MIKA27 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Posted April 18, 2010 Kubica frustrated to miss out on podium Robert Kubica admitted he was frustrated to have missed out on a podium finish at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. But the Renault driver, who finished in fifth position, conceded he was still happy to get good points again. "It was an exciting race today and it's good to have scored some more points," said Kubica. "At the start of the race I made a bad start and lost a lot of positions, but we made the right decision to stay out on slicks when it started to rain and I was able to move up through the field into third place. "However, the critical moment of my race was when the safety car came out, which ended my hopes of a podium because I lost the big lead I had to the cars behind me. "So although I'm happy to finish fifth, I still feel a bit frustrated to have missed a podium." Team-mate Vitaly Petrov completed his best Formula 1 race so far after fighting his way to seventh position, giving Renault its first double point-scoring finish of the season. "I'm happy to finish my first race in Formula 1 and to score my first points," said Petrov. "It was a difficult race and it wasn't easy to make the right decisions today. In the beginning, when it started to rain, some drivers came in for intermediates, but we decided to stay out on slicks, which was the right decision. "Then I kept talking on the radio with the team to decide when we would change to intermediates, and again we got the timing right. When I changed to my second set of intermediates, I knew it would be important to look after the tyres, but we didn't know if it would continue raining or if the track would dry out. "But I kept pushing, the engineers told me that I had good pace, and in the final laps I had some good overtaking moves, especially with Schumacher and Webber, to gain some more places." MIKA: I keep saying Renault have a great racer this season and 2 points about Petrov. 1) He wanted to finish his first F1 race - DONE. 2) What fantastic racing by the rookie to score points and race so well against Schumacher and Webber. Shame about Kubica missing out on a podium finish but he will need to settle for points which is better than nothing. Better luck next race as I am sure he will be up there with the best.
MIKA27 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Posted April 18, 2010 Lotus happy to beat a Williams Lotus boss Tony Fernandes was delighted with his team's performance at the Chinese Grand Prix after finishing ahead of a Williams. "I'm really happy today as we've accomplished what we said we'd do," said Fernandes after Heikki Kovalainen finished in 14th position, one place head of Nico Hulkenberg. "We wanted to see at least one car cross the line for the first four races, and we've done that, but it's kind of bitter sweet today. "It's obviously a great result for Heikki but a real shame for Jarno as he seems to take the brunt of the issues - it's a bit odd as it does seem to be just his car. "The conditions today made it very tense out there and it's very satisfying, and shows how we're progressing, that today we were racing Williams, who we beat on track." Kovalainen was equally pleased with his result and praised the decision to stay on out slick tyres early on. "This was a great way to round off our first four races," said Kovalainen. "I think we had the correct strategy today in what were pretty tricky conditions. The pace was good – we were again ahead of the other new teams, and this time had a good battle with Williams. "The decision to stay out early on dry tyres was made by me and the team together – it wasn't wet enough to come in and as soon as the race started I could see the rain had calmed down so we agreed it was the right call to stick with the plan. "The other cars on wet tyres were obviously struggling so that worked out very well. It might not always work out like this for us, but today it showed we're a good team who make the right decisions, so I'm really pleased, for everyone in Lotus Racing, and all our fans." Team-mate Jarno Trulli retired from the race with a mechanical problem.
MIKA27 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Posted April 18, 2010 Alonso kicking himself over jump start Fernando Alonso described his jump start in China as a 'serious' but unprecedented mistake. The former champion vaulted from third to first off the line having moved too soon, but was ultimately able to recover to fourth in the crazy, rain-affected, race. "I made a serious mistake at the start as my reflexes let me down and I left early," said Alonso. "It's never happened to me before and I am very disappointed with myself. "Luckily, despite the penalty, I managed to finish fourth." Alonso was one of many drivers who made what turned out to be an unnecessary tyre change for intermediates during a brief initial shower, but said it was no surprise that teams were guessing wrong with the weather fluctuating so much. "In a race like this, anything can happen," he said. "We did five pit stops to change tyres, which is definitely unusual. "All in all, I think we took the right decisions at the right time. "In a race like this you only understand at the end what would have been the best thing to do, as neither on the pit wall nor in the car do we have a crystal ball!"
MIKA27 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Posted April 18, 2010 Massa not critical of Alonso move Felipe Massa refused to criticise team-mate Fernando Alonso for the Spaniard’s passing move on him in the entry to the pit lane in China, blaming his own exit from the hairpin as the reason why Alonso got a run on him. The Brazilian was running ahead of the sister Ferrari in the midfield positions as both tried to make up ground after dropping down the order when they pitted twice for tyres early on. However, when they pitted simultaneously on lap 20 as the field dived into the pits again for intermediate rubber, Alonso cannily sneaked down the inside of Massa’s F10 as the pit-lane slip road bent left before going on to finish fourth. Massa admits he didn’t know Alonso was pitting at the same time as him, but said the Spaniard had been on his tail because he got wheelspin coming out of the slow penultimate corner. “I mean I didn’t do a great hairpin, definitely, and then he put it [his car] on the side,” he told reporters after struggling to ninth place. “I didn’t know he was coming in the garage [pit lane] as well and when I saw him inside there, for sure, I didn’t want to create an accident. “But anyway, everything started on my exit of the hairpin. “I had wheelpsin because of the water and he was able to put it on the side [of my car].” Asked if he nevertheless thought Alonso’s move may have been slightly unfair, Massa said he didn’t think he could complain about anything – particularly as Lewis Hamilton also got by Sebastian Vettel at the same spot earlier. “I don’t know, he was inside so there was nothing really I could do there,” the Brazilian added. “So in terms of the rules, it should be okay because I saw another car doing the same. “You need to ask [race director] Charlie [Whiting] not me.” Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said he had been pleased with the way Massa had responded to the pass, adding that it had not caused any friction inside the team. “When you are racing for sure all the manoeuvres can be seen in that way, no discussion,” he said when asked if he thought Alonso’s pass could be seen as risky. “But I think that I have to say that Fernando is a racer and I have to say that Felipe behaved very, very well because it’s not easy, I understand what can be his feeling. “But what is important to see that within the team this episode has not changed our philosophy and this is for me the most important thing.” Massa, meanwhile, conceded it had been a tough afternoon to make the right calls on tyre strategy given the unpredictable conditions after he eventually finished in ninth place. “It was difficult conditions, the grip level was also quite low,” Massa said. “It was also a little bit difficult to know what time was the right time to stop. “Especially at the beginning, it started to rain very lightly and then the track was getting slowly worse. “But for us the idea is that it is going to get worse and worse every lap because the rain was not stopping. “And then suddenly we decided to stop and change the tyres and the rain stopped. “Even Button it was a little bit risky to be out [on slicks] as if the rain increased a little bit more he would really be in the worst conditions. “Then after a while it was difficult to know how long the tyres was able to keep the good condition.”
MIKA27 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Posted April 18, 2010 Renault chiefs heap praise on Petrov Renault team principal Eric Boullier and chief race engineer Alan Permane were full of praise for Vitaly Petrov’s drive in the Chinese Grand Prix, which earned the Russian rookie his first Formula 1 points. Petrov and team-mate Robert Kubica both profited from sharp tactical decisions from the Renault pit wall to finish seventh and fifth respectively. Petrov again showed both wet-weather skills and overtaking prowess – putting incisive moves on the likes of Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber – and only a minor mid-race spin blotted his copybook. “To see Vitaly score his first points is fantastic, especially in such spectacular style with a fighting drive where he showed great pace,” said Boullier. “It's good for him to have a race distance under his belt and I'm sure he will take a lot of confidence from this excellent result.” Permane was equally impressed, saying: “It's great to see Vitaly score points today and deliver such a mature drive. “In the closing stages he did an excellent job to look after his intermediate tyres and it was very rewarding to see him overtaking much more experienced drivers.” Petrov was delighted with how his race panned out and admitted he enjoyed passing some of F1’s established stars in the closing stages. “I'm happy to finish my first race in Formula 1 and to score my first points,” he said. “It was a difficult race and it wasn't easy to make the right decisions today. “In the beginning, when it started to rain, some drivers came in for intermediates, but we decided to stay out on slicks, which was the right decision. “Then I kept talking on the radio with the team to decide when we would change to intermediates, and again we got the timing right. “When I changed to my second set of intermediates, I knew it would be important to look after the tyres, but we didn't know if it would continue raining or if the track would dry out. “But I kept pushing, the engineers told me that I had good pace, and in the final laps I had some good overtaking moves, especially with Schumacher and Webber, to gain some more places.”
MIKA27 Posted April 19, 2010 Author Posted April 19, 2010 Sun: Lotus, Hispania, Sauber, Virgin Heikki Kovalainen and both Hispania drives saw the chequered flag in China while Sauber and Virgin had a day to forget. Lotus: Heikki Kovalainen: "This was a great way to round off our first four races. I think we had the correct strategy today in what were pretty tricky conditions. The pace was good - we were again ahead of the other new teams, and this time had a good battle with Williams. The decision to stay out early on dry tyres was made by me and the team together - it wasn't wet enough to come in and as soon as the race started I could see the rain had calmed down so we agreed it was the right call to stick with the plan. The other cars on wet tyres were obviously struggling so that worked out very well. It might not always work out like this for us, but today it showed we're a good team who make the right decisions, so I'm really pleased, for everyone in Lotus Racing, and all our fans." Jarno Trulli: "It was a tough day out there from the start, which is a shame because we'd had a trouble free weekend and I was able to push for quite a few laps. The conditions weren't too bad and I was enjoying myself , but I had more hydraulics issues which brought me in on lap 18. The team did a good job to get me back out again but unfortunately the problems struck again and I had to retire. We've got a bit of time now before Spain to work on the new upgrades, so let's see what happens when we reach Barcelona." Hispania: Bruno Senna: "I am very happy to finish the race again. We had no experience in really wet conditions like today and the car was a bit difficult to drive. The ceiling was low and it got a bit dark. Overall, my visor was a bit too dark for those conditions. I enjoyed racing on the wet track. I'm happy for the team who did a great job again to have another two cars finishing the race." Karun Chandhok: "I am fantastically happy to have finished this race again today after our difficult debut in Bahrain and it was not easy today with the rain. Because of a necessary change of hydraulic components on the car, I had to start from the pitlane. This change was profitable as the car was fully operational until the end of the race. It was a bit difficult as we had less front grip and I was struggling with it. Because of the rain I went off a couple of times but I made it to the finish. For the team it is encouraging to finish with both cars again. A great thank to the team. To finish was very difficult today but I am happy I have done it." Virgin: Lucas di Grassi: "This is obviously not a great way to end our weekend and that is very frustrating because we had two very good days of running on Friday and Saturday. I know we will work hard to identify the problems, fix them and get back to the kind of performance we experienced in Malaysia because we have what it takes to continue to be the best of the new teams." Timo Glock: "A very difficult day for myself and the whole team. Everything was going well until late into the Grid procedure, so the problem came out of the blue and there was nothing we could do to make the start. It proved to be a great Race - one that we would obviously have wanted to be part of. At times like this, when things are so disappointing, you just have to make use of the frustration and get something good from it. I know everyone will want to get to the bottom of what happened for us and fix it and I think that process will ensure that we have a much better start to the European season." Sauber Pedro de la Rosa: "Of course I am deeply disappointed. We made all the right tyre decisions. I started on slicks and managed to stay out in the drizzle. I enjoyed overtaking and then I was in fourth. When you are in a situation like this you really have to finish. We missed a great chance today. I don't know what exactly happened. I felt there was something wrong with the engine and then stopped in turn nine." Kamui Kobayashi: "It is such a shame. The track conditions were difficult today and this always opens up chances, even if you are not high up on the grid. I'm sure we would have scored points today. My start was good, but after a few corners Vitantonio Liuzzi's car just flew into mine and I was out."
MIKA27 Posted April 19, 2010 Author Posted April 19, 2010 Sun: Red Bull, FIndia, Williams, STR While Red Bull claimed a double points-haul in Shanghai, Force India, Williams and Toro Rosso all had their moments. Red Bull Sebastian Vettel: "It was a difficult race - on nearly every second lap there was a car to pass or I got passed. I lost quite a bit of time with the first pit-stop, but we fought our way back and ended the race in sixth. We started on pole, with a one/two actually, but we didn't finish there. I think today it was very chaotic and to take sixth can be quite important. Obviously our main competitors finished ahead, so that's not nice. We struggled quite a lot in some of the conditions with the car, it was okay when we were in clean air, our pace was decent, but it's very on and off in these conditions. It's a lot just to maintain your track position. I had battle with Lewis (Hamilton) in the pit lane. At the stop I was ahead; I don't know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me. I hoped I didn't get a puncture from that - I don't really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage anyway." Mark Webber: "It was a difficult race for us and we got a bit blown away - we weren't quick enough, simple as that. There were very changeable conditions during the race, I know it's the same for everyone, but the cars are very sensitive when it's not going one way or the other. So, an interesting grand prix. We know where we lose out in these difficult conditions and we will improve it. I went for another set of intermediates towards the end of the race to try and make up some places. I thought it might work, it did, but then we weren't quick at the end." Force India: Adrian Sutil: "It was a real strategy race this time. At times it was difficult to know which was the best tyre to be on, as it would rain and then dry and then rain again. We started on the dry tyre and then pitted for inters under the safety car on lap one. At this point it was the right decision as it was raining quite a bit and it was easy for me to overtake a lot of cars. Then it eased and we switched to the dries for a few laps but then there was more rain.On the second set of inters we put on on lap 19 I was able to fight with the top guys, including Lewis, Sebastian and Felipe for quite a few laps, but then the tyres grained up and I had to pit again. I lost a couple of positions in this final stop and that was what dropped me back to 13th. Although we could close to within a second of Michael I just ran out of laps to get past. But that's how it is, sometimes you win in this type of race and sometimes it just doesn't go your way." Tonio Liuzzi: "Unfortunately I had a problem warming up the brakes on the formation lap due to the cold and the rain and then when I went into corner four on the first lap and braked, the rear completely locked and I lost control of the car and went off. It was a shame as we had had a really good start and gained three positions in just the first corner and it could have been a very interesting race, particularly with how the conditions panned out. But that's how it is, it didn't go our way this time, but we will keep pushing for the next races." Williams: Rubens Barrichello: "The race didn't go as planned. I was called into the pits for the intermediate tyres early on, it was a hard call and the race developed from there. I think we made good calls after that but by that time it was too late to recover." Nico Hulkenberg: "It was a tough race and obviously not very satisfying for the team. Looking at the positives, it was good experience for me to complete the full race distance and experience all of the different conditions that we faced today. In particular, it was helpful to see how the car and tyres handled and we now have some good data for any races which might be similar in the future. Results-wise, though, this is nowhere near close enough to where we want to be." Toro Rosso: Jaime Alguersuari: "I tried to get points today, but in the end it wasn't possible as I made a mistake lapping a Hispania, who was slower than me and was shown the blue flag, but he moved from side to side. I tried to get past on the right, but he came back on me and touched my wing, which is how I lost it. We tried to switch to Intermediates before everyone, but in the end I had to pit for an additional set. I did what I could in what was a crazy race. On the slick tyres, we were really fast and I got past Sutil and there were some good passing moves, but I'm disappointed with the result. Now we go to my home race in Barcelona where I hope to challenge for points again." Sebastien Buemi: "Not running on Friday was my first problem, because that means you don't qualify so well and once you have to start the race from the middle of the pack, the risk of this type of accident is always greater. I don't want to blame anyone for the crash, but Liuzzi lost his car and crashed into me. It has been a very difficult weekend and now we need to work and see what we can do in Barcelona. I also need a bit more luck."
winelover Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 Mika, just to say that your thread has got to be the best F1 thread I've seen anywhere. Thanks for your dedication and effort. Also, a good weekend from a Brit perspective
Aficionado Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 MIKA27 said: Kubica frustrated to miss out on podium MIKA:... Shame about Kubica missing out on a podium finish but he will need to settle for points which is better than nothing. Better luck next race as I am sure he will be up there with the best. Please kindly do not stealing from the points, the Polish-Russian team Renault
MIKA27 Posted April 19, 2010 Author Posted April 19, 2010 graham_uk said: Mika, just to say that your thread has got to be the best F1 thread I've seen anywhere. Thanks for your dedication and effort.Also, a good weekend from a Brit perspective Thanks so much for the compliment Graham, I'm certainly pleased you enjoy the thread. Knowing that people such as yourself, an F1 fan, read this thread and enjoy it, is what keeps me posting. Congratulations to McLaren mate, I have always loved the team, back in the Mika and DC days especially and even though drivers have changed, I still have a soft spot for the team itself. One of the best managed on the grid IMO.
MIKA27 Posted April 19, 2010 Author Posted April 19, 2010 Aficionado said: Please kindly do not stealing from the points, the Polish-Russian team Renault It is certainly an interesting mix at Renault, Aficionado! Thanks for reading.
MIKA27 Posted April 19, 2010 Author Posted April 19, 2010 Merc defend dejected Schumacher Mercedes GP aren't ready to give up on Michael Schumacher just yet, insisting it was tyres and not talent that let him down in China. In the changing conditions, Schumacher showed some signs of the talent that carried him to seven World titles as well as making up positions in the pit stops. But he also came up short when measured directly against the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, too often losing those positions he had gained when fighting with his rivals out on track. In the final handful of laps alone Schumacher lost places to Mark Webber and Felipe Massa, eventually finishing the Chinese GP in tenth place, one position lower than where he had started. However, Merc insist that the blame doesn't rest entirely with Schumacher. "We have some issues that we need to understand as the deterioration of his tyres and therefore his pace is a problem that we need to resolve before the next race," said team boss Ross Brawn. "We haven't quite got the car at the moment but when we do, we know that we can get the job done." Brawn's thoughts were echoed by Merc motorsport boss Norbert Haug: "It was not a good race weekend for Michael unfortunately. "We will investigate what the problems were and I am convinced we will all see much stronger results from him rather sooner than later. "Give us a chance to look at that and we can come up with a good explanation." Schumacher understandably just wanted to get out of Shanghai immediately after the race, although like many others in F1 may have had to wait a little longer to get home due to the volcanic ash cloud that has resulted in flight restrictions across much of Europe. "In general I had some good and tight fights which was fun but with my last stop being probably too early, in the end I just couldn't do anything and my fights were quite hopeless then," he said. "I am looking forward to going home now." MIKA: IMO - Michael had a great race in Shanghai where from P9 we saw him climb up to 5th in the mid stint of the race. Whilst in the end, he did fall to P10, I think the old Michael is starting to show. Many can argue that both Nico and MS have the same set up, that is true, but from what I see, a car should be set up for each driver to match their style and in this case, the current set up suits Nico. Nico is a late breaker into a corner while Micheal takes a corner carrying high corner speed whilst balancing the throttle and using very little brake (Which is what makes him so successful). It's a different attitude and requires a different approach. With the same settings, clearly Michael suffers and struggles to cope as his style requires traction and with the tyre degradation, he really couldn't do much. In the end, MS he had to yield and compromise even to Petrov, not because he wanted to, but because he just can't do anything about it with the set up of that particular car . The suspension is just too stiff causing the car to understeer badly on power.
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 Whitmarsh: It's a development race Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren need to be faster than their rivals, not only on the track but also in developing their car. After the opening four flyaway races, McLaren are leading the race for the World titles with Jenson Button ten points ahead of Nico Rosberg while McLaren have a 19-point advantage over Ferrari. Yet with three weeks until the Spanish GP, the race is now not on the track but behind the scenes as each team tries to ensure that they are the ones to hit the Barcelona circuit with the better upgraded package. "We need to develop our car quicker than the others. I think Barcelona is a challenge," Whitmarsh told Autosport. "I am sure the teams are going to step up with upgrades on the car, and we have to push very hard to see if we can go there with a bigger step than the others. "I think in racing we are closer to the Red Bulls. In qualifying we are still behind the Red Bull. They are the fastest in qualifying and this is a development race now. We have given ourselves the foundation at the flyaways, but we are back into Europe. "We now have to really push hard and keep reliability, which you cannot take for granted, keep racing well and keep developing the car. If we do that we can win these Championships. That is what we have got to try and do." But despite conceding the need to improve, the McLaren boss was full of praise for his drivers after Button led Lewis Hamilton to the chequered flag in Shanghai. "It is testament to the team and the drivers. I think here in qualifying we had the second fastest car. I think here we were slower still than Red Bull," he said. "I think we underperformed in qualifying and didn't make it easy for ourselves. "We are a race team, I think we are not a bad race team. We don't always get it right, but we make decisions and we get on with it. We have two drivers who are great racers. "They are part of the team and have made a massive contribution, and I think the team as a whole has worked together to try and get the maximum number of points we can."
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 It's holiday time for stranded drivers The Formula One world encamped in Shanghai is currently in limbo given the major disruption to air travel caused by the ash cloud lingering over Europe from the Icelandic volcano. For many drivers, such as Chinese Grand Prix winner Jenson Button and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg who was third, a holiday now beckons. "I was always going to go away for a few days, relaxing after this," Button said. "I'm hopefully going to be heading back to Europe at the end of the week, so we will see about that." Rosberg added: "I'd always planned to go to Thailand so I'm going to go there for a week and back to Europe after that." As for Button's McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, he has flown to South Africa for a sponsorship commitment, whilst Red Bull's Mark Webber has returned to his native Australia. It is the teams, though, who are in most trouble as they face the operational headache of trying to return their cars and equipment back home as the freight aircraft required are grounded in Europe. Of the 12 teams, amounting to around 750 staff, all are based in Europe, with eight in England - McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Renault, Williams, Force India, Virgin and Lotus. The Lotus Racing employees are arguably the most fortunate courtesy of owner and AirAsia entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, as it is understood he has flown them on to the team's financial home in Kuala Lumpur until flights into Europe again become available. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, whose private jet has taken him on to Bangkok, has promised the sport "will find a way to get everyone home," insisting there is no threat to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 9. McLaren are hoping to charter a plane on Wednesday into Spain, where airports are open, and then negotiate a route home from there. "We have said if it is a big enough plane then anyone else can come on board," said team principal Martin Whitmarsh. "If it is half empty then we will bear the premium, so as long as we have got our team on it then we are happy for it to be full. "I think some teams were hesitating but they are now jumping on board pretty quick. "Hopefully, as Spain is about the only place you can fly into, we can get them there on Wednesday and onto coaches for Santander or road route home." One of Williams' partners is a private aviation company, cloud9, who are also looking into a charter, whilst trying to return the equipment via Russia. As for technical director Sam Michael and chairman Adam Parr, they flew into Dubai, only to be bounced onto Beirut as the UAE are not allowing anyone into their countries without a hotel reservation. Although owned by Sir Richard Branson who runs Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Racing are in the same situation as any other team, with personnel and equipment stuck in Shanghai. A team spokesperson said: "Everyone is working very hard on our behalf to get us home, but as frustrated as everyone is, we are all resigned to the fact there is little that can be done. "At this stage it's too early to gauge the impact this will have operationally as we're just one day after the race. "If the situation continues late into this week then clearly the turnaround time to the start of the European season becomes an issue. "At this stage, with everyone in the same place, we can hold our engineering debrief meetings earlier than would have been possible if we had flown home today and at least work can be progressing back at base in our absence."
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 'Ferrari must work on qualy performance' Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has pinpointed qualifying as one of the team's weak points, admitting they need to get further up the grid. Although, barring Malaysia, Ferrari's qualifying performances have not been particularly bad, they also haven't been especially impressive as the team has failed to make it onto the front row since Felipe Massa's P2 at the season-opening race in Bahrain. "One thing that we need to work towards perhaps in a little bit of a different way is to prepare qualifying" Domenicali told Autosport. "We know that qualifying is really important and we saw that our major competitor seems to be, at least from what we have seen in the times, a little bit better than us on that moment of the weekend. "Maybe we can improve qualifying to work flat out to bring performance on the car and of course we have to say that after the first rain it was not boring. We cannot say that the races are boring! "Considering what has happened, in different conditions we could have taken home more points but we need to take this classification as it is and work hard. We know the gaps are irrelevant with the points system we have. For sure it will be important to get back on the podium." But although there was no podium in China both drivers did bring home points with Alonso fourth and Massa ninth. However, it could have been a lot different if the two had collided when Alonso dived ahead of Massa at the entrance to the pit lane. And while some may see it as a sneaky move, especially as Massa was then forced to to queue behind Alonso to wait for tyres, Domenicali insists it's a part of racing. "When you are racing, then for sure all of the manoeuvres can be seen in that way - no discussion. But I have to say that Fernando, he is a racer, and I have to say that Felipe behaved very, very well. "It is not easy, and I can understand what could be his feeling, but this episode has not changed our philosophy and for me that is the most important thing." Looking ahead to the next grand prix in Spain, Domenicali revealed that Ferrari will head to Barcelona with upgrades for their F60 as they try close the "small" gap to their rivals. "We are working very hard in order to bring new performance developments already for Spain because we have seen this weekend that the others have done the same. "The difference between the cars is so small. It is unbelievably small and if you do a little mistake while you are driving, you move from first or second to seventh or eighth position. "That is the way it is with this Championship. We knew it, and that is the way that we will approach it."
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 Bernie: Ash won't stop the Spanish GP Bernie Ecclestone is adamant that the volcanic ash cloud causing havoc over European air space will not stop the Spanish GP from taking place. Many of the teams are still stranded in Shanghai following Sunday's Chinese GP as UK air space remains a no-fly for the fifth successive day due to safety fears over the volcanic ash. Should it continue for much longer there are concerns that the teams' preparations for the Spanish GP, which takes place on 9th May, could be disrupted as they struggle to get their cars and equipment back to the UK and then over to Spain. Already some sporting events, including next weekend's MotoGP round in Japan, have been cancelled. Ecclestone, though, insists F1 will not suffer the same fate. "I am sure everything will be all right," said the F1 supremo. "There is no question of cancelling the Spanish Grand Prix. Of course, it is causing everybody problems, but we will find a way to get everyone home." MIKA: Who gave this 'Harry Potter' look alike the title 'F1 Supremo?'
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 Alonso: No harm done Fernando Alonso is confident his relationship with Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa won't be damaged by his rather controversial overtaking move during the Chinese GP. The Spaniard sneaked up the inside of Massa in the pit entrance which enabled him to make his stop before the Brazilian and ultimately helped him take fourth place. Meanwhile Massa, who had led the Drivers' Championship prior to the race, had to settle for ninth but Alonso played down suggestions that move could lead to friction within the team. "If he was not my team-mate, there wouldn't be so much talk about it and for me it was a normal move and it definitely won't compromise our relationship," he said. "We have a great potential and we must hope we get some normal races like the one in Bahrain. The start of the Championship has gone well. We have shown we are competitive on all the tracks and we have what it takes to win the title. "Clearly, we have to up our points tally and improve our qualifying performance. McLaren deserve the top spot, because even though they might not have the best car they have got the most out of it every time." Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali also believes the incident will not create a problem within the team. "I think it was just a racing incident and there is absolutely no problem between the two drivers," he said. "When you are always racing to win, you can have moments like this." Alonso had lined up third on the grid but was guilty of jumping the start as he moved before the race had officially got under way to get ahead of the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. That action resulted in him being handed a drive-through penalty and Alonso admitted he was disappointed with his eagerness to make a quick start. "In a race like this, anything can happen," he added. "In a race like this you only understand at the end what would have been the best thing to do, as neither on the pit wall nor in the car do we have a crystal ball. "I made a serious mistake at the start as my reflexes let me down and I left early. It's never happened to me before and I am very disappointed with myself. Luckily, despite the penalty, I managed to finish fourth." MIKA: I personally think Alonso made a low move against his own team mate and I would be pissed if he had done it to me. Stefano Domenicali can say it's not a problem now after the race has been done but I would imagine he would have a different opinion had both cars collided and gone DNF....
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 Virgin could be biggest losers in ash chaos The recent Volcanic ash cloud which has shutdown western Europe's airspace could impact the Virgin team hardest. The F1 Times reported back in March that the fuel tank in the VR-01 was too small to finish a race distance, which led to a £1 million re-design and re-build of the monocoque after the FIA granted special dispensation from the homologation rule. The new chassis and monocoque were meant to debut at the Spanish GP in three weeks time, however the recent grounding of all flights into the UK, and much of Europe has left the team and their tons of freight stranded in China, along with the majority of the grid. If they can't get the cars back at the end of this week at the latest, the Yorkshire based team won't have the necessary timeframe to make the changes. Therefore, the cars will have to go to Spain with the same capacity tank as they have raced in the opening four rounds. Any changes to the monocoque will have to be delayed even further, as the Monaco GP is just a week after the Spanish GP. A two-week break between Monaco and Turkey might give the team sufficient time. Despite the possible delays, Virgin have only managed to finish one race, thanks to Lucas di Grassi in Malaysia. Reliability seems to be of more importance than fuel capacity.
MIKA27 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Posted April 20, 2010 Renault Boss: We will not copy McLaren F-Duct Renault Boss, Eric Boullier has announced that, although his team are looking to develop their rear wing structure, they are not looking to copy the F-duct design that McLaren's MP4-25 boasts. The Anglo-French team have been hot on the development front this season having introduced upgrades to their car in every race so far this season and although Boullier has suggested that they are looking at their rear wing structure, a McLaren style F-duct is not the direction they are looking at. "We are looking at the idea, but that is because we are looking at many, many different ideas and many things. But we will not copy McLaren," Boullier told Autosport. "We will not do a copy as that will be a waste of time, but we are looking something with a similar concept - like a blown wing." Sauber were the first team to copy the Woking-based squad and although their car had some gain in Friday free practice in Shanghai, they removed the duct after it struggled to have any impact in qualifying - they ran the rest of the weekend with their original wing design. Both Mercedes GP and Williams are expected to debut a similar design to McLaren in Barcelona in three weeks.
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 Hamilton to follow Button's easy route Lewis Hamilton has had enough of the hard life in F1 and is ready to follow the far easier path taken by his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button to victory in China. While Button cruised to a victory in which his one and only overtaking victim was the worn-down Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, Hamilton had to cut a regular sway through the field as he fought back from 15th. In the final reckoning, however, it amounted to a lot of work for even less reward than his team-mate. "I have done it that hard way and Jenson has done it the easy way," Hamilton mused to The Times. "To do all that hard racing but you don't have any wins is hard to take, while Jenson has two - which is fantastic. I have had great races but he has made all the right decisions and taken the easier route. "Three brilliant drives from me but no wins. Hopefully, soon I will take the easier route. But I am really happy for Jenson. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will be the same for me." Not that Hamilton's own position after just four races of this marathon season is dire. He is fourth in the drivers' standings, level on points with Fernando Alonso, and still within touching distance of leader Button. "The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too aggressive flair in him and neither have I," he said. "I'm not surprised he has settled so quickly. There was a lot of stuff about him joining my team and I would be favoured but the team just embrace the drivers, they want us both to win. "They did absolutely everything to get him up to speed and feel comfortable.They did the same for me in 2007. I am really happy for him." MIKA: I like Lewis, a very talented driver who I love to watch race however I do think in all fairness, he is a little spoilt by McLaren since his Junior driving days being groomed for F1. With JB on the team, I think this has grounded Hamilton to reality that it isn't just 'His team' as LH seems to think but 'Their team'. JB won't put up with that but neither will he resort to Fernando Alonso tactics and complain publicly, he will deal with it by performing well and making his own niche in the team as Lewis has.
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 No rush from Red Bull over 'f-duct' Red Bull insist they will only implement their version of the controversial 'f-duct' system when everything is 100 per cent ready. The device has reportedly given McLaren's MP4-25 a 6mph speed advantage down the straights, much to the dismay of their rivals. However, it has left the others with no alternative but to develop their own versions and a couple of teams have already tried out a few parts. Red Bull are hoping to install their own 'f-duct' on the RB6, but team boss Christian Horner says they're in no rush to do it before the Spanish Grand Prix in a few weeks' time. "Let's wait and see what happens," he told Autosport. "Like all components, we will only introduce them to the car when they have a tangible benefit. The guys are obviously working flat out on our own version, but we are not going to rush something that is under developed."
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 Horner: We would've won in the dry Team boss Christian Horner believes Red Bull would've blown the rest of the field away had conditions been dry in China. After starting on the front row of the grid, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber could only manage sixth and eighth place respectively as the race was interrupted by rain on quite a few occasions. Although content with the points they picked up at Shanghai, Horner insists their rivals wouldn't have stood a chance of catching them if conditions had suited them. "A far from straightforward race in very tricky conditions, and sixth and eighth is still very valuable points," he told Autosport. "It is just obviously frustrating, that with a straightforward dry race today I don't think the opposition would have seen us." Red Bull have had mixed results in the first four flyaway races of the season. They've dominated qualifying, but have been hampered by reliability woes in the races. "We know we have a fast car," Horner said. "I think in conditions like in China it is not just about strategy, there is a degree of luck involved. "And when you start seventh and eighth you have less to lose and more to gain. We head back to Europe have gone to four very different venues, had had two 1-2 starts and one 1-3 start. So I think there is an awful lot of positives. "As you saw with Ferrari here, they didn't score big points either. So I think it is innate to the Championship that there will be swings and roundabouts to it." MIKA: Would have, should have, didn't win the race. What-ifs don't count in F1.
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 Petrov finally 'shows his true talent' Renault boss Eric Boullier believes Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov is finally beginning to win over his doubters. Petrov broke his points duck in Formula One in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix, finishing seventh in challenging circumstances as light rain often caused havoc. Although new to F1, Petrov had been comprehensively overshadowed by experienced team-mate Robert Kubica in the previous three races, but was only 25 seconds adrift of the fifth-placed Pole in Shanghai. That delighted Boullier, who feels Petrov proved his potential after a difficult start to life in F1, suffering suspension and gearbox issues in Bahrain and Malaysia and spinning out in Australia. "Vitaly put in a great drive," Boullier said. "At the beginning of the race the conditions were very tricky. Some parts of the track were wet, some weren't. "It's never easy for a rookie when the conditions are changing all the time, but once everybody got onto the same tyres in the second half of the race he just got faster and faster. In the final laps he was the quickest car on track." Asked if Petrov's drive underlined Renault's faith in him, Boullier replied: "We know he has some very strong qualities, his speed and calmness under pressure. "You always have to give young drivers time. (Kamui) Kobayashi and (Nico) Hulkenberg, the other rookies in established teams (Sauber and Williams respectively) have struggled to finish races and score points this year, and they both have more experience in an F1 car. "Vitaly was finally able to show his true talent. It demonstrated that once he has confidence in the car, he can be very quick indeed." MIKA: I for one am really pleased Vitalay has done so well. He drives fast and shows agressivness in his style. Great result for Renault in general as both Kubica and Petrov seem to be level headed drivers who get in, race and do their best to get the job done. They don't seem to be in the spotlight as much as the other drivers who only seem to be complaining.
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 Triple McLaren role for Whitmash Martin Whitmarsh will have a triple role at McLaren in the future following the company's decision to restructure its management. Whitmarsh, who is already the team principal, will also hold the roles of chief executive officer of the McLaren Group and deputy chairman of McLaren Automotive in future. Richard Lapthorne's resignation as non-executive chairman has promoted the changes at the company. "Following the spin-off of McLaren Automotive from McLaren Group, I'm delighted to announce this management restructure," McLaren boss Ron Dennis said. "The two companies will have separate shareholdings, and will continue to be headquartered in Woking, Surrey [uK]. "McLaren Group will be based at the existing McLaren Technology Centre [MTC], while McLaren Automotive will be based at the brand-new McLaren Production Centre [MPC] which is now being constructed alongside the MTC. "I have enormous confidence in the senior management teams of both McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive, and am pleased that both companies will be extremely well served by those senior management teams, now and going forward into the future. "Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Sir Richard Lapthorne for his work over the past year. His knowledge and experience have been very beneficial to the senior management teams of both McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive. "For that reason, as Executive Chairman of McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive and also personally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Richard for his wise counsel and wish him well for the future, personally as well as professionally."
MIKA27 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Posted April 21, 2010 Cooper Avon confirm F1 tyre supply interest Cooper Avon have confirmed their interest in supplying Formula One with tyres in 2011, joining Michelin as one of two possible candidates to replace Bridgestone. "As a major motorsport tire manufacturer, Cooper Tire, through its Avon Tires Motorsport operation, has been approached to supply Formula 1. The company is in discussion with the relevant parties and cannot comment further at this stage." With the departure of the Japanese tyre supplier at the end of 2009, F1 is looking for a new manufacturer. It seems FOTA have in principle agreed to Michelin's demands, which involve the introduction of an 18-inch wheel, rather than the current 13-inches. However, the Michelin contract includes payment from each team, something the smaller teams aren't keen on, and nor is commerical rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone. It's thought Ecclestone is backing the supply contract from Cooper Avon, rather than ex-supplier, Michelin, despite confirming to the BBC that he didn't mind which company succeeded. "We're trying to make an agreement. I don't mind [which company] as long as the teams are happy."
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