INDIA in F1

Category: India In F1

  • Narain awaits stewards decision to race on Sunday

    By F1 Correspondent

    Barcelona, 12 May 2012:Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan was disappointed with another set-back to the car spoiling his chances of setting a qualifying time below the mandatory 107 per cent as he clocked 1 min 31.122 seconds way

    Pedro De La Rosa of HRT team does better than teammate Narain Karthikeyan for the home race at Circuit de Catalunya on Sataurday. HRT F1 team photo.

    below the required 1: 28.363 in the qualifier where Lewis Hamilton put McLaren on Pole pipping a surprise Pastor Maldonado of Williams at the Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday.

    Ferrari’s updates helped former world champion Fernando Alonso get into the second row for the first time this year in his home race with a deserving thrid place and the extra set of tyres left will make him confident for the race tommorow. Hamilton who used two quick laps will not have that tyre advantage. Current world champion Sebastian Vettel will start on 8th place.

    Narain Karthikeyan who lost a chance to get more laps under his belt due to a problem on Friday which saw test driver Dani Clos take to the track, did a good morning session but encountered problems again during the qualification and due to concerns of safety for himself and for others, the team decided that the car would not return to the track despite not setting an appropriate time. Now the stewards are expected to allow him to race on Sunday as he has set a time which is under the 107 per cent in FP3. But it is completely their discretion to decide that the HRT car is safe to be on the grid on Sunday.

    A disappointed Narain Karthikeyan said: “It’s been a very unlucky weekend for me so far. In the morning everything went smoothly but in the afternoon, with the first set of tyres I was pushing really hard and spun on turn 3 and, as a result, I flat-spotted a tyre so I had to come back in to the garage. We were going to go on the second set of tyres but we discovered some problems and due to safety concerns, not only for myself but the others, we decided that the best thing was to not go back out. It seems like my bad luck continues to follow me this weekend and, although I’m disappointed about that, there’s nothing else I can do but keep giving it my best shot”.

    Narain’s teammate Pedro de la Rosa was able to continue progress with his car’s set-up and improve his feel as the day wore on. Karthikeyan set HRT’s best time up to that moment in the morning.

    “The team is still awaiting the FIA stewards’ decision but is confident that there will be no trouble for both drivers to line-up on the grid for tomorrow’s 66-lap race,” said a team release.

     Pedro de la Rosa was happy. “The day went very well, especially this afternoon, so I’m very happy with what we achieved. We completed two very good laps in qualifying, getting under the 1.28 mark which we hadn’t achieved neither yesterday nor this morning. I know that our position seems the same as always but, in terms of performance, we have progressed and that’s what I’ll take away with me. As I always say, we’ve still got a lot of room for improvement but we’re on the right path and that’s what matters. Tomorrow’s race won’t be easy because it’s a tough track and the rear tyres wear out a lot. We have to get off to a good start, give the Marussias a good fight and finish the race in front of all our fans,” he said.

    Team’s Technical Director Toni Cuquerella said: “We had mixed fortunes today. Pedro was able to continue with his programme and we were able to confirm that everything works fine and, as anticipated, the upgrades gave us an improvement. But we can’t stop, we have to continue progressing. For qualifying, the car’s balance improved a little bit more and Pedro completed two very good laps. With Narain the target in the practice session was to do as much mileage as possible and he did a fantastic job, but we weren’t lucky in qualifying as he spun on the first set of tyres and wasn’t able to set a good time, and when he was about to go out with the second set we had to abort as there was a problem with the fitting of the on-board camera which made it dangerous to go back out. He wasn’t able to get in the 107% but I’m confident that, given the performance he showed this morning, there won’t be any trouble for him to sta rt tomorrow’s race”.

    11.00-12.00 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 3

    Pedro de la Rosa    F112-02   #22    23rd (13 laps) 1:28.373

    Narain Karthikeyan F112-03   #23    22nd (24 laps) 1:28.207

     14.00-15.00 FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING SESSION

    Pedro de la Rosa F112-02    #22 23rd  (6 laps) 1:27.555

    Narain Karthikeyan F112-03 #23           (4 laps)  1:31.122

     

    ends

  • No practice laps in Spain; Narain Karthikeyan disappointed

    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

    Friday, 11th of May 2012

    Weather: Sunny – Air 30ºC, Track 45ºC

    A HRT car during the Friday free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday. A HRT F1 team photo.

    10.00-11.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 1

    Pedro de la Rosa    F112-02 #22  23rd (19 laps) 1:29.107

    Dani Clos                  F112-03 #23  24th (19 laps) 1:31.618

    14.00-15.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 2

    Pedro de la Rosa      F112-02 #22 23rd (26 laps) 1:28.235

    Narain Karthikeyan   F112-03 #23 24th (2 laps)

    The time has finally come and the highly anticipated Spanish Grand Prix finally got underway today with the first free practice sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya (4.655 km). The day started with Dani Clos lining up alongside Pedro de la Rosa, making it a historic moment for the team and Spanish motorsport as a whole. The Spanish duo were able to try out the aerodynamic upgrades and compare data until Clos’ car came to a halt as a result of an electrical issue towards the end of the session.

    The team worked hard at midday to solve the problem and get Narain Karthikeyan out on the track on time for the second session. It wasn’t to be but the team continued to fight against the clock and, in the end, the Indian driver was able to get on the track with half an hour to go in the session. But the car said enough was enough immediately and Karthikeyan wasn’t even able to finish two laps.
    On his behalf, de la Rosa completed a total of 26 laps comparing the two aerodynamic options with the two tyre options.
    Dani Clos: “I’m happy to have got into the car for the first time today, albeit for a short first encounter. The feeling I had when I left the pits and saw the Spanish crowd, whilst driving for a Spanish team alongside Pedro, was unbelievable. It was my first time in the new car and I wasn’t 100% comfortable since the car is built for Narain, so I had to adapt. We were able to carry out some aerodynamic work and try out some different things on the car so I’m pleased to have completed my job for the team”.

    Pedro de la Rosa: “Today was the day to try out the aero package we’ve brought to Barcelona, so we completed various short stints to see how the car behaved with the changes. It was interesting because the car has effectively taken a step forwards, but we need an even bigger step, especially at such a tough circuit as this one where there are many quick turns and where you need to improve the balance of the car. There’s still plenty to do and a lot of data to analyze to have a better understanding of how to get the most out of these upgrades”.

    Narain Karthikeyan: “I’m disappointed to have not got any laps under my belt today; it’s certainly not how I was aiming to start my weekend in Barcelona. Tomorrow will be an uphill struggle as we’ve only got one hour in the morning to get the car ready for qualifying in the afternoon, so we’re really going to have to get our heads down and work hard. Hopefully we can make up for the time lost today and turn things around tomorrow”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “Today was a day of mixed feelings. On one hand it was very nice to see Dani make his debut but on the other hand we suffered a lot of electrical issues on Narain’s car. It’s a new chassis and there’s a lot of work to do with any new car so it’s not that strange for things to not work out first time round. It looks like the upgrades we’ve brought have worked well, which makes us optimistic for the future. Now we have to fix our immediate problems and work so that the weekend turns out the best way possible”.

    ends

  • gsdfesdrfeawsdcdrfawscf

  • Confident Force India gets ready for European leg

    Sahara Force India looks forward to round five of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. To view the full PDF preview click on the link below. 

    “We may be approaching the fifth race of season, but it’s still difficult to get a true read on the relative competitiveness of all the teams. Each race has thrown up different surprises and it’s difficult to make any predictions before qualifying or the race,” says Vijay Mallya, Team Principal.
    The last race in Bahrain was certainly an eventful one for Sahara Force India, so it was particularly rewarding to see such an outstanding team performance with everyone delivering to the best of their ability. Our two-stop strategy was judged to perfection and helped earn Paul a valuable sixth place finish. It was a close call, though, because there was no more performance life in the tyres when Paul crossed the finish line. I want to thank the entire crew for their brilliant efforts during that weekend.
    Now that the European season is upon us, we should be able to bring through more updates to the car. That will start this weekend when we run with some of the new parts we evaluated in Mugello last week. However, we have to remember that most teams will make a development step for Barcelona so it remains to be seen how this will impact on our relative performance.
    As well as developments for the car we are pushing hard to maximise the strategies and the drivers are delivering excellent performances in the races. That’s so important this year with the margins between the teams so tight. If we can continue to deliver like we did in Bahrain then we should be able to remain in the hunt for points this weekend, add Mallya.

    File picture of Sahara Force India drivers. Sahara Force India photo.
     Paul on Barcelona
    Paul Di Resta gets set for the start of the European season in Barcelona
    Paul, looking back on Bahrain you must be pretty satisfied with the weekend as a whole…
    I think when you have a result like that you feel very proud of everyone in the team. Everybody stepped up and helped deliver the performance. The strategy was a bold one, but it was the right one and gave us one of our best results in the last couple of years.
    Did the test in Mugello help your preparations for Barcelona?
    We didn’t do a massive number of laps but it was a chance to start evaluating some of our car developments. There’s still plenty of work to do in free practice to get on top of the car, but we’ve already done the basic checks.
    Are you looking forward to getting back to racing in Europe?
    I probably know Barcelona better than any other track on the calendar. We did two tests there in the winter and I had four days in the car so I already feel quite well prepared, but it’s the same for everyone. I expect the field to be incredibly close once again.
    Nico on Barcelona
    Nico Hulkenberg reveals his thoughts ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix
    Nico, the start of the European season is upon us. Are you looking forward to racing in Barcelona?
    It’s a track I enjoy and where I’ve been successful in the past. It’s high-speed, there are lots of right hand corners and it’s quite tough physically, especially on your neck. As a city I enjoy being in Barcelona because it’s a great place with a nice atmosphere. Also, the stands are always full on race day because the Spanish fans love Formula One.
    What are the main challenges of the lap?
    The first sector through turns one, two and three is tricky and you need to treat them as one corner. A mistake in one or two will hurt you through three and cost your laptime. It feels great when you get them just right. Also, the final sector is quite technical: it’s slow and twisty, especially the last chicane and it’s easy to drop time at the end of the lap.
    How are you feeling about the 2012 season after four races?
    I feel very comfortable in the team and I’m enjoying the season. A few of the races haven’t worked out for me, but I’m looking forward not backwards and determined to get some great results for the team. I’m working well with my car crew, we are pushing hard and we will try our best to get back in the points this weekend.

  • Karthikeyan to sit out to help Dani Clos debut on Friday

    Barcelona, 8 May 2012: HRT F1 team will be creating history at the Home Race on Friday, for a day, where for the first time a Spanish F1 team will have two Spanish drivers for a home race. Narain Karthikeyan, the regular driver will sit out for the first Friday Free Practice session, to help Dani Clos make his debut in an F1 race. Karthikeyan will be back on Saturday for the qualifiers and the race on Sunday.

    Dani Clos, HRT test driver will make his debut at home for the Friday free pactice. HRT F1 team photo.
    Spanish driver Dani Clos will step into the F112 for the first time on Friday to take part in the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix which will take place at the Circuit de Catalunya. 23 year-old Clos will substitute teammate Narain Karthikeyan for that session and will join Pedro de la Rosa for the first 90 minutes of practice in Montmeló.
    It will be history in the making for HRT Formula 1 Team at the Circuit de Catalunya since this will be the first time that two Spanish drivers hit the track forming a part of a Spanish team at the Spanish Grand Prix. It will be a moment to remember for Spanish motorsport and a great opportunity for Clos to prove his worth in front of his home crowd.
    After having completed 377.67 kilometres at the helm of the F111 in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last November and having joined the team as an official test driver in February, Dani Clos will take another step on Friday and will fulfill another vital aspect of his testing role by completing his first laps at the wheel of the F112. A car that will be brining a series of aerodynamic upgrades for this important Grand Prix.
    Dani Clos: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity. It’s something I’ve fought for all my life; to make my debut in Formula 1 and, above all, to be able to do it at the Circuit de Catalunya which is something very special for me. Besides, I’m extremely lucky to be able to do it with a Spanish team, alongside another Spanish driver who I admire and at home. I can’t ask for more! It’s the ideal situation and I’m proud to be where I am with the people who have always been with me and still are. I hope to extract a lot of data from this practice session, contribute with positive things to the team and do my job in the best way I can. I feel 100% ready and I can’t wait for the moment I step into the car and hit the track”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT: “I’m very proud and happy that this moment has arrived and that we’ve given Dani the chance to get in the car on Friday’s first free practice session at such a special and important Grand Prix as is a home Grand Prix. In this first contact he will drive next to Pedro de la Rosa and will have the chance to drive the new F112 for the first time. It’s an important session given the short amount of time on track that we have and more so when you take into account the various aerodynamic upgrades which we have brought. Dani is a great driver and I have no doubt that he will do a good job. Besides, this debut also represents another step forward in our desire for HRT to serve as a platform for young drivers to make it into F1”.
    DANI CLOS – PROFILE AND CAREER SUMMARY
    Dani Clos was born in Barcelona on the 23rd of October 1988. With a renowned trajectory in karting, Clos made his debut in single-seater racing in 2004 in Formula Renault Italia 2.0, going on to win the Championship in 2006. A year later he joined Renault’s F1 programme and took part in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2008 he entered Williams F1’s young drivers’ programme and finished in 2nd in the 24H Barcelona race. In 2009 he made his debut in the GP2 series, with a 3rd place finish in Portimao being his best result. In his second year in GP2 he achieved his first win in Turkey alongside various podium finishes. Last year, Dani Clos took one win and two podiums in what was his third season as a GP2 driver. Also in 2011, he took part in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi with HRT F1 Team, completing total of 377.67km in one day and leaving a very good impression on the team. In 2012, Dani Clos joins the HRT Formula 1 Team as its official test driver.
    Career Summary:
    2012     F1: test driver, HRT Formula 1 Team
    2011     GP2: Racing Engineering, 9th in the Championship
                  F1: Young Driver Test with HRT F1 Team
    2010    GP2: Racing Engineering, 4th in the Championship (1 win)
    2009    GP2: Racing Engineering, 21st in the Championship
    2008    F3 Euroseries: Prema Powerteam: 14th in the Championship
    2007    F3 Euroseries: Signature Plus: 13th in the Championship
    2006    Fórmula Renault 2.0 Italia: Champion (8 wins)
                 Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 7th position in the Championship
    2005    Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 32nd in the Championship
                 Fórmula 2.0 Italiana: 16th in the Championship

     

  • Narain likes the Catalunya circuit, can HRT support him with a good car

    11th-13th May 2012

    Circuit de Catalunya – 66 laps – 4.655km

    File picture of Karthikeyan at Bahrain GP with an Engineer. HRT F1 team photo.
    Madrid, 4 of May 2012: With the first stage of the season completed in distant lands, it’s time for Formula 1 to head much closer to home with the first European event of the Championship taking place precisely at home for HRT Formula 1 Team in Spain. It goes without saying that the Spanish Grand Prix is a very important date for the team as nothing beats the sensation of racing in front of your home crowd. The team has taken a step at every Grand Prix so far this year and will be even keener to do so in Barcelona to give the fans something to shout about.
    The Circuit de Catalunya is a haven for preseason testing given the nature of the track and mild weather conditions and that is why the teams know the circuit inside out. It’s made up of a mix of slow and fast corners, which added to the bumpy surface, make the race mechanically and physically demanding. Tyre degradation is high, especially on the left side of the car since all high speed corners are right hand turns, and aerodynamics are also decisive in Montmeló.
    Pirelli have elected their soft and hard tyres for this Grand Prix.
    Pedro de la Rosa: “The Spanish Grand Prix is the most important trace for a Spanish driver, but this time it will be even more special for me because I’m racing with a Spanish team in my city of birth. At this circuit aerodynamics are important and it will be an important test for our upgrades. The track is also very tough on the tyres. Not going to Mugello wasn’t an easy decision but it was important to go to the headquarters for the first time and work calmly because it’s the first time my car is in Europe. For the first time the mechanics have had the time to dismantle the car, build it and assemble it. In Barcelona we are going to try and do the best we can, as always, but even more so at this Grand Prix. We’re playing at home in front of the best fans in the world. We’re looking forward to it and it’s something historic for so I’m going to enjoy it as much as possible”.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “Catalunya is a great all-round circuit, highly demanding and aero dependent. It is a track I know well, and it is the first time this season we have the hard and soft tyre allocated, so the gap in lap times will be significant and strategy will play a deciding role. We don’t know the specifics of tyre behaviour since we didn’t test pre-season, but as the compounds are softer this year, the degradation, especially on the soft, will be high because of the high-lateral loading through corners like turn three. The circuit is aero sensitive too, because of the high amount of winds which often change direction so getting the setup right early on will be crucial. There are a few upgrades coming as well which will help us unlock some more performance from the car and give us the ability to compete with our closest rivals. It is the first of our team’s home races so we are motivated to do ou r best.”
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “We’re really looking forward to taking part in this Grand Prix, which is the first time we’ll be racing at home this season. Showing our cars and our team in Spain is an added motivation and we’re looking to have a good weekend and finish the race without any trouble to continue in our process of improving little by little. After the first four races we’re heading into this one with much more calm. We arrive more organized and better prepared after having rested a bit this week. We’re bringing some updated to Montmeló which we hope will take us one step forwards in terms of performance and reliability. It’s the first Grand Prix we travel to after having moved into our new headquarters, starting a great new chapter in the history of the team”.
    ends

  • Jean Todt, FIA chief visits HRT’s brand new facilities

    Madrid, 4 May 2012:
    Today has been an important day for HRT Formula 1 Team who received the visit of Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, to its brand new facilities at the Caja Mágica in Madrid. Guided by the team’s CEO, Saúl Ruiz de Marcos, and Team Principal, Luis Pérez-Sala, the head figure of the FIA toured the team’s new facilities.
    From the management area to the workshop where the mechanics were working on the F112 for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, passing through the administration, operations and engineering areas.
    Todt also counted with the help of other exceptional guides such as Pedro Martínez de la Rosa, Dani Clos and Ma Qing Hua, who accompanied him during the tour and, once they arrived at the workshop, explained the main upgrades for the race in Barcelona and the work carried out by the team in these brief but intense months.
    The President of the FIA attended the Caja Mágica alongside the President of the Spanish Motorsport Federation and Vice-President of the FIA, Carlos Gracia, who already visited the facilities a few days ago and offers great support to the team, and was impressed with the operational facilities. Together with them were the Vice-President of the Spanish Motorsport Federation, Joaquín Verdegay, the President and Vice-President of the RACE, Carmelo Sanz and Andrés Celaya, and the President of the RACC, Sebastià Salvadó.
    Also accompanying us was Rosario Alessi, President of the FIA Academy, who, along with Jean Todt, is in Madrid to hand the FIA Academy gold medal to His Majesty the King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
    Jean Todt, FIA President: “I’m happy to be in Spain today because we are going to give a special award to the King Juan Carlos I. But also because today I’ve got a great opportunity to visit HRT Formula 1 Team’s beautiful and new facilities alongside my friends from the Spanish Motorsport Federation, the RACE and the RACC. The facilities are impressive, modern and functional. You can see that everything is brand new and it will be even better once they’ve spent a couple of months there working. I wish the best for the future of HRT”.
    Carlos Gracia, President of the Spanish Motorsport Federation: “It’s the second time I visit the headquarters. I made a brief first visit and the second time round I’ve liked them even more and I’m sure that the third time round it will be even better because this team is doing a fantastic job and are taking giant strides. I think that the facilities are wonderful and that they send an image out of what HRT Formula 1 Team is going to be in the short, medium and long term. It’s important to have the headquarters in Spain and for the team to become more Spanish and hand out opportunities to young mechanics, drivers and engineers from this country. We’re aware that in a Formula 1 team you need to have the best people from the best countries but to have a Spanish base is important looking ahead to the future”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “We’re very thankful towards Jean Todt for having the courtesy of coming to visit us and we’re delighted to have received him and shown him the new facilities. It was important for him to come and see it personally because on the track all you can see are the cars. You can explain everything that’s behind the scenes but nothing compares to seeing it and experiencing it firsthand to understand the work that is being done. It also gives a chance to explain him the team’s current project and plans to grow in the future. That growth that we’re currently experiencing and will continue to do so is what, with time, will translate into an improvement on the track. I also want to thank the rest of the FIA members, Carlos Gracia and the Spanish Federation, the RACC and the RACE for joining us and I’m very proud that they are also a part of this”.

    ends

    FIA president Jean Todt visit the HRT facilty. HRT F1 team photo

  • Lotus and Sauber catch the eye at mid-season testing

    Mugello, 2 May 2012: While McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have already won in 2012 it was their nearest challengers who topped the timesheets on day two. Romain Grosjean Kamui Kobayashi both posted times of 1:21.603 on a day where fine weather replaced Tuesday’s thunderstorms many of the teams maximised their time on track.

    Grosjean set his time during the morning,with Kobayashi joining him as the day drew to a close. “It’s always good to end the day on top, but we have to remember that in testing lap times mean very little,” said Grosjean, who was awarded first place on the timing screens by virtue of having set his time earlier. “This test gives us an opportunity to try things that we wouldn’t have time to do during a race weekend, so hopefully it’ll help us to keep pushing forward.”

    Behind them came Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber who were sharing the running for Red Bull. Vettel’s best time in the afternoon was two-tenths off the pace set by Grosjean and Kobayashi, and a tenth ahead of his team-. Between them they managed 118 laps. “We had absolutely truck loads of stuff to go through, but so far so good,” said Webber. “Mileage is so limited these days it was good to be in the car again; this test has been very useful.”

    Fifth quickest was Felipe Massa for Ferrari. Massa spent much of his day doing half-speed aero runs with a now-familiar sensor top hat fitted to his role hoop. He still managed to breakthrough the 100-lap mark when his team switched to a study of tyre behaviour later in the day.

    Jean-Eric Vernge completed his test for Toro Rosso before handing over to Daniel Ricciardo in the afternoon. Vergne was testing different diffusers in the morning, while for Ricciardo the job was back-to-backing different exhaust packages. “This was the best day’s testing I have done,” said Vergne after his shift. “We had no problems, we got through a lot of items on the job sheet and, as a first impression, the new elements we tested seem to work well. Daniel still has more things to try tomorrow and if we can put all the best elements of this test together, then I am hopeful it could represent a step forward in Barcelona.”

    Michael Schumacher in eighth place put in more miles than anyone else with 144 laps. “Unlike yesterday, we were able to gather really a lot of data, and like this we are learning more and more about our car which is absolutely positive,” said Schumacher. Ninth was Charles Pic for Marussia, who completed 46 laps and then handed over to Timo Glock. Glock, however spent much of his afternoon in the garage with his steering rack being replaced.

    Vitaly Petrov put in 112 laps for tenth place as Caterham tried out various components of its Barcelona upgrade package. “We completed everything we targeted in today’s runplan,” said Petrov. “This afternoon we started running some new parts and even though it’s too early to make any judgements on what sort of step forward they give us, I can say the new rear wing we tried immediately felt like it was giving us more downforce.”

    Gary Paffett continued for McLaren and managed to complete 59 laps before a gearbox issue halted his progress in the afternoon. Paul di Resta’s day was more severely curtailed, the Scot managing just fourteen laps after a hydraulic problem caused Force India to spend most of the day in the garage.

    “It’s never nice to spend so much time sitting in the garage, but we had a few reliability concerns that we needed to resolve before we continued running,” explained chief engineer Jakob Andreasen. “We suspected the issue was related to the hydraulic system of the car so changed that as a precaution. At the same time we chose to make the most of the downtime by bringing forward the engine change, which had been planned for the end of the session. It has been a tough day for the guys in the garage, but they did a great job to get the car out for the final half hour and give Paul the chance to complete a handful of laps in preparation for tomorrow.”

    Last on the time sheet but with a solid 100 laps in the bag was Bruno Senna for Williams. Following the pattern laid down in the winter the team concentrated on aero and mechanical work and seemed in no particular hurry to set quick times. “We gained a lot of information from our runs and have some good knowledge to carry forward into tomorrow,” said Senna. “We aim to continue improving and to be competitive on the final day. Mugello is an awesome track. It’s really fast and physically challenging.”


    Duration of test    		   Three days (May 1-3)

      Unofficial testing times

    Pos Driver Constructor Time Laps

    1

    		 Romain Grosjean Lotus

    1m21.035

    66

    2

    		 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing

    1m21.267

    106

    3

    		 Fernando Alonso Ferrari

    1m21.363

    98

    4

    		 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso

    1m21.604

    117

    5

    		 Sergio Perez Sauber

    1m22.229

    118

    6

    		 Nico Hulkenberg Sahara Force India

    1m22.325

    55

    7

    		 Pastor Maldonado Williams

    1m22.497

    63

    8

    		 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG

    1m22.579

    129

    9

    		 Oliver Turvey Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

    1m22.662

    99

    10

    		 Paul di Resta Sahara Force India

    1m23.002

    34

    11

    		 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham

    1m23.169

    139

    12

    		 Timo Glock Marussia

    1m23.466

    110

     

    Chart courtesy Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes F1 team.

    Photo caption: To mark the modernisation of its Hungarian network, Vodafone hosted a four-day extravaganza on the streets of Budapest, where all activities geared towards improvement and the desire to do better. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes photo.

    ends

  • Force India looking for strong finish at Bahrain

    From our Special Correspondent
    A Force India car at the qualifying in Bahrain on Saturday. Photo: Sahara Force India F1 team.
    Bahrain, 21 April 2012: The only Indian outfit in the Formula One World Championship headed by liquor baron Vijay Mallya and co-owned by the Sahara Group has managed to stay afloat in the first three races of the season but failed to come up with anything substantial as the mid-level teams have made enough developments to the car. However, Sahara Force India delivered a strong showing in Bahrain’s Saturday qualifying session with Paul Di Resta qualifying in tenth place and teammate Nico Hulkenberg lined up in P13.
    The VJM05, the fifth edition of the Force India car was lucky to get into points for Paul at the first race of the season in Australia and the teams did manage to sustain the car in adverse conditions and a double finish at the rain-hit Malaysian Grand Prix on March 25 boosted the confidence of both the drivers and the team. The third race, at Shanghai in China failed to get any points for the Indian team and though the cars were getting the race pace, the team need to bring in more developments, if they have to mount a good challenge to the mid-teams, if they have to retain the sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship this year.
    Paul di Resta, who set a time of 1 min 33.510 seconds in the qualifying after a slower 1:34.624 in Q1 did not take to Q3 to save tyres and the enginre as the team was satisfied with a tenth place on the gird.  “I’m very happy with our qualifying performance today. With our reduced programme on Friday, it wasn’t easy getting all the work done but the team did a good job to get the car dialled into the track before qualifying. I had a great lap in Q2, just three tenths away from the quickest time but in Q3 we all took the decision from a strategic point of view to save tyres. I think this will put us in the best shape for tomorrow and I hope we can deliver a strong race.”
    The other young driver, Nico Hulkenberg who joined the team this year exuded confidence too. He did 1 minute 34.601 seconds in Q1 to improve to 1:33.807 in Q2 for a 13th place on the grid. The German who was in Bangalore last Tuesday to watch a cricket match said from Bahrain: “It has been a very busy day for us, but we learned a lot this morning and improved the car all the way through to qualifying where we showed some good speed. My Q2 lap was looking very strong until the final sector where I got some oversteer and ran wide, which cost me a few tenths. Otherwise I think we could have had both cars in the top ten. But I’m still pretty pleased and I feel that we can fight for points tomorrow.”
    Robert Fernley, the Deputy Team Principal, who virtually heads the technical running of the team was happy with the teamwork ahead of the controversial Bahrain race as they did not have enough time after the back-to-back race with the Chinese Grand Prix the previous Sunday. He said: “I think the whole team has delivered an impressive performance today, which leaves us in a competitive position heading into the race. We worked hard at improving the car between final practice and qualifying, and I think the track conditions came to us as well. Paul’s pace in Q2 shows the potential we have in the car and allowed him to reach Q3 for the first time this year, which was a tremendous effort. Nico was close to joining him too, but a small mistake cost him some time in the final part of the lap. We are now looking forward to the race and building on today’s showing to help put on a great spectacle for Bahrain.”
    ends

  • I will be extra focussed in Bahrain, says Narain

    Bahrain: International Circuit – 57 laps – 5.412 km
    Manama, Monday 16th of April 2012

    Narain Karthikeyan (Left). HRT F1 team photo.
    It’s back-to-back races for the second consecutive time this season with the Championship stopping off in Bahrain. This will be the last event held far away from home before the teams head into the European swing of the season.HRT Formula 1 Team has progressed leaps and bounds since the season started down under and, with its own particular “preseason” completed, the Spanish outfit is now working more efficiently as a unit and faces the race in Bahrain much more settled and than in previous races. Without hardly any time for greater upgrades, the weather conditions and the track itself present another great challenge that Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan take on with great motivation.
    The Bahrain International Circuit is a tough track for tyres and brakes alike. There are various tight corners following long straights, with the cars coming down from 320 km/h to 70 km/h, meaning that good grip and efficient braking are key factors. The three long straights mean that, with the aid of DRS and slipstreaming, there are plenty of overtaking opportunities.
    Pirelli have elected their soft and medium tyres for this Grand Prix.
    Pedro de la Rosa, #22: “The Bahrain International Circuit is a difficult track because it has strong braking corners and it’s very easy to overrun coming into them. The three things we need to work on there are: for the car to brake well, have good grip and achieve a good top speed. It’s a circuit I like because I made my debut for McLaren there, so I’ve got good memories of it, I also achieved my first fastest lap in a race there too. In Bahrain the objective is to continue the improvement which we clearly saw in China, where we took a big step. Now we must maintain our reliability but in a hotter climate, we have to try and take the same step that we took in China”.
    Narain Karthikeyan, #23: “I don’t know the circuit in Bahrain so I’m going to have to be extra focused and make the most of my time in the car. We have an idea of what we think the set-up should be, so we’ll see if this works. We’re going to try a few things in Bahrain and, hopefully, this will help us to improve and progress further. What I do know about this track is that the weather is going to be very hot and we’ve struggled a bit in hot conditions this season so far because of the cooling system in the car, so we’re going to have to work very hard on this. After a good performance in Malaysia, we’ll be looking to further reduce the gap to the group ahead of us”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “Without any time to enjoy or analyze the Chinese Grand Prix, we already find ourselves in another country and another Grand Prix, so we have to work against the clock to study all the data gathered in Shanghai and make the corresponding adjustments for Bahrain. This Grand Prix will take place in very different conditions and, although we could say that we’ve made up for the lack of preseason and are now at the starting point, our biggest weakness is still cooling. Here that is a key factor but I’m confident we can continue along the same line as in the last races and will be able to progress a little bit more this weekend. Narain and Pedro, just like the rest of the team, have arrived very motivated and I hope that that work and motivation translates into another good result for our young team”.