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Sauber F1 Team’s Oerlikon solar park goes on stream
Hinwil, 17 September 2012:
Solar Car Port of Sauber. Sauber F1 team photo 19Sep2012 The solar park constructed for the Sauber F1 Team in Hinwil by premium partner Oerlikon is now on stream after being officially opened today (Monday). It is one of the largest solar car ports in Switzerland. The construction, consisting of 1,573 technically advanced and aesthetically appealing thin-film silicon photovoltaic modules, stretches over an area measuring 2,249 square metres. A roof of one of the factory buildings has been fitted with solar modules and large sections of the company’s car park are now covered, which brings a number of benefits.
It took just six weeks to construct the solar park thanks to the innovative and cost-efficient way the modules are fitted. The installation delivers 155,600 kilowatt hours of power per year – equivalent to the electricity needs of 44 households – and generates peak power of 173 kWp*. The energy payback time for the thin-film silicon solar modules is less than a year.“We are extremely proud of this sustainable extension to our company headquarters,” says CEO Monisha Kaltenborn. “For us, local power generation via a photovoltaic installation not only represents another contribution to fulfilling our environmental responsibilities, it also makes financial sense. The installation is cost-efficient and also allows a large number of vehicles to be parked under cover. On top of that, it fits in well visually with our factory as a whole, which is already highlighted by the modernistic glass architecture of the wind tunnel building’s façade.”The impact of the installation in terms of sustainability is clear – and neither can it be ignored by anyone passing by the Hinwil factory on Zürichstrasse. A display panel shows information on the system’s current output and the energy produced both on that particular day and in total so far.“We’re delighted to be able to support the Sauber F1 Team with these concrete steps as part of its commitment to protecting the environment,” says Oerlikon CEO Michael Buscher. “This solar park fully showcases the specific advantages of our solar technology, such as low costs, high operational effectiveness even in cloudy conditions, and a short energy payback time.”The solar park represents Sauber Motorsport’s third major step of 2012 in terms of environmental protection. On 3rd April the Sauber Group’s environment management system was awarded ISO 14001 certification and since 3rd May this year the Sauber F1 Team has been greenhouse gas neutral; the team supports a wind park project in India which saves more in greenhouse gas emissions than the Formula One team generates (overcompensation: 30 percent). -
Sahara Force India looking for a strong finish
Singapore, 17 Sept 2012: Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix Sahara Force India team Principal and Indian Liquor Baron Dr Vijay Mallya looks back on the European season and sets his sights on a good showing to retain their place as a strong mid-team this year too.Eighth place brought some useful points in Italy, but is it really a case of ‘what might have been’?Vijay Mallya: If Paul had started where he should have started I’m sure he would have finished higher up the order. It was very unfortunate what happened to Nico during qualifying, where he couldn’t set a time. Given the pace of the cars I would have expected him to qualify somewhere close to Paul, so we could potentially have had both well inside the top ten. It was not to be.Nevertheless a solid drive by Paul into eighth?
Vijay Mallya: Given the fact that we were on a one-stop, we had to also keep in mind that the tyres needed to be conserved. Eighth was a result, but with a better starting position we could have come away with more.After Spa, Sauber looked within reach, but they scored well in Italy. How do you view the situation?
Vijay Mallya: There have been various moments where they’ve drawn away and we seemingly can’t catch them, but all it takes is a podium finish that brings in a lot of points, and if we get a couple of them, we could still chase them down.On the other hand you have increased the advantage over Williams, albeit by only three points.
Vijay Mallya: Two years ago Williams got us by one point in Brazil, so every point does matter!How do you view the rest of the season?
Vijay Mallya: As I’ve said before, we haven’t had our fair share of luck yet this season. Take the case of Spa – it was probably as close as we’ve had to a podium finish, but once again, it was not to be. But I’m an optimist and I don’t give up! It’s tough, Williams are strong, Sauber are strong. And look at what’s happening with Lotus. A lot of teams that were regarded as midfield teams last year are now pushing the big boys pretty hard.Are you looking forward to Singapore?
Vijay Mallya: In Singapore the atmosphere is brilliant. It’s a night race, of course, and more significantly for me there are a lot of people of Indian origin in Singapore, so they relate a lot to Sahara Force India, which is always nice. When I was living there, Singapore was very different to what it is now. It’s a lot more exciting, there are a lot more things to do, and it’s a lot more tourist friendly. Singapore should be a strong race for us because the track has always suited our car.Nico Hulkenberg who missed a podium but got bulk of points in one of the Euro leg races is looking at Singapore as the most-demanding race of the year.Nico, tell us about racing at night in Singapore and the challenges it presents…Nico: I took part in the 2010 race and thought it was a mega experience. The whole atmosphere in the paddock and working at night is fun because it makes a nice change. We stay on European time so the body keeps its rhythm, although it does feel strange to be going to bed when the sun is rising.What about the track itself?Nico: It’s a very long lap with some tricky bumps and kerbs, and you need to get close to the walls if you want to be quick. So getting the perfect lap is not easy. It’s anti-clockwise, too, although it’s not as demanding on the neck as somewhere like Interlagos because most of the corners are low to medium speed.What about the physical challenge generally?Nico:
File picture of Nico Hulkenber. Photo by Sahara Force India. For me Singapore is the toughest race of the year – physically and mentally. I think it’s because there are 23 corners on the track and it’s one of the longest races of the year – always close to the two hour limit. So you certainly feel it after the race because of the high temperatures and humidity.
Sahara Force India main driver, Paul Di Resta, who was lagging behind his teammate in some of the races recently explains his preparation for night racing in Singapore.What are your expectations for Singapore this year?Paul: I had a good race there last year and we’ve seen already that the car has been strong on street circuits this year. So I’m hoping that we will go well there, optimise the set-up and pick up some good points. I think it’s a track everybody enjoys and it’s an interesting race because of the unusual schedule.Does it still feel different to be racing under artificial lights?Paul: They do such a good job that you don’t really notice. It’s almost better than if you are driving during the day with cloud cover. It’s just something you get used to really quickly. The other thing is you arrive there and stay on European time, and the night becomes your day so you don’t really suffer with jet lag.Is it easy to stay on European time?Paul: It’s not something I find difficult. The important thing is making sure you choose the right flight to arrive in Singapore at the right time of day. You also have to make sure the hotel staff don’t tap on your door in the morning at 9am because you need to be sleeping for another five hours! I always go to bed at 6am and wake up at 2pm, that’s my routine.To watch Nico Hulkenberg’s video preview of Singapore, click on the following link: http://goo.gl/mLRj8 -
Parth wins agains: Formula Pilota
Guangdong (China), 16 Sept 2012: Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade capped off a great weekend at Round 4 of the 2012 Formula Pilota Championship when he dominated Race 3 at the Guangdong International Circuit. This was his second win of the weekend which puts him 3rd in the overall championship and 1stin the Asian category. Parth qualified on pole for Race 3 finished more than 5 seconds ahead of the second placed driver. Parth had earlier taken his maiden win when he won Race 1 a day earlier
Parth Ghorpade who won two races in Formula Pilota in China. Adrenna Comm photo. Parth converted his maiden pole into a lights to flag finish in Race 3. The storming drive saw him finish 5 secs ahead of his teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and Sean Galeal, to make it another podium lockout for Team Eurasia. Along the way he set the fastest lap of 1:14:318secs to make it a perfect race with pole, fastest lap and the win. The 2 wins this weekend puts him in the lead of the Asian class and 3rd overall with 6 races to go.
After winning his first race from 4th on the grid a delighted Parth commented, “This has been an amazing weekend for me and the most dominant race of my career. Every driver dreams of qualifying on pole, setting the fastest lap and winning the race so the result is perfect for me. The start was important and once I was ahead I tried to pull away as much as possible. I would like to thank Eurasia for giving me a great car this weekend. We still have two more race weekends in Sepang to go so will give it my all. A special thank you to my sponsors Karvy without whom I would not be here.”
18 year old Ghorpade is a five-time National Karting Champion, runner-up in the inaugural 2010 Volkswagen Polo Cup India, and recently competed in the Renault F4 series in 2011, finishing in the top five multiple times.
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Massa leads parade of Ferraris, a world `record’
Silverstone, 15 Sept 2012: Although it has not yet been officially ratified as a Guinness World Record, there’s no doubt that today, a new world record was established for the biggest parade of Ferraris ever organised. 964 Ferraris took to the Silverstone circuit to beat the previous record of 490 cars dating back to 2008 at Japan’s Fuji Speedway Circuit, according to a Ferrari release.
Felipe Massa was the guest of honour, leading the parade at the wheel of a 458 Spider. “It was a really unforgettable experience,” commented the Scuderia Ferrari race driver, against a backdrop of the 800 cars. It’s a great honour for me to be here for such a special event, with so many cars all brought together on one race track, which produced an unprecedented spectacle for all Prancing Horse fans.”
It was a truly memorable scene with over 900 Ferraris from all over the UK and further afield at Silverstone circuit as part of the Ferrari Racing Days. This ambitious attempt was successful in no small part thanks to the cooperation of the British Ferrari Owners Club and it was all in a good cause, as Ferrari donated £5 for every car in the parade to BEN, a British charity that supports employees from the motor industry and their family.
Also taking part in the parade was Marc Gene, who is attending the event as a special coach for drivers taking part in the F1 Clienti programmes. There was also an opportunity for spectators to admire the entire range of Ferrari cars, including the very latest model the F12 berlinetta, the most powerful road car every built by the Maranello marque.
All the necessary conditions were met for a world record to be ratified and put before the Guinness World Records Limited Comission, who will confirm the record by the end of next week.
Massa leads a parade of Ferraris at Silverstone on Saturday 15 Sept 2012. Ferrari photo. ends
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Parth wins in China: Formula Pilota
Guangdong (China), 15 Sept 2012: Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade continued his great start to Round 4 of the 2012 Formula Pilota Championship when he won Race 1 at the Guangdong International Circuit. This was his first win in an international series and moves him to third in the championship. Parth finished only in 8th position in Race 2 when he was hit from the back by Ren Nagabuchi in the first corner and had to recover after that.
Starting P4, Parth had a terrific start and was able to make his way through to P1 at the end of the first lap. He crossed the first lap in the lead which he was able to control till the end of the 18 lap race. He came under pressure from Ren Nagabuchi in the middle half of the race, but was able to pull away in the last 4 laps to secure his maiden win in Formula Pilota. The two front runners were able to establish a considerable lead over the rest of the pack and by lap 6 it had become a two-way battle for the win. The win was Parths 3rd consecutive podium in the overall class and 4th in the Asian class.
In Race 2, Parth started P3 , but was hit from behind in the first corner by Nagabuchi whom he had got past off the start line. The collsion launched him into the lead car of Dan Wells, who recovered without major damage, but the damage to Parth’s car was severe and he had to nurse it home to 8th place. It was a dissappointing end to the day as he just had to clear the first corner and could have cruised to a podium in the short 10 lap race.
After winning his first race from 4th on the grid a delighted Parth commented, “This is probably the biggest achievement in my international racing career and hope it is the first of many. We have been close in many races but have not managed to step on the top step of the podium. I had one of my best starts of the season and managed to end the first lap in front. It was a good battle with Ren but managed to stay ahead of him. It was a shame that I got hit in Race 2 as the car was really good. This win is down to all the hard work put in so happy that it has paid off. I would like to thank my family and sponsors for making this possible. I will now turn my focus to the rest of the weekend and try to gain as many points as possible.”
18 year old Ghorpade is a five-time National Karting Champion, runner-up in the inaugural 2010 Volkswagen Polo Cup India, and recently competed in the Renault F4 series in 2011, finishing in the top five multiple times.
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Parth Ghorpade of India wins the race in China to climb to the third position in the Formula Pilota Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications. -
Ma Qing to replace Narain for 1st practice
Marina Bay Street Circuit – 61 laps – 5.073 kmHRT file photo Madrid, 13 Sept 2012: With the European part of the season completed the Formula 1 World Championship heads east for a swing of five Asian races that begins with the Singapore Grand Prix on the weekend of the 21st to the 23rd of September. This event stands out because of its singularity as it is the only nocturnal Grand Prix on the calendar and the European time zone is respected meaning that teams work at night and rest throughout the day.After a special weekend in Italy, the objective of HRT Formula 1 Team is to maintain the reliability that led both cars to cross the finish line in Monza and progress with the upgrades which will be introduced to the car in Singapore. After a positive debut at the Italian Grand Prix, Ma Qing Hua will step into the F112 once again for the first free practice session, replacing Narain Karthikeyan and joining Pedro de la Rosa.The Marina Bay Street Circuit has hosted the Singapore Grand Prix since 2008. It’s a slow, bumpy and narrow anti-clockwise track and is also a very physically demanding test for the drivers given the high temperatures and humidity. Pirelli has elected its supersoft and soft tyres for this Grand Prix.Pedro de la Rosa: “I’ve never raced at Singapore but I know the circuit because of my simulator work as a test driver for McLaren. It’s a spectacular track and probably the toughest circuit on the brakes in the entire Championship besides being a very physically demanding race because of the heat and humidity. We should have a good performance as there are many slow corners and it is quite similar to Monaco. Besides, we’ve got an aero upgrade which should help us to cut down the gap to our rivals. I have to make the most of the practice session to adapt to the circuit but I’m up for the challenge”.Narain Karthikeyan: “Singapore has a spectacular atmosphere as the race takes place under artificial lighting. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is bumpy and very complicated. You can’t make any mistakes as it is a street circuit. Besides, it’s also very demanding physically because of the high temperatures and humidity. I arrive here extremely motivated and in good form after a good weekend in Italy and we’ve also brought upgrades which we hope will help us improve our race pace a little bit more”.Ma Qing Hua: “”I’m very happy to drive the F112 for a second time in a row and I really appreciate the opportunity HRT is giving me. It will be very exciting to drive a F1 around the streets of Singapore. It’s a very demanding track for all of us, but it will be even more of a challenge for me as this is only the second time I will be driving the car at a race weekend. But I am looking forward to it and the laps that I added to my tally at the last Grand Prix in Monza have given me plenty of confidence. I have prepared myself in the simulator as well as doing some specific exercises to be used to driving at night. This is yet again another step in my career and I look forward to getting more experience at the wheel of a Formula 1 car as well as doing my best to help the team to prepare for the race”.Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “I don’t personally know the Marina Bay Street Circuit but I’m really looking forward to getting to know it since everyone says it’s one of the most beautiful races in the Championship. But also because in Singapore we’re incorporating the second major upgrade to the car of the season which we hope will help us take another step forward. Ma will step into the car once more for the first free practice session and the objective is for him to continue learning and improving as he did in Monza, where we were very happy with his work and performance. Pedro and Narain come on the back of a good race in Italy and we hope that with the upgrades they can get even closer to our rivals”.ends
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We’re getting stronger, says Indian-born Sauber chief
Hinwil, 12 Sept 2012: Three podium places and a front-row grid position are the highlights for the Sauber F1 Team after 13 out of 20 races in the FIA Formula One World Championship 2012. Last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix saw the team reach the 100-point mark – that’s already 56 more than their total for the whole of the 2011 season. Here, CEO Monisha Kaltenborn reflects on the points accumulated so far – and the ones that got away.Monisha Kaltenborn, the last eight days have been something of a rollercoaster ride. How did you experience the lows of Spa and the highs of Monza?Monisha Kaltenborn: “I’d rather not dwell too much on the disappointment of Spa. We had an outstanding qualifying and started from second and fourth on the grid. But we came away without a single point, and that was out of our hands. It was a race best forgotten in a hurry. However, the 20 points we collected at Monza were hard won and thoroughly deserved, and we’re very proud of our result there.”Did you really think Sergio Pérez could convert 12th place on the grid into second at the finish?Kaltenborn: “We know we can be very strong on race day. In Malaysia, for example, Sergio started way down in 15th place but still managed to finish second – albeit in some extraordinary weather conditions. And in Germany Kamui Kobayashi started from 12th on the grid but managed to finish fourth. However, no one could have expected that things would turn out so well at Monza.”The team finished last season on 44 World Championship points. After 13 grands prix in 2012 you already have 100. How would you explain this improvement?Kaltenborn: “Our technical people and engineers have succeeded in building a fine car in the Sauber C31-Ferrari. The weak points of last year’s car have been almost completely eradicated, while the ongoing development of the C31 is taking place at a very high level and extremely efficiently. Added to which, stability has returned to the team after a very difficult phase for the company in which we had to deal with the withdrawal of BMW in 2009. Re-establishing this stability has been very important. Another factor that should not be understated is that our two young drivers now both have another year of experience under their belts.”Can the privately-run Sauber F1 Team keep pace with the larger teams’ speed of development?Kaltenborn: “We are working extremely efficiently. The extensive package of upgrades we introduced for the races at Barcelona and Silverstone were successful. Our progress at the race track has met our expectations and calculations in full, which is a major feather in the cap of our engineers. And there’s still more to come from the C31. We’ll be bringing another series of upgrades to the upcoming races in Asia, at the same time as pushing ahead with the development of next year’s car, of course. So it’s not only a question of the pace of development, but more particularly efficiency. Here, the issue of costs clearly plays a critical role. The greater the resources at your disposal, the more intensively you can develop the car, and that is reflected directly in performance.”How would you assess the budget-related developments in Formula One?Kaltenborn: “There is an urgent need for action on this issue. For the majority of the teams in Formula One the financial challenges are huge. The Sauber F1 Team is very much in favour of introducing measures to push down costs further still. First and foremost, we hope that the Resource Restriction Agreement will be implemented and monitored effectively from 2013 onwards. It is also important that engine costs from 2014 are kept at a sensible level for the privately-run teams. A constructive move here would be to draw up a roadmap setting out the direction of technical development over a period of several years. That would make planning easier and reduce costs substantially.”What are you goals for the remaining seven races of 2012?Kaltenborn: “After our strong start to the season, many people were predicting that the wheels would come off for us, so to speak, as the season progressed. The reality, though, is we’re getting stronger all the time, and I’m anticipating that we’ll continue to deliver good performances through the final third of the season. Before the season got under way we said we wanted to significantly improve our position in the World Championship. Taking our seventh place in the constructors’ standings in 2011 as a starting point, that would mean finishing fifth this year. That’s an ambitious target, but you have to set your sights high. And I have every confidence in our team.”Monisha Kaltenborn with Bernie Ecclestone. File photo by Sauber F1 team. ends
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Jules Bianchi drives a Ferrari at Young Driver Test
Magny-Cours, 11 Sept 2012: A three day Young Driver Test got underway today at Magny-Cours, to assess potential future Formula 1 drivers. Frenchman Jules Bianchi was at the wheel for Scuderia Ferrari. The day’s programme centred mainly on two points: collecting aerodynamic data, with the car fitted with specific sensors for this task and adapting the car set-up to best suit Jules’ driving style.
The day’s running finished slightly ahead of schedule because of an electrical problem and up to that point, Bianchi had done 87 laps, with a best time of 1.18.070.
“Today we tried various aerodynamic components which are not big evolutions for the car, but things already tried on Fridays at the races and brought here to confirm some of the data” - said Jules at the end of the day - “It’s the first time I’ve driven this year’s car and it was good opportunity for me to get some experience of it. I immediately felt comfortable, with a good pace, but right near the end of the session when I wanted to go for a time, we had a small electrical problem. Apart from that, it was a completely positive day: I really like driving this track and it’s characteristics are particularly well suited to testing.”
The Scuderia continues testing tomorrow, with Davide Rigon at the wheel.
Sahara Force India
Luiz Razia enjoyed his first taste of the VJM05 today as Sahara Force India completed day one of the young driver test in Magny-Cours, France.Day one StatsChassis: VJM05-04Laps: 65 lapsMileage: 286 kmFastest lap: 1:18.535Luiz Razia: “It’s always valuable to spend time in a Formula One car and today has been really useful. It’s given me the chance to get to know the team and get comfortable in the car. The biggest challenge was getting used to all the switches on the steering wheel so that was good experience and I learned about all the car’s systems. I also got to experience KERS for the first time. There were some issues with the car in the morning so I did most of my laps in the afternoon and the track just got faster and faster as the track rubbered in. We made some improvements to the car during my runs in the afternoon and some balance corrections which worked well. I really enjoyed working with the team and hope I get the chance to build on this in the future.”Jakob Andreasen, Chief Engineer“It was our first time working with Luiz and he impressed us straight away. He looked very comfortable in the car and was immediately giving good feedback on grip levels and car handling. We had a few technical issues in the morning, which kept us in the garage, but we got out straight after lunch and completed the programme. We tried to give Luiz a feel of what is needed to be a Formula One driver, so the day included some launches and pit stop simulations, and we also got his feedback on set-up items. He handled everything very well, including the KERS and DRS, and did all that we asked of him. The lap times were competitive and he set his best time on the soft tyres towards the end of the day.”Luiz Razia takes to the track for Sahara Force India on Tuesday 11 Sept 2012 at Magny Cours. Sahara Force India photo. ends
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Facile Monza win for Hamilton
Monza, 9 Sept 2012: Lewis Hamilton cruised to a comfortable Italian Grand Prix victory at Monza on Sunday without any hiccups as he raced from lights to flag at the front and is quietly crawling up to catch the leader Fernando Alonso, who finished third behind Sergio Perez of Sauber, who staged another spectacular raid on the podium positions. Fernando Alonso maintained his title charge and is still in the championship lead with 179 points. Hamilton is second in the drivers’ championship with 142 points, a point ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who is a point ahead of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel on 140.
Pole winner Hamilton dominated from the start, holding off a strong first-corner challenge from the fast-starting Felipe Massa to maintain his lead. That was about as close to discomfort as the McLaren driver came over the next 53 laps. While behind him Massa and Jenson Button tussled for second, Hamilton simply stretched his legs and over the bulk of his two stints and effortlessly carved out a 13-second lead that remained largely unchallenged until the chequered flag.
“It was pretty trouble-free,” Hamilton said afterwards of his third win of the season. “I don’t think I had any problems throughout the race and the guys did a great job through the pitstop. Also, I got a good start for once, so very, very happy with that.”
However, Hamilton lamented the fact that team-mate Jenson Button failed to join him on the podium. The winner of last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix was forced to retire after 32 laps, his car suffering a fuel system problem while in second place.
“It’s very unfortunate for Jenson,” Hamilton said. “We were running 1-2 at the time and it would have been fantastic for the team to have won here and have first and second. I don’t really know what went on with his car but it was very unfortunate.”
While Hamilton’s strolled to his 20th career win, the real race developed behind him, with Fernando Alonso carving his way through he field in a bit to make up for a qualifying session in which mechanical problems left him tenth on the grid. On his first lap of the race he climbed to seventh and by two-thirds distance the championship leader had hustled his way up to third.
Part of that progress involved a nail-biting battle with Sebastian Vettel. However, the Red Bull Racing driver defended too hard under pressure from the Ferrari driver and the stewards handed Vettel a drive through penalty for “forcing another driver off the track”.
Vettel’s penalty freed Alonso to make his move on the podium positions and after being ushered through to second by team-mate Massa, it looked almost certain that he would take 18 points and further bolster his championship lead.
Sergio Perez, however, had other ideas. The Sauber driver had a difficult qualifying, starting 13th and as such his team opted to start the Mexican on the hard Pirelli tyre, taking their now traditional gamble on their driver’s ability to keep tyres alive and maintain good lap times over a long stint.
Perez didn’t disappoint. He kept his first set of tyres going until lap 30 of 53 and then moved onto the medium compound. He rejoined in seventh and running as much as three seconds faster than the drivers around him on older hard tyres, he began carving his way through the pack.
Eventually he came up behind third-placed Massa. It was no contest. Perez brushed the Brazilian aside and then a few laps later pulled the same move on Alonso, scything past the Ferrari to claim another spectacular, if unlikely podium.
He set off in pursuit of Hamilton, with the McLaren crew warning their driver that the Sauber man was setting lightning-quick times. Perez closed to within 4.5 seconds of the McLaren driver but the Briton always had something in reserve and crossed the line in comfort to record his 20th career win and his first Italian GP win.
Perez, though, was delighted with his efforts, especially as he admitted that keeping the hard tyres alive in his first stint had been difficult.
“It was really enjoyable. One of those races where you have the pace and you are the one attacking,” he said. “[However,] during my first stint, to go that long and to be able to keep the pace was not easy at all. I did quite a lot of laps on those tyres. Then in the second stint we managed to go maximum attack and I was able to have good fighting with some drivers. It was just a great race.”
Alonso, meanwhile, branded his race “absolutely perfect” despite losing second place to Perez in the closing stages.
“An absolutely perfect Sunday for us,” he said. “Obviously the win was out of reach after the problem yesterday, starting tenth is not easy to think about victory, so if you cannot win, podium is next target. In all the simulations and all the predictions we had, it was never a podium finish, so basically it’s much better than expected. Jenson was out of the race and the two Red Bulls… so perfect Sunday maybe.”
It was a far from perfect afternoon for Red Bull. After taking his drive-through penalty, Vettel rejoined behind team-mate Mark Webber. The pair soon swapped places and looked on course for a pride-salvaging finish of sixth and seventh place.
It wasn’t to be. Six laps from the flag Vettel pulled with an alternator problem similar to the one that had caused him stop late in Saturday morning’s final free practice session and four laps later Webber too exited the race. The Australian spun out while pushing on heavily worn tyres and limped back to the garage to retire.
With seven race left Alonso now has 179 points, 37 points clear of Hamilton, who is now second in 142 points. Kimi Raikkonen, fifth today, has stealthily moved up to third with 141 points. Vettle ins now fourth with 140 points and Webber is fifth with 132.
Red Bull Racing keep hold of top slot in the Constructors’ Championship however, though with an obviously smaller margin. McLaren move to within 29 points of the Milton Keynes team’s total of 272 points. Ferrari are third with 226 points and Lotus are fourth with 217 points.
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Hamilton celebrates after winning at Monza on Sunday 9 Sept 2012. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Photo
