver arrows in front of you and there were two buses today going for a cruise – at least in the first couple of laps. But obviously the strategy was clear and they did a very good job. We were lucky on the strategy point of view. The team did a fantastic job to get past Lewis, so yeah. After that, with the restart: pretty difficult. Warm-up was very, very tricky. I saw Lewis was all over Mark behind me, so I think we can happy with the result. Great achievement from the team again. We seem to like this place the last couple of years so very happy. Congratulations, thank you, thanks to our partners as well. Thanks to Infinity, they are pushing an awful lot in the last couple of months to help us and I think it goes without saying, thanks to Renault as well, two cars out of three on the podium again powered by Renault – in ‘Little France’ in a way, so it’s sort of a home grand prix for them so congratulations as well.  Overall, as I said, pretty happy.

    Q: Mark, fourth in the opening stint but obviously the safety car at the first stop gave you and the team the opportunity to jump ahead of Hamilton. Important moment for you?

    Mark WEBBER: Yes. First of all, congratulations to Nico. It’s a very special place to win at so, yeah, he had a seamless weekend and that’s what you need to do here. It’s never easy when you’re leading, you still have to pull it off. So, well done to Nico and Mercedes. For us, we knew it was a little against us starting on the second row but got an absolutely incredible start – and sod’s law it’s the shortest run to the first corner so, I think Seb and I had nowhere to go really so we were lifting. It’s looking like Nico and Lewis had pretty tricky ones, so we’ll try to save some of those starts for future reference. And then after that it was just basically saving tyres and making the one-stop work. It was completely predictable that if the race was going to stack up then the two-stop was not really an option to come back into traffic. So we had to go very long, all the drivers were nursing the cars very aggressively and as you say, it was nice to get Lewis. Obviously it’s never nice to lose positions around the stop so I’m sure he’s not too pleased with it but in the end we’ll take that position. It was difficult to get the restarts going on the primes but in general just really driving around, saving the tyres and waiting for the chequered flag.

    Q: Nico, first son of a former Monaco Grand Prix winner to repeat the feat. Congratulations. 30 years on from your father Keke’s victory here at Monaco. Did that add a certain extra-special something to this win today.

    NR: It is special to hear that, yes but honestly that’s not what I was thinking about when I was crossing the finishing line, definitely not. Just extremely happy to win this race. Also, we’ve had again such a difficult time behind us. In the last couple of races pole position and dropping back so much. There was always that a little bit in the back of my mind today in the race: ‘I hope that it’s going to last and I’ll be able to pull it off today and not drop back again.’ Because it’s not nice when you’re starting in front and dropping back. And then today the team gave me a great car. It’s really fantastic to see how they’ve been able to improve in such a short space of time. Little improvement here and there but on this track – this track suited us anyway – and so it was enough to make it happen.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: Nico, what was it like to be in control of a race but then have to mentally reset each time? There was nothing straightforward about the way that race unfolded for you today.

    NR: No, definitely not. It wasn’t very nice y’know? Because I was in a great rhythm on those prime tyres, trying to nurse them towards the end and then all of a sudden a race stoppage. It’s never nice to get out of that rhythm y’know? Because especially around Monaco it’s so easy to have a quick concentration error and then you’re in the tyre barrier and it’s the end of the race. So, it was really important today to remain concentrated and that didn’t make it easy, all those safety cars and the red flag and everything – but fortunately in the end it all worked out.

    Q: Did you think at any point about the school runs you used to do down these roads and the fact that you were actually going to be winning a race on the roads you used to go to school on?

    NR: No! There was a lot of thoughts going through my mind, definitely, but not about the roads to school. Various things. Even, to be honest, winning Monaco in a silver arrow. I was thinking about that and that’s very special to me.

    Q: Sebastian, you hinted in your answer in the unilateral that the Mercedes were slower in the opening stint than you expected them to be. You said it was fair play to them but you could tell they were driving to a tactic today.

    SV: Yes, definitely. I think we could see that the field didn’t spread out, so as I said, they did what worked best for them. Obviously Lewis lost a couple of positions with the safety car – I’m sure he’s not too pleased about that – but we took that, no question. Yeah, I think it was very marginal on one stop. I think the red flag helped all of us to put a fresh set of tyres on to save that ten, eleven laps, total race distance. It was clear what they were doing a couple of laps after the start. They were going quite slow and trying to obviously make the one stop happen. And fair play, they were in the lead, around here it’s very tricky to pass. Every time I tried to get a little bit closer with Lewis… in the beginning with Lewis it was quite close, yeah they reacted, they had the pace, so they could afford to go slow and then if they had to, they had the pace to pick it up again. In that regard, not the most exciting race because you just wait for the chequered flag. It’s still a lot of laps, looking after the tyres wasn’t straightforward for us today – so overall, happy with the result we got.

    Q: Obviously when the safety car came out that caught Lewis out, the Mercedes had just completed a lap. Where exactly were you when you got the message to come into the pits.

    SV: The safety car wasn’t out yet. Obviously it was a very, very good call from the team. Initially we wanted to pit a lap earlier but then we aborted that. Obviously there was a yellow and in the end I think we were just a little bit lucky. So we decided to pit and when I changed tyres and went back out, at the same moment the safety car came – which probably helped us a little bit. I don’t know if Lewis had a problem with the stop or if it was just down to the fact that the safety car came at the wrong time for him. But, yeah, it was nice. At some stage I was hoping that it might be enough to get Nico as well but he obviously was in the lead by quite a bit at that time, before we came in.

    Q: Mark, there were quite a lot of incidents today, obviously a couple of safety cars, red flags. Some drivers were making passes today but did it feel very touch-and-go, very marginal out there to you?

    MW: To make moves? Yeah, I think so. Especially when you’re with the guys I was with today, very experienced and they know what they need to do and where to put the car so, unless you had a big discrepancy in tyre performance, like I did after my pitstop – I had to clear Nico Hülkenberg pretty quick and try to make that undercut work a little bit – but in general after that, as the guys have touched upon, it was measured, controlled aggression, if you like, trying to nurse the tyres as best you can. It became very, very obvious early in the grand prix that the tyres were going pretty well. Obviously the pace wasn’t electric and, fair enough, that’s how… you can do that if you’re at the front of the race, as I did last year, so you can do that. And when the options were starting to go that far – the supersoft – the one-stop started to become viable for everybody and that’s why it probably wasn’t a super-exciting race today for the fans. But even if it was two-stops, it would probably have just been a bit more action around the pitstops and obviously not much on circuit because that’s the sort of track it is.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Ralf Bach –  Der Spiegel) Nico, the two secret test days that you had in Barcelona. How helpful were those days for you?

    NR: That you have to ask, you have to ask Pirelli about all this, about this issue. I’m not going to comment. I’m not going to comment on that. You have to ask Pirelli.

    Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Nico, we often hear drivers say that the most exciting race to win other than their home Grand Prix is Monaco. Obviously this is both for you. Could you please give us a bit of a sense of the elation and euphoria you must be feeling? What was it like doing that slowing down lap?

    NR: Unbelievable. If there’s maybe a childhood dream… when I was quite young, watching the race, always. First memories were of Ayrton Senna with his yellow helmet, red and white winning, a childhood dream to one day win the Grand Prix of Monaco, because it is my home and that’s the most special race for me to win, so the feeling was just incredible, it was unreal. That’s what’s so special about the sport:   these emotions that you then get and that makes up for all the difficult moments that have gone before, those great moments of joy and winning. Amazing.

    Q: (Vincent Marre – Sport Zeitung) Nico, now that everything is going well, I would like to rate the percentage of your chances of winning the title?

    NR: I haven’t thought about that at all yet, because just two weeks we ago were seventy seconds away in the race and even today, tyre degradation was still an issue. I think we were in a better position, much better definitely, but it’s also a different track, very different track, different circumstances. I had the possibility of taking it easy and dictating the pace initially to save tyres, so we shouldn’t get over-excited now, for the next couple of races. We still have a bit of an issue with our race pace and that’s still what we need to work on, and also the development race. Everybody’s pushing forward, flat out, and we need to make sure to keep up with that as we have been doing at the moment, which is great to see, because that was one of our weaknesses last year, we dropped away mid-season. For now it’s going really well, so thanks to everybody back in the factory, doing a really cool job. But we have to wait and see. I’m definitely not thinking about the championship, I’m just thinking about today, winning Monaco.

    Q: (Jussi Jakala – YLE) Nico, do you think this was maybe the final seal to get rid of the status of being Keke’s son, so that you have achieved everything by your own skills now?

    NR: Don’t know, that’s for you to judge. I don’t think about that in that sense so you need to judge that for yourself. I can’t comment on that.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action/National Speedsport News) Mark, before the red flag, Lewis got right up alongside you at Rascasse. What happened, did he maybe catch you by surprise there?

    MW: No, I was probably just saving my tyres a bit too much and yeah, he was going for a little bit of a surge also, I think. They were probably a little bit more comfortable on the primes in certain performance areas of the circuit and also the car characteristics, so, yeah, he was a little bit more comfortable on that section of the track. I was also just… we knew we had a long way to go in the race and also I had four or five laps less on my tyres, because I did the undercut on these guys. I had to give him room. I think experience helps in those scenarios. I thought he might tap me… I could just see him in the mirror. I thought ‘mmm, he’s in there somewhere’ but I had to give him the room and then thank God we got round Rascasse together somehow. I think that was probably not that straightforward. Not possible for GP2 drivers but us boys managed to pull it off which we should be able to so it was a rewarding little battle.

    Q: (Bob McKenzie – Daily Express) Nico, referring back to that previous question about your father; have you at times, when you were younger or when you came into Formula One, did you feel any pressure from the fact that your father was so well known, being a World Champion, that sort of thing?

    NR: I’ve always felt very fortunate to have had my father… what he achieved and everything… to have his support and extra pressure? It’s a normality for me you know, having my father World Champion. I grew up with that, started racing like that, so it’s not something where I feel any extra pressure because for me that’s normal.

    Q: (Jacqueline Magnay – News LTD Australia) Mark, I’m just wondering whether you have an opinion on this secret tyre testing, whether it had any impact, and whether you think there was any advantage to Mercedes having done the testing?

    MW: That’s a fair question. I think we were probably a little bit surprised that it happened. I don’t think it probably had a huge bearing on today’s result. I think their car was always going to perform pretty well round here, to be fair, but yeah, you can’t unlearn what went on at the test obviously, so we need to see how the test  came about and whether it’s within the rules or not. I’m sure Mercedes thought it was OK, so that’s why they did it, so time will tell. But I don’t think it affected today’s result.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Nico, what was the most difficult thing for your victory today, getting the pole yesterday, starting after the safety car, or the last lap with the emotion?

    NR: Qualifying was difficult because of the conditions. The start was very difficult because I had a bad start. Those were the two keys. Once those two things were done, from then on it was OK. There were still some challenges with the safety car, because the tyres were very cold on those prime tyres, for example so there were other challenges but the main ones were qualifying and the start.

    Ends