INDIA in F1

Tag: Formula One

  • HRT Pintxos time: A safe bet before a GP

    Monaco, 26 May 2012: Some races stand out on the calendar. Every single one is unique and has something that makes them special, but if there’s one that everyone wants to go to that’s Monaco. An atypical weekend where everything is beyond normal, superlative, extravagant and yes, we might as well say it, very glamorous.

    On a setting like this it’s a complicated task once more, because there are certain standards we have to reach. And Monaco deserves a pintxo which is almost a sin for the taste buds. Because not everyone is capable of grabbing some funghi, cheese and sunflower seeds and turning it into a delicacy worthy of the most exclusive Grand Prix of the season. Thankfully Arzak-Bokado’s professionalism makes our pintxos a safe bet every time. On the streets of Monaco tomorrow people will not only talk about the race but also about HRT Formula 1 Team, because we’re continuing to have pintxos around the world and, everyday, we’re proudly consolidating Spanish cuisine’s reputation everywhere we go.

    There’s not much else to say. Stop by our hospitality unit, like every race Sunday and share a pleasant moment with us in a beautiful setting by the sea. We will feel privileged if you join us. And remember that units are limited so better sooner rather than later.

    Place: HRT Hospitality

    Time: 12.00 noon

     

  • Pastor in seventh heaven; Podium for Alonso, Kimi

    Lewis Hamilton of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team finishes on way to a successful pit stop in the Spanish GP for a second place which keeps him in the third place in the drivers' championship with 53 points. Vodafone McLaren photo.

    DRIVERS

    1 – Pastor MALDONADO (Williams)

    2 – Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)

    3 – Kimi RAIKKONEN (Lotus)

    TV UNILATERAL

    Pastor, your first victory, brilliantly judged – describe your emotions?

    Pastor MALDONADO: I think it’s a wonderful day, not just for me but for all the team. We have been pushing so hard since last year to try to improve race by race and here we are. Yesterday we were here after a great qualifying and today we did it again. It was a tough race because the strategy as well, it was tough especially because of the rear tyres – after a couple of laps we were struggling with [them]. I need to say I’m pretty happy because the car was so competitive since the first lap. Fernando did a better start than me but I was just following the pace and it was so great. It’s my first podium and my first victory and you can imagine what I feel.

    Fernando, second today and obviously a lot of progress for you and the team. And once again a blinding start.

    Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, it was a fantastic start again. The team prepared quite nice again the clutch and everything – the procedure to do a good start. It was close on the straight until Turn One with Pastor, and then we had the better side, the inside. We took the momentum there and we led the race for the first part but then William’s anticipated the stop and get in front and at the end it was close. We had a newer tyre than Pastor and we tried a couple of times but it was not possible out of the last corner. Then in the very last laps I felt the car was strange, we lost a lot of grip. Maybe we lost some aerodynamic part or something because we were very slow… (inaudible) …we were lucky at the end. Second place at home feels fantastic and thanks to the people that came here and the people at home and hopefully a step forward in terms of championship possibilities.

    Kimi, third today. You were a lot of people’s favourite going into this grand prix. Do you think you and the team made all the right choices this afternoon?

    Kimi RAIKKONEN: We have to look. I’m a bit disappointed. I expected us to be a bit stronger in the race, especially at the beginning. At the end we were very good, but it was too late. We were not fast enough and quick enough to race and that’s why we couldn’t fight for a win. But we showed in the end that we have to speed but we just have to look at what we did. Maybe we took the wrong choice in the first pit stop. In the end, like I said we were not fast enough in the beginning and that cost us the race, so I was not so disappointed during the race because I saw that I couldn’t follow them at the beginning. But at the end when you catch them up almost 20 seconds then you get a bit of a disappointed feeling afterwards, when you just needed a few laps to be even able to fight for the first place. That’s racing and at least I scored some good points and we’re going in the right direction.

    Back to you Pastor and this is the first Williams win since 2004. They managed to get you to jump Fernando at the second round of pit stops but he gave you some real pressure at the end didn’t he?

    PM: Yeah, it was so close. We were looking to manage the tyre degradation so I wasn’t pushing that hard, just to keep the tyres alive for the end of the race and Fernando got too close. There were some moments that he was so close, especially at the end of the straight. But I was managing the gap and controlling everything. I think our pace today was pretty strong and the car looks fantastic. Even the team. We did a small mistake at the last pit stop but it doesn’t affect our performance.

    Fernando, describe your feelings at the second stop when Pastor jumped you because you were caught up behind a backmarker in that critical lap weren’t you?

    FA: Yeah, we were a little bit unlucky maybe. We had a Marussia but I think he got a penalty at the end. Obviously, it’s not a solution now but hopefully people start to understand that they need to respect the rules and today again they didn’t and they paid the penalty. It’s more of a penalty the penalty we paid – maybe the race win – but yeah a little bit disappointed. But they [Williams] did a great job and they had the pace, because in the last stint, if we were faster than the Williams we had the opportunity to overtake but they were quicker than us so thy deserve the victory.

    Kimi, it’s the second podium for you in a row. Do you feel a win is around the corner?

    KR: Yeah, twice already. Unfortunately you’re not always going to get there. If you get the chance, you should take it because it’s not every race that you will be able to fight for that position or even try it. Hopefully we can keep doing what we’re doing now and at a certain point I’m sure that things will go exactly right and we can. But so far it’s been a good step and the car has been strong everywhere. The next race is a bit different – Monaco – it’s hard to say how it goes there. The team has done a good job and we have still work to do, things to improve. But so far it’s going in a good way and I’m happy with it. OK, we’re not 100% happy with it because we are not winning but that’s a very normal thing and I’m happy for the team.

    As Kimi says, we go to Monaco next Pastor. That’s one of your favourite tracks. What chance a back-to-back victory for you?

    PM: I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to be strong again. For sure I will be doing my best on the driving. The team is looking after the car so we need to continue like that. Keep pushing with the car, to develop it as soon as possible and consistency will be the important thing in this championship.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    When did you think you could win, because obviously there have been changing emotions, obviously you were second on the grid and then first on the grid and then obviously the start etc., When did you think this was possible?

    PM: After the qualifying. Y’know, it was so great to start from the head, from the front and for sure the team did a great job to give me a car and I did my job on the qualifying. And then starting from the pole it’s much easier, everything.

    And then obviously overtaken at the start…

    PM: Yes, our start wasn’t that great, Fernando had one better than us but after the first lap the pace was very competitive, the car looks very good and we were looking at the strategy, that’s it.

    And what about the tyres at the end? Because obviously Fernando closed on you and then dropped back.

    PM: When Fernando got close I was looking after the tyres, I didn’t push that much, just because the big tyre degradation. We did an extremely good strategy today, everything under control, even some moments when Fernando got too close but we had a little bit better traction than him, using KERS and everything. So it was managing the race, looking for the gaps and the pace.

    You must have thought that with KERS, him within a second, at any moment it was going to happen – but it never did.

    PM: For sure it was difficult from this morning because the gaps are so close between the top teams at the moment. When I saw that I was second in the first corner, ‘OK’, I said, ‘the race is going to be long. We need to keep pushing, we need to prepare to change our strategy just to attack Ferrari and we did it. Everything was perfect, except the last pitstop. We had a big moment there but it doesn’t affect our final result.

    Fernando, you got so close, right up there, and then it just went away I guess, and then by the end it looked as though you really were struggling on the tyres.

    FA: Yeah, it was close with ten laps to go, ten laps to the end. We were attacking Pastor when we were closing to within one second but then the last seven or eight laps we lost the grip, around Turn Seven I felt. I informed the team some corners after, in Turn Nine, to check if everything is OK because maybe we lost some aerodynamic part of the front wing or under the floor or something because we had no more grip at all. So, from that point the last seven laps, it was monitoring the distance and the gap with Kimi. We knew it was a very long last seven laps. At the end it was close. I think one lap more and Kimi overtake us. So we were lucky at the end and happy – happy with the weekend in general, not only with the race, because we had a very strong weekend, on Fridays with good practice, the car felt more or less competitive yesterday. I think we extract everything from the car again, maximise the potential of what we have in our hands and today the start was great, the race pace was good, at one point we were lapping one Red Bull in front of us with the blue flags, so… it’s very strange. We were 57 seconds behind Vettel in Bahrain, and we were lapping Webber here. No one understands probably. Not us either.

    It really was that sudden when you lost the grip? It was almost like a switch.

    FA: Yeah, yeah, it was in turn seven, over the kerb maybe, something fall out of the car or something, we need to check. But it was difficult. As Pastor said, in the last corner, turn 16, it’s difficult to follow anyone after the chicane, so we knew that when you lose the position at the pitstop, you have to have a big pace advantage if you want to overtake someone. With the difference and with the pace that Williams had today, we knew it was difficult.

    I suppose everybody in Italy wants to know, has Ferrari turned the corner? Are you now back in front again?

    FA: We’ll see. I think when we are first and second in one qualifying and first and second in one race, we have to say that we have the best car. Until that moment we are fighting. I think this year is very difficult to have a pace advantage or to be happy with the car you have in your hands, because everything is so close. Consistency and continuous development will be important in this championship because two-tenths can be six or seven positions in one qualifying this year. But what we can say is we have probably the most difficult start of the championship in these three years in Ferrari, with a car that was not competitive at all, and we finish the first quarter of the championship, so this is the fifth race out of 20, and we are leading the championship, or the same points as Vettel, so we have to be very, very proud and very happy with the points we achieved and with the position. Maybe we have not to be so proud about how competitive we are but we are working on that.

    Kimi, tell us about the start, because that pretty much established your race.

    KR: Yeah, I had a pretty good start, nothing to complain about. I thought I would get the chance to overtake outside both of the first two but I didn’t have enough speed in a straight line – I actually hit the limiter I think in fifth gear which kind of stopped my acceleration a bit but after that I didn’t have the speed to hang on and hound them. I was pulling away from the guys behind me but I couldn’t stay. The first stint was pretty OK but the second, I chose the soft tyre and I didn’t have the speed to keep up with them. I’m a bit disappointed but I just tried to fight and then we changed the tyres and it seemed to turn out to be pretty good but we were just too far away. We need, like, ten more laps and then I think we could have been fighting for the win.

    Absolute charge at the end, your tyres were OK?

    KR: Yes, it was OK. I had two new sets of Prime but unfortunately I didn’t have more sets of Prime anyhow to put in the first pitstop. The car was very good but just a bit too late for me. We fall off too much in the last stint to be able to fight for the win. But one more lap we could probably could have got Fernando – but it’s easy to say after.

    And what did you tell the Finnish viewers just now?

    KR: It’s Mothers’ Day in Finland.

    So Happy Mothers’ Day?

    KR: Yeah. I had nothing else to say to Finnish viewers.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Leonid Novozhilov – F1 Life) Kimi, second place in Bahrain, third place in Spain; is this the maximum for you or can you win?

    KR: The fact is the reason why I’m disappointed is because in the end if we have done everything right, we could have put ourselves into first place. The car has been fast enough but we’ve been doing small things not correctly and I’ve done some mistakes on my side but if everything was 100 percent OK we could have won. There’s no issue with the speed of the car, but it’s so close between all the teams and drivers that if you have a small problem or a small issue during the weekend then it’s going to cost you a lot. If you’re three tenths behind then you’re suddenly not in the last qualifying. As you give yourself the chance to be fighting at the front, I think our car can do it but everything has to fall in the right place to be able to win.

    Q: (Leonid Novozhilov – F1 Life) Pastor, you are now a national hero. Are you ready?

    PM: For sure everyone is so happy in my country. I’m very lucky to have a country behind me, pushing so hard, to see me here in Formula One and especially to be here, between these guys. I’m pretty happy for Venezuela, I’m happy for Williams as well. They did a wonderful job to give me a great car for this race. We are getting better and better, race after race.

    Q: (Adrian Huber – Agencia EFE) Fernando, after the first five races, and all the problems you’re supposed to have in your team, no one has scored more points than you have now. How much more confident are you today than you were on Thursday, or on the inside were you expecting this?

    FA: No, I am a definitely surprised by the quantity of points that we have; I’m a bit surprised by today’s result, or the weekend’s results. We were confident of improving the car, we were hoping for some signs of improvement here in Barcelona. As I said, in Bahrain, we were nearly out of Q3 and then in the race, P9, one minute behind the leaders, so we arrived in Barcelona with some hope, some optimism about the upgrades but I think the result, the overall weekend pace has been a little bit better than expected, because we were quick in qualifying and quick in the race but this, in my opinion or how I feel after the weekend, I still don’t know where we are. I think we need to wait for more races, for the championship to stabilise a little bit because I think we maybe over-performed a little bit compared with the potential we have and maybe some other teams under-performed or they had some problems to get their tyres working or something, because, as I said, some of the results that we saw this weekend feel very strange.

    Q: (Carlos Miguel – La Gaceta) Fernando, if we take a look at the race, maybe it was a bad decision to stop so late after Pastor after you’d had the problem with the Marussia because it’s so important in Formula One to stay in front from the aerodynamic point of view.

    FA: Yeah, obviously you never know. After the race it’s always easier to review the strategy. The choice was always to stop on the same lap or one lap later than Pastor, always try to cover the position. When Williams decided to stop in the second pit stop, we had one Marussia in front of us for a lap and a half. When we saw that in the second sector, we were already exiting behind Pastor so at that point, we decided to keep going for a few more laps and try to get the opportunity at the end of the race, with a shorter stint. I think we didn’t lose the win because of the Marussia because if you had the pace in the last stint, you had to overtake Pastor and we didn’t because they were faster than us, but for sure, we went out of the plan because of the backmarker.

    Q: (Jaime Rodriguez – El Mundo) Pastor, could you explain the start of the race, because you had a good fight with Fernando, and I want to know if you’ve received congratulations from your president in Venezuela?

    PM: You know it wasn’t the best start ever from us. I think the clutch slipped quite a lot. Fernando had a better jump than us. It was so close, I tried to defend the position but he was already on the better part of the track, so I decided to back off and follow him. At that moment, I thought that the race was long and we changed our strategy, to attack Ferrari. I think from the second stop we did pretty good and I think we surprised them because we did it so early.

    And the call? No, not yet because I was on the podium before, so no time to even see my family, my people. Maybe he will call. I don’t know.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Fernando and Kimi, did you believe that Pastor could be your main rival today, and if not, how big a surprise is it?

    FA: Yeah, I think so. We saw in general that during the weekend that Williams was good. Lewis was maybe the favourite for this race after the pace we saw from Ferrari on Friday and the pole position by half a second yesterday. With Lewis’s penalty, Pastor was the strongest at the front so no surprises.

    KR: Williams have been quite fast for two races in certain points and I think, as we’ve said before, it’s very difficult to say who is really the quickest overall because at one race one team is there and then suddenly they are tenth in the next race, so it’s bit of an odd situation where we are this year, but it gives a lot of chances for all the teams who have the speed and when the tyres are working for them they are much better than the others. The tyres seem to be the key thing. If you get them working well you seem to be fast. Sometimes you just drop out of the window a little bit and you have a hard time.

    Q: (Marco degli Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Pastor you are the fifth winner in five races, so the top of the field seems to be very close. Do you put Williams and yourself among the possible winners of the championship?

    PM: For sure we are a little bit backwards compared with the leaders, with Fernando and Vettel, but we need to keep working. We are not the best team at the moment. The car looked pretty good today, but I think we need to keep pushing some particulars at Williams, especially in the car, but everything is possible. The gaps are so close at the moment, I’m driving well, I have a good feeling with the team, with the car, so everything is possible. For sure we are looking to do our best, looking forward to winning some races, to getting a couple more podiums and I’m really happy because the team hasn’t won many races for many years so this is a great moment for us. I hope to continue like that.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Pastor, you were in the same team last season. When you finished the season you were in front of only three teams: Marussia, Hispania and Caterham, and now you are in front of all of them; what has happened to explain such a change in performance from one season to another?

    PM: We made big changes in the factory, we have new staff in some of the departments and completely changed the approach to building the car. I need to say that this year’s car has great performance, great potential to become even stronger than it is and for sure, this is  great for motivation, to motivate the team, the factory, to keep pushing like that. I think this is the way. We are motivated and we need to keep pushing.

    Q: (Adrian Huber – Agencia EFE) Pastor, it looks like this could be a very long Sunday in Venezuela. Do you have any information as to what’s going on now or can you imagine what might happen there?

    PM: I can imagine that there will be a party everywhere but I don’t know at the moment. I need to see some of the fans, my family there. I think everybody who saw the race and for sure all the people are happy at the moment and this is great for Venezuela after nearly thirty years without any driver in Formula One, so I think it’s a great moment for our country.

    Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Fernando, you have already said that at the moment everything is possible and not many things are explainable which is very strange for Formula One. I don’t think we ever had this situation before. Do you, as a driver, enjoy this uncertainty or would you like to have some more answers  on open questions?

    FA: I don’t know. I don’t know how to answer. We probably like the unknown situation that we have now, so you arrive in Monaco next Wednesday and you don’t know if you will be a winner or if you will be out of the points. That’s what we feel at the moment, not only for us. But in a way, after eleven years in Formula One and seeing Ferrari dominate most of them, now that I’m at Ferrari, I would like to have more stability and a dominant car.

    Ends

  • Narain awaits stewards decision to race on Sunday

    By F1 Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    11.00-12.00 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 3

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

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

     14.00-15.00 FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING SESSION

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

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

     

    ends

  • No practice laps in Spain; Narain Karthikeyan disappointed

    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

    Friday, 11th of May 2012

    Weather: Sunny – Air 30ºC, Track 45ºC

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

    10.00-11.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 1

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

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

    14.00-15.30 FORMULA 1 PRACTICE SESSION 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ends

  • Confident Force India gets ready for European leg

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

    11th-13th May 2012

    Circuit de Catalunya – 66 laps – 4.655km

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

  • I will be extra focussed in Bahrain, says Narain

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

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

  • Sergio completes 68 laps on Sauber C31-Ferrari

    Sergio on a C31-Ferrari at Jerez on 8 Feb 2012. A Sauber F1 team photo

    8 Feb 2012: After completing the second day of testing in the pre-seasonat Jerez de la Frontera, the Sauber team said in a Press Release that Sergio Pérez on Wednesday got his first taste of the new Sauber C31-Ferrari. He completed 68 laps. The pit crew had a busy day implementing some new aero parts and fixing a fuel system problem in the afternoon.

    After completing 58 laps on Wednesday, the 8th of February at Jerez, Sergio Perez of the Sauber F1 team said: “For me it was a positive day. It was great to be back on track after the winter break and so far I’m happy with the new car. I feel confident. It was a shame that we lost track time due to the fuel system problem in the afternoon, but I think we can catch up tomorrow. We have a huge programme for Thursday and I’m looking forward to it very much. Compared to yesterday we have already learnt a great deal more about the C31.”

    Team’s Head of Track Engineering Giampaolo Dall’Ara said: “It was Sergio’s first day of testing with the new car. To start with he had to familiarise himself with the C31 and he did a bit of set-up work in the morning. During the lunch break we implemented new aero parts on the car. They are working well and as expected which is important and good news. In the afternoon we unfortunately lost track time because of a problem with the fuel system. So far we have only used the medium tyre compound.”

     

    ends/9Feb2012

  • Caterham F1 Team confirms Giedo van der Garde as reserve driver

    Hingham (UK), 4 Feb 2012: Caterham F1 Team has today confirmed that Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde will be the team’s official Reserve Driver in 2012, a press release said on Saturday.

    Giedo van der Garde in cockpit with Gianluca Pisanello, 3 Feb 2012.

    Giedo will participate in the pre-season tests and will take part in a number of FP1 sessions throughout the season as a core part of the team’s driver line-up.

    Tony Fernandes, Caterham F1 Team Principal, said: “We are delighted to welcome Giedo into the family as Reserve Driver. He is a very exciting prospect that we have been monitoring since the early days of our team, and we are all looking forward to seeing how he can help us develop throughout the season as we take our next steps towards the established midfield teams ahead.

    “His performances in GP2, particularly in 2011, mark Giedo out as one of motorsport’s brightest prospects, and securing him as Reserve Driver is a real coup for our team. I am sure he will flourish on and off track, and we wish him all the best as he takes the next step into Formula 1 with us.”

    Giedo van der Garde commented: “I’m very happy to become a part of the Caterham F1 Team family today and I’m very excited about the next step in my career within Formula 1. The team is fresh, with some fantastic people here. Tony Fernandes is extremely ambitious and he has brought in a lot of very good people in to help grow this team for future success. I’m looking forward to learning and moving forward with the team, in and out of the car.

    “It’s great for Holland that we again have a Dutch driver who is connected to Formula 1. Being the only Dutch driver now is very good for the sport in Holland, as the interest was perhaps on the decline since the Verstappen years, however I hope to generate the same excitement for my country and really bring Formula 1 to them.

    “I feel that the team as a whole is very ambitious. They appear to be very positive people and I think they are building up, growing and developing very quickly. I think this year they will be strong contenders! We’ll see after the test but I really have a feeling that it’s a big family here and they are pushing very hard to move up the grid.

    “I feel very strong now, I’m fit, and I’m mentally ready. Of course I’ve spent a lot of time driving with guys who are now in Formula 1 and I feel I’m ready for this. I’d like to thank McGregor and everybody who has supported me in my career and for helping me take this next exciting step.”

    Ends