INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Narain looking forward to `lucky’ Spa

    Madrid, 24 August 2012: It is one of the favourite circuits of Narain Karthikeyan, the ace  Indian F1 driver, who won at the historic circuit in his Formula 3 days as it proved `lucky’ for him

    File picture of Narain Karthikeyan's HRT car getting ready on the grid. A HRT photo

    . He is raring to go after a well-deserved break and time with family. However, the HRT team announced that Dani Clos, the test driver, will take the driver’s seat on Friday. Narain, though, is confident that he would do well in the second half of the season and is looking forward to help the team.

    After a two week rest, the Formula 1 World Championship returns and it does so at a legendary venue: Spa-Francorchamps. The summer break has helped the team to regain strength to face a very intense second part of the championship that gets underway on the first weekend of September in Belgium. Spa was inaugurated in 1921 and was originally 14.1 km long but, due to safety reasons, it has been reformed on various occasions and is currently 7.004 km long, making it the longest circuit in the championship.
    Dani Clos will take part in the first free practice session alongside Pedro de la Rosa, for the fifth time this season, replacing Narain Karthikeyan.
    Spa-Francorchamps is a very complete circuit which has a lot of ups and down, whilst also combining slow and fast corners, some of them being blind turns. The track is a real challenge for the drivers and their cars as, not only do they have to take on the challenge presented by corners such as Eau Rouge or La Source but they also have to cope with changing weather conditions.
    Pirelli has elected its hard and medium tyres for this Grand Prix.
    Pedro de la Rosa: “Spa is one of the drivers’ favourite tracks; it’s spectacular and difficult, not only because of the type of corners but also because of the weather, since one part of the track can be dry whilst another is wet, so you have to be able to adapt quickly. We’re going to use the same medium downforce that worked so well in Canada so we hope to perform well despite the large amount of high speed corners. We’ve all returned full of energy from the holidays and I personally arrive in my best physical condition of the season and really looking forward to taking on the second half of the championship”.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “Spa is a drivers’ track. I won here in my Formula 3 days so I have some nice memories and the atmosphere is always great. Even though a lot of run-off has been added over the years, it still has some of the most challenging corners on the calendar. And then there’s the classic Spa weather which nearly always plays a part in the final result. We’ll be using the same medium rear wing which worked well in Canada so we hope it goes well in Spa and aim to maintain our progress throughout the second part of the championship. We’re back after a much deserved break after an especially intense start to the season for us and we’re really looking forward to it”.
    Dani Clos: “Once again I have a chance to step into the car and work for the team and that fills me with satisfaction. Especially after having run in the events leading up to the summer break, for me it is really important to stay active and be able to continue growing alongside my teammates Pedro and Narain. Spa is a circuit where I have great memories. I won my first international one-seater race there, that’s something you never forget and it makes me have special feelings for this circuit. I’ve been able to rest these days, at least by not travelling, but I haven’t stopped training and I’ve stepped up the rhythm since last week to make it to Belgium in prime conditions to be able to give it my all”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “After the summer we head into the Belgian Grand Prix with a lot of hunger and desire. We’re starting the second part of the championship and we will try to continue in the same manner as the first part and improve. Spa is a circuit that the drivers really like because it is the longest in the championship and is made up of a combination of fast and slow corners, besides being located in a beautiful area. It is a medium downforce circuit and the temperatures aren’t extreme so we shouldn’t have any reliability issues. The weather is always unpredictable in Spa so we have to be ready to take on any situation”.
    ends

  • Karun qualifies 7th for JRM

    Qualifying session: 20 Minutes – 7th position

    Fastest lap:   1:46.758  (Karun Chandhok) +3.095secs

    Silverstone, 26 August 2012: Indian racing star Karun Chandhok and his JRM Racing enjoyed a solid qualifying session in preparation for the fourth round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Silverston

    Karun Chandhok in form, JRM qualifies 7th on 26 Aug 2012. Adrenna pic.

    e.

    Karun Chandhok qualified in seventh position, just half a second from fourth and the fastest privateer car, marking the strength and depth of the competition in this year’s series, and just how far JRM Racing has come since entering the championship at the start of this year. This came in spite of a gearbox issue in the earlier practice, which cost the team almost all the running in the morning, a press release from Adrenna Communications said.

    Karun started on Michelin intermediate tyres following a heavy rainstorm between practice and qualifying, completing four laps with a best time of 1:53.957. He then moved to the slick tyre for his flying laps. He completed six further laps on the dry tyres, improving to a 1:46.758 to put the #22 HPD ARX 03a into seventh overall. An even quicker time was on the cards, but traffic put paid to a further improvement.

    Karun Chandhok, who has enjoyed success at Silverstone in every series through the years, added, “Today we were even closer to the front of the field and there was only a hair’s breadth between ourselves, Strakka and Rebellion. This is a big step forward over the previous races where we have been a lot further back. We could have gone even faster – I did a 1:46.4 yesterday and I was up on my first two sectors, but traffic in the last corner cost me some time. Although qualifying for a six hour race isn’t the be-all and end-all, it would have been nice to show our true form. All the same we can be relatively satisfied with today, particularly given we missed the earlier session. It’s pretty hopeful for tomorrow.”

    Nigel Stepney, team manager and chief engineer, said, “We lost the hour this morning with a gearbox issue, which is when we had planned to do all our qualifying work. We then went back to our set up from FP1, but conditions were very different then so it was hard to get the most out of the car. But even so we can be relatively happy – we are on a similar pace to our rivals, which we haven’t been in previous races. It bodes well for the race and for the rest of the season. The forecast is for occasional showers – we’ll just deal with everything as it comes.”

    Team Principal James Rumsey, commented, “A very solid qualifying by Karun. We’ve looked genuinely competitive from the start of the event and although we would have liked the qualifying position to reflect this, it’s a mark of how far we’ve come since we entered endurance racing at the start of the year.”

    Race Weekend Schedule

    2012, August 24th – 26th

    Warm-up – Sun 26th August – 1:25pm IST

    Race – Sun 26th August – 4:30pm IST

    You can watch live streaming of the at www.fiawec.com starting 4:30PM on Sunday

    ends 

  • Karun back in action for JRM Racing

    Silverstone, 23 Aug 2012: Ten weeks after finishing its inaugural Le Mans 24 Hours in a superb sixth place overall and second in the privateers’ classification, Indian racing star Karun Chandhok’s JRM Racing takes on its next challenge this weekend, the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the fourth round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. JRM Racing is currently second in the World Endurance Championship LMP1 standings, only 24 points behind the current leaders, Rebellion Racing.

    It will be Karun’s first race in nearly two months after his historic 6th place in the legendary Le Mans 24hr race. Compared to the 24-hr race in Le Mans, this weekend’s race in Silverstone will be  a 6-hr race. Silverstone is not only home to the team JRM Racing, but is also Karun’s second home as he has done countless miles around the Northamptonshire circuit.

    Karun Chandhok, who became the first Indian to start and finish Le Mans this year, added, ‘I’m excited about this weekend. We had a good test in Aragon last week, made some good progress that we can put into practice at Silverstone. It’s our home race – as a team and all three drivers are based very close to the track – so we want to do well, and I think we have a good chance of succeeding. I have always enjoyed driving around the Silverstone circuit so feels good to be back here. We know that Audi and Toyota are in front but the competition around us is hard, so our goal is to be the best of the privateers. It’s not easy but the progress we’ve made since Le Mans gives us a lot of encouragement.’

    Team Principal James Rumsey, commented, ‘We are really excited about the event this weekend. While it is our home race and it would be amazing to do well here in front of our fans, families and friends, the event is our first race in the championship post Le Mans and the first race we go to fully prepared. ‘After winning the FIA GT1 Championship last year, we entered the WEC in the LMP1 category very late on and in just over a month, assembled a team and bought a Honda Performance Developments ARX-03a LMP1 car. Le Mans is where we started to hit our stride and the result showed how much ground we had covered. Now we’ve got that confidence we need to hit peak form at Silverstone. Clawing back the points from Rebellion and going to the overseas races of the championship closer to them has got to be the aim.’

    Team Manager and Chief Engineer Nigel Stepney, explained how the team will set out to achieve this objective, ‘Silverstone will be the first race we go to feeling confident in where we are, and able to consolidate form rather than lay foundations. The first part of the year was tough with the car assembled for the first time just hours before the start of Sebring and then a difficult race in Spa. Nobody gives you a book on how to do it – we had to learn how to work together on the LMP1 car and the drivers needed to gel. It all came together over Le Mans; the car had a new aero package, we understood the Michelin tyres a lot more and the drivers came together as a unit.

    ‘Last week we went to Aragon for a two day test, our first test since Le Mans and the first time we have had more than a day’s test with the car. This ironed out any remaining creases and got us back up to speed before this weekend. Of course the result in Le Mans was a boost to everyone’s confidence, but we feel equally confident in the progress we have made since then.’

    About JRM

    After winning the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship with Nissan, The British-based JRM Racing will partner with Honda Performance Developments to enter the brand new FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP1 class.  JRM Racing will enter a single LMP1 Honda Performance Development ARX-03a powered by a specially designed and tested 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine. The ARX-03a is currently hailed as the most competitive petrol Le Mans Prototype around.

    Race Weekend Schedule – ALL TIMES IN IST

    2012, August 24th – 26th

    Free practice 1 – Fri 24th August – 3:30pm IST

    Free practice 2 – Fri 24th August – 8:30pm IST

    Free practice 3 – Sat 25th August – 3:30pm IST

    Qualifying – Sat 25th August – 7:20pm IST

    Warm-up – Sun 26th August – 1:25pm IST

    Race – Sun 26th August – 4:30pm IST

     

    You can watch live streaming of the at www.fiawec.com starting 4:30PM on Sunday

    ends

    Karun Chandhok who is on Endurance Racing for JRM Racing is in action this week. Photo Adrenna

     

  • Sahara Force India looks to turn the tide in the 2nd half

    Francorchamps, 25 Aug 2012: Sahara Force India looks forward to Round 12 of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps. 
    Dr Vijay Mallya, the team Principal, reflects on the team’s performance in Budapest and sets his sights on a strong second half of the season beginning with the Belgium GP next Sunday.
    Dr Mallya, it seems like a long time since we we

    Sahara Force India cars. File picture by Sahara Force India F1 team

    re in Hungary, but what was your verdict on that race?
    When you look at how the race unfolded, you can see that we suffered with our qualifying performance. It’s very difficult to overtake in Hungary, so I guess we finished pretty much where we started. It was disappointing to miss out on points, but both cars came home ahead of Sauber, our main competitor. We need to spend some more time analysing what we can do better.

    How difficult is it to get everything right this season?
    Sitting on the pit wall and listening to the predictions and guesswork on tyres is unbelievable. The most unpredictable part of this season has been the tyres and with the high temperatures in Hungary it was always a debate – two stops or three stops. One thing I was pretty sure of was that nobody was going to try a one-stop.
    Do you know what to focus on for the rest of the year?
    It’s a complete package. It’s the car on the track, and whether it’s the set-up, whether it’s the downforce, whether it’s the tyres, at the end of the day the whole thing has to come together as a package. Fundamentally it’s a good car. We just need to put a few more points in our pocket, that’s what’s important.
    The team has often performed well at both Spa and Monza, but you’ve always said the car needs to be consistently fast at all types of track…
    Spa and Monza are among our favourite races and we’ve done well there in the past. We look forward to doing better in both of them, before the flyaway races start. But yes, the car has to be competitive on every track.
    What’s your realistic target for the second half of the season?
    We were sixth in the constructors’ championship last year and we had the objective this year of coming fifth. However, the improvement of Lotus has been exceptionally dramatic, so I think to target fifth is probably overreaching our capabilities for this year. We should at least target sixth, where we finished last year, and that means getting ahead of both Sauber and Williams.
    Paul on Spa
    Paul Di Resta looks forward to the second half of the season
     
    Paul, you’ve had five weeks to recharge your batteries over the summer break. Do you feel refreshed?
    I think the summer break was good for everybody. I spent the time at home, seeing friends, watching the Olympics and keeping up with my training. We’re only half way through the season and the next few months are probably the busiest of the year with lots of fly-away races so it was important to relax and come back fresh.
    So you’re ready to get the season back underway?
    Spa is a great place to begin the second part of the season. It’s one of the best tracks in the world and it always feels special to go back there. I never had the chance to race there a lot in my junior career so it’s nice to be able to go there and experience such an impressive range of corners in a Formula One car.
    What’s the target for the second half of the season?
    There’s still a long way to go in the championship and we need to get back to scoring regular points. Last year we ended the season strongly and we need to do the same this year. Williams are not too far ahead of us but Sauber have a big points advantage and it’s going to be a big task to overcome that. But we won’t give up; we’ll keep pushing and see what we can do. We definitely have the potential to get some big results before the end of the year.
    Nico on Spa
    Nico Hulkenberg looks back on his summer break and ahead to Spa.
    Nico, you’ve spent five weeks away from Formula One. What have you been up to?
    I spent a lot of time in Germany and at home, visiting family and friends who I don’t get to see very often, which was really nice. I also went to Majorca for a week – we Germans love it there!
     
    How important was it to recharge your batteries?
    It was nice to have a break and cool down a little, but to be honest it has been long enough now and I’m looking forward to getting back to the racing.
     
    With nine races to go, what are your hopes and expectations for the second half of the year?
    I hope that we can make another step forward and can consistently score good results. We are eighth in the championship right now and clearly we want to make a big effort to improve on that in the coming races.
    Looking ahead to Spa, tell us what it feels like to drive a Formula One car there…
    Spa is a great track. There’s just such a great flow to the circuit with some mighty corners that are incredible. It’s definitely one of the best places to drive a Formula One car to feel the performance through the high-speed corners. It is one of my favourite tracks.
    ends

  • Satish-Savera duo win; Chidu-Sujith clinch their class

    Bangalore, August 20 2012: The husband-wife duo of Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza from Bangalore took the overall and Pro-Expert class honours in the first round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally Championship 2012 – Rally of Bengaluru, promoted by Berunda Adventure Sports Club with JK Tyre as the title sponsor on Sunday.

    With a penalty time of just 52 seconds, Gopalkrishnan and D’Souza who were in a Maruti Grand Vitara, pipped KP Karthick Maruthi and Sankar Anand from Erode (Maruti Esteem) by 10 seconds. The Chandigarh pair of Jagmeet Gill and Yogesh Gupta – driving a Volkswagen Vento – came third, a further 15 seconds behind.

    Topping the Pro-Stock class was the Bangalore duo of Chidananda Murthy and BS Sujith Kumar in a brand new Tata Indica Vista with a penalty time of 3 minutes 15 seconds, followed by Ramprashath and C Sakthivel, also from Bangalore in a Honda City (3:32) with S Senthil Kumar and P Velusamy (Erode, Peugeot) finishing third in 4:45.

    The Novice class honours went to another Erode pair of B Manikandan and A Parthipan in a Mahindra Scorpio who were docked 6 minutes 29 seconds, as they finished ahead of their city-mates Baskaran G and P Ganesan (Maruti Esteem) while T Sujith and Shahid Salman from Bangalore in a Fiat Punto came in third.

    Kolkata’s Deepali Poddar and her navigator Ipsita Das seated in a Maruti Alto took the honours in the All-Ladies class with a penalty of 4 minutes 58 seconds.

    Gopalkrishnan, who along with Savera chalked up the fourth podium finish in five major TSD events this year, said, “Obviously, the two of us are very happy and our victory is due to a team effort as it involves understanding and co-ordination between driver and navigator. In addition, the competition was so close that anybody could win.”

    “It was quite challenging since promoters Berunda Adventure Sports Club had introduced some new concepts. It was a well-run event overall and we would like to thank the promoters and the FMSCI for organizing the championship,” the couple added.

    For the Murthy-Sujith combine, it was a victory to savour as they were armed with just a calculator and a note pad while dispensing with the popular trip meter. “It is good to win after a string of second place finishes. We trusted ourselves with a calculator and nothing else. That is why this win is so special,” said Sujith who is one of untry’s leading navigators with vast experience in two and four-wheeler rallying.

    The day-long event that began at the Golden Gate Properties in the morning covered 265km as the 54 vehicles traversed through picturesque areas in Magadi, Ramanagar, Bidadi, Kanakapura and Sarjapur regions before finishing at Love Shack, Inner Ring Road, Indiranagar, in the evening.

    Final classification

    Overall / Pro-Expert: Satish Gopalkrishnan / Savera D’Souza (Bangalore, Maruti Grand Vitara) 1 (0:00:52secs); KP Karthick Maruthi / Sankar Anand (Erode, Maruti Esteem) 2 (0:01min, 02secs); Jagmeet Gill / Yogesh Gupta (Chandigarh, VW Vento) 3 (0:01:17)

    Pro-Stock: Chidananda Murthy / BS Sujith Kumar 1 (Bangalore, TATA Indica Vista) 1 (0:03:15); Ramprashath / C Sakthivel (Bangalore, Honda City) 2 (0:03:32); S Senthil Kumar / P Velusamy (Erode, Peugeot) 2 (0:04:45) 3

    Novice: B Manikandan / A Parthipan (Erode, Mahindra Scorpio) 1 (0:06:29); Baskaran G / P Ganesan (Erode, Maruti Esteem) 2 (0:07:07); T Sujith / Shahid Salman (Bangalore, Fiat Punto) 3 (0:07:53)

    All Ladies: Deepali Poddar / Ipsita Das (Kolkata, Maruti Alto) 1 (0:04.58)

    ends

    JK Tyre makes a comeback to Rallying.

  • Full marks to HRT management: Narain

    Madrid, 16 August 2012: HRT Formula 1 Team has gone through a restructuring process in which it has settled at a new base, practically renewed the staff entirely and new drivers have arrived, but there’s one figure that has stood throughout this whole process: Narain Karthikeyan. The Indian driver faces his second season as an official driver of the Spanish team and his experience has been vital in consolidating and evolving the F112. Having arrived at the midway point of the season, Narain assesses this start to the season alongside the Spanish team.
    This is your 2nd season with HRT Formula 1 Team and you know better than anyone how much the team has changed. It won’t have been easy but what has this change been like?
    The change has been a big one but also a progressive one. Now the entire team is under the same roof and the facilities are really fantastic; anyone who visits them will see the intentions of a very serious Formula 1 team. I give full marks to the management who put this together and I feel very fortunate to form a part of this team which is growing. We’ve still got a lot to do but we’re making steady progress.
    We’ve completed just over half of the races, how would you assess this first part of the season?
    I think that my race performance has been very strong, with my 15th place in Monaco standing out, but in qualifying I’ve been a bit weaker. Right now I’m about three tenths behind Pedro and that’s something I have to improve in this second half, no doubt about it. The tyres have been quite difficult to get used to and Pedro has a lot of experience with Pirelli and McLaren. He’s a very good driver who hardly makes mistakes and I must learn from him to improve.
    Both the team and the car are new, what has surprised you most about each one?
    We knew the car would be pretty basic but I’ve been surprised by its reliability and I think it has potential to improve. And the team has surprised me even more because renewing almost 85% of the staff isn’t easy and I think that we have a very good combination of people with a lot of experience in F1 and young people with a lot of hunger. But everyone is very professional and it’s a real pleasure working with them.
    How would you define or what would you highlight about your teammates?
    Pedro is a fantastic driver with a lot of experience; he’s very consistent but also quick. Dani and Ma are young talented drivers with a lot to learn, but also really nice guys. We’re a small united family and we really enjoy working together.
    The start wasn’t easy but the progress has been evident. What mark out of ten would you give yourself this season?
    We all know that the start should have been better in normal circumstances, but with the changes that had to be made and other things we inherited, it wasn’t possible. To make it to Australia with the car on time was an achievement in itself. We’ve moved on from that and have progressed a lot. For now I give myself a 6 or a 7, and if I improve my results in qualifying, then an 8 or a 9.
    Your performance at your home Grand Prix in India was fantastic. Having enjoyed more continuity and confidence, what are your expectations for this year?
    The car will have evolved a bit more come the Indian Grand Prix so I think I will put in a better performance than last year. It’s obviously my favourite race and we will try to do our best there. My expectations are always high and we will aim to improve on last year’s 17th position.
    It was something completely new in India and, as a result, the Grand Prix was a complete success in terms of assistance. What’s the atmosphere like this year?
    After last year’s success, everyone that missed the spectacle is eager to come this time round. Promotions for the race have started early this year and I’ll do my bit to help out. The Jaypee Groud have done a tremendous job putting all of this together and it’s going to be a complete success again.
    What would you say has been the best moment of the season so far?
    Probably Monaco. Pedro had a very good qualifying session and I had a very good race, finishing 15th. I think that, from the team’s perspective, Monaco has been the best race so far.
    What would you consider to be a successful season once the championship is over?
    From where we are now, it would be great to match and beat my teammate Pedro who has been a good benchmark. Added to that, if we finish ahead of Marussia in the championship standings that would be a successful season.
    Finally a well earned break before taking on an intense second half of the season. What are your plans for the holidays?
    I’m not really taking a holiday now because I’ve got a lot of activities to attend, so I’ll have to wait until the championship ends. I hope to have a small gap to spend some time with my family in India and train hard. The season has been quite intense and you don’t get the chance to train in the gym every day because you’re constantly travelling and living in hotels. So I will work on my fitness in the gym and come back ready to continue at the highest level.
    ends

  • Circuit of America unveils logo at Shift into Style event

    Austin (Texas) 10 Aug 2012: Circuit of The Americas revealed the  commercial event logo for the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. The mark, which was formally unveiled at  Shift Into Style, the motorsports-themed kick-off event to Austin Fashion Week, will be used on promotional and advertising materials and licensed merchandise related to the Formula 1™ event scheduled for Nov. 16 to 18 at the new sports and entertainment facility nearing completion in southeast Travis County according to a Press Release.

    “We are excited to reveal the official event logo for our inaugural Grand Prix, a mark that blends iconic F1™ imagery with the patriotic colors and symbols that represent the United States and the great State of Texas,” said Circuit Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Geoff Moore. “The focal point of the mark is
    a speeding F1 race car with a stream of red and blue stars trailing it. The logo captures the rush and excitement surrounding the  world’s most popular motorsport and  will be a great addition to our marketing efforts as we count down the weeks until race day in Central Texas on Nov. 18.”

    The Formula 1 USA GP marks the return of F1 racing to the United States for the

    first time in five years. Three-day reserved seats for the race are available online at www.cotausgp.com or by calling the Ticketmaster hotline,  800.745.3000.

    Premium tickets and hospitality can also be secured by contacting the Circuit of The Americas sales team at 512.301.6600. Sales representatives are available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CDT. About Circuit of The Americas

    Circuit of The Americas will be a world-class destination for performance, education and business. It will be the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for any and all classes of racing, from motor power to human power, and be the U.S. home to the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX™ Nov. 16-18.

    The Circuit of The Americas’ master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. Its signature element will be a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings will include an expansive outdoor live music space, a conference center, a banquet hall as well as a state-of-the-art medical facility. Future proposed amenities include a driving/riding experience, a motorsports driving club, kart track, grand plaza event center and tower, and a trackside recreational vehicle park.

    For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com.

    ends

  • Narain brings safety and speed with his experience: Sala

    Madrid, 9 August 2012: With two seasons behind his back as a Formula 1 driver in 1988 and 1989, and a permanent link with motorsport, Luis Pérez-Sala wasn’t entering an unknown world when he was named Team Principal of HRT Formula 1 Team at the end of last year. Pérez-Sala has been at the fore of a project that has experienced a deep transformation in 2012 and, having reached the halfway stage of the season, he assesses what these eight months at the head of the team have been like. About Narain Karthikeyan, the Indian driver who is on his second year with the team, the Team Principal says: “With his experience, Narain brings safety, and speed. Besides with his  stability, he

    HRT Team Principal Luis Perez Sala. Photo HRT F1 team.

    contributes to the team, says a HRT release.

    We’re at the halfway point of the season, what assessment do you make of these first months?
    My assessment couldn’t be more positive. Our start to the season was complicated. As we’ve already said on multiple occasions, we’ve almost changed the entire team, we’ve moved to a new headquarters where we’ve been based since early April, and all of this whilst we built a new car. It was a very ambitious challenge, a priori it was impossible to accomplish, but we’ve made it with very limited resources. Once we settled in, from April and May onwards, we started to get a race rhythm going. It’s safe to say we’ve encountered some very intense months where the team has given its all, because we’ve been able to carry out everything we set out to do.
    What has surprised you most? And what has been most rewarding?
    In truth, nothing has surprised me too much, because I came with an open mind and ready to tackle anything that was thrown at me. What I would say is that the most rewarding thing has been to see the commitment of everyone implicated in this project. These people have been united in very difficult moments and have shown bravery, honour and responsibility to continue supporting this project in the toughest moments. It’s not easy to work and perform to the best of your ability having not slept much, being away from home for weeks or going through uncomfortable journeys, but the members of this team have done it, and that’s something to be thankful for. And that work and commitment is giving its rewards meaning that, not only us but everyone can start to feel proud and a part of this project.
    Would you say that the set targets for this first half of the season have been accomplished?
    Yes, we have accomplished the targets we set ourselves, which were none other than to carry out the great structural change which we’ve done and start to have the necessary stability to be able to grow. This is a target that seems modest but it has implied a radical change. Towards the end of 2011 the decision was made to move the headquarters to Spain, create a new car and have an initial standard that would enable us to be within the 107% comfortably, to then grow from there. And we have achieved all of that, so we can say that we’ve accomplished our objectives. Now we must set ourselves new ones.
    And what’s the most complicated challenge that the team has to face?
    From here the most important and complicated challenge is to continue growing in the right direction, optimizing our resources, and getting the car to perform better. This is the hardest thing because, whilst other teams have a consolidated structure, we’re still in a transition period. In that sense they’ve also got an advantage over us. But especially because we have limited human and economic resources and that means that the upgrade plan has to be very clear and whatever we introduce will result in an important difference. It really has to represent a step forwards. The most complicated thing now is to not be dropped off by the other teams whilst we finish defining our own team and evolve and prepare the future.
    The F112 is a new car completely, what do you make of it? Do you think its maximum potential has been extracted?
    I think that, overall, the F112 is a car that has given quite a good result, keeping in mind how it started. In winter I had a lot of doubts, because the car was handed to us and we didn’t have enough time to review it. The proceedings and deadlines weren’t the usual ones and that forced us to go quicker to make up for lost time and organize the different parties implicated in the project to make it on time. But even with all these obstacles, the car has given good results. It has a good base and that’s its biggest strength. It’s a reliable car with good mechanical resistance and it offers a lot of possibilities for its development. I’d say we’re at 50% of its potential and we can still extract another 50%, mainly in aerodynamics.
    Will there be any upgrades after the summer break?
    Yes, we have some upgrades prepared for the Singapore Grand Prix. As a small team we can’t afford small upgrades every two or three races because the cost of an upgrade or creating a new piece for a small upgrade is very high. Besides the aerodynamic study, you have to produce the parts and that also implies a lot of time. So we have to make the most of any changes and have a very clear idea of the direction we want to take for those upgrades to be productive.
    We’ve been able to see how much of an influence the weather has on various races this season. How much can it affect a team’s decision making and what challenges does it present during a race?
    We’re also learning in this aspect. We’re not in the fight for points and the fact that we get lapped means that our strategy is always conditioned. But it serves us to accumulate experience and, hopefully not in too long, when we’re a part of the battle for points or a fight for better positions, we will be much better prepared to make the right decisions. In any case you’ve never got everything perfectly under control because legendary teams still occasionally make mistakes, so there’s always something to learn.
    The combination of Pedro and Narain as official drivers, Dani as reserve driver and Ma in the development programme is proving to be very positive. What would you highlight about each one?
    I’d highlight everything about Pedro. He’s an extraordinary person and an excellent driver. Apart from his experience he’s got a lot of common sense and he acts as the leader of the team. There’s no doubt that he’s the cornerstone of this project. From Narain I’d emphasize his experience, safety and speed, besides the stability he contributes to the team. Dani is a young driver, with strength and ambition and he’s adapted phenomenally well to the team in a position which isn’t easy, which is that of the reserve driver. Ma is a driver who will surprise us all because he has great potential. We saw it when he tested the F112 in Silverstone, where he showed his quality. He’s a hard worker and he has also adapted perfectly. I’m very proud and satisfied with the structure of drivers that we have and each one plays their role perfectly.
    What needs to happen for you to consider this a successful season once the championship is over?
    For me it would be a success to maintain the reliability we have and improve our performance a little bit more. To achieve this I hope that the aero package that we will introduce after the summer will help us to take the next step. The objective is to stay between the 104 and 105% and have the project for 2013 prepared. If we achieve all of this I’d be satisfied. Besides I hope that the team is fully functioning, with the design and aerodynamics department working at the Caja Mágica, although to achieve this we need a bit more time.
    Formula 1 is going through a period of changes with the renegotiation of the Concorde Agreement or the new engines for 2014. What’s the team’s view on each of these very important issues for the future?
    HRT Formula 1 Team’s standpoint is open for now. As for the new ruling on engines, we’re waiting to have all the possible information, especially with everything related to the costs that this change implies. We still don’t know all the details, but for us it is of vital importance to know them to see where we stand and what decision we make because this takes up between 15 and 20% of the team’s budget. This is a change that needs important planning that must be done well. As for the Concorde Agreement, I don’t think there will be any problems because, although we’re a small team, we feel that we’re taken into consideration and supported.
    After some months of heavy work, what plans do you have for the holidays?
    I’m staying with my family in Spain and we’re going to spend some days by the beach and others in the mountains. I’m really looking forward to spending some time with them and to disconnect to gain some strength because we’ve got a great end to the season ahead.

    ends

  • Satisfying seventh for Senna; Pastor disappoints

    Senna in Hungary on 29 July 2012 -Sun FIA pic

    A determined drive to seventh from Bruno Senna strengthened Williams’ hold on seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.

    For the first time this year Williams had two cars qualified in the top ten, but a poor start from Pastor Maldonado and a subsequent penalty saw the Venezuelan drop out of the points. Bruno Senna, however, prospered from ninth on the grid and finished seventh after dueling with Jenson Button for much of the race and subsequently holding off the charging Red Bull of Mark Webber in the final stages.

    “Today was a nice race,” said Senna. “We pushed very hard on the strategy to make it work especially as the track conditions and the weather were very different from what we were expecting. I’m happy with the team and I hope we can carry this momentum on.

    “There were a lot of battles for me and it was hard it keep the tyres alive because the temperatures were so high, but it’s good to start in ninth place and finish in seventh. I think this is a turning point for us. The race was good, it was a fun weekend, the team are happy and the break is now welcome as it will be a chance to rest before we continue to push in the second part of the season.”

    Maldonado’s race went wrong from the start. Having qualified eighth he went backwards on the first lap, and later, when fighting to recover was given a drive through penalty for causing a collison, having hit Di Resta.

    “It was a difficult race today,” admitted the Venezuelan. “I had a bad start and lost a lot of positions which compromised our race from the beginning. It was hard to keep good pace in the traffic and then we also had to serve a drive-through penalty. I was on the limit racing Di Resta when I locked the brakes and lost some grip, but I was on the inside of the corner and so there was some light contact.”

    While Maldonado has more points than Senna, the Brazilian has scored six times this season, compared to his team-mate’s two.

  • Red Bulls rue strategy

    Both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber admitted that strategic choices hampered their chances in a Hungarian Grand prix in which the champion finished fourth and his team-mate came home eighth.

    Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull gains after his 2nd pit stop in Hungary on Sunday – 29July2012 Red Bull photo

    Starting third, Vettel made an attempt to go round the outside of second-placed Romain Grosjean at the start but, forced wide, he allowed Jenson Button to sneak through on the inside and dropped to fourth.

    Vettel then spent the first two stints bottled up behind the McLaren and only managed to get free when the McLaren driver made his second stop. Then Button emerged behind the slower Bruno Senna. That gave Vettel the chance to maximise his pace and when he too took on fresh tyres he emerged ahead of Button.

    Later in the race, Vettel pitted for a new set of soft tyres in a bid to catch Romain Grosjean. After the stop he lapped more than two seconds quicker than the third-placed Lotus driver but couldn’t make up the 13.5-second gap before the chequered flag.

    “I think fourth is probably not the result we could have had today,” Vettel said. “The speed was a little bit better than that, but I was stuck behind Jenson, who was quite slow. There we lost quite a lot of time, but you can’t just pit and come out in clean air. Other people weren’t that much slower either, so not much we could have done.

    “My tyres were not too bad at the end but we thought we’d try something,” he added. “It could have been the case that the tyres would fall off the cliff but they didn’t.”

    Webber, meanwhile, climbed as high as fifth after an 11th-place start and he too stopped for more tyres at the end, fearing that the set he had on might degrade too badly in the final laps.

    “Fifth place was there. I was thinking of staying out, obviously we had a nice cushion, my times were going pretty well,” he said. “But it’s hard to know, we’ve had plenty of incidents this year where people have dropped off the cliff.

    “The strategy didn’t work out,” he added. “We lost three places through trying something different. Overtaking’s very difficult, so you need bad tyres for the other guys and also in the last sector so you can line them up. I was quicker by I couldn’t get the job done.”

    Fernando Alonso’s fifth-place finish means the Ferrari driver extends his lead over Webber to 40 points, with the Spaniard sitting on 164 points. Vettel lies third on 122 points and Hamilton moves to fourth on 117 points. Kimi Raikkonen is fifth with 116 points.

    Despite the gap to Alonso widening, Webber believes the title race is still wide open.

    “We’ve got work to do. We’ve had a little bit of friendly fire with ourselves and qualifying here was down to me,” he said. “But we still have good points and it’s still open for the rest of the year. Obviously Fernando grabbed a few more today but that’s the way it goes.”