INDIA in F1

Tag: Indian

  • Akhil wins place in FIA Institute Young Driver’s Excellence Academy

    31 Oct 2013: After an intensive three days of tests and evaluations at the FIA Institute Asia-Pacific Selection Event hosted by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), India’s Akhil Rabindra won himself a place in the FIA Institute Young Drivers Excellence Academy. Rabindra, 17, who races in the JK Racing India Series (Formula BMW) won his place on the fully-funded Academy program after demonstrating his ability not just on the track but also in terms of fitness and understanding of safety and vehicle dynamics.

    There were three judges on the selection panel with the Gus Glover from the FIA Institute, Academy Instructor Dr. Tony Turner and Lead Driving Instructor Cameron McConville . In the end it was a tough decision, but all three felt Rabindra was a worthy winner, and he was naturally thrilled to have been chosen with the announcement made by FIA Institute Deputy President Garry Connelly.

    “I am honoured to have been selected I would like to thank the FIA Institute, CAMS and my ASN The FMSCI for making this possible. I am looking forward to taking on the other drivers from across the world. The Academy should be great and I hope to lean a lot,” Rabindra said.

    Rabindra now has the opportunity to follow i

    Akhil Rabindran who won the Young Driver Excellence Award. An Adrenna Photo
    Akhil Rabindran who won the Young Driver Excellence Award. An Adrenna Photo

    n the footsteps of previous participants in the Academy who have gone on to drive in Formula One and the World Rally Championship. 

    All the young drivers, who had been nominated by the national motor sport authorities in their own countries, gained invaluable knowledge and experience to help them in their careers. 

    Andrew Papadopoulos, President of CAMS, which hosted the event on behalf of the FIA Institute, congratulated the winner and all those involved.

    “It has been fantastic to host this event we would like to thank the New South Wales Institute of Sport and Sydney Motorsport Park and Mazda for their support. Driver development is important in the Asia Pacific region and we are happy to have helped raise the standard in this part of the world.” said Papadopoulos.

    FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok commented, “This is a great initiative by the FIA to develop young drivers across the world. On behalf of the FMSCI, I would like to congratulate Akhil on winning the APAC selection, and wish him all the best in the Academy. There are so many young drivers with so much potential that the future of Indian motorsport looks promising.”  

    On the final day of the selection event the 12 drivers were whittled down to three, Rabindra, Petr Borodin from Kazakhstan and Mark Gibson from New Zealand.

    Ultimately, the choice of Rabindra as the regional winner was based not only on the shoot-out result but on all-round skills displayed over the three days.

    He now joins Venezuelan Diego Ferreira who won the Americas region selection event, South Africa’s Kelvin Van der Linde as the winner of the African regional event, Lithuania’s Ignas Gelzinis, the winner of the European regional event, and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bamogaddam, winner of the Middle East and Mediterranean event, on the Academy programme. They in turn will join three additional wild card entries to form the eight of the Academy.

    Beginning in December, the next Academy provides a fully-funded training programme which aims to help drivers develop their motor sport careers, whilst increasing safety skills and actively promoting the principles of safety, fairness and responsibility on and off the track.

    ends

  • The development of Force India car stopped six months back: Sutil

    DRIVERS – Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams), Romain GROSJEAN (Lotus), Adrian SUTIL (Force India), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing), Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Sebastian, your fourth world title of course. Tell us about the last four days. What have you been doing, how have you celebrated and what has the reaction been like?

    Sebastian VETTEL: Well, the reaction has been very positive. Obviously great relief when I crossed the line on Sunday, a great feeling. Sunday night, obviously the whole team still had to do the pack-up, but we had a little bit of fun in the hotel bar – quite spontaneous. Obviously, there’s not a lot of time between the race in India and the race here, so the team is very busy. So we couldn’t go completely made, but I had a time on Sunday night and then I had two days at home before coming here, again fairly quiet, not very spectacular. I just enjoyed the peace at home. I had some time for myself, back with my girlfriend as well. So, fairly quiet.

    Probably history will remember this achievement as you in a strong team with a strong beating a very strong field of drivers – looking at the gentlemen sitting around you here. Is that how you see it?

    SV: I think that’s the way it always has been. When Lewis won his title in 2008 he was with a strong team facing strong drivers, same for Fernando in 2005 and 2006, so yeah, even 20 or 30 years ago it has always been the name of the game. That’s how people remember the past and one day will remember what we are doing now.

    Fernando, runner-up again. So hard to hit the sweet spot in Formula One isn’t it? How far off championship level do you feel your group is?

    Fernando ALONSO: I think we need to be realistic, knowing that we didn’t have the chance this year to fight for the championship. In the beginning of the year we were a little bit closer but then we were not quick enough and we are fighting now for other targets, which is the Constructors’ Championship and second place in the Drivers’ [Championship] as well, which was not the main priority when we started the season but still a good target to achieve and a good thing for the team, to help them. We’ll see, I think we need to keep very focused in the remaining races and try to do our best and obviously with half of our mind thinking of 2014 because we are competitive people, we want to win. This year it was not possible but next year we start from zero.

    How has your relationship with the team evolved over the course of the year, particularly in terms of steering a course for the future?

    FA: It’s fantastic. Obviously, every weekend I repeat the same thing. So I guess in Austin on Thursday the first question in the press conference will be how is my relationship with the team…

    The question was how has it evolved?

    FA: It was perfect, it’s perfect and it will be perfect.

    Lewis, coming to you. You didn’t perhaps expect to challenge for the title this year but can you talk about the level of the challenge coming from Sebastian and Red Bull and how you take the fight to them from here?

    Lewis HAMILTON: They’ve done an incredible job for some time now, so you know, they’ve raised the bar and everyone just needs to work harder. Us, as a team, we’re working as hard as we can to really put the energy into next year and hope that we can compete with them. That’s ultimately what I’d love to do and ultimately what the team desires too. That’s what the dream is. There’s a long steep curve for us to climb or hill for us to climb for next year but it’s more of a level starting ground for everyone and you can either get it right or wrong. Hopefully we’re on the right side.

    Racing drivers always move on very quickly and I wonder if mentally you’re already in 2014.

    LH: No, no. I’m still trying to… this year hasn’t been perfect for me and I’m always trying to learn and improve. There are lots of areas that can always be improved on, from myself and from the team, and we’re just working on those because we don’t want to carry the negatives of anything we have into next year.

    Q: Romain, really strong run of form at the moment. Was India your best performance yet in Formula One, do you think? How much more is there to come from you?

    Romain GROSJEAN: Hopefully two more places! It was certainly one of our best races. We misjudged our level of performance on the Saturday and we took the right decision about the strategy, how to go for the race. It was clearly not an easy one as I really had to first make the option tyre last and then try to make the prime tyre last for 47 laps. There were some quick cars around me, especially behind me, and yeah, just try to take care as much as we can of our tyres and do good driving. But I think Japan was a pretty good race. We had certainly a fantastic start and led the race from there, which was somehow easy to control in the first part. I think Red Bull was just a little bit too quick behind but when you watch the gap with Fernando who was P4, it was quite big, so I think those last four races have been pretty good: trying to improve myself every time, car is getting there and clearly the blue cars are still a little bit quicker than we are – but we try to push them as much as we can.

    Q: Let’s cut to the chase: you’re a completely different racing driver from 12 months ago. What’s the key to the turnaround do you think?

    RG: I don’t think there is any particular key to be honest. We like to put some things are changes but to me the work started a year ago and I’m improving myself day after day – or I’m trying to. The start of the season was poor. It’s a bit of a shame when we look at what we are capable to do right now but then since we put back the car in place it has been getting better and better. I was a bit unlucky before Germany and then Germany things turn out to be well together and from there we had very, very good races and the car is doing well.  Hopefully it’s going to be the case until the end of the season.

    Q: Adrian, strong drive in India, bold strategy. How important was it to stem the recent tide of Sauber getting closer and closer to you? And how much confidence has that given the team going forward now for the rest of the year?

    Adrian SUTIL: Well it was an important race for us, of course. It was our home grand prix and we wanted to show that we’re still able to be in the top ten. The last couple of races were a bit more difficult to score the points but we recovered and we did what we could to make a good result. We risked a little bit with the strategy – where we had both cars on a different strategy. I was on a one-stop – more risky – but almost the same outcome. Eighth and ninth position was almost the maximum we could achieve. Six points as a team, now 23 points ahead of Sauber, which is quite a good gap. It’s not over yet, we have to push on, but I think quite comfortable. It’s very important for us to save this sixth position in the championship, looking to next year of course, as a team. But I think, yeah, nice to have recovered a bit. Now we focus on what we have and try to optimise the package and do similar results in the next couple of races.

    Q: Looking from the outside it seems that the tyre change mid-season didn’t really help your team particularly. What do you feel about that?

    AS: Yes, it’s true. It’s one reason. We were a bit slower after that change but also we decided to stop the development very early in the season, so we had no parts on the car for the last six months or so. It’s quite a long time. I think it just hit us: from the tyre; from the development. Also the strategies in the race were more equal for everyone. Normally we were able to save one pitstop just because our tyre life was much better to others. After the tyre change that was different. But also we messed up a little bit the setup in the last races. We tried to somehow go back where we were but with a package where we just couldn’t make it. We tried different setups and it almost just slowed us down even more. We got problems, we made mistakes as the driver because the car was so difficult to drive. So, in India was said “we stop it, we take what we’ve got,” and that was the key for the points.

    Q: Valtteri, been obviously a difficult, challenging year for you. What sort of shape are Williams in going forward?

    Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, it’s been a challenging year. We’ve been learning a lot the whole year as a team. It’s been very tough. So we’re definitely I think going in a good direction, we’re now very focussed for next year. What I’ve seen at the factory, the working at the factory is changing. We’ve got some new people and I’ve already seen some good things. I really think the future of Williams will be much better than what we’ve seen this year.

    Q: Not too many rumours about you, does that indicate that you’re staying put for next year?

    VB: I think Claire Williams is tomorrow in the press conference so maybe you can ask her.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Joy Chakravarty– Sport 360) Seb, considering that the big prize is already yours, how will you motivate yourself to win over the next three races, and if you win on Sunday, will it be one of your greatest challenges, when you win with just about nothing to gain from the season, at least?

    SV: Well, I don’t think we approach the weekend as if there’s nothing to gain. I think we – as a fact – we love what we’re doing. We enjoy the challenge and that’s why there’s no question as to why we are here and what we have to do. We want to race, race the others as hard as possible. If we have a chance, we want to win. As I said, I had some quiet days at home which was good, to sober up after India and get ready for here.

    Q: (Khodr Rawi – Autosport Middle East) Sebastian, after winning so many races and four consecutive championships, do you think it will be harder again for you to lose?

    SV: To be honest, I’m not getting in the car and thinking that there’s a guarantee that we will do well. Maybe that’s a little bit the impression that you get from the outside; obviously since the summer break we’ve won all the races but we come here and there’s absolutely no guarantee that we will do well, so we have to give it everything we have. Yes, we have a strong package so I think we have reason to be confident. I need the team, I think the team needs Mark and myself to push the car to the limit and to get some good results. There’s no guarantee for what we’ve been doing the last couple of races to make it last.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, last four qualifyings you have managed to beat your teammate. Have you found something new in your one lap performance?

    VB: The whole season I’ve been learning a lot and there are little things you’re picking up all the time. In qualifying, it’s been very tight this year – it’s always like that – and every hundredth counts. I think after the August break, for sure I’ve also improved in qualifying. I think I can now maybe get a bit more out of the car more consistently than before. I feel more confident all the time, so maybe we can see that in the results.

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, we heard yesterday some declaration from Dieter Mateschitz saying that Red Bull has been working hard on the development for this season but also trying many new parts that they will use in 2014; about 50 percent of that will be on next year’s car. How is the situation at Mercedes? Have you been trying the same path or also working on trying to fight with Ferrari for second place in the Constructors’ series?

    LH: Probably not being doing as much as it sounds as they have been doing, in terms of developing for next year, but I think that a lot of the stuff that you do develop on this year’s car, upgrades that we do bring to this year’s hopefully will have an effect on next year’s car. It’s kinda of similar but some teams obviously can turn their focus a little bit earlier and some a little bit later, but hopefully, ultimately, we’ll still be competitive next year with these guys.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) To Romain, Sebastian and Fernando: what do you think of Kimi as a man and as a driver?

    RG: As a man, I would say yeah, Kimi basically I don’t know him. He is with me as he is with you. As a driver, he’s a very good driver and he has been, until recently, a very good teammate. He’s a quicker driver, he’s a consistent driver and to me, having him to learn (from) and to improve myself has been pretty good. But yeah, I don’t see him in different clothes to the ones we’re wearing right now.

    SV: Well, I think I have huge respect for the fact that he loves what he’s doing, he loves motor racing, any form of it. Obviously, I think Formula One gives him a lot of satisfaction to drive a Formula One car. He doesn’t like the rest of it so much. On a personal level, he does talk to me. I don’t know what I do differently. He’s one of the most straightforward guys I’ve met so far and I respect a lot that he has always been very honest. Since I came into Formula One, he was ready to help, even gave me a lift a couple of times early on. I get along with him.

    FA: Personally, I cannot say anything because I do not know him enough to speak about him personally. As a driver, he’s a great champion, great talent, very very fast. He likes what he’s doing. That’s the best thing.

     

    File photo of Adrian Sutil with an Engineer. Photo by Sahara Force India F1 team
    File photo of Adrian Sutil with an Engineer. Photo by Sahara Force India F1 team

    Ends

  • Some out-of-the-box thinking helped us to double-points finish: Mallya

    Abu Dhabhi, 30 Oct 2013: Even as Sahara Force India gets ready for round 17 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship, team Principal and Managing Director speaks his mind out after returning to double points for the home race in India last week.

    Dr Mallya, how satisfying was it to see both cars score points in India?

    I was delighted with the double points finish; I don’t think we could have done much better. The result was due to a combination of the small steps we’ve made optimising the set-up and some out-of-the-box thinking in terms of strategy. That’s got to be the mantra for the next three races.

    Given how challenging the second part of the season has been, it must be a welcome boost for team morale…

    The last few races have been frustrating for us. Even tracks such as Monza and Spa, where we have traditionally been strong, did not work out well for us. But I feel that a lot of the frustration is now behind us, not quite all of it, but most of it. The car is working better and we seem to be heading in the right direction.

    It was another successful event as a whole for India. How important is it that Formula One returns to India in the near future?

    India is an economy that cannot be ignored. This country has enormous potential, not just for Sahara Force India, but in terms of all the partners and stakeholders in Formula One. It’s unfortunate that there won’t be a race in 2014, but the promoter has assured me personally and also assured the Indian fans at large in media interviews that the race will return from 2015 on a sustainable basis. With that kind of optimism and forceful commitment all I can do is hope that it will return.

    What are your thoughts ahead of this weekend’s race in Abu Dhabi?

    We’re certainly very happy that we got things right last weekend and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be in the points going forward. Don’t forget this team was a regular top ten finisher in the first half of the year, so we just need to recapture our old form. Our performance in India showed what we are capable of and there’s no reason why we can’t carry this through to the final three races.

    Meanwhile, the lead driver Paul di Resta comments on Abu Dhabi as he reflects on a strong Indian Grand Prix and looks forward to racing at Yas Marina.

    Paul, a strong drive in India must have been a welcome boost in the team’s home race…

    It’s a well-earned result by everyone and very important for the team’s hopes in the championship. We’ve had a tough run of things lately, so to get two cars in the points at the team’s home race has given us something to smile about.

    After a tricky second half of the season do you feel more optimistic heading into this weekend?

    We will certainly go to Abu Dhabi to try and repeat the performance. The direction we’ve taken with the car recently is more of a back-to-basics approach, which has helped. It’s given me more confidence and I can be more committed with the car. That’s really important for a driver and it will help us for both qualifying and the race.

    Abu Dhabi is a spectacular venue for Formula One. Do you enjoy the event?

    I enjoy driving there because it’s a twilight race and one of the more spectacular events of the year – a bit like Singapore. As a track you don’t have to rely too much on aero performance because it’s mostly low-speed and that should suit our car quite well.

    Adrian on Abu Dhabi: Adrian Sutil gets set for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    Adrian, you must have been happy to pick up two points following your one-stop strategy in the Indian Grand Prix…

    I think the strategy we chose led us to the best result we could achieve. It just shows that if you try something a bit different you can come away with a good result. It was the riskier choice because the soft tyre was an unknown experience in race conditions, but I was able to look after it well and I still had strong pace in the last few laps of the race.

    How is the mood in the team after a strong performance at the team’s home race?

    We certainly needed some points and I think we are feeling more optimistic now. The car had a very nice balance in India – it was easier to drive, much more consistent and that helped us achieve the one-stop race. With both cars in the points everybody is feeling more positive going into this weekend.

    What about your thoughts on the Yas Marina circuit?

    It’s one of the most perfect tracks on the calendar because there’s not a stone out of place! It almost feels like a futuristic venue and with the harbour location it’s like a second Monaco. The track layout is not my favourite because it’s mostly low-speed, but as an event it’s certainly a highlight of the year.

    endsFormula One World Championship, Rd16, Indian Grand Prix, Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, New Delhi, India, Race Day, Sunday 27 October 2013.

  • Vettel fastest in fog-delayed final practice

    Greater Noida, 26 Oct 2013: Sebastian Vettel continued to dominate preparations for the Indian Grand Prix, by topping the timesheet in a shortened final practice session at the Buddh International Circuit with a lap of 1:25.332, half a second clear of team-mate Mark Webber.

    Sebastian Vettel tops FP3 on Saturday at the Indian GP. A BIC photo
    Sebastian Vettel tops FP3 on Saturday at the Indian GP. A BIC photo

    Vettel’s closest non-Red Bull rival was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who finished 0.773 down. Fourth place in the session was taken by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, with Lotus’ Romain Grosjean fifth.

    The session had been due to start at 11am local time but was delayed by 15 minutes as smog reduced visibility across the circuit, conditions deemed unsuitable for the medical helicopter to take off should there be a serious incident.

    The delay was extended to half an hour before a revision from race control signaled that a 40-minute session w:ould begin at 20 minutes past the hour.

    The shortened timeframe led to a mixed programme with most teams still opting for altered run plans on the medium tyre before a late switch to the soft compound.

    Red Bull Racing chose differently, however. Webber began with a run on the prime medium tyre, but Vettel returned to the garage after an installation lap and after a short wait headed out on track on the option soft Pirellis with 26 minutes left on the clock.

    At that stage, with the rest of the field on medium tyres, McLaren’s Sergio Perez was in P1, with a time of 1:27.136. Vettel blasted past that benchmark with his first flying lap on the options – logging a time of 1:25.332, just under four tenths quicker than his best soft-tyre time from FP2. Webber then took on option tyres and slotted into P2, 0.560 behind his team-mate.

    As the bulk of the field retired to their respective garages to make the switch from prime tyres, Vettel headed out on track for another run on the options.

    This time, however, his stint was much longer. Given a target time by his pit wall, the defending champion set about testing the limits of the soft tyre with a long stint that abandoned pursuit of performance in favour of research for the race. It was a similar story behind him and unusually for FP3 the times did not change much during the final moments as the focus appeared to shift to exploring the durability, or not, of the soft tyre.

    With Grosjean fifth, sixth place in the session went to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. He was followed by Force India’s Paul Di Resta and Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg. Ninth place went to McLaren’s Jenson Button with Lewis Hamilton tenth in the second Mercedes.

    2013 Indian Grand Prix Free Practice Three times

    1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:25.332
    2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1:25.892 +0.560
    3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:26.105 +0.773
    4 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1:26.306 +0.974
    5 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:26.350 +1.018
    6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:26.435 +1.103
    7 Paul di Resta Force India 1:26.438 +1.106
    8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:26.441 +1.109
    9 Jenson Button McLaren 1:26.489 +1.157
    10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:26.557 +1.225
    11 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 1:26.635 +1.303
    12 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:26.641 +1.309
    13 Sergio Pérez McLaren 1:26.737 +1.405

    14 Adrian Sutil Force India 1:26.847 +1.515
    15 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:26.876 +1.544
    16 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:26.883 +1.551
    17 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:27.259 +1.927
    18 Charles Pic Caterham 1:27.941 +2.609
    19 Esteban Gutiérrez Sauber 1:28.019 +2.687
    20 Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1:28.498 +3.166
    21 Max Chilton Marussia 1:29.094 +3.762
    22 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:29.169 +3.837

    ends

  • Vettel tops time charts in FP2; looks set to clinch the 4th World title

    Greater Noida, 25 Oct 2013: Having finished FP1 with a clear advantage over his rivals, Sebastian Vettel maintained his advantage on Friday afternoon. The Red Bull Racing driver was the only driver to dip into the 1m25s bracket during FP2, finishing the 90-minute session with a best time of 1:25.722. As had been the case in the morning, his nearest challenger was teammate Mark Webber, the Australian finishing just under three-tenths of a second in arrears.Formula One World Championship, Rd16, Indian Grand Prix, Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, New Delhi, India, Practice, Friday 25 October 2013.

    Behind the Red Bulls, Romain Grosjean was best of the rest for Lotus, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Fernando recovered from his morning gearbox issues to finish fifth quickest. Nico Rosberg was sixth in the second Mercedes, Felipe Massa seventh in the second Ferrari and Kimi Räikkönen eighth in the second Lotus. McLaren completed the top ten with Sergio Pérez ninth fastest and Jenson Button tenth.

    The session followed the usual FP2 pattern with cars resuming practice using the medium tyre, before switching to the soft tyre part-way through the session. In the early exchanges on the harder compound Vettel quickly moved into P1, albeit considerably down on his best time from the morning session. Radio conversations with his race engineer suggested Vettel had a non-functional KERS. He was soon superseded in the standings by Webber and then Rosberg.

    Having curtailed his first run, Vettel was an early-adopter of the soft tyre. Twenty-eight minutes into the session he dropped under the 1m26s barrier and set what would be the fastest time of the afternoon. Vettel’s improvement of over 1.5s on the soft rubber was exaggerated by his earlier KERS issue but even taking that into account it is clear the yellow-banded Pirelli have a pace advantage of around a second.

    As the session moved toward the halfway point, Vettel’s challengers made their own short runs on the soft rubber. None got close to vanquishing the world champion from the top of the order, however, and once the cars were fuelled for long rules, the timesheet was set.

    The second half of the session demonstrated the fragility of the soft compound on the sinuous, high-speed Buddh International track with several drivers returning to the pits with heavily worn tyres. The only major incident was a stoppage for Pastor Maldonado. His Williams shed a right-front wheel nut and he pulled off the circuit with a puncture.

    2013 Indian Grand Prix Free Practice Two times

    1  Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:25.722
    2  Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1:26.011  +0.289
    3  Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:26.220  +0.498
    4  Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:26.399  +0.677
    5  Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:26.430  +0.708
    6  Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:26.582  +0.860
    7  Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:26.601  +0.879
    8  Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 1:26.632  +0.910
    9  Sergio Pérez McLaren 1:26.857  +1.135
    10  Jenson Button McLaren 1:26.972  +1.250
    11  Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:27.304  +1.582
    12  Adrian Sutil Force India 1:27.375  +1.653
    13  Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:27.429  +1.707
    14  Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 1:27.491  +1.769
    15  Paul di Resta Force India 1:27.608  +1.886
    16  Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:27.720  +1.998
    17  Esteban Gutiérrez Sauber 1:27.949  +2.227
    18  Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:28.431  +2.709
    19  Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1:28.692  +2.970
    20  Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:28.799  +3.077
    21  Charles Pic Caterham 1:29.366  +3.644
    22  Max Chilton Marussia 1:30.164  +4.442

    eom

  • PIRELLI nominates Medium and Soft P Zero Tyres unlike last year

    A view of the Buddh International Circuit. A photo by Pirelli Tyres
    A view of the Buddh International Circuit. A photo by Pirelli Tyres

    Milan, 24 Oct 2013 : India, a new addition to the Formula One calendar in 2011, features some sweeping elevation changes and a wide variety of corners, making it a truly spectacular venue that works the tyres hard, especially given the high ambient temperatures. After two years of nominating the hard and the soft compound at the Buddh circuit, this year Pirelli has opted to nominate the P Zero White medium tyre together with the P Zero Yellow soft tyre.

    Paul Hembery: “We’ve decided to go for the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres in India this year, which we think will be the best combination for the Buddh circuit and lead to closer racing. For the last two years running we’ve actually gone for the hard and soft compounds, which might have been slightly on the conservative side, so this year we’ve gone for a softer and slightly more aggressive choice. As a result, just like the last race in Japan, we’re not expecting to see a particularly big variation in lap times between the two compounds. Consequently, the strategy made a very big difference in Japan and this should be the same in India. We only had one pit stop per car in India last year, but this year we would expect two – which also provides the drivers and teams with more opportunities to make up places. With varying elevations and a wide variety of corners India provides the tyres with quite a test, as there are forces coming from all directions, so tyre management will once again prove to be important. As usual, it should be very warm in India, which increases thermal degradation as well. This looks set to be a decisive race for the championship so we hope that our tyre choice will help to make it a memorable contest with high-quality racing.”

    Jean Alesi: “Before we talk about India, I’d just like to go back to the Japanese Grand Prix, which is a race that I very much enjoyed watching. I think it really showcased the difference that strategy can make, and the incredible thing is what a close result you can see even with completely different strategies being used. The tension and spectacle this creates for those of watching the race is fantastic. As for India, it’s not actually a circuit that I’ve ever raced on myself but I’ve heard some positive comments from the drivers. There is a bigger picture though: I think that having races in territories such as India is tremendously important because there is huge sporting and commercial potential. As well as driving the cars, the drivers have a real responsibility to be ambassadors for the sport: to awaken the public’s interest in Formula One and all the people who are involved in it. That ambassadorial role is so much more important in places like India than Monza, for example, which has hosted Formula One for many years already. You see tremendous enthusiasm for sport generally in India, particularly cricket, and it would be fantastic if Formula One could have the same sort of following.”

    The circuit from a tyre point of view:

    One of the most challenging areas of the circuit is the complex that makes up Turns 10 and 11: both of which are taken in quick succession almost as single corner. The tyres have to withstand a high-energy lateral force for around seven seconds. The front-left tyre is worked hardest here, and it has to withstand an acceleration force of up to 4g on the exit of the corner, where maximum grip is needed to hold the racing line.

    Turn 4 is another crucial area of the circuit. Here, the cars decelerate from 320kph to 90kph in just 140 metres. The tyres are subjected to a deceleration force of 3.6g, but still have to guarantee stability and precision throughout the braking area.

    India also has one of the longest straights of the year, which is more than a kilometre long. The tyre rotates around 50 times per second at full speed, and by the end of the straight the temperature on the tread can exceed 100 degrees centigrade.

    Technical tyre notes:

    The pit lane in India is one of the longest in Formula One at around 600 metres. This leads to a relatively significant time loss when changing tyres, which is an important factor when considering the race strategy.

    The track surface in India is generally not very abrasive. However, having made its debut only two years ago, the asphalt is still evolving. Over time, new asphalt tends to get rougher, as the bitumen on the surface is swept away, leaving the stones that make up the asphalt exposed. This increases abrasion, which has an effect on tyre wear.

    All the finishers at last year’s race – where the hard and the soft compound were used – stopped once only, at around lap 30. The most popular strategy by a long way was to start on the soft compound and finish on the hard compound, although one or two drivers further down the grid used the opposite strategy to their advantage.

    Meet the Pirelli F1 Team: Fabrizio Tanfani, Chef

    They say that an army marches on its stomach, and Pirelli is no exception. Not only that, but Pirelli’s guests are also able to experience the Italian firm’s catering, which has been popularly acclaimed as the best in the paddock. The man behind the magic is chef Fabrizio Tanfani: one of the most talented people in Formula One. He tells a fascinating story. “I started cooking when I was 16 years old: my passion for it came from my mother and my aunt and uncle, because food was like a religion in our house,” he says. “The real good fortune I had though was having friends and relatives who fished and hunted, so from a very young age I had access to the best and freshest ingredients and I found out how to get the best out of them.”

    It was inevitable that Fabrizio would go to catering school, which he describes as an exciting period in his life as he learned new techniques and worked with other young chefs. In 2005 he met Christian Staurenghi, who heads up Pirelli’s hospitality, and Christian tried him out in Formula One. “I was quite nervous to begin with as there were some famous drivers and personalities around, but as soon as I started cooking and began to smell the flavours of the food, I relaxed because I was doing what I loved,” recounts Fabrizio. “And here I’ve been ever since…”

    Fabrizio is in charge not only of cooking the food, but also of devising the menus and shopping for ingredients (supplemented by some uniquely Italian ingredients that are transported from Italy to the races). It’s very hard work as the catering team are the first to arrive each morning but the last to leave at night: “I’d like to thank my colleagues in the kitchen and the girls who work so hard in the hospitality,” adds Fabrizio. When he’s at home Fabrizio enjoys reading, running, music and – incredibly – cooking dinner for large groups of his friends…

    Other news from Pirelli:

    At the final round of the Italian Rally Championship, the Sanremo Rally, Pirelli clinched the manufacturers’ title with Peugeot Italia for the fifth time. The drivers’ title had already been wrapped up by Umberto Scandola, driving a Pirelli-equipped Skoda, on the previous round.

    Pirelli has sponsored a professorship at one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Pirelli has established the “Pirelli Visiting Professorship in Italian Studies” for a five-year term at Princeton University in New Jersey. Its aim is to promote the study of Italian history and culture.

    Pirelli has launched a brand new bespoke P Zero road car tyre for the recently-revealed Alfa Romeo 4C, which lapped the Nurburgring in 8m04s on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. The new tyre has been specifically made to match the Alfa Romeo’s performance characteristics, with ‘AR’ branding on the sidewall.

    The final round of the Pirelli-backed British Rally Championship also took place last weekend. Citroen driver Osian Pryce won the rally on Pirelli tyres while former Pirelli UK Star Driver Jukka Korhonen clinched the title.

    ends

     

  • Mallya hopes Indian fans will inspire Force India to win big points

    Greater Noida, 21 Oct 2013: Sahara Force India gets ready for its home race at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi but in the last seven races its main driver Paul di Resta failed to score points while Adrian Sutil managed just three. After a very good beginning to the season where the Indian outfit were ahead of even McLaren for quite some time, the tyre safety issues after the British race ruined the team and now they are in 6th place behind McLaren and during the same period Sauber, who were ahead of SFI last year managed a handful of points and are now just 17 points behind at 45 with a double finish in the last race at Japan. Sahara Force India F1 team has 65 points in the sixth place behind McLaren who have 83 points with four races to go.
    Liquor baron and team Principal Vijay Mallya hopes that the Indian fans will inspire the team back to scoring points.
    Brief excerpts from an interview released by the team:
    Dr Mallya, how is the mood in the team with just four races to go?
    The races after the summer break haven’t been very positive in terms of scoring points, but the morale in the team remains strong. Korea and Japan were not the easiest of weekends, but everyone in the team is working really hard to recapture our early form. It’s all a matter of finding the right balance with the car – when we do that, we will be back in the points.
    How do you see the battle with Sauber for sixth place?
    Sauber have been doing a very good job lately. They are the in-form team at the moment and they have been taking all the opportunities that were presented to them. It’s going to be a real fight in these last four races: we need to make a step forward to hold them off, because they can qualify well and they have strong race pace as well.
    Tell us about your emotions ahead of the Indian Grand Prix…
    Our home race is always a very proud weekend for everyone in the team: the atmosphere at the track is incredible and we always enjoy plenty of support. The track itself is one of the best in the world. It’s also a good one for us – in the last two years we scored points in both races, so a similar result would be a good target for the team.
     
    Paul on India
    Paul Di Resta gets set for the final part of the season and the team’s home race.
     
    Paul, this will be your third Indian Grand Prix. How important is this race for the team?
    This is always a massive event for us and comes at the end of a very busy week because we will be spending a few days in Delhi ahead of the race to meet the local media and fans. We come to India several times during the year and you can see the growing enthusiasm of the fans. It’s great that we get to spend time with them and show them the thrill of Formula One up close.
    What do you think of the track?
    I think the layout is one of the best from the new generation of tracks. Sector one stands out for me because it’s where you can really challenge somebody – it’s got long straights and big braking zones and can make for some exciting battles. The rest of the track has elevation changes and off-camber corners so it’s a challenging combination for the engineers as it’s important to have good mechanical grip.
    Have you set any expectations ahead of the weekend?
    We didn’t score points in Japan but we made some real progress with setting up the car, so going an extra step and getting in the top ten has got to be the goal this weekend. Friday is going to be crucial because this is one of those tracks where finding the right rhythm with a well-balanced car really pays you back with lap time.
    Adrian on India
    Adrian Sutil talks about the challenge of the Buddh International Circuit.
    Adrian, you’re coming back to India behind the wheel of a Sahara Force India. Does it feel extra special?
    It is special – it’s our home Grand Prix and to have the colours of the Indian flag on the side of the car makes it even more memorable. I remember the first race there two years ago – so many people came to the race, showing such strong support for our team. We were in the spotlight for the whole weekend and scoring points in the first Indian Grand Prix was very important for us.
    What are your chances of picking up points this year?
    I think scoring points will be a big task, but we will go there ready to fight. The last couple of races have not been easy for us and I’ve struggled to get the balance and consistency with the car. We are moving forward, however – we’ve learned a lot from the last two races so hopefully that will help us find a direction that gives me the confidence to push the car harder.
    And what about the track – what do you need from the car?

    It’s a very demanding track which requires stability and a good front end. There are some similarities with Korea with some long, flowing corners in the second and third sectors where the downforce is important. We will need to find a good balance to be able to exploit these characteristics.

    ends

    Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya obliges fans at a race this year. File photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.
    Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya obliges fans at a race this year. File photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.

  • MRF Challenge 2013, the only support race for Indian F1 at BIC

    Chennai, 21 Oct 2013:  The MRF Challenge 2013 season will kick-start this weekend with the first round at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge will serve as the sole support race for the Formula One Indian Grand Prix. The four round calendar will include 14 races, and will see the leading single-seater racing category in India go international with two rounds to be held in Bahrain in November and December. The final round of the championship will be held in Chennai in February. MRF also confirmed a prize money of Rs. 6,500,000 for the winners of the Championship, a press release said here today.

    In its second year, the MRF Challenge 2013 will feature 18 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “We are extremely pleased to launch the second season of the MRF Challenge. After the resounding success in our inaugural season we are keen to build on it and further improve the show. We are proud of the fact that this is the first time that an Indian motorsport series will be held internationally. JA Motorsport has done an incredible job developing the MRF Formula 2000 race car and is constantly innovating to ensure the cars are world class. These cars are part of the most technologically advanced series of its type and one of the fastest in Asia.”

    Last year’s success has also led to the MRF Challenge 2013 having one of the strongest grids in Asia. Drivers from Formula Renault 3.5, British F3, European F3 will battle it out in this season’s MRF Challenge. Arthur Pic, FR 3.5 driver and brother of Caterham F1 driver Charles Pic, will race alongside Tio Ellinas, 2013 GP3 race winner, Harry Tincknell and Rupert Svendsen-Cook, British F3 multiple race winners, and Sam Brabham, son of Le Mans legend David Brabham and grandson of Jack Brabham. There will be four Indians on the grid with 2012 Formula Pilota Asian Champion Parth Ghorpade, former F2 racer Parthiva Sureshwaren, and 2013 MRF 1600 winner and runner-up Ashwin Sundar and Vikash Anand.

    Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first Formula One  driver, was impressed with the driver line up for this and was confident of another great season ahead. He commented, “The MRF Challenge 2013 promises to be the hottest championship in Asia this year with a great driver line-up. It is great to see the calibre of drivers committing to this series. Participation of drivers from across the globe is a testament to the credibility the series has built in just a year. MRF has done a great job in creating this world-class championship and I believe it will just get bigger in the years to come.”

    The MRF Challenge 2013 will continue to use the professional setup that worked well last time around as they get the best European engineers and mechanics who were associated with F3, GP3 and F1 championships and also we have got very experienced professionals like, Mr. Antony Heitt and Mr. Jos Claes, Technical Head, Dallara.

    J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, was pleased with the way everything was shaping up for the first race of the season. He commented, “When MRF first came to me with their vision of the MRF Challenge, I was excited to see the commitment from India’s largest tyre manufacturer towards motorsport. MRF was also very keen that we build everything in-house and put India on the motorsport map, as genuine experts in building Formula cars. In order to make this championship professional and transparent, we are bringing down F3 engineers and mechanics from Europe, and have a close association with Dallara and Renault Sport. We have developed the MRF tyres from last year and the test drivers have given us positive feedback with the new compounds. We are excited about a great season ahead.”

    The first round will feature two races as part of the Indian GP weekend at BIC this coming weekend. The second round will take place in Bahrain as the support race for the World Endurance Championship final race, the third round will also take place in Bahrain as part of the Gulf National Racing Festival and the final round will be held at the MMRT in Chennai. The second, third and fourth round will feature four races each.

    Last year’s MRF Challenge featured some of the top drivers in Europe. Race winners from last year have benefited from participation in this series. Race winner Jordan King won the British F3 title this year, while last year’s inaugural champion Conor Daly won races in GP3 in 2013 before making the switch to Indycar in the U.S. Jon Lancaster, another race winner, featured heavily in the GP2 championship winning two races along the way.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, added, “It is heartening to see young international drivers wanting to drive in the India-based MRF Challenge 2013. To be support race at the Indian GP and World Endurance Championship round is an honour for us and speaks volumes of our commitment to promote motorsport not only nationally but internationally as well. I would like to thank all our partners for helping us create this exciting series.”

    MRF Challenge 2013 Calendar:

    Round 1: October 25-27, 2013, New Delhi, Buddh International Circuit (Formula One Support Race)

    Round 2: November 28-30, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)

    Round 3: December 19-21, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (Gulf Racing Festival)

    Round 4: February 14-16, 2013, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Trust

    F2000-1 photo by Adrenna ends

  • The FMSCI President, Vicky Chandhok speaks!

    Vickey Chandhok (left), Karun Chandhok (2nd from left) and Vijay Mallya (right) at the British GP. File photo by Adrenna Communications.
    Vickey Chandhok (left), Karun Chandhok (2nd from left) and Vijay Mallya (right) at the British GP. File photo by Adrenna Communications.

    Letter from the President

    Chennai, 18 October 2013:

    We are in the midst of one of the busiest months in the year for motorsport in the country and it is great to see everything moving in the right direction. The entire motorsports industry is buzzing with excitement as we are less than a week away from India’s biggest sporting event. As I write this the team cargo is just arriving at the Buddh International Circuit. So let the games begin!!

    FIA

    Attending the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Dubrovnik provided a great insight in to all the great work that is being done by the FIA across the world. This might get repetitive but I never get tired of saying how proud the entire Federation is of the Indian representations on the world bodies. It is fantastic to see how far we have come in the world of motorsport with so much presence in the various commissions. Shivu Shivappa represents the FMSCI on the FIA Rally Commission, Farhan Vohra on the Circuits Commission, Prabha Shankar on the Volunteers & Officials commission, B Vijayakumar, Balakrishnan & Anand Jayachandran on the Single Seater commission, Manjeev Bhalla on the Cross Country rally commission, Karun Chandhok on the Drivers commission, J Balamurugan on the Drag Racing commission, Anand Sashidharan on the FIM Legal commission, Roop Kumar on the FIM tech commission, Shyam Kothari the FIM representative and of course Vijay Mallya on the world council.

    With unconditional support from the FMSCI members and governing council the team is doing India proud! Personally, it’s a wonderful feeling. FIA also gives special focus to developing ASNs across the globe. It is structured around four key building blocks for the establishment and running of a successful ASN, highlighting the need for competent structure and event organization, solid licensing, training and sport development. The FMSCI will also work closely with the FIA in growing grassroots motorsports and making it more affordable for young driver.

    We were fortunate to have an informal international observer at the AVT South India Rally earlier this year. Based on this, the Head of our Rallying Commission Ashwin Pandit, at the Rallycom meeting in Johor Bahru, discussed the possibility of having an official observer for one of our rallies this year. I am glad to say that due to the efforts of the Rallycom, the Chikmagalur Rally will be officially observed so that our Indian events will now have the opportunity to be part of the FIA Asia Cup next year.

    The Technical commission led by K Krishnamurthy and Kamlesh Patel has been exceedingly busy in drafting and monitoring the technical regulations. Your FMSCI has now invested over Rs. 15 lakhs on the import and local purchase of equipment that will aid the technical delegates and scrutineers.

    It is with great pleasure that I announce 17 year old Akhil Rabindra as the Indian driver being chosen as the candidate for the FIA Institute Academy. Drivers from 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region are set to take part in their regional selection event for the 2013/14 Young Driver Excellence Academy. Each FIA National Sporting Authority (ASN) in the region was asked to put forward their nomination, which was then assessed by the FIA Institute. To qualify, drivers had to meet a set of minimum criteria, as well as having demonstrated strong performance in competition so far. On the final shortlist are some of the top young drivers in motor racing and rallying across the Asia-Pacific region, including competitors from Australian Formula Ford, the Sri Lankan Supercross Championship, JK Tyre Racing Championship and the V8 Challenge Cup Championship.

    Rallying

    The K-1000 rally had to be postponed due to operational reasons but am glad to see everything is shaping up well for one of India’s oldest rallies. At the Rallycom meeting earlier this month we announced changes to the 2014 championship. There will be only 3 categories next year and most importantly we encourage the participation of foreign entrants. We hope to expand the grid and manufacturer list in the upcoming years. The 15th Raid de Himalaya was a success yet again and congratulations to Suresh Rana for emerging victorious for a record 9th time along with his co-driver Ashwin Naik. It is one of the most popular rallies in India and people have nothing but great things to say about the unique event. We were glad to finally kick off the 2013 Indian National TSD Rally Championship with the first round being held in Nashik. TSD rallying is picking up and next year looks good for the championship with ten rounds already being confirmed.

    4W Racing

    The BIC has been bustling with activity over the last month as the Indian GP approaches. The turnout for the 17th MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship & JK Tyre Racing Championship I must admit surprised me and is a clear sign that Indian motorsport is doing just fine. Both championships witnessed record numbers with over 20000 fans, which featured the top talent from the country.

    This year there will only be one support race for the Indian GP with the MRF Formula 2000 kicking off its championship at the BIC. All these cars have been made in India by an Indian team and is probably one of the fastest in the region. The grid will include top drivers from all across the globe.

    This weekend will also witness the final round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship in New Delhi with titles on the line in the Micro Max, Junior Max and Senior Max categories. This year we have had more than 10 young drivers moving up from Karting to Single-Seaters action and more importantly they have all made the transition with ease. This definitely means that our karting program is on the right track.

    2W Racing

    Round 3 of the FMSCI-MMSC took place at the BIC and created history of sorts as it was the first time that motorcycles had raced around the grand prix circuit. It was good to see full manufacturer support in the form of TVS, Honda and Yamaha blasting around the BIC.

    FMSCI team India rider K.Jagan was invited to particpate in the Asia Cup and did the country proud with a 3rd placed podium finish in Round 1. I am also personally thankful to Nasser at the QMMF for agreeing so spontaneously to a request to upgrade Rajni from the 600cc to a 1000cc bike at Losail for the weekend of the 5th October.

    International Drivers

    Gaurav Gill’s brilliant win in the Rally of Japan in his MRF Skoda Fabia means he is the favourite to win the APRC title with one more round to go. It was a fantastic effort in the Rally of Hokkaido by Gaurav Gill to take a comfortable win. Behind him Sanjay Takale won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Production Cup title.

    Narain Karthikeyan continued his great form in the final round of Auto GP Championship to take his fifth win of the season. Karun Chandhok and Armaan Ebrahim did not have the best outing at the FIA GT Series with both drivers having to retire their cars. Another great achievement for Narain and Karun is that they have both been invited to represent India at the season ending Race of Champions. This is an invite only event for top drivers including Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Ogier, Sebastian Vettel, Jamie Whincup etc and it is a proud moment for Indian talent to be recognized with these great names.

    Aditya Patel had yet another top ten finish in the Audi R8 in the ADAC GT Masters. Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade continues to be a top 10 finisher in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship with a 6th place finish in Imola. Lastly and quite importantly a big congratulations to Jehan Daruvala as he became the first ever Indian to win the British Karting Championship albeit on a MSA licence. The young Indian driver, backed by Sahara Force India, had two podium finishes in the final round to seal the title.

    Motorsport has always been an unforgiving sport and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathies to the families of Maria De Villota and Sean Edwards, who both passed away over the last week. Maria was doing a lot of work for women in motorsport with the FIA and will be sorely missed. Sean was close to wrapping up the Porsche Supercup Championship and is a great loss to the motorsport world.

    All members of the FMSCI have been working on overtime in order to try to better the sport in India and I would like to thank them all for making my task easier. Hope everyone has a great time at the Indian GP!

    Yours sincerely,

    Vicky Chandhok

     

  • Giving up was never an option: Monisha Kaltenborn

    Hinwil, 16 Oct 2013: The first half of the 2013 season was anything but satisfying for the Sauber F1 Team. Seven World Championship points after ten races was a modest harvest. Nevertheless, since the Italian Grand Prix the team has shown a significant improvement: the Swiss outfit scored no less than 38 points in the last four races. This puts the Sauber F1 Team into a solid seventh place in the constructors’ championship. Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn explains how the team was able to turn the tide. The Indian-born Austrian, became the first woman Team Principal in F1 in Jan, 2010.

    File photo of Monisha Kaltenborn at the first Indian GP in 2011. Photo by Sauber F1 team.
    File photo of Monisha Kaltenborn at the first Indian GP in 2011. Photo by Sauber F1 team.

    The Sauber F1 Team had a fantastic season in 2012. However, at the beginning of 2013 it was quite a different story. What happened?
    Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: “After the concept of the side exhaust system was very successful last year, our engineers decided to go with a different concept for the C32, that in theory had even more potential. In practice, however, it looked different. We realised that in Melbourne where we brought an update to the car that didn’t work as we expected it to. It then took some time for our engineers to understand the problem.”

    What was the problem?
    MK: “The aero balance of the car was not stable, especially during braking and turning in. Apart from the measurable implications, the side effect was that the drivers had less confidence in the C32. In addition, we didn’t have the resources to quickly modify the car. Instead, this process happened step by step. The largest update we brought was in Hungary, where we implemented a modified exhaust concept. We already saw a significant improvement back then, but, of course, it took some time until we were able to get the most out of that. In addition, our understanding of the car improved, which translated to a better set-up. Furthermore, we were able to maintain the high level of quality producing the parts back at the factory. The whole team, in the factory and at the track, did an outstanding job.”

    Did the ‘new’ tyres, that came into effect in Hungary, also suit your car?
    MK: “It’s not easy to pinpoint that as we brought our largest update at the exact same time. However, I believe in general the tyres helped, which was the opposite last year.”

    Early in the season some people said the team should stop the development of the current car and fully concentrate on the 2014 car.
    MK: “Giving up was never an option, because we wanted to make progress with the current car, in order to improve in the constructors’ championship. In addition the insight we are getting now will help with the development of the new car.”

    Let’s be honest: Did you think it was possible to improve like that in the current season?
    MK: “It would have been presumptuous to expect such a big improvement. Nevertheless we said very early on that we would be able to improve during the second half of the season. We were certain of this, based on the knowledge we gained. In addition everything came together during the last few races, including some competitors not being able to use their opportunities in the best possible way. But we didn’t expect to be able to score double digit points in three out of four races.”

    The Sauber F1 Team now has 45 points, Toro Rosso 31 and Force India 62. Are you looking ahead or behind?
    MK: “In general we are always looking ahead. If we continue to be as focused without making any mistakes, then there is still a lot to gain. We know however, that it won’t be easy to claim sixth place. And, of course, we will check the rear mirror in order to avoid a nasty surprise.”

    How satisfied are you with the drivers?
    MK: “Both drivers have shown a very good performance. Nico delivers what we expected from him. He is fast, consistent and very efficient. He has gained a lot of points through his fighting spirit, but he also knows how to seize and use chances if they present themselves to him during a race. Esteban had a tough start. In addition, the car was not as good at the beginning of the season as it is today, which didn’t help. Nevertheless he worked hard and improved continuously. It was only a question of time for everything to slot into place, as we could see last weekend. Looking at his times, he was often very close to Nico, but, because the competition in the middle field is so tight, sometimes it was a couple of positions away, which, at a first glance, doesn’t look good. However, he also did an outstanding job when, for example, giving feedback regarding the set-up of the car, which took the team forward.”

    ends