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Tag: Fernando Alonso
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Verstappen wins 100th race for Red Bull; Alonso pushes Hamilton to third
Montreal (Canada), 18 June 2023: Max Verstappen scored a lights-to-flag win at the Canadian Grand Prix to seal Red Bull Racing’s 100thvictory in Formula 1, as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso shrugged off late-race brake issues to take P2 and restrict Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to the final step of the podium
“The 100th Grand Prix win for the team, that’s incredible,” said Verstappen afterwards. “I never expected to be on these kind of numbers myself as well, you know, so, yeah, we keep enjoying, we keep working hard. But today has been a great day again.”
When the lights went out at the start, championship leader Verstappen got away well from pole position to take the lead ahead of front-row starter Alonso. The Spanish driver, whose getaway was not the best, was passed into Turn 1 by Hamilton, with the second Mercedes of George Russell in fourth place.
Verstappen soon began to edge away from Hamilton and at the start of lap eight he was 2.4 seconds ahead of the Mercedes. The Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant parked his Williams at the side of the track, but when the American’s car was removed and the caution ended Verstappen’s progress away from the pack continued and by lap 10 he was almost 3.5s ahead of Hamilton, with Alonso a second off the Mercedes in third place. Russell held fourth ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri sixth ahead of the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.
On lap 12 the Safety Car was released when Russell overcooked his entry into Turn 9 and hit the wall. He limped back to the pits and the SC period prompted Verstappen to pit and switch his starting medium tyres for a set of hard compound Pirellis. Hamilton and Alonso also changed tyres during the SC phase, leaving Verstappen to emerge from his stop in the lead.
Behind the top three, both Ferrari drivers opted to stay out on starting medium tyres and they rose to P4 and P5 with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz. Behind them, Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull also stayed out, on hard tyres, and he climbed to sixth place. The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 16. Max held his lead ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, and the twin Ferraris kept Checo at bay as the race went green again.
At the front, Verstappen again began to draw away and by lap 20 he was again almost three seconds clear of Hamilton. The Mercedes driver was coming under increasing pressure from Alonso, however, and at the end of lap 22 the Spaniard pounced, using DRS to slip down the inside of the Briton’s car as they approached the final chicane to take P2.
The order at the front settled as the leaders worked their way through the stint on hard tyres, with Verstappen widening the gap to Alonso to 5.2 seconds by lap 33.
Further back, lead Ferrari driver Leclerc was now three seconds behind third-placed Hamilton. Sainz was two seconds off his team-mate and Checo held sixth, five seconds behind Sainz and seven clear of Ocon.
Pérez made his sole stop of the race on lap 38, moving to medium tyres and emerging in P7 behind Albon. Ferrari reacted by pitting Sainz on the following lap and after a 2.8 switch to hard tyres he rejoined ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon who was targeting a one-stop race. Leclerc then pitted from P4 on lap 40 and after taking on hard tyres he rejoined ahead of Sainz. Checo was on the hunt, though, and as Leclerc emerged from the pit lane, the Mexican passed Albon to take P6 just 4.5 seconds behind Sainz and on quicker tyres.
Hamilton also stopped on lap 40, heading back to medium compound Pirellis, while Alonso stopped on the next lap, fitting another set of hard tyres.
Verstappen made is final stop on lap 42, moving to medium tyres and once again he took the lead for his final stint.
Behind the top six, Albon was doing a superb job of keeping Russell at bay. The Mercedes driver had recovered from his early crash and was attempting to wrestle seventh place from his fellow Briton. That battle ended on lap 54, however, when the damage Russell had shipped early on finally took its full toll and he was forced to retire. That left the way open for Ocon to reel in Albon and with 10 laps left the Alpine driver was just 0.4s off the Williams but could finds no way past.
The battle between Alonso and Hamilton was also hotting up and with the Spaniard nursing a rear brake problem, the Briton closed in and 10 laps from the flag the gap between P2 and P3 was down to 1.8s. Despite his mechanical woes, Alonso managed to find enough pace to rebuild the gap and he was soon more than two seconds ahead of the Mercedes.
At the front, Verstappen was in total control after 70 laps, he took his sixth win of the season ahead of Alonso and Hamilton. With two laps left, and with a significant gap behind him, sixth-placed Pérez pitted for a set of soft tyres and an attempt at the fastest lap. The Mexican delivered a 1:14.481 to add a point to the eight he scored for sixth place behind the two Ferraris.
Seventh place in the race went to Albon with the Briton defending well in the closing stages to keep Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in eighth. Ninth place went to Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin and the final point went to 10th-placed Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 70 1:33’58.348
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes 70 1:34’07.918 9.570
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 70 1:34’12.516 14.168
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 70 1:34’16.996 18.648
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 70 1:34’19.888 21.540
6 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 70 1:34’49.376 51.028
7 Alexander Albon Williams 70 1:34’59.161 1’00.813
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine 70 1:35’00.040 1’01.692
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 70 1:35’02.750 1’04.402
10 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 70 1:35’02.780 1’04.432
11 Oscar Piastri McLaren 70 1:35’03.449 1’05.101
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine 70 1:35’03.597 1’05.249
13 Lando Norris McLaren 70 1:35’06.711 1’08.363
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 70 1:35’11.771 1’13.423
15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 69 1:34’15.291 1 lap /16.943
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 69 1:34’15.725 1 lap /17.377
17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 69 1:35’08.607 1 lap /1’10.259
18 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 69 1:35’13.315 1 lap /1’14.967
George Russell Mercedes 53 1:13’07.798 Retirement
Logan Sargeant Williams 6 8’10.072 Retirement -
Max Verstappen conquers rain and Monaco: F1 Round 7
Monte Carlo, 28 May 2023: Max Verstappen survived a long stint on fading tyres, late rain and tricky conditions to win the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Round 7 of the FIA Formula One World Championship, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso here on Sunday. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon took a well-worked first podium of the year for the French team.
At the start of the race Verstappen got away well from pole position to take the lead ahead of Alonso and over the opening phase of the race, the Dutchman built a solid lead over his Spanish rival. By lap 25 the championship leader had carved out an almost 12-second advantage at the front, though having started on medium tyres, the Dutchman knew that his lead would come under threat as Alonso went deeper into the race on hard tyres.
Behind the leading pair Ocon was proving to be the cork in a bottle containing Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and all three chose to pit for medium tyres to try to escape the lengthening train.
The skies above Monaco were darkening, however, and at the front Verstappen was now facing a dilemma. Alonso, running on hard tyres, could hold station and wait for the rain to arrive before making a sole pit stop. By contrast, Verstappen was finding the going increasingly difficult on his starting mediums. If the rain held off and he was forced to pit for new hard tyres he would be at the mercy of Alonso should the rain then fall.
The Red Bull driver was told to stay out as long as he could but with his front left tyre looking increasingly angry, he radioed his team to say he didn’t know how long he could go on.
As the race edged towards its final 20 laps, though, the Dutchman’s prayers were answered. Rain began to fall at the top of the circuit and soon began to drift towards the harbour.
Alonso chose to pit on lap 54, but crucially, the Spaniard opted to switch his hard tyres for a set of mediums. It proved to be the wrong choice and as the rain intensified Verstappen was finally called in to shed his ragged mediums for a set of intermediate Pirellis.
Alonso was forced to return to the pits for a set of the green-walled tyres and when he emerged he was more than 20 seconds behind Verstappen and despite the treacherous conditions the Dutchman was firmly in control.
Alonso tried to close in but eventually Verstappen took the flag almost 28 seconds ahead of the Aston Martin driver at the chequered flag.
Behind them Ocon converted his third-place start into a third F1 podium, despite coming under heavy pressure from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the wet closing stages of the race.
Hamilton finished fourth ahead of team-mate George Russell, who was handed a five-second penalty by the race stewards for rejoining the circuit unsafely at Mirabeau.
Despite the penalty Russell was still able to clinch fifth ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri rounded out the points positions.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 78 1:48’51.980
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 78 1:49’19.901 27.921
3 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 78 1:49’28.970 36.990
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 78 1:49’31.042 39.062
5 George Russell Mercedes 78 1:49’48.264 56.284
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 78 1:49’53.870 1’01.890
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 78 1:49’54.342 1’02.362
8 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 78 1:49’55.371 1’03.391
9 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 77 – 1 lap
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 77 – 1 lap
11 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 77 – 1 lap
12 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 77 – 1 lap
13 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 77 – 1 lap
14 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 77 – 1 lap
15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 76 – 2 laps
16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 76 – 2 laps
17 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 76 – 2 laps
18 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 76 – 2 laps
19 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 70 – Not running
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 53 – Retirement -
Alonso reveals a bit of insights about Aston Martin to Indian reporter Niharika’s query
The following drivers Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing – Winner); Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing – 2nd) and Fernando ALONSO (Aston Martin – 3rd) attended the FIA post-race Press Conference.
The ace Indian reporter Niharika Ghorpade took up the tyres issue with the popular driver Fernando Alonso, who got a historic podium for Aston Martin. Her question (and the answer) is given before the full transcript.
Q: (Niharika Ghorpade – Sportskeeda) Question to Fernando. Yesterday, Checo mentioned that the strong point of your team is tyre management, and that your team banks on that on race day. So how much did that play into effect, compared to other areas in performance, and also, when it comes to your race pace, at some point in this race, you will almost matching the two drivers next to you. If it weren’t for the start, do you think you could have been slightly closer to them within the race?
FA: I think on the tyres, yes. It seems that this is one is strength of our car, some legacy from last year as well, because Aston Martin was very strong on Sundays last year as well. So yeah, let’s try to keep that theme on the car and just improve the Saturdays, which was maybe the weak point of last year for the team. And also yesterday, we were not mega-competitive. So let’s work on that. And yeah, on the race pace, obviously we lost time in the first stint. I just sat behind the Mercedes. In the middle stint I have to pass George and Valtteri. And then on the final stint I had to pass Lewis and Carlos. So, all in all, I’m sure that you lose 10 or 15 seconds on all those battles. So if we are 40 seconds behind the leader, we could have been maybe 20 seconds, or 30 seconds. Yeah, not real fight – yet – to Red Bull.
TRACK INTERVIEWS (Conducted by Nico Rosberg)
Q: Fernando, how awesome was that start to the season. P3 for you there.
Fernando ALONSO: Yeah. Thank you. First of all, I think congrats to Lance, my team-mate, you know, he had the surgery 12 days ago and now he’s fighting right with everybody. So yeah, amazing for the team. It was a great weekend and, yeah, finishing on the podium in the first race of the year, this is just amazing, you know, what Aston Martin did over the winter to have the second best car in race one, this is just unreal.
Q: How did it feel to pass that Ferrari and Sainz, and that Mercedes and Hamilton out on track there? I mean, you were shouting on the radio?
FA: Yeah, obviously, I would love to start in front of them and then use the pace. But yeah, we had not the best start today and we had to pass on track. So yeah, it felt like more exciting, more adrenaline for sure. So people enjoyed it. We did enjoy as well. So let’s go into Jeddah.
Q: Great. And you have more wind tunnel time as well. Do you think that’s going to play into it, your development rate of the car?
FA: I hope so. But we will not get much next year!
Q: Alright, let’s move on to… who’s coming next Sergio or Max. Sergio is coming next. Sergio, that’s a dream start for the team, isn’t it, with a one-two here in Bahrain?
Sergio PÉREZ: Yeah it’s a great start. I mean, when we look back at last year, and how we started here, it’s really nice. It’s a nice comeback. As a team, you know, we worked really hard over the winter. So it’s great to see all the boys enjoying the first race. And yeah, we have a strong package. So yeah, it was important today to get both cars until the end.
Q: But of course you are also fighter and you want to win. Which area is it you still need to like work on most to try and to try and get closer to Max and beat him?
SP: Well, I think today was really that start that really put me out of contention from the race. But it was all about minimising the damage. So finishing second is the maximum I could do today. It’s a long season. I think I’m getting closer every single session.
Q: So you’re confident you’re going to give him a run for his money?
SP: Yeah, certainly. I think I’m feeling comfortable with the car and we have a strong package. So, yeah, I will do my best.
Q: Thank you. We’ll move on to Max now. The race winner. Max, what a dream start and what an awesome drive there.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was a very, very good first stint, where I basically made my gap. And from there onwards it was all about just looking after the tyres, because you never really know what’s going to happen later on in the race. So we just wanted to make sure that we had the right tyres and in good condition as well. So yeah, of course, very happy to finally also win here in Bahrain.
Q: True, your first win here. Were there any issues during the race? I mean, you were complaining a little bit about downshifts and also the car balance not being so great throughout the whole weekend.
MV: Nothing big, just little things you always want to fine tune so I think they’re quite easy to get on top of.
Q: And are you looking forward to Jeddah? Different kind of track.
MV: Very, very different.
Q: But you’re very confident now that you can get on top of the balance issues and everything and be just as strong?
MV: I think we have a good race package. I mean, of course it will depend a bit, race to race, but we can definitely fight with this. And yeah, also a big thank you to the team, you know, over the winter what they’ve done again, to give us such a quick race car again.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Max, your first win in Bahrain, it was the perfect way to kick off 2023. You delivered what you’ve been threatening to do in testing. You must be delighted?
MV: Yeah, I mean, it was a really good race. I do think it was important to have that first stint where I could open up a gap a little bit and after that I could look after my tyres quite well. But also the car was working well – a bit like what we’ve seen in testing and the long runs we’ve done throughout the weekend. But you still of course need to show that in the race. You never know really what can happen to you throughout the race. But yeah, we were on top of things. And it was quite straightforward. But yeah, I think also, with all the calls and pit stops, we did a good job.
Q: You said yesterday that you weren’t that happy with the balance of your car over one lap? Was it much better today in the race?
MV: Yeah, but you know, in the long run, you anyway have quite a different car, and you never really are able to push to the limit. So naturally, that was less of an issue anyway, when I was already not happy in the beginning of the weekend. But I do think that there are still a few things that need to be looked at. But for now, we’re happy. And then tomorrow, once we get back home, we’ll get on top of everything before we get to Jeddah.
Q: Max, were there any issues for you at all? I mean, you came on the radio at one point, talking about some rear locking. How serious was that? Any other issues?
MV: It happens here and there. I mean, this is not something new. This has happened also in the last year or two years. This is something we are consistently working on and trying to make better. But yeah, I think overall, nothing too big of a concern.
Q: OK, and will this stunning pace that we’ve seen today translate elsewhere, to Saudi for example?
Max Verstappen: Well, Saudi is quite a different track to this one. You have a lot more like straights, fast corners, and a lot less deg. And I think here we were particularly good on the deg. So I do expect in terms of race pace that everyone is closer in Jeddah.
Q: How much confidence, Max, do you take from this performance this weekend?
MV: It has been a great start for us, for the for the whole team, you know, so this is not something we were used to! So yeah, we are very happy at the moment. But yeah, we always keep working.
Q: Alright, many congratulations to you. Very well done. Checo, coming to you now. We saw great pace from you in that race. But it seemed it all came on done at the start. Is that is that the case?
SP: Yeah, that was really the case, missing out to Charles on that first stint. It was really difficult to get by him. He had the new tyres. So you could see the difference on that first stint. And as soon as I was getting a bit closer to him, trying to attack him earlier on, I will just deg and destroy my tyres. So I had to be really patient and get my way through it. And once he did, I was able to drive some fast laps and, let’s say, that my tyres and on the second stint were in better shape than his and I was able to get through. But yeah, it was just too late. It was just a few laps too many, too late, and that put us quite behind Max. Once that happened, we basically just maintained the gap throughout the race. So we had no chance to fight for the win. But today was all about minimising the bad start. And we’ve got plenty of things to analyse, to try to improve and get this consistency throughout the season.
Q: It must have been an interesting fact finding mission for you being behind the Ferrari in that first and what did you learn about that car?
SP: Yeah, I actually learned a lot about their car, you know: where they are weak, where they’re strong, or stronger than us. So yeah, I think I need to make sure that it stays fresh for my engineers later in the briefing.
Q: Go on, share it with us now. And are you happy with where you’ve got the car? Do you feel confident in the RB19?
SP: Yeah, I’m comfortable. I’m comfortable with the car. I’m happy. I think we’ve got some work to do. I think we, both drivers are pushing the car in the same direction, which is good. And yeah, I think it’s been an amazing start to the season. Yeah, our best ever start ever, so very different to last year.
Q: Fernando coming to you, podium number 99 of your career. Your first podium here in Bahrain since you won in 2010. Just how sweet is this moment for you?
FA: It is! Obviously, a perfect start for this project. We didn’t expect to be that competitive. I think the aim in 2023 was, you know, getting the mix in the midfield, maybe leading that midfield and get close to the top three teams eventually. But even a podium maybe was not in the radar in 2023. And, and we found ourselves second best car today in Bahrain, or the whole weekend, like just behind Red Bull. So, this is, yeah, a little bit of a surprise. But we are extremely proud, happy with the job done at Silverstone in the factory. So big congratulations to everyone. Let’s enjoy this moment and build from here, hopefully a good 2023 campaign and get closer and closer to the top guys.
Q: So, are you having to reset your expectations for the rest of this season? Given what’s happened today and this weekend?
FA: Let’s see. I think, like, I have the same feeling from testing, like, too good to be true. And you’re always expecting that something will get… you will get a step back and you will get back to reality. But it seems real, the performance. Let’s see in Jeddah. I am curious to go to Jeddah and Australia. Very different circuits. I think Max touched on before, high-speed corners, very little degradation. I think in Bahrain, we were strong in things that maybe we don’t find in Jeddah, and Australia. So, if we are strong in the next two races, I think we will have a very good 2023.
Q: Final one from me. Can you talk us through those overtakes on Hamilton and Sainz? How much did you enjoy them?
FA: I obviously did enjoy them because I ended-up in front. That’s always the same thing in any battle. But yeah, we say it’s always the same, but when you fight at the front, with these great drivers, great champions, it is more intense, more adrenaline when you are wheel to wheel. So yeah, I didn’t want to have any mistake, or any contact because obviously when you are P12, you lose nothing, but today, we were fighting for big things. And yeah, I was happy. And the car was very nice to drive. That was probably our strength, all through testing. And this weekend, even though the race felt very long, the last 10 laps, because I wanted to see the chequered flag and being on the podium, the car was very good to drive and I could have driven for another hour or something, just alone on track.
Q: You mentioned contact there. Was there any contact between you and Lance?
FA: Yeah, apparently into Turn 4. I thought it was George. But I saw the replay on TV later on, and it was Lance. So yeah, he had a very good start because, you know, he was alongside me into Turn 4. We got lucky. Obviously the two cars, they didn’t have any problems and we could continue. It was our lucky day. For many things, you know, for this contact, and also to be both cars with strong points. So, I’m very happy for the team because they deserve it.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Frédéric Ferret – L’Equipe) Question to Fernando. Is there any weakness in your car that you already can make it better? And we heard you were speaking about something on your car at the end, avoiding the kerb. Did you have any concern about it?
FA: No. But, you know, we had a very comfortable position. So, I slowed down the pace and I informed the team that you know, I could go faster, but I was avoiding the kerbs and just bringing the car home. So yeah, I mean, there are a couple of areas that we have to improve that I will not share. But I think the most important point is that the new Aston Martin is just a new car, a new project. This is just the beginning. You know, this is not the final car, this is just the starting car of this concept that we changed over winter. I think some of the top teams they just kept the philosophy that they had last year. Red Bull or Ferrari they kept more of the same shapes. Just, fine-tuning things and making perfection of that good baseline that they had. For us, it was much more difficult. We have to change 95% of the car. So, I guess there is more to learn from the car, and there is more to come on our side. So full trust in our team, obviously they know what they do. So let’s hopefully improve soon.
Q: (Jesús Balseiro – Diario AS) Question to Fernando, could you elaborate how was your move over Lewis on Turn 10?
FA: Yeah, I think we were not very fast on the straight. So, eventually you normally pass into Turn 1 or into Turn 4. And I think I pass Lewis into Turn 10 and Carlos into Turn 11. So not the normal places, because we could not match their straight-line speed. So, yeah, we had to make some moves in the corners before Turn 10 and Turn 11 and change trajectory, and then get the overtake done, I think to Lewis was more playing a surprise move there, because no one overtakes into Turn 10, let’s say. And then with Carlos, it was close into Turn 10 again, he closed the door, and then I have a better exit into Turn 11. But, yeah, we need to see that because obviously, we will love to pass just on the main straight like everyone does.
Q: (Niharika Ghorpade – Sportskeeda) Question to Fernando. Yesterday, Checo mentioned that the strong point of your team is tyre management, and that your team banks on that on race day. So how much did that play into effect, compared to other areas in performance, and also, when it comes to your race pace, at some point in this race, you will almost matching the two drivers next to you. If it weren’t for the start, do you think you could have been slightly closer to them within the race?
FA: I think on the tyres, yes. It seems that this is one is strength of our car, some legacy from last year as well, because Aston Martin was very strong on Sundays last year as well. So yeah, let’s try to keep that theme on the car and just improve the Saturdays, which was maybe the weak point of last year for the team. And also yesterday, we were not mega-competitive. So let’s work on that. And yeah, on the race pace, obviously we lost time in the first stint. I just sat behind the Mercedes. In the middle stint I have to pass George and Valtteri. And then on the final stint I had to pass Lewis and Carlos. So, all in all, I’m sure that you lose 10 or 15 seconds on all those battles. So if we are 40 seconds behind the leader, we could have been maybe 20 seconds, or 30 seconds. Yeah, not real fight – yet – to Red Bull.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Another question to Fernando, please. In both your battles with Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, you had big moments at Turn 4. It looked like the car suddenly snapped left on you. Can you just talk through the two incidents there and what was causing that? Thanks.
FA: I think we know what is causing that, but I will keep it for me. We’re still working. As I said, the car is very new. We need to learn more from the car, I need to get used to the car. So those moments were more coming from me getting used to the car, getting used to the driving input, feedback from the steering wheel and power assistance. So things that they are not 100% tailormade yet.
Q: (Ronald Vording – motorsport.com) Max, but Checo can add if he wants to. Given the balance issues that we talked about on Friday and Saturday are you surprised to see how big the gap actually is in the first race compared to the first non-Red Bull car? And secondly, you talked about Jeddah a little bit; we can see the data that Ferrari at least made a step in their top speed so what do you expect from Ferrari in Jeddah?
MV: Yeah, I think I already said before that the one lap performance to the race is very different in balance requirements anyway. So even like I said before, on Friday, I was unhappy with the one lap performance, my long runs were still okay, so not really surprised. I’m just, of course, happy that it worked out like this but Jeddah is going to be quite different again. Our car seems quite strong in high speed but you’re right, I think Ferrari is quite quick on the straight which in Jeddah, of course, is very nice to have, let’s say like that. But yeah, time will tell. It’s really hard to know. We’ve only really driven these cars here in Bahrain so we just have to wait and see. We’ll, of course, try and get there in the best shape possible and then we’ll find out throughout practice where we are exactly.
SP: Oh, it’s nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium!
Q: (Carlos Miguel – Marca) Fernando and the Red Bull drivers: for Alonso…
SP: We are all Red Bull drivers.
Q: (Carlos Miguel – Marca) Fernando, after that podium, do you think of the 33rd victory? And I ask after to the Red Bull drivers.
FA: Yep. I would say yes because when you are P3 in race one, there are 22 opportunities this season. And even last year, I remember in Canada, wet qualifying, we were in the first row of the grid. You know, anything can happen in 22 races with different conditions. And, you know I will try my best to do have the opportunity. Maybe we need some help. Last year, we needed some help from the top teams just to get the podium. Maybe this year, if there is this help or there is some retirements in front of us or some problems maybe it’s more than a podium. So let’s hope for that.
Q: (Carlos Miguel – Marca) Question for Max and Checo, do you read that Fernando could be a contender for the championship this year?
MV: I hope so for Fernando as well because he has had a few years where there was not really a possibility to fight at the front so I’m happy to see him sitting here already in race one. I think also again, I mentioned it before, but at Aston Martin they really have the spirit and drive, they want to win and they’ve hired a lot of good people. So I guess it can only get better for them. And I think for this year, difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table. I’ve been in the same position where some races I’m finishing 20 to 40 seconds behind the winners and you still win two or three races a year because sometimes they are some tracks which really suit your car and everything just comes together and you can win a race with maybe sometimes a bit of help or luck. But for sure they have a really strong package. And now of course it’s all about developing it further.
SP: I’m first of all very happy to see Aston and Fernando up here. I think it’s been a tremendous effort and it’s great to see Fernando in his first race for the team on the podium. I think they certainly have a very good car. They will be a contender for sure in a few tracks. You know that the seasons in Formula 1 are extremely long, so anything can happen. So yeah, it’s just nice to see Fernando and Aston.
Q: Fernando, when did you last feel this positive? This upbeat after race one of a season?
FA: I think 2013. Yeah, we were leading the championship, I think, after Barcelona. So we had a contender package but after that I think I didn’t feel as good as now.
Q: (Aaron Deckers – Racing News 365) Last year, Aston Martin ended up seventh in the constructor championship. Obviously, with the new rules, is this the ultimate proof that now Aston Martin is fighting for the podium, that the rules are working since last year?
FA: I don’t think so. No. I think you need to have the vision and the ambition of Lawrence Stroll, or our leadership and our management because the opportunities are there for everybody but it seems that only one team is willing to do whatever it takes to win. And you know, I’m proud to be part of this organisation.
MV: Yeah, Fernando’s absolutely right. I think you mentioned all of it and I think it doesn’t matter if it was the previous generation or this one. I think if you have the right people in charge, and they really want to win and they hire the right people, anything is possible.
SP: Nothing more to add.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Max, this is the first time in 12 years that Red Bull have won the opening race of the F1 season, how different do things feel at the team, compared to say this time last year when there was the double DNF start? And what does that say about the rest of the season, the strength that you can carry through the year ?
FA: A double DNF would be nice.
MV: Well, last year was very disappointing, of course. That normally was a P2. I do think our mentality also has changed a bit compared to a few years ago, in terms of how we are operating and how we are developing a car. And yeah, it’s great to finally have a car which is able to win from the start. And it also helps the car’s not so overweight. It’s perfectly fine now. But yeah, this is a great start but we also know that throughout the season you have to keep on developing. Of course, we are on that, but we hope of course that’s going to be more than the other teams because you have to try and keep that advantage going.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Checo, just going back to the very start of the race what happened there? How come you weren’t able to follow Max from second?
SP: Yeah, I basically lost the position to Charles and that very much defined my race. As I say, he was very strong on that first stint and every time I could get close to him, I was just taking off my tyres so it was very important for me to get to lap 15/16 and still having a good tyre which I could push and make a bit of a tyre delta so I could get by him and once that happened, Max was just too far down the line.
Ends
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Alonso powers Aston Martin to a podium; Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2
Max Verstappen dominated the opening round of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship, cruising to victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix as Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez sealed a 1-2 finish for Red Bull and Fernando Alonso claimed his first podium as an Aston Martin driver. There was disappointment for Ferrari, though, as Charles Leclerc retired from the race with an engine issue.
At the start of the race, Verstappen got away well and took the lead. Alongside him on the front row, team-mate Pérez bogged down and the Mexican driver was swamped from row two by Ferrari’s Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Leclerc got past into Turn 1 but Pérez resisted the assault of Sainz and settled into third place ahead of the Spanish driver and the fifth-placed Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
Behind the top five, Mercedes’ George Russell was sixth but the Aston Martin pair of Alonso and Lance Stroll clashed in Turn 4. Alonso managed to hold on to seventh but Stroll dropped back to ninth behind Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas after getting a late-braking move wrong.
At the front, Verstappen quickly began to pull away from the field and by the start of lap 10 the world champion was a full seven seconds clear of Leclerc.
Leclerc was the first of the leaders to pit, with the Ferrari driver taking on hard compound tyres on lap 14. Sainz followed his team-mate immediately and they rejoined the race in P5 and P6 respectively.
Versatppen was called in a lap later and when he stopped for a set of soft tyres he ceded the lead to Pérez. The Mexican then made his first stop of the race on lap 17. Like his team-mate, the Mexican bolted on another set of soft tyres and as Verstappen retook the lead, Pérez slotted into third place behind Leclerc.
Pérez then began to hunt down the Ferrari ahead, and on lap 25 he closed within DRS range. He quickly went on the attack and powered past the Monegasque driver under braking into Turn 1 to take P2.
At the front, Verstappen was in cruise control and after moving to hard tyres in the final round of pit stops he emerged over 11 seconds ahead of his team-mate, who after his final stop, had pulled out his own 11-second gap to Leclerc.
The major battle was now between Alonso and Hamilton and on lap 39 the Spaniard made a superb move past the seven-time champion into Turn 10 to steal fifth place. The Aston Martin driver then began to chase down Sainz.
What looked like a stable podium order then changed on lap 40 when Leclerc suffered an engine issue. The Ferrari driver pulled over at the side of the track and was forced to retire, meaning that, under the Virtual Safety Car, Sainz inherited third place, just 2.5s clear of Alonso. On lap 43 that gap shrunk to under a second and three laps later, after a bruising sequence of corners, he powered past his compatriot in Turn 11.
At the front, the Red Bull pair were in complete control, exemplified by Pérez’s race engineer Hugh Bird telling his driver “there’s no pressure from behind, just stroke it home”.
And after 57 laps the defending champions did just that. Verstappen took the flag comfortably ahead of his team-mate to seal the first Bahrain GP win of his career and 12 seconds later Pérez sealed Red Bull first one-two finish at the Bahrain International circuit and his 27th career podium finish. Verstappen’s dominance was driven home by the 38.6-second advantage he had over third-placed Alonso who gave Aston Martin its first podium place since the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel finished second.
Behind the top three, Sainz held onto fourth place ahead of Hamilton, while Stroll climbed back to a creditable sixth place to complete a good day for his team. Russell finished seventh in the second Mercedes ahead of Bottas, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly put in a super drive from the back of the grid to take two points for ninth place. The final point on offer went to Williams’ Alex Albon.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 57 1:33’56.736
2 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 57 1:34’08.723 11.987
3 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 57 1:34’35.373 38.637
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 1:34’44.788 48.052
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 1:34’47.713 50.977
6 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 57 1:34’51.238 54.502
7 George Russell Mercedes 57 1:34’52.609 55.873
8 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 57 1:35’09.383 1’12.647
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine 57 1:35’10.489 1’13.753
10 Alexander Albon Williams 57 1:35’26.510 1’29.774
11 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 57 1:35’27.606 1’30.870
12 Logan Sargeant Williams 56 1:33’57.872 1 lap /1.136
13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 56 1:34’13.493 1 lap /16.757
14 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 56 1:34’19.259 1 lap /22.523
15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 56 1:34’35.647 1 lap /38.911
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 56 1:34’36.385 1 lap /39.649
17 Lando Norris McLaren 55 1:34’03.372 2 laps /6.636
Esteban Ocon Alpine 41 1:10’19.566 Retirement
Charles Leclerc Ferrari 39 1:04’46.118 Power Unit
Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 13 22’22.585 Retirement -
Max Verstappen sparkles at FIA awards gala; Hamilton, personality of the year
Paris, 17 Dec 2021: The event, hosted by British TV presenter Nicki Shields and French Formula 1 commentator Julien Fébreau provided a glittering backdrop to the FIA Annual General Assembly Week. It was also Jean Todt’s last appearance at the FIA gala as FIA President, before he ends his term of office on 17 December.
An audience of 800 guests celebrated the outstanding performers and performances of 2021 while the personalities and rising stars were lauded and those lost to the motor sport fraternity in 2021 were remembered.
The evening was the crowning glory of a spectacular year for Dutchman Max Verstappen, who at 24, became one of the youngest FIA Formula 1 World Champions. The Red Bull-Honda driver was embroiled in an enthralling season-long battle with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
In receiving his award from President Todt, Verstappen said: “Becoming world champion is my life goal achieved. Everything that comes next is a bonus. Of course I am going to keep pushing and I’m going to be in F1 for a few more years yet,” he said. “While it’s nice to be called world champion, I think more about the long journey and the all the hours I have spent working with my Dad to be here. It’s been a long and tough season and I feel amazing to have finally achieved my goal. I hope I can do this many more times. It’s been an incredible battle with Lewis, one of the greatest drivers ever in Formula 1. We really pushed each other. At the end of the day, we can look each other in the eyes and respect each other which is really important.”FIA Deputy President for Sport Graham Stoker handed over the third-place trophy to Valtteri Bottas. James Allison, the Chief Technical Officer, accepted the eighth consecutive world championship trophy for the Mercedes-AMG-Petronas team.
The French duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia clinched their eighth FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers and Co-Drivers respectively. Their efforts helped to secure the champion manufacturer prize for Toyota Gazoo Racing. They were presented with their award by WRC Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel.
The FIA World Endurance Championship drivers’ champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez received their award from FIA Vice-President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed the prize for Champion Hypercar from ACO President Pierre Fillon.Dutchman Nyck de Vries took the race victory at the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship finale in Berlin to secure his first title. De Vries, at 26, not only became the youngest title-winner in Formula E history, but also its first World Champion. Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle presented the award.
The Dutchman’s points haul, along with team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne, enabled Mercedes EQ to take the teams’ title which was accepted by team principal Ian James.
Johan Kristoffersson collected his fourth FIA World Rallycross Championship crown at the end of an absorbing weekend of action at the Nurburgring, snatching the title from the clutches of countryman Timmy Hansen as the 2021 campaign concluded in a dramatic dead-heat.
Timmy Hansen, joined by his brother Kevin, took the team championship honours for Hansen World RX Team.
Esports was also recognized during the event in the shape of the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships. Toyota’s Coque López accepted the Manufacturer Series award on behalf of team-mates Tomoaki Yamanaka and Igor Fraga whilst Valerio Gallo received the Nations Cup Trophy.
The stars of tomorrow, the FIA Karting World Champions came in the shape of Tuukka Taponen (OK), Kean Nakamura (OK-Junior) andWinners all: The winners of the year’s FIA championships with Jean Todt at his last Awards Ceremony as he reliquishes the FIA president post today. Photo: FIA Noah Milell (KZ). FIA Karting Commission President Felipe Massa handed over the silverware along with Angelo Sticchi Damiani, President of the Italian Automobile Club and Max Verstappen, who had a decorated karting career of his own.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship winner Oscar Piastri, recently signed as a test driver for Alpine Formula 1 team in 2022, also took the Rookie of the Year Award. The prize is voted by members of the FIA Drivers Commission, led by the Commission President, nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. Rene Rosin represented the champion team Prema Racing. Formula 3 honours went to Dennis Hauger while Giacomo Ricci accepted the team trophy on behalf of Trident Racing.
In addition to the Championship titles, a number of other awards were presented.
The Outstanding Official of the Year Award went to Anselme Bigirimana, who has been a member of the Burundi Automobile Club (CAB) since 1970 and joined the executive committee of the CAB after a serious accident forced him to retire from competition. Bigirimana is ever-present in all the development activities of motor sport in Burundi.
The FIA Personality of The Year Award, decided by permanently accredited FIA media, went to Lewis Hamilton.
Action of the Year celebrates the most spectacular moments of the past racing year and is the only prize of the evening voted for by motor sport fans around the world. In 2021, the fans favoured former world champion and current Alpine Formula 1 team’s Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard was acclaimed for his battle with Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The recipient of the FIA Founding Members’ Club Heritage Cup was Robert Dewar on behalf of the Concours d’Elegance Kenya.
The evening concluded with tributes to President Todt. He was presented with 20 helmets from each of the current Formula 1 drivers by the CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali.
Domenicali said: “Your professional life has always been characterized by true values. We thank you for all that you have done for the motor sport community and also for safety and human rights. You are leaving a lasting legacy.”
Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission, in a personal tribute, said: “He’s somebody you can call at 3 o’clock in the morning with a problem and he will wake up the world to solve the problem. We are going to miss him so much.”
The President’s son, Nicolas Todt added: “I want to tell you how proud I am to have a father like you who taught me so many important values. Your successes are due to your passion for motor sport, your willingness to always push the boundaries, your capacity to get the very best from your colleagues and to never take no for an answer.”
And in recognition as President Todt being the inspiration behind the FIA Safe and Affordable Helmet Programme and his dedication across the twin pillars of motor sport and mobility, he was presented with a commemorative Safe and Affordable helmet signed by all the World Champions awarded during his term as President of the FIA.
President Todt said: “Life is made in chapters. Being a co-driver was my first. And now this chapter is over. Twelve years is a long time. The job is demanding. I know that the FIA will get fresh blood, a fresh team. Amongst the legacy I leave, I leave an amazing team which is able to continue to deliver the job with the new elected team. I still have the same passion. I am blessed, I still love motor racing. Now it is time to give something back in other areas of life. I am an old man but in good form and we will see what comes next.Proceedings ended with the traditional ‘family photo’ and a final applause for all of the 2021 champions and category winners as the curtain fell on what has been a successful motor sport year.
Click here to see the event image gallery and here to read the FIA prize giving brochure.
2021 FIA PRIZE GIVING GALA | CHAMPIONS & AWARD WINNERS
FIA FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Max VERSTAPPEN
FIA FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CONSTRUCTORS
MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE TEAM
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS AND CO-DRIVERS
Sébastien OGIER & Julien INGRASSIA
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MANUFACTURERS
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
FIA HYPERCAR WORLD ENDURANCE DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Mike CONWAY, Kamui KOBAYASHI, José María LÓPEZ
2021 FIA HYPERCAR WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Nyck DE VRIES
ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MANUFACTURERS
MERCEDES-EQ
FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Johan KRISTOFFERSSON
FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
HANSEN WORLD RX TEAM
FIA KARTING WORLD CHAMPION – KZ
Noah MILELL
FIA KARTING WORLD CHAMPION – OK-JUNIOR
Kean NAKAMURA
FIA KARTING WORLD CHAMPION – OK
Tuukka TAPONEN
FIA CERTIFIED GRANTURISMO CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNER – NATIONS CUP
Valerio GALLO
FIA CERTIFIED GRANTURISMO CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNER – MANUFACTURERS SERIES
Coque LOPEZ
FIA CERTIFIED GRANTURISMO CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNER – MANUFACTURERS SERIES
Igor FRAGA
FIA CERTIFIED GRANTURISMO CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNER – MANUFACTURERS SERIES
Tomoaki YAMANAKA
FIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Lewis HAMILTON
FIA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Oscar PIASTRI
FIA ACTION OF THE YEAR
Fernando ALONSO
FIA JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Sami PAJARI & Marko SALMINEN
FIA JUNIOR WRC TROPHY FOR NATIONS
FINLAND
FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Andreas MIKKELSEN
FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CO-DRIVERS
Torstein ERIKSEN
FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
MOVISPORT
FIA WRC3 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Yohan ROSSEL
FIA WRC3 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CO‑DRIVERS
Maciej SZCZEPANIAK
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
HYUNDAI 2C COMPETITION
FIA AFRICAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Carl TUNDO & Tim JESSOP
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Andreas MIKKELSEN & Sara FERNÁNDEZ
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
TOKSPORT WRT
FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Nasser AL-ATTIYAH & Mathieu BAUMEL
FIA NACAM RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Ricardo CORDERO & Marco HERNÁNDEZ
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY TROPHY DRIVERS & CO-DRIVERS
Mustafa ÇAKAL & Özgür AKDAG
FIA RGT CUP DRIVERS & CO‑DRIVERS
Pierre RAGUES & Julien PESENTI
FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS‑COUNTRY RALLIES DRIVERS & CO-DRIVERS
Nasser AL-ATTIYAH & Mathieu BAUMEL
FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS‑COUNTRY RALLIES FOR TEAMS
OVERDRIVE SA
FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS‑COUNTRY RALLIES DRIVERS – T3
Cristina GUTIÉRREZ
FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS‑COUNTRY BAJAS DRIVERS & CO-DRIVERS
Yazeed AL RAJHI & Alexey KUZMICH
FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS‑COUNTRY BAJAS DRIVERS – T3
Dania AKEEL
FIA EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP – RX1
Andreas BAKKERUD
FIA EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP – RX3
Yury BELEVSKIY
FIA RX2e CHAMPIONSHIP
Guillaume DE RIDDER
FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Oscar PIASTRI
FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
PREMA Racing
FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DRIVERS
Dennis HAUGER
FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS
TRIDENT
FORMULA REGIONAL EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP BY ALPINE CERTIFIED BY FIA
Gregoire SAUCY
FORMULA REGIONAL AMERICAS CHAMPIONSHIP POWERED BY HONDA
Kyffin SIMPSON
FORMULA REGIONAL JAPANESE CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Yuga FURUTANI
FORMULA 3 ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Guanyu ZHOU
F4 USA CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Noel LEÓN
F4 SPANISH CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Dilano VAN’T HOFF
F4 UAE CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Enzo TRULLI
F4 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Oliver BEARMAN
F4 GERMAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Oliver BEARMAN
F4 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Matthew REES
F4 JAPANESE CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Seita NONAKA
F4 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Esteban MASSON
F4 CHINESE CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
Andy CHANG
FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP LMGTE FOR DRIVERS
Alessandro PIER GUIDI & James CALADO
FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP LMGTE FOR MANUFACTURERS
FERRARI
FIA ENDURANCE TROPHY FOR LMP2 DRIVERS
Charles MILESI, Ferdinand HABSBURG, Robin FRIJNS
FIA ENDURANCE TROPHY FOR LMGTE AM DRIVERS
Alessio ROVERA, François PERRODO, Nicklas NIELSEN
FIA EUROPEAN TRUCK RACING DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Norbert KISS
FIA INTERNATIONAL DRIFTING CUP FOR DRIVERS
James DEANE
WTCR – FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CUP FOR DRIVERS
Yann EHRLACHER
WTCR – FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CUP FOR TEAMS
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co
WTCR – FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CUP FOR JUNIOR DRIVERS
Luca ENGSTLER
FIA WORLD LAND SPEED RECORDS
Gianmaria AGHEM
FIA OUTSTANDING OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Bigirimana ANSELME
FIA FOUNDING MEMBERS’ CLUB HERITAGE CUP
Robert DEWAR -
Alonso is keen on getting back behind the wheel: Cyril Abiteboul
TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Andreas SEIDL (McLaren), Cyril ABITEBOUL (Renault), Simon ROBERTS (Williams)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Let’s start with just a quick resumé of FP1 if we could. Andreas, why don’t we start with you please. How was it down at McLaren?
Andreas SEIDL: I would say it was not the most straightforward session for us today. As you have seen, we have lost one car early with Carlos going into the barrier, which was upsetting our programme a bit and we couldn’t go out any more because we had to change the rear crash structure for Free Practice Two. On Lando’s side, with the red flags and the Virtual Safety Cars it was also not a straightforward session because we couldn’t have the clean programme that we were wishing for with trying some new components again. But it’s still early days and it’s simply important now to reset again and then see how we can progress in Free Practice Two.
Cyril ABITEBOUL: Fairly straightforward session for us, for a Friday morning. Lots of… a bit of test going on in the background to try to understand a bit better what everyone is seeing from the outside, which is also to a certain degree puzzling us from the inside, which is the discrepancies we seem to have in certain conditions. So we’ve conducted some aero tests to try to get on the bottom of these questions. The pace seems to be OK but the drivers are both complaining that a balance is difficult to find. Even though it’s looking a bit good on the timesheets we know that there was lots of yellow flags and red flag, so we are treating those positions very carefully.
Simon ROBERTS: Yes, so unfortunately a disrupted session for us as well. On George’s side we went through the programme. Everything was to plan, we were basically just trying to get the right set-up, starting the set-up work for tomorrow. No major dramas. As the guys have said there was a few red flags, yellow flags. George missed one turn but nothing major, so yeah, that all went as expected. Unfortunately for Nicholas, went off on Turn 10, one of those classic ‘punishment doesn’t fit the crime’, he had a little bit of understeer going in, just lost the back end and collected the wall. Car’s back in the garage, there’s quite a bit of damage, we’re assessing that now. Obviously we lost the rear wing and the bodywork down the side but we’re already into that. So, hopefully the guys will turn it around and see where we get to in FP2. If you want justice for the crime, you ought to get in touch with Rosemead attorneys for marijuana charges, who have the best solution for all criminal issues.
Q: Andreas, coming back to you, you’ve said already it was a disrupted session for McLaren but how do you rate your team’s chances here? Both cars were in the points last year – is this an opportunity to put pressure on Red Bull and bag some big points?
AS: Well, I don’t think that Red Bull is the team we are targeting this year. As I said, we had a good race here last year, we were quite competitive but I’m very careful at the moment predicting how the weekends go because we also thought in Mugello it’s a track that suits us. It’s particularly important to focus on ourselves again. It’s important to simply get through the testing programme on Friday, making sure that the upgrades we are bringing are working and hopefully we can carry them forward into the race weekend. We know that competition is strong; everyone is bringing upgrades and still improving their cars. Renault made big steps forward in the last couple of races. Racing Point brought an upgrade to Mugello that looked really, really strong, also Ferrari is a team we never underestimate. So, we have two good drivers, a good team and it’s going to be important to maximise the opportunities going forward – and that’s what we will try again, also this weekend.
Q: Cyril, can we talk about Fernando Alonso. He was in the factory recently. How did you find him? What feedback did he give you on the simulator?
CA: Not sure I want to comment on the simulator specifically because it’s not necessarily the main strength of the team and we are working hard to improve in that area. That’s typically an area where there has been a lack of investment in the last few years – but on a broader perspective first we saw a Fernando that’s happy to be back not yet in action but back in the team environment, in particular a team that he knows and where he obviously has good souvenirs – but souvenirs are not a reflection of what’s going to happen so we need also to be forward looking. I think, being on the Viry side – because I can’t travel in the UK myself – I was not in the UK but I can tell you that he was really impressed by all the changes in Viry, all the new people, the energy, the drive, the determination in Viry that there is in developing a new PU for what is now 2022. It was supposed to be ’21 but it’s shifting back a year. Obviously I’m biased when I say that but it’s something that is extremely important to us, so see Fernando and to see his pride and the excitement in his eyes. He’s also been a witness to all the changes in Enstone – but a nice building is not again a statement of what’s coming. So, we just need to work very hard to make sure he has a car that he wants and also that he deserves.
Q: When are we going to see him testing a car?
CA: One thing that I can say is that he’s definitely keen on getting back behind the steering wheel, so we’ll see that. We are building the programme. There is a couple of opportunities within, obviously, the restriction of the sporting regulation. Things like filming days that we’ve not done so far, there is a post-season test that I have already commented on – we’ll see where we get there. We also have a two-years old car programme that we can run pretty much anywhere and he will probably do a bit of that also. So, you’ll see him in action. I can’t say here where and when exactly yet.
Q: Simon, you’ve been in the job as acting team principal for a few weeks now. How are you finding things?
SR: It’s pretty busy, pretty hectic obviously. It’s a big step up, I’m very proud and honoured to be asked to do it but there’s a lot to do in the factory. We’re trying to make sure we keep the management team stable with the new owners, so that’s really important for them and the rest of the team. So, me stepping up makes us able to do that. We’re now working with the new owners pretty much every day, looking at what we need to do to improve. What the long-term programme is and how do we find some performance for the whole team over a long period of time. There’s no quick fix here. We’re in it for the long haul and so are Dorilton.
Q: What are their immediate goals? What have they said to you?
SR: They’re just trying to right now understand everything they can about the business. They’re super-smart and really nice and easy people to work with, so it’s great having them around. They just come and get involved in everything they can. They obviously were in Mugello, which was great for them and we’re just in that budget setting, looking at investment plans, trying to figure out effectively what’s the first thing to do. We don’t want to make mistakes but everything we do is focussed on improving our performance in the long term.
VIDEO CONFERENCE
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Cyril, in August, Pat Fry wrote an email to the FIA requesting clarity on the status of listed components, the definitions on intellectual property etcetera. Have you have replies and are these satisfactory?
CA: As you know Dieter, up until a certain point these communications with the FIA are confidential matters but we expect that at some point they will become public material because we believe that they are very important for any team to make sure they comply with the stance of the FIA on these things after obviously the precedent of this year and the controversy of this year. We have had a response from Nikolas. He is in the process of turning that into something more formal that can then become public.
Q: (Christian Nimmervoll – motorsport.com) Cyril, you recently announced the rebranding of the team and the restructuring of the programme. As I understand, you also took over responsibility for promoting the Alpine brand in the process. The question is: are you going to remain team principal – or is your role going to change in any way with people in Enstone like Marcin Budkowski taking over more responsibility?
CA: The exact situation is that I have been asked by the CEO Luca de Meo to take as an extra mission the structuring of Alpine as a car company, as a brand but not just a brand inside of things but what’s the product strategy, what’s the business model within the context of Renault Group changing massively of organisation, and also strategy, given the overall situation. It’s a mission which I started, which I will have in hand in a couple of weeks and part of the deliverable of that mission will see obviously some proposals in terms of structure that I absolutely do not want to comment on here and now. What I can tell you is that I remain in the context of that mission until the end this year fully committed in my role as team principal.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Question for Simon. Obviously you referred to finding long-term performance and particularly with the limitations on next year anyway, it’s logical that 2022 is the next big step – so how much do you feel the team is capable of taking a step forward in 2022 and how much thought and decision making has there been on perhaps some of the bigger investments – facilities etcetera – that are needed in the long term beyond that to get the team to the level you want it to be at?
SR: We’re looking at all of it Edd. What we don’t want to do is give up on 2021. I think it’s really important to keep the team alive and active and competing – so we’re trying to create a short-term plan and, if we could, repeat the step that the team made this year, going from 2019 into 2020. If we can do something like that, then it puts us in a good position for next year. What we don’t want to do obviously is sacrifice efforts towards 2022 because there’s new rules, the new financial regulations will start to bite, so we don’t’ want to lose that opportunity. So, I don’t want to go into any specifics but we’re basically looking at all of it and prioritising across a long time frame.
Q: (Christian Menath – motorsport-magazin.com) Simon, from the feedback you get from the new owners at Williams. I think your current title is acting team principal. Do you think you have a future with the team as team principal as well?
SR: It’s something we haven’t really focussed on, to be honest. The whole sale process happened much faster than any of us expected and then Claire made her decision, which was a shock to all of us. So, the most important thing was to retain continuity. So I’m really, really pleased to be asked to step-up, I really enjoy it and hopefully I can continue to do it for longer – but we haven’t even discussed it. It’s not the top of my list, and it’s not the top of theirs. There’s plenty of work to be done and we’re all focussed on that and focussed on moving the team forwards.
Q: (Adam Cooper – motorsport.com) Question for Cyril. Stefano Domenicali looks set to be the CEO of F1 next year. What are your thoughts on that appointment and are you pleased so see someone with so much experience in so many different areas coming into that role?
CA: It’s difficult to comment on something that it only a speculation for the time being. If it were to happen, Stefano obviously has plenty to offer in such a position. He’s got – I’m stating the obvious – a very good knowledge of the sport itself. He’s got a good knowledge of how the sport can support a manufacturer. Lamborghini obviously not being in Formula 1 but he also knows probably why they are not in Formula 1. So, I guess he has a different, interesting perspective to offer in relation to that. What we need, I guess, is a very strong management as always. Without being too pessimistic about the direction that things are taking, there is a number of topics on the agenda of anyone coming into this position – whether it’s Chase continuing in this position or someone new – because there are lots of topics, so we need someone very strong and someone committed, who knows the sport but also with a strong group of people around him and I hope that Chase stays also around because I think he has plenty to offer also in addition to a possible Stefano Domenicali – but again, it’s only speculation.
Andreas, can we get your thoughts please on this?
AS: As I have said today in the morning already to some of you guys, I think, first of all it’s important was Cyril says. Chase has been and is still the CEO of Formula 1 and I think it’s important to mention he has done a great job and is still doing a great job in order to plan the future, together with us, of Formula 1, which is looking great from our point of view with all the changes that are coming but if Chase would decide to step down, or decides he’s had enough of all of us, I think Stefano would be a great choice. For various reasons. First of all, purely down to all the different experiences he has made already in his working life. I think he has everything you need to have to run Formula 1. And then my personal experience also with Stefano, during my time at Porsche is simply that he’s a great personality, a great character and I benefitted a lot also, working on special projects with him, from his experiences so we would definitely welcome Stefano taking over this position.
Simon, your thoughts?
SR: I haven’t really got anything to add from what the guys said. It is speculation. I remember him from the RRA times and he’s a great guy, great character – but until something’s announced then we’ll work with the current management.
Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Andreas, I know you spoke about this, this morning, so this question is for Cyril and Simon, about reverse grids and the possibility of it being used as a sprint race format in lieu of qualifying next year. We know that sort of some teams are starting to change position and think a little bit more about it as F1 is revisiting the plan, I just wanted to know from Cyril and Simon from what your view is on it and where your teams currently stand?
CA: I still believe that reverse grid is a great opportunity for mixing things up and offering a show but I still believe it’s an artefact and we should have the ambition of offering exciting races without that artefact. We’ve had, again, fantastic races this year, we’ve had fantastic races also last year with lots of things happening without reverse grid. We just need the field to be more competitive. I think that should be the focal point. If you have 20 cars within half a second, or a second, that will offer you a great show in my opinion – providing you have the opportunity to overtake. We don’t’ want to turn Formula 1 into DTM. So, I think that we are near enough 2022 not to have to use that artefact at this point in time.
Q: Simon, if there were to be reverse grids?
SR: We’ve only just started looking at again. We had a look just over a year ago. Didn’t do much work on it from that. We’re just starting to model it now. It introduces some jeopardy but there are two side to that. As Cyril said, the pace of the cars currently, we’re not really sure how much difference it really makes on the feature races. It’s early days. Things have already shifted, as Cyril said. The pace of the cars is different. We don’t have the normal three at the top. We kind of reserve judgement and still want to study it in detail before we make any decisions on that.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Simon, will Williams run at the maximum allowed under the cost cap in 2021?
SR: It’s a good question, Edd. We probably won’t. We are so far into…. Sorry, in 2021? Yeah, our budget is based on getting towards the cost cap. This year it’s too late. We’ve only four months to go and we’re pretty much set on where we are headed but for next year we are looking at what we can do and we now have the finances behind us to do that. But it’s not a given. We will only spend money and invest where it makes sense.
Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC) This is for all three. As you alluded to just now, there are new regulations coming in for 2022, which are intended to close up the field, and yet they are still pursuing this idea of trialling reverse grids. Is there a lack of confidence within the sport that the 2022 regulations are going to do what they’re intended to do?
AS: Well, I can only speak for ourselves, for McLaren. I don’t see that there is any lack of confidence. We strongly believe that everything that comes into place from ’22 onwards, the financial regulations with the budget cap, the technical regulations and the sporting regulations, will definitely improve the competition and in the end improve also the sport – the spectacle for the fans, which is great. Of course, we also need to be realistic as well, it will also take time until all this stuff is coming into place and until the budget cap is also, let’s say, washing out and having its full effect. But in the end then it’s simply down to us to make sure that we work hard and close this gap to the cars in front of us, but I’m very optimistic about the future.
CA: It’s really difficult, because, as you know, we have no real ability to develop the car at this point in time and we were probably a little bit late also. But anyway, we know the effect on the aerodynamic of our car, but again, we have no ability really to run in a tunnel or into CFD the effect of following another car, which is really the crucial point of the technical regulation, the aerodynamic regulations, which is probably the biggest change that Formula 1 has ever experienced. And when you have a change like this one there is always the possibility that someone finds a magic bullet, or someone finds a huge loophole or a small loophole with a big effect which could again stretch the field, at least for an initial period of time. I don’t think anyone has the ability to really give you a correct answer at this point in time.
SR: I agree. I think it’s too early to tell. We’re just focused on what we can do. It’s a huge step from where we are and as Cyril said we can’t work on the cars at all, for 2022, yet. We’re locked out of the tunnel and CFD and basically the intent is good, but how the intent plays out only time will tell. We can’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be as expected, subject to any loopholes or quirks. I think there has been a lot of work done and the guys that have created the regulations have been exploring that possibility of loopholes, so our expectation is that it should be a leveller playing field than we are used to today.
Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Another question for Cyril. Cyril, first of all, could you clarify that the 200 million anti-dilution fund will impact on your plans to possibly find a second team, possibly almost with a Haas-like relationship. Secondly, the other question is: will your team need be in a position where it needs to trigger that soft landing, US$6-million concession in the budget cap next year?
CA: So, on the first question, on the anti-dilution payment, yes, on the broader sense that’s something that I believe is important for the sport. You are making reference to a mechanism that’s been introduced in Concorde that is basically putting a minimum value on any entry, I guess it’s a collateral effect and clearly it’s going to make access to Formula 1 a bit more difficult fort any team above 10, which I think is right. It’s like the Premier League of motor sport, it’s like the NBA. There needs to be this type of franchise system and with budget cap and that mechanism we are getting there. I have been involved in actually three financial transactions involving Formula 1 teams and every single time, it’s no secret, that the value of the team was the value of the debt, and it’s not normal when you are talking abut a sport that is amongst the top three sports properties in the world. So clearly that is an important ingredient but I accept that it is probably going to limit our ability to find a partner team, but frankly we are not actively searching. We think it’s a good add now that we have a long-term plan and a long-term commitment into the sport, we are open to opportunity but it’s not like we are actively searching for opportunities simply because we have been involved in many customer arrangements and it’s still not that clear cut that it’s bringing you something that you really need in order to meet your sporting targets. On the second question on the six million, it’s even more technical. What I can easily say is that we are not going to have any need of this six million on the simple basis that we operate below the budget cap. We have no people in excess. We will not have, therefore, any redundancy to plan to hit the 2021 limit.
Q: (Christian Nimmervoll – motorsport.com) Simon, what’s the reason why the new owners of the team have kept such a low profile in the public and haven’t shown up in public yet?
SR: So, Matthew Savage was in Mugello, he joined the team. He brought one of his other board members and one of his senior chief of staff. So, they were there. They weren’t doing interviews but that was their first foray into Formula 1 and I expect we will see them in the future. They are not hiding, so who knows. -
Fernando Alonso achieves first-ever rally raid podium with Toyota Gazoo Racing
Fernando Alonso prepares well for the Dakar debut. Toyota Gazoo Racing images Al Ula Neom (Saudi Aradia), 10 Nov 2019: Fernando Alonso achieved his first-ever rally raid podium with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing after a solid performance at the 2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally in Saudi Arabia on November 5-9. In just their third rally raid competition together, Fernando and navigator, Marc Coma, took home the third-place trophy for the first time since the Spanish duo started their preparations towards the 2020 Dakar Rally just over two months ago.
The first two of four stages took place near the north-western city of Al Ula which featured two loops of approximately 220 kilometres each day on mixed terrain of open desert, sand and stone strewn sections, and rocky paths. For Fernando and Marc, this event represented a new challenge of competing on unfamiliar terrain against a field of local rally raid specialists.
Nevertheless, the Spanish duo brought their brand-new Toyota Hilux home in fourth place after the first stage after negotiating through the dust kicked up by frontrunners, trailing the leader by just 7min 24sec. As their Hilux had only 20 kilometres on the clock when they arrived in Saudi Arabia, Fernando and Marc elected to take a zero risk approach during the opening stage.
After a largely clean run on a route similar to that of the previous day and as Fernando and Marc pushed to reduce the overall gap, they picked up a puncture towards the closing part of the stage which was made up of rocky paths. The pair lost approximately 2min 30sec to replace the flat tyre, which resulted in an additional 7min 35sec deficit to the leader while maintaining a solid fourth place overall.
The final two stages of the event took place near the new city of Neom, on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea, approximately 460 kilometres north-west of Al Ula. This new and unfamiliar terrain and conditions included areas of tricky navigation which pushed competitors to their limits.
Despite the challenges, Fernando and Marc showed strong pace over the course of the penultimate stage to bring their Hilux back home third-fastest overall and losing just 17 seconds to the leader after some 180 kilometres of racing.
Fernanco Alonso and navigator Marc Coma, in only their third Rally Raid together earn a third place for Toyota Gazoo. The Spanish duo started the final day in third place overall following a late retirement overnight and securing the final podium spot with consistent pace throughout the day despite some time loss due to inaccurate road books and tricky navigation. Their split times showed excellent speed, a clear indication that Fernando and Marc have already reached a highly competitive level in rally raid despite their relative lack of experience as they transition into new motorsport disciplines.
The 2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally is the last of three rally raid competitions for Fernando and Marc in their intensive training programme to prepare for the 2020 Dakar Rally. The Spanish pairing first entered, what turned out to be, an eventful Lichtenburg 400 in South Africa before tackling the formidable Rally of Morocco, persevering through a wide variety of challenges and learning invaluable lessons along the way. With under two months to go before the Dakar Rally, Fernando and Marc will continue private testing before joining their TOYOTA GAZOO Racing teammates in Saudi Arabia in January, 2020 for the Dakar Rally.
2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally Results:
1st #201 Yazeed Al Rajhi/Konstantin Zhiltsov (Toyota Hilux, Privateer), 6hrs 35min 52sec
3rd #205 Fernando Alonso/Marc Coma (Toyota Hilux, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing), 6hrs 52min 12sec (+16min 20sec)Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “Fernando and Marc showed great pace this week, and I’m happy that they are progressing according to our plan. We had a strategy for this race, and it worked out perfectly for them. They raced a brand-new car here, which is earmarked for the Dakar Rally, so they had to balance their pace with the need to preserve the car. In the end, they achieved a maiden podium against local crews who know the terrain very well, which bodes well for January’s Dakar Rally. It was also interesting for us to experience Saudi Arabia first-hand and gain some insight for the big race in the New Year.”
Fernando Alonso: “The final stage was a difficult one, full of rocks and difficult navigation. But we had no real issues, and we finished third on the stage and third overall, which is quite a good result for us. This is our first even podium in rally raid, and I’m very happy with that. Overall we had four good days in Saudi Arabia.”
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Invaluable rally-raid experience for Fernando Alonso at Lichtenburg 400
Fernando Alonso during the Lichetenburg Rally-Raid last Saturday. A Toyota Gazoo Racing image Lichtenburg (South Africa), 16 Sept 2019: Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma completed an eventful but invaluable learning experience at the Lichtenburg 400 in South Africa on September 13-14 with Toyota Gazoo Racing. Following successful training sessions in Namibia and Poland, the Spanish duo entered round five of the South African Cross Country Series, their first rally raid competition together in the Toyota Hilux.
The crew completed a 300-kilometre Shakedown on the varied terrain of the competition route as part of their training on September 12. This gave the pair additional seat time in the Hilux while allowing Marc to familiarise himself with the event roadbook and onboard navigation systems used during the competition.
During the Prologue on September 13, which determines the starting order on race day, Fernando and Marc started the 55-kilometre route from 10th position on the road. Despite the dust kicked up by the leading pack, the crew showed strong pace over the early part of the route, eventually catching up and passing one of the competitors ahead to get themselves into clearer air. Fernando and Marc posted the third-fastest time overall just 32 seconds off pole, bested only by Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa’s Henk Lategan and Giniel de Villiers also in the Hilux.
Starting from third position on race day, the crew experienced a soft rollover at the 27-kilometre mark. The windscreen of the Hilux was broken and the pair lost time to remove the glass before continuing. Despite the challenges, Fernando and Marc continued to the end of the 190-kilometre loop and posted competitive split times throughout the remainder of the first loop while wearing goggles to assist visibility in the dust. At the midday service, the Toyota Gazoo Racing team raced to replace the windscreen and completed minor bodywork repairs on the Hilux in the limited time available. Together with the event organisers, it was decided that the crew will start the second loop ahead of the field in clear air to gain quality mileage.
A bird strike five kilometres into the second loop resulted in a second broken windscreen for the crew. Fernando and Marc again demonstrated their resolve to complete the final 190-kilometre loop while taking turns to hold the broken windscreen in place between driving and navigating. They continued to post competitive split times and was classified 16th overall.
In total, Fernando and Marc clocked up another 728 kilometres of training mileage during the Lichtenburg 400 which saw them traverse cornfields, undulating veld and dry river crossings. Even more invaluable than the mileage for the new Spanish pairing transitioning into a different discipline of motorsport are the lessons learnt and experience earned in the white heat of rally raid competition.
Lichtenburg 400 was won by Giniel and navigator Dennis Murphy while Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teammates Henk and navigator Brett Cummings finished second, enough to win the 2019 South African Cross Country Series title with one round remaining.
The next challenge for Fernando and Marc as part of their intensive training programme will be the Rally of Morocco which takes place near the city of Fes, Morocco on October 3-9. Last year’s rally was won by reigning Dakar Rally champion Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel, their second consecutive Rally of Morocco victory with Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa in the Hilux.
Seen as a precursor to the Dakar Rally, the route of the 2019 edition of the Rally of Morocco will feature a cloverleaf layout with five competitive stages all starting and ending near Fes. Competitors will navigate a total distance of 2,500 kilometres, of which 1,868 kilometres will be timed special stages, featuring a mixture of rough gravel tracks, sand dune crossings and tricky navigation.
Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “We certainly proved this weekend that Fernando has the speed and Marc has the ability to co-drive in the Hilux. Despite the ups and downs, this weekend was an invaluable experience for the crew. We are fast-tracking one of the best racing drivers the world has ever seen into a discipline he has never experienced before. With just five months to prepare for one of the toughest races in motorsport, we have an incredible task ahead of us. In the Prologue, we saw that Fernando can keep up with the best drivers in South Africa, who are as good as they come in the world. Competing at this level in terms of speed, and with such a steep learning curve, we expected little setbacks along the way. This is exactly the kind of experience they need to have so it doesn’t come as a surprise if it happens during the big race. The determination shown by Fernand and Marc today is nothing short of impressive. The crew got back in the car and completed the first loop without a windscreen in the dust, and again in the second loop while holding the window up for most of the stage.”
Fernando Alonso: “Every time we go in the car we learn something and we get more and more familiar with the Hilux. Unfortunately, today was a little bit of a nightmare for us. In the morning, we rolled over a little bit and broke the windscreen which affected our visibility so we had to removed it. We drove the rest of the loop with goggles on, in the dust behind all the cars. For the second loop the organisers allowed us to start in front, to have a clear view. After a few kilometres, we hit a bird and the windscreen broke again. Then it was nearly 200 kilometres with one hand on the windscreen and the other on the steering wheel. It wasn’t the best day for us, but we were able to get more kilometres in the Hilux and it’s good to experience these things before we get to more important races.”
Marc Coma: “Today was a pretty tough day for us after a really good day yesterday. We started the race smooth but rolled the car at one point but we managed to finish the loop. Then we started the second loop with a new windscreen to get more experience in the Hilux. After just a few kilometres, we hit a bird and it broke the windscreen. The wind and dust started to come inside the car, making it very difficult to drive to the end. It really wasn’t easy to hold the windscreen in place while navigating at the same time. With Fernando, we managed the situation together and got to the end of the race. Even with all the challenges we faced today, we still managed to get a lot of valuable kilometres under our belt and we know that all of this is part of the experience we are gaining.”
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Historic Sebring pole for Toyota Gazoo Racing: WEC
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will start the 1000 Miles of Sebring from pole position after a clean sweep of the front row in qualifying for the sixth round of the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The team maintained its perfect record in WEC qualifying this season, with the #8 TS050 HYBRID of World Championship leaders Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso going fastest in qualifying with an average of 1min 40.318secs, earning the additional point for pole position in the process.
The #7 TS050 HYBRID of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López completed an all-TOYOTA front row with second place, 0.485secs behind.
Fernando set a new official qualifying record at Sebring International Raceway with his 1min 40.124secs lap, beating the previous record set by Audi in 2013 by 3.762secs. Friday’s race gives both cars the chance to set a new race record at the famous venue, which has hosted endurance racing since 1950.
Sébastien Buemi (centre), Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso (left) after taking pole on 14 March 2019. A Toyota Gazoo Racing image Qualifying took place in darkness, adding an additional challenge for the drivers, alongside the constant battle to find clean space on the 6.019km track that is notorious for heavy traffic due to the proximity of the walls and the unforgiving kerbs.
The night proved to be a frustrating one for the #7 car, which had topped two of the three practice sessions in the run-up to qualifying. Mike was first behind the wheel but could not match the #8 car’s pace on his flying laps, while José faced traffic on his first lap and made a small error on his second before holding his nerve in the closing seconds to record a competitive time.
The #8 car had a less dramatic and more successful session, with Fernando immediately writing his name in the Sebring record books with his first flying lap before Kazuki found space among the traffic and secured pole position.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will therefore go into the 1000 Miles of Sebring with the ideal platform from which to challenge for a fifth one-two finish of the season to extend its World Championship lead, which currently stands at 29 points.
Mike Conway (TS050 HYBRID #7): “I found the car a little bit difficult in the night. It was hard to put a lap together so in the end I had two scrappy laps. We start second which isn’t bad for a long race tomorrow. We’ve got to execute our race well and make the right calls on strategy. Hopefully we can come home with a good result.”
José María López (TS050 HYBRID #7): “I am happy for the team to get a one-two with a good margin; the cars are looking very strong. Our car had shown good pace all weekend but qualifying is just one lap in the night. I knew I had to put together an exceptional lap and I went for it. On my first lap another car blocked me and on my second lap I pushed too hard and went wide. Then my last attempt was not enough for pole but we are looking strong for the race.”
Kazuki Nakajima (TS050 HYBRID #8): “Thanks to Fernando, after his mega lap the job I had to do was just to put a good lap together; it took away a lot of pressure from me. It’s always very tricky to drive at night with these cars but I was happy with the car and the result. It is nice to start the race from the front but we still have a long way to go and we know that to finish a race here without trouble is always a challenge.”
Fernando Alonso (TS050 HYBRID #8): “It’s great to have the new qualifying record here at Sebring. It felt good to get a lap with low fuel and new tyres; I enjoyed it a lot. At night this circuit is very challenging as it’s not easy to see all the reference points but I had a good lap. I thought a 1min 39secs lap might be possible but I lost a couple of tenths here and there so didn’t quite make it.”
Free Practice 3 results: 1st #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 1min 41.448secs 27 laps 2nd #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +0.653secs 29 laps 3rd #10 DragonSpeed (Hedman/Hanley/van der Zande) +2.708secs 22 laps 4th #1 Rebellion (Jani/Beche/Senna) +3.106secs 22 laps 5th #3 Rebellion (Berthon/Laurent/Menezes) +3.259secs 28 laps 6th #11 SMP (Aleshin/Petrov/Hartley) +4.951secs 21 laps Qualifying results: 1st #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 1min 40.318secs 2nd #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +0.485secs 3rd #3 Rebellion (Berthon/Laurent/Menezes) +2.545secs 4th #17 SMP (Sarrazin/Orudzhev/Sirotkin) +2.624secs 5th #11 SMP (Aleshin/Petrov/Hartley) +2.687secs 6th #1 Rebellion (Jani/Beche/Senna) +2.697secs -
Rain master Alonso leads wet, wild Rolex 24 win for Konica Minolta Cadillac
Daytona, 28 Jan 2019: There have been plenty of wild finishes in the 57 editions of the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona. But arguably none have been wetter than Sunday’s rain-shortened conclusion of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, in which the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team, with its all-star driver lineup of Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Kamui Kobayashi and Fernando Alonso, weathered treacherous conditions to score its second victory in the last three events at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
One of those wild Rolex 24 finishes came just two years ago, when Taylor’s older brother and then co-driver Ricky Taylor won a furious battle in the closing minutes to earn the Taylor brothers their first career Rolex 24 victory alongside third and fourth drivers Max “The Ax” Angelelli and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.
This year, the younger Taylor brother was joined by 2018 full-time co-driver van der Zande alongside former Formula One and current World Endurance Championship regular Kobayashi, and two-time Formula One world champion Alonso. And the fearsome foursome turned a highly anticipated Rolex 24 victory into reality with their driving consistency and ability to stay out of trouble through all hours of the day and night, in conditions that ranged from fast and dry to chilly and extremely wet.
Together, they led a race-high 249 of 593 laps around the 12-turn, 3.56-mile superspeedway road circuit from the sixth qualifying position earned Thursday by Taylor, who equaled the two career Rolex 24 victories earned by his three-time sportscar-racing-champion father and team owner Wayne Taylor, and helped his teammates each earn his first career Rolex 24 win. Alonso, in fact, became just the third Formula One world champion to win a Rolex 24, joining Phil Hill and Mario Andretti. The Spaniard also scored a first career victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June.
“I’m disappointed because, now, Jordan’s won as many Rolex 24s as I have, and I never wanted that day to happen (joking),” Wayne Taylor said. “But I can’t even put into words how great this win is for us. I want to thank Rick Taylor, Michael Mathe, everyone at Konica Minolta, Mark Reuss at GM, Steve Carlisle at Cadillac, all our commercial partners for believing in us and making all of this possible. Everything has to come together to win one of these, on and off the track. And to do it with this particular group of guys, it’s going to be a racing memory I will never forget.”
After struggling to crack the top-five all through practice and qualifying in lead-up to Saturday and Sunday’s twice-around-the-clock endurance marathon, it took little time for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R to find its way to the lead. Taylor’s ultra conservative opening stint yielded just one lap led during a round of green-flag pit stops. But once Alonso got behind the wheel for his first race stint just shy of the two-hour mark, the sleek, black racecar found itself in and out of the lead for the remainder of the event. Alonso promptly raced his way into the lead, and logged 44 laps led before turning the car over to van der Zande just past the four-hour, 30-minute mark.
The 32-year-old Dutchman, who most recently brought home a thrilling win for the team on the last turn of the last lap of last year’s season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, played it relatively conservatively during his opening stint and led 18 laps before handing the car back to Taylor in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The racecar remained strong through Taylor’s second stint, in which he led 45 laps before turning things over to Alonso just short of the 15th hour of the race.
But, shortly after Alonso took over, expected rain showers finally arrived, and varying degrees of precipitation would remain through the rest of the day. He led 49 laps in all during the mostly wet stint, which included an almost two-hour red-flag period for extreme wet conditions through the track at the 16-hour, 43-minute mark.
Alonso continued for a short time after the race resumed at the 18-hour, 31-minute mark, leading several more laps before handing the car back to Taylor just short of the 19-hour mark. Taylor’s final stint of the weekend netted 17 of 43 laps led through very wet conditions. It featured a powerful pass of the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R of Pipo Derani at the 19-hour, 20-minute mark, then a remarkable maneuver to avoid a spinning GT-class car ahead of him under heavy braking into turn one.
Then came the final stint for Alonso, who resumed in third place and carefully bided his time before positioning himself to take advantage when Derani’s teammate Felipe Nasr ventured off course in turn one and giving the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R the lead for good at the 21-hour, 54-minute mark.
The race was red-flagged three laps later as Alonso and most of the rest of the field reported near zero visibility under heavy rains just short of the 22-hour mark.
Officials waited for a chance to restart the race until the 23-hour, 49-minute mark before waving the checkered flag, and celebration ensued in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R camp.
“I think it was an interesting race with the conditions changing, very tough, but I think, like everyone else says, everyone did their job,” said Taylor, who scored his 21st career victory. “All four drivers led in their own right and drove to the lead, different parts of the race, and it was all about survival. You saw a lot of guys taking a lot of risk early in the race, but we waited with the game plan of running our own race and not getting caught up in anyone else’s battles. I think it was the right game plan. We stayed out of trouble, no car damage, no one went off the track. That’s the way you win these 24‑hour races, and we kind of came into the grid thinking almost every single car can win the race, and you see guys making little mistakes here and there, and this team has now done six out of seven years finishing on the podium without issues. I think it’s a huge testament to Wayne Taylor Racing.”
“I’m super happy,” said van der Zande, who scored his 12th career victory. “Fantastic. I think I said before the weekend, I think to the team, Wayne and Max (Angelelli, team owner), fantastic that they put such little pieces together. It’s a big puzzle and it comes together in this victory here right now. Thanks a lot to my teammates, the whole team, and I’m very happy to bring home a (Rolex) watch and a lot of victory feelings. What more to say?”
“I’m so happy to be here, and obviously I think. like the 24‑hour race, it’s never easy even when you have a good car or whatever because you have so many issues, problems,” Kobayashi said. “I think today we had really extremely difficult conditions. I think all the team guys, the drivers, did a great job. I think the team did a really, really good job, and obviously the car was really good.”
“I’m very, very proud of the job that we achieved today, but it was not a one‑day job, it was a one‑month job,” Alonso said. “For me, in December we started preparing for the race and receiving all the documents, how the Cadillac works and how Wayne Taylor Racing works, some procedures that maybe are different compared with other teams. We tried to have a quick integration, Kamui and myself, trying to learn as much as we could from the team in the Roar (Before the 24 test days) and then, on the race itself, it was very, very difficult. Conditions were changing all the time.”
Round two of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16, at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, where newly announced third driver Matthieu Vaxiviere of France will join Taylor and van der Zande behind the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Live television coverage begins on CNBC at 10:30 a.m. EST and concludes on NBCSN 3:30 to 11 p.m.
