INDIA in F1

Tag: Sauber F1 team

  • Team leaders on `Secret Testing’ at FIA Friday press meet

    TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Martin WHITMARSH (McLaren), Christian HORNER (Red Bull Racing), Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari), Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber), Ross BRAWN (Mercedes)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Monisha, gentlemen, I’m sure most of my colleagues here would like to hear your views and opinions regarding the tyre test carried out at Barcelona last month. I’m afraid it’s ladies first, Monisha; can we start with you?

    Monisha KALTENBORN: First of all, to really have a proper opinion you need to really have all the facts, which clearly we all don’t, as a team, but from what we know, what we read in the media, it appears that it’s not been in line with the rules, what has happened. And from that, of course, we have to consider the possibility: could the team gain an advantage from that. Reasonably, you could imagine that but again, without the facts it’s difficult to completely assess that and there we also would have to look not only at what’s happened this year, or could happen for this year as a benefit, but also for the following year because this is a time when all of us are defining certain parts of our new car and I think it’s important to see if there any benefits could have arisen for the team because that’s something which you really can’t catch up later on as a competitor. But I’m glad it’s gone to the Tribunal and I’m sure they will assess all these aspects properly.

    Martin, your views?

    Martin WHITMARSH: I think so far we’ve chosen to keep our views to ourselves. As has just been reported it’s gone to the Tribunal and I think they are presumably gathering all the facts and they can take a view.

    Christian, your feelings?

    Christian HORNER: Well our feelings were fairly clear because we raised a protest about it in Monaco. So we believe that it is the responsibility of the entrant to comply with the regulations, so when it came to light that a test with a current car had taken place, our interpretation of the regulations is that that was in clear breach of them and therefore we raised a protest prior to the race for it to be dealt with as an issues by the FIA. It’s really an issue between the team and the FIA. Obviously Pirelli have asked several teams to test, ourselves included but we have declined to do so because we felt that it wasn’t in line with the regulations, certainly with a current car. That’s the situation. It’s gone to the Tribunal and we trust in the FIA to make the appropriate decisions regarding it. I think the important thing is that there needs to be absolute clarity moving forward in terms of what you can do and what you can’t do going forward, you know, what is testing and what isn’t testing. I think that’s more crucial than anything, it is to be fully resolved.

    Stefano?

    Stefano DOMENICALI: Not a lot to add. There is an enquiry; there is this international Tribunal that will handle the situation. They have all the elements for that. So honestly, nothing to add on what we already discussed and for me it’s important that there have been… we were involved in this because we received a lot of questions by the FIA, they have taken their position, so for us it’s pretty clear. Therefore, we wait and see.

    Ross?

    Ross BRAWN: I think, as has been mentioned, the matter has been passed on to the international Tribunal. They will meet presumably in the next few weeks to determine the facts of the case. My personal opinion is that when the facts of the case come out, then people can make a judgment. Obviously we felt we were in a position to be able to do the Pirelli test – it was a Pirelli test, it’s very important to note that – and so the Tribunal will be the time at which all the information will become available. A couple of points I would make: there has been an unfortunate branding of the ‘secret’ test. It was a private test. It wasn’t a secret test. I think anyone who believes you can got to Barcelona and do three days of testing, or 1000km of testing, and not have anyone become aware of it is naïve. It was a private test, not a secret test and sporting integrity is very, very important to us. Very important to Mercedes. And as I say I think when the facts become apparent then people can make a better judgment of the situation.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Ralf Bach – Der Spiegel) Question to Ross. Paul Hembery told us in Monaco, when he had informed the other teams this test had never taken place. Can you just make clear why for you the test is legal?

    RB: Well, it’s a little difficult for me because we’ve got this process going on now where it’s in the hands of the Tribunal. And as was mentioned by the other teams, we trust our process. It’s a new process that the FIA have introduced, an independent process and it’s the first time it’s being tested but I think it has a good structure. As I say, we trust in the Tribunal. So I can’t comment, and I don’t want to comment, I don’t want to anticipate the Tribunal. I think when we get to the Tribunal we’ll get the answers to your questions.

    Q: (Christian Nimmervoll – Motorsport-total.com) Question to everyone – probably – except Ross, who can of course add anything to it: how much of an advantage do you guys think such a test during the season – 1000km – is, and what is it in particular that you can learn from such a session?

    CH: I think that whenever you run the car… when you’re not allowed to test, when you have limited mileage, when the rules are written as they are, when you run a current car of course… for the way that Formula One is, with the way that the amount of technology and with the amount of data analysis there is, you’re always learning. Whether it be reliability, whether it be endurance, whether it be performance. So, of course… even if you’re testing a component for a supplier, you’re learning. I think Formula One has moved an awfully long way over the last few years to ensure fairness and equality to all of the entrants. I think that if a team does carry out 1000km of additional testing with a current car, you’re going to learn something.

    Martin, anything?

    MW: Nothing more to add.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Ross, part of the debate that’s been going on about this test is whether Mercedes gained permission from the FIA as to whether you could run the current car. Are you in a position to state whether you have cast-iron proof from the FIA that will help your case going forward at the Tribunal?

    RB: I think we wouldn’t have done the Pirelli test unless we believed we could do the Pirelli test and I think when we get to the Tribunal, you’ll have your answers.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action / National Speedsport News) A question for all of you. If there is to be private testing in the future – I stress private, not secret – and even if it is with a two-year old car, would you like it to be announced so we all know about it beforehand?

    SD: So far, with out interpretation of the regulation, running with a 2011 car, or two years car, is not testing, as per the Sporting Regulations. So that is pretty clear from our point of view. On that respect, we believe, as you know, we are the ones that were pushing since the old ages, we believe that it is important to test. So therefore if, after this situation, we will be in a situation where we can test again, as we have discussed within the teams, as you know, it is, I think, fundamental and I think it’s the right decision.

    Christian?

    CH: I think the lack of transparency is disappointing. That you get to learn these things second hand. I think it is important that there is transparency, of course. If a supplier has issues then it needs to obviously deal with them but when all entrants are supposedly equal, it’s only right and proper that information is made transparently clear.

    Martin?

    MW: No, whatever testing happens there should be transparency and the rules should be clear to everyone.

    Monisha?

    MK: I agree with what’s been said. If you look back at the time the testing was permitted, nobody used to make any big deal out of it: everyone knew that there were test teams out there and you were somewhere in Europe testing.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) Obviously the entire situation arose because of the regulations banning testing. Two days before the protest was lodged, I believe the big four teams met in Monaco with Mr Ecclestone to discuss testing next year, eight or nine days, I believe. How do you people see this working and then for Monisha, specifically, how will this impact on the smaller teams, should it be introduced? And also will this alleviate the Pirelli tyre test situation that they have at the moment?

    SD: I think that there was this discussion between six teams in Monte Carlo, because as you know, basically, with nothing to hide, we were the ones that were promoting, in a way, to go back to testing because we feel it’s important. And I have to say that we were discussing, we find the right balance between, let’s say, the request from one side and the need to consider – what was on the table – considering also the issue that the small teams have always presented, and I believe that what was agreed and discussed was a fair, sensible balanced approach that now it’s important that we go through and ratify in the new regulations because that’s now the key point for the future. Now is the moment to ratify what we have discussed and what I believe is the right compromise for all the entrants in the championship now.

    RB: I think – as you say quite rightly – there’s been some discussions about testing for next year which will certainly be beneficial for whoever the tyre supplier is in the future but it’s structuring that testing to make sure there is a good commitment to the tyre supplier, to get a proportion of that testing and that is quite a difficult thing to do. If there’s eight days or ten days of testing, how much of that is available to a tyre supplier, because they need testing, they need to feed off something, so I think that’s a point that needs addressing.

    MK: Well, I think even as a smaller team per se we are not against testing because it does have a lot of benefits and looking at next year with a new engine coming up, if you look at young drivers, you can give them mileage there or for suppliers when they need to test, so as such it’s nothing we’re against but for us, it’s all linked with the cost, so our ideal would be that if you try to link this to overall cost saving, so you find some other areas where you can bring the cost down, which again brings up discussions about a cost cap or so, that you can do anything within that, that’s something we would be looking for but as such we wouldn’t really be against testing.

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Ross, should Mercedes be found guilty, do you think that your position would be weakened because there are rumours that you might be the sacrificial lamb of this situation and that in this case you might have to leave the team or have a different future?

    RB: I think there’s been some rumours before and nothing’s happened. I think we should say let’s wait and see what the Tribunal find and then we can go from there. It was my decision to do the test so that’s a fact and let’s see what occurs at Tribunal and we go from there.

    Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Ross, I have two questions for you: first, I was wondering if you could explain why you chose to use your race drivers rather than your test driver in the car, given that it was a test? And secondly, one of the rumours that we have heard going round is that you’re in position of an e-mail from Charlie Whiting confirming that you did have permission to do the test. Could you confirm whether or not that e-mail exists?

    RB: The e-mail, I don’t want to comment on any matters of that sort that relate to what’s going to come through in the Tribunal. In terms of running the race drivers, in any form of testing, apart from the young drivers’ test, there’s no control or limitation on the type of driver you have in the car, so it was natural for us to use the drivers we have. We wanted the most representative conditions we could for the Pirelli test, it was as simple as that.

    Q: (Daniel Ortelli – AFP) Ross, you said the test was your decision. Was it connected in any way to the fact that you were disappointed by the result of the race on the previous Sunday, or was it related to the fact you had a guarantee it was tyres for 2014, or both? Was that part of your decision-making?

    RB: I can certainly say that the decision was based in no way on the track performance that we had. I think everyone in Formula One is concerned about some of the delamination that we’ve seen, so I think that’s a worthy objective. Certainly nothing to do with the performance of the car, because nothing was aimed at addressing that.

    Q: (Ralf Bach – Der Spiegel) Ross, did you inform Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff before the test?

    RB: That’s not something I want to comment on. I’m sorry to keep repeating this, but you’ll get all the facts when we get to the Tribunal.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Ross, I just wanted to know how you’re feeling generally. You’ve been accused of being underhand, you’ve been accused of a lack of transparency. Do you feel saddened, frustrated – cornered, even – by all these accusations and by what’s happened?

    RB: I won’t pretend it’s very pleasant at the moment. Again, I’m confident that once we get to the Tribunal the facts will become apparent, and you’ll be able to make a better judgement. We’re trying to focus on the racing. We had a great result in Monaco; a little frustrated that we lost second place with Lewis, as it would have been an even better result, and we’ve got a race here to focus on. We’re going to try and stay aligned with the things we enjoy, like the racing, and we’ll try and keep that in the distance. It’s not very pleasant, but that’s motor racing. I’ve been in it a long time, and I’ve been through these periods before.

    Q: (JC Coté – TSN 9.90 in Montreal) Ross, has it been difficult keeping the team and everybody focused on this weekend and last weekend in Monaco given everything that’s going on around the circumstances of this test?

    RB: You try and bear the load as best you can for the team to make sure that they don’t become distracted. There are one or two people in the team – apart from myself – who are involved in this, in terms of preparing now for the Tribunal. But we’re making sure that everybody is else is left alone to get on and do the best job they can at the race weekend. You can’t deny that it’s a distraction, but we’ll manage it as best we can. Ninety-nine percent of our people are focused on trying to do the best job they can over the race weekend, and there’s one percent of people – including me – that’s got to deal with the after-effects of the Pirelli test.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) To the four excluding Ross, please: Formula One is entering virgin territory with this Tribunal, we’ve never been there before. I believe the process allows interested parties or affected parties to make representations. Will any of the four of you make a representation in the Tribunal at all? In other words, providing your own evidence or input?

    SD: As you know, at the beginning of this process we were involved; first they wanted to understand the situation so we presented our documentation. The case has been closed on our side, so we added already our comments.

    CH: Obviously it is a new process but again we’ve been asked questions by the FIA, as have others. I think it’s an information-gathering exercise so that the panel of judges can make an informed decision. I think that over the coming days obviously further information may possibly be required. It is a new process, so I think the most important thing is that it’s dealt with quickly and we achieve clarity in terms of what’s possible moving forward. Are we allowed to test out 2014 engine from our third-party supplier next week? There’s certain things that need clarification.

    MW: We’ve responded to the questions from the FIA, but we don’t intend to make separate representation in the hearing.

    Q: And Ross?

    RB: We’ll be there!

    Q: Of course, apologies. Monisha?

    MK: Like the other teams we received questions which we answered. At the moment we don’t plan to submit anything on our own to the judicial body, but if the judges want further information we’ll comply.

    Ends

  • Monaco is very unforgiving, tricky circuit: Adrian Sutil

    DRIVERS – Jenson BUTTON (McLaren), Adrian SUTIL (Force India), Jules BIANCHI (Marussia), Nico HULKENBERG (Sauber), Romain GROSJEAN (Lotus), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    A question to you all. Round six of a 19-race season coming up, the same points are up for grabs as any other Grands Prix. It’s just another race… or is it? Is Monaco the greatest race of them all?

    Jenson BUTTON: Good afternoon. Is it the greatest of them all? I don’t know really. I think they’re all pretty special in their own right. Some of them have more history than others and Monaco is definitely one of them. A lot of us also live here, so it’s a very special race. But I think if you’ve had the opportunity to fight for a win and actually cross the finish line first, it’s a very special race, yeah. You feel as though you celebrate that win, obviously with your team, but also with everyone watching here, because it’s such a confined space. It’s a very special place to win. But there are so many other races that mean a lot to us and certain races that mean more to us as individuals than Formula One as a whole.

    What about you Adrian – greatest race, or will it be when you finally get a good points-scoring finish?

    Adrian SUTIL: It could be, yes, definitely. But I feel this as a normal race. Like every other race really. You try to the best possible. In a way it’s a bit different because you know from the past and from experience that there are more possibilities out there. It’s a very tricky circuit, unforgiving and easy to make mistakes, [see a] safety car. The risk is high here and that opens up some situations for you… it can work well for you or the other way. Having that in mind gives a nice race, a nice weekend. Starting last or starting at the front doesn’t mean you will win the race. It’s all up [for grabs]. You need to be on the point and just stay focused for the whole race, until the race is finished.

    What about you Jules? You’ve raced here before, not in F1 of course but it’s like your home race. How up for it are you?

    Jules BIANCHI: Yeah, of course I’m really excited to be in the car tomorrow. I think this race is special for me because I was born in Nice, which is not really far from here. It’s like a home race, as you said. I can’t wait to be in the car even if I know it is a tricky track. It’s not easy to be quick here. But anyway I had some good records in the junior categories so let’s see what we will do.

    Nico?

    Nico HULKENBERG: Like Adrian said, the approach is the same to every other Grand Prix. It’s definitely special. I’ve never won here. I’ve been on the podium in GP2 and that was certainly. Even in F1 to achieve a podium here or even a win would be special and I think it stands out a bit more than a normal grand prix let’s say.

    Romain, another man for whom Monaco Grand is also a home race.

    Romain GROSJEAN: Yeah sort of. Monaco is not France but basically it’s not far. A special race, with a special podium as well at the finish, when you get meet the Prince, which is nice. There’s 25 points, as every other grand, but I think Monaco is a special one to me.

    Lewis, how special is this place?

    Lewis HAMILTON: Good afternoon everyone. Yeah, Monaco is spectacular. As Jenson said, a lot of us live here. I don’t feel like it’s like any other race. Winning here is unique and special, in its own way. When you do win here, when you finally get that, you have the most incredible feeling. Every time you come here that’s what you’re chasing for every year.

    Jenson, before we came to Monaco, news that Honda are returning to Formula One as engine suppliers to McLaren in 2015. What was your reaction to that news?

    JBu: I thought it was good news. I think for us as a team it’s good news for the future but I also think for the sport as a whole it’s fantastic news. Having another engine manufacturer in the sport is good. We have three very strong… four, sorry, four very strong engine manufacturers in the sport and I think with the new regulations it’s going to bring in other manufacturers and Honda being the first to announce that is great and hopefully there will be more.

    Was it good news for you personally? You had quite a long association with Honda before?

    JB: I’ve got a lot of connections to Japan and Honda is one of them. I spent a lot of time working with them in the old days… it seems like a long time ago now, but a lot of very positive moments and I look forward to that in the future. But it’s a long way down the road still so we’ve got to focus on what we’re doing now at the moment, with Mercedes and in 2015 it will change.

    This season, Adrian Sutil, started really well for you in Australia. Since then things haven’t gone quite your way. Do you think you’re suffering a huge amount of bad luck at the moment?

    AS: There’s no good luck and no bad luck for me. It’s just certain things happen and then you have to get behind it and see where the problem is. Many problems we had… small, but they turned out to be absolutely important for the race. A little wheel nut in Barcelona, which was a problem and it caused a pit stop which was almost a minute long and the race was over – no question. It was very impressive how quick the car was again. The race speed was very good, and the pace. So, it’s good to know the car is fast; the package is fast. It’s like the little piece of the puzzle we need to put together. The most important thing: the problem we had, we solved it. It was a different problem to Malaysia. It’s just a question of time that I will have my results. I will not give up. I will fight hard for it and try to also be clever and make a good result soon.

    Q: Jules, a lot of people are talking about you and paying you quite a few compliments given your start to Formula One. How would you assess the opening five races of your Formula One career?

    JBi: Well obviously it’s been a really positive start for me – and for the team as well. Trying to do the best result that we can. We know it’s difficult, we have to be realistic – we won’t score… well, it will be difficult to score points for us. So, just trying to do our best, trying to push as hard as possible and yeah, the first five races has been really nice. Some improvement on the car, some improvement with myself, so I’m really confident for the next fourteen races.

    Q: It’s been a good battle between Caterham and Marussia. The last couple of races Caterham seem to have had the upper hand. Will that change this weekend?

    JBi: I’ll try my best to do it, yeah for sure. Caterham are a bit in front but we saw in Barcelona that we were a bit quicker in the race pace – so that’s positive for this race. Anyway it’s a bit special so we will see tomorrow – but anyway we will have a good fight with them.

    Q: Nico – if one word were to sum up your season so far ‘frustrating’ might be right up there. Has it been a huge frustration for you since you moved to Sauber?

    NH: Well, frustrating is maybe not the right word but it hasn’t been super-satisfying for sure. We’re not delivering the results we want to and the results we thought we could deliver. We’re just a bit too slow, it’s as simple as that and we’re not competitive enough. At the moment the whole team is pushing and everybody in the factory at Hinwil is trying his best to make the car quicker and solve the issues. And that’s where all the focus is, to be honest now. We have to improve this car and then I’m sure we can fight for points more often.

    Q: Is it fair to say you would have expected more than the five points from the first five races with the team?

    NH: Yes, that’s fair to say.

    Q: Romain, qualifying: always important here in Monaco. This year your average grid position 8.4. If you qualify there that puts you in the thick of things again. How much of your focus and preparation this weekend is on qualifying – not just the race?

    RG: I think here more than everywhere else qualifying is important. It’s not a secret that overtaking in Monaco in hard – unless there is a little bit more degradation than we had last year and you can try a different strategy. But yeah, we will work on it. We started quite slowly this season and we recovered pretty well from Bahrain onwards and that’s what is important to know. And yes, we can definitely improve that which is not as good as we would like.

    Q: Can you be more aggressive personally, do you feel, going into the qualifying on Saturday?

    RG: I don’t think it’s a question of ‘aggressivity’. It’s just the relation between the car and yourself. It’s very tight this year. The tyres have changed a little bit, you need to understand them fully and from there I’ll push.

    Q: Lewis, talking of tyres, both you and your team-mate Nico Rosberg have suffered similar problems – but not at the same time in the last couple of races. Is it a puzzle? Whereas in Bahrain you had a better race than Nico, in Barcelona he had a better race than you. Is the problem easily solved?

    LH: It’s definitely not easily solved. It’s something we’re working on internally. Just working as hard as we can to assess and understand where we went wrong: tyre pressures, temperatures and all of those kind of things. I don’t think it’s going to be as bad – hopefully – moving forward. It’s definitely something we’re trying to improve on. So hopefully we won’t have as many bad races as we did the last one.

    Q: Given what’s happened in the last couple of races, some people say this is your best chance of a race victory. Do you share that view?

    LH: Not particularly. Not particularly. I think it’s a good… we have a good opportunity this weekend but you never know what the others are capable of. Last year they were quite competitive, Mercedes was quite competitive here. Obviously our car is better this year so we should still be competitive this year. But the Ferraris and the Lotuses and the Red Bulls are massively competitive as well. So, we just have to wait and see.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Question for Lewis, obviously you had a very difficult weekend in Barcelona and we assume you will have gone back to the factory, studied all manner of data and drawn some conclusions. While you can’t necessarily tell us about those conclusions are you expecting an improved performance for the weekend? Do you think you’ve got a good level from which to build after, you know, what was quite a challenging weekend?

    LH: I definitely do. I think a huge amount of work has gone into understanding where we went wrong. As I said, the guys have really kickstarted a lot of different discussions. Obviously it’s a real science trying to understand these tyres. Everyone’s trying to understand them but I really feel this weekend will be a better weekend for us compared to the last. And moving on from here I think we’ll just continue to learn and improve.

    Q: (Alex Popov – RTR) Question to all the drivers except Lewis – because Lewis just tweeted a photo of new helmet especially for Monaco. Do you do something for this race specially? And for Lewis, another question, if you can comment about Paddy Lowe who will follow you from Woking to Brackley.

    Helmets first, Jenson?

    JBu: No more special than normal, no.

    Romain?

    RG: That means you don’t follow me on Twitter! I tweeted it yesterday. Blue, white and red.

    Adrian?

    AS: The only change I have on the helmet is a Uruguayan flag. Since many years I wanted to do it and now it’s on – because my father is from Uruguay but I will keep it on for the whole season and from now on for the rest of my career. It’s not special – not specially Monaco.

    Jules?

    JBi: Yeah, I have a special helmet for Monaco – but you will see it tomorrow.

    Nico?

    NH: No. No special – just the basic helmet.

    Q: () What does Paddy Lowe bring to Mercedes?

    LH: We’ll see, time will tell but obviously Paddy’s… I’ve had great experience of Paddy over the last five or six years. He’s obviously a great person and massively intelligent and will be a great asset for the team, so I’m really looking forward to working with him. We look forward to it.

    Q: (Livio Orrichio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Lewis, in 2002 David Coulthard started in pole position, he didn’t have the fastest car in race conditions and he won the race. Michael Schumacher was behind him with a car which was much faster but he didn’t get to overtake him. Do you think this is the reality this year, that you can repeat what Coulthard did?

    LH: I think that if you were just watching last year, it’s very difficult to overtake. I think Mark won it last year and just controlled it from the front, even though he had a very competitive car, so yeah, overtaking is very very difficult here as I proved a couple of years ago. So if you’re able to get out in front, it’s more than likely if you’re able to manage your tyres that you can stay there. Definitely.

    Q: On the subject of overtaking here, is it all about patience, Adrian? Do you just have to hope the moment comes but you’ve really got wait for it?

    AS: Yes, well, overtaking is difficult but I don’t see qualifying being an important thing for the race. Just looking at all the last races, there have been several drivers starting from the back or in midfield and they were on the podium. I think Lotus have been a good example. You need to have the right strategy. Mercedes? Yeah, they’ve struggled. They were one and two in Barcelona and had big problems in the race. It just shows  that the tyres are so difficult in the race and it’s a very different thing – qualifying and race –  but I’m here to race and the points are given in the race. Qualifying… it doesn’t really matter where you are, you have to stay focused really.

    Q: (Jens Walthers – German Radio) Lewis, how would you describe your relationship with your teammate, Nico Rosberg? Are you teammates, colleagues, friends, neighbours?

    LH: Well, we’re neighbours, next door neighbours but we’re teammates too. We work hard together to try and push this team forward. Obviously we have a lot of history together from being teammates and friends since 1997, so we’ve known each other for a long long time so naturally we have a friendship but of course ultimately we are fierce competitors.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Jenson, when the Honda deal was announced, it naturally raised the question as to whether you might still be around in 2015, but Jonathan Neale (McLaren managing director) said you have a job for life. Can I ask how that makes you feel first of all, and secondly, when he says for life, how many more years do you think you might have left as a racing driver?

    JBu: Did he say a job for life or a job as a racing driver for life?

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Job for life.

    JBu: Ah, OK. I don’t know what that means then. I don’t know. I don’t want to think about the future too much at the moment. I think that yeah, you’ve got to live for the moment and I don’t think that trying to agree a lengthy deal for the future is something that is interesting at the moment for me. I’m 13 years in the sport, I want to have freedom and that feeling that if it doesn’t feel right any more: stop. But I definitely don’t feel that yet. It feels that it is going to be a long way down the road. For me, that freedom is important in the future.

    Q: (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, do you think that if the Pirellis do change slightly that it will help Mercedes in the rest of the championship?

    LH: I definitely hope so, it can’t be any worse for us, that’s for sure. I think that if they do make some changes they will help everyone really and will definitely change the way the races will go, compared to how they have gone.

    Q: Nico, Romain, do you welcome a few tweaks to the tyres, a few changes?

    NH: I’m not sure what happens now. Obviously Pirelli provides the tyres and I understand that there are still some discussions there with the FIA and Pirelli, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen but we will go forward, we will work with what Pirelli will provide. Tyres are changing, some people deal better with them than others and I think we have to adapt.

    RG: Well, it’s not able to change in the middle of the championship, even though it’s maybe only a small change, we don’t know but I think we were pretty competitive with the original ones and the team has been working well with that so we will see, we will do our best.

    Q: (Gary Meenaghan – The National, Abu Dhabi) Question to all of you: could you just talk about your first memory of Monaco when you were growing up as a fan and what your impressions were and how they compare to how it was when you actually got here as a racer?

    JBi: Obviously, when I was young, I was watching Formula One and that was my life because I was racing in go-karts and coming here to Monaco with my family to watch a race was something special, it was like a dream to maybe one day drive on this track. I didn’t expect that. Now I’m here, it’s a special moment for me and I can’t wait to be on the track and enjoy this moment with my car; for sure it will be a great moment.

    AS: My first time here in Monaco was in Formula Three in 2006, I believe, when I raced with Lewis in the European championship. It was a great race weekend, yes, I really enjoyed it, but no contact before that. It was maybe a bit too expensive for my family at that time, we couldn’t afford it.

    NH: Is that specially about Monaco or in general? First time I came here was in karting, there used to be a kart race here. I don’t know if that’s still on and then after that, GP2 in 2009, yeah, it was great, good fun, a very unique place, very challenging, one of the few circuits that we still have in the calendar which doesn’t allow any mistakes. I always really enjoy coming here for the track, for the atmosphere, for everything really so I’m happy to be here.

    RG: One of my first memories was 1996 when Olivier Panis won, the last French driver to win, a long time ago. When I came here, I found it more challenging than what you think it is on the TV. A long time ago.

    JBu: Well, my first memory was in 2000, my first year in F1 and it was all going well until Loews (now Grand Hotel) and I T-boned Pedro de la Rosa and caused a red flag. In those days we had spare cars – in those days, Christ, a long time ago – so we basically had a running race back to the paddock for who got the spare car. That was quite fun.

    LH: I think for me, apart from watching Ayrton crash into the wall when he was leading by a long way, I think my first real experience here was the same as Adrian’s when we were both here in Formula Three. It was a great weekend. I remember I was planning to stay in Menton and then I called Martin (Whitmarsh) and he fixed me up with a hotel room in the Beach Plaza and it was just a ball all weekend, it was one of the best weekends of my life up to that point.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Lewis, you’ve been asked about your relationship with Nico a few questions ago; what about your relationship with Adrian these days? Has that changed at all now since Adrian’s returned to Formula One? Obviously it ended quite acrimoniously not so long ago. Adrian, from your perspective, how are things between you and Lewis now?

    LH: Things are different, definitely. We’ve spoken a couple of times and we’ve planned to get together at some stage and just have a chat basically. We’ve been great friends for a long long time and we’ve had some of the best times together along the way, especially, as you said, in Formula Three times. You can only really count your good friends on one hand maybe, so as people say, good friends are hard to come by, so I want to make sure we get things right.

    AS: Well, as he said, yes, different and I’m still waiting for a coming together. I can’t say anything more.

    Q: (Aleksander Tabakovski – Vecer Macedonia) Question for all drivers and especially for the German drivers, because this weekend will be the final of the football Champions’ league, between two German teams, Borussia and Bayern. I just want to hear your feelings about it and from each driver, who is their favourite soccer team?

    JBu: I’m not a big football fan.

    Q: Which B do you fancy most?

    JBu: Whoever scores more goals, I’ll go for.

    LH: I always like Bayern Munich. When I was playing football – I used to – when I was playing on the computer games I used to play Bayern Munich quite often, so I will say them.

    RG: I’ll follow Jenson’s club.

    JBi:  I kind of like Bayern so I hope they will win.

    NH: It’s kind of cool to have two German clubs in the final but strange as well at the same time. They’ve played twice in the German league and now they meet again in the European final which is a bit weird. I’m pretty neutral, I’m not a Munich or Dortmund fan but I’ve become more of a football follower recently and I just watch it, enjoy it, but I don’t really care who wins.

    AS: OK, so I’m not a football fan but I’m from Munich, that’s the answer: Bayern Munich for me, yes. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

    Q: More importantly, do either of you think you could be the back page headlines in the German newspapers on Monday morning or will it all be about the football?

    NH: Probably be a lot about the football.

    AS: I hope I make some good headlines after this weekend.

    Ends

  • We are fighting for resource restriction: Monisha

    TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari), Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber), Martin WHITMARSH (McLaren), Paul HEMBERY (Pirelli), Eric BOULLIER (Lotus)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Stefano, I have no previous experience but I’m sure the role of team principal at Ferrari is not the easiest job in the world, but it has seemed – apart from the front wing on Fernando’s car in Malaysia – a fairly straightforward and happy start to the season for you all at Maranello.

    Stefano DOMENICALI: Well of course, above all in China it was a great weekend for us. It was a reward for the team and also for Fernando after the difficult race we had in Malaysia. But we have done only three races, so we have done nothing. Our experience and my personal experience tell me that every Sunday could be something different, so we need to keep the feet on the ground and work hard, knowing that things can change significantly, quickly. Therefore, it’s important to try to keep this momentum also here in Bahrain; try to maximise the situation of the performance of the car we have now; improve because we are not really at the level we should be, but at least it’s important to see that we are starting from a relatively good base to try to keep the development of the car as quick as possible because I’m sure that not only the teams that are represented here but also the others will do a big push already from the first race in Europe. So happy, but very focused.

    Where do you think that the progress has been made with the competitiveness of your car? Where has the strength has come from? What have you put right over the winter that wasn’t necessarily going so right this time last year?

    SD: Difficult to say for sure. We have done some modifications to our methodology. We have chosen to go towards the Eurozone in one wind tunnel. Without doing a lot of comparison then sometimes in these conditions you may get lost. So I believe that is the main thing. For sure, the speed of the change that you do during the season you cannot see immediately, so it takes time and I’m pleased to see that the improvement is there but, as I said not, enough as I’d like to see.

    Well, we’ll see what happens over the rest of the weekend. Monisha, good afternoon and welcome to the first team principals’ press conference you’ve been involved in this season. Two new drivers, an all-new driver line-up at Sauber. How would you gauge the progress of the rookie and of the experienced driver you have this year?

    Monisha KALTENBORN: Well, I think they’ve really integrated well into the team. With Nico it’s less of an issue because he does have more experience now. Of course he has been changing a couple of teams in the last few years, so it’s tough for him as well. But as far as I can see he’s well integrated. People are happy, he’s happy and we’re going in the right direction. We can see that with the last steps we introduced in China – because we know we have issues on performance – and we’re getting very good from him. On Esteban’s side, we have been very convinced, and still are, of his talent, so it’s for us now to make sure that he has the surrounding that he can develop that, because clearly neither he nor we can be happy so far with the results that he’s shown.

    It’s part of your job, almost, reassuring Esteban that you believe in the talent he has.

    MK: Oh, I don’t think I really need to reassure him that much because he’s quite confident and he also knows why these mistakes have happened but it’s important that you talk a lot to him and you try to support him in getting used to the situation in Formula One and the pressure, because actually drivers like him, rookie drivers, it’s quite a dilemma, because they hardly have any opportunity to drive the car, especially in Esteban’s case, because he never go any Friday sessions from us. At the same time when he comes in as a race driver the expectations are so high, from the team’s side and from his side as well, and there are so few opportunities to actually make points, so it’s a difficult situation to handle.

    And the situation you have in terms of the budget this year: Nico Hulkenberg has been urging the team on to push, you need to develop the car. You have excellent facilities at Hinwil, but do you have the resources you need to use those facilities to their optimum?

    MK: Well, clearly if we had more resources we could do more. We still have room to move on top, but on the other hand we are of course fighting for a resource restriction but the gap actually just gets smaller. No, our situation is pretty clear there: we still have room to move to the top but with whatever we have we’re trying to do our best.

    Martin, no doubt about it, a very difficult opening three races of the season. What progress do you feel the team has made since winter testing, and Australia. Is it enough or are you really pinning your hopes on a major breakthrough when we get to Spain?

    Martin WHITMARSH: It’s never enough, wherever you are in your level of competitiveness, but this year, as you say, we had a very difficult start. We didn’t have the performance in the car that we wanted and Australia was a very hard weekend. I think since then… clearly, there’s no testing, it’s quite difficult to make some progress and these first four races comes quickly, one after the other. I think we’ve been, again today, every time the car leaves the garage it’s another experiment. We’ve been gathering data and we’ve been trying things. I think we’ve made a little bit of progress – never as much as I’d like or as the drivers or the team would want. I think we’re gaining a little bit of performance, we’re gaining a little bit of understanding but clearly there’s a big push for an upgrade package for Spain and it’s important for all of us that we make good progress. But in the meanwhile, we’re racers, so those of us in the field we’ll take the car and do the best job we can with it, try to maximise the points we can get out of these first four races.

    It’s likely that you’ll be even further behind in the Constructors’ Championship when we get to Spain. I know that will only be round five and it’s very early, but realistically, are you still racing for a Constructors’ Championship or is it now just wins?

    MW: I think after three races or even after four races you don’t give up in these championships. I think Ferrari did an excellent job last year of showing all of us how you can turn it round and be there right at the end, capable of winning both championships. So, there are always big hills to climb and mountains of challenge but that’s why we come motor racing. At the moment we’re concentrating on understanding and improving the car. As soon as we make progress we’ll be trying to win races and as soon as we win races we’ll be thinking about championships. But at the moment clearly we’re focused on the here and now and what’s the best we can do this weekend. It’s a tough circuit for us. This is clearly a rear-limited circuit. It’s a circuit where traction is important and that’s been a deficiency in our car so far. We came here knowing it was going to be a tough weekend but we’ll fight as hard as we can to get what are possible.

    Q: Paul Hembery, Pirelli made the decision to change the tyre compounds from soft and hard to medium and hard, can you explain why that was?

    Paul HEMBERY: Yeah, it was done on the Sunday night after the Malaysian race. Malaysia obviously being similar in some respects, from a tyre point of view, to here in some respects: very hot, very abrasive. We felt that both had worked well  there and that was the right thing to do coming here.

    Q: Pirelli were tasked with spicing up the racing. Given the level of opinion on the tyres and the racing this year, do you think the introduction of softer compounds has been an aggressive step just a little bit too far?

    PH: It depends what you’re looking at. If you look at it with three different winners in three races, three world champions, then it’s been pretty good. Melbourne was probably one of the more exciting Melbournes than we’ve seen for many a year. We almost have this conversation every year: we’ve had it the first two years we’ve been here, and then as we get through the season, the teams – obviously there are very talented engineers in all the teams – and they master the challenges given to them and going beyond certainly mid-season then you’ll find these sorts of discussions die away.

    Q: If you’re looking at it from the Saturday afternoon and a lack of action in the early part of the qualifying sessions and then on the Sunday with drivers having to pit after two, three or four laps. Is that what you would have wanted as a tyre supplier?

    PH: Well, pitting two or three laps in is no different than pitting two or three laps from the end, we’ve seen that as well many, many times as well in the past, so it’s just doing it the other way around. It really doesn’t change that much. As long as you’ve got a core product that will give a racing tyre and gives what we were asked to achieve, which is two to three pitstops. I think there was only one time in the past where we felt it went too far, was Turkey I guess in 2011 when we were at four stops. That was too many. I think you’ll find the average over this season will be just over two pitstops average so from that point of view, we’re happy. In terms of qualifying, last year was probably a good year for qualifying because the cars were very close together in performance. We often saw 16 cars within a second in Q2 – that’s maybe pushed out a little bit this year, there’s been some strong development from the cars at the front and we’re starting to see a little bit of strategy coming into play for Q3 that we saw in 2011. It’s early days, one event like that, let’s see what happens going through the season. But if it’s only on the odd occasion then it’s probably not an issue. There are different points of view: some people will say that adds a strategy element to the Q3, and people are generally really interested in who’s got pole position and maybe the first three places. Obviously last race we had three ex-world champions in the first three with less than a few tenths between then, so that was good from that point of view. And you could probably say as well a couple of cars starting on a different choice gave us quite an interesting finish with Sebastian coming flying through at the end. And probably if he hadn’t had the traffic he might well have even got a better result. So it’s a game of opinions. Ultimately we’ll do what the sport asks us to do, of course, and if we do feel together that the qualifying’s not work I’m sure we’ll all find a solution together.

    Q: Eric, Romain Grosjean has a new chassis for this weekend and for the next few races. What was the thinking behind that? Was there a problem with the old chassis? Was it trying to help his confidence rebuild?

    Eric BOULLIER: It’s a whole thing package. We try to find out. He’s not as his best, let’s say, where we think he should be. There’s nothing to blame, actually to finger-point anything, it’s just the addition of different things. So, we decided to go though in details and deep enough to even take into consideration to change the chassis.

    Q: We have a debate in Formula One, as F1 fans, what’s more important: good car or a good driver. At the moment you’ve got a good car and in Kimi Räikkönen a very good driver – how important is Kimi Räikkönen to the long-term success of the Lotus team?

    EB: I think he’s part of the success, or sort of success, that we’ve had since a couple of years, or let’s say at least last year. It’s true that Kimi does help the team stepping up but behind Kimi there are a lot of people – and good people – working hard and actually working well. I think as usual it’s to get the full package really working all together.  Then you can see some results.

    Q: And you’re confident that once again you have the budget to cope with a title battle and a development race off the track as well as on it as well.

    EB: Yes, we do.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

     Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Monisha, we’ve heard recently in the last week or so talk of Pirelli bringing an extra set of slightly harder tyres for teams running a young driver on Fridays. Given your comments earlier, is this an initiative you support? To give rookies and developing drivers more opportunities on track? Do you think it’s a good idea, will it be better for the show, and so on…?

    MK: I think it’s a good idea because it gives you first of all a good reason to really get in these drivers. And I think it also should be done in such a way that it should be not just an option. Maybe as a regulatory thing coming in that really you have to this, otherwise not many teams would really make use of this kind of an option. We see it with ourselves: if you have already a rookie driver who is one of your regular race drivers, do you really want to take away time from them to still get another one in? So, I think if it just comes in as an option we really would have to think about it: do we make use of it or not? But on the other hand it’s extremely important as we can see with such drivers that, if they have more opportunities they’re simply better prepared. It will be a difficult call for us if it’s just an option. I’d prefer if actually it went down somewhere in the rules that you have to do this. And apart from all of this is the show element that you mentioned. You are maybe make it more exciting and maybe you could also get more cars to run. If you look at the sessions on a Friday, you have the first half an hour fundamentally, nothing going on. It could have overall a very good impact and also for the tyre supply I guess it would have a lot of positive effect: always getting someone new in, something exciting, new information, new faces coming in.

    Q: Just to clarify, what would you prefer? Two cars running on the track or a third car being run for a rookie with the extra tyres?

    MK: I think it’s too early to say that right now but what would be good for a team like ours is that you simply have to do this. If it’s just with one car, it would be fine for us – but not just as an option. Because if it were an option, like in our situation, we’d really have to think about it. If you have even two new drivers coming in one season, do you really want to make use of that or not? If we tend to say ‘no’ it’s got us nowhere with this rule

    Q: Stefano, if I can bring you in on this. Would Ferrari be wanting to run rookie drivers, drivers from your Young Driver Development programme?

    SD: Just to answer to your question about the tyres: yes, extra set on Friday to be used in the morning. Not only for rookies but for everyone. It would be difficult to explain to the people that are on the grandstand that Mr X has an extra set of tyres to run and Alonso, Hamilton, whoever is not running because that extra set of tyres is just for the rookie. If we have to do something then I believe it is a good idea, to be honest, that we should do it for everyone in order to increase the number of running on Friday morning.

    Q: Martin, don’t run a rookie driver?

    MW: Well, I think similar opinions to Stefano. It was originally discussed that there should be an extra set of tyres for rookie drivers but I think that’s quite difficult. At the end of the day, if the people who we’re thinking about in the grandstands, I think they come to see Alonso, Hamilton, Räikkönen, Button – that’s who they want to see. I think if we all put out rookie drivers they’ve not heard of, I think they feel cheated in some way.

    Q: Eric, your theory?

    EB: I have to say I do share the opinion of my colleagues in the front. An extra set of tyres, yes. We need to just make sure that we could maybe run it for everybody and not only for rookie drivers.

    Q: (Mike Casey – Associated Press) It caught my attention the other week that Red Bull were talking about possibly breaking the two second mark in pit stops. I just wanted to get your thoughts how pit stops had changed in the last year or two and if they’re becoming a much more significant part of the whole race, especially with the tyre issues?

    SD: I think that it’s many many years that pit stops are part of the performance of the team, performance of the team is a performance of the position on the track, it’s part of the performance with the strategy and so on. So it is quite natural that you try to develop systems to try to minimise the reaction time of the guys, to be as quick as possible, and I would say this is part of the attraction of Formula One and I think that we are reaching the limit, where to have a pit stop shorter than what we are almost doing is virtually impossible. The driver has to arrive and has to at least engage the gears and the clutch to start again, so it’s a physical thing that he has to do. So it’s one of the things where Formula One teaches  everywhere that there are all sorts of room for improvements everywhere and this is a challenge. I also remember when we had the pit stops with refuelling, it was another stop where there was another part to it and unfortunately I remember very well in 2008 you can make mistakes which can cause problems to the team, but as I said, this is part of the nature of Formula One. I think it’s really nice to see that.

    EB: Pit stops are part of racing. In most of racing today you have pit stops. It is clearly important to get this association with the pit crew, having this competition involved into the result as a global performance.

    Q: Martin, I suppose with the regulations getting ever tighter, pit stops are one area where you can gain tenths of a second.

    MW: You can. They’ve got quicker and quicker. We used to think four second was stunning. I think at the moment, as far as I know, I think we still have the quickest one at 2.32 seconds. I think it’s possible to get below two seconds. I think it’s dangerous to put too much focus on that. I think now they are sufficiently short that in fact the odd tenth difference between the stops isn’t material What is material is the pressure we put people under to get to about a two second stop. Every now and then it goes wrong, and so the ones that are material are the ones that go wrong because of the pressure we put on people to try and do it in two seconds, and those are the ones that are often the game-changer, not 2.3s versus 2.4s versus 2.6s. I think we’ve learned that to our cost, we’ve certainly put a lot of pressure to try and get down there and consistently be the quickest. In recent weeks I’ve said to the guys I’m happy for it to be a bit slower providing they’re absolutely foolproof and I think that’s probably the right thing to do.

    Q: At Sauber, how do you prepare your crew for a pit stop and try to gain extra tenths?

    MK: Well, we’ve had some good examples like McLaren managing to get under three seconds. We’re not quite there I would say. Over the years, you see how quick pit stops have been getting so now this margin for us is trying to be at or under three seconds. I think what’s also happened is  – which the guys with the pressure are fully aware of – is that even if you get things just a little bit… just a few (tenths), not even a second or so wrong, you have so much more to do than gain positions because the whole field has got together, so I think that’s where also a lot of pressure has come from. Even the slightest mistake can lead to quite a lot of position losses in the race.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) Last week, I asked the team principles present in China how they felt about the fact that the FIA will apparently no longer get involved in regulating the cost control process. How do the four team principles here feel about that?

    MW: I think Formula One teams are fairly tenacious so I don’t think we give up on it. I think we all know that cost control is important in Formula One. There are maybe four teams that have financial stability and certainly we don’t feel threatened at the moment as a team, but we’re very aware that there are currently eleven teams, we need eleven or ten teams minimum and I think it’s very easy to under-estimate the challenges that those teams are facing. It’s something that when the emergency happens and teams start to fail, it’s too late to react and I think that will go like dominos. Therefore, it we want to be responsible members and citizens of Formula One, then we’ve got to do what we can to control costs, we’ve got to do all we can to ensure that a minimum ten but at the moment that eleven teams have got sustainable business models. I think that’s a right and sensible thing to do. We’ve put a lot of effort in. We’ve had some success. We’re pretty good in Formula One at talking about our failures because we’ve had those as well, but we’ve had some success. There’s some sensible measures out there. We need to do more. We’ve reached the point where it’s natural for a governing body to get involved. We’ve seen that in other sports. I understand that the FIA needs encouragement from the teams and I’m going to continue to do what I can to encourage the teams to try and work together. We’re not natural workers together on these sorts of issues. We work better in crisis situations but I think it would be foolish to wait for the next big crisis in Formula One to try and work together. I think the right thing is to work hard at it now. I’ll certainly keep pushing but we will see where we go.

    MK: For us it’s absolutely clear that you have to control costs in the near future. You can do that in different ways. You can look at the measures that we have now, like an RRA. You can look at stable regulations, probably a mix of everything which would lead you there and you definitely need to do that to have a healthy sport. Ideally, like Martin said you would want your Federation involved in it and we won’t give up on that, and try to maybe talk to the FIA to find ways how we can get the involved.

    EB: I think we need to take into consideration how to control costs. It’s a very serious matter now in Formula One. The RRA was one way to do it which I believe was the right way to do it but it looks as if there were different opinions. There are, as Monisha said, several ways to do it, we need to do it properly, having more stable regulations and stricter technical regulations to avoid any loopholes to spend more money. I think this may be the only way to control costs, to have them policed correctly. This is the support I will give.

    SD: I agree that we should control costs, the matter is how to control them, to be honest, because we tried in a way, we made a great step forward, because I can talk about us, which for sure is one of the top teams which spends that amount of money because other teams honestly will not reach that level. For sure, we need to work together in finding the way to control it. I’m very open whether it has to be the FIA or the teams working together because there  are always pros and cons but we should do something together, that’s for sure.

    Q: (Mike Casey – Associated Press) Obviously we’re in a country that is going  through a political crisis, not at the circuit but outside in some of the neighbourhoods there are some pretty tough clashes between protesters and police. Your thoughts on coming back here again, even with those protests going on?

    SD: I don’t think it would be good for Formula One to be involved in the political situation of the country because then there is the risk of being pulled from one side to the other, which is not really what we should do. For us, it’s a place where Formula One has always been hosted at the top level and we see since 2004, when I believe the first Grand Prix was here, that there was a great development of Formula One as a sport in the Middle East area. Other than that, I cannot comment more.

    MK: I fully agree with that. For us, it’s first of all the responsibility of our Federation and the commercial rights holder to evaluate the situation and then decide whether we race here or not and if they think it’s the right decision then we come and race here.

    MW: I think we’re only all qualified to talk about it from a sporting perspective and since Bahrain introduced Formula One to this region, it’s been a great event and a hospitable Grand Prix to attend. Really we’re racers here, we’re here to go motor racing, and I think that’s all we should be commenting on.

    PH: There’s not really a lot you can add to what’s just been said in many ways. It’s hard when people try and draw you into a political situation which is something that we’re not really qualified to comment on. I really just concur with what’s been said.

    EB: Being the last one… I just hide behind my colleagues saying they’ve said everything. It’s true that we don’t want to be dragged into a political situation. If the promoter, the FIA and the commercial rights holder agree with the decision to race here we race here.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – The Citizen) Paul, shortly before lunch, when asked about the Pirelli situation, Mr Ecclestone said rather cryptically that ‘from our side it’s all done.’ Is that your understanding of it? Could you explain what he could have meant by that please?

    PH: (Laughing) What, you didn’t understand that, then? Well, it’s all done then from his side. I think that’s all I can say. It’s on-going, I think I’ve told you before that we need to have some clarity over what’s going on, going forward. As time passes, we have to make decisions as a business. We’re not immune to what’s going on in the European automotive business in particular; sales were ten percent down in March in the overall market. That impacts heavily on us and we’re currently having to make action plans to address those challenges. I would think that from our point of view, sooner rather than later… time is of the essence, I would suggest now.

    Q: What is the time scale?

    PH: I don’t particularly want to give deadlines to everyone because it seems like a negotiating point but there is a time scale and I’m pretty sure I know what it is. You might be inviting me here shortly to have a different type of press conference, I don’t know, but there has been progress and we are discussing and hopefully it will get resolved in the near future.

    File photo of Indian origin Sauber Team Principal Monisha Narang Kaltenborn. A Sauber F1 team photo

    Ends

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

    Lotus

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

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

    Fast Facts:

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

    What’s Next?

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

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

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

    Sahara Force India

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

    Day Two Statistics:

    Chassis: VJM06-02

    Laps: Paul = 95 laps / James = 19 laps

    Mileage: Paul = 421 km / James = 84 km

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

    Classification: Paul = P2  / James = P10

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

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

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

    Ferrari

    Driver: Felipe Massa; Car: Ferrari F138

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

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

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

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

    Mercedes AMG Petronas

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

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

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

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

    Caterham

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

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

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

    Sauber

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

    Driver: Nico Hülkenberg

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

    Chassis/engine: C32-2/Ferrari 056

    Laps today: 99 laps

    Fastest lap : 1 :19.502 min

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

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

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

    Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

    Driver               Sergio Perez

     Location           Circuito de Jerez

     Track length     4.428km

     Laps                 81

     

     Km covered      359

     Best laptime     1m19.572s

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

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

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

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

    Pos      Driver                           Constructor                              Best time          Laps

    1          Romain Grosjean           Lotus-Renault                                    1m 18.218s                         95

    2          Paul di Resta                    Force India                                         1m 19.003s                       95

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

    3          Daniel Ricciardo            Scuderia Toro Rossa                       1m 19.134s                      83

    4          Mark Webber                  Red Bull Racing                                 1m 19.338s                      101

    5          Nico Hulkenberg            Sauber                                                  1m 19.502s                       99

    6          Lewis Hamilton              Mercedes AMG                                   1m 19.519s                      15

    7          Sergio Perez                    Vodafone McLaren Mercedes      1m 19.572s                      81

    8          Felipe Massa                    Ferrari                                                    1m 19.914s                      78

    9          Pastor Maldonado         Williams                                               1m 20.693s                       71

    10         James Rossiter                Force India                                        1m 21.273s                       19

    11         Giedo van der Garde     Caterham                                            1m 21.311s                       88

    12         Luiz Razia                          Marussia                                              1m 23.537s                      31

     

    ends

     

  • Sauber F1 team launches new C32-Ferrari

    Hinwil, 2 Feb 2013: The Sauber F1 Team presented the Sauber C32-Ferrari to its partners and the media on Saturday, the 2nd of February. Drivers Nico Hülkenberg (DE, 25) and Esteban Gutiérrez (MX, 21) pulled back the covers on the new car at the team’s base in Hinwil, Switzerland. The roll-out of the Sauber C32 will take place during the first winter test at Jerez de la Frontera on 5th February.

    “Two thousand and twelve was a very successful year for us,” said Monisha Kaltenborn, the Indian-born CEO of Sauber as she looks ahead to the new season. “We not only moved up from seventh to sixth place in the constructors’ standings, but also improved our points total from 44 in 2011 to 126 last season. We have a strong platform in place now, on which we are aiming to build and continue our upward curve.” Nico Hulkenber, who led for 33 laps in the Force India car in the last race of the 2012 season in Brazil moved on to Sauber and gets praise from the team Principal.

    The Team Principal is bullish about the prospects for the team’s new driver pairing: “We have had our eye on Nico Hülkenberg for some time and have been impressed by his performances. He is very quick, but, most importantly, he’s also very efficient. He understands how to pick up as many points as possible from a particular race situation. Esteban Gutiérrez is a driver we know very well as a result of a relationship with the team going back several years, and he has already had a number of opportunities to test with our car. Plus, he has always stayed in close contact with our engineers, which has allowed him to learn a lot about Formula One. I’m in no doubt he is now ready to take the final step and put his outstanding talent on display.”

    Gutiérrez has been succeeded as test and reserve driver by 21-year-old Dutchman Robin Frijns. “We rate him as an extraordinarily gifted young man, so we decided to give him this opportunity,” explained Kaltenborn. “We will now set about introducing him step by step to life in Formula One.”

    Hülkenberg is entering his third F1 season in a race seat. The German spent 2010 – his rookie year – with Williams and 2012 at the wheel of a Force India car. “The Sauber F1 Team made significant progress last year from 2011,” the German driver recognised. “Now the team is ready to take the next step, and I want to play my part in making that happen. My personal aim is to put in a good, steady performance this season.”

    Gutiérrez won the GP3 Championship with something to spare in 2010. He promptly made the move up to GP2 and finished third in last year’s standings. Now the Mexican is focused on the future: “I’m really looking forward to my first season in Formula One. My long association with the Sauber F1 Team has given me the chance to understand the complexity of Formula One. But I also realise, of course, that I still have a huge amount to learn. I will be working flat out to adapt to the whole F1 environment as quickly as possible and, if things open up during races, I want to make sure I’m ready to take full advantage.”

    Test and reserve driver Frijns (21) spent last year competing in the World Series by Renault – and crowned his season with the championship title. “I’m overjoyed that the Sauber F1 Team has given me this chance. I will do everything I can to support the team as effectively as possible and, at the same time, learn how things work in the professional world of Formula One,” said the Dutch youngster.

    The three drivers and the new Sauber C32-Ferrari are set to make a fine combination.

    Sauber C32-Ferrari – technical details

    The F1 technical regulations have barely changed going into the 2013 season and yet the new Sauber C32-Ferrari is a very different proposition visually from its predecessor – thanks to a smooth, slightly downward-sloping nose section and, principally, much slimmer sidepods.

    “The C31 was an extremely competitive car with many strengths,” explained Matt Morris, the Sauber F1 Team’s Chief Designer. Our aim was to further improve these strengths and eliminate its few weaknesses.

    The sidepods of the C32 are notably slimmer than the Formula One norm up to now and are responsible for giving the new car a very distinctive look. “The airflow in this area has a major influence over everything that happens at the rear of the car,” said Morris, offering a glimpse into the team’s thinking.

    An extremely slim rear end was high up the engineers’ list of priorities. One of the key aspects here is the arrangement of the radiators, which is very different from that in the C31. A look at the rear end of the new car reveals the engineers’ rigorous approach to this area.

    As before, the car’s KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), engine and gearbox are supplied by Ferrari. The KERS is based on last year’s version, but its weight and packaging volume have been optimised.

    The rear axle is a totally new development. Although it still works according to the pullrod principle, its layout has been designed to better interact with the airflow around the rear of the car, while further improving the tyre management.

    There was also potential for improvement in how the tyres are used in qualifying, as Morris explained: “Our car looked after its tyres very well during races last year. However, we had problems now and again when it came to getting the maximum out of them in qualifying. We’ve looked at this phenomenon closely and made the required adjustments.”

    Another high priority was reducing the car’s overall weight, to allow a better distribution of the ballast, while retaining its structural requirements and mechanical setup flexibility. “My colleagues have done an excellent job here, and we have even exceeded our original targets”, praised Morris.

    Like last year, the Sauber F1 Team will use a basic version of the car for its rollout event and introduce a major update before the first race of the season.

    “We have set ourselves lofty goals with the Sauber C32-Ferrari, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to meet them. The C31 gave us a very good basis, to which we’ve made further improvements. Our aim is to line up for 2013 with a car that is competitive from the first race, but which also offers extensive potential for further development,” summed up Morris.

    endsIndian-born Monisha Kalternborn, (centre) the Team Principal of Sauber admires the C32 at its launch on 2 Feb 2013 in Hinwil. A Sauber F1 team photo.

  • Abu Dhabi GP: FIA’s Thursday Press Conference

    Drivers Present:

    File photo of Ricciardo by Toro Rosso F1 team

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

    PRESS CONFERENCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Are there updates coming for the car here?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association)

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

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

    FM: Getting older.

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

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

    JB: I don’t know yet. We’ll see.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ends

  • Sauber signs on Nico Hulkenberg for 2013

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

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

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

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

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

    Nico Hulkenberg file photo from Sahara Force India F1 team.

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

    ends

  • Concorde Agreement should pave the way for stability: Monisha

    New Delhi, 26 Oct 2012: The following Team Representatives attended the FIA Friday Press Conference ahead of the Indian GP on Sunday: Eric BOULLIER (Lotus), Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber), Cyril ABITEBOUL (Caterham), Martin WHITMARSH (McLaren), Christian HORNER (Red Bull Racing), Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari).

    First a question to all of you: I believe you have had several occasions to discuss your team’s future in Formula One. How do you feel those discussions have gone with regard to your individual interests and concerns? Eric, would you start?

    Eric BOULLIER: Obviously, as you said in your question if you look at the personal interests there are always some concerns and issues, but I think we had positive and constructive meetings all together with Bernie and the FIA and even if we are still far let’s say from closing and signing any Concorde Agreement, even if I think it should not take long now, we, with a global vision for Formula One we all believe there are some positives.

    Monisha, your concerns?

    Monisha KALTENBORN: My concerns straight away! I agree with Eric that it was good that the teams were invited to this kind of meeting to get the status on the negotiations between the commercial rights holder and the FIA and what for us is important is that we come to a conclusion which is good for Formula One. We know that each team has its own position in Formula One – you have the bigger ones and the ones who are in the middle and further back – but we need to have something which is good for the sport, the stability of the sport.

    Cyril?

    Cyril ABITEBOUL: Pretty much the same thing here as Monisha. Obviously, it looks like the last corner of a long negotiation and as always there are last-minute adjustments and last-minute compromises. Not everyone can be equally happy but you just need to make sure that not everyone is particularly unsatisfied, which is certainly not our case. We’re making sure to protect our key interests, because obviously smaller teams are fragile and we need to make sure not to be unnecessarily exposed, so that’s what we are making sure of but we are on a good track.

    Martin.

    Martin WHITMARSH: I think in the short term we’ve all got our own self-interests, but in the longer terms we’ve all the same interests and I think that’s the sport is successful, that it’s buoyant, it’s exciting and that it’s also viable. As a few of the others have said in front of me I think you’ve got to recognize that there’s a lot of challenge for quite a lot of teams and it’s important for all of us to reach for compromise, find a way forward that’s going to make sure that we can sustain all those teams. The good thing is this isn’t the old era, which was I think very confrontational and probably good for the media but less good for the sport. I think people here are recognising that now is not the time to have wars, now’s he time to be constructive, where necessary compromise and find a way forward for the sport.

    Thanks. Christian?

    Christian HORNER: I think the guys have done a tremendous job of telling exactly what wasn’t discussed at the meeting, which is obviously confidential between the parties. So I’ll follow the party line and say, yes, it was a very constructive meeting and we’re getting close to a conclusion but I think that’s really all there is to say at the moment.

    Stefano.

    Stefano DOMENICALI: Well, the last thing I can say in this spirit is that it’s clear that there was something discussed between the teams and the relevant parties – the FIA President and Bernie Ecclestone, who represented the commercial rights holder. The thing is that at the end of the meeting it was the President of the FIA that left room for discussion for future points that the teams may suggest to improve what we are discussing. But I believe it is the right thing to say that here it’s important to speak about the division of the future of Formula One and I believe that we are starting from good grounds and we need to make sure that we finalise this as soon as possible.

    Okay, thank you. I’m sure there will be some more questions for all on that subject. Now, some individual questions to each of you. Eric, starting with you, if I may. Obviously you’ve done a fair amount of development over the last couple of races, but looking back at the whole season, have you exceeded expectations this year, given that you’ve also lost quite a few points as well? And looking forward, do you think you can make the top three or top four?

    EB: That was the target – to be top four this year. Top three would be the cherry on the top of the cake, but obviously it’s tough to fight with the guys in front of us. But I’m quite happy… I should say actually very, very happy with how the team developed and worked this year. Obviously, we had a tough 2011. A lot happened last year which was not in our favour but this year we clearly pushed back and brought back the momentum for us. The team at Enstone and at the track here did an amazing job and both drivers did contribute a lot to the success this year with so many podiums. But yes, we all want more. Obviously being in the fight for the third place is nice. It’s nice for the team. We obviously want to keep this momentum and keep pushing and take any opportunity. I think the session this afternoon, we had good pace on one lap and on high fuel, so I’m happy to be the headache of my colleagues.

    Monisha, definitely the first lady of Formula One, and of course you’ve recently stepped up to be team principal of the Sauber team. Here you are at your home grand prix. How proud are you of getting that far?

    MK: I think for oneself it’s a bit difficult to feel proud about that, I think that’s for others to say, because I was given this opportunity and I was very happy to take it up. Not much has actually changed for me because I was anyway doing more stuff, for sure. It’s just this little step to this title but now you really feel the entire responsibility on your shoulders.

    Cyril, a new appointment for you, what exactly is your role, what is the hierarchy now at Caterham F1?

    CA: My main role is CEO of the F1 team. As you know Caterham is a large group with many different activities, so my focus is definitely on the Formula One team. As you can imagine, there’s plenty to be done there. It’s a position taking care of the day-to-day business, reporting to the shareholders so anything about that but no more and even my experience in the automotive industry, in the Formula One with Renault, over the past seven years had some things that is quite normal as an evolution but a great opportunity. The only thing that maybe is particular is that this is Formula One and one of the shareholders remains the team principal.

    And is he the man you report to directly?

    CA: Obviously, the two shareholders and the rest of the Group.

    Looking at the championship Martin, you’re still there with a chance – it’s not over until it’s over. What are your feelings, what are the feelings within the team now as we tackle these last four races?

    MW: I think it’s really business as usual. We have four races and we have to try to do the best job we can. We come to every grand prix seeking to win and we’ll be doing nothing different in these last four races. It’s an incredibly competitive season as we’ve had ups and downs, I think we’ve underperformed in the last couple of grands prix so that gives you a bit of pain but it also gives you some determination to do something better in the last four races. So, I think it’s been an interesting season and there’s no reason to suppose it’s going to stop being one for a few races to come yet.

    What’s it going to be about, Christian and Stefano? Is it going to be about development of the cars? Is it going to be about the drivers themselves? Is it going to be about circuit suitability? Perhaps you can talk about your own feelings as we go into these last four races.

    CH: I think all of those factors are going to play an element. It’s going to be about getting the most out of the next four weekends; it’s going to be about being reliable; it’s going to be about being quick; it’s going to be about not making mistakes; optimising the package that you have throughout a grand prix weekend. It’s set to be a fascinating run-in to the championship over the next four races. I think we’re set for a real spectacle over the next four events. I’m sure it will go all the way down to the wire.

    Stefano?

    SD: I agree with Christian. For sure at the end of the day being pragmatic it’s important to do adding and summing up all of the points Christian was saying, not one point more than the other. So at the end of the day that is the situation that we have to face. And at the moment we are behind and we need to fight believing that it is possible because that’s the spirit I want to see within the team. And when I speak about the team I speak about everyone but I’m sure that is really what I feel walking around the garage and also in Maranello. We know that is a very tough job but that is part of the game. If you think where we were the first day of testing, and where we are now after a lot of months, I think that we need to be in one sense not happy but on the other hand very proud of what we did – because the first day when we shake down the car in Jerez was very worrying. So, I just recall my guys, to make sure we keep the momentum with the positive attitude up until the end and then we will see. If, in this case Sebastian – or another one, because as we always say, up to the moment where the classification is finished, we need to respect everyone – will win, they will deserve it, and we need to make sure that we will congratulation with them. But up to that moment we will make sure we will fight with every resource we have up until the end.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    (Sruthijith Kurupichankandy – The Economic Times) Question for the gentleman from Ferrari. Is it common for your team to use your car to make political statements – and if not, why did you decide to make an exception in India?

    SD: Well in that respect I understand what you are saying. There was a press release that was done two days ago, so if you want any clarification of that, our press office is absolutely very pleased to answer to your question. But y’know, if you look behind in the past we’ve done a lot of initiatives but y’know, there’s nothing that I want to into very specifically because it’s not really the place where I should do it.

    (Ajit Devadason – SIFY.com) Question to Monisha. Sauber have traditionally had a tendency to attract excellent talent, groom them and then pass them on to the big teams. Do you plan to change that?

    MK: Well passing them on was not really our strategy, it just happened.  So I wouldn’t really agree on that and say that we need to change anything on that. It’s true that historically we have been attracting young talent and it appears to be that we can provide them the right kind of platform that they can show their talent. Of course in the last case now we would have also liked to continue with Sergio but he’s going to fantastic team, one of the more successful teams in Formula One and for us it shows that we can still provide that kind of environment to a young driver to show his talent. And how we can change? Simply by ourselves being more competitive.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Christian, it’s an open secret that you’re in a slightly different position to the other teams when it comes to your stance on the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA). Could you explain to what extent that’s made your negotiating or bargaining position a bit more difficult when it comes to the general discussions, the entry, the costs, the potential tax, the new working group, all of that?

    CH: I think that they are two separate things. The resource restriction, the concept of the resource restriction was to – and still is to – reduce costs in Formula One, the costs to compete in Formula One, and that’s something that we’re not opposed to. We are fully in favour of costs being controlled in the sport, we just disagree with the mechanism, at the moment, how they are presented to control those costs and our concern is that different entities, different organisations are treated differently in what is proposed so far. It doesn’t include the engine, for example, so there’s freedom to spend, at the moment, on the engine, particularly the new power train in 2014. But I think that what has come out of the discussions recently – and with the formation of a new Concorde Agreement, it gives the opportunity to sit down with our colleagues and hopefully agree a strategy on what does work and what does control costs, for the larger teams as well as the smaller teams, for the future, that is sustainable, that includes all aspects of the operation of a Formula One team, because currently, as proposed, the RRA doesn’t deal with so many aspects, whether it be KERS, for example, whether it be exhausts, whether it be drivers, whether it be other aspects of spend and cost drivers in Formula One. So hopefully there will be that opportunity over the coming weeks and we remain committed to ensuring that there is a workable solution that’s transparent, that’s fair, that’s balanced for all the participants.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Do you feel isolated?

    CH: I don’t think we find ourselves isolated. We elected to leave FOTA just over 12 months ago so we haven’t sat in FOTA meetings. We attend all the technical working groups, we attend all the sporting working groups with the parties that matter, we’re present in all discussions.

    Q: (Daksh Panwar – The Indian Express) Stefano, the Indian government has criticised the decision to the put the flag (of the Italian navy) on the car. So given that that has created controversy, will you review it for Sunday’s race?

    SD: Honestly, as I said, I don’t think this is a matter for this press conference to discuss this subject, to be honest. And as I said, if you have any questions or doubt about it, we have our press office available to you.

    Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Stefano, question about your car: Nick Tombazis said a few things before the weekend about the wind tunnel and updates not working as they are supposed to in the last couple of races. Are you confident on today’s evidence that you’ve got to the bottom of the problem there?

    SD: Well, it’s difficult to say. For sure, being a pragmatic guy, we need to make sure that with the little of what we expect, today we will analyse the data. It is difficult to see, for example, FP1; the track was changing every lap so we need to take that into the analysis that the engineers are going to do now but for sure, the elements that will make the difference really, up to now, up to the end, if we would like to bring new updates on the car, we need to make sure that they are delivering what we are expecting, saying without doing, but making sure that this will deliver the objective that theoretically we would like to bring and this is a fundamental element that also relates to the fact that we need to work very hard to make sure that the problems that we had this year, mainly at the beginning of the season, will not happen again at the beginning of next season, so it’s quite long work that we are doing at home to make sure that we will improve that situation.

    Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Stefano, about the new elements on the car; what worked and what didn’t?

    SD: I don’t know! We will see when it counts. Today is too early to say. The people will have done a good job if the car has improved in performance relative to our main competitors. If that is not happening, of course that means we haven’t done a good job. But it’s too early to say.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Question for the back row, please: I understand you might not want to confirm any of your decisions regarding who you might have selected for your drivers for next year, but will you be confirming your line-ups before the end of the season or during the winter?

    EB: Before the end of the season.

    MK:  We as well.

    CA:  Same thing.

    Q: (Shreyas Sharma – Mail Today) To all of the teams; last year we saw that the tyre wear at the circuit was an issue. On the evidence of today do you think that has improved; whoever wants to answer that question?

    SD: I believe that last year…

    CH: Ladies first!

    SD: Ah sorry, for sure! Last year was a completely new track, for sure the asphalt was in its first year of life so I’m sure that this year the situation with the tyres if you compare to last year is different. And looking at the runs of today, it seems that the tyres are more stable than what we saw last year, but that is my feeling after the end of the first day of practice.

    Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Monisha, Kamui was saying yesterday that he’s trying to find extra sponsorship and he’s busy working hard in Japan trying to find some backing. To what extent does his financial situation and backing influence the decision on whether he stays or not?

    MK: Regarding Kamui, we’ve always said that we know his strengths, his qualities as a driver and these kind of aspects have not played any role in it. If you look back, even when we took him up, also then people criticised us for that decision, and everyone knew that he doesn’t have any sponsorship package so nothing has changed on that.

    Q: (Vanessa Ruiz – ESPN Radio) So, Monisha, does the fact that he’s looking for a sponsor mean that he’s leaving Sauber?

    MK: I don’t know. I think you have to ask him that. We’ve not had any talk like that and, as I said, we are generally also looking at him, talking to him and I think we know him quite well by now, to know what we have if we keep him on.

    Q: (Ubaid Parkar – F1Pulse) Martin and Stefano, considering that there aren’t a lot of regulation changes next year, are you worried that Red Bull’s recent form means that you might be chasing Red Bull again next year?

    MW: The fact is that you go into every year with high expectations. I think everyone works hard to improve the car. Red Bull’s a very strong team, Ferrari’s a strong team, the three teams behind will all be competing next year so if you’re wise you go into every year worried about the eleven other competitors. You never know what they’re going to spring, you don’t know how good a job they’ve done. Sometimes you don’t know how bad a job you’ve done yourself, so that’s the exciting thing about Formula One. Everyone goes off the radar screen. We don’t get pace information for a period of time. We all work hard to develop a new car. As I say, during the winter you start to grow confident about what you’ve done but you’ve got to be mindful of the fact that there are eleven good teams working hard to beat you.

    SD: Well, on my side, with regard to next year, I would say that the situation could be more or less the same as this year. While everyone is trying to catch up the target that in terms of pure performance at the moment Red Bull have set, even in previous years, in my view, 2014 will be a re-set where there is a chance, where once again the field will be split into separate sections because it’s a totally new (set of) regulations, it’s a totally new power train, so I’m expecting that will be a year when we can see some incredible or interesting big surprises, or we can see the risk of having to field in one group because of this technical challenge that is huge. There’s not a lot of time, because of course all the teams will try to push hard in 2013 and then at a certain moment they will need to decide what to do for the year after and bear in mind that this year, I would say, most of the development that you can bring to the next year’s car, for 2014, you have to forget it and make sure that you have a good project that has to start from a white sheet of paper and you have no reference with the other competitors so it will be a big question whether… I’m sure that the first day of testing in 2014 will be quite a challenge and quite interesting for all of us.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Stefano, I heard your answer earlier regarding having the Italian flag on the car but are you not courting political controversy by displaying such an emblem, bearing in mind that the FIA’s statutes states no team or entity within Formula One is allowed to make political standpoint?

    SD: I think that if you look at what is written in the press conference (release) it is not really what you are saying. I think that you have to refer to that, to be honest, and look what is written exactly, and the reason why we put that on. There’s not any political intention or discussion in that. If you look at that, that’s really what is written.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) I have read it, and obviously you’re making a point regarding the two sailors that are in dispute with…

    SD: No, no, that’s not true.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – Press Association) It’s on the website. I’ve read what’s on the website. You’re saying that it’s for the two sailors.

    SD: It’s not true, to be honest, what you’re saying.

    Q: (Dhruv Behl – Auto X) Just a generic question to the entire panel: what is India like in year two, compared to last year? So far, how has the weekend been?

    CH: I think it’s fantastic…

    MW: Ladies first.

    CH: No, absolutely, you’re quite right, Martin.

    MK: Go ahead, no go ahead. I could be slightly biased on that.

    CH: I do apologise. No, it’s fantastic to be back here. It’s a great track, it’s truly impressive what you’ve done here in India and I think that the race was tremendously well received last year. I think the circuit has a great blend of fast corners, slow corners, long straights, so it’s a pleasure to be back here and it’s great to see the evolution that’s happened during the last twelve months with what’s happened in and around the circuit.

    SD: Absolutely. I totally agree.

    MK: I fully agree with that. I think last year was really a fantastic event here and the FIA also awarded the promotor here with a special award for promotors at the end of the year. People were welcomed here with a lot of warmth. It’s difficult to really top that but to keep that and still get away with all the hiccups that we had in the first year is a great achievement.

    EB: Obviously I agree. I just say that when I arrived yesterday the first comment from my team was – as you will see – a lot of details and attention has been done to the track and it’s much much nicer and better. That’s really proved the commitment of the promotor and the country which is good.

    CA: Clearly some additional work has been done between the two years. Last year it was quite challenging work to be done, to deliver on time, which was the case, it was a good race, won by a Renault engine, so a good memory there. This year, we haven’t had much time to enjoy the country because we are in the middle of a battle to try and recover our tenth place. We would love to do that in India, obviously, it’s going to be challenging so if we could get a little bit of help from the weather, some rain, maybe that would help us in trying to get an abnormal race. Other than that, it’s great to be in a part of the world which is important for all the sponsors, all the car makers which are basically starting to appear here. It’s good to be here.

    MW: I think we’ve talked a lot about the facilities and I think the facilities are good and they’ve got better but I think the really important thing was that last year you really sensed that really crazy passion in its first year and it’s early days in this year’s race, but I think we want to retain that and build on it because clearly India’s a new and very important market for Formula One and looking ahead now, we’ve got to build upon the passion that we saw in its first year and make sure we don’t go flat, we don’t lose the interest, we’ve got to maintain that momentum. So the facilities are good but I think that this is such an important market for anyone, we’ve got to build on the passion we saw.

    Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Stefano, considering the last three races, the gap of performance of Red Bull compared to your car and the others, how much chance do you have to close this gap and try to win this title?

    SD: In terms of closing the gap in performance, it’s difficult to say because our main competitors but also McLaren, they are always improving, so it’s difficult to say where we are relative to pace/performance but in terms of percentage with regard to the possibility of winning the championship, I think that, as we said before, there are too many elements that are on the table: strategy, race mistakes, problems that we still have – I would say – less than fifty percent because they are in front of us, but the race is full open.

    Ends

  • Sauber chief Monisha dwells on her Indian roots

    Hinwil, 17 Oct 2012: Monisha Kaltenborn is almost a week into her post as the first female team principal in Formula One. With a total of four podium places so far, the Sauber F1 Team has enjoyed a very successful 2012 season. The forthcoming Indian Grand Prix takes the new boss to her native country. There’s plenty to talk about.
    Your passport gives your full name as Monisha Kaltenborn Narang. Why do you so rarely use your double surname?
    Monisha Kaltenborn: “I really like my Indian name. My Indian heritage and my parents’ family mean a great deal to me, which is why I never wanted to give up Narang. On the other hand, you have to admit that double-barrelled names aren’t very practical in day-to-day business operations. That’s why I only rarely use my full name.”
    What does the Indian Grand Prix mean to you?
    MK: “Well, I really have to distinguish between the professional and the private side. From the sports point of view, as far as the Sauber F1 Team is concerned the Indian GP is a race like any other, with the same meticulous preparations and the same aspiration to achieve the best possible result. From a personal point of view, it’s rather different. Obviously I’m particularly looking forward to this race in my home country. As I travel to all the grands prix as part of my job, I don’t have time for private trips to India. During my school and university days I would go there regularly. My husband Jens and I celebrated our marriage in India with a fabulous and very happy Hindu ritual. I feel very attached to India.”
     
    Will you be seeing friends or family during the grand prix?
    MK: “I won’t really have time for private visits during this year’s race, but I’ll be flying out at least a day early to spend some time looking around New Delhi and attending various media events. I’m also involved as an ambassador for the FIA’s Women in Motorsports Commission, as well as an event by the F1 in Schools initiative.”
    Which memories do you associate with India?
    MK: “Oh, undoubtedly my wonderful childhood. Since I was their only grandchild for a long time, my grandparents spoilt me rotten, and we had three delightful dogs. Up to the age of eight I attended Welham Girls’ High School in Dehradun, my birthplace and one of the oldest and most traditional cities in the north of this vast country. It was a very happy time with marvellous friendships. Then in 1979 my parents decided to emigrate to give me a better education.”
    What made your parents decide on Austria?
    MK: “Originally the plan was to find a new home in an English-speaking country. But Vienna was the first stop on our journey because an uncle of my father’s was working at the atomic agency there. We liked it and so we stayed. I was sent straight to an Austrian rather than an international school, so I learnt the language very quickly and became integrated. I also completed my law studies in Vienna and took on Austrian citizenship, which had many advantages. And of course I have a lot of ties with Austria. I’ve spent a considerable part of my life there, after all.”
    To what extent are you still Indian today?
                                                             
    MK: “I don’t think you ever lose your roots, and anyway you can tell where I’m from just by looking at me. I also think I have a certain serenity and openness you might describe as Indian. That includes shrugging off negative experiences and focusing positively on the future – something that is very important in an environment as competitive as Formula One. As for my Hindi, it’s no longer as good as I’d like it to be. But I do try to talk Hindi with the children occasionally. Our son is ten years old, our daughter seven, and I’d like them to learn the language. But my parents are better teachers than me.”
    How important do you think Formula One is for India?
    MK: “Basically it’s difficult for any sport to find a place in India next to cricket. But I do think that the interest in Formula One has risen significantly since its debut last year. At least the media interest we are experiencing as a team would strongly indicate that. It seems right that India, as an upwardly mobile nation, a huge marketplace and a high-tech location, has found a place in the Formula One calendar with its excellently trained engineers. Both Formula One and the country can benefit from it.”
    What chances do you hold out for the Sauber F1 Team at the Indian Grand Prix?
    MK: “The track layout is very similar to that in Korea. There are slow and fast turns and quite a long straight. However, it will be warmer there and Pirelli is providing different tyres – soft and hard rather than the super-soft and soft ones we had in Korea. That will mean different race strategies. For the C31, the circuit in India is likely to be neither ideal terrain nor particularly problematic. I’m confident that we will manage another decent points haul there.”
    You’re into your first week as Team Principal at trackside. What does this step mean for you?
    MK: “I’m very happy at the confidence that Peter Sauber has placed in me. I grew into this role step by step, of course. I had been head of the company’s legal department since 2000, in 2001 I joined the Board of Management, in 2010 I became CEO, and since the end of 2011 I’ve held a third of the company’s stakeholding. Peter Sauber’s withdrawal from the day-to-day running of the business has been on the cards for a long time, so this latest step was well prepared. I’m acutely aware of what it means to carry the responsibility for this company, which has been around for over 40 years and involved in Formula One for almost 20 years.”
    Is it more difficult as a woman to be accepted as Team Principal?
    MK: “Professionally I’m sure gender plays no role. And as I’ve been around for such a long time, I don’t think I’ll be seen more in terms of a woman than a boss. People who are new to the scene might just do a double-take at first, but that will soon settle down.”
    How do you manage to cope with the twin responsibility of work and family?
    MK: “It usually works very well, though in some situations it can prove an organisational and emotional challenge. I believe it’s very important to involve the children. We stay in touch on race weekends by phone or skype – these days, fortunately, there are such options. At home my husband, my parents and a nanny manage to cushion my professional absences. I’ve got a strong support system, and the kids are really proud of what their mother does.”
    How satisfied are you with the Sauber F1 Team’s achievements so far this season?
    MK: “With four podium places and now 116 world championship points, we can certainly be proud of our achievements so far as a private team. Of course there have been races where things didn’t go to plan and we forfeited valuable points. Our car, the Sauber C31-Ferrari, is a great success and has proved competitive on virtually any kind of circuit. Some describe it as one of the best cars on the grid. Now it’s a matter of carrying the impetus forward into the remaining four races. Our ambitious goal remains to finish fifth in the Constructors’ World Championship. And I have the utmost confidence both in our team at Hinwil and in the crew at the track along with our two drivers, Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez.”
    What are your personal highlights of the season so far?
    MK: “To answer that I’m going to have to take off my sober, objective hat for a moment: it was just so emotional when Kamui finished third in Japan.”
    ends

    Monisha Narang, the new Sauber team Principal, in a file photo as admires Kamui Kobayashi's home race feats. Photo Sauber F1 team.

  • FIA Sunday Press Conference: Korea

    DRIVERS

    1 – Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)

    2 – Mark WEBBER (Red Bull Racing)

    3 – Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS

    (Conducted by Johnny Herbert)

    Sebastian, you’ve got to be happy with the way it’s gone? Perfect start, perfect race, third straight win, you’ve got to be happy with the way things are going?

    Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, very pleased, fantastic, I’m very, very happy. I think it was a fantastic race. Obviously the foundation was to have a good start, which I wasn’t sure because I was starting on the dirty side but I have to say I had reasonable grip and a very good launch. I think Mark had a little bit of wheel-slip and I was able to get even side-by-side. Even then it wasn’t over because it’s a long way. When I was up-shifting to seventh gear I could hear Mark coming, he was side-by-side and then I tried to use my KERS to defend and fortunately had a good exit after the third corner, so was able to stay ahead. And after that tried to push. It was quite close in the first stint, Mark was always on my toes but towards the end I felt I had a little bit more left in the tyres and could go a little bit longer. We had two brilliant pitstops. The only mistake I did was once I locked-up the front right quite badly into Turn Three, bit of a mistake from my side but fortunately by then we had quite a cushion to the cars behind and were able to control the gaps in the end. I think we were all a bit worried about the front tyres because we’ve seen a lot of people locking up wheels and overshooting the apexes. So, really, really happy. I have to thank the boys on this one. The mechanics in the garage because they have been flat-out, arriving here obviously there’s not much break from Japan to here, flat-out every night and working very hard on the car. I think we have done another step and that is exactly what we need and hopefully we can carry that momentum through to the next races.

    Mark, second place. Pole position was obviously a good start for you – unfortunately on that start you just didn’t get off the line – but what was the race like for you? What difficulties did you have, if any?

    Mark WEBBER: The start wasn’t sensational. I’ll have to look into it but yeah, probably the initial getaway wasn’t too great but after that it was… everyone wants… it’s not the best corner to lead off so I thought, OK, we won’t risk too much in the first corner, and then we got a good slipstream off Sebastian but it was just neck-and-neck for us along the back straight. After that I just tried to hang in there as best I could. But then it was just about tyres, looking after the front right. And at the end of each stint it was difficult to keep the front right alive. Yeah, the first two stints were quite tricky for me and then the last stint I was much happier with the balance but it was all too late then. So, good drive for Seb, great day for the team, the guys did a great job. Of course I’m disappointed but I’m happy to get a good result in the other side as well. Thanks to all the fans for coming out today. Cheers.

    And Fernando, well the championship battle is on now isn’t it? You’ve led for so long in this championship, you’re six points behind – I think you should be happy today because the car was quite competitive. Do you feel that? Do you feel there’s more to come from you and Ferrari?

    Fernando ALONSO: Yes, definitely. I think we have to be happy with the performance today, we finished third and fourth, just behind Red Bull that at the moment are difficult to beat. So, it was a good day for the team, for Felipe, for me, and I think we also overtook McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, which is something that maybe we didn’t expect two or three races ago, so definitely we are moving in the right direction. We just need a little last step to be as competitive as Red Bull and I think it will be a beautiful last four races to the end.

    Seb, a last thing from you, obviously you’re leading the championship finally, how are these guys, especially Fernando, going to be able to beat you? What are you going to do?

    SV: It’s tough but that’s what it is about. I’m looking forward to the next couple of races. We had a good last couple of races but y’know we’ve seen the championship is pretty much up and down, a lot of things can happen. What do we do? I think we have to focus on ourselves; we need to have our best possible results and then we go from there. I think at the end of the year if we have enough points there’s a lot of people telling us so we don’t have to do the mathematics ourselves.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Sebastian, well done. First of all, was it really all about the start, and then tyre management I guess?

    SV: Well, we didn’t know! It’s difficult to say. Obviously now we can say that the start was very important. In my case obviously we started from the dirty side. I think the right side generally we saw last year, usually is a bit better but I had a very good launch and yeah, could see that Mark was struggling a little bit in the first bit of the start and I was able to get side-by-side and obviously then had the inside into Turn One, which was very good for us. But it wasn’t over at that stage because there’s still a long straight and quite a big headwind all race from Turn Two to Turn Three. I could hear him coming and obviously he was side-by-side but fortunately I had the inside and after that I focussed on having a very good exit out of Turn Three, which fortunately I had and then I was able to stay ahead. I think it was then that Mark was side-by-side with Fernando, going into Turn Four. It was a perfect start for myself and after that a perfect first stint. I think towards the end I was able to pull away a little bit and open a gap to Mark which helped to stay out a little bit longer and I think after that we had a very good stop, a very strong second stint opening the gap again. Only at the end of the second stint I had a mistake, braking for Three, locking up the right front. I think a lot of people suffered issues with the front today so the last stint I tried to control a little bit more and I had more juice in the tyre until the end. Obviously we had the gap and were controlling that towards the end, but I think once you reach the point where the front tyres are gone, it’s sudden death, so there’s no point of return. We were talking a lot over the radio, trying to stay on top of the problem and manage the front tyres quite well, which I think we did until the end. Very happy with the result and have to say thanks again to the mechanics, the team, they have been working more than what we should ask them for. Every night, flat out, the whole team and I hope now they get a bit of a break, some sleep finally. But obviously it’s a nice reward to finish first and second today for the guys in the garage. Really pleased with the result.

    It’s the first 1-2 for a team this year, so that’s the reward. But obviously Ferrari’s going to come back as strong as they can, McLaren too. Have you still got bits in the pipeline, is the motivation still there?

    SV: I think the motivation is still there for sure. The guys, I don’t know, I could not deal a single night with that lack of sleep and they do it three weeks in a row. So, really impressive and I think we are not lacking motivation. The spirit is perfect in the garage, the atmosphere is great and I think we all want to do our best and to really try and win the race on a Sunday. I think we’ve been pushing very hard all season; we have tried lots of stuff. Sometimes it was more successful than other times but the most important is today. Obviously whatever happened is history and we have to look forward. Very pleased with the result today. I think we can have a couple of drinks tonight before heading back. It’s difficult to predict the next couple of races. As you said, the first 1-2 this year, I think it shows how difficult the season has been for everyone. Ferrari was extremely competitive today, probably more competitive than everyone expected in the race. Both of them, Felipe I think was only a little bit off Fernando, so yeah, quick in the race, we know their car works in all circumstances, so we have to stay on top of our game, focus on ourselves and do what we can.

    Mark, exactly what happened at the start there? We could see from Sebastian’s… it’s almost as if when you moved into second gear it…

    MW: Yeah, I think we were chasing the clutch quite a bit after the first launch on the formation lap, and also coming to the back of the grid the boys were asking me to get the move clutch ring quite a bit so the initial launch wasn’t good. The first bite just kicked to wheelspin and from then on I knew I could have some issues. It was just a very… mediocre let’s say… run to the first corner. Seb got a good one. All wasn’t lost, obviously, second corner, getting the slipstream on the back straight I thought it was still possible to do something there. We were side-by-side, I had a tow but when once I pulled out I just hit a brick wall as well, both of us were just…  vvrrrmmmmmm… and then everyone just coming up behind as well. So, yeah, and then after that we had to manage the tyres really, look after the… go as quick as you could, looking after the tyres but also trying to keep some pressure on Sebastian. It’s the way it is these days: you’ve got to look after the black things on the corners and yeah, so that’s part of it. Mixed emotions for me, it’s still a very solid result, I was very, very happy with the lap I did yesterday, could have easily been not on pole but I was through a solid lap and today is a good result but yeah, it’s mixed emotions. Second is a big difference to first. I have good points and champagne but it’s not what I was after. But for the guys, it’s a great result for the team and they’ve done a very good job in the last two weeks and I’ve got to congratulate Sebastian on the win.

    Fernando, your fourth third place but I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting back on top. What sort of effort can you imagine Ferrari making before the next couple of races?

    FA: Well see, I think it’s a question mark. We didn’t bring to the last six or seven races nothing new so we are doing what we can at the moment and we are trying to save points which I think we are doing perfectly every Sunday. Again it was a perfect Sunday for us: good start, good strategy at the right time and in the right moment. Then finishing again on the podium. So, I think it was a very strong Sunday but we hopefully make a little bit of a step in terms of performance and then we can fight for bigger things. But anyway, very, very happy with today’s race, very happy with the performance. We saw Sunday again move us a little bit closer to the top guys, and also with the position in the championship. Obviously we lost the lead by six points but if we think how it went for us the last four or five races, with two retirements, nothing to do with the team, no mistakes from the team, not mechanical problems or anything like that, just some people flying over us and things like that. With all these problems, being six points behind leaves open a lot of possibilities for us in the last four races.

    You got to within 1.4s of Mark at one point, 1.3s, but similarly, Felipe got to within about the same of you as well. Was that all down to tyre performance?

    FA: It depends how much you use your tyres or what the conditions of the tyres in that part of the race. We seem to be a little bit more competitive or less competitive. Or closer or a little bit further than the opponents in terms of distance. Obviously it was nice to try to be within one second here because you can use the DRS on the straight – but we could not have that possibility so we lost a little bit there.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, as you said, Ferrari is not bringing any new parts. You’re still there fighting and staying close to them. How frustrating is it?

    FA: Nothing new, nothing new. The last five years of my career has been like this. I’m good, I’m confident, used to this situation. We have normally one set of tyres in Q3, there is not time for mistakes, no time to lock up a tyre or go over a kerb or anything like that on Saturday or on Sunday. We are always on the limit, but we feel comfortable, let’s say, like this. We seem to extract the maximum from the car when we are under pressure and as I said, four beautiful races to come with good possibilities for us to fight for the championship, but in the end, I’m sure there will be some circuits where we are a little bit more competitive, and some circuits where we are maybe not competitive enough, but overall, in the last four races, as we said, now we need to score seven points more than Sebastian, that will be extremely tough but we believe we can do it.

    Q: (Kate Walker – Girl Racer) Fernando, earlier on this season, before this round of fly-aways, you said that Ferrari’s best circuits were going to be Singapore, Japan and Korea. We’ve obviously finished those. What kind of expectations do you have for competitiveness at the other circuits, apart from Austin?

    FA: We will see. It will depend obviously on the updates in the car. I think we will see in India if there are any new parts. If there are, we will need to test them. For sure, the other teams will also bring new parts, maybe more than us, so we need to see which of them are working, which of them are not working and for who they work. I think the performance of the car will depend on that. I think in Singapore and Suzuka and Korea we felt competitive. In Singapore maybe not so much but we were able to be on the podium. In Suzuka we saw Felipe finish in second and here both of us were third and fourth, so overall they have been more or less good races for us apart from the puncture in Suzuka, so in terms of performance I think we are there. Obviously Red Bull have made a step forward and they won three races. They were one and two in qualifying in Suzuka, one and two in qualifying here, one and two in the race here so it’s something that is not in our hands.

    Q: (Carlos Miguel – La Gaceta) Fernando, do you believe that the yellow flag was a key factor in the beginning of the race, nine laps with the yellow flag in the first sector?

    FA: I don’t think so, I don’t think so because I was not within one second of Mark so it was not really a possibility to use the DRS – obviously with the DRS you cannot do it. I think it was maybe a little penalty – or a little bit worse for the guys behind me. I think Lewis, Felipe and Kimi didn’t have the possibility to open the DRS because of the yellow flag and I think for Felipe’s race it was a little bit easier if he could overtake Hamilton straight away at the beginning, but not for me.

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sebastian, in the last few laps, on the radio we were always hearing the team telling you to be cautious, go slow, there was a problem with the tyres and then you set your fastest lap on the last lap, so what is the truth: was it a big risk?

    SV: Obviously you start your stint in the beginning with a little bit more than 20 laps to go, after the last stop. I think you can work that out yourself, you have a lot of kilos in the car. Towards the end it’s nearly empty so you go quicker without even trying harder. I think it’s the same for everyone, given that you still have the tyres. Obviously we try to look after them during the whole of the last stint, because we’ve seen in the stint before how sudden the front tyre can lock up and you can lose control of the front tyres, so obviously we didn’t want to run into that sort of problem again, especially with pressure from behind so even if you have quite a big gap, when you start to struggle a lot with these tyres, then there is a lot of time lost within a couple of laps – I’m speaking of a couple of seconds per lap, so we didn’t know that. As I said, we controlled that very well so we still had some shoes left, tyres were not new but they were not completely worn until the end so I was going a little bit quicker in the last sector so that’s why the lap time was pretty similar to what I started with in the beginning of the stint, but calculate the difference of fuel and it’s a big difference.

    Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Serra) Sebastian, do you also now have a psychological advantage over Fernando, from a technical point of view, as Red Bull seems to be ahead. And secondly, how did the double DRS help you, as you didn’t use it in Suzuka?

    SV: Well, I didn’t use it again today in the race. It was obviously not an option. It’s not just one feature on the car that makes you go quicker. I think we tried to work a lot around the car and sometimes you bring some new parts but sometimes you just work on the set-up: you do something smart, you listen to your stomach, you listen to what you see on the data and you act on what you see on the data and everyone is pushing hard. You sometimes might find more with the set-up than you might find with new parts so, as I said, we are pushing very hard but I think if you look at this season, it has been pretty much up and down and it was very good for us in the last couple of races but we also know how little it takes to maybe end up in a different position in the Grand Prix. I think we can take nothing for granted, we have to look after ourselves. Whether we have a mental advantage or not, psychological advantage or not I don’t really care. I’m not into those kind of things. As I said, we look after ourselves. There’s a lot of things we have to focus on to do a perfect job and that is the target every weekend.

    Q: (Cristobal Rosaleny – Car and Driver, Spain) Fernando, you used to say that the weakest point at Ferrari was in qualifying, but Red Bull looked clearly faster than you in the race. Were you expecting that and are you a bit concerned for the next races?

    FA: Of course I was expecting that. I think we were not the fastest car in the race in our championship so I didn’t come to Korea expecting to be the fastest car on Sunday. We always said that we improve on Sunday compared to Saturday. I think between the two cars, in 15 or 16 races, the other Ferrari was in Q3 six times, ten times not in Q3 so definitely there is not the performance in qualifying which we then see on Sunday, when we normally improve. Yesterday we were P4 and P6 and today we were in P3 and P4, so definitely on Sunday there is always a step forward for us but we never believe or we never thought we were the fastest in the race and today was more or less as expected or better than expected, because we were fighting with Webber all the race which was something we were not able to do in Singapore or in Suzuka.

    Q: (Marco dell’Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Mark, if you look at these two guys beside you, do you think that with the 18 points from today, you still have the chance to fight with them for the championship?

    MW: Yeah, well it’s getting tricky now. I obviously need some bizarre circumstances. It’s clearly possible for me to win Grand Prix. You just need to get everything perfect and today I didn’t, I paid the price. I can win some races before the year’s out but the gap is massive to these two guys. That’s the way it is. We have quite a few races and all the points add up at the end of the year. Of course we’re all on our game, we all drive pretty well. I only smelt a little bit of tyre smoke off Seb today so I knew that that was unusual for him, but apart from that it was a clean Grand Prix for all of us and that’s how it generally goes for us three, when we don’t get smashed out by other people. It’s difficult but you never never never know.

    File photo of Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull Racing photo

    Ends