Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg give their reactions after finishing in the top three positions after qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix
Source: FiftyBuckss
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Sabtu, 07 Mei 2011
Selasa, 12 April 2011
Räikkönen and NASCAR: What Formula 1 is saying
While Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Michael Schumacher in NASCAR, he himself dismisses this - Jenson Button believes in Kimi Räikkönen
The NASCAR switch from Kimi Räikkönen, was the major theme of recent days in the United States. The Sprint Cup aces, especially the new leader Kyle Busch, took the imminent arrival of former Formula 1 World Champion very positive. The 31-year-old Finn, who has three test days behind him will give his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series on 20 May in Charlotte.
NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking forward to Räikkönen - and has another proposal: "It would be nice if Michael Schumacher would come here and get involved in a trial," Earnhardt suggested on the edge of the NASCAR weekend in Texas. "All of us would really like to see that. Since it would not matter if you think something is right or wrong. All would look at it." But this idea will remain a dream: "I'm not a fan of cars with roof," Schumacher said tersely in Malaysia.
But there are also NASCAR insiders in the current Formula 1 paddock. One who knows exactly what Räikkönen is getting into is Narain Karthikeyan. The Indian driving for HRT Racing did nine truck races last year. He never got into top 10 and was voted at the end of the year – thanks to an international online voting - the most popular truck driver 2010 as a complete surprise.
"It will not be easy for him," warned Karthikeyan. "It is very difficult there. He's clearly a talented driver and he is doing it right. He has looked for a good team and is testing a lot. He has now tested on the Rockingham Speedway, but Charlotte will then open his eyes. It's scary when you chase at full speed through the corners. If you drive all the time over 300 km/h, it is really hard work. But he will be quick there."
Jenson Button showed much understanding: "Kimi seemed to be happy to leave Formula 1. Maybe he wanted to have it more relaxed. He will find that in the states for sure. For drivers who are accustomed to slicks and wings, it is always difficult to drive all of a sudden in the NASCAR oval." Button also doesn’t show any prejudice, "These guys do that all their lives and they are no nose pickers.The change was difficult for many. Juan Pablo has taken a little while, but now he is competitive. I'm sure with Kimi it will be the same. He will prove his talent."
Felipe Massa agrees with Button largely. "I expect that he will not have it easy," said Massa. "It is something completely different and he has to start from scratch. The situation is quite different and a NASCAR is driven differently." Also the Brazilian compares the new situation with Montoya.
"Montoya had a few years his hands full, only now he can fight for the top 10. It is a completely different world. Kimi has certainly a great talent, but there he first has to learn. If he manages to do that, he may succeed in this series. First of all, he will start in a lower class if I have been informed correctly. We'll see. Apart from that of course I wish him all the best."
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg hasn’t thought about NASCAR. "It does not come to question for me. I don’t think I would enjoy. But if Kimi enjoys it and the races are exciting, it is certainly a great story. So why not?" The 20th May will provide more information when Räikkönen has done his first race on the fast 1.5 miles oval in Charlotte.
Source: Motorsporttotal
courtesy: Miezicat
The NASCAR switch from Kimi Räikkönen, was the major theme of recent days in the United States. The Sprint Cup aces, especially the new leader Kyle Busch, took the imminent arrival of former Formula 1 World Champion very positive. The 31-year-old Finn, who has three test days behind him will give his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series on 20 May in Charlotte. NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking forward to Räikkönen - and has another proposal: "It would be nice if Michael Schumacher would come here and get involved in a trial," Earnhardt suggested on the edge of the NASCAR weekend in Texas. "All of us would really like to see that. Since it would not matter if you think something is right or wrong. All would look at it." But this idea will remain a dream: "I'm not a fan of cars with roof," Schumacher said tersely in Malaysia.
But there are also NASCAR insiders in the current Formula 1 paddock. One who knows exactly what Räikkönen is getting into is Narain Karthikeyan. The Indian driving for HRT Racing did nine truck races last year. He never got into top 10 and was voted at the end of the year – thanks to an international online voting - the most popular truck driver 2010 as a complete surprise.
"It will not be easy for him," warned Karthikeyan. "It is very difficult there. He's clearly a talented driver and he is doing it right. He has looked for a good team and is testing a lot. He has now tested on the Rockingham Speedway, but Charlotte will then open his eyes. It's scary when you chase at full speed through the corners. If you drive all the time over 300 km/h, it is really hard work. But he will be quick there."
Jenson Button showed much understanding: "Kimi seemed to be happy to leave Formula 1. Maybe he wanted to have it more relaxed. He will find that in the states for sure. For drivers who are accustomed to slicks and wings, it is always difficult to drive all of a sudden in the NASCAR oval." Button also doesn’t show any prejudice, "These guys do that all their lives and they are no nose pickers.The change was difficult for many. Juan Pablo has taken a little while, but now he is competitive. I'm sure with Kimi it will be the same. He will prove his talent."
Felipe Massa agrees with Button largely. "I expect that he will not have it easy," said Massa. "It is something completely different and he has to start from scratch. The situation is quite different and a NASCAR is driven differently." Also the Brazilian compares the new situation with Montoya.
"Montoya had a few years his hands full, only now he can fight for the top 10. It is a completely different world. Kimi has certainly a great talent, but there he first has to learn. If he manages to do that, he may succeed in this series. First of all, he will start in a lower class if I have been informed correctly. We'll see. Apart from that of course I wish him all the best."
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg hasn’t thought about NASCAR. "It does not come to question for me. I don’t think I would enjoy. But if Kimi enjoys it and the races are exciting, it is certainly a great story. So why not?" The 20th May will provide more information when Räikkönen has done his first race on the fast 1.5 miles oval in Charlotte.
Source: Motorsporttotal
courtesy: Miezicat
Sabtu, 12 Maret 2011
Rosberg quickest at a very wet Barcelona
The final day of pre-season testing at Barcelona was a washout as only three of the five drivers set lap times due to the heavy rain
The action began on time at the Spanish circuit with Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Pastor Maldonado braving the conditions.
However, both Alonso and Schumacher only completed five laps each with neither setting a time as they went in and out of the pits.
Lewis Hamilton joined the action for McLaren and was the pace-setter at the lunch break with a 1:50.280.
It should be noted, though, that the 2008 World Champion was also the only driver to set a time in the morning session, which saw a total of just 28 laps completed.
Nico Rosberg, meanwhile, replaced Schumacher just before lunch and continued through into the afternoon.
And with the rain continuing throughout the day, the German proved to the quickest in the wet, taking advantage of a slight let-up late in the day.
Rosberg, who covered 35 laps, clocked a 1:43.814 to edge Maldonado by 0.519s.
And although Hamilton improved to a 1:44.560, he had to settle for third place.
Ferrari opted to pack up early with Alonso not running at all in the afternoon.
Times
01. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:43.814 35 laps
02. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:44.333 + 0.519 23 laps
03. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:44.560 + 0.746 33 laps
04. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 5 laps
05. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 5 laps
Source: Planet-F1
The action began on time at the Spanish circuit with Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Pastor Maldonado braving the conditions.However, both Alonso and Schumacher only completed five laps each with neither setting a time as they went in and out of the pits.
Lewis Hamilton joined the action for McLaren and was the pace-setter at the lunch break with a 1:50.280.
It should be noted, though, that the 2008 World Champion was also the only driver to set a time in the morning session, which saw a total of just 28 laps completed.
Nico Rosberg, meanwhile, replaced Schumacher just before lunch and continued through into the afternoon.
And with the rain continuing throughout the day, the German proved to the quickest in the wet, taking advantage of a slight let-up late in the day.
Rosberg, who covered 35 laps, clocked a 1:43.814 to edge Maldonado by 0.519s.
And although Hamilton improved to a 1:44.560, he had to settle for third place.
Ferrari opted to pack up early with Alonso not running at all in the afternoon.
Times
01. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:43.814 35 laps
02. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:44.333 + 0.519 23 laps
03. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:44.560 + 0.746 33 laps
04. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 5 laps
05. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 5 laps
Source: Planet-F1
Minggu, 30 Januari 2011
Selasa, 25 Januari 2011
Jumat, 27 Agustus 2010
Weather leaves Rosberg frustrated
Nico Rosberg finished both sessions behind Michael Schumacher
Nico Rosberg admitted Friday's practice for the Belgian Grand Prix had been frustrating for Mercedes as it struggled to get a number updates to work.
The team has had problems with its F-duct specifically since its introduction earlier this season and Rosberg said the mixed weather had made it even more difficult to iron out the issues. He ended the day 13th fastest after finishing behind team-mate Michael Schumacher in both sessions.
"It's been a difficult day for us as we have been trying to get our revised parts for the car to work," Rosberg said. "The weather conditions have complicated our programme and whilst we've tried a lot of different things, it's been tough to get any consistent feedback.
"I've suffered with understeer all day and really struggled with the balance on the wet tyres. The inters were better and it's difficult to say for the slicks really. I was quite far off with my car balance with the dry tyres so that didn't help. So a tricky start to the weekend for us and we need to sit down overnight and try to solve the problems."
Ross Brawn added that the problems with Rosberg's car would be sorted in time for qualifying.
"It was a very challenging day but then these types of changeable conditions may provide the opportunities that we can take advantage of this weekend. Nico's day was hindered by a few car issues which will be resolved by tomorrow."
Schumacher fared slightly better but said it would be an uphill battle from now on, as he faces a 10-place grid penalty after qualifying for his move on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary.
"It's obviously a beautiful feeling to be back on this track which is still great to drive," he said of Spa Francorchamps. "It's also beautiful because I have a lot of good memories linked to Spa. But this doesn't help a great deal with the situation that we are facing here and having a ten place penalty makes it difficult to go into the weekend with big hopes for a good result. The weather might help a little by mixing up the field and so I hope it does not change too much over the race weekend."
Source: ESPN F1
Nico Rosberg admitted Friday's practice for the Belgian Grand Prix had been frustrating for Mercedes as it struggled to get a number updates to work.The team has had problems with its F-duct specifically since its introduction earlier this season and Rosberg said the mixed weather had made it even more difficult to iron out the issues. He ended the day 13th fastest after finishing behind team-mate Michael Schumacher in both sessions.
"It's been a difficult day for us as we have been trying to get our revised parts for the car to work," Rosberg said. "The weather conditions have complicated our programme and whilst we've tried a lot of different things, it's been tough to get any consistent feedback.
"I've suffered with understeer all day and really struggled with the balance on the wet tyres. The inters were better and it's difficult to say for the slicks really. I was quite far off with my car balance with the dry tyres so that didn't help. So a tricky start to the weekend for us and we need to sit down overnight and try to solve the problems."
Ross Brawn added that the problems with Rosberg's car would be sorted in time for qualifying.
"It was a very challenging day but then these types of changeable conditions may provide the opportunities that we can take advantage of this weekend. Nico's day was hindered by a few car issues which will be resolved by tomorrow."
Schumacher fared slightly better but said it would be an uphill battle from now on, as he faces a 10-place grid penalty after qualifying for his move on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary.
"It's obviously a beautiful feeling to be back on this track which is still great to drive," he said of Spa Francorchamps. "It's also beautiful because I have a lot of good memories linked to Spa. But this doesn't help a great deal with the situation that we are facing here and having a ten place penalty makes it difficult to go into the weekend with big hopes for a good result. The weather might help a little by mixing up the field and so I hope it does not change too much over the race weekend."
Source: ESPN F1
Rabu, 21 Juli 2010
Jumat, 25 Juni 2010
Prac One: Rosberg tops McLaren duo
Nico Rosberg finished Friday's first practice session for the European GP fastest after edging ahead of early pace-setters McLaren
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were the first to lead the way before the Mercedes GP drivers, Michael Schumacher and Rosberg, got involved in the action.
But at the end of the 90-minute session it was Rosberg who prevailed with Hamilton and Button roughly two-tenths off the pace.
Robert Kubica was fourth for Renault ahead of Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Schumacher. The seven-time World Champ was 1.137s adrift of his team-mate.
Report: With blue skies overhead and the track temperature sitting at 24'C, the first of the European GP's practice sessions kicked off in Valencia on Friday morning. Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes are all using their new Red Bull-styled blown-diffuser exhaust systems while test driver Paul di Resta is back in action for Force India and Christian Klien for Hispania Racing.
With the introduction of new upgrades, many of the teams opted for several installation laps with Michael Schumacher completing three when the back end of his W01 stepped out widely. However, he wasn't the only one struggling on the dirty track as Tonio Liuzzi missed his braking point and had to take to the escape road.
Lucas di Grassi posted the first time of the session, a 1:49.569, before shaving seconds off his time while Jenson Button joined the action with a 1:43.245. A nervous twitch from Klien almost put him into the barriers before he grabbed hold of the car and crossed the line in third place.
Lewis Hamilton claimed second place behind his team-mate as McLaren set the early pace.
Kamui Kobayashi improved to second place, slotting in between the two McLarens. Problems for Bruno Senna as his left side mirror fell off the car, hitting him on the helmet before falling onto the track and into the path of Sebastien Buemi, who rode over it as he climbed to third place ahead of his team-mate Jaime Alguersuari, Timo Glock and Hamilton.
36 minutes into the session was red flagged due to the debris caused by Senna's mirror, which littered the track. The session resumed five minutes later with track temperature up to 30'C.
Back out on track there was a frantic flurry with the drivers finally getting down to some serious running. Schumacher took the P1 slot with a 1:42.369, Felipe Massa took sixth place, Pedro de la Rosa eighth, di Resta sixth, Massa second, di Resta seventh, Rubens Barrichello 11th, Fernando Alonso second, Nico Hulkenberg fifth and Nico Rosberg second.
Rosberg was the next to take charge of the session, a 1:41.862 for the Mercedes GP drive while Button returned to the P2 slot, 0.384s off the pace. Schumacher had to take to the escape road at Turn 2, performing a U-turn to get back on track. Robert Kubica climbed to second place while Hamilton took third. Both, though, were dropped as Button topped the timesheets with a 1:41.383.
Button's reign was short-lived as Hamilton went quickest, 0.044s up on his team-mate. Mark Webber moved to sixth place while Alonso stopped at the end of the pit lane in a simulation of what it will be like for his car to sit on the grid ahead of the start of the race as Ferrari continue testing their new exhaust system.
Rosberg took over at the front of the pack with a 1:41.175, edging ahead of the McLarens. Sebastian Vettel improved to sixth place as yet another Sauber took to the escape roads. Returning to the action, Hamlton put his McLaren into a minor spin but was able to continue on his way without any problems, although it did cost him over four seconds.
The session ended with Rosberg on top, followed by Hamilton, Button, Kubica, Massa, Vettel, Webber and Schumacher.
Times:
01. Rosberg Mercedes 1:41.175 16 laps
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:41.339 + 0.164 19 laps
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:41.383 + 0.208 21 laps
04. Kubica Renault 1:41.715 + 0.540 20 laps
05. Massa Ferrari 1:42.182 + 1.007 21 laps
06. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:42.216 + 1.041 24 laps
07. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:42.275 + 1.100 17 laps
08. Schumacher Mercedes 1:42.312 + 1.137 18 laps
09. Alonso Ferrari 1:42.421 + 1.246 22 laps
10. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:42.463 + 1.288 21 laps
11. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:42.707 + 1.532 23 laps
12. Petrov Renault 1:42.962 + 1.787 17 laps
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:43.310 + 2.135 23 laps
14. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:43.380 + 2.205 19 laps
15. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.397 + 2.222 21 laps
16. di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:43.437 + 2.262 18 laps
17. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.729 + 2.554 21 laps
18. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:44.183 + 3.008 21 laps
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:44.491 + 3.316 21 laps
20. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:45.653 + 4.478 23 laps
21. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:47.123 + 5.948 17 laps
22. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:47.285 + 6.110 18 laps
23. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:47.343 + 6.168 14 laps
24. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:47.356 + 6.181 24 laps
Source: Planet-F1
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were the first to lead the way before the Mercedes GP drivers, Michael Schumacher and Rosberg, got involved in the action. But at the end of the 90-minute session it was Rosberg who prevailed with Hamilton and Button roughly two-tenths off the pace.
Robert Kubica was fourth for Renault ahead of Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Schumacher. The seven-time World Champ was 1.137s adrift of his team-mate.
Report: With blue skies overhead and the track temperature sitting at 24'C, the first of the European GP's practice sessions kicked off in Valencia on Friday morning. Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes are all using their new Red Bull-styled blown-diffuser exhaust systems while test driver Paul di Resta is back in action for Force India and Christian Klien for Hispania Racing.
With the introduction of new upgrades, many of the teams opted for several installation laps with Michael Schumacher completing three when the back end of his W01 stepped out widely. However, he wasn't the only one struggling on the dirty track as Tonio Liuzzi missed his braking point and had to take to the escape road.
Lucas di Grassi posted the first time of the session, a 1:49.569, before shaving seconds off his time while Jenson Button joined the action with a 1:43.245. A nervous twitch from Klien almost put him into the barriers before he grabbed hold of the car and crossed the line in third place.
Lewis Hamilton claimed second place behind his team-mate as McLaren set the early pace.
Kamui Kobayashi improved to second place, slotting in between the two McLarens. Problems for Bruno Senna as his left side mirror fell off the car, hitting him on the helmet before falling onto the track and into the path of Sebastien Buemi, who rode over it as he climbed to third place ahead of his team-mate Jaime Alguersuari, Timo Glock and Hamilton.
36 minutes into the session was red flagged due to the debris caused by Senna's mirror, which littered the track. The session resumed five minutes later with track temperature up to 30'C.
Back out on track there was a frantic flurry with the drivers finally getting down to some serious running. Schumacher took the P1 slot with a 1:42.369, Felipe Massa took sixth place, Pedro de la Rosa eighth, di Resta sixth, Massa second, di Resta seventh, Rubens Barrichello 11th, Fernando Alonso second, Nico Hulkenberg fifth and Nico Rosberg second.
Rosberg was the next to take charge of the session, a 1:41.862 for the Mercedes GP drive while Button returned to the P2 slot, 0.384s off the pace. Schumacher had to take to the escape road at Turn 2, performing a U-turn to get back on track. Robert Kubica climbed to second place while Hamilton took third. Both, though, were dropped as Button topped the timesheets with a 1:41.383.
Button's reign was short-lived as Hamilton went quickest, 0.044s up on his team-mate. Mark Webber moved to sixth place while Alonso stopped at the end of the pit lane in a simulation of what it will be like for his car to sit on the grid ahead of the start of the race as Ferrari continue testing their new exhaust system.
Rosberg took over at the front of the pack with a 1:41.175, edging ahead of the McLarens. Sebastian Vettel improved to sixth place as yet another Sauber took to the escape roads. Returning to the action, Hamlton put his McLaren into a minor spin but was able to continue on his way without any problems, although it did cost him over four seconds.
The session ended with Rosberg on top, followed by Hamilton, Button, Kubica, Massa, Vettel, Webber and Schumacher.
Times:
01. Rosberg Mercedes 1:41.175 16 laps
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:41.339 + 0.164 19 laps
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:41.383 + 0.208 21 laps
04. Kubica Renault 1:41.715 + 0.540 20 laps
05. Massa Ferrari 1:42.182 + 1.007 21 laps
06. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:42.216 + 1.041 24 laps
07. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:42.275 + 1.100 17 laps
08. Schumacher Mercedes 1:42.312 + 1.137 18 laps
09. Alonso Ferrari 1:42.421 + 1.246 22 laps
10. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:42.463 + 1.288 21 laps
11. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:42.707 + 1.532 23 laps
12. Petrov Renault 1:42.962 + 1.787 17 laps
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:43.310 + 2.135 23 laps
14. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:43.380 + 2.205 19 laps
15. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.397 + 2.222 21 laps
16. di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:43.437 + 2.262 18 laps
17. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.729 + 2.554 21 laps
18. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:44.183 + 3.008 21 laps
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:44.491 + 3.316 21 laps
20. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:45.653 + 4.478 23 laps
21. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:47.123 + 5.948 17 laps
22. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:47.285 + 6.110 18 laps
23. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:47.343 + 6.168 14 laps
24. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:47.356 + 6.181 24 laps
Source: Planet-F1
Senin, 14 Juni 2010
German rivals unhappy with 'superstar' Vettel
It would be fair to say Sebastian Vettel is not on the Christmas card list of two of his countrymen and F1 rivals.
Veteran journalist Roger Benoit, long-time correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick, travelled to Montreal on the same Zurich flight as Vettel and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg.
He said the pair were seated not a car's length apart, but neither greeted one another nor exchanged a single word.
Benoit said the reason for the freeze was "clear": a few days earlier, Rosberg had said Vettel was definitely to blame for his crash with Red Bull teammate Mark Webber in Turkey.
Meanwhile, after Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, 22-year-old Vettel triggered the temper of Force India driver Adrian Sutil.
Vettel, he revealed to the media, had approached the 27-year-old and sarcastically asked if his rearview mirrors had fallen off during the Montreal race.
"He should be quiet. He thinks he's a superstar," Sutil is quoted as retorting.
Source: Motorsport.com
Jumat, 11 Juni 2010
VETTEL IS A FINNISH F1-AMBASSADOR
Exclusive interview with Sebastian Vettel
I am what I am, Tamara Lund sang in a memorable way. I do what I do, F1-star Sebastian Vettel said with the same kind of attitude when he summed up his collision in the last race.
Vettel wants to live in the moment, not in the past. That's why the 22-year old German star wanted to talk about something else than about Turkey GP to the media.
Vettel says hello to the Finnish reporter, asks how I'm doing and even tells how he is doing in the same language.
How do you explain that you speak much more Finnish than Nico Rosberg?
– I don't know. Finns usually don't talk much. Nico's dad is a Finn but I think that Keke hasn't talked too much Finnish with his son. His mother is German and women talk more than men, maybe that's the reason why Nico's language is German instead of Finnish, Vettel thinks.
– But your language is terribly hard to learn. Even though one doesn't speak Spanish, French or even Swedish, one gets a hang of it and gets if the speaker is serious, happy or sad.
– You can't figure that out from a Finn. Firstly I don't understand the language at all and secondly it has no feelings so you don't know if the speaker is happy or sad. It's like a code that only those five million Finns understand, Vettel said.
Sometime ago Vettel was asked about his relationship to other F1-drivers. He said then that his best friend is Kimi Räikkönen, who isn't in F1 anymore.
Can you imagine Kimi coming back to F1?
– You should ask that from Kimi himself. Kimi is a straightforward dude who does what he wants to do. You have to respect that. Maybe Kimi didn't like this business anymore, quit and is now doing something else. If he someday starts to like this again he can come back if he is offered an opportunity.
– Kimi can enjoy his life, he does one thing at a time and doesn't plan his life five years ahead. Let's see if we will see him here someday again, Vettel thinks.
Robert Kubica is also very excited about rally. In Thursday's press conference some drivers were longing to take part in Le Mans someday.
– We have to remember that WRC and Le Mans are both motorsports so they aren't completely doing something else. Kimi is now in rally, Robert has tried it and is very excited about it. We all love motorsport from our heart and that's why we drive here. We all have it in our blood.
– Everybody wants to enjoy whatever they do. If you don't enjoy it, then it's time to quit. You should be honest enough to yourself and do other things if you no longer enjoy what you are doing - just like Kimi.
-He is now happy in rally. He had b*** to do a switch like that. Of course it's difficult but there's no doubt about his talents in rally because otherwise he wouldn't be able to stay on the road at all with those cars, Vettel says.
Vettel hasn't had time for ages to challenge Räikkönen in badminton.
– Let's say that Kimi is strong in that game but I have improved during this interval.
Vettel left Turkey more gloomier than usual with his father Norbert and his personal trainer Tommi Pärmäkoski.
How much have you changed since your first F1-race?
– Deep down I believe that I'm still the same guy I was three years ago, but I've learned a lot and have become more stronger. Life is about learning all the time and gathering experience - both good and bad. That kind of growth is natural.
Do you suffer from publicity? Can you do all things you want to do?
– When you drive on F1-level you are bound to become more known due to success. It's part of this job. You learn all the time how to cope with the publicity
- what you can do, what you can't do, what you can say, what you can't say. It's natural and it doesn't feel like you can't breathe.
– When I spend time with my family or friends I do all normal things like people my age do.Vettel came to the interview with a thick beard stubble.
Has the play off -season already started?
– No. I will shave before practice, Vettel smiled.
If Vettel wins the WDC, he will be the all time youngest one winning it.
– My goal is the championship. That is most important, not whether I'm the youngest one.
If that would happen then I would enjoy it sometime later when I'm old and fat, not while I'm still driving, Vettel said.
HEIKKI KULTA
Source: Turun Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole
I am what I am, Tamara Lund sang in a memorable way. I do what I do, F1-star Sebastian Vettel said with the same kind of attitude when he summed up his collision in the last race.Vettel wants to live in the moment, not in the past. That's why the 22-year old German star wanted to talk about something else than about Turkey GP to the media.
Vettel says hello to the Finnish reporter, asks how I'm doing and even tells how he is doing in the same language.
How do you explain that you speak much more Finnish than Nico Rosberg?
– I don't know. Finns usually don't talk much. Nico's dad is a Finn but I think that Keke hasn't talked too much Finnish with his son. His mother is German and women talk more than men, maybe that's the reason why Nico's language is German instead of Finnish, Vettel thinks.
– But your language is terribly hard to learn. Even though one doesn't speak Spanish, French or even Swedish, one gets a hang of it and gets if the speaker is serious, happy or sad.
– You can't figure that out from a Finn. Firstly I don't understand the language at all and secondly it has no feelings so you don't know if the speaker is happy or sad. It's like a code that only those five million Finns understand, Vettel said.
Sometime ago Vettel was asked about his relationship to other F1-drivers. He said then that his best friend is Kimi Räikkönen, who isn't in F1 anymore.
Can you imagine Kimi coming back to F1?
– You should ask that from Kimi himself. Kimi is a straightforward dude who does what he wants to do. You have to respect that. Maybe Kimi didn't like this business anymore, quit and is now doing something else. If he someday starts to like this again he can come back if he is offered an opportunity.
– Kimi can enjoy his life, he does one thing at a time and doesn't plan his life five years ahead. Let's see if we will see him here someday again, Vettel thinks.
Robert Kubica is also very excited about rally. In Thursday's press conference some drivers were longing to take part in Le Mans someday.
– We have to remember that WRC and Le Mans are both motorsports so they aren't completely doing something else. Kimi is now in rally, Robert has tried it and is very excited about it. We all love motorsport from our heart and that's why we drive here. We all have it in our blood.
– Everybody wants to enjoy whatever they do. If you don't enjoy it, then it's time to quit. You should be honest enough to yourself and do other things if you no longer enjoy what you are doing - just like Kimi.
-He is now happy in rally. He had b*** to do a switch like that. Of course it's difficult but there's no doubt about his talents in rally because otherwise he wouldn't be able to stay on the road at all with those cars, Vettel says.
Vettel hasn't had time for ages to challenge Räikkönen in badminton.
– Let's say that Kimi is strong in that game but I have improved during this interval.
Vettel left Turkey more gloomier than usual with his father Norbert and his personal trainer Tommi Pärmäkoski.
How much have you changed since your first F1-race?
– Deep down I believe that I'm still the same guy I was three years ago, but I've learned a lot and have become more stronger. Life is about learning all the time and gathering experience - both good and bad. That kind of growth is natural.
Do you suffer from publicity? Can you do all things you want to do?
– When you drive on F1-level you are bound to become more known due to success. It's part of this job. You learn all the time how to cope with the publicity
- what you can do, what you can't do, what you can say, what you can't say. It's natural and it doesn't feel like you can't breathe.
– When I spend time with my family or friends I do all normal things like people my age do.Vettel came to the interview with a thick beard stubble.
Has the play off -season already started?
– No. I will shave before practice, Vettel smiled.
If Vettel wins the WDC, he will be the all time youngest one winning it.
– My goal is the championship. That is most important, not whether I'm the youngest one.
If that would happen then I would enjoy it sometime later when I'm old and fat, not while I'm still driving, Vettel said.
HEIKKI KULTA
Source: Turun Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole
Selasa, 08 Juni 2010
Kamis, 13 Mei 2010
Rosberg: Everything looks promising
Nico Rosberg: We had a positive start to our weekend here today and we made good progress this afternoon
Mercedes man Nico Rosberg is feeling bullish ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix after finishing practice today in P2.
Rosberg lost quite a bit of time this morning in the first session when his mechanics had to fix a pushrod problem. Consequently he only completed 11 laps and he ended proceedings in eleventh.
However he bounced back in the afternoon and his best lap, a 1 minute 15.013 seconds left him just 0.109 seconds off Fernando Alonso, who was quickest for Ferrari.
Speaking after Thursday's two 90 minute sessions, Rosberg revealed that he is 'feeling comfortable' with his MGP W01.
"Monaco is a very special and challenging circuit and we had a positive start toour weekend here today," Rosberg stated. "We made good progress this afternoon after losing some time in the morning.
"The lap times looked quite promising in the second session and I felt very comfortable in the car. We were able to improve the set-up continuously and get the tyres working better as the session went on. So everything looks promising after the first day and I'm looking forward to getting on with qualifying on Saturday.
"Team-mate Michael Schumacher meanwhile was also happy and he finished FP1 in sixth and FP2 in fifth. His best time was a 1m 15.143s.
"Today's practice was a lot of fun," said the record-breaking multiple F1 world champion. "You clearly have to say that Monaco is a very special place to drive and I really enjoyed it. I got back into the rhythm of the track, especially on the long runs, and I think we can be quite confident as the car is definitely quite reasonable to handle.
"The other teams who have a certain top speed advantage on other tracks at the moment do not have this advantage here, so the whole field comes a bit closer together which will make it a very interesting qualifying in my view. I am looking forward to it.
"Mercedes boss, Norbert Haug added: "Quite a promising start to the weekend for us today and certainly a different picture from what we saw last Sunday in Barcelona.
"Nico and Michael's lap times on both types of tyres with lesser fuel as well as during race simulation runs looked not bad at all. There is definitely more work to do before Saturday but so far so good."
Source: Crash.net
Mercedes man Nico Rosberg is feeling bullish ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix after finishing practice today in P2.
Rosberg lost quite a bit of time this morning in the first session when his mechanics had to fix a pushrod problem. Consequently he only completed 11 laps and he ended proceedings in eleventh.
However he bounced back in the afternoon and his best lap, a 1 minute 15.013 seconds left him just 0.109 seconds off Fernando Alonso, who was quickest for Ferrari.
Speaking after Thursday's two 90 minute sessions, Rosberg revealed that he is 'feeling comfortable' with his MGP W01.
"Monaco is a very special and challenging circuit and we had a positive start toour weekend here today," Rosberg stated. "We made good progress this afternoon after losing some time in the morning.
"The lap times looked quite promising in the second session and I felt very comfortable in the car. We were able to improve the set-up continuously and get the tyres working better as the session went on. So everything looks promising after the first day and I'm looking forward to getting on with qualifying on Saturday.
"Team-mate Michael Schumacher meanwhile was also happy and he finished FP1 in sixth and FP2 in fifth. His best time was a 1m 15.143s.
"Today's practice was a lot of fun," said the record-breaking multiple F1 world champion. "You clearly have to say that Monaco is a very special place to drive and I really enjoyed it. I got back into the rhythm of the track, especially on the long runs, and I think we can be quite confident as the car is definitely quite reasonable to handle.
"The other teams who have a certain top speed advantage on other tracks at the moment do not have this advantage here, so the whole field comes a bit closer together which will make it a very interesting qualifying in my view. I am looking forward to it.
"Mercedes boss, Norbert Haug added: "Quite a promising start to the weekend for us today and certainly a different picture from what we saw last Sunday in Barcelona.
"Nico and Michael's lap times on both types of tyres with lesser fuel as well as during race simulation runs looked not bad at all. There is definitely more work to do before Saturday but so far so good."
Source: Crash.net
Senin, 12 April 2010
Rosberg's girlfriend designing Lotus motor home
Nico Rosberg's girlfriend is designing the interior of the new Lotus motor home.
Vivian Sibold, who is the 24-year-old Mercedes driver's long-time partner, studied interior design in New York and Milan and is now establishing her own business.
They live together in Monaco, and spent the weekend of the Malaysian Grand Prix together, as Sibold - whose family has been friends with the Rosberg family for years - is working on three-storey penthouses in Kuala Lumpur.
Another of her projects is the paddock presence of the new Lotus team, which will debut ahead of the European season next month.
"I've seen the plans and they're very cool. It will be the new party-central of Formula One," Rosberg told Bild am Sonntag.
Source: Motorsport
Senin, 22 Maret 2010
Webber: Schu won't beat Rosberg
Mark Webber believes Nico Rosberg will get the better of his more illustrious team-mate Michael Schumacher at Mercedes GP this year.Round one of the 2010 Championship went to Rosberg in Bahrain after he qualified and finished ahead of his German compatriot.
Red Bull driver Webber expects the battle between the two will be very close, but he doesn't think Schumi will beat Rosberg.
"It depends what you mean by competitive because he was competitive in Bahrain. Is him winning by 60 seconds like he used to in the past competitive?" Webber told the BBC..
"Winning by those sorts of margins will be tough for Schumacher this season but, yes, he will be competitive. Whether he can be as dominant as he was in the past will be another subject.
"I wouldn't expect him to beat his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg - I expect it to be close. Rosberg is competitive and I would say Schumacher is too."
Source: Planet-F1
Jumat, 19 Maret 2010
Schumacher says he was faster than Rosberg in opener
Although some were underwhelmed with Michael Schumacher's performance on his F1 comeback last Sunday, the seven time world champion is taking small comfort.
Although the German is struggling with the Mercedes car's tendency to understeer, and the narrower front Bridgestone tyres, he is expecting to get up to speed in the forthcoming races.
After trailing his teammate Nico Rosberg's pace by a few tenths all weekend in Bahrain, Schumacher finished less than four seconds behind the 24-year-old at the chequered flag.
And he said during an interview with France's Auto Hebdo: "I take a little personal satisfaction at being at the same pace as Nico in the race.
"And I was significantly faster than him in the fastest laps -- three hundredths!" he joked.
However, Schumacher's fastest lap was just the eleventh best in the field.
But former triple world champion Niki Lauda expects the winner of a record 91 grands prix to be setting the pace before long.
"I know what I'm talking about," said the 60-year-old Austrian, who came back from retirement and won his third title.
"The old feelings need some time before they're automatic again, but you don't forget how to drive. Especially not when you've been at such a high level before," added Lauda.
Source: Motorsport
Although the German is struggling with the Mercedes car's tendency to understeer, and the narrower front Bridgestone tyres, he is expecting to get up to speed in the forthcoming races.
After trailing his teammate Nico Rosberg's pace by a few tenths all weekend in Bahrain, Schumacher finished less than four seconds behind the 24-year-old at the chequered flag.
And he said during an interview with France's Auto Hebdo: "I take a little personal satisfaction at being at the same pace as Nico in the race.
"And I was significantly faster than him in the fastest laps -- three hundredths!" he joked.
However, Schumacher's fastest lap was just the eleventh best in the field.
But former triple world champion Niki Lauda expects the winner of a record 91 grands prix to be setting the pace before long.
"I know what I'm talking about," said the 60-year-old Austrian, who came back from retirement and won his third title.
"The old feelings need some time before they're automatic again, but you don't forget how to drive. Especially not when you've been at such a high level before," added Lauda.
Source: Motorsport
Rabu, 24 Februari 2010
Vettel: I don't care about increased pressure
Sebastian Vettel insists he is not worried about the added pressure that comes along with being one of the favourites to win the World Championship.
The list of favourites is a pretty long one this year. Besides Vettel, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have all been tipped as possible title winners in 2010.
Vettel, who finished nine points behind World Champion Button last year, admits there will be pressure on him this year, but he's not bothered about it.
"It is true that the expectations are higher from the outside," he told Germany's Salzburger Nachrichten. "It's something I can also be proud of. Our position as one of the favourites this year is down to our achievements of 2009.
"However, there is no time to rest. You must once again prove yourself in each test, in each round. To become World Champion was my goal last year and that will again be the case this year. Whether the pressure comes from the outside, I don't really care."
The new season is just a few weeks away and it's already clear from testing sessions that the four front runners are set to dominate. Vettel, though, insists "there's still more to come" as teams will make further improvements.
"Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and ourselves are at the front," he said. "But everything will be probably be very close. Ferrari have looked pretty strong so far. However, all teams will make improvements to their car before the start of the season, so there's is more to come."
Source: Planet-F1
The list of favourites is a pretty long one this year. Besides Vettel, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have all been tipped as possible title winners in 2010.Vettel, who finished nine points behind World Champion Button last year, admits there will be pressure on him this year, but he's not bothered about it.
"It is true that the expectations are higher from the outside," he told Germany's Salzburger Nachrichten. "It's something I can also be proud of. Our position as one of the favourites this year is down to our achievements of 2009.
"However, there is no time to rest. You must once again prove yourself in each test, in each round. To become World Champion was my goal last year and that will again be the case this year. Whether the pressure comes from the outside, I don't really care."
The new season is just a few weeks away and it's already clear from testing sessions that the four front runners are set to dominate. Vettel, though, insists "there's still more to come" as teams will make further improvements.
"Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and ourselves are at the front," he said. "But everything will be probably be very close. Ferrari have looked pretty strong so far. However, all teams will make improvements to their car before the start of the season, so there's is more to come."
Source: Planet-F1
Rabu, 10 Februari 2010
Jerez Day One: A tale of two Nicos
Nico Rosberg may officially be the winner of the opening day of testing at Jerez but it was Nico Hulkenberg who won the bigger - and longer - battle.
Wednesday marked the first of four days that the Formula One teams will be testing this week and with heavy cloud cover overhead it was only a matter of time before the rain came down.
But before it did, Rosberg put in 11 laps during which he clocked a 1:20.927, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.
The Mercedes GP driver's time proved to be unbeatable for the remaining seven hours of play as the constant rain meant his rivals were unable to get the grip or speed needed to challenge him.
But while Rosberg may be the official winner of Day One, one could argue that Hulkenberg was just as big a winner.
The Williams driver set the fastest lap time on a wet track, clocking a 1:28.606, four-tenths up on Fernando Alonso's best.
Jenson Button was third quickest in the wet, some 1.5s off Hulkenberg's pace. Button's day began with some concerns about his MP4-25, which was fitted with a special device used to measures aerodynamic flow structures.
This prompted some speculation that McLaren were having aero problems, a claim denied by the team, who also ran Button's MP4-25 without the device attached.
Mark Webber, whose newly-launched RB6 suffered an oil leak that kept him off the track for over four hours, was fourth quickest in the wet, although only ninth in the dry. The Aussie also brought out the day's first red flag when his car stopped out on track.
He finished, at the wet timesheets at least, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi and Rosberg. Rosberg was responsible for the only other red flag, bringing the session to an end with eight minutes left on the clock. Initial reports claim it was a mechanical failure that caused Rosberg to stop out on track.
Tonio Liuzzi, testing Force India's VJM01 for the first time, finished in seventh place ahead of Sebastian Buemi, Vitaly Petrov and Timo Glock.
Glock was in action for Virgin Racing today, putting their new challenger through its paces up against rivals for the very first time. However, he joined the action late in the day, only hitting the track after lunch, which meant the German wasn't able to put in a single lap on a dry track.
Unofficial Wet Times
1. Hulkenberg Williams 1:28.606
2. Alonso Ferrari 1:28.7
3. Button McLaren 1:30
4. Webber Red Bull 1:30
5. Kobayashi Sauber 1:31
6. Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:32
7. Liuzzi Force India 1:32
8. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:33
9. Petrov Renault 1:34
10. Glock Virgin Racing 1:38
Unofficial Dry Times
1. N. Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:20.927 57 laps
2. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:21.031 +0.104 84 laps
3. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW32 1:22.243 +1.316 118 laps
4. F. Alonso Ferrari F10 1:22.895 +1.968 88 laps
5. K. Kobayashi Sauber C29 1:23.287 +2.360 55 laps
6. J. Button McLaren MP4-25 1:24.947 +4.020 68 laps
7. V. Liuzzi Force India VJM-03 1:24.968 +4.041 71 laps
8. V. Petrov Renault R30 1:25.440 +4.513 27 laps
9. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB6 1:26.502 +5.575 50 laps
10. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:38.734 +17.807 5 laps
Source: Planet-F1.com
Wednesday marked the first of four days that the Formula One teams will be testing this week and with heavy cloud cover overhead it was only a matter of time before the rain came down.
But before it did, Rosberg put in 11 laps during which he clocked a 1:20.927, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.
The Mercedes GP driver's time proved to be unbeatable for the remaining seven hours of play as the constant rain meant his rivals were unable to get the grip or speed needed to challenge him.
But while Rosberg may be the official winner of Day One, one could argue that Hulkenberg was just as big a winner.
The Williams driver set the fastest lap time on a wet track, clocking a 1:28.606, four-tenths up on Fernando Alonso's best.
Jenson Button was third quickest in the wet, some 1.5s off Hulkenberg's pace. Button's day began with some concerns about his MP4-25, which was fitted with a special device used to measures aerodynamic flow structures.
This prompted some speculation that McLaren were having aero problems, a claim denied by the team, who also ran Button's MP4-25 without the device attached.
Mark Webber, whose newly-launched RB6 suffered an oil leak that kept him off the track for over four hours, was fourth quickest in the wet, although only ninth in the dry. The Aussie also brought out the day's first red flag when his car stopped out on track.
He finished, at the wet timesheets at least, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi and Rosberg. Rosberg was responsible for the only other red flag, bringing the session to an end with eight minutes left on the clock. Initial reports claim it was a mechanical failure that caused Rosberg to stop out on track.
Tonio Liuzzi, testing Force India's VJM01 for the first time, finished in seventh place ahead of Sebastian Buemi, Vitaly Petrov and Timo Glock.
Glock was in action for Virgin Racing today, putting their new challenger through its paces up against rivals for the very first time. However, he joined the action late in the day, only hitting the track after lunch, which meant the German wasn't able to put in a single lap on a dry track.
Unofficial Wet Times
1. Hulkenberg Williams 1:28.606
2. Alonso Ferrari 1:28.7
3. Button McLaren 1:30
4. Webber Red Bull 1:30
5. Kobayashi Sauber 1:31
6. Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:32
7. Liuzzi Force India 1:32
8. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:33
9. Petrov Renault 1:34
10. Glock Virgin Racing 1:38
Unofficial Dry Times
1. N. Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:20.927 57 laps
2. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:21.031 +0.104 84 laps
3. N. Hülkenberg Williams FW32 1:22.243 +1.316 118 laps
4. F. Alonso Ferrari F10 1:22.895 +1.968 88 laps
5. K. Kobayashi Sauber C29 1:23.287 +2.360 55 laps
6. J. Button McLaren MP4-25 1:24.947 +4.020 68 laps
7. V. Liuzzi Force India VJM-03 1:24.968 +4.041 71 laps
8. V. Petrov Renault R30 1:25.440 +4.513 27 laps
9. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB6 1:26.502 +5.575 50 laps
10. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:38.734 +17.807 5 laps
Source: Planet-F1.com
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