INDIA in F1

Tag: Force India

  • Jerez testing Day 2: Grosjean on top; Good run by Paul

    Lotus

    Romain Grosjean ended the second day of testing at Jerez as comfortably the fastest man on track as the team continued its evaluation programme with the E21.

    Under blue skies with occasional cloud coverage, Romain completed 95 laps; many of which dipped into the 1min 18s. He ended the day with the best time set thus far this week – a 1min 18.218secs – with no other car running under 1min 19.000secs.

    Fast Facts:

    • Chassis: E21-01
    • Weather: Sunny, ambient 5-22°C, track 7-28°C
    • Programme: Systems checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package, tyre performance assessment.
    • Laps Completed: 95.
    • Classification: P1, 1:18.218.
    • Interruptions: Stopped out on track on lap 96 (fuel).

    What’s Next?

    Kimi Räikkönen will take to the wheel of the E21 for the first time tomorrow, before wrapping up the opening test on Friday.

    Romain Grosjean: “It was good today; the programme went to plan and we showed we have good reliability. For me, the whole test has gone well which bodes well for the year ahead. My feeling in the car is good and it was great to be at the top of the times. Even if it doesn’t mean anything during testing, it’s still good to be at the front. We used the soft, medium and hard compounds and whilst we’re not 100% yet on the differences between each we have a good idea. Kimi will be working on this area for the next two days so we’ll have a better understanding when we head to Barcelona. It’s not easy to understand everything about the car and tyres yet, but I think we’re working quite well and it’s up to us to find the best solutions.”

    Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “I’m very happy with today’s performance. The pace looks good and we haven’t had any issues with reliability meaning we could complete all of our programme without interruption. We focused on learning more about the 2013 Pirelli tyres and ran with the soft, medium and hard compounds with a variety of different set-ups, both mechanical and aerodynamic, to understand how they react. This combined with a good mileage today to give us some very good data to work through ahead of Kimi getting in the car tomorrow.”

    Sahara Force India

    Sahara Force India enjoyed another productive day in Jerez as Paul Di Resta and James Rossiter split driving duties in the VJM06

    Day Two Statistics:

    Chassis: VJM06-02

    Laps: Paul = 95 laps / James = 19 laps

    Mileage: Paul = 421 km / James = 84 km

    Fastest lap: Paul = 1:19.003 / James = 1:21.273

    Classification: Paul = P2  / James = P10

    Paul Di Resta: “I managed to do 95 laps today, which was a good effort, and we got through the programme without any issues. We did some more good aero work this morning and then tried some set-up changes on the car. Testing is a good chance to make bigger changes than you would make during a race weekend and that’s allowed us to really see how they affect the car and has given us valuable data on tyre performance. The handling of the car so far is good and I’m feeling comfortable after two days in the car.”

    James Rossiter: “It felt great to be back in a Formula One car and I was impressed with the performance straight away. It’s only the second day of running, yet the car already feels quite nicely balanced with a lot of potential. Having already done work on the team’s simulator, it’s good to get a feel for the real car and get acclimatised today so that I can really make the most of my running tomorrow morning.”

    Jakob Andreasen, Chief Race Engineer: “Another very productive day of work as we completed a similar technical programme to yesterday with aero passes, balance work and longer runs after lunch. Paul’s feedback and consistency have given us lots of direction for improving the set-up and with 114 laps completed we are gathering lots of data to continue understanding the tyres. We put James in the car late this afternoon to give him time to acclimatise ahead of tomorrow. He’s doing a lot of simulator work for us back at the factory so it’s important that he has a good understanding of the real car to be able to make a valid comparison.”

    Ferrari

    Driver: Felipe Massa; Car: Ferrari F138

    At the wheel of the F138, Felipe Massa continued the work of acquiring data on the car’s behaviour which began yesterday. Also on the day’s programme was an assessment of various configurations of exhaust and some long runs.

    Felipe completed a total of 78 laps, the quickest in a time of 1.19.914.

    Felipe Massa: “Today, we concentrated 100% on the aerodynamic side and on the exhausts.

    In the morning, I didn’t even do a flying lap because we used the time available to do constant 
    speed runs and to analyse various aerodynamic solutions. All the changes to the car took longer than planned, but in the afternoon, I managed to do three long runs which were very important in order to understand which direction we need to follow in the coming days.” Testing continues at this circuit tomorrow, again with the Brazilian driver on track.

    Mercedes AMG Petronas

    Lewis Hamilton’s first day of testing for Mercedes AMG Petronas was brought to an early conclusion today by a technical problem on the F1 W04.

    • Lewis completed 15 laps this morning before suffering a loss of rear brake pressure
    • The front brakes enabled him to slow the car however he could not avoid hitting the barrier
    • The problem was traced to the hydraulic brake line connecting to the right-rear calliper
    • The team did not go out for the remainder of the day as work continued to complete the required repairs

    Nico Rosberg will be back at the wheel of the F1 W04 tomorrow for the third day of the test.

    Lewis Hamilton: We had a good start but then unfortunately we had a failure which brought our day to an early end. These things happen and it’s all part of testing. Of course, it’s better that we get these small issues out of the way sooner rather than later, and the guys are working really hard to overcome them. From the few short laps that I completed this morning, my general feeling was very positive. I got a good understanding of where the base of the car is and, whilst we need to do work in certain areas, it was good to have some laps to get a feel for what those areas are. I’ve told the guys that we just need to keep pushing and I know that we all will be doing that.

    Caterham

    Driver: Giedo van der Garde, car #21
    Chassis: CT03-05
    Total laps: 88
    Best lap: 1.21.311

    Giedo van der Garde, car #21, chassis CT03-05: “Giedo van der Garde, car #21, chassis CT03-05: “Another solid day on track and with 88 laps completed we can be pleased with what we’ve achieved today. For the second day running we didn’t have any real issues and we’re working through the program so the team on track and back in Leafield have a lot of data to work on.

    “In the morning session we ran through a number of aero programs and then switched to comparing setup options on a variety of the tyre compounds. I think we found a good direction in the last run in the afternoon so now the team can keep making progress in the next two days. The other important thing for me is that I’m getting more and more comfortable in the car. The time I spent on track last year with the team was obviously a big help and it’s meant I’ve come into this test knowing my way around the team, and to have completed over 150 laps in my first two days of testing is very positive.”

    Sauber

    Jerez de la Frontera, 6th February 2013 – The Sauber F1 Team had a productive second day of testing. In the morning, when the track’s temperature was still cold, the team concentrated mainly on aerodynamic tests. Later in the morning and in the afternoon – in better track conditions – the engineers and Nico started with some basic set-up work, and then made some runs on heaviear fuel loads. The car ran without any technical problems all day. At the end the team did a fuel system check, and Nico ran out of fuel.

    Driver: Nico Hülkenberg

    Weather: Sunny all day, air 7-20°C, track 7-28 °C

    Chassis/engine: C32-2/Ferrari 056

    Laps today: 99 laps

    Fastest lap : 1 :19.502 min

    Tom McCullough, Head of Track Engineering : “It was a very good day with Nico achieving all our goals. Nico is building up a good working relationship with the engineers, which is important. We continued our  work on understanding the Pirelli tyres. Without doubt the temperatures will be different once we go racing, but we still got to understand them well. The car was, again, very reliable, which gives us a solid basis. 

    Nico Hülkenberg : “For the second day in a row it was pretty successful. We went through a lot of test items and did a comparison of the compounds – soft, medium and hard – which was quite interesting. Otherwise I was able to continue my familiarisation with the car and I did some long runs. Like yesterday, it was a positive day.“

    What comes next: This was the final day of testing for Nico in Jerez. Tomorrow and on Friday, Esteban Gutiérrez will take over.

    Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

    Driver               Sergio Perez

     Location           Circuito de Jerez

     Track length     4.428km

     Laps                 81

     

     Km covered      359

     Best laptime     1m19.572s

     Programme      After yesterday’s encouraging start, today’s focus switched to preparing Sergio for his first run behind the wheel of a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

    The  morning kicked off with a continuation of yesterday’s aero calibration work, carried out across a number of shorter runs. Attention then turned towards acclimatising Sergio to his new office, running through a prescribed programme of mechanical and aerodynamic adjustments with MP4-28 to give him a greater understanding of the inherent feel of the car and the way it reacts to set-up changes.

    The  acclimatisation session continued throughout the afternoon, concluding in a number of longer runs. Sergio racked up 81 laps – a positive start to his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes career.

    What’s next      Jenson returns for his second and final day of Jerez testing, continuing the aero and mechanical work that has been established over the past two days.

    Pos      Driver                           Constructor                              Best time          Laps

    1          Romain Grosjean           Lotus-Renault                                    1m 18.218s                         95

    2          Paul di Resta                    Force India                                         1m 19.003s                       95

    oss Brawn with Hamilton on 2nd day of pre-season F1 testing at Jerez track on Wednesday. A Mercedes photo.

    3          Daniel Ricciardo            Scuderia Toro Rossa                       1m 19.134s                      83

    4          Mark Webber                  Red Bull Racing                                 1m 19.338s                      101

    5          Nico Hulkenberg            Sauber                                                  1m 19.502s                       99

    6          Lewis Hamilton              Mercedes AMG                                   1m 19.519s                      15

    7          Sergio Perez                    Vodafone McLaren Mercedes      1m 19.572s                      81

    8          Felipe Massa                    Ferrari                                                    1m 19.914s                      78

    9          Pastor Maldonado         Williams                                               1m 20.693s                       71

    10         James Rossiter                Force India                                        1m 21.273s                       19

    11         Giedo van der Garde     Caterham                                            1m 21.311s                       88

    12         Luiz Razia                          Marussia                                              1m 23.537s                      31

     

    ends

     

  • Button fastest on Day One of pre-season test at Jerez

     Jerez, 5 Feb 2013: Jenson took the wheel for the first track run of the new MP4-28 and by the end of the first Day of Formula 1 pre-season testing he was the fastest followed by Red Bull’s Mark Webber and early pace-setter Romain Grosjean of Lotus.

    Button’s morning’s running was compromised by a mechanical fuel-pump issue, which cost a couple of hours’ track-time, but the problem was quickly rectified and the team was able to run productively for the remainder of the afternoon.

    Button spent the first part of the day’s programme running a lower-lip rake to complete some aero mapping work. The end of the day saw the team evaluate the effects of a series of mechanical set-up changes, using both the Supersoft and Hard Pirelli tyres.

    Both the aero mapping and the balance changes fell in line with the team’s pre-test expectations. Button set his fastest time of the day on the Hard compound.

    What’s next      Sergio Perez gets his first opportunity to drive a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car tomorrow (Wednesday). The knock-on effects of this morning’s fuel-pump issue mean that he will begin his day by continuing today’s initial aero and balance checks.

    The aim for tomorrow afternoon is to conduct a series of longer runs – possibly incorporating live pitstops into the mix if the team is satisfied with the day’s initial progress.

    Sahara Force India

    Sahara Force India was back in action  as Paul Di Resta completed a busy first day of testing in the VJM06 in Jerez, Spain. Paul completed 89 laps with a best time of 1:20.343 to finish fourth on the timesheets.
    Day One Statistics:
    Chassis: VJM06-02
    Laps: 89 laps
    Mileage: 394 km
    Fastest lap: 1:20.343
    Classification: P4 of 11
    Paul Di Resta: “A positive first day and we managed to cover lots of laps – so that’s the most important thing. I felt very comfortable all day and we managed to get through the programme as we focussed on collecting aero data and understanding how well the car correlates with our simulation tools at the factory.  We also started trying to learn as much about the tyres as possible so that we can carry that into tomorrow and optimise the set-up. The new compounds are quite different with the new construction and I’ve already felt a difference with the balance of the car in the low and high speed parts of the lap.”
    Jakob Andreasen, Chief Race Engineer
    “As first days go, we are pretty satisfied with how things went today. From the install lap onwards we managed to keep to the programme, even with the disruptions for the red flags. In the morning we focused on aero data collection before moving to baseline set-up work just before lunch. For the afternoon Paul completed some longer runs as we started to get an understanding for the 2013 tyres, especially the medium compound, and how they perform. All the while we made good progress with our system checks and we are in good shape ahead of tomorrow.”

    Lotus Renault:

    Lotus F1 Team’s 2013 car, the E21, took to the track for the first time with race driver Romain Grosjean at the wheel under bright blue skies in Jerez, Spain.

    Romain was the fastest man on track for much of the day, ending the afternoon with the third quickest time. 54 laps were completed as the team went through its first day programme of shakedown and assessment.

    Fast Facts:

    • Track: Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
    • Chassis: E21-01
    • Weather: Sunny, ambient 7-26°C, track 6-21°C
    • Programme: Systems checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, evaluation of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package.
    • Laps Completed: 54
    • Classification: P3, 1:19.796
    • Interruptions: Ballast redeployment and KERS battery change in afternoon.

    What’s Next?

    Romain will complete his E21 running at Jerez tomorrow, before handing the car over to team-mate Kimi Räikkönen for the Thursday and Friday sessions.

    Romain Grosjean:
    “The feeling is good from the E21; it feels very similar to the E20 from behind the wheel, even if it does look different from the outside. Once again Enstone has produced a car that is quick from the very first lap. We spent a little bit more time than ideal in the garage today, but that’s normal in testing. I’m happy we completed 54 laps, and even happier that all of them were quick. We now have a good idea of the new tyres and we’ll have some challenges from them; the grip level is there but performance does fall away with graining. That said, Jerez is a very specific track in this regard. The speed came easy today and we didn’t respond to the other cars going faster in the afternoon. We should go even better tomorrow.”

    James Allison, Technical Director:
    “It’s great to see the fruits of our labours take to the track for the first time here in Jerez. Everything has looked positive so far. The feedback from Romain has been encouraging and on the engineering side there have been no particular dramas of note. Overall it was a promising first day for this car and we hope to continue in this vein for the next days of testing.”

    Mercedes – Nico Roseberg

    Nico Rosberg began the first pre-season test for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS today, following the launch of the team’s new car and a filming day in Jerez yesterday.

    • Nico completed three runs this morning before an electrical problem caused the car to stop on track
    • Unburnt fuel in the exhausts subsequently ignited but did not cause any serious damage
    • Further investigation identified that the fault originated in a wiring loom
    • The necessary modifications are now taking place ready for tomorrow

    Lewis Hamilton is due to drive on Wednesday for his first day of track testing with the team.

    Nico Rosberg: 
    At the start of winter testing, you often encounter small issues because the car you’re running is a brand new design. We had an electrical problem this morning and, once we had found the root cause, chose to modify the parts to make sure it didn’t happen again. Of course, at this time of year all you want to do is spend time in the car and get a feeling for how it’s working, but these hiccups are just part of the game. During the laps I completed this morning, I had a good feeling with the car and it felt solid.

    Paul Di Resta on Day 1 of Pre-season testing at Jerez on Tuesday. A Sahara Force India photo.

    Test dates        Four days (February 5-8)

    Pos      Driver                           Constructor                              Best time          Laps

    1          Jenson Button              Vodafone McLaren Mercedes   1m 18.861s       37

    2          Mark Webber                 Red Bull Racing                        1m 19.709s       73

    3          Romain Grosjean           Lotus-Renault                            1m 19.796s       54

    4          Paul di Resta                Force India                                1m 20.343s       89

    5          Daniel Ricciardo            Scuderia Toro Rossa                 1m 20.401s       70

    6          Felipe Massa                Ferrari                                       1m 20.536s       64

    7          Nico Hulkenberg            Sauber                                      1m 20.699s       79

    8          Nico Rosberg                Mercedes AMG                         1m 20.846s       11

    9          Pastor Maldonado         Williams                                    1m 20.864s       84

    10         Giedo van der Garde     Caterham                                  1m 21.915s       64

    11         Max Chilton                   Marussia                                   1m 24.176s       29

     

  • Sahara Force India unveils VJM06 at Silverstone

    Silverstone, 1 Feb 2013: Sahara Force India unveiled its 2013 challenger today as Paul Di Resta pulled the covers off the VJM06 at Silverstone circuit.
     
    The VJM06 is the third car to be overseen by Technical Director, Andrew Green, and builds on the strengths of the 2012 car. With stable technical rules the car is more evolution than revolution with the removal of the ‘step’ nose being the most obvious visual change.
    “The VJM06 doesn’t look

    Sahara Force India unveils VJM06 at Silverstone on Friday. A Sahara Force India photo

    massively different to its predecessor, but beneath the skin we’ve looked at every detail to try and find more performance,” says Team Principal, Dr Vijay Mallya. “I’ve followed the development of the car closely and I’m proud of what we have achieved. The objective now is to make sure we build on the promise of last year and have a strong start to the season.”

    Summing up the approach to the design of the VJM06, Andrew Green said: “It’s a brand new car from the ground-up – everything is new. We discussed carrying over big chunks of last year’s car, including the chassis, but decided not to. There were still some gains to be had with the chassis, so we elected to take the performance benefits. The biggest change that everybody is going to notice this year is the fairing on top of the nose to hide the ‘step’. It’s neutral as far as the car’s performance is concerned but tidies up the flow over the top of the chassis.”
    Chief Operating Officer, Otmar Szafnauer, praised the team’s efforts over the winter to develop the VJM06: “We’re very optimistic. We’ve been working hard over the winter, trying to make improvements where we know we can find performance. Everything has come together very nicely. We’ve also focussed on operational strength by bolstering our simulator programme and increasing our CFD capacity with new hardware.”
     
    Paul Di Resta, half of the team’s 2013 line-up, was delighted to see his new car: “Seeing the car built and complete for the first time is a special feeling. I’ve followed its progress in the tunnel and it looks very impressive – aggressive and fast. Now I’m just eager to get out there and see where we stand compared to our competitors. After the winter I feel refreshed and keen to get back to business.”
     
    The Sahara Force India cars will be powered by Mercedes engines with the gearbox supplied by McLaren Applied Technologies for a fifth season. This will be the third season with the Mercedes KERS.
    ends

  • TW Steel, now Official Timing Partner to Sahara Force India

    TW Steel CEO Jordy Cobelens (left) and Bob Fernley pose after the partnership.. A photo by Sahara Force India.

    Sahara Force India is proud to announce the beginning of a multi-year partnership with TW Steel, which sees the Dutch watchmaker become the team’s Official Timing Partner.

    The global lifestyle brand known for being ‘Big in Oversized Watches’ was unveiled as a team partner at the launch of Sahara Force India’s 2013 challenger, the VJM06, at Silverstone Circuit this morning.
    The recognisable ‘two-dots’ logo of TW Steel, will feature prominently on the team’s major brand platforms including the car, the drop-down timing monitors used in the garages and on the sleeves of the drivers’ racesuits. 
    As part of its commitment to Sahara Force India, TW Steel will produce an official team watch range for retail world-wide. The brand will use this new global partnership as a marketing platform to engage consumers through the 6000 retail outlets currently selling the brand in over 100 countries worldwide.
    Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “The partnership with TW Steel is the perfect way to begin the 2013 season and we are delighted to welcome them to the Sahara Force India family. With the global reach of Formula One, our unique positioning in the Indian market place and our shared ambition for success on the track, I am sure that the relationship will bring big rewards for both TW Steel and Sahara Force India.”
    TW Steel CEO and co-owner, Jordy Cobelens: “I’m naturally very excited to be partnering with Sahara Force India. We know the merits of being involved with a team competing in Formula One and the brand awareness that brings. Our new partnership represents a relationship where both parties are keen to bring success to each other. Sahara Force India has such a strong following around the world, notably of course in India, a key growth opportunity we’ve targeted for TW Steel’s on-going development. I’m excited to have our brand working with such fantastic entrepreneurs as Dr Vijay Mallya and Mr Subrata Roy Sahara.  Like TW Steel they’ve showcased their ambition and proved they like to make bold statements. We have lots of synergy and we look forward to being a part of the team’s progressive journey both on and off track.”
    About TW Steel
    With its name meaning ‘The Watch in Steel’, TW Steel is firmly established as a big, bold, global lifestyle brand.  Its timepiece collections are reflective of and available for all tastes and occasions with innovative design and luxurious styling paired together with Swiss build quality and an exceptional price point.  TW Steel offers a defined sense of individuality and shows to the world that as a bold and ambitious personality, you wear a statement watch that truly reflects who you are.
    Proudly Dutch, TW Steel is led by its entrepreneurial CEO and co-owner Jordy Cobelens – whose talents have been recognized with Ernst & Young’s ‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2011’ in The Netherlands.  While Jordy Cobelens oversees the building of the TW Steel brand, his father and co-owner, Ton Cobelens, serves as the Chief Design Officer.  Having launched in 2005, and now with 140 models, TW Steel has attained a global appeal while creating an internationally recognized and respected brand name offering truly affordable luxury available in over 100 countries. www.twsteel.com
    About Sahara Force India Formula One Team
    Sahara Force India Formula One Team is beginning its sixth year of competition in the FIA Formula One World Championship. The team was founded in 2008 when Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman of India’s iconic UB Group, launched the first-ever Indian Formula One team. The cars incorporate the colours of the Indian flag and the team is a sporting representation of the emerging generation of young, aspirational Indians and the growing strength of India as a nation. In 2011 a historic partnership was agreed as Sahara India Pariwar became co-owners of the Silverstone-based team. With the support of Sahara, the team is driven by two of India’s greatest industrialists who both recognise the value of using sport as a marketing platform to build some of India’s biggest brands.  For more details visit: www.saharaforceindiaf1.com

  • Speedy Services joins Sahara Force India as official supplier

    A Sahara Force India photo showing official suppliers on the ground.

    Silverstone, 22 Jan 2013: Sahara Force India is pleased to announce Speedy Services as an official team supplier as part of a multi-year agreement.

    Speedy is the leading provider of equipment and support services to various industries including infrastructure, industrial, construction and events. The relationship will give Sahara Force India access to the latest range of innovative, lean, safe and sustainable equipment to help with maintenance projects at the team’s Silverstone HQ.
    Speedy branding will be visible across the team’s marketing materials and website, with branding on the race cars and pit crew lollipop for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
    Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer at Sahara Force India: “It’s an exciting time for Sahara Force India as we continue to invest in our facilities and infrastructure over the coming years. The agreement with Speedy is very timely and will assist with general maintenance of our factory resources. We welcome Speedy to the team and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
    Derek Bailey, Market Director – Engineering & Industrial Services for Speedy: “We are delighted to have formed a partnership with such a glamorous and well-established brand as Sahara Force India. Speedy is committed to meeting all of the team’s needs with our wide range of high-performance equipment. Sahara Force India prides itself on teamwork, technology and dedication – the very same standards we bring to our customers. Formula One also offers the ideal platform to ensure we deliver worldwide awareness and recognition for the Speedy brand.”
    About Speedy Services
    Speedy is the UK’s leading provider of equipment rental and support services to a wide range of clients across the infrastructure, industrial, construction and events markets – as well as to local trades and industry.www.speedyservices.com
     
    About Sahara Force India Formula One Team
    Sahara Force India Formula One Team is beginning its sixth year of competition in the FIA Formula One World Championship. The team was founded in 2008 when Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman of India’s iconic UB Group, launched the first-ever Indian Formula One team. The cars incorporate the colours of the Indian flag and the team is a sporting representation of the emerging generation of young, aspirational Indians and the growing strength of India as a nation. In 2011 a historic partnership was agreed as Sahara India Pariwar became co-owners of the Silverstone-based team. With the support of Sahara, the team is driven by two of India’s greatest industrialists who both recognise the value of using sport as a marketing platform to build some of India’s biggest brands.  For more details visit: www.saharaforceindiaf1.com

  • Sahara Force India gets £50 million boost

    Sao Paulo, 21 Nov 2012:Dr Vijay Mallya, Sahara

    File photo of Dr Vijay Mallya, courtesy Sahara Force India F1 team.

    Force India team principal revealed today that the F1 team’s Board has approved a sum of £50 million capital investment programme for the team as he sums up 2012 and looks ahead to the season finale here on Sunday.

    “We had a board meeting in India after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the board has approved a £50 million capital investment programme for the team. We are going to invest heavily in new technology and give more tools to our design team to try and move further up the grid,” said the beer baron of India.
    Last year, Sahara Force India finished in sixth place ahead of Sauber but going into the last race the Indian team is 12 points behind Sauber. But they have been improving year after year and have scored more points this year. With one race to go the team has 99 points.
    “Looking back at the season so far, we have every reason to feel proud. We’ve scored more points than in any previous season and every year we’ve demonstrated that we’ve gone up the ladder. And we’ve taken fairly significant steps, not just baby steps. Given the tools that we have, which are mostly of the Jordan era, we have done exceptionally well,” felt Vijay Mallya.
    With the championship’s driver’s title precariously poised and with the prediction of rain, it is anybody’s game. Though Sebastian Vettel is leading by 13 points, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso hopes different circumstances will give him a better chance to beat Vettel. Meanwhile, Mallya is hoping that Nico will come good at a place where he has good memories.
     
    “We hope that Nico will be able to pull off what he did for Williams in 2010 [pole position]. That’s what is needed if we want to catch Sauber! Otherwise I hope we can end the season with a strong result. Two cars in the points would be nice. Up at the front I look forward to seeing how the fight in the drivers’ championship concludes because it’s never over until it’s over.  Also, many congratulations to Red Bull for securing the constructors’ championship in Austin,”  said Mallya.
    The team says goodbye to Nico this weekend and when asked how much has Nico contributed to the team this season, Vijay Mallya said: “Nico has been one of the stars this season. He’s delivered exactly what we expected of him and brought a lot to this team. He has a big future in Formula One and we wish him well.”
    Nico on Brazil
    Nico Hulkenberg gets set for his last race with the team and hopes to capture a special result.
    Nico, another four points in Austin brings your total to 53. How do you look back on the second half of the year?
    It has been very positive. We had some good results in the first half too, but I think we found our consistency after the summer break. I think some of my best races were Japan and Korea where we didn’t necessarily expect to do so well. To score points there was very satisfying. Also, races such as Austin, where I was under so much pressure towards the end are the moments I will remember from the second part of the year. These were races where we maximised everything.
    Your two-year spell with the team comes to an end this weekend. How much have you enjoyed being a part of Sahara Force India?
    First of all I want to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me the chance to return to Formula One this year as a race driver. I’ve learned a lot during the last two seasons, even as a third driver, and the time has flown by very quickly. It’s a great team of people; they’re fun to work with and I think we can be proud of the results we achieved together. That’s why it was not an easy decision to leave, but I’m happy to be leaving with good memories. The task now is to end the year in style with a great result.
    Paul on Brazil
    Paul Di Resta looks back on the season.
    Paul, after 19 races you’ve scored 46 points. Are you happy with the season as a whole?
    I think as a whole it has been a good year. For me the standout races are Bahrain and Singapore – races where everything came together. The second half of the season has been more mixed. When you look at the results on paper, it certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. For various reasons some good results slipped away from us and we’ve had issues that held us back while we tried to understand them. The last race in Austin was looking very positive to begin with, but after my pit stop I just could not get the tyres to work, so I’m hoping that the conditions in Brazil will suit me better.
    You raced in Brazil for the first time last year. Tell us about that experience…
    I enjoy the circuit, but at the same time it’s quite tricky because of the undulating layout and there are some unusual corners. It’s also quite a tough track on your neck because of the anti-clockwise layout and the high number of left-hand corners. After three races on very new circuits it will make a nice change to go back to one of the classic old-school tracks. It’s a circuit that usually produces good racing and there’s also talk of rain, which would add another element into the mix.
    ends

     

  • Abu Dhabi GP: FIA Friday Press Conference

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

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

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

    Antonio?

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

    Pat?

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

    Ross.

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

    Rémi, your teams?

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

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

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

    Is that money? Is that personnel?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Q: So your role essentially doesn’t change.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Q: Is there a power change at all?

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

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ends

  • Sauber signs on Nico Hulkenberg for 2013

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

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

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

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

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

    Nico Hulkenberg file photo from Sahara Force India F1 team.

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

    ends

  • Hulkenberg gets 4 points, saves face for Force India

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    end

  • Narain believes BIC offers more grip this year

    Greater Noida (New Delhi), 25 Oct 2012: The lone Indian driver in Formula One, Narain Karthikeyan believes the Buddh International Circuit will offer more grip in 2012 than it did during its debut grand prix. He was talking to the reporters at the FIA Thursday Press Conference at the BIC ahead of the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday.

    Karthikeyan is one of very few drivers with experience of Buddh this year, and argues the circuit has improved with age. “I think the track is already in a lot better condition than last year,” said the Indian driver in Thursday’s FIA press conference. “It was very dusty, and because of the landscaping that they have done, the dust has settled. There’s no more constructio

    n around the circuit so we already have a higher level of grip and the circuit looks quite nice. As you know, I drove the MR Formula 2000 car a month ago; it was already very good. Temperatures won’t matter, they are going to drop a few degrees from today [30°C], I think, but it’s OK. The tyres are fine; compared to last year we have the same allocations but [the compounds are] a little bit softer so it should be fine here.

    The Indian driver also revealed HRT have an upgrade for this race. While suggesting it might be worth several tenths, Karthikeyan voiced the hope that a bumper crowd would be in attendance to see a more competitive performance from the Spanish team.

    “We’re coming off a hugely successful race last year, so expectations are high and I hope on Sunday we see a big crowd, a strong one. In India there is a lot of passion for Formula One and comparative to our neighbouring countries, like China, the understanding of Formula One is a lot better. It’s going to be a good grand prix, I hope. And for us, we have a small update, which is a rarity for our team. Hopefully it’ll work and we’ll have a few more tenths. I know we need seconds but it is what it is and I’m not complaining, I’m happy to be driving here and will give it my best.”

    Press Conference was attended by: DRIVERS – Heikki KOVALAINEN (Caterham), Bruno SENNA (Williams), Jean-Eric VERGNE (Toro Rosso), Narain KARTHIKEYAN (HRT), Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (LOTUS), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Sahara

    File photo of Narain Karthikeyan by HRT F1 team

    Force India).

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Gentlemen, your thoughts on India? some of you have been here before, some of you haven’t, so your thoughts on what you’ve experienced so far and what you’ve seen so far and what you think of the country and what you think of the circuit.

    First of all Heikki, you’ve been here before, you’ve been training in Abu Dhabi so you’re used to the heat, what do you think of the weekend coming up and the country itself?

    Heikki KOVALAINEN: Well, I think, like you said, last year was the first year that we raced here. I think the event itself was really successful. Especially the circuit; I think they’ve done a great job here with the circuit. I think the layout is one of the best in the calendar, there are really some nice corners, the surface is nice and smooth, so it’s always enjoyable to drive here and we can set up the car nice and low and get them gripping quite well. So, I’m looking forward to another good event this year. It seems like the locals are picking up the Formula One more and more, so it’s working quite well here. Hopefully we get a lot of people coming to see us on Sunday.

    Bruno…

    Bruno SENNA: Of course I agree with Heikki regarding the track; it’s one of my favourites in the calendar as well and coming from last year to this year, the improvement on the facilities and everything is quite impressive. I think everything was a bit rushed last year, so everybody was a bit ‘oh this isn’t ready for the race,’ but at the end of the day it’s always the case when it’s the first year of the circuit. All the rough edges have been sorted out for this year so it’s a much nicer place. Of course the experience of the track is a whole different thing and I think for everyone who’s not used to India it’s a big cultural shock but it’s a culture full of history, full of richness and I think if you learn how to appreciate that sort of stuff, you can learn to appreciate the country.

    Jean-Eric, your first time here I think?

    Jean-Eric VERGNE: Yes, indeed. To be honest I don’t have much to say about this track except that it looks like a nice one, really smooth. The race from last year looked quite nice and I’m really looking forward to drive on it and it should be a good experience. As Bruno said, off track it’s quite a different country and to be honest I haven’t experienced much: I stayed in the hotel, I was quite far from everything, so didn’t see much, just on the roads, which look quite messy but beside it, yeah, we’ll see how the weekend goes.

    Narain, obviously a very busy week so far for you so far, a very busy weekend coming up as the native from the host country.

    Narain KARTHIKEYAN: Yeah, we’re coming off a hugely successful race last year, so expectations are high and I hope on Sunday we see a big crowd, a strong one. What I always say, in India there is a lot of passion for Formula One and comparative to our neighbouring countries, like China, the understanding of Formula One is a lot better. It’s going to be a good grand prix, I hope and for us, we have a small update, which is a rarity here for our team. Hopefully it’ll work and we’ll have a few more tenths. I know we need seconds but it is what it is and I’m not complaining, I’m happy to be driving here and will give it my best.

    Kimi, your first time in India. What are your thoughts, your impressions?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Well, I came last night at one o’clock, so I’ve only seen the motorway and the hotel. The hotel, outside it, looks nice. I have no complaints so far. The circuit – I haven’t gone around it. That is tomorrow. I’ll tell you about it.

    Are you a fan of Indian food?

    KR: Yeah, actually I am, if it’s the same as it is in Europe. I like it, but you know I have no experience yet of the local food.

    Nico, I expect you’ve have a busy week?

    Nico HULKENBERG: yes, we obviously we’ve had quite a few visits to India over the last two years. We’ve been here since Monday doing work with the local media and being in Delhi. I’ve been a few times here but I enjoy it every time I come. It’s a very different culture and a special experience to come here. It’s very different to all the other Asian places we go to. They’re always very welcoming, very friendly. I enjoy being here. Obviously, the track is new to me, so I’ll have to learn that one tomorrow. I’m generally looking forward to the weekend really. It’s a special weekend for us and hopefully we can entertain the crowds.

    Now, a question to all of you about your future. I don’t know if you’ve got things signed or not. Just give us some sort of update as to what’s happening next year? Heikki, would you like to start?

    HK: I wouldn’t actually like to start, but now that you’re pushing me… Nothing’s been signed for next for myself yet. Personally, my target and my focus is at each race weekend for our team it’s quite important that we try to regain that 10th position back from Marussia. It’s not going to be easy but I think we have to do whatever it takes to be in a position to do that if a freak race happens again. So, the main focus is on that and regarding the future with the team and with Tony, we haven’t decided yet. I think Tony knows what he gets with me but then he’s evaluating other options I think to see what he wants to do. And I’m waiting. In the meantime, of course, my management is also working. There’s nothing really to report but the main thing I think for myself and really for our team has to be to keep pushing to get that 10th position back, it’s quite crucial.

    Bruno – for next year?

    BS: Nothing has changed from the last time I was here and you asked me the same question but the focus is still the same: keep pushing and trying to get points for the team and then hopefully be on the grid next year.

    Jean-Eric?

    JEV: I haven’t thought about it really. So far I have a contract with Red Bull. I think I just have to keep doing the job I’m doing and improve myself every race weekend and I’ll think about this race weekend and Abu Dhabi and then think about next season, but I’m quite confident about staying with Toro Rosso and that’s what I would love.

    Narain?

    NK: Again, I have a good relationship with HRT; it’s my second year with them. They’ve built a good factory and everything else. On paper next year they’ll look the best so realistically I’d like to stay here and that’s the plan right now.

    Kimi, we’re told we can expect an announcement next week or so, is that the case?

    KR: I don’t know. I mean, we have options but nothing is decided but I guess it will be decided at some point.

    Nico. There are rumours about concerning your future. Where you’re going to go, when do you think you will know?

    NH: I know there is lots of talk about my future but at this point I don’t want to make a comment on the speculation. I’ll just focus on this weekend, which is the most important thing.

    Are things settled? Can you say that?

    NH: Just no comment.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Shridhar Poddar – Sakal Media House ) Kimi, how has the break from Formula One to rallying helped you, because your second stint has been turning out to be as good as the first one?

    KR: It hasn’t really done anything. I was pretty happy to go and do something else for a while, did some racing and I’m enjoying it again. It’s the same places – OK, there are some new circuits and places to come to this year and a new team, but apart from that, Formula One hasn’t changed and it’s exactly the same. For me, nothing’s really changed. People always talk about where I was last time, that I didn’t have the motivation but I thought I drove better than I ever drove in the last year; it was just that we had a pretty bad car at that time. Nothing has really changed for me.

    Q: (Vinayak Pandey – Hindustan Times) Narain, you have probably driven on this circuit a lot more than other drivers. The conditions in Delhi were unexpectedly cool and there was a rain shower on Wednesday. Should the temperatures become cooler than they are right now in qualifying and on Sunday, do you see any particular changes in the way the cars will handle or the outcome?

    NK: I think the track is already in a lot better condition than last year; it was very dusty, and because of the landscaping that they have done, the dust has settled, there’s no more construction around the circuit so we already have a higher level of grip and the circuit looks quite nice. As you know, I drove the MR Formula 2000 car a month ago; it was already very good. Temperatures won’t matter, they are going to drop a few degrees from today, I think, but it’s OK. The tyres are fine; compared to last year, the hard compound – we have the same allocations but it’s a little bit softer so it should be fine here.

    Q: (Chetan Narula – PlanetF1) Kimi, how big a challenge were Pirelli’s tyres for you, because the last time (you were in F1) you had different tyres, and now you have totally different compounds and everything?

    KR: I admit that I had some thoughts about the tyres before I did one private test – OK, it wasn’t the race tyres, it was some other even more worse tyres but I thought that they were fine. When you come from rallying, they have much more grip and the tyres were OK for me so after that, I already knew that I would not have any issues, because there was a lot of talk that maybe it was not good, but when I came back, I didn’t really remember how it was two years earlier, so I thought that the tyres were completely fine and I still do so. OK, they wore off a bit faster than in the past in some races but it’s the same for everybody and they’ve been doing a very good job for Formula One so I’m happy with that.

    Q: (Chetan Narula – PlanetF1) And you haven’t won this year but despite that, how good a comeback has this been for you?

    KR: Yes, I’m happy. If you had told me before the season that I will be in this position with this many points  and stuff like that I would have taken it but of course when you do some good races you always want more and more and then you’re disappointed if you’re not. If you do well you want more and more. It could have been better but it could have been much more worse also.

    Q: (C. Raghunath – The Hindu) Kimi, do you fancy your chances this year? You’re third in the championship…

    KR: Yeah, of course. We’ve had a chance. It’s the difference like in 2007. We had a car that you knew that could win all the races and right now we are not the fastest car so we need more help to really win it but we will keep trying and hopefully we can achieve it. We will try until there’s no chance but it’s a bit different situation. But if we can improve the car in the next three races, you never know, so…

    Q: (Vinayak Pandey – Hindustan Times)  Kimi, after which race did you feel that the Lotus team didn’t have the same competitiveness as it had at the start of the season?

    KR: I think in Spa we had some signs but then we have seen this year that one race you can be very strong and the next not so good, it’s been up and down between the teams. For some reason, after the summer break, some of the teams have been much more consistent. I think we still have a good car. We improved it in the last race again but we are not at the level that we maybe were compared to others at the beginning of the season.

    Q: (Gary Meenaghan – The National) Nico, you said that you mentioned that you got here on Monday. Could you just give us an idea of some of the things you’ve been doing since you got here?

    NH: Well, mainly a lot of media interaction. We are an Indian team so there is quite a bit of interest, so we’ve been around, talking to a lot of TV stations, went to some studios, did a sponsorship event with Hackett which is a team partner in clothing. It’s only two days and two days pass pretty quickly.

    Q: (Gary Meenaghan – The National) Did you meet Vijay?

    NH: No, we haven’t met Vijay.

    Q: (Shreyas Sharma – Mail Today) Narain, since you are closely associated with this track, some changes have been made, although the changes are minor. Do you think it will make the race more interesting, faster?

    NK: No, the layout remains the same, just that the kerbs are extended a little bit in turns five and six and then they put some astroturf to keep the dust down because a lot of cars were going off in that particular corner last year. Apart from that, as everyone has said, the layout is fantastic and I’m glad they haven’t changed anything, it’s nice to drive on, it’s pretty flowing and it’s fast.

    Q: (Shridhar Poddar – Sakal Media House) To all the drivers, whoever wants to answer: the long straight is something that the DRS was really tailor-made for although we didn’t see too much overtaking last year. How much overtaking do you think there is a scope for over here?

    NK: We won’t be doing much overtaking so I think…

    HK: We have the same problem as Narain so…

    BS: Normally, the overtaking is more due to the tyre difference between the cars than to long straights or DRS. Long straights always help a little bit but if you’re coming from a corner like turn two, which is a long corner where you put a lot of heat into the tyres, into a hairpin, where traction is a bit more compromised so overtaking really is more due to the tyres than anything else in current Formula One. But if you’re in a Toro Rosso  then you have about 20kph more top speed than everyone else then you can overtake as well!

    Ends