INDIA in F1

Tag: F1

  • Abu Dhabi GP: FIA Friday Press Conference

    TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Andrew GREEN (Force India), Antonio CUQUERELLA (HRT), Rémi TAFFIN (Renault Sport F1), Ross BRAWN (Mercedes), Pat FRY (Ferrari)

    A question to you all about engines at this stage. It gets towards the sharp engine of the season and people are running out of mileage on their engines. Perhaps you could give us an update on how you are with engines at this stage?

    Andrew GREEN: We’re completely to plan. As we worked it out from race one, so no issues for us at the moment.

    Antonio?

    Antonio CUQUERELLA: Yes, same for us. We’re going to start this race, both cars with the last engine and it’s all according to plan as we planned in the winter.

    Pat?

    Pat FRY: Yes, exactly the same really. It’s going to plan. I think we have one engine left to play but touch wood it should be fine.

    Ross.

    Ross BRAWN: As with everyone else, you manage it through the whole season. So you’re making adjustments and corrections as you go through the year and we’re OK.

    Rémi, your teams?

    Remi TAFFIN: Let’s say since last race we’re on plan. We’ve obviously had up and downs during the year but we’re all fine. We also have some engines left obviously for six of our eight drivers, one left, which we should use for this weekend. So it will be up to eight this weekend for all our customers and we should be OK for the rest of the year. Obviously we have to manage the mileage on Fridays but yeah, we’re on target.

    Andrew, first of all, Force India seems to be fairly comfortable in the midfield but what does it take to get the team towards the sharper end of the championship?

    AG: Quite simple: you’ve got to out-develop the guys in front of you.

    Is that money? Is that personnel?

    AG: It’s everything. But ultimately you need the money to invest in the team, in the hardware and in the people and ultimately that will increase your rate of development. That’s what you need to do, that’s what we would need to do if we were to start to target these guys in front of me [Fry, Brawn]. It’s something we’ve discussed with the shareholders at great length, telling us where they want to be, what they want to do. There’s more discussions happening very shortly and hopefully we’ll be able to announce something in near future.

    Have you still got developments coming this year or are you working one hundred per cent on the new car now?

    AG: Oh, we’ve been on the new car for several months now. There’s been no development on this car since the shutdown effectively.

    Antonio, can you give us an update on how the team is developing in Madrid, in terms of staffing etc.,

    AC: Yeah. As you know we’ve done a big change this year, moving everything, everybody’s under the same roof now and we got our DO [design office] as it started from the summer and now our department is moving from Germany to Spain. We are recruiting, we are doing a lot of interviews and we are recruiting at a high rate of people. But still we are the smallest team, there’s no need to hide that. It’s a long way for us to get into the midfield, or let’s say the average size of team. But we are growing fast.

    In terms of development of the car for next year, is it going to be essentially the same car?

    AC: Oh no. It’s not going to be the same car. It’s going to have… all the cars they have a lot of common parts that carry over from one to the other but of course it’s going to be completely new in many areas: suspension, aerodynamics and many areas. Of course some parts of the transmission are parts we are going to keep them but I would say all the parts that are lap time-relevant are going to be improved or replaced.

    Pat, I think you made quite a big push for this grand prix in terms of developments. Can you give us some sort of update on it?

    PF: We’ve been pushing for the last few grands prix really. There’s a few new developments on the car; we worked through our programme this morning and this afternoon, looking promising but we need to analyse all the data as normal before we decide what to run for tomorrow.

    How much did you change your schedule to bring those parts to here? Is it something that’s recently come in? And how much has that been affected by the shutdown of the wind tunnel?

    PF: Well, we’re still using our wind tunnel. We’re obviously using a customer one as well. I mean it’s just been part of our normal tunnel programme if you like, and I suppose we are a little bit later this year than we were last year with the new car but development on that has been going strong for quite a while as well.

    Q: Ross, obviously the announcement that Niki Lauda will have a role within the team has been of interest? How is that going to work with you?

    RB: Niki is non-executive chairman, chairman of our board. We meet our board several times a year, to discuss the major issues. I think Niki is also going to add a lot of racing experience to the board. The board meetings will probably have a slightly different complexion in the future. And Niki’s helping with some of the bigger strategic issues, such as the new commercial agreement with Bernie; obviously Niki had some involvement with persuading Lewis to join us – so those sort of issues but not involved with the day-to-day running of the team.

    Q: So your role essentially doesn’t change.

    RB: No, no. I’ve just a got a new chairman. I had one before, I’ve got a different one now.

    Q: You touched there on Lewis joining the team, to what extent would you encourage him to build the team around him, rather as Michael Schumacher did at Ferrari all those years ago? And how would that therefore work with the other driver?

    RB: Well, I think both drivers in the team contribute to developing a team, building a team. We are clearly not achieving the results we want to achieve yet, so we’ve got some progress we need to make and I think Lewis will be able to contribute a lot to helping us make that progress. We obviously believe and we know he’s a very very quick driver. This is perhaps a new challenge he’s facing of helping a team grow and develop and become more competitive. So there’s some different aspects, perhaps, to what he’s going to face with us and what he’s faced at McLaren, which was a pretty complete and rounded team.

    Q: Remy, first of all, interesting developments from Lotus with the Coanda exhaust; how does that affect the Renault engine? What do you have to do to the engine with different exhaust systems?

    RT: Obviously that affects the performance of the engine so get the performance down from the first attempt of the exhaust. Thereafter, we have to work on how we can assess this loss and try to minimise it, so that’s our main objective when we work on this exhaust back at the factory. That’s why you can see some different versions coming at any race we do, so that’s the part of the job we do.

    Q: And here, how much is the performance of the engine affected from free practice in the morning, through to qualifying or the race, the difference in temperature, 13 degrees track temperature, but how much does the ambient change affect the engine and performance?

    RT: If we look at what we’re going to get at the end of the race, it could be five to 10 degrees down. Engine-wise it’s more like what we’re going to try to assess for the cooling, for example, so we just basically have to get the data from P2 because it’s more or less the same timing, and assess the set-up of the car, we need to get with it, and that’s basically it. Racing is pretty close to what we’ve been doing in P2 so that’s when we will get the data and find out what we need.

    Q: Is there a power change at all?

    RT: Obviously there will be a power change, but let’s say it’s the same for everyone. The only real change that we have from Friday to Saturday or Sunday is the engine change, because we’re going to change the engine for tomorrow, so that’s going to be the main difference.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Ross, the FIA has published the entry fee requirements for next season with a significant increase in the amount for every point scored, which is probably going to hit the mid-table teams more than others. I was just wondering about your thoughts on that? Mercedes, presumably, can afford to pay it but it’s quite a significant increase on this season.

    RB: I think, for us, we would be delighted to pay it because we would be scoring a lot of points. In fact, if you’re a mid-range team, and considering the fact that all the extra facilities that we pay for separately at the moment are rolled into that entrance fee, I think for a lot of teams it’s going to be very similar. It’s going to make more substantial difference for those teams who finish in the top three or four of the championship. I was being a bit flippant, but obviously I hope that we can have that problem next year.

    Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Pat, are you confident you can reduce the gap from Red Bull in qualifying or do you think you will suffer again as you have in the last races?

    PF: We are trying as hard as we can to improve the qualifying performance. As I say, we’ve got some updates here. I need to go through… or the guys need to go through and check the exact performance level, but obviously our race pace is quite reasonable, as last weekend showed. We need to work on our qualifying, so we will keep on trying, we will keep on pushing.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) A question for Remy: we understand that the new Red Bull or the new Renault alternators are going to be seen in Austin for the first time; could you tell us what work has been done to integrate them on the engines and what the differences are with the new specification?

    RT: The new specification we’ve been running now since Singapore. It was obviously run on Fridays but before we did that, we did the normal job we do with any parts that we fit on the engine on the dyno, for example, so it has obviously passed all the tests, so we are now quite confident that we can race it and that’s why we have a target to introduce that at race 19, so in Austin. The question now is whether we’re going to fit that on all of the cars or all of the teams we supply and it’s just a question of supplying the parts. It’s not that easy to get all the parts changed but obviously the major changes we’ve done is all about what failed and we’ve discussed bearings so that’s the work we’ve achieved so far, so that’s where we are.

    Andrew Green (GBR) Sahara Force India F1 Team Technical Director in the FIA Press Conference. at Abu Dhabi on Friday. SFI photo

    Ends

  • Abu Dhabi GP: FIA’s Thursday Press Conference

    Drivers Present:

    File photo of Ricciardo by Toro Rosso F1 team

    Vitaly PETROV (Caterham), Daniel RICCIARDO (Toro Rosso), Charles PIC (Marussia), Kamui KOBAYASHI (Sauber), Felipe MASSA (Ferrari), Jenson BUTTON (McLaren)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Vitaly, like a number of drivers here today whom we’ll all be talking to about the same subject, the future is not decided for you. What are your feelings about that, what’s happening and when are we likely to hear about it?

    Vitaly PETROV: Bob, I think you’ll know what I mean when I answer this question. Last time you asked Nico [Hulkenberg] the same question so, I think I will answer the same: I’ll focus on this year trying to do the best race to race. My management is doing the work and that’s it.

    What about the recent performances? The car seems to be going better. Are you happy with that? You’ve been matching Heikki pretty much if not finishing ahead of him.

    VP: I’m working quite hard to beat him every race and I have a goal. Look like we now understand much more the car and the set-up. We’re very excited for this weekend because we bring quite a big package of updates, so we’ll need to test a lot of things in P1, P2 and P3 – probably even in quali. We’re looking forward to understanding them, as those updates will probably be on next year’s car as well. So I’m really excited to see how they are because in the last few months we bring some updates but we didn’t bring in… towards being quicker, you know. So this is why this test is quite important for us.

    Daniel, the news came out a couple of days ago that you’re staying with the team. I guess everybody thought that was automatic but it doesn’t seem that way.

    Daniel RICCIARDO: I guess until something’s signed and sealed, you always keep a bit reserved, so it’s nice to get confirmation that I’ll be back with Toro Rosso next year. Yeah, it’s good to now focus on the last few races and it’s good to know we’ve got that behind us for next season. There are some big expectations there have been some big changes throughout this year and they’ll be in full effect next year essentially. It’s been a little bit too late to make a huge difference this year but we’re definitely expecting good things for next year and I’ll have a bit more experience behind me, which will help as well.

    Talking about improvements in the car, will there be improvements here?

    DR: We hope so. We’re not bringing any big updates this weekend, nothing to brag about. We’ve been pretty good since the summer break, we’ve definitely been more consistent in compiling the points more regularly. Unfortunately, in India it wasn’t the case, but prior to that we’ve been pretty good. This weekend we’ll see what happens. Quite a few sponsors and guests here this weekend, so we’ll do our best to impress them all.

    Charles, also a question about the future. What is there in the pipeline for you?

    Charles PIC: I don’t know, there are still three races to go and I want to be focused on this. Of course we are asking about next year but nothing is done, so I will have to wait.

    Are there updates coming for the car here?

    CP: No. I think from Singapore we made a step and we are much closer to Caterham, our direct competitor and our objective is to try to keep this 10th position.

    Kamui, again, another future question for you, what’s happening with you?

    Kamui KOBAYASHI: Hi everyone. I have the same thing as the guys – we have to work hard to get next year’s seat. I think I’m pretty confident to deserve a Formula One seat but for sure we definitely need to focus for these last three races. So, let’s see. We don’t have so many seats [available] either, so this is also a big question, so I think I try to focus on the results and also negotiate with other teams or the same team, I don’t know.

    And this is a circuit where you scored your first World Championship points, so it must be one that you remember.

    KK: Yes, definitely. I have a good memory here. Abu Dhabi is one of my good memories of track, and especially I think like Toyota’s race is something special for me and at the same time scoring first points here. Of course I think we had different cars and I think had to take a different approach. But the last two years experiencing it with the same team I have quite a positive feeling for here.

    Felipe, we haven’t spoken to you since you were decided for 2013 for Ferrari. It must be a relief to be signed.

    Felipe MASSA: Yes, I think it’s very nice to stay with Ferrari after a long time now. Going to the eighth championship for Ferrari, not counting even when I signed the contract when I was a young driver. Not so young anymore but still a young driver, before Formula One, when I signed a contract for Ferrari. It’s a long time now. It’s very nice, and really looking forward to finish well this end of the Championship but also to concentrate 100 per cent for different and very competitive 2013 as well.

    The race results have been getting better for you over the last few races. Has that been because the car has come towards you with the development?

    FM: A little bit, yes, but also I think, y’know, I would say maybe I had a better direction for the second part of the season. I had good races before, for example the pace was very good in the race, the possibility to score good points and finish in the points was high but always something was happening with some race and I couldn’t put it together. I would say after August everything was much more in the right direction. Nothing was happening during the race; the position on the start was better; so I think you know, this helps a lot. Also my mind, I mean I put it on my mind that if it’s OK, it’s OK, if it’s not OK, is not OK and that’s fine. I try to enjoy, like I always did in my career, going in the car, trying to have fun, enjoy and I think when you do that, you can put the best possible and make the car as quick as possible and the result is there.

    Jenson, you’ve had three third places here. Is it a track that’s going to suit the McLaren this year?

    Jenson BUTTON: I really don’t know! I think as you’ve seen in the last few races, Red Bull, the Ferrari and our car have been relatively strong. Maybe Ferrari and us not quite as strong as the Red Bulls but this is a very different type of circuit to India. It’s not front-limited like India was, I think the rear is going to be the limitation. So, we will see. It is going to be very competitive, I think. And that’s just those three teams: I think you’ll also have a couple of other teams that we’ve seen be strong on occasions. Especially the latter part of the season, that we’ll see at the front fighting as well.

    I don’t know if you’ve been out on the circuit but they’ve added some kerbs, quite a few kerbs around the circuit.

    JB: I haven’t, no, I’m going to head out this evening. This is a fun circuit to drive. It’s a difficult circuit to overtake on but it’s fun to drive and it’s good that they’ve put bigger kerbs in, I think. Last year, if you saw the footage, we were using probably more of the circuit than we should be because there isn’t a limit in terms of a big kerb to stop you from going over the white lines. Now there are bigger kerbs, I think it’s a good thing: it keeps us all on the circuit, keeps us in the right place between the white lines. Now we have to see what the kerb ride is like because obviously it’s different to what it was last year.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Alex Popov – RTI) Vitaly and Kamui, since nobody in big business in Russia and Japan are interested in following you or supporting you next year, if it’s like this, would you consider looking for a foreign sponsor, a big international company, not specially Russian or Japanese?

    VP: I don’t think it’s my job to do it, because I don’t understand too much about it. My management must do that, and I hope for that, so I don’t know what to say.

    KK: I think it’s interesting, but after the race at Suzuka this year, since then I think Japan is more interested in motor sport, especially Formula One. I think if I had a little bit more time I could find more sponsoring from Japan. This is what I’m looking for. After Suzuka, we definitely had a lot of contact from a couple of companies. It’s very difficult to judge what I have to say, because I’m not deciding the team and I don’t know the budget. I have no idea. This is a very difficult moment, but at the moment I could find quite a lot of sponsors and we definitely see a lot of good signs after the Suzuka result. It’s very important to get international but also my preference is if I could bring some sponsoring from Japan, to get more popular in Japan. I think this is what I’m really focusing on at the moment.

    Q: (Ross Macdonald – Gulf News Broadcasting) Jenson, what is Abu Dhabi to you? Is it just another day at the office, or is there something special about the place?

    JB: I haven’t actually spent much time in Abu Dhabi. The only time I’ve actually been in Abu Dhabi was for a party, post-Grand Prix. Apart from that, I’ve never actually been to Abu Dhabi. I’ve only stayed at the hotels on the outskirts. I’ve obviously been to the circuit. The facilities out here are phenomenal, probably the best in the world. I think for the people watching and the people watching on TV, it looks like a spectacular race. I think everything’s done very well here. It’s a good Grand Prix, not a bad Grand Prix for me over the last three years. I like coming here, it’s an enjoyable Grand Prix for me but as I said, I haven’t been here, I’ve been down the road in Dubai for the last three days.

    Q: (Ross Macdonald – Gulf News Broadcasting) How was the party?

    JB: I can’t remember. It must mean it was good.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association)

    JB: That’s always good: can’t hear Parkesy!

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Jenson, just been speaking to Sergio earlier and he’s mentioned that he’s already had a couple of conversations with you about McLaren, what it’s going to be like joining next season. I was just wondering about the ten year age gap between you two, whether you feel like an older brother to him in some respects?

    FM: Getting older.

    JB: I don’t actually think I’m that old. I was surprised when I was told he was 22-years old. It seems like he’s been around for a lot longer than that. But no, I don’t feel like an older brother, no. It’s important to work closely with your teammate. I think that when he’s in the team he will probably learn a lot from someone who is older, with more experience, which is me but I still think that when you’re an older driver you can still learn from a younger teammate, to bring fresh ideas to the table. But as an old brother? No, I definitely don’t feel like that.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) What do you expect to learn from him?

    JB: I don’t know yet. We’ll see.

    Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Jenson, just following up on Parksey’s question: how much has Lewis learned from you, given that the age gap there is a few years as well?

    JB: That’s a great question. I don’t know. I think you will have to ask him that. You’ll get a good answer, I’m sure, on that one.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Charles, we have heard today that Marussia have confirmed that they have got financial difficulties. We know that there are possibilities of new investors in the team. Does this mean that you are broadening your discussions with other teams for a drive next year?

    CP: Actually, I try to be focused on my job and for the moment, my job is to give my best for the three last races. After we will see what’s open for next year. We are speaking with some team but I think it’s too early to say anything. Thank you.

    Q: (Mike Casey – Associated Press) Jenson, following up on Perez: what does he bring to the team? You’re losing Lewis, does he make the team better? From what you’ve seen in his driving, how is he different from Lewis?

    JB: Obviously it’s very difficult to know what he brings to the team, because he’s not there yet. With Lewis leaving, obviously the team loses a very fast driver, a guy that’s achieved a lot with the team, wins and obviously a World Championship – the last guy to win a World Championship for the team. It is a big loss but things change and you learn to move on and adapt. It’s definitely not the end of two strong drivers at McLaren. I think Sergio will be fast but I really don’t know. He’s obviously unknown in a McLaren, because he’s not there yet. But it’s a great opportunity for Checo and I’m sure he will take it with both hands.

    Q: (Ralf Bach – R&B) Jenson, do you think that Lewis is able to make a Mercedes car quicker and better next year?

    JB: I really don’t know. I think the first year with a new team is always a little bit tricky. It’s a new experience for Lewis. I’m sure he’s excited about it. I really don’t know. He’s as quick as they come but sometimes it’s not that easy to win Grand Prix and to build a team around you and also to help a team achieve great results.

    Q: (Gaetan Vigneron – RTBF) For all you: between Fernando and Sebastian, which is the driver who deserves the title the most, do you think?

    VP: I think it’s clear, for me, at the moment, today, that the Red Bull car has a big advantage compared to Ferrari. This year, Alonso did a fantastic job from the beginning; he’s had a few crashes but all of us know that Ferrari is not on the same pace as Red Bull. It will be difficult for Ferrari but I think Ferrari also has the passion to win and they bring a lot of updates maybe for this weekend or another weekend. I really don’t know, but what I can see at the moment is that Red Bull is the quicker car. That’s it.

    DR: I think he said that quite well. I think this season has been very hard to judge. It’s been a very exciting season. I think anything can happen, so even if it is the case that the package of Vettel himself and the car is better at this stage, it doesn’t confirm a World Championship. You have to get it done on Sunday and there are still three Sundays to go. Things can happen. I think they both have had their little bit of bad luck this season. I think, for now, they’re going to go head-to-toe but yeah, we’ll see. Obviously Red Bull’s been the car to beat for the last four races or so, but I think the pace is always changing, and Ferrari’s obviously got some good experience and some good people behind them, so I’m sure a surprise is not impossible either. See what happens, it’s exciting. I would like to be part of it.

    CP: Yes, I think maybe Sebastian is in a little bit better position than Fernando right now. From the last few races, they had a little advantage but I think it’s still quite open and there are three races left. The championship is still quite close so anything can happen.

    KK: For sure, I think Red Bull has the greater advantage but I think the last three races will be quite difficult to judge. At the moment, I think Sebastian has the greater chance but if there’s something… if Sebastian misses one race, then I think there is a lot of chance for Fernando. We will see. But at the moment I think Sebastian has more chance.

    FM: Well, I think both drivers have had a fantastic championship. I think Fernando did an incredible job up to now, Sebastian as well, especially in the second part of the championship, so I think we are not talking about one guy who has many victories and the other one not. I think we are talking about two drivers one of which will win and who we will say deserved it. But anyway, I hope Fernando will win.

    JB: It’s a very difficult one to answer. As Felipe said, they have both done a fantastic job this year. You would say that throughout the season, Fernando has been the more consistent. In the last few races, yeah, it’s been a great job by Red Bull, but also a great job by Sebastian. He’s been given the equipment and he’s delivered. You don’t win Grands Prix on your own, and you don’t win championships on your own, so whoever comes out on top is the driver and the team that deserves to win it.

    Q: (Vanessa Ruiz – ESPN Radio) Kamui, you just said that you were pretty confident that you’re going to get a seat next year. Sauber has just confirmed Nico Hulkenberg and postponed the decision or at least the announcement about the second driver, so I wonder what it is that makes you confident that you’re going to get the seat?

    KK: It’s a feeling. I have nothing, you know, but just feeling. If I can explain something I think it’s better but unfortunately not. I think we have to see. I think we still have the last three races and if we have some good results in the last three races maybe something can happen. I believe in that and try to focus. But the feeling for next year is just… feeling.

    Q: (Ross Macdonald – Gulf News Broadcasting) Felipe, I know last year you took part in a charity football match when you were in Abu Dhabi. Is that something you will be trying to do again this year, or do you see Abu Dhabi as more than just another day at the office?

    FM: I thing Abu Dhabi is growing a lot. Every year when you come here you see so many new things so I think that’s very nice. I had a nice football match last year. This year we didn’t have it but anyway I think it’s really a nice place to come: you have nice restaurants, great hotels and everything. It’s beautiful. As Jenson says, it’s one of the most incredible races, even to watch. I really enjoying coming here. Hopefully we can have a good race as well, another great race for the people.

    Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Kamui, when you first came into Formula One you had about two or three races to make an impression and you did it and you secured your future. Do you feel that these next three races are a similar situation, that you could possibly change things in the last three races and secure your future?

    KK: Of course, I think this is a good opportunity like three years ago, but this year I have a little bit different feeling. I didn’t know three years ago that Toyota would leave Formula One, so just to give myself a good result, just driving for the same team. At the same time, I have to negotiate and do everything, a good result is very important, but this year it seems there are not many seats left so I think we have to move quite quickly as well.

    Ends

  • Bigger kerbs at Yas Marina, a good thing: Button

    Abu Dhabi, 1 Nov 2012:McLaren’s Jenson Button has applauded the decision to bring in bigger kerbs at Yas Marina. The high style of kerbs that previously have only been seen in the Turn 8-9 chicane have been installed elsewhere on the circuit and now feature on the apexes of Turns Five, Six, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 19. The intention is to oblige drivers, always keen to take the fastest line, to keep their cars between the white lines. It’s a move that

    Jenson Button in Abu Dhabi. A Thursday photo by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team:

    Button, the only man on the podium at all three grands prix here, applauds.

    “It’s a difficult circuit to overtake on but it’s fun to drive and it’s good that they’ve put bigger kerbs in, I think,” said the 2009 World Champion, speaking in the FIA Thursday press conference. “Last year, if you saw the footage, we were using probably more of the circuit than we should be because there isn’t a limit in terms of a big kerb to stop you from going over the white lines. Now there are bigger kerbs, I think it’s a good thing: it keeps us all on the circuit, keeps us in the right place. Now we have to see what the kerb-ride is like because obviously it’s different to what it was last year.”

    Asked whether he believed Yas Marina would suit McLaren, Button said he really wasn’t sure.

    “I really don’t know! I think as you’ve seen in the last few races, the Red Bull, the Ferrari and our car have been relatively strong. Maybe Ferrari and us not quite as strong as the Red Bulls but this is a very different type of circuit to India. It’s not front [grip] limited like India was, I think the rear is going to be the limitation. So, we will see. It is going to be very competitive, I think. And that’s just those three teams: I think you’ll also have a couple of other teams that we’ve seen be strong on occasions that we’ll see at the front fighting as well.”

    ends

  • Sauber signs on Nico Hulkenberg for 2013

    Hinwil, 31 Oct 2012: Nico Hülkenberg has been confirmed as one of the two team drivers for the Sauber F1 Team in season 2013. The 25-year-old German won the GP2 Series in 2009, made his Formula One debut in 2010 with the WilliamsF1 Team and managed to capture a pole position in his maiden year. He is currently driving for Sahara Force India and ranks 12th in the Drivers’ World Championship with 49 points after 17 out of 20 races. Hülkenberg’s best Formula One race result this season was at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth on the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

    Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn commented: “We’ve been observing Nico for some time now and his performances have been very persuasive. That was the case in GP2 and has continued into Formula One. An obvious highlight was how he scored pole at Interlagos in 2010 despite the most challenging external conditions. He clearly showed that he can seize the chance if it arises. But high spots like that are one thing; systematic teamwork is another – and on that score I have confidence in Nico too. I’m sure he will fit in very well with the Sauber F1 Team. We look forward to working together with him.”

    Nico Hülkenberg’s reaction: “I’m really looking forward to working with the Sauber F1 Team. It’s a well-placed team and very competitive. Plus it’s a team in which young drivers have repeatedly delivered exceptional performances. I would like to take up that baton. The Sauber F1 Team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot. Until that time I will remain fully focused on my job with the Sahara Force India Team. I’d like to thank the management at Sahara Force India for giving me the chance to return to Formula One as a team driver.”

    The Sauber F1 Team will announce its second driver for the 2013 season at a later date.

    Meanwhile, Sahara Force India team Principal and Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya when asked if he enjoyed working with Nico Hulkenberg who will be leaving the team at the end of the season said: 

    Nico Hulkenberg file photo from Sahara Force India F1 team.

    It has been a pleasure to have Nico with us for the last couple of years. At the end of 2010 we identified him as a star of the future and it has been rewarding to watch him develop his racing skills. Together with Paul he has done a brilliant job for us, helping the team score more points than ever before and giving 100% commitment every weekend. We would like to thank him for all his hard work and wish him well for the future. With three races remaining this season, we know Nico will remain totally committed and continue to deliver his best performances for the team.

    ends

  • Abu Dhabi preview: Can Vettel make it 5 in a row?

    Abu Dhabi, 31 Oct 2012: Abu Dhabi hosts the 18th round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship with teams making the short trip from India to the Yas Marina Circuit. F1’s only day/night race has been a great success in its three previous runnings, with the organisers entertaining the crowd with a good selection of support races and other attractions. Inside the F1 paddock, the Yas Marina Circuit has developed a  good reputation – both for its compact arrangement and convivial atmosphere but also with the quality of its garage and circuit facilities, which have been instrumental in it becoming a venue for the young drivers’ test which will take place in the days following the Grand Prix.

    YMC has three very different sectors. High-speed turns dominate the start of the lap, down to the chicane and hairpin at Turn Seven. After that, the middle part of the lap has two very long stra

    Abu Dhabi circuit. Courtesy FIA

    ights separated by a heavy braking zone into a slow-speed chicane. The end of the lap around the harbour has been deliberately designed to mimic Monaco, and like that circuit is mostly slow speed and highly technical.

    YMC demands a little bit of everything in terms of set-up. It has the second-longest straight in F1 so demands good top speed; it features heavy braking and a varied selection of cornering speeds requiring good traction and high downforce. It suggests a wider array of set-up options, though compared to the last three races it does not place such a premium on high-speed cornering ability.

    Famously the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Sebastian Vettel crowned after a tense season finale into which he went lying third in a championship, 15 points behind Fernando Alonso and seven behind Mark Webber. The finishing order in India last week ensured the Drivers’ Championship cannot be claimed at Yas this year – but Red Bull go into the race with a good chance of taking the Constructors’ Championship.

    CIRCUIT DATA

    YAS MARINA CIRCUIT

    Length of lap:  5.554km

    Lap record: 1:40.279

    (Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 2009)

    Start line/finish line offset: 0.115km
    Total number of race laps: 55
    Total race distance: 305.355km

    Pitlane speed limits: 60km/h during practice and qualifying, 100km/h during the race

    Changes to the circuit since 2011: Higher kerbs, similar to those on the apex of turns eight and nine, have been installed on the apexes of turns five, six, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 19..

    ends

     

  • Toro Rosso retains same drivers for 2013

    Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed on Wednesday 31 Oct that it would continue with its current driver line-up of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne for the 2013 Formula 1 season. It will be the second year with the team for both of them.

    Franz

    Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (left) and Jean-Eric Vergne of France were retained as drivers for 2013 by Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 team. File photo from Scuderia Toro RossoPrix at Silverstone Circuit on July 5, 2012

    Tost: “Both drivers have done a good job this season. Daniel joined us with a few Grands Prix under his belt and so his feedback and experience was particularly useful while Jean-Eric got up to speed, often having to deal with tracks he had never seen before. Since the summer break, both drivers have scored more points and everyone in the team has been impressed with their maturity in terms of working with the engineers and their racecraft on track. We will be doing our best in the next few months, to produce a 2013 car which will allow them to demonstrate their talent.”

    Daniel Ricciardo: “I am really pumped to know that I am continuing with Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season and want to thank the team and Red Bull. There are big expectations for next year and I’m ready and willing to fulfil them. I feel I have been growing and developing as a driver and my approach to the technical side of the sport has also progressed this year, so I am sure that will serve me well in my second season with Toro Rosso. We have had quite a tough season, but despite that, I have always enjoyed a good relationship with all the guys and I am delighted at the idea of working with them for another year.”
     
    Jean-Eric Vergne: “I am really happy about this great news. Thank you Toro Rosso and thank you Red Bull, who have backed me since the early days of my career.  It has been a difficult season and, as a rookie, I have learned a lot, thanks to the support I got and the excellent relationship I have enjoyed with all the guys. I feel much stronger now and I know I have become a better driver over the course of the season. I really believe in this team and with all the experience I have gained, combined with the team’s ambitious plans for next year, I think we can look forward to great things in 2013, attacking all the way.”
    ends

  • Vettel moves closer to title

    New Delhi, 28 Oct 2012: Sebastian Vettel moved 13 points clear of Fernando Alonso in the Formula One Drivers’ Championship with a commanding victory in India.

    It was Vettel’s second victory in a row at the circuit, his fifth win of the campaign and his fourth in succession. Alonso could only manage second behind the defending champion, a result which leaves him on 227 points compared with Vettel’s 240. Mark Webber would likely have given Red Bull Racing another 1-2 finish but for a KERS problem that allowed Alonso, 12 laps from home, to ease by. Webber then held off a late charge from Lewis Hamilton to hold on to third and his fifth podium finish of the year.

    “I think it’s been an incredible two years for us, both times to come here and win the race. To get the pole on Saturday and win the race on Sunday is fantastic,” said Vettel. “There’s always a very nice trophy so I’m very, very happy to pick up another nice one this year, so a very special grand prix. I don’t know what is it about this circuit but I really like the flow of it.”

    Vettel’s fifth win of the season was largely sealed at the start. When the lights went out both he and Webber made good starts off the front row. The Australian momentarily drew alongside but he had to give way though as they lanced towards turn one.
    With that battle won, and in clean air at the front of the pack, Vettel was able to build a solid lead over the first half of the long opening stint. After a dozen laps he had forged a gap of over eight seconds over third-placed Alonso. Webber was also settling into a good rhythm, almost four seconds clear of the Spaniard.

    Vettel made his one and only stop on lap 33, taking on the harder compound and from there began to pace himself as he arrowed towards his fourth victory in a row.

    “I think we felt after a couple of laps that the tyres were holding up reasonably well and then when you cross around 15-16 to 20 laps with still something in the tyres left, you obviously know it goes more to the direction of one stop,” he said of his long first stint. “I think we were very competitive on the soft tyres; on the hard tyres I think McLaren and Ferrari were pretty competitive. I think we were probably not as competitive on the primes as on the soft tyres but all in all a fantastic race.”

    Behind the leader, Webber was having a tougher time. After his single stop he came under brief pressure from Alonso, but the Red Bull driver responded to break clear of the sub-one second gap Alonso needed to remain within to activate his DRS. It looked like Webber had done enough to secure second but then the Australian reported that his KERS was no longer working.

    That difficulty saw him once again fall into Alonso’s orbit and the Ferrari driver, scenting an opportunity, stepped up the pressure. Webber defended bravely but with no boost the gap to the Ferrari soon fell below the one second mark again and on lap 48 Alonso slipped past.
    “It [the KERS] was on and off, and then completely off. I was a moving target,” he said. “We needed to screw around with brake balance and just manage as best we could [to not] lose rhythm and tempo. We needed to keep the focus, but it is so demoralising on that straight with no KERS – it is not really a battle. Fernando came past – they have good top gear – and that was it.”

    It was a tough break for Webber who was holding off Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren in the final laps of the race.

    “I pushed as strong as possible to get to the end of the race, but I was lucky Lewis made a mistake on lap 57,” he said of his battle with the McLaren driver. “That was important because he was starting to get a bit of momentum. I was keen to keep him out of DRS as much as possible.”

    For Alonso, Webber’s KERS issue was a gift. Despite seeing Vettel extend his championship lead, the 18 points earned by the Ferrari driver limited the damage and kept his title aspirations alive with three rounds to go.

    “Nothing [has] changed in one race,” he said of his championship hopes. “There are 75 points [left] and we are 13 behind and we know we need to improve. We are not fast enough, especially on Saturday, but we can improve the situation in Abu Dhabi or in the USA. As we saw with Mark’s KERS problem, it can happen to Seb or it can happen to us, so I am optimistic.”

    He conceded, however, that Ferrari must improved quickly if he is to stand a chance of taking his third championship win.

    “I think we need to bring some new parts to Abu Dhabi and hopefully improve a little bit the competitiveness of the car and get closer to Red Bulls on Saturday and hopefully Sunday as well,” he said. “There are three races remaining and the championship is the main target. We need to recover some points. It would be nice to finish in front of Seb there [Abu Dhabi] and if we win even better. For that we need to make a step forward as at the moment we are not able to win.”

    With Hamilton fourth, fifth place was taken by McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, with Felipe Massa sixth. The final points positions where taken by Kimi Räikkönen in seventh for Lotus, Nico Hülkenberg’s Force India eighth, Romain Grosjean ninth in the second Lotus and and Bruno Senna taking the final point in tenth for Williams.

    ends

    Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing team celebrates after winning the Indian GP on Sunday 28 Oct 2012. Red Bull Racing F1 team photo

  • McLarens, Hamilton disappoint

    New Delhi, 28 Oct 2012: Both McLarens finished one place worse off than they started but took heart from showing good pace towards the end of the Indian Grand Prix.

    Lewis Hamilton starting third and Jenson Button fo

    Hamilton who started on P3 fails to make it to the podium at BIC on Sunday 28 Oct 2012. McLaren photo.

    urth were embroiled in an early fight with fifth-on-the-grid Fernando Alonso. Alonso eventually came out on top and would later exchange third for second when Mark Webber’s Red Bull had technical difficulties. Button had initially passed Hamilton on lap one but would cede the place back on lap six. He ran unhindered to fifth at the flag but Hamilton had a more eventful race to eventual fourth, including a change of steering wheel at his pitstop.

    “During that first stint I started having a downshift problem – I was having to change down with my right hand instead of my left, so the team elected to change the steering wheel,” said Hamilton. “I’ve never had to change a steering wheel during a race before. We’ve done it in Barcelona testing before, but never in a race. Even so, the guys did it fantastically quickly, under immense pressure, so I want to say ‘well done!’ to them all. I took the wheel off before I’d even stopped the car, and threw it out. The team then fitted a new one, I clicked it into first gear, and I was away – all in just a bit over three seconds flat.”
    While the McLarens were not able to keep up with the leaders on that initial soft tyre stint, they became more competitive on the hard tyre and when Webber began to experience KERS issues, Hamilton was able to close in and look like having the potential to steal third. “I tried to chase down Mark in the closing laps, but by then it was too late and he was going too quickly for me to be able to mount a serious challenge. But I never give up, and, right until the very last corner, I thought I might just be able to catch him, but in the end it wasn’t to be.”
    “Still, I loved it out there today – I can’t remember the last time I’ve pushed so far, so hard, for so long, right on the limit – it felt great. It felt fantastic, in fact, to be in the middle of such a battle.”

    For Button all of the excitement came at the very beginning in his tussle with Hamilton and Alonso, and at the every end of the race when he set fastest lap – McLaren’s 150th in F1. “The start of the race was my highlight,” said the 2009 World Champion. “There were just millimetres between Lewis, Fernando and me. I’ve never had a start quite like that before – unbelievably hard-fought – and none of us hit each other. It was so close, so tight, yet so clean. It’s just a pity that the rest of the race wasn’t as enjoyable!

    “My first stint was pretty disappointing; I think maybe we struggled more on the Options than the other runners did, so I couldn’t keep the guys behind me. But getting fastest lap on the final lap was great, and I think there’s plenty of potential that we can build on and take with us to Abu Dhabi next weekend.”

    ends

  • Hulkenberg gets 4 points, saves face for Force India

    New Delhi, 28 Oct 2012: Nico Hulkenberg drove a battling race from 12th to eighth at Force India’s home race, a result which moves the Indian squad four points closer to Sauber in the battle for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

    The German got away poorly but quickly recovered and by the end of the first lap had moved to ninth. When Sauber’s Sergio Pérez retired through damage following a puncture on lap eight, Hulkenberg rose to eighth, a position he was able to hold until the chequered flag.

    “I’m very happy with the result today and I think eighth was about the maximum that was possible,” he said afterwards. “It was a great team performance and I’m feeling satisfied with what we achieved today. At the start I didn’t get the best getaway, but I had a good first lap and was able to overtake Rosberg on the back straight and Maldonado going into turn four.

    “The middle part of the race was quite lonely for me because I was running in clean air, but towards the end Grosjean was very close behind me and pushing hard,” he said. “But I didn’t crack under the pressure, I kept him behind and we made the one-stop strategy work.”

    Team Principal Vijay Mallya added that the result was an important for the team in the Constructors’ Championship.

    “After qualifying we knew we had a big task ahead of us, but Nico rose to the challenge and raced well to finish in eighth place,” he said. “It’s a very satisfying result and it means we have scored points in the last six races – that’s every race since the summer break. These are important points for our fight in the constructors’ championship and we will continue to push very hard in the remaining three races.”

    With three races to go, Sahara Force India have 93 points in 7th place behind Sauber F1 team (116 points). Nico Hulkenberg is ahead of teammate Paul Di Resta with 49 points while Paul garnered 44.

    Nico Hulkenberg finishes 8th to get four points for Sahara Force India in the Indian GP on Sunday 28 Oct 2012. Sahara Force India photo.

    end

  • Indian GP: FIA Sunday Press Conference

    Indian GP FIA final press conference on Sunday:

    DRIVERS

    1 – Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)

    2 – Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)

    3 – Mark WEBBER (Red Bull Racing)

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS

    (Conducted by Martin Brundle)

    Sebastian, did you help design this race track or something? You seem so at home here, as  a driver and with your car.

    Sebastian VETTEL: I think it’s been an incredible two years for us, both times to come here and win the race, get the pole on Saturday and win the race on Sunday is fantastic. There’s always a very nice trophy so I’m very, very happy to pick up another nice one this year, so a very special grand prix. I don’t know what is it about this circuit but I really like the flow of it. Sector One is a bit slow with long straights but Sector Two and Three are really nice and I think we all enjoy it. Big thanks to the team, as I said on the radio, every single one is pushing very hard and I think there’s not one thing that stands out and makes the difference: not today’ not yesterday; not this weekend. I think it’s all of us working hand in hand together. If we’re here on the track or back in Milton Keynes, everyone is pushing hard and I think that’s what makes the difference. I’m very, very happy, I’m glad to be part of that and just enjoying the moment.

    You’ve led every race, every lap for three consecutive races now. The last man to do that was the great Ayrton Senna in 1989, you’re in great company and you’re clearly on great form.

    SV: Don’t say things like that! It’s very, very special. I think we all will remember Ayrton forever, not just because he was successful and he had these kinds of numbers speaking for him but he was a great person. So very, very happy.

    Fernando, do you ever, ever give up? You’re relentless.

    Fernando ALONSO. No, obviously, it’s not easy at the moment to fight with Red Bull but we will never give up. I think we are happy today, we have to congratulate them, they were fantastic this weekend so well done Red Bull, well done Sebastian – but yeah, we want to be happy and we want to enjoy Brazil, not only here so I’m sure we will do it.

    Bittersweet for you? You split the Red Bulls but you still lost points in the World Championship.

    FA: Yeah, we lost points but I think this was more or less the plan this weekend: we were not fast enough to compete against them, so we lost the minimum points, which is finishing second, so a s I said, better races will come.

    How fast was your car in a straight line. Take us down to Turn Four at the start, it was incredible.

    FA: Yeah, we were quite fast in a straight line but we are still missing a little bit of grip in the corners that hopefully will come in the next races. Today we have to thank the team for this fantastic straight-line speed that give us some good overtaking manoeuvres and some good action.

    Mark, you had to work hard to be up on this podium today.

    Mark WEBBER: Yes. First of all thanks to the crowd, they are fantastic today. I enjoyed the fight today; it was a difficult race, very difficult for me to get into a rhythm, we had a few issues we needed to manage on the car but fair play to the other guys it was a good, tough grand prix. Lewis and Fernando were very strong on the hard tyre and with our KERS it was very difficult. I was happy with how I drove and we’ll come back for Abu Dhabi.

    So when he breezed past you down the straight, you were missing your KERS at that time and just helpless? There’s nothing you could do?

    MW: Yes, that right. It was very difficult to defend there because you need the KERS to get you on that type of corner.

    Sebastian, we see some amazing names up here, champions including Fernando alongside you and you’re on there twice. Surely you must feel now that you’ve got one hand on that World Championship trophy for 2012.

    SV: The other one is probably Fernando and there are other ones as well. So I think if we speak about the World Championship, obviously this was another good step for us but still a long way to go and we have seen this year how quickly things can change. As I said earlier, it feels fantastic to be up here and have a race like that where everything works the way you want it to. Yeah, very, very proud, very, very happy and enjoying it. That was today. Now we are focusing on Abu Dhabi next week. There’s a lot more to come and we’ll try to take things step by step.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Sebastian well done, your fourth win in succession, which is amazing. And your thoughts on that.

    SV: As you said, it’s pretty amazing obviously. It’s very hard to target those kind of things. I think they either happen or they don’t happen. I think the secret, if there is any, is that we didn’t approach the first of those four races thinking we can win four. We focussed on the first one, then on the second one, then on the third one, then on the fourth one. So, really step by step. I think, as I said on the radio and earlier, I think the whole team is working together fantastically well. I don’t think there is one thing that stands out to make a difference. We can see that in every kind of area. We don’t have any problems on Friday, we get through our programme, we get more or less the answers we want, we are able to improve the car from Friday to Saturday with support here on the track but also in the factory. Guys helping us to improve the car. We get the most out of it in qualifying. We had a fantastic race today. Great pitstops as well, obviously those things are easy to forget and easy to remember when they go wrong but I think the pitstops were fantastic – at least the one I had. It takes a lot of discipline, focus in the right moment, to be there, to be sharp and I think we were in the moment. Not thinking about yesterday or last week or last race and not thinking about the end of the race or next week. So, really tried to focus on the moment, which I think is the best thing we can do to maximise the result today. As I said, I’m very happy, I enjoyed the race a lot. I think it was crucial to open a gap in the first stint to break the DRS early to Mark, who had a very good start I think, and it was quite close in Turn One. But I was able to brake a little bit late and have quite a good exit out of Turn Three, which was important for the remainder of the race, and then was able to open a gap, not just to Mark but also to the cars behind and obviously control the race from there. I think we were very competitive on the soft tyres; on the hard tyres I think McLarens and Ferrari were pretty competitive. Unfortunately Mark lost KERS but as I said, I think we were probably not as competitive on the primes as on the soft tyres but all in all a fantastic race. And again a fantastic trophy this year in India. Just very, very happy.

    A pretty amazing 33 laps on used soft tyres.

    SV: To be honest it’s difficult to know when you start the race how long you can go – but I think we felt after a couple of laps that the tyres were holding up reasonably well and then when you cross around 15/16 to 20 laps with still something in the tyres left, you obviously know it goes more to the direction of one stop. I think it was anyway always going to be one or two stops. On Friday the tyres seemed to last fairly well and again they did today. So yeah, it’s not always happening like that, sometimes we have a surprise on Sunday, so I think we prepared as much as we could but by that stage it was obviously clear to not split the 27 remaining laps in two bits: so to go with the prime stint and do the same as everyone else did. I think we all came the pits within five to ten laps.

    Were you actually being pushed in by Mark at the end there, back into the pits? Had you ran out of fuel?

    SV: Ah yes! I switched off the car. I was told to park the car under the podium but I didn’t know how far away it was. I didn’t remember that from last year. I think it’s the only big mistake that happened to us this weekend. But it didn’t really matter and Mark gave me a push. He’s quite popular for those sort of things. I think he gave Fernando a lift last year in Nürburgring when he had to stop on track. Yeah, gave me a little bit of a push to make it to Park Ferme to stop the car. Thank You.

    Fernando, as Martin was saying on the podium, we had a fairly good illustration of how good your DRS is on the straight. Two extraordinary overtaking manoeuvres, particularly at the start for example with the McLarens and then later with Mark.

    FA: The first lap we cannot use DRS anyway, it was just the slipstream and I was a nice run out of Turn Three and I could overtake both the McLarens. They were fighting but forgot I was there in Turn Four so they keep the fight by their own selves. We nearly touch each other but I was lucky to exit Turn Four without any damage and overtake one of them. Jenson was defending into Turn Six quite a lot so unfortunately we could overtake only one at the start. One after a few laps because I think we had a little bit more pace than Jenson and then with Mark it was a combination of KERS and DRS because I think Mark was running without KERS so that make a huge difference in terms of top speed and the overtaking was relatively easy.

    You must be pretty encouraged by this second place today. To be so close to Sebastian today.

    FA: Yes, I think it’s good news for us, seeing that we could fight Red Bull in the race. More or less we knew this. In qualifying we are not close enough to fight for pole position but in the race normally things improve for us. Today was another example but it was perfect for the strategy from the team: very good start, very good top speed and tyre management. Everything set up for the race, everything was fine and I push 120 per cent every lap so the combination was this second place.

    So when you look at Abu Dhabi, what are your hopes there?

    FA: I think we need to bring some new parts to Abu Dhabi, hopefully improve a little bit more then competitiveness of the car, try to be a little bit closer to Red Bulls on Saturday and hopefully on Sunday as well. Obviously three races remaining; championship is the main target so we need to recover some points and will be nice to finish in front of Sebastian in Abu Dhabi, whatever the position it is. And if we can win the race it will be even better – but for that we need to make a step forward. At the moment we are not able to win.

    Mark, a good start off the line.

    MW: It was good – just a shame it wasn’t a long Barcelona or Malaysia: it would have been a bit nicer but I had the run, obviously, but then the radius into Turn One on the inside… I mean we were together but it’s very, very tricky down in there and also I saw Fernando last year obviously if you brake on the limit it’s very easy to go a bit too far. So, Seb come across, which is fair enough and then I was worried about the other guys obviously having a very good exit on not just me but both of us. Turn Three: was very important to get to there in good shape. So, the start was good, exit at Turn Three wasn’t too bad. Obviously it’s tricky for all of use to get off there on the first lap. I got off there not too bad, got a little bit of a tow off Seb and then settled into the race from there.

    And then that first pitstop – you must have been longing to make that first pitstop and knowing you couldn’t – because you were losing time obviously just before the end of the stint.

    MW: No, I was pretty happy with where the stop is. It’s nice to go a little bit longer. We had to react to Fernando. We would have gone even longer. Obviously it wasn’t due to tyres, it was due to KERS that I started to lose the rhythm and the tempo: obviously when the KERS is coming on and off, we need to also screw around with the brake balance and lots of other things. The guys have got a huge amount of plate-spinning to try to feed that into the cockpit for me. The last thing you want in a one-stop strategy race is starting to have front locking. Because we need to do long, long stints. So obviously this is a pain in the arse and we had to manage it as best we can. The stop was really because of when Fernando pitted, so we had to react to that. Stop was alright and then the prime was a little bit more high-maintenance; a little bit trickier actually, I think for both Seb and I. I managed to break the DRS, managed to get away from Fernando. I then got myself together. KERS was there or there abouts, on and off, and then I caught… I mean the blue flags didn’t do nothing for the backmarkers, that’s the problem: the guys don’t know how much time they kill us in the fast corners. So, when you catch some of those guys in those corners, you lose a second and a half in one sector, or a second. Which happened twice. But, that’s the way it was. And those guys can’t do that when you’ve got guys… when you’re racing with Fernando, the three of us on the limit, Fernando’s going to be all over that stuff. So, it was back on again, and then when I had no KERS, I mean it’s not really a battle on the back straight. I went across to the inside but Fernando come past. They’ve got a very good top gear as well, big top speed. That was it. Then I pushed like… as strong as possible to get to the end of the race. So third, I’m pretty happy with how I drove, I think I drove a pretty good race but in the end it wasn’t enough. We could have got more points today for sure. Well done to Seb on the win.

    How much pressure from Lewis at the end?

    MW: Certainly needed to keep the focus and y’know, it’s so demoralising, that straight with no KERS. I think I was very lucky that Lewis made a mistake in Turn Three, I think on lap 57. I saw it in the mirrors, it was either 57 or 58. And that was important because I think he was starting to get a bit of momentum and I was very keen to keep him off the DRS as long as possible because once he got that I was toast. I think another two laps and he would have got me.

    When did you have the problem with KERS? When did you lose it first?

    MW: Around about lap 19, 20. Maybe a bit earlier. It was on and off and then completely off and then off. It was a moving target really.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Vinayak Pande – Hindustan Times) Fernando, yesterday you were quoted as saying that you were 100 percent certain that you will be this year’s World Champion. Do you still feel that way after this race?

    FA: Of course. We know that there were still 100 points yesterday and now 75 points (available). We are 13 behind. We know that we need to improve. We are not fast enough, especially on Saturdays, as I said, but hopefully we can improve the situation in Abu Dhabi or in USA. The races are long, and as we saw today with Mark, a KERS problem can happen to anyone, it can happen to Seb, it can happen to me and it can happen to all of us. Still many points on the table and I’m still very optimistic.

    Q: (Vinayak Pande – Hindustan Times) Of the three races that are left, is there any one in particular, do you think,  that will favour Ferrari?

    FA: I think Brazil will be quite good for us and hopefully it’s a happy Grand Prix.

    Q: (Sudhir Chandran – Chequered Flag) Now that you have been a part of two editions of the Indian Grand Prix, is there one unique feature about this track, destination or venue, which you find distinctly different from the others that you race at around the world, fans included?

    SV: I think every Grand Prix is special and has something special about it. Obviously it’s the second time that we’ve run here. So far, all the quotes from the drivers regarding this circuit have been very positive. It’s a lot of fun for us. It’s not so easy to manage the tyres in one lap for qualifying, but also over the race (distance) so it’s a big challenge and I think that’s what we like. There are some corners, like turn 15, where you always think that something went wrong and you will try and do it better next time. You get challenged to the limit which is obviously what we like. We don’t want to make mistakes but obviously we like those sort of places.

    On top of that, I think it’s an impressive country. Obviously last year I had a bit of time to have a look, and I think coming back is quite a big difference. Obviously, in here (the paddock) it’s something that we all know, the Formula One paddock but having a look at  Delhi or a little bit the life outside the circuit is very different to other places. I think there’s a couple of stations or a couple of stops on the calendar that are very impressive in that regard. India has a lot to offer. There are a lot of people here: 1.3 billion or more so quite incredible and just to see that, to see how people live here, to see the culture, I think is very very different.

    In life, I think a lot is always about expectations and in Europe expectations are very very high. Money plays a big role whereas here, I think, expectations are fairly low. Money is not that important. It doesn’t matter how old you are. I think it’s more important to have a healthy, happy life, to enjoy your life with your family, with your kids. Sometimes to compare the circumstances you live in, here in India compared to Europe – obviously I grew up in Germany – it’s black and white, it’s very different but it’s nice to see that the people are so happy, warm-hearted. I think it would definitely be nice to spend a little bit more time to travel around and get more of an idea. As I said, in here, everything is more or less the same. It will be the same next week when we go to Abu Dhabi, even though it’s a completely different place. As a country, this place has a lot to offer.

    MW: Good question and a good answer.

    Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Moto und Sport) Sebastian, in the latter part of the race, the front end of your floor seemed to touch the ground. You could see sparks coming off it. Did it cost you time; it seemed to have repaired itself later on?

    SV: I noticed the problem. I think it was when I got the DRS of a backmarker, from Timo (Glock) actually, pretty close to the end of the race and obviously when you open DRS, you go much quicker down the straight and I saw some sparks. I think you’ve seen a couple of cars throwing out some sparks out of the back of the car this weekend. I don’t think it was really a problem. I didn’t feel anything regarding the balance (of the car). All the other laps it was no problem, but I saw it in the mirror, I saw Timo backing off and I think he was a bit afraid at the time. We obviously need to analyse what was the problem, but it didn’t cost us anything or slow us down.

    Q: (Shridhar Potdar – Sakal Media House) Sebastian, every time you make a point about the team members in the factory and those working behind the scenes. You seem to have a special bond with your pit crew which plays an important role in any driver’s success, whether he is a World Champion contender or not. Can you share what kind of relationship you have with your pit crew members and the main members of the team?

    SV: I think it’s the same for Mark and myself. Obviously we work very closely with the guys. I think we have 20 races a year, a couple of pre-season tests and obviously we spend a lot of time in the factory, we spend time here at the track, working with the members of the team, every single one: mechanics, engineers, all sorts of staff. Obviously you know who you’re talking to. If you’re new to the environment it takes a bit of time to get to know everyone and to get to know how everyone ticks. I think the special thing at the moment and the special thing at the beginning of the year at any stage is the atmosphere in the garage is fantastic, the guys are really incredible. I don’t know how they do it, they hardly sleep at night, only a couple of hours. They try to prepare the car as best as they can in order to give Mark and myself the best chance to have a solid race. Back in the factory, the people are pushing, obviously trying to improve the car. It’s obviously difficult to say thank you to each and every one because quite a lot of people work behind the scenes in our team, but everyone plays their role, it’s not a one man show. I think the result today or the result last week or whenever, the results in the last two years are not just thanks to me or thanks to Adrian (Newey), or thanks to any particular person in the team, I think it’s thanks to all of us. Everyone is pushing hard, there are lots of bright guys with good ideas. Obviously some guys are really important but all in all, that’s the spirit we share and it’s just nice to be a big part of it.

    Q: (L.P. Shahi – The Telegraph India) Sebastian, you say there is no one element that makes the difference. Are you under-estimating your own part in this?

    SV: No, that’s the way I see it. Obviously on a Sunday afternoon or a Saturday afternoon, whenever, in qualifying, in the race, when I’m out in the circuit in the car, then I know that there is a lot depending on me. If I get it wrong there’s no result, if I get it right it might be a good result. But I think there’s far more work behind that than just one lap in the race, or one lap in qualifying, one result in a year, in the season. That’s why I’m convinced of what I said and I think everyone is pushing very hard. Obviously it’s easier to measure if I make a mistake, I lose half a second in the last corner, it’s easy to say that instead of 1m 30.0s, I could have done 1m 29.5s but that’s why it’s difficult to measure the effort everyone brings in. The guys in the garage are working hard, preparing the car, preparing the pit stop etc. It’s obviously difficult to measure if you’re talking about performance or lap time, but then it becomes very easy to measure if you don’t finish the race, compared to a race where you do finish and you collect a lot of points. Sometimes it’s down to one guy who is obviously committed and does the right thing at the right moment, preventing a problem or sometimes his head is not right, he’s not fully committed then small mistakes add up to maybe a big mistake costing a certain result on a Sunday. I think that’s where it’s fair to say that we win together and we lose together.

    Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, looking at the performance that you had during the race, and the result that you had at the end, second place, may we say that this was the best race of your season, or the best performance in the car?

    FA: I think it’s difficult to say, I don’t know, it’s difficult to chose. I’m really proud and happy of the Valencia performance, or Malaysia or some other races where we fight all the race through, Monza etc, but definitely this one was one of the best, I think, pushing from lap one to the last lap, not risking or taking more risks that in previous races with overtakings etc, so quite happy .

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Honorary) Seb, there’s been all the stories on the internet about you and Ferrari. Could you set the record straight please: is there any arrangement, agreement, talk between you and your people and Ferrari?

    SV: This could be quite funny now, what I say… No, there’s nothing, nothing to tell you, nothing I’ve signed. Nothing has changed. It’s quite amusing. I don’t know where it came from but… I don’t read much, so it’s quite a surprise when you get to the circuit and get all these questions. Nothing to report. As I said, I can’t be  happier at the moment, I’m very happy with…

    Actually, there’s one thing I would like to say about this. As I said, there’s no reason to write anything or report anything but obviously, as I said earlier, you don’t know every single one in the team, and it’s hard to speak to every single one, so if there’s – sorry to say – some bullshit in the press, obviously there might be some concerns back in the factory, but I’m 100 percent behind them as I feel they’re 100 percent behind me and therefore I want to get this straight: there’s nothing to report and I’m very happy at Red Bull Racing.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Sebastian, during the last ten laps when Fernando passed Mark, did you fear that Fernando would come back after you and may be successful?

    SV: You never feel too certain. Obviously it’s important, as I said earlier, I tried to open a gap to – you know – later on, and no matter what happened, to have a little bit of a cushion, to have time to react to be able to control the race in the end. Obviously I was told that Fernando got into P2, Mark had the problem, so I think, as Mark said, obviously with a completely smooth race he could stay ahead. As we also said, on the hard tyres, McLaren and Ferrari were quite competitive. I think I had the same gap when he started to be second as I had in the end, so I was able to keep the gap and control the race.

    Q: (Frank Schneider – Bild Zeitung) Question to Fernando and to Seb: Seb, first, is there anything you want from Fernando at the moment; and Fernando is there anything you want to have from Seb at the moment?

    SV: Could I…? Ah, no you have a cap. I was just about to say, his cap, but he hasn’t… Where did you get that from?

    FA: I can give it to you but… I didn’t understand the…

    SV: I think we are both happy with what we have.

    Ends