Ferrari has downplayed suggestions that last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix highlighted a major engine reliability problem for the Italian marque.
After both his and Felipe Massa's engines had to be replaced before the race in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso then retired at Sepang last weekend with a smoky blown V8.
Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi's Ferrari-powered Saubers also failed in the Malaysian heat, even though their problems were not related to Alonso's.
Ferrari has now confirmed that the Sauber-spec engines failed due to "a malfunction of the electronic engine management". All electronic control units fitted to F1 cars are supplied by McLaren Electronic Systems (MES).
The Maranello based team also said Alonso's Sepang failure was sudden and isolated, and therefore not linked to the problems in Bahrain that were caused "by a momentary overheating".
Ferrari said Alonso's separate gearbox problem in Malaysia, where the Spaniard drove almost the entire race without a clutch, "could have caused some consequences for the engine".
"A more precise analysis can only be made when the engine is back at the works (factory) on Wednesday afternoon," added the team.
Source: Motorsport
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Malaysian. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Malaysian. Tampilkan semua postingan
Rabu, 07 April 2010
Selasa, 06 April 2010
Vettel Q&A: We've proved what the RB6 can do
After reliability issues in Bahrain and Australia, Red Bull finally unlocked the RB6’s true potential over the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend. From Mark Webber’s spectacular pole position to Sebastian Vettel’s superb victory on Sunday, the team dominated in Kuala Lumpur. Vettel reviews his race, explains how he managed to move ahead of Webber at the start and looks ahead to the next round in China…Q: Even though your team mate was on pole, you ended up winning the race…
Sebastian Vettel: In qualifying Mark had the poker face, and truly deserved pole position. For me, the most important thing was to have a good start. I was patient and tried to avoid wheel spin, which was the right thing to do. Then it was a long sprint towards Turn One where I used Mark’s tow and was able to dive in from the inside. But amongst team mates you are always a bit more careful - it does look very stupid on TV if you crash into your team mate’s car. In the end I think both of us tried to respect each other. During the race Mark was behind me all the time and kept pushing me, trying to push me into a mistake. There were stages when he was quicker, and at other times I was quicker. But in the end, when you are leading you are able to listen to your tyres, dictate your own pace and also react to what the guy behind is doing.
Q: At the start, did your intuition take over or was it a planned strategy?
SV: For me basically everything is more about intuition. Of course you can plan for any kind of situation, but looking back you realize that you just react to what is going on around you. You concentrate on the lights at first, and once they go off, you try to get away as quickly as possible. As Nico (Rosberg) mentioned, he pushed a bit too hard. I did the opposite, knowing I was on the dirty side of the track. I gave it a little time and pushed the throttle with patience. Coming down into Turn One, I came out of the slipstream, and then had to decide when the right time to attack was.
Q: Were you concerned about your car’s reliability at any point?
SV: Not really. I might have thought that I was really happy with the car and prayed that it would last for the next 20 laps. But there are so many other thoughts. I would say that we have proved what our car can do when it holds together. And to be fair, the failures that we had at the first two races were very rare and unlucky.
Q: It’s looking very tight in the driver standings at the moment. Do you think it will stay so tight all season?
SV: Yes for sure. We have seen how quickly things can change from one race to another. We had the pace this weekend, and we deserved this result especially after the first two races. It feels good to be back. Even though we don’t need this kind of motivation in the team, as everyone loves what they are doing. But still, these results remind you why you are here.
Q: Towards the end of the race, you tried to lap Lotus's Jarno Trulli but you suddenly held back…
SV: There was a yellow flag out, because Fernando (Alonso) had pulled off the track. Under yellow flags you are not allowed to overtake, but then Jarno was slowing down to allow me to pass. That was quite a critical situation, as I had to pace myself until the green flag was out again. Of course, in terms of the race, it would have been more exciting if the gap between Mark and myself was closer, but I had a good lead so I had the luxury of being able to waste a few seconds.
Source: Formula1.com
Senin, 05 April 2010
Hamilton is the pass master
LEWIS HAMILTON conjured up a Malaysian masterclass to lay claim to being the world's best driver.
The 2008 champion is in the form of his life, after producing a devastating display of overtaking for the second race in a row.
Hamilton finished sixth in Kuala Lumpur, as 22-year-old hot-shot Sebastian Vettel finally transferred Red Bull's superior speed into a race victory.
But given the Brit started 20th on the grid after his team's qualifying howler, there is no doubting who will be the man to beat if McLaren get their collective act together.
Hamilton, 25, declared: "That was not too bad, was it. I can't complain. I think the last two races I have pulled out something good.
"They are probably the two strongest races I have had for a long, long time. Maybe ever."
Hamilton blitzed down the inside when the red lights went out at the start and, after the first of the 56 laps on the steaming Sepang track had made up an incredible eight places.
Toro Rosso's Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Renault's Vitaly Petrov were then quickly picked off as he maintained his Melbourne momentum.
Russian rookie Petrov did not go down without a fight, launching a counter-revolution on the home straight.
Hamilton was forced to defend his place, with stewards giving him a warning for excessive weaving.
Renault chief Eric Boullier fumed: "He got a warning for dangerous driving but I am not sure it is enough." Incredibly, Hamilton was up to second before he made his stop for fresh tyres and dropped down to sixth midway through the race.
That is where he stayed, as his closest F1 pal Adrian Sutil fended him off in a Force India car that, like the McLaren, is powered by the class-of-the-field Mercedes engine.
Hamilton admitted: "Adrian's pace surprised me. But they've always been quite quick, as they have the same engine as us. He was flat out. I tried my best to get past him but he drove a fantastic race and was faultless. Well done to him. I am enjoying the racing, though."
Team-mate Jenson Button was also in a fierce battle for points with the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, after lining up 17th.
Button's decision to pit early for a change of tyres did not pay off as spectacularly as when he romped home in Australia last weekend.
His rubber had gone by the time Hamilton had pitted on lap 30 to emerge just fractions ahead of his fellow Brit.
Button fended off Massa, the new championship leader following his seventh spot, until four laps from the chequered flag.
The reigning champ then kept Alonso, who he had overtaken earlier, at bay until the Spaniard opted to make his move two laps from home.
But he outbraked himself heading into the first corner and, as Button regained eighth spot, the Ferrari engine went up in smoke. Button, 30, admitted: "Pitting early didn't work for me here. I was pushing as hard as I could before my stop and almost got past Lewis. We had a good little race.
"It was a case of trying to hold off the Ferraris. They were pretty much the toughest 20 laps for me, having those guys stuck up my a***. It was pretty intense "I couldn't hold off Felipe at the end and then I had Fernando coming up behind.
I didn't know Fernando's engine was going to go. He was hounding me lap after lap.
"He made a very bold move into turn one, went very wide and braked way too late. I was able to get back past him.
"I looked in my mirrors and saw smoke coming out of his engine, so I just thought 'Peace'.
"For two laps I could put the car in cruise control. I'm happy with eighth."
Vettel finally bagged a win, having led the first two races before being hit by reliability problems. He blasted from third to first at the start.
The German led a crushing one-two for Red Bull from pole-winning team-mate Mark Webber, with Nico Rosberg third.
Vettel, 22, was clearly drunk on his sixth career win, after swallowing more victory champagne than he intended.
He admitted: "I'm sorry. I'm a little tipsy. I think I drunk a bit too much."
Rosberg's third place was Mercedes' first podium since they bought out Brawn and he once again overshadowed his £29million team-mate Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time champ pulled off after nine anonymous laps with a wheel nut problem.
He is now only the fourth-best German in the standings behind Vettel, Rosberg and Sutil and 30 points behind Massa.
Schumacher, 41, said: "I was pacing myself. I am not a magician. I need more races."
But even he must know his mantle as the world's best has now been inherited by Hamilton.
Source: The Sun
The 2008 champion is in the form of his life, after producing a devastating display of overtaking for the second race in a row.
Hamilton finished sixth in Kuala Lumpur, as 22-year-old hot-shot Sebastian Vettel finally transferred Red Bull's superior speed into a race victory.
But given the Brit started 20th on the grid after his team's qualifying howler, there is no doubting who will be the man to beat if McLaren get their collective act together.
Hamilton, 25, declared: "That was not too bad, was it. I can't complain. I think the last two races I have pulled out something good.
"They are probably the two strongest races I have had for a long, long time. Maybe ever."
Hamilton blitzed down the inside when the red lights went out at the start and, after the first of the 56 laps on the steaming Sepang track had made up an incredible eight places.
Toro Rosso's Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Renault's Vitaly Petrov were then quickly picked off as he maintained his Melbourne momentum.
Russian rookie Petrov did not go down without a fight, launching a counter-revolution on the home straight.
Hamilton was forced to defend his place, with stewards giving him a warning for excessive weaving.
Renault chief Eric Boullier fumed: "He got a warning for dangerous driving but I am not sure it is enough." Incredibly, Hamilton was up to second before he made his stop for fresh tyres and dropped down to sixth midway through the race.
That is where he stayed, as his closest F1 pal Adrian Sutil fended him off in a Force India car that, like the McLaren, is powered by the class-of-the-field Mercedes engine.
Hamilton admitted: "Adrian's pace surprised me. But they've always been quite quick, as they have the same engine as us. He was flat out. I tried my best to get past him but he drove a fantastic race and was faultless. Well done to him. I am enjoying the racing, though."
Team-mate Jenson Button was also in a fierce battle for points with the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, after lining up 17th.
Button's decision to pit early for a change of tyres did not pay off as spectacularly as when he romped home in Australia last weekend.
His rubber had gone by the time Hamilton had pitted on lap 30 to emerge just fractions ahead of his fellow Brit.
Button fended off Massa, the new championship leader following his seventh spot, until four laps from the chequered flag.
The reigning champ then kept Alonso, who he had overtaken earlier, at bay until the Spaniard opted to make his move two laps from home.
But he outbraked himself heading into the first corner and, as Button regained eighth spot, the Ferrari engine went up in smoke. Button, 30, admitted: "Pitting early didn't work for me here. I was pushing as hard as I could before my stop and almost got past Lewis. We had a good little race.
"It was a case of trying to hold off the Ferraris. They were pretty much the toughest 20 laps for me, having those guys stuck up my a***. It was pretty intense "I couldn't hold off Felipe at the end and then I had Fernando coming up behind.
I didn't know Fernando's engine was going to go. He was hounding me lap after lap.
"He made a very bold move into turn one, went very wide and braked way too late. I was able to get back past him.
"I looked in my mirrors and saw smoke coming out of his engine, so I just thought 'Peace'.
"For two laps I could put the car in cruise control. I'm happy with eighth."
Vettel finally bagged a win, having led the first two races before being hit by reliability problems. He blasted from third to first at the start.
The German led a crushing one-two for Red Bull from pole-winning team-mate Mark Webber, with Nico Rosberg third.
Vettel, 22, was clearly drunk on his sixth career win, after swallowing more victory champagne than he intended.
He admitted: "I'm sorry. I'm a little tipsy. I think I drunk a bit too much."
Rosberg's third place was Mercedes' first podium since they bought out Brawn and he once again overshadowed his £29million team-mate Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time champ pulled off after nine anonymous laps with a wheel nut problem.
He is now only the fourth-best German in the standings behind Vettel, Rosberg and Sutil and 30 points behind Massa.
Schumacher, 41, said: "I was pacing myself. I am not a magician. I need more races."
But even he must know his mantle as the world's best has now been inherited by Hamilton.
Source: The Sun
Kamis, 01 April 2010
Michael Schumacher Q&A: We'll be more aggressive in qualifying
Although his tenth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix wasn’t ideal, Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher was looking remarkably relaxed in the Sepang paddock on Thursday. Schumacher reviews his Melbourne race and reveals what he plans to change ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian race…
Q: Michael, how frustrating was that first corner in Melbourne for you?
Michael Schumacher: I have been around long enough to know that it’s part of the game. At that moment it was feeling good, and I was thinking there might be a chance of a podium. But not long after that, I was hit. They were difficult conditions, so nobody is to blame. You just get on with the job.
Q: After the race did you complain to Jenson Button?
MS: No, no, I spoke to him about it because I wanted to check what happened, as a colleague. I have to say that he did a superb job in Melbourne that weekend. It was probably the most outstanding performance in that race. It is also fair to say that he had a slightly quicker car.
Q: Could you have stopped earlier to switch to the dry tyres?
MS: Well, we didn’t take that decision. I was not keen at that moment to change, as I thought it was still too risky and too damp, in the first sector in particular. Once we saw what Jenson was doing, we immediately reacted. For sure, it would have helped to make the stop one lap earlier, but the difference made by that lap wasn’t much. It was stopping on the following lap that made a really big difference. I think Webber stayed out for a long time and for sure it didn’t help him either.
Q: If you had a more competitive car, do you think people would still suggest you were a little rusty?
MS: Well, I think I had a good weekend and, from my point of view, maximized what I could do. I was quite happy with my performance. There are limits to what you can do and I drove exactly within those limits. I am not a magician.
Q: Who will be your main competition in Malaysia?
MS: The main competition is very clearly the three teams that are in front of us. You also have Renault, who are quite close. It is our home race, in terms of our very important partner Petronas, and we obviously want to do very well for them and of course for our Malaysian fans. I am really looking forward to having a great weekend.
Q: How much will you focus on setting up the car for a perfect qualifying lap?
MS: That will be one of the major issues here. I’ve probably been a little too conservative in my choice of set-up. In Melbourne I had a good car, and on Saturday morning we made some compromises that weren’t perfect for qualifying. We probably have to approach qualifying a little bit more aggressively.
Q: What do you expect this weekend?
MS: I don’t know what to expect…maybe rain? For sure I’m not hoping for a wet race - especially not the kind of wet that we’ve seen here over the last three days.
Q: Have you improved as a driver over the last two races?
MS: Yes, in Melbourne I didn’t feel rusty any more. My approach towards qualifying was a little too conservative, but otherwise I felt into it. It can only get better from here.
Q: Did you see the conditions last year that led to the race being shortened?
MS: Yes, I was here last year. I was on the pit wall and was jointly responsible for calling our guys in too early to make a switch to the extreme wet tyres, when the conditions didn’t really require it.
Q: Is there a limit to the possibility of racing?
MS: I would say it’s when the safety car runs into trouble trying to stay on the track.
Q: After two races, is there anything you want to change ahead of your third?
MS: My experiences at the last two races - especially in Melbourne - makes me think that we have been a little too conservative with the set-up for qualifying. We had a very good car on Saturday morning, but started to worry that the set-up might be a bit too aggressive for the race. With hindsight, it wasn’t the best decision. So that is something I will do differently here.
Q: You say it’s fun to race, but how long will it stay fun if the results aren’t there?
MS: I have said several times before that even if the situation in regards to results is not as rosy as I would like, racing is still something I really enjoy, And when I look back at the Australian race I have to say that there was nothing I could have done differently or better. It was the maximum for me and I am satisfied by how it went. The question is how fast we are able to develop, compared to our competitors. That is something that has to be seen.
Q: What is your goal for Sunday?
MS: I would say that a podium place is the maximum we can achieve.
Source: Formula1.com
Q: Michael, how frustrating was that first corner in Melbourne for you?
Michael Schumacher: I have been around long enough to know that it’s part of the game. At that moment it was feeling good, and I was thinking there might be a chance of a podium. But not long after that, I was hit. They were difficult conditions, so nobody is to blame. You just get on with the job.
Q: After the race did you complain to Jenson Button?
MS: No, no, I spoke to him about it because I wanted to check what happened, as a colleague. I have to say that he did a superb job in Melbourne that weekend. It was probably the most outstanding performance in that race. It is also fair to say that he had a slightly quicker car.
Q: Could you have stopped earlier to switch to the dry tyres?
MS: Well, we didn’t take that decision. I was not keen at that moment to change, as I thought it was still too risky and too damp, in the first sector in particular. Once we saw what Jenson was doing, we immediately reacted. For sure, it would have helped to make the stop one lap earlier, but the difference made by that lap wasn’t much. It was stopping on the following lap that made a really big difference. I think Webber stayed out for a long time and for sure it didn’t help him either.
Q: If you had a more competitive car, do you think people would still suggest you were a little rusty?
MS: Well, I think I had a good weekend and, from my point of view, maximized what I could do. I was quite happy with my performance. There are limits to what you can do and I drove exactly within those limits. I am not a magician.
Q: Who will be your main competition in Malaysia?
MS: The main competition is very clearly the three teams that are in front of us. You also have Renault, who are quite close. It is our home race, in terms of our very important partner Petronas, and we obviously want to do very well for them and of course for our Malaysian fans. I am really looking forward to having a great weekend.
Q: How much will you focus on setting up the car for a perfect qualifying lap?
MS: That will be one of the major issues here. I’ve probably been a little too conservative in my choice of set-up. In Melbourne I had a good car, and on Saturday morning we made some compromises that weren’t perfect for qualifying. We probably have to approach qualifying a little bit more aggressively.
Q: What do you expect this weekend?
MS: I don’t know what to expect…maybe rain? For sure I’m not hoping for a wet race - especially not the kind of wet that we’ve seen here over the last three days.
Q: Have you improved as a driver over the last two races?
MS: Yes, in Melbourne I didn’t feel rusty any more. My approach towards qualifying was a little too conservative, but otherwise I felt into it. It can only get better from here.
Q: Did you see the conditions last year that led to the race being shortened?
MS: Yes, I was here last year. I was on the pit wall and was jointly responsible for calling our guys in too early to make a switch to the extreme wet tyres, when the conditions didn’t really require it.
Q: Is there a limit to the possibility of racing?
MS: I would say it’s when the safety car runs into trouble trying to stay on the track.
Q: After two races, is there anything you want to change ahead of your third?
MS: My experiences at the last two races - especially in Melbourne - makes me think that we have been a little too conservative with the set-up for qualifying. We had a very good car on Saturday morning, but started to worry that the set-up might be a bit too aggressive for the race. With hindsight, it wasn’t the best decision. So that is something I will do differently here.
Q: You say it’s fun to race, but how long will it stay fun if the results aren’t there?
MS: I have said several times before that even if the situation in regards to results is not as rosy as I would like, racing is still something I really enjoy, And when I look back at the Australian race I have to say that there was nothing I could have done differently or better. It was the maximum for me and I am satisfied by how it went. The question is how fast we are able to develop, compared to our competitors. That is something that has to be seen.
Q: What is your goal for Sunday?
MS: I would say that a podium place is the maximum we can achieve.
Source: Formula1.com
Selasa, 30 Maret 2010
Pleased and proud of this start to the season
It’s been an incredible start to the season. Both in Bahrain and then again in Australia this weekend just gone, we showed we are competitive at the highest level and we can only be pleased and proud of what we have done so far, not just at the track, but also back at the factory over the winter. The F10 has proved to be very good, even on a semi-street circuit like Albert Park. It’s an easy car to drive, something I was aware of right from the very first test in Valencia and it is reasonably easy to find a good set-up for any type of track. On top of that, it is very consistent, in that its handling doesn’t change much between qualifying and the race. That should be a very important factor over the course of the year, as there is a world of difference between trying to do a quick time with a minimum fuel load on Saturday afternoon and starting the race with a full tank on Sunday. Add in the factor that the car is not too hard on its tyres – yesterday, both Felipe and I did 50 laps on the same set of soft tyres – and that completes the package. I’m not too sure exactly where we are compared to the others, but one thing’s for sure, we’ve definitely got off on the right foot.I definitely didn’t think I’d be leading the championship after two races and this situation is way more than I had expected. In Melbourne, we made the most of a situation which, after the first corner, seemed to be compromised. We managed to increase our lead over those we reckon to be our main competition in the fight for the title. But there’s no time to relax, because in a few days time we will once again be on track for the Malaysian Grand Prix. The race is held on what is definitely one of my very favourite circuits: there are all sorts of corners and it’s a real joy to drive a Formula 1 car in Sepang, because you can really push it to the limit. I can’t wait to be racing in Malaysia for the first time at the wheel of a Ferrari. Our target? That’s easy, to carry on doing what we have done in the first two races. It won’t be easy, but we must trust in our ability to get the job done.
Source: Fernando's blog - Ferrari.com
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