F1 Blog
6 th March: Now Felipe Massa is dissing the new F1 teams because they are off the pace: “I hope they won’t be a danger…. It’s like two different series….They’ll suffer. And we’ll suffer too, when we have them in front of us during qualifying.” This is clearly the purely selfish reason why he and Ferrari are having a go. Tell you what, guys, if you had allowed the new teams the time testing and the chance to get up to speed, you wouldn’t have had anything to moan about, would you? Oh, but then they might have been competition, wouldn’t they? You can’t have it all ways. But it makes us look forward to the first time a Ferrari trips over a new teamer!!!
4 th March: Uh oh, there seems to be some doubt about the legality of the McLaren rear wing! Christian Horner of Red Bull says it’s not them who are concerned but Ferrari. Ferrari says it’s Red Bull. Anyway Charlie Whiting is planning a trip to Woking to have a look. Seeing as Ferrari has already made a churlish fuss about the new teams (like they are going to be a threat!) and preventing them from having any privileges like extra testing (even though they have got round the rules with GP2 tyres and old chassis), we shall blame Ferrari. It also seems to have slipped below the radar that Ferrari has vetoed the new budget cap rules. Nothing like a level playing field, is there?
4 th March: There IS an HRT car(right). Dallara made it and the colour scheme looks a bit boring but it’s not easy to see. They also have a second driver (with money), Indian Karun Chandhok. Shouldn’t he be driving for Force India? 3 rd March: The FIA publish the full F1 entry list for this year, and hey, Stefan GP have not been given an entry despite the demise of USF1. What a shame. The FIA says it’s too late. Campos only just make it…. we haven’t seen a car yet! What’s more they are the subject of a name change. They will be HRT F1, which should cause a few chuckles. They obviously don’t realise it stands for Hormone Replacement Therapy in English. The initials actually stand for Hispania Racing Team, which is far more attractive. They’ve shoved Adrian Campos aside to be an executive vice-president, and called it after one of the new owners companies. |
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2 nd March: Even though team USF1 have blown it for this year, they haven’t given up, oh no, they now hope for an entry in 2011. They have asked the FIA to “hold” their entry until next year. What are the chances? USF1’s poor driver, Jose Maria Lopez, who thought he was an F1 race driver is now hoping to become Campos Meta’s reserve driver. he has to get his money back from USF1 first. You’ve got to feel sorry for him.
28 th February: The final day of pre-season testing and it doesn’t seem enough. Hamilton is fastest for McLaren, then Webber for Red Bull and Massa for Ferrari. These are the 3 teams that look fastest and then there is Mercedes in the mix. It’s hard to say precisely as several teams concentrate on long runs. Heikki takes over for Lotus and completes 65 laps, finishing ahead of the Virgin again. Hard to believe the next track action will be in Bahrain for the GP!
27 th February: Jarno drives a second day for Lotus and before rain disrupts the running late morning, he is 6 th quickest of 9. By the end of the day, after 102 laps, he is 9 th of 11, ahead of a Sauber and a Virgin. At the top it is Nico Rosberg for Mercedes, and a ---er--- Toro Rosso.... just behind him.
26 th February: Hulkenberg makes it to the top in Barcelona today, beating Ferrari’s Alonso into second place. Jarno is driving for Lotus and completes another 70 laps for the team, finishing ahead of Glock’s Virgin car at the bottom of the times. He does 52 laps after more spare parts arrive. Lotus would very much like to win the battle of the new teams but so far only the Virgins are playing!
25 th February: The teams are testing at the Barcelona track this week and on the first day, Mark Webber is fastest for Red Bull, followed by Nico Hulkenberg’s Williams. Fairuz Fauzy does 76 laps for Lotus but is bottom of the timesheets behind Virgin, whose Lucas di Grassi spins into the barriers at turn 9 while the teams are running “some experimental control settings on the car.” Back to the drawing board guys!23 rd February: James Key, who was Force India’s technical director and had been with them through 4 owners, leaves the team. Is it me, or is this a funny time to do that? I wonder where’ll he’ll appear next….
23 rd February: Formula 2 champ Andy Soucek joins Virgin as reserve driver. They were going to have the other guy, Alvaro Parente, but that fell through because one of his backers dropped out. Virgin can praise Andy to the high heavens all they like but we know he really got the gig because he has sponsors. Strangely, Andy thinks he’s going to do some DRIVING soon. Has he not seen how little test drivers get to drive these days? He says enthusiastically: “I will get to use the simulator, I will be at every test and Grand prix, and I will be in every meeting between the drivers and the engineers, so I will be a real member of the team.” Who doesn’t get to drive! I could do all the other stuff myself….22 nd February: Fans of QPR breathe a sigh of relief as Flavio Briatore steps down as chairman of the football club. He’ll stay as a stakeholder but perhaps someone else will pick the team now (allegedly). * Reality kicks in for Stefan GP who have to cancel the Portimao test due to a lack of tyres! Bridgestone can’t supply F1 tyres unless the team has a grid slot, and it was apparently too short notice for a supply of GP2 tyres. Really?
20 th February: Oh dear, as widely rumoured, USF1 co-founder Ken Anderson admits he is in discussion with the FIA about missing the first four races of the season, after they have fallen behind with their preparations and there is speculation about the whereabouts of co-founder Peter Windsor and investor Chad Hurley.
20 th February: It’s Jarno’s turn in the Lotus, and he completes a massive 141 laps, the most of anyone today. He is bottom though, a second off the Virgin’s pace, but it is their second week, even though they have not done that many laps (they are having hydraulic problems…. in contrast the Lotus is very reliable). At the top it’s Jenson Button, with Kubica and Kobayashi behind them.
19 th February: Back at the test in Jerez, Webber is quickest for Red Bull. Alonso and Button complete the top 3. It’s mostly sunny today, which helps, and several drivers do over 100 laps. Heikki manages 68 for Lotus, after a clutch sensor problem is sorted early on. He is slowest but almost on a par with Virgin and now only about 4 seconds off the pace.
19 th February: The Campos Meta team has changed management with Jose Ramon Carabante taking full control and Colin Kolles being appointed team principal instead of Adrian Campos. Do we feel a name change for the team coming on? No sign of a car yet either….. * Heikki Kovalainen says the Lotus car’s biggest problem is lack of downforce, which they expected, as the car had to be designed without info on the engine. Now the new workforce is getting down to business in Hingham, this will be a priority. * Stefan GP has fired up it’s SF01 car at Toyota’s Cologne factory, so the dream continues…18 th February: Kovalainen, sadly, bins the Lotus car after 30 laps and props up the bottom of the times. Blimey, even the Virgin completes 72 laps today and is 8 th quickest of 12. Although only 11 teams are present, Force India are making Liuzzi and di Resta share. The weather is rubbish again and Barrichello sets the fastest time when the track is at its best around lunchtime. On the plus side, Heikki reckons the car feels good. When the spare parts catch up it will be better! *Also today. The Campos Meta 1 team may make it to the grid after all….the majority owner, Jose Ramon Carabante, is set to take full control from Adrian Campos. What will it be called then? Carabante Meta 1? * And rumour has it that the Stefan GP team want to sign Jacques Villeneuve as one of their drivers in cloud cuckoo land….
17 th February: Testing resumes at Jerez, where it is still raining a lot, and Lotus Racing introduces the T127 on track for the first time at a test. Fairuz Fauzy is at the wheel, partly to do enough mileage to get his superlicence! He does a fantastic 76 laps, without any reliability problems and only minor issues with the cooling at the start of the day. Bless him, he’s knackered by the end as he doesn’t have any power steering (Heikki and Jarno are not daft!) as someone hasn’t delivered parts in time. It doesn’t help FF that the PAS will be on the car tomorrow when Heikki takes over! FF reckons there’s another 3 to 4 seconds per lap available with power steering and Mikey G says there’s even more, especially in the dry…. if it ever is! As it is, FF is quicker than Timo Glock’s Virgin by 0.6s. The Virgin does another 10 laps….they are up to 34 laps now. They might make Lotus’s first day total by next week if they go on like this. Seb Vettel is fastest overall for Red Bull, from Hamilton’s McLaren.
12 th February: Lotus Racing launch the T127 in London. See the News page and the Photo Gallery for info and photos.
12 th February : Virgin manage another 8 laps in Jerez in the hands of Lucas di Grassi. That’s 24 laps in 3 days now. They are way, way off the pace. The weather is mixed which doesn’t help. Alguersuari is quickest for Toro Rosso.
11 th February: Kobayashi is fastest for BMW Sauber in Jerez. Virgin have another bad day, causing a red flag when Glock’s front wing falls off out on the circuit. They find out why but need new parts to fix it, so just another 11 laps for them today.
10 th February: Testing starts in wet Jerez, with Mercedes, Toro Rosso, Williams, Ferrari, Sauber, McLaren, Force India, Renault, Red Bull and Virgin all there, and they finish in that order, speedwise, with Virgin somewhat off the pace….by 17 seconds from Rosberg, who is quickest for Mercedes. Glock only does 5 laps for Virgin though.
9 th February: Fairuz Fauzy shakes down the new Lotus at Silverstone. Yay!!!
9 th February: Todt says he is confident there will be 13 teams in F1 this year, even if a couple of the new ones (USF1 and Campos) don’t make it for the first 3 races, which JT says is allowed for in the Concorde Agreement. But just in case, Stefan GP has sent freight to Bahrain and Malaysia…..
9 th February: Force India launch their VJM03 car. Well, they release some pics anyway. It’s Sutil and Liuzzi and Paul di Resta as reserve driver this year. * Jean Todt is talking about as much sense as Max used to: “we need to cut costs, improve the show and draw investors. F1 must understand that the world has changed. Hpw can you explain that an F1 car needs 80 litres of fuel to cover 100kms?” You don’t need to…if you don’t like, butt out. “I don’t like the cost cap….” But “It’s not acceptable to have given up with KERS. The teams complain it costs too much? Then they must find the way to save money….” They have, they’ve ditched KERS!!! You can’t tell them to save money then tell them to keep KERS!!! Todt wants a “single aerodynamic package for the entire year” now (that’s GP2 isn’t it?) to save money. The usual jumbled thinking. Must be catching. One good thing…Todt says he will only stay in office as FIA President for one term. Phew!4 th February: It’s finally announced that Nick Heidfeld will be test and reserve driver for Mercedes GP. That completes the all-German driver line-up!
3 rd February: Alonso makes it third day in a row that Ferrari has topped the times in Valencia. There are a few new faces today: as well as 2 more WDCs in Button and Schumacher, Alguersuari, Petrov and Hulkenberg get outings in their teams’ new cars. De la Rosa and Hulkenberg clash on track in the early part of the day. It’s just testing lads!
3 rd February: Virgin Racing has a few technical difficulties with its ‘online’ launch..... it doesn’t work! Let’s hope the 'all digital' car fares a little better! It looks pretty smart though, in red and black (that’s what it looks like anyway!).
The Virgins’car (left)
2 nd February: Massa is quickest again, making the most of an Alonso-less couple of days. Mike S has gone home and Nico relishes being able to get on with testing on his own, although his seat drops by 1.5cm during the day. Nothing to do with Mike S, we hope. Kobayashi does a bit for BMW(less) Sauber and is second quickest. Hamilton is on track for Mac, and is 3 rd.
On Planet Stefan GP, the wannabee F1 team announces it will test its first F1 car at Portimao later this month. They plan to have a launch as well! Kazuki Nakajima looks likely to be one of its drivers - the Toyota connection, along with their tech support and an engine that is presumably a Toyota, but called the Stefan RG-01. They release a picture of their offices. Whaaat??? The team owner is shown along with Mike Coughlan, famous for dropping McLaren in the mire.
1 st February: Testing is back!!!! Ferrari, BMW Sauber-Ferrari (what’s that about???) Mercedes, McLaren-Mercedes, Williams-Cosworth, Toro Rosso-Ferrari and Renault all hit the track in Valencia, and they finish in that order, with Massa the fastest. Mercedes let both Rosberg and Schumacher have a go. Only McLaren use a test driver, Paffett…. the rest are all race drivers.31 st January: Renault launches in Valencia ahead of the test and has gone retro in its colour scheme, rolling out in yellow and black. They now have a second driver also, namely Vitaly Petrov, the first Russian driver in F1. They also introduce what can only be called an excess of reserve drivers: Ho-Pin Tung (no, me neither), Jerome D’Ambrosio and Jan Charouz. The first 2 are linked to Renault’s new partner Gerard Lopez. Ho-Pin is the official 3 rd driver, not sure of the point of the others. Jerome is in GP2 and Jan is in Formula Renault 3.5 this year.
29 th January: Stefan GP, who appear to be living in some kind of parallel F1 world of their own, where they are the only team, announces it has come to an agreement with Toyota Motorsport to receive technical support from them. Stefan has already acquired the rights to the Toyota 2010 chassis, and if no one drops out of F1, then Stefan will just keep on testing until someone does!
29 th January: McLaren Mercedes launch their 2010 car at Vodaphone’s UK HQ in Newbury. Their new colour scheme is er….silver. And orange. Yes. It’s the same as last year! They’ve still got Gary Paffett as test driver, when he gets the chance.
26 th January: More tinkering in an effort to make F1 more interesting….. F1 teams have agreed to make the top 10 qualified drivers start the race on the tyres they qualify on in their fastest lap. It still has to voted on by the WMSC. Guess it all depends on what tyres Bridgestone produce in their final season…..
26 th January: Red Bull appoint Daniel Ricciardo and Brendan Hartley as reserve drivers for their two teams for 2010. They’ll be useful if they need them. without any testing.
26 th January: Finally, finally, finally, US F1 announces a driver. And it the one we all expected, Jose Maria lopez, who tested for Renault eons ago. He’s from Argentina. So not exactly American. He has been racing successfully in touring cars in Argentina and knows diddly squat about current F1 cars.
25 th January: Groan. Already the new points system has been changed before it’s even been used. Last week it was 25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1. Now it’s 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. They don’t introduce other good stuff like points for pole or fastest lap. Or to make the drivers do 2 pitstops. Missed a trick there probably. So we are left with a points system that we will all have to look up all the time. Great.
25 th January: The erstwhile Brawn team, now called Mercedes GP, launches it’s new colour scheme in a car museum in Stuttgart. It’s an exciting er…. silver. And they’ve stuck Petronas onto their name, as in Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 team. Everyone’s going to call them that all the time…..NOT. The grey doesn’t suit 7 times world champion Michael Schumacher quite as well as red. Ross Brawn reckons Nico Rosberg will “enjoy” working with MS. We’ll ask him at the end of the season. Ross B also insists there will be no number one driver at Mercedes. Ha ha ha ha ha!25th January: Flavio says: “I will never manage another team in Formula 1 in my life, this is sure, but I have got my dignity back…” But he is still moaning about another aspect of the verdict, the ban on managing drivers, that doesn’t seem to have changed. Or the drivers got out while they had the chance! “We lost Alonso, we lost Kovalainen, we lost several drivers… We will sue the FIA for the money we lost.” Probably needs it to keep QPR going….
22nd January: F1 teams agree to ban double diffusers from 2011. The word is that the aerodynamic changes agreed for 2011 will make the cars up to 2 seconds quicker and the view is they are too fast already, so banning the diffuser will claw back some of the extra. Thought they were supposed to be fast….
21st January: Ferrari gives Valentino Rossi yet another test in the F1 car. They are getting round the test ban by using the F2008 with GP2 tyres in Barcelona. Someone should look into it. Vale is excited because he achieves a good lap time on low fuel. Felipe gets the car tomorrow, who at least has the excuse of rehabilitation to get into the car in a January test ban!
20th January: Michael Schumacher has taken Nico Rosberg’s number 3, using some spurious excuse about having a preference for odd numbers! It’s a darn cheek and I’d be pissed off if I was Nico, who obviously had no say in the matter at all! MS is reported by Bild as saying “Ross knows I like odd numbers.” So???? A Mercedes GP person tells Reuters: “He asked if he could be the odd number and we were happy to accept.” How pathetic! However…odd number, odd bloke.
19th January: Pedro de la Rosa has been hired by BMW Sauber. No, not as a mechanic or a wheel washer, but actually as a racing driver. Seven years he’s been McLaren’s test and reserve driver so there must be hope for everyone, even Ralf, to go back to racing. He races alongside Krazy Kamui Kobayashi, so a bit of a strange team…
11th January: Michael Schumacher has been given permission by the FIA to test a GP2 car at Jerez. That hardly seems fair, does it? He is not allowed to test a Formula One car but he CAN test GP”! * And USF1 have been granted extra straight line testing days to help their preparations; they are only supposed to have 4, and that was originally 6 before it was cut back. As it is, they are allowed to do their pre-season tests in the US rather than travel to Europe!
11th January: Fernando Alonso makes his first appearance in Ferrari red at their traditional skiing event. What if you can’t ski? Do you just have to watch?
11th January: The FIA says it WILL appeal the Briatore verdict. Keeps the lawyers in cream buns I suppose. Then they’ll change the rules. In the meantime the FIA says the Crashgate 2 can still not work in F1. But it won’t enforce the part about drivers managed by Briatore not getting a superlicence….. not that any of them seemed to worry about their Briatore connection!
6th January: Mad Max says the Briatore affair is far from over and says the FIA can just change the rules so that non-licence holders can be banned as well! Regarding the suggestion that Flav could sue the Piquets, Max says: “It’s just talk. A little bit of boasting in the Italian press. The fact is if he went after the Piquets there would be a countersuit that would make his eyes water…….because don’t forget he accused them of blackmail and extortion, which is very defamatory….Remember, the court did not find that [Briatore] was not guilty. They just didn't like the procedure we used. But it's a very preliminary judgement. I think the FIA should appeal the judgement because I think it is seriously flawed in a number of areas. Aspects of it are just extraordinary. Symonds actually admitted in writing that he was guilty and yet they found in his favour. But that's only because they are not looking at the substance, they are just looking at the procedure."
5th January: Renault announces that Eric Boullier will be it’s new team principal, as Bob bell moves aside to oversee the car design and production. It’s interesting that it’s today that a French court rules that the life ban for Flavio Briatore and the 5 year ban for Pat Symonds should be overturned. This is not because they are not guilty but because the decision is “irregular” because the FIA has no jurisdiction over those who are not licence holders. So they get off on a technicality and the FIA should announce the court verdict in French newspapers. Flav is pleased but says he has no immediate plans to return to F1. It gets the English football league off the hook though as Flav continues to run QPR! Not that they’d even mentioned it as a problem as far as we’re aware! Flav also threatens to sue the Piquets…..
23rd December: He cannot be serious!!! Michael Schumacher will drive for Mercedes GP in 2010!! Well, he’ll have one title….. oldest man on the grid! He reckons his neck is better now! Ross Brawn must have talked him into it…. you have to feel sorry for Nico Rosberg who signed up thinking he’d be top dog, when in waltzes Schumacher!
21st December: Maurizio Flammini, organiser of the Rome GP proposed for 2012 tells Gazzetta dello Sport: "The first agreement has been signed. The details can't be disclosed, but it's a written confirmation that Bernie will support the GP in Rome.” But representatives of Monza are not so impressed: “This is the latest act of arrogance from a parasite capital city that has lived for the last 2000 years with the oxygen stolen from the other towns," Monza mayor Marco Mariani told Gazzetta. Monza provincial president Dario Allevi added: "This wouldn't be the first time Flammini lies for propagandistic reasons." Whoa! Steady on, boys!
18th December: The Turkish GP is in jeopardy after 2010, as Ecclestone doubles the price of the contract, according to their local media. It’s obviously outlived its usefulness…
17th December: Now this is a weird one….. Kamui Kobayashi joins Sauber for 2010. It’s nice for him, and now he won’t have to work in his father’s sushi restaurant. But you’d never have put them together, would you? There doesn’t seem to be money involved…
16th December: Renault announces a partnership with the Genii company, which is quite apt in this Panto season. The team will stay as Renault but wants to be ‘greener’. Didn’t Honda try that with the Earth car? And look what happened to them!
15th December: The Virgins confirm there is a new one in their ranks: Lucas di Grassi will partner Timo for 2010. They have the launch in Notting Hill for some reason…. Is that Branson’s house?
14th December: Jarno and Heikki Kovalainen are confirmed at Lotus F1 Team for 2009. Jarno has a 3 year deal, dunno about Heikki. See the News page…
11th December: The FIA announces a new points system for F1. Who’s been interfering here then? They say it’s due to the expanded grid. The new system works this way: 25 points for a win, then 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1.. It will now be impossible to compare previous years though…..oh wait, there’s bound to be some boffin who works it out!
10th December: The teams approve changing the name of Brawn GP to Mercedes GP. And they get all the perks Brawn won in 2009.
7th December: Silverstone gets the British GP for the next 17 years!!!! Hooray!!! You see, we had to go through the pain of Donington to get to this point… Silverstone is making some changes to the track and starting work on a new pits and paddocks complex after Christmas. It won’t be the same if they do all that though… there wasn’t that much wrong with it.
4th December: Renault is considering bids to take control of its F1 team. In the frame is David Richards’ Prodrive, and Genii Capital, headed up by some geezer called Gerard Lopez. Ecclestone approves especially of the latter so there’s bound to be something wrong with it. * Kimi Raikkonen joins the World Rally Championship with the Citroen Junior Team in a car backed by Red Bull. Just for 2010 for now.
December
30th November: Manor GP will run under the name Virgin Racing in 2010. So Timo is a virgin…..
27th November: BMW agrees to sell Peter Sauber’s original team back to Peter Sauber. It’s as if he’s never been away! The other suitor Qadbak, the Swiss company with the Arabic name, is out of the picture. * Force India retains Sutil and Liuzzi for 2010. Fisi didn’t get it then. * The Canadian GP’s return to the calendar is now official. It’s a 5 year deal. The governments of Canada and Quebec, Montreal and Tourisme Montreal have had a whip round to get it back….
26th November: Lotus and Manor are granted FOTA membership, so now FOTA has ‘em all!!! Even Toyota is still a member….. huh????
23rd November: Nico Rosberg joins Mercedes/Brawn expecting to partner Jenson, only to find he’s jumped ship! Nico’s calling it a “Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010”. No news yet on the other Merc driver…..
18th November: A new low for the company that leases Donington: Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd has gone into administration. Shame about their 150 year lease. And direct from Cloud Cuckoo Land, the recovery company Begbies Traynor hopes that someone will buy the company and still hold a Grand Prix in 2011….
18th November: Nick Fry reckons Jenson may have signed for McLaren for less than Brawn/Mercedes were offering. “I respect his decision. It’s not one that I would have made and I think he has been poorly advised…..we don’t understand the logic of the decision and I think Jenson is going to have to up his game if he’s going to beat Lewis on home territory.” Sir Jackie Stewart also believes “it’s a mistake by Jenson…There’s a totally different culture in McLaren, something that he might never have experienced before….It will be difficult for him to take on Lewis Hamilton….because Lewis has had three years with McLaren now. He has it his way. He’s already disposed of one driver (Alonso)… and I think that Lewis will want to retain his position of prominence in the team….”
18th November: Something Jenson forgot to mention to Ross, obviously: Jenson HAS signed for McLaren, a 3 year deal, partnering Lewis Hamilton. Oh Jenson, what have you done? Unless you had no choice because Merc froze you out, this “dream team” could be a nightmare, especially for you. Team Lulu is built around Hamilton, the car will be to HIS liking, he expects to be number one. This could all go horribly wrong for you. Why didn’t you sign earlier for Brawn then they’d have to keep you in “your” team? Or pay you a sight more than Mac are to get rid of you! There’s a big discrepancy in salary between two World Champions. And what of Kimi, who would only consider driving for McLaren? His wage demands priced him out. Too greedy mate. He will take a year off from F1. “A gap year means nothing to Kimi” says manager Steve Robertson. Quite.
17th November: Timo Glock joins new team Manor GP for 2010. He obviously doesn’t trust in Renault either, which is where he was rumoured to end up. He says he wants to help develop the car and build up the team, which he says is run by “true racers”, whatever that means.
16th November: Mercedes takes over the Brawn F1 team. How clever is Ross Brawn? He takes a chance investing in a team, gives it his name, they win the WDC and the Constructors Championship, so he is forever in the record books, and then sells to Mercedes, trousering a fortune. And still keeps his job! Brilliant! Mercedes take over a winning team and sensibly keeps its driving force in Ross. Ross poopoos the speculation that Jenson is about to sign for McLaren, stating “negotiations are continuing and the reports that he has already signed terms with McLaren are not helpful”. However, there are suggestions that Mercedes has already signed Nico Rosberg and is keen to have two German drivers, which isn’t JB…. McLaren keep Merc engines though.
Q & A with Jarno about Sutil!!!
From Autosport 19th October 2009 http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79623
Q. You still seem quite upset by what happened with Adrian Sutil.
Jarno Trulli: I am not angry because of the result, I am angry because of the manoeuvre which was extremely, extremely dangerous. We know it is an easy flat out corner, and he should have given me enough space not to go on the kerbs. We were in sixth gear and we were lucky that no one got injured - but this was something really bad.
Q. Adrian says he could not see you in the rear view mirror.
JT: Yeah, because I was next to him! And why then did he protect himself on the inside? He knew that he came out of that corner very slow because of Kimi Raikkonen. I didn't know what happened to Raikkonen. I saw them suddenly slow down. I thought if I could pull away, Sutil would stay there and I was coming with much more speed. He went on the inside so I went on the outside, and we went side-to-side to him. There is an onboard camera showing my front wheel next to his wheel, so if you looking at the back then I am not there.
He might say that he drove on the racing line. Yes, but I am still on the racing line in this case. So if you decide to stay on the inside, then stay on the inside. Don't pull on the outside because I am there – and you can see him there. The problem was that he put me over the kerbs – and once I was on the kerbs I lost car control completely.
And the fact that I hit him on the back is that once I was on the kerbs that car got unstable. I lifted off and then I hit him on the back – even though at the time I was next to him.
Q. Are there some drivers that need a slap on the wrist?
JT: I spoke with Fernando Alonso straight after crash, as he saw the accident. He said that Sutil is totally crazy. What he did was totally crazy. Because we were probably at 250-260km/h, flat in sixth gear. It is a straight, even though it is a bend, because it is flat in wet and dry conditions – and you cannot push someone like that. If there was a wall I would have hit the wall straight. He sent me over the kerbs.
Q. So you don't accept his apology that he could not see you, which is why he moved across?
JT: Well, I think he really thought I was stupid. But the problem is, he pulled onto the inside to protect himself because he knew the speed difference – as he had a problem with the car in front. When that happens the first thing you do is look in the mirror and protect yourself as you know someone is going to come.
That is why he went on the inside, and I went on the outside. Clearly you can see from the television images and the onboard shots that I was next to him. So why did he pull onto the outside line and then push me on the kerbs. I can accept that he did not see me in his mirrors, but there was no one to see in the mirrors at that stage.
Q. Even if he says he says he could not see you at all...
JT: No. No. No. Come on. It is impossible. The speed difference was too much. You can expect someone coming clearly quick next to you. This is what happened. You can see I was three lengths behind in the shot before Turn 4. This gives you an idea because there is no shot between Turn 4 and Turn 5. You only see after Turn 5 and you can see, in Turn 5 already that I am next to him. So what happened between Turn 4 and Turn 5?
It is what I am telling you – he lost three car lengths because he basically ran nearly into Kimi. So he lifted off, and probably had to brake because the speed difference between me and him was too much. I can understand that he protected himself going onto the inside, but you have to leave me enough space to go around. You know I am coming much quicker than you.
Can you imagine - I know that you are quicker than me, so I go on the inside and then I try to push you on the outside, ignoring that you are going to go there? It is an easy flat corner. You cannot imagine anyone to lift off there, even on the outside. You can go around that corner flat three cars together.
Q. Is this the worst incident of its type that you seen in Formula 1?
JT: Honestly, yes. That is why I was so bloody nervous afterwards when I jumped out of the car. To happen once is a racing accident – we might have a touch or we might bang wheels. But when someone does it deliberately at that speed, this is crazy. It is unacceptable. You cannot do that. It is like a straight – you are flat, and he basically sent me onto the kerbs and grass when I was on the straight. I cannot accept any apology, I am sorry. It is clear to anyone in the paddock that you cannot do that.
Q. In all the years you have been in F1, I have never seen you so upset.
JT: You know why, because it was dangerous. The way I lost the car control immediately I touched the kerb. I was next to him and it was enough to push me right onto the kerbs, then he was still on the inside. It was flat. We were on the straight, not in the corner, and I was worried as I spun about if anyone would come and hit me.
Q. And you saw what happened when Sutil collected Alonso afterwards?
JT: This is what I was wondering. On the straight at 260km/h you cannot play these games.
Q. Would you have driven the same with another driver, because Adrian claims there is a lack of respect as he is a Force India driver?
JT: I respect everyone in the paddock. I am the first man to respect everyone in this paddock. But what he has done today is totally crazy. And you ask any driver in the paddock for their comments about this – you ask Alonso, who was right behind me. He told me – it's a crazy manoeuvre. You cannot push someone on the straight line, flat out at 260km/h, straight onto the grass. It is unacceptable, come on.
Q. John Howett reckoned a podium place would have been possible?
JT: Yes. I totally agree. Maybe even fighting for the victory because on Friday I was very quick and very competitive. I had enough fuel. The strategy was fine. The start was good, so I was in the frame honestly to fight for the win. The car all weekend was very good.
Q. So how do you go about racing someone that you don't trust like this?
JT: I think in the paddock everyone knows him because he is always involved in accidents. But this one was the basic concept. You can go into a corner, brake later being on the inside or outside, make a collision or have a crash. You can argue that it is a racing accident. But pushing someone on the straight, because it was a straight. Trying to push him on the outside line and on the kerbs at 260km/h – you must be really mad. You must be crazy.
Q. With the FIA having done nothing, is it now a GPDA issue?
JT: We will talk about it I am sure, because it is something unacceptable. And the guy, Alonso, who was behind me said it was crazy.
Phew!!!!
Japanese Grand Prix Preview - Q+A with Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock
29th September 2009
How would you describe Suzuka as a circuit?
Jarno: It is a very technical and very challenging circuit. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction, so it is a very nice lay-out for a driver. Spa is very similar but I would say a little bit harder because it is longer. There are many different types of corner so you need your car to be strong in all areas and, as a medium-high-speed track, aerodynamics are very important. I am really looking forward to going back to Suzuka after two enjoyable trips to Fuji Speedway because it's one of the sport's great tracks.
Timo: Suzuka is a mega track, one of the best in the world. I am really looking forward to driving there again as it has been five years which is way too long! The main thing about Suzuka is that it is high speed and in a Formula 1 car that is a lot of fun. It is a really interesting circuit, with lots of different types of corners as well as up and downhill sections. It's certainly not easy.
What is your favourite part of the track?
Jarno: The track is too good to only choose one part! The combination of fast corners at the start of the lap is great fun in a Formula 1 car then you have the quick left-hander of 130R followed by hard braking for the chicane which is quite challenging.
Timo: For me the most exciting part of the track is the first sector, turns three, four and five going uphill. You're hitting over 300km/h so the speed and direction changes are really nice. It's just an unbelievable combination of corners. In the past I think 130R was quite challenging but now it is flat-out, even with the new aerodynamic rules.
What memories do you have of Suzuka?
Jarno: I have some good and some bad memories of Suzuka. Generally I have not been particularly lucky there. I remember back in 2003 I was fastest in first qualifying but in the second session it rained at the wrong time and I had to start at the back. But even so I was really quick in the race and finished fifth; if I had started in the top six I think I could have won it. One of my best memories of Suzuka is making my Toyota debut there in 2004. It was a really special experience to go to Japan for the first time as a Toyota driver and in first qualifying I was on provisional pole; seeing the reaction from the team and the fans was great. Obviously the car wasn't that competitive in race trim but it was good motivation to see what was possible.
Timo: I have only been to Suzuka once before and the first thing I remember is getting to the airport and realising my mobile phone didn't work. It was my first time to be anywhere in Japan I wasn't expecting that! I had to get another one. Apart from that I just remember the track being really, really impressive.
When was your first visit to Suzuka?
Jarno: I actually visited Suzuka for the first time many years ago before I reached Formula 1. It was in 1994 for a kart meeting and I won the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup, which was a very proud moment for me. I can't remember too much about the visit but obviously it was a different experience for an Italian who has spent most of his time in Europe.
Timo: My first race at Suzuka was in 2004, the year they had to postpone qualifying until Sunday due to the typhoon. That was a really surreal experience, not only because we were back in our hotel on a Saturday afternoon when we should have been qualifying but also because it was the first time I saw a typhoon; it was very impressive. I was watching the TV to see if it would really hit Suzuka or not. In the end it rained a lot but it wasn't as bad as expected. I didn't have the best race because my car at the time wasn't so competitive. I would have preferred to have a wet race but it stayed dry and I just got the car to the finish, in 15th.
What experiences have you had of the Japanese fans?
Jarno: The great thing about Japan, whether you go to Suzuka or Fuji, is the number of supporters we have there. As Toyota we have a lot of fans but I personally have a big fan club in Japan. I really enjoy spending some time with my fans in Japan during race week and I hope I can do the same again this year. They make it a special race for me because it feels like a second home Grand Prix. I have a lot of friends in Japan and I hope to celebrate with them on Sunday!
Timo: Last year I was really surprised how many fans were at Fuji supporting me and Toyota. They are so enthusiastic and they really love Formula 1. It's a great feeling to drive around a track and see Toyota flags and banners giving me support. It is really motivating and I can't wait to be back in Japan to experience it again. One thing I remember about being at Suzuka is that the fans surround you all the time. At the hotel there are always hundreds of fans waiting outside and if you drive in and out of the circuit they are everywhere, just wanting to say hello and give you their support. They are crazy, nice people and they create a really special atmosphere.
What are your targets for the Japanese Grand Prix?
Jarno: This year we should be competitive and we hope to be very strong so I hope to race well in our home Grand Prix. We are strong enough to be in the top six and we should be aiming to get near the podium. I hope to give the Japanese fans a good show and a result they can enjoy.
Timo: One day I would love to win the Japanese Grand Prix for Toyota; that is a dream. I don't know if that will be possible this year so my target for the weekend is to fight for the podium; if I can stand on the podium in front of the Toyota fans that would be perfect.
What are you particularly looking forward to this weekend?
Jarno: That's easy: spending time with my fans and driving at Suzuka again.
Timo: Aside from driving at Suzuka again, I am looking forward to two things; it will be great to be in Tokyo again because it's a really cool city and I have spent a lot of time there the past couple of years. It's good fun so I'm happy to have a short time there before the race. The other thing I am looking forward to is sushi; I am really a fan and the best sushi in the world is obviously in Japan.
Italian Grand Prix Preview Q+A - Jarno Trulli
9th September 2009
Is it different for you to be racing in your home Grand Prix this weekend?
For me, the Italian Grand Prix is a very special occasion and I always look forward to this weekend. It's great to drive in front of your own fans and there are always a lot of people supporting me at Monza. In the past we had two Grands Prix in Italy, plus some testing, but this weekend is the only time I will be driving on my home ground this year and I only live a couple of hours or so away in St Moritz so it is really local for me.
Why is Monza such a special venue for Formula 1?
Because it is in Italy and the Italians make it special! Monza is just a very different circuit from any other in Formula 1 because you have the long straights, high speeds, low downforce, heavy braking and the chicanes. It is not the most technical circuit but it is unique in Formula 1. I think the Italian fans make Monza really special as they are passionate about motorsport in general, whether it is Formula 1 or whatever. The Italian Grand Prix is a major event for all Italians and Monza is the home of Italian motorsport.
Do your home fans motivate you more?
It's impossible to be more motivated or to push harder than I am doing! As a driver you do notice when you have more support than usual and you appreciate it, but there's no way you can try any harder. If I wasn't giving 100% at all Grands Prix, I would not be doing my job, so in that sense Monza is just like any other race. Perhaps it would just make it a bit sweeter if I could get a great result...
What was it like to race in the wet at Monza last year?
Monza is definitely a track where you want good weather. Wet conditions are not the best for this track, especially on the long straights where visibility is virtually zero. At the moment the forecast looks much better than last year which is good for everyone.
What are the key attributes you need in a car to be quick at Monza?
The main things are good top speed because of the very long straights then braking stability and the ability to ride the kerbs at the chicanes. You can gain a tenth of a second or so at each chicane if you can ride the kerbs well so you have to find a set-up which allows you to jump over the kerbs smoothly and get good traction at the exit. Exit speed is as important as top speed because if you are slow out of a corner you carry that disadvantage all the way down the long straight.
What are your memories of racing at Monza?
I think my first visit to Monza was in 1997 when I raced there in Formula 1 for the first time. From what I can remember it went quite well and I finished in the top 10. I have been strong several times at Monza; I finished fourth in 2002 to equal my team's best result of that season and in 2005 I was fifth. But I've had some really bad luck as well. Three times in four years I qualified in the top six and was in good shape but had to retire on the first lap, twice because I was hit from behind and once because of a technical problem. This year I want to create some more positive memories!
Is there one thing you particularly look forward to at Monza?
Apart from racing in front of my home fans it is definitely the food. I am Italian so there is only one type of food for me! There are so many great places to eat around Monza but the hotel where I stay has a very good restaurant so the Italian Grand Prix weekend is my favourite from that point of view.
Do you expect a competitive weekend?
I hope we can be competitive. It is quite hard to predict this season because our relative performance has changed from race to race sometimes. We were strong in Spa which has some similar characteristics to Monza, and it was encouraging to see our improvement in qualifying. I don't want to make any predictions but as always I will give my all and I hope we can be fighting at the front again.
Can you explain what is happening on Saturday night?
Since the terrible earthquake in Abruzzo, which is my home region, I have been raising money to help the victims through the Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal. We have already raised over Euro75,000 through www.abruzzonelcuore.net and we expect to raise a lot more on Saturday night in Monza. There will be an auction of overalls and helmets from different drivers, as well as watches from Audemars Piguet, to raise money for Abruzzo. We have had support from the other drivers and the other teams. We also received a lot of help, in terms of donations and organisation, from Audemars Piguet and I'm sure this will really help the people of Abruzzo. The money we are raising will be used to help them rebuild their lives and I hope we can build a new school or something useful for their community.
YourRacingCar.com
Fathers Day
Dare to be different with a gift that lasts all season long! Remember ‘Pass the Parcel’ – well that’s what we have on offer for you to give – several surprises in one package.
Gift a YourRacingCar.com pack and an exclusive tyre-tread team cap and pin will wing its way to you with an adult ticket to Paradise Wildlife Park, Hertfordshire for you to wrap as you choose.
We’ll pop a “Welcome YRC’er” card with their unique YRC number in with the details of all the other benefits and ask them to go to the website to see how to claim them; £25 off of track days, 10% off or racing experiences, 10% discount on solar travel products, cheaper motorsport merchandise, two–for-one entry to the London Motor Museum, a trip to a big cat wildlife sanctuary in Kent, and the chance to be in the monthly prize draw.
On the website the lucky YRC’er will see that since the season started they could have won a PowerTraveller DVD player, an in-car AudioSystem amplifier, a pair of Select Motor Racing hospitality tickets to the BTCC at Donington Park and a BookATrack track day courtesy of YRC’s partners.
June’s fantastic prize is for ten YRC’ers and a friend each to visit the Ginetta factory in Leeds during July, to see these high-performance cars being built and maybe even catch a glimpse of the Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 back from it’s Le Mans stint on the 13 and 14 June. Names will be drawn at the end of the month.
The lucky gift recipient will get the chance to upload a picture of their choice and to put their name or a message on the YRC racing car for this season.
So a gift worth over £100 will be all wrapped up, at a cost of just £27.95 (including P&P) to you. Father’s Day is heading this way fast so to ensure delivery on time please join up by 15 June.
If you fancy splashing a bit more cash the team’s first race t-shirt and the season t-shirt are only £10 each in a fab quality black cotton with striking green designs to suit all shapes and sizes from XS to XXL.
To set up your gift account, just think of a user name between eight and 15 letters and confirm the t-shirt size needed by dropping us a line at admin@yourracingcar.com putting “GIFT” in the subject line. We’ll sort out the checkout with you and pop everything in the same posting packet.
If you fancy treating yourself then it’s easy to join at www.joinyrc.com and if you are already a YRC’er and want to add to your team gear just drop us a line at admin@yourracingcar.com with “T-SHIRT” in the subject line.
PRESS RELEASE
More history in the making at Croft … take your place in the race!
YourRacingCar.com (YRC) the fan-funded racing team will celebrate their fifth race outing at the Croft circuit on the 13 and 14 June whilst the illustrious circuit will be making preparations for its 45th anniversary of motor racing in August. How fitting that the YRC team are running a hand-built car made in Yorkshire, as they take part in the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup which runs in support of the HiQ British Touring Car Championship.
No ordinary car, this is the YRC car which has pictures from it’s fan sponsors on the roof and their names and messages on the bonnet, so the fans get a place in the race! Reaching speeds of up to 130 mph on the circuit puts the fans in a spin as they try to spot themselves at the track, but all are welcome to pop by the garage between races! Croft is a great track to experience exciting motor racing first-hand with the Ginetta G50 not being just a car chase, but providing a lot of high-speed over-taking , thrills and spills.
“Running a team funded by people who love motorsport took a leap of faith due to the sheer numbers required,” said Hannah James, Team Manager, “but the support has been great as we get to the
half-way point in the season. It’s brilliant to welcome fans local to the circuit at each round and they get the extra thrill of cheering their own car home. The June prize draw has a Yorkshire theme as it offers an extra special treat for 10 YRC fans, and a friend, who will have the chance to visit the Leeds-based Ginetta racing factory in July.”
Adopting the traits of hard-work and thrift, the small YourRacingCar.com crew works hard to keep an eye on the money spent and to give something back to the fans. If you join the team as a fan sponsor in return you’ll get your name and a picture on the car plus perks which can be worth over four times the season sponsorship fee of £25. YRC’s fans get an exclusive team cap and pin plus special offers on a number of days out, track days and experiences, travel products and motorsport merchandise and entry into the monthly prize draws.
Small businesses are invited to get involved too and experience the thrill of being a racing car sponsor. Deals on Racing Wheels is a credit crunch buster marketing package, which not only puts the business name over the wheel arch of the car, it also gives back benefits to share with staff or suppliers and customers to more than the value of the spend and two tickets to the racing plus a signed tyre presented to the business at the end of the racing weekend; just contact hannah@yourracingcar.com.
YourRacingCar.com will next be out at Croft, Yorkshire on the 13 and 14 June 2009 and if you want to be part of history in the making of the fan-funded car go to http://www.joinyrc.com/
MONACO POST QUALY Q&A
By Jonathan Noble
http://www.autosport.com/ |
Saturday, May 23rd 2009 |
Q & A with Jarno Trulli
After securing its first front row lockout in Bahrain just two races ago, Toyota is suddenly in the doldrums, with Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock occupying the last row of the grid in Monaco.
What's worse, however, is that the team has no answers about the lack of performance. Trulli talked about Toyota's worrying situation after qualifying, and AUTOSPORT was there.
Q. How do you think things are looking for tomorrow?
Jarno Trulli: I don't think we are looking good at all, so we will see.
Q. Is it a big shock what has happened this weekend?
JT: It was a bit unexpected the underperforming here, but it is a shame that we did not get as good as in Q1 - because I was able but I just found traffic. At the end of the day, it was a terrible day.
Q. How do you explain the fact that two races ago you were fighting for the win in Bahrain and locked out the front row, and two races on you are at the back of the grid?
JT: There are many things we need to understand at the moment. We don't know.
Q. Is it down to car characteristics? The car set-up?
JT: The set-up not for sure, because we have tried everything – we really put the car upside down and anything we did, did not change the situation. It is difficult now to judge.
Q. Do you think it could have been a track specific thing for the last two races?
JT: No, no. At the moment I don't have an answer because we need to investigate and understand.
Q. And no inkling that this sort of thing could happen in the pre-season built-up?
JT: Yes. We never had such a bad performance in any of the conditions we met over the winter. We are a little bit disappointed about what is happening because we are finding it hard to understand.
Q. Do you think other teams have made bigger steps of development with their cars then?
JT: It doesn't explain one and a half seconds. It is too much – especially for me in Monaco. It is too much.
Q. Is this one of the biggest disappointments of your F1 career?
JT: So far, yes. Okay, I was unlucky to find the traffic otherwise I would have qualified 15th in Q1, but nevertheless the pace is just too far away. It is too far away.
Q. Does the car feel different to drive compared to how it was at the start of the season?
JT: No. The car doesn't feel bad. There is just no grip. It looks like we cannot stress the tyres, get temperature in the tyres, we cannot switch them on. That is the key.
Q. Could that explain what has happened then?
JT: If we can understand this, then we can make a big step forward. But the main problem is turning the tyres on. At the moment we cannot do that and we do not understand why. I don't know why. It is really hard to answer.
Q. And tomorrow, what is the best you can hope for?
JT: We will race and we will see. I really have no idea, but I don't think we can race for points unless many cars stop in front of us.
Q. Is the car problem something that could be cured quickly by looking at data in the factory?
JT: We are already analysing. But the problem is that as drivers we both have the same problem – there is no grip. It is not a question of balance, there is just no grip. We cannot feel the car. We cannot feel the tyres – and we are struggling to make the best use of the tyres. It is not the car – we have changed everything, really everything, and nothing has made a difference.
Q. Could the lack of testing this year have had an impact on the situation?
JT: No. I don't think so. No. I believe more that we need to understand what is going on. There is no testing that will help us, because there are other things that we will have to look at. Obviously this has never been a good race track for Toyota – but it has never been so bad as well.
BAHRAIN POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE
Q. Jarno, a great result for you and a great Q3. But many problems today with the brakes, the wind and the heat.
Jarno TRULLI: It wasn't an easy qualifying I think for everyone but for me it made everything more difficult as after the first run we found out a couple of troubles on my car especially I was struggling with the brakes. The pedal was getting longer and longer and I was not able to brake the way I wanted. Nevertheless I did not give up as I knew I had a good car and I could fight for pole, so it was really nice to end up with first and second for the team especially for Toyota. Mr Okamoto is also here to support us, so it is great to show him what a great result and what great work we have been doing over the winter time and today.
Q. Timo, you lost a little bit of time in P3 this morning with an electrical problem. But a great qualifying for you too.
Timo GLOCK: Yeah, it was not too bad. We found quite a lot overnight as we struggled yesterday with the brakes quite a lot. You know overnight we did the right changes to the car and I was really, really happy this morning. I was quite surprised that I was still quickest at the end and I was quite happy for qualifying. In qualifying the wind changed and I struggled a little bit in the first run. It was a bit more points, a bit more nervous, it was a bit difficult. And in the Q3 lap I knew when I crossed the start-finish that it would not be enough for Jarno as he is really, really good in qualifying, especially in Q2 getting everything out of the fuel load. I had one mistake in it when I lost a bit of time but at the end I think it would not have been enough for pole but I am happy for the team. The mechanics had a hard time the last couple of weeks. The first four races were really, really hard and I think it is really good for the team.
Q. Sebastian, on the back of your great win in Shanghai continuing your record in the top three again. It looks like you saved a set of tyres in Q2 and a big smile on your face now as we go into the race.
Sebastian VETTEL: Yes, I think it was a good session for us. I think we could see already in Q1 that it was very tight. It was not enough to do one run on the prime, so I think everybody had to put the option on. The whole field, we could see already this morning, is very close together. But to come back I think it was a smooth qualifying session for us, we did not have any problems. We have a very, very quick car. In Q2 we only needed one run and we still managed to stay quickest, so that was very good. Even the circuit was improving. But I think in Q3 the two Toyotas today were just a bit too quick. I am looking forward to tomorrow though. I reckon they will pull in a bit earlier but it is a long race. Let's see, but of course I am looking forward.
Q. Jarno, your reaction to Sebastian's comment there that maybe you are going to be pulling in a bit earlier than he will and also your thoughts going in on potentially the day Toyota might win their first grand prix.
JT: To be honest I did not feel very confident for the qualifying lap. I have been working quite a lot more on the race pace and I felt more competitive and this is why probably I am on pole as today when we fuelled the car, it felt better. I feel especially confident for tomorrow. I should not have any problems apart from the fact that we need to analyse the brake and see the situation there.
Q. Jarno, it does sound that there is a bit of a worry about brakes. What can be done between now and the race itself?
JT: It was a hard qualifying. I had troubles with my car. At the beginning we found out that maybe we had some problem with the fuel, so I had a bit more extra fuel on board to make sure I was not running out of fuel. And then the biggest problem was the brakes. We have not had any problem during the whole weekend but unfortunately in qualifying after the two runs I was struggling and I lost a couple of tenths on all my runs from Q2 to Q3, so I think there is much more potential in the car. But I cannot be so disappointed being on pole. Obviously I was not so confident to be here today because I have been spending most of the time on the race pace and I think I was much more comfortable on a heavier fuelled car and this probably I have shown in Q3, so I am extremely confident for tomorrow's race as the car in general has been running pretty well.
Q. But what can be done between now and tomorrow morning?
JT: We need to analyse the data to see if we have some problem on the brakes and eventually if we can change it as straight away after the first run I had a problem and all weekend I never appeared to be in trouble, so this is a bit of a worry.
Q. After yesterday you said that you wanted more drivability to the car and the team also said that tyre choice was not particularly critical which is interesting as well.
JT: Yeah, there are a few things which are interesting which we discovered yesterday and today compared to winter time testing as I believe the position has changed dramatically. All in all we are happy with the data collected and I think we have quite a good idea what can happen tomorrow. Obviously we just have to wait and see but I must say I am very confident for the race as my race pace and looking after the tyres has been pretty good all weekend.
Q. Timo, you have not had any brakes problems?
TG: We had the problems yesterday. I struggled quite a lot yesterday with the car already and was far away from the test pace and overnight we had a lot of stuff to change and it worked out this morning that we were quickest in P3, so I was pretty happy with the car. But in qualifying the wind changed a bit and we struggled already in Q1 on the prime tyres and I couldn't get the lap together and had to get used to it first. After that I was quite happy in Q2 in the last run and this was okay. In Q3 I was still struggling a bit to get used to the heavier fuel load from low fuel in Q2 into Q3 and after turn eight I knew it would not work out for pole because I did a mistake. In the end I have to be happy with the first row for Toyota and it is really good for the team. A perfect result and thanks to the mechanics for all the hard work in the last four weeks. I think it was one of the toughest beginnings of the season for them and it is a good result for us.
Q. Presumably they had quite a lot of work last night as well because you were saying yesterday that the car was quite hard to drive and yet you set fastest time this morning and then stopped on circuit.
TG: Yeah, what we had this morning was a bit strange. Suddenly the engine went off and we had a little bit of an electrical problem. We found that quite quickly and were able to repair it in time. In the end, I think we have to be happy with the result.
Q. How much is this performance due to the modifications that have been made to the car since China?
TG: I don't think it was a big step, just some small improvements on the car, so nothing big to notice. At the end the result in qualifying is just the result of a smooth qualifying and we've never had a smooth qualifying. I think we've made our lives a bit difficult in the first couple of weekends. We've started two times from the pit lane and we've had to fight quite a lot in the race. Now we've had a smooth weekend so far in qualifying especially and hopefully we are quick in the race.
Q. Sebastian, was third on the grid better or worse than you expected?
SV: It's always difficult to know what to expect when you go into qualifying, especially with different fuel loads. You either go aggressive, conservative or average. It really depends, so you don't know what to expect. We have known since yesterday - yesterday afternoon was quite good for us and also this morning - that our car is quick. I think we proved that in Q1 and Q2, so that was very good. In Q3 I was personally a bit surprised by how big the gap was to Jarno, he was very, very fast but I think it was the best we could have achieved today, so thanks for that and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It will be very hot, it will be a long race, so a long way to go. I think it's very important to be in front of Jenson as it was very tight with him. I think we did more or less the same lap time, so that was good; gaining any grid positions always helps, so let's see tomorrow.
Q. Have you had any problems with brakes?
SV: Well, I wouldn't say problems. I think Bahrain is well known as a heavy braking circuit, so you ask a lot of your brakes. There's a lot of stop and go here, so tomorrow, also with these temperatures, it will be difficult to cool them but I think this is the kind of problem everybody will face. I think we are prepared, so I hope we don't have any problems tomorrow.
Q. And is there a big difference in tyres for you?
SV: I would say that both compounds are working really well here. We were basically focusing on getting the car into race trim over the last two days, so I think we will have a good time on both compounds and not face any problems similar or close to Australia where we had a lot of graining. I think both compounds are working well here, and Bahrain isn't that heavy on tyres, more so on the brakes, so I think we will be fine, even though it's very hot. Let's see tomorrow - if there's no sand storm it will be a good race.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q. (Ottavio Daviddi – Tuttosport) Jarno, I think the pressure will be very big starting from pole; are you afraid of that?
JT: I wish I could always have this pressure. I'm not afraid. One time I was on pole I won, I think, so it's not a problem.
Q. (Marco Evangelisti – Corriere dello Sport) Jarno, do you want to dedicate this pole to someone?
JT: Well, definitely my thoughts have recently always been with my region. As you all know, I'm supporting a charity campaign with all the drivers as well, the GPDA, and I'm trying to involve as many people as possible, so my first thoughts are with my region, obviously as well to the Toyota team and everybody. One of the big bosses, Mr Okamoto, is here, so it's nice to show him that we are doing well this year.
Q. (Frederic Ferret – L'Equipe) Question to Jarno and Timo: can you explain why you are on the front row together today compared to the other circuits? Is it that the track suits the TF109?
JT: I think half of it is thanks to the fact that we have been testing here over the winter time, part of it is also thanks to the fact that we have seen in the past that this is one of the tracks which our cars seems to like and partly because we have done a better job than the others. I don't know, but putting everything together puts both cars on the front row, so it just shows that the whole team has done a reasonably good job.
TG: I think, as Jarno said, we have just put everything together this time and had no trouble, and the car was closer to that which we knew from winter testing. Maybe that's due to the fact that we tested more here but in the end, I just think it was a good qualifying because everything went smoothly and we just got it together. That's it.
Q. (Frederic Ferret – L'Equipe) And what do you fear from this race?
SV: Sand storm.
JT: I don't know. During the first three races, I don't think things have really worked out well for me. I just hope for a trouble free race and I'm sure we can do a good job and get a good result because if I look back at everything that's happened during the past races, it's always been a bit difficult for me, so I just hope everything goes alright. RG: Yeah, for me the wind and the KERS cars. I think the best KERS car is Lewis Hamilton in P5 and that could be a little worry for us up to the first corner. I think the KERS cars have shown that they are really, really strong at the start and that could be one point. I hope we have a clean start and not the same problems that we had in Malaysia and get a clean race.
Q. (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Deutschland) Sebastian, what do read from the results of Q2 and did the results of Q3 make you any more worried?
SV: No, not worried. I think in Q2 there's no need to play around, so everyone tries to go as quickly as possible. I was surprised how good we were, so we only needed one run, so we were able to save tyres for tomorrow. I think it showed that we are doing well here, the car is behaving well, so in Q3, when I crossed the line and I got the message and also the lap times from the guys ahead, from Timo and Jarno, I was a bit surprised but on the other hand, you never know, sometimes your car is a lot better on lighter fuel levels, sometimes it's better on high fuel levels but I think we should be sorted for tomorrow.
Q. (Beniamino Casadei – Il Giornale) When you were a young boy, an Italian fan of Formula One, did you enjoy more success for an Italian team on pole or for an Italian driver?
JT: As an Italian, Formula One was represented by Ferrari, so anything which was Formula One had to be red, I remember, but I grew up in a family which was a big fan of motor sport in general and they were actually not just big fans of Ferrari but talking about and discussing drivers a lot and their performance, so I grew up more with an overall mentality, rather than just a Ferrari mentality because unfortunately in Italy, Formula One is not represented by me or Giancarlo (Fisichella) but it's Ferrari and this can be a down point for us but on the other hand you just have to deal with it. I'm lucky enough that I was able to get here and I'm on pole now and that's it.
Q. (Roland Hughes – The National) Question for all of you: how much do you think the heat will play a part tomorrow, not only for the cars but for the drivers themselves?
JT: I'm not concerned at all, to be honest. If you look back, all my best performances always come in the worst, difficult conditions. I'm more than happy to race in these hot conditions.
TG: For me it's not a problem. I think at the end, when you see the numbers – 40 degrees or 38 degrees – you think it's pretty hot in the car but at least it's a dry heat, so it's reasonable. I don't have so many problems and it's OK.
SV: I think it should be colder tomorrow if I'm not wrong, not too much, still hot but maybe a little bit colder. I think the worst time is when you're waiting in the pits in the garage to go out again and you're kind of standing and the car is stationary and the car is hot. It's much better when you're driving on the circuit, you get a little bit of air and as Timo said, it's probably not as bad as Malaysia because there's not so much humidity. How hot is it going to be in Abu Dhabi when we are there? (Reply: Cooler.)
Q. (Peter Hesseler – Pitpress) Jarno, what was the problem with the brakes and what do you think was possible without any problems on the car?
JT: To be honest we don't understand what happened. I could only feel that after the second run in Q1 the pedal was long, I was getting knock-off. We had to do a quick hot bleed between the two sessions but I was still having problems, so basically I was not stopping the car well and I could not handle the brake pedal well, so I couldn't feel it very well. Some time was lost there but as I say, I cannot be too disappointed now and see what we can do tomorrow.