McLaren's Lewis Hamilton says he will have to deal with whatever punishment the stewards may impose, after a satisfying runners-up spot in the Spanish Grand Prix
Source: FiftyBuckss
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Minggu, 22 Mei 2011
Hamilton: Not a disappointing result
Despite losing the Spanish GP by less than seven tenths of a second, Lewis Hamilton insists he's not disappointed
With everyone expecting the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber to romp away to a 1-2 in Spain, the race was turned on its head when Fernando Alonso took the lead.
But it was all change after the second round of pit stops when Vettel and Hamilton emerged in first and second places.
And although the McLaren driver did his utmost to take the lead away from the reigning World Champ, it was not to be.
"I don't think we can be disappointed with today," said Hamilton, who had only words of praise for his McLaren team.
"The team did a fantastic job throughout the pit stops and throughout the weekend, they put us in a fighting position.
"We got the best start and were able to keep up with the Red Bulls and Mark (Webber) in particular as Fernando (Alonso) was holding the Red Bulls up.
"As the race went on we had some serious pace but it was very tough to get past Seb at the end, they were massively quick in high speed corners and in the last corner his downforce was incredibly clear.
"Nonetheless I gave my all and to move forward and score some good points and retain second place is great."
The latter stage of the grand prix saw an intense fight between Vettel and Hamilton with the McLaren driver dogging the German lap after lap.
However, the Brit concedes that even though McLaren have improved their car, the Red Bull is still the quicker of the two.
"We did a great job considering their car is a good step faster than ours," he said.
"Our race pace has improved since last race, that was the positive.
"I wasn't able to follow through high speed Turn 3, obviously Turn 9 and the last corner, I was never able to get close enough to maintain the gap and then able to use the DRS.
"But I am very happy with the job both me and Jenson did and to be able to apply pressure to Red Bull considering the circumstances is good."
Source: Planet-F1
With everyone expecting the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber to romp away to a 1-2 in Spain, the race was turned on its head when Fernando Alonso took the lead.But it was all change after the second round of pit stops when Vettel and Hamilton emerged in first and second places.
And although the McLaren driver did his utmost to take the lead away from the reigning World Champ, it was not to be.
"I don't think we can be disappointed with today," said Hamilton, who had only words of praise for his McLaren team.
"The team did a fantastic job throughout the pit stops and throughout the weekend, they put us in a fighting position.
"We got the best start and were able to keep up with the Red Bulls and Mark (Webber) in particular as Fernando (Alonso) was holding the Red Bulls up.
"As the race went on we had some serious pace but it was very tough to get past Seb at the end, they were massively quick in high speed corners and in the last corner his downforce was incredibly clear.
"Nonetheless I gave my all and to move forward and score some good points and retain second place is great."
The latter stage of the grand prix saw an intense fight between Vettel and Hamilton with the McLaren driver dogging the German lap after lap.
However, the Brit concedes that even though McLaren have improved their car, the Red Bull is still the quicker of the two.
"We did a great job considering their car is a good step faster than ours," he said.
"Our race pace has improved since last race, that was the positive.
"I wasn't able to follow through high speed Turn 3, obviously Turn 9 and the last corner, I was never able to get close enough to maintain the gap and then able to use the DRS.
"But I am very happy with the job both me and Jenson did and to be able to apply pressure to Red Bull considering the circumstances is good."
Source: Planet-F1
Webber: Margin for error very fine
Although he feels his start in Spain wasn't as "hideous" as some suggest it was, Mark Webber admits there is not much room for error
Webber started on pole position for the first time this season after ending his team-mate Sebastian Vettel's qualifying dominance on Saturday.
However, his joy was short-lived on Sunday as he allowed both Fernando Alonso and Vettel to pass him off the start.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Australian after that as it affected his strategy for the rest of the race.
"I don't think the start was hideous," he told BBC Sport.
"Fernando got a phenomenal one, he got down the inside and I was a bit compromised and then Seb was on the outside. It was not the start we had planned and then it was just chess from there. People covered each other off stops.
"At the end of the race I finished 40 seconds behind Lewis and Fernando finishes a lap behind the leader. Interesting day today and it goes to show you how fine the margins are when you are off a little bit on strategy. If you can't clear people at the right time, you get exposed. At certain stages I was quick, other stages I wasn't."
Source:Planet-F1
Webber started on pole position for the first time this season after ending his team-mate Sebastian Vettel's qualifying dominance on Saturday.However, his joy was short-lived on Sunday as he allowed both Fernando Alonso and Vettel to pass him off the start.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Australian after that as it affected his strategy for the rest of the race.
"I don't think the start was hideous," he told BBC Sport.
"Fernando got a phenomenal one, he got down the inside and I was a bit compromised and then Seb was on the outside. It was not the start we had planned and then it was just chess from there. People covered each other off stops.
"At the end of the race I finished 40 seconds behind Lewis and Fernando finishes a lap behind the leader. Interesting day today and it goes to show you how fine the margins are when you are off a little bit on strategy. If you can't clear people at the right time, you get exposed. At certain stages I was quick, other stages I wasn't."
Source:Planet-F1
Seb happy to have competition at last
Sebastian Vettel admits his victory in Barcelona was made sweeter by the fact that he was pushed until the very end by Lewis Hamilton
After winning three of the first four races, many thought the Spanish Grand Prix would be another walk in the park for the reigning World Champion after he started next to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber on the front row of the grid.
However, the German was made to work hard for his win right from the start after Ferrari's Fernando Alonso beat the two Red Bulls and McLaren's Hamilton off the line.
Vettel, though, was able to sneak past Alonso after the second round of pit stops, but that was only half the battle won as Hamilton put in an incredible late charge to keep the Championship pacesetter honest.
"I'm very, very happy, a great result and after yesterday I think it's another confirmation that we're very strong," he said.
"Many people said today this will not be a race and that it will only be between Mark and myself, but we've seen at Turn 1 the Ferrari was there and then the McLarens gave us a very hard time.
"That's why I think I'm even happier today that we made it because these guys were pushing very hard."
It wasn't all plain sailing for Vettel as he first struggled to pass Alonso in the DRS zone early in the race and then he had problems with KERS late on as Hamilton closed in on him.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "At the beginning of the race I had a good start but I don't understand where Fernando Alonso came from. He was leading after the first lap and we could not get close enough in the DRS zone to pass him but we got him at the pit stop.
"McLaren were very strong, Lewis in particular. The last few laps I felt like China, with my tyres falling away. He was always getting in the DRS zone but in the last few laps I got a good run in the last sector to make it stick.
"I sometimes had KERS on, sometimes off. It was not an easy race. McLaren gave us a hard time. It was quite a big release when you cross the finish line."
Vettel leads the Championship on 118 points, 41 ahead of Hamilton.
Source: Planet-F1
After winning three of the first four races, many thought the Spanish Grand Prix would be another walk in the park for the reigning World Champion after he started next to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber on the front row of the grid.However, the German was made to work hard for his win right from the start after Ferrari's Fernando Alonso beat the two Red Bulls and McLaren's Hamilton off the line.
Vettel, though, was able to sneak past Alonso after the second round of pit stops, but that was only half the battle won as Hamilton put in an incredible late charge to keep the Championship pacesetter honest.
"I'm very, very happy, a great result and after yesterday I think it's another confirmation that we're very strong," he said.
"Many people said today this will not be a race and that it will only be between Mark and myself, but we've seen at Turn 1 the Ferrari was there and then the McLarens gave us a very hard time.
"That's why I think I'm even happier today that we made it because these guys were pushing very hard."
It wasn't all plain sailing for Vettel as he first struggled to pass Alonso in the DRS zone early in the race and then he had problems with KERS late on as Hamilton closed in on him.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "At the beginning of the race I had a good start but I don't understand where Fernando Alonso came from. He was leading after the first lap and we could not get close enough in the DRS zone to pass him but we got him at the pit stop.
"McLaren were very strong, Lewis in particular. The last few laps I felt like China, with my tyres falling away. He was always getting in the DRS zone but in the last few laps I got a good run in the last sector to make it stick.
"I sometimes had KERS on, sometimes off. It was not an easy race. McLaren gave us a hard time. It was quite a big release when you cross the finish line."
Vettel leads the Championship on 118 points, 41 ahead of Hamilton.
Source: Planet-F1
Spanish GP: Seb Holds Off Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel refused to buckle under pressure as he held off a late charge from Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix to claim his fourth win of the season
The defending World Champion's latest win sees him stretch his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 41 points ahead of the McLaren driver.
Unlike in previous races where Vettel was in cruise mode, he had to work hard for his victory in Barcelona. After starting P2 on the grid, he had to battle without KERS for the latter part of the race but did just enough to keep the charging McLaren driver at bay.
Jenson Button claimed the final podium place with Mark Webber fourth and Fernando Alonso fifth.
Alonso looked like he was up for the race as he made a sensational start from P4 to ease into the lead off the line. While the two Red Bull drivers were keeping an eye on each other, the Spaniard snuck through on the inside and he kept himself in the lead until the second round of pit stops.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, Alonso didn't just lose out to Vettel during the stop, but also to Hamilton. Alonso was quickly dropped by the two front-runners and it wasn't too long before Webber and Button caught up and overtook him.
Button, whose strategy cost him a possible podium place in Turkey, was vindicated for sticking to the three-stopper this time as he was able to hold off Webber for the final podium place.
Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39:03.301
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 0.630
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.697
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 47.966
05. Alonso Ferrari + 1 lap
06. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
07. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
08. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
09. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
16. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 2 laps
17. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 2 laps
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
20. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps
Not classified/retirements:
Massa Ferrari 60
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 49
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 29
Source: Planet-F1
The defending World Champion's latest win sees him stretch his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 41 points ahead of the McLaren driver.Unlike in previous races where Vettel was in cruise mode, he had to work hard for his victory in Barcelona. After starting P2 on the grid, he had to battle without KERS for the latter part of the race but did just enough to keep the charging McLaren driver at bay.
Jenson Button claimed the final podium place with Mark Webber fourth and Fernando Alonso fifth.
Alonso looked like he was up for the race as he made a sensational start from P4 to ease into the lead off the line. While the two Red Bull drivers were keeping an eye on each other, the Spaniard snuck through on the inside and he kept himself in the lead until the second round of pit stops.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, Alonso didn't just lose out to Vettel during the stop, but also to Hamilton. Alonso was quickly dropped by the two front-runners and it wasn't too long before Webber and Button caught up and overtook him.
Button, whose strategy cost him a possible podium place in Turkey, was vindicated for sticking to the three-stopper this time as he was able to hold off Webber for the final podium place.
Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39:03.301
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 0.630
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.697
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 47.966
05. Alonso Ferrari + 1 lap
06. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
07. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
08. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
09. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
16. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 2 laps
17. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 2 laps
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
20. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps
Not classified/retirements:
Massa Ferrari 60
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 49
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 29
Source: Planet-F1
Sabtu, 21 Mei 2011
Alonso: The perfect lap
Fernando Alonso has hailed the qualifying lap that put him fourth on the grid for the Spanish GP as "perfect".
With Red Bull and McLaren dominating the weekend's running, it seemed that Alonso would be forced to settle for a place on the third row of the grid.
However, late in the third session of qualifying the Spaniard thrilled his home crowd by producing a lap just + 0.983 seconds slower than pole sitter Mark Webber and 0.032 seconds faster than Jenson Button's McLaren.
"I did a perfect lap: I reckon that if I tried to repeat it twenty times, I could not do better!" said a delighted Alonso.
"When you do a lap like that it's hard to put into words what one feels: always being on the limit, in every corner is a really special feeling for a driver.
"I am very happy with this result, because we have never made it to the second row this year. Sure, pole position is still a long way off: today, Red Bull was once again out of reach and we must work hard to try and get closer.
The 29-year-old was confident that Ferrari would be challenging for the top places on race day.
"So far, in the races we have gone better than in qualifying and so I think we can be in the fight for the podium," he explained.
"It will be tough at the start because the McLarens always get off the line well and then they have one more new set of soft tyres than we do."
Source: Planet-F1
With Red Bull and McLaren dominating the weekend's running, it seemed that Alonso would be forced to settle for a place on the third row of the grid.However, late in the third session of qualifying the Spaniard thrilled his home crowd by producing a lap just + 0.983 seconds slower than pole sitter Mark Webber and 0.032 seconds faster than Jenson Button's McLaren.
"I did a perfect lap: I reckon that if I tried to repeat it twenty times, I could not do better!" said a delighted Alonso.
"When you do a lap like that it's hard to put into words what one feels: always being on the limit, in every corner is a really special feeling for a driver.
"I am very happy with this result, because we have never made it to the second row this year. Sure, pole position is still a long way off: today, Red Bull was once again out of reach and we must work hard to try and get closer.
The 29-year-old was confident that Ferrari would be challenging for the top places on race day.
"So far, in the races we have gone better than in qualifying and so I think we can be in the fight for the podium," he explained.
"It will be tough at the start because the McLarens always get off the line well and then they have one more new set of soft tyres than we do."
Source: Planet-F1
Video: BBC F1 2011 - 5 ESP - Red Bull's Mark Webber hails 'great performance'
Red Bull's Mark Webber praises his team after he gained pole position for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix
Source: FiftyBuckss
Source: FiftyBuckss
Webber: Today was my day
Mark Webber may have beaten Sebastian Vettel to pole in Spain but the Aussie says what he would rather have is the P1 on Sunday afternoon
Webber brought Vettel's run of pole positions to an end at Barcelona on Saturday, crossing the line with a 1:20.981, two-tenths up on his team-mate's best.
"It was a good session," said the Aussie, who climbed out of his car after topping Vettel's time as he realised that no-one else had the pace to beat him.
"We didn't underestimate the other guys, but Seb and I thought we would be battling for pole.
"I was just praying my time went above the number one (referring to Vettel) as I crossed the finishing line, and it did.
"It was a nice lap, a good battle with Seb, and today was my day."
And with the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix having been the driver starting from pole position on the last 10 occasions, Webber says he hopes "I can make it 11.
"I will relax tonight have a good sleep and come back tomorrow. I am looking forward to trying to get the victory tomorrow.
"If I am in this position tomorrow coming out of the last corner then I will be happy."
Source: Planet-F1
Webber brought Vettel's run of pole positions to an end at Barcelona on Saturday, crossing the line with a 1:20.981, two-tenths up on his team-mate's best."It was a good session," said the Aussie, who climbed out of his car after topping Vettel's time as he realised that no-one else had the pace to beat him.
"We didn't underestimate the other guys, but Seb and I thought we would be battling for pole.
"I was just praying my time went above the number one (referring to Vettel) as I crossed the finishing line, and it did.
"It was a nice lap, a good battle with Seb, and today was my day."
And with the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix having been the driver starting from pole position on the last 10 occasions, Webber says he hopes "I can make it 11.
"I will relax tonight have a good sleep and come back tomorrow. I am looking forward to trying to get the victory tomorrow.
"If I am in this position tomorrow coming out of the last corner then I will be happy."
Source: Planet-F1
Qualifying: Webber ends Vettel's run
Mark Webber became the first driver to beat Sebastian Vettel to pole position this season, achieving the feat in Spain on Saturday
With Red Bull dominating this weekend's proceedings, many were expecting a Red Bull 1-2 in qualifying and the reigning World Champions delivered.
However, instead of Vettel taking pole, as he has down in all four previous races, it was Webber who bagged the coveted grid slot by 0.200s ahead of his team-mate.
Lewis Hamilton took third place while Fernando Alonso finally improved on his qualifying P5 to take fourth, 0.003s up on Jenson button.
Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg were next in line ahead of Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in what proved to be a very strange, uneventful and downright boring qualifying shoot-out.
Michael Schumacher qualified P10 although the German never actually set a time.
Times
01. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m20.981s
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.181s + 0.200
03. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.961s + 0.980
04. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.964s + 0.983
05. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.996s + 1.015
06. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m22.471s + 1.490
07. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.599s + 1.618
08. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m22.888s + 1.907
09. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m22.952s + 1.971
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes
11. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.231s + 1.691
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.367s + 1.827
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.694s + 2.154
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.702s + 2.162
15. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m25.403s + 3.863
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercede 1m26.126s + 4.586
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercede 1m26.571s + 5.031
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m26.521s + 3.561
19. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.910s + 3.950
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.315s + 4.355
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m27.809s + 4.849
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m27.908s + 4.948
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.556s + 5.596
24. Nick Heidfeld Renault No time
Source: Planet-F1
With Red Bull dominating this weekend's proceedings, many were expecting a Red Bull 1-2 in qualifying and the reigning World Champions delivered.However, instead of Vettel taking pole, as he has down in all four previous races, it was Webber who bagged the coveted grid slot by 0.200s ahead of his team-mate.
Lewis Hamilton took third place while Fernando Alonso finally improved on his qualifying P5 to take fourth, 0.003s up on Jenson button.
Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg were next in line ahead of Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in what proved to be a very strange, uneventful and downright boring qualifying shoot-out.
Michael Schumacher qualified P10 although the German never actually set a time.
Times
01. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m20.981s
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.181s + 0.200
03. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.961s + 0.980
04. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.964s + 0.983
05. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.996s + 1.015
06. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m22.471s + 1.490
07. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.599s + 1.618
08. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m22.888s + 1.907
09. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m22.952s + 1.971
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes
11. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.231s + 1.691
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.367s + 1.827
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.694s + 2.154
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.702s + 2.162
15. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m25.403s + 3.863
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercede 1m26.126s + 4.586
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercede 1m26.571s + 5.031
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m26.521s + 3.561
19. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.910s + 3.950
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.315s + 4.355
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m27.809s + 4.849
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m27.908s + 4.948
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.556s + 5.596
24. Nick Heidfeld Renault No time
Source: Planet-F1
Rabu, 18 Mei 2011
Massa's Blog: Yet another step forward in performance terms
I have had a busy few days since the Turkish Grand Prix, so time has gone by quickly and now I’m heading off to Barcelona for the fifth race of the season, which I hope will show more signs of the progress we had clearly made in Turkey. After a couple of days at home in Monaco, I headed for Rome where I attended a function for our partner Shell, after which I stayed in Italy spending three days at Maranello.
I had the usual race preparation meetings with the engineers, although much of the time was in the simulator, with it set up to replicate the Catalunya circuit where we will be racing this weekend. To be honest, from a driver’s point of view, the simulator is most valuable when you are using it to learn a new circuit, like we did last year for Korea and will do again for India, this year’s new venue. The work I was involved in this week was more for the benefit of the car, the 150° Italia, as I was testing the new updates we plan to use starting from Friday.
A session in the simulator is very much like a normal test at a race track: we start running at 9 in the morning until around 1, when we have a break for lunch, which we take in the simulator area itself and then we start again running from around 2.30 to 5 in the afternoon. After that, just like at the racetrack, I have a debrief with my engineers. Usually with the simulator, you start doing a run just to get acclimatised to it and then you start doing runs that last five or six timed laps. You can immediately see the results of what you are doing so, based on that, you decide what changes to make to the car and go out again. In one day in the simulator, you can try many more things than you could do at the track, because in the “virtual” environment, it is much quicker changing things on the car than at the track. Also, you don’t waste time in the simulator with “in” laps and “out” laps: for example at the Catalunya track on the simulator, you start the lap coming out of Turn 11 and then you can immediately begin your timed lap. When you press the button to finish, it’s like being back in the garage again. You talk to the engineers and anything you want changing on the car they can do almost immediately, or they can configure the car to test new updates or experiment with set-ups. The simulator is therefore much more time saving than testing for real.
Physically, a simulator session is much less tiring than driving the real car, because the G forces are less, but you are still driving, moving and working hard, but the physical effort required is far less. The best thing about the simulator? When you crash, nothing happens, absolutely nothing! Okay, you can feel something through the steering wheel but then the platform just stops and it’s over. When you first start using a simulator, you can find yourself going off line and even crashing but there is no harm done to you or the car.
Back in the real world, we have new parts we plan to use on the car in Spain and we are expecting to make yet another step forward in performance terms. We know how tough a time we had in the early part of the season, but hard work has seen us reduce the gap to the quickest cars and we plan to continue that way, especially in qualifying trim. If we make the car better for Saturday, we should also end up with an even more competitive car in the race on Sunday. I hope we are on the right road, because we now have Spain and Monaco just a few days apart and after that, we will have already completed six Grands Prix, or almost one third of the season. So it is a very important time for us and I have every confidence in the team that we can have a good Spanish weekend. The Spanish Grand Prix will be another interesting test of the effect of the new rules, with KERS and the DRS, although overtaking might not be quite as straightforward as in Turkey, as the main straight in Barcelona is not as long as the one at the Istanbul track. Of course, we have seen that tyre performance is possibly an even bigger feature than the KERS and DRS and from a driver’s point of view, it makes the racing quite interesting psychologically, as you have to deal with having a car that is really competitive for some laps and then finding your lap times dropping off and you are struggling to fight off the cars behind you. Then you fit new tyres and the whole situation changes again. It’s interesting for us and more importantly, very exciting for the race fans. Obviously, my team-mate will be the focus of most of the attention for his home race in Spain and Fernando’s arrival at Ferrari has made the Scuderia very popular with the Spanish race fans, so I hope we can both deliver a good result for them on Sunday.
Source: Ferrari.com
Alonso's Blog: We’ll see who’s been the cleverest in the development championship
Here we are with the Spanish Grand Prix just round the corner, a race that has a special feel about it for me. I will arrive in Barcelona tonight, because right from tomorrow morning I’ve got an appointment in my diary: attending the launch of the first ever Ferrari Store to be opened in Spain, in the heart of the Catalan capital, on one of the most important streets in the city, Paseo de Gracia. Felipe will be there, as will Marc who will be very much the main man given he is from Barcelona. Then it will be time to head off to the track for the usual Thursday jobs, most of them dealing with media work.
It’s always nice to race in Spain. I love the feeling of warmth one gets from the fans right from the very first free practice sessions. Day after day, you can see the grandstands fill with flags – the red of Ferrari and the azure blue of my compatriots from Asturias – and that is a special feeling for me. My win here in 2006 is still one of the best moments of my career and it would be a dream come true to do it again with Ferrari sooner or later.
I know that you all want to know if that might happen already this weekend, but I am not able to give you an answer to that. On paper, we do not yet have the potential to be in a straight fight for the win, with one team clearly the favourite in this regard. However, we know things can change quickly in our sport and, in Turkey, finally we managed to bring home a podium finish. The road is still long, but I believe we have at least started down it going in the right direction.
These past few days, the team has worked so hard in Maranello on developing the 150° Italia and in order to be as well prepared as possible for these two back to back races, given that next week will be back on track in Monaco. During the days I spent in the factory I could feel that everyone there really wants to fight back: the feeling is so strong you can almost touch it, whether you are speaking with people in meetings or as you walk around the Gestione Sportiva. Both Felipe and I have done so many kilometres in the simulator and we feel that the updates being introduced will see us make progress in terms of performance. Whether or not this will be enough to close the gap to the best, we will only find out over the weekend, because we cannot ignore the fact that the others have not been twiddling their thumbs. We will see who has been the cleverest in the development championship.
The Catalunya Circuit is one of the ones we know best because traditionally it is a favourite venue for winter testing. This year, we have already had two sessions there, one at the end of February and the other in early March.
This means we will all arrive there with a pretty good idea of what settings we will use as a baseline on the car to start the weekend, even if the conditions we will encounter will be very different, especially in terms of temperature.
It will be very important to run continuously in Friday’s two free practice sessions to fine tune the car and check out the behaviour of the new technical components. It will also be vital to study the performance and wear of the tyres. In the race simulations we did during testing we saw significant degradation, especially on the front left tyre, which is put under major stress: we will see if, with different temperatures, that situation changes. Compared to previous races at this track I think we will see more overtaking, especially down to the difference in tyre performance that could be a factor during the race: further reason to come to the track to watch the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. It would be nice to jump on the podium again and be able to salute all our fans from there: as far as me and the team are concerned, as usual, we will be giving it our very best shot.
Source: Ferrari.com
Selasa, 11 Mei 2010
Controversial F-duct to be banned from F1 by 2011
The contentious, McLaren-Mercedes pioneered F-duct aerodynamic innovation is to be banned from F1 in 2011 following an overwhelming vote against it from the other teams – after Fernando Alonso's one-armed driving in the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend raised concerns both about the system's safety and that it might trigger an expensive new 'arms race' in the top flight in an era of overriding cost-cutting.Operated by drivers alternately blocking and unblocking a hole inside the cockpit with either their hand or their knee, the F-duct – which cleverly circumvented the regulation that F1 cars may carry no moveable aerodynamic appendages – diverts air flow to reduce drag and thereby improve straight-line speed.
However, after Ferrari introduced their own rather more radical and potentially dangerous interpretation of the concept in Barcelona, double world champion Alonso was seen manually opening and closing the air vent whilst out on the track – thereby meaning the Spaniard had only one hand on the steering wheel at speeds of up to 200mph, and when adjusting his brake bias with his other hand, no hands at all.
Whilst the Oviedo native downplayed any fears that he was not in full control of his car – insisting that he is able to close the hole through a pad sewn into his left glove and that 'this method is now automatic' – during a Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) meeting at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday, McLaren was unable to successfully persuade its fellow competitors that the F-duct should stay.
“It is a clever piece of engineering and hats off to the guys who invented it,” Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner told Reuters, “but some of the solutions this weekend look a bit marginal when you see drivers driving with fingertips and no hands. I think there is a safety issue and a cost issue to take into account – and the majority voted through not to have it next year.”
“By the end of this year I know that we – and I'm sure most of the other teams – will have an F-duct on the car and I'm sure that just neutralises the advantage of having it,” added Mercedes Grand Prix CEO Nick Fry, who advocated the need for similar non road-relevant developments in F1 to be 'nipped in the bud'. “I think on the F-duct in particular there are other ideas that one can come up with and that the engineers have already come up with which are even zanier than that.
“When I look at some of the things our engineers have come up with and which on the face of it apply the same principles, they are zany in the extreme and it is difficult to see how they would be used elsewhere – plus they would be expensive. I know it's disappointing for those that invent these ideas, but I think what people have got to get used to is that, like the double-diffuser, they may be fairly short-lived. If it isn't a useful technology then it comes off; what we should be encouraging is stuff that we can use elsewhere.”
The double-diffuser was contentiously introduced by Mercedes' predecessor Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams at the beginning of last season, and played a significant role in the former's early dominance and ultimately title-winning run. The device was officially declared legal by governing body the FIA in April – but by then the Brackley-based outfit had already pulled just too far out of reach to be caught. Double-diffusers have likewise been outlawed from next year onwards.
Source: Crash
Alonso's Blog: It was so nice to see red grandstands at Montmelo!
Posted by Fernando Alonso
It was very exciting for me to race in Spain at the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time. To see so many red jackets and caps in the grandstands was fantastic and I think that this time, I felt the passion of the fans like never before at the Catalunya circuit. So, I was really happy to get to the podium, even if it wasn’t the top step, so that I could acknowledge and thank them all for their enthusiasm.
From a technical point of view, the F10 performed the way we had thought it would. The updates we brought delivered the performance level we had expected, but it’s also true that other teams made an even bigger step forward, at least in terms of how they performed on this type of track. I am convinced that this year, the hierarchy among the teams will usually change according to the characteristics of the track and the Barcelona one definitely did not suit us so well.
The Monaco Grand Prix is a unique event on the calendar. All of us drivers want to win on this track at some point or other and the teams and sponsors are also particularly keen on doing well at the most famous race in the world, partly because it takes place in a venue that is already very special. It definitely attracts even more media attention than usual, which means the weekend will be even more demanding than usual. Usually on this track there have been surprises on the technical front. In the past, we have seen cars run competitively here that have not done so elsewhere and so it is even harder to make any predictions. Maybe we could be the ones to spring the surprise, given that others are already writing us off or are saying they have the edge.
I have heard a lot about the problems with traffic. It’s true this was already a problem when we had twenty cars on track and now there are four more, but we must try and look at this situation as an extra challenge, both for us drivers, who will have to be even more careful when overtaking, but without losing too much time, both in qualifying and the race and for the engineers, who will have to work out just the right moment to send us out on track in qualifying.
Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com
It was very exciting for me to race in Spain at the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time. To see so many red jackets and caps in the grandstands was fantastic and I think that this time, I felt the passion of the fans like never before at the Catalunya circuit. So, I was really happy to get to the podium, even if it wasn’t the top step, so that I could acknowledge and thank them all for their enthusiasm.From a technical point of view, the F10 performed the way we had thought it would. The updates we brought delivered the performance level we had expected, but it’s also true that other teams made an even bigger step forward, at least in terms of how they performed on this type of track. I am convinced that this year, the hierarchy among the teams will usually change according to the characteristics of the track and the Barcelona one definitely did not suit us so well.
The Monaco Grand Prix is a unique event on the calendar. All of us drivers want to win on this track at some point or other and the teams and sponsors are also particularly keen on doing well at the most famous race in the world, partly because it takes place in a venue that is already very special. It definitely attracts even more media attention than usual, which means the weekend will be even more demanding than usual. Usually on this track there have been surprises on the technical front. In the past, we have seen cars run competitively here that have not done so elsewhere and so it is even harder to make any predictions. Maybe we could be the ones to spring the surprise, given that others are already writing us off or are saying they have the edge.
I have heard a lot about the problems with traffic. It’s true this was already a problem when we had twenty cars on track and now there are four more, but we must try and look at this situation as an extra challenge, both for us drivers, who will have to be even more careful when overtaking, but without losing too much time, both in qualifying and the race and for the engineers, who will have to work out just the right moment to send us out on track in qualifying.
Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com
Senin, 10 Mei 2010
Spanish GP - Stefano Domenicali, on race
"Overall, we can be pleased with this result, given the situation in terms of different performance levels when compared to some of our rivals."
Source: YouTube - ferrariworld
Ferrari will not use F-duct in Monaco
Ferrari's F10 car will not feature its new F-duct system on the streets of Monaco this weekend.
The Italian team finally got its hand-triggered blown rear wing concept up and running for the Spanish Grand Prix and set highly competitive straight-line speeds.
But boss Stefano Domenicali said the car will feature the conventional rear wing and engine cover this weekend because Monaco requires the highest levels of downforce at all times.
He also backed Felipe Massa amid claims the Brazilian's struggle at the wheel of the F10 could cost him his seat for 2011.
"He is a great driver and we have to make him feel comfortable again with the car," Domenicali is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper.
He also played down suggestions the issue of tyre supply for 2011 is likely to be finally settled in Monaco this weekend.
"It is going to take another couple of weeks, although we will talk about it again in Monaco," Finland's Turun Sanomat quotes the Italian as saying.
Source: Motorsport.com
The Italian team finally got its hand-triggered blown rear wing concept up and running for the Spanish Grand Prix and set highly competitive straight-line speeds.
But boss Stefano Domenicali said the car will feature the conventional rear wing and engine cover this weekend because Monaco requires the highest levels of downforce at all times.
He also backed Felipe Massa amid claims the Brazilian's struggle at the wheel of the F10 could cost him his seat for 2011.
"He is a great driver and we have to make him feel comfortable again with the car," Domenicali is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper.
He also played down suggestions the issue of tyre supply for 2011 is likely to be finally settled in Monaco this weekend.
"It is going to take another couple of weeks, although we will talk about it again in Monaco," Finland's Turun Sanomat quotes the Italian as saying.
Source: Motorsport.com
Red Bull asked Vettel to quit Spanish GP
Sebastian Vettel has revealed he was asked to pull out of the race before finishing the Spanish Grand Prix in third place.
The Red Bull driver suffered a braking problem with 15 laps of the Barcelona race still to run, and made a pitstop so the damage could be inspected.
Mechanics and engineers noticed damage to a brake disc before sending the 22-year-old German back onto the circuit.
"When I got back out the team told me that I should quit the race," Vettel said in an interview with Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"They said the risk because of the broken brake was too great.
"I asked them if that (retiring) was really necessary or whether I could just drive slowly and pick up some points.
"I got no answer," Vettel continued. "So I drove. In the middle of the last corner I then got the message 'keep going, but be careful', but it was too late anyway. I was already past the pit entry."
Vettel said he managed to finish the race by shifting the brake bias all the way to the rear.
"They were pretty worried on the pitwall and I was constantly reminded to drive more slowly," he added.
Source: Motorsport.com
ALONSO HAPPY TO BE IN THE HUNT
Fernando Alonso is convinced he can fight for the Formula One world title after emerging through the chaos of the opening five races.
Good fortune shone on Alonso to the delight of his fans in his home grand prix in Barcelona.
A brake problem for Sebastian Vettel and suspected tyre rim failure for Lewis Hamilton unexpectedly elevated the Ferrari star from fourth to second in the closing laps.
It was Alonso's best result since his season-opening victory in Bahrain, after which he encountered numerous problems.
Remarkably, going into this Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, Alonso is firmly back in the title hunt, trailing championship leader Jenson Button by just three points.
"The championship is long," said Alonso.
"There will be some circuits where we will be closer to Red Bull and some circuits like in Barcelona where we know it's going to be more difficult.
"But overall, for the remaining races, I think we have a package, a car that can fight for the world championship which is the main goal."
Alonso knows, though, consistency is critical and that he cannot afford to endure a rollercoaster ride for the remainder of the year.
"You need good results all the way through," added the 28-year-old.
"So far we have had two engine problems, one gearbox problem, one jumped start, some chaotic races, but we are only three points behind the leader, so we are happy.
"It's still very early in the championship, but better to be in the first three or four positions than eighth or ninth.
"But from now we need four or five podiums in a row. We cannot have one podium and then another three races with mistakes if we are to win the championship.
"But we understand that. We know the mistakes we have made at the beginning of the championship, which is why we arrived in Barcelona with a very good approach.
"We were a super Ferrari team over the weekend with no mistakes at all."
With Ferrari planning a solid period of upgrades over the next few weeks, Alonso is confident that will keep him in the hunt.
"There is a very aggressive plan of developing the car with some good gains and good improvements to come in the next races, so we are very optimistic on that," said Alonso.
Source: Sportinglife.com
Good fortune shone on Alonso to the delight of his fans in his home grand prix in Barcelona.
A brake problem for Sebastian Vettel and suspected tyre rim failure for Lewis Hamilton unexpectedly elevated the Ferrari star from fourth to second in the closing laps.
It was Alonso's best result since his season-opening victory in Bahrain, after which he encountered numerous problems.
Remarkably, going into this Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, Alonso is firmly back in the title hunt, trailing championship leader Jenson Button by just three points.
"The championship is long," said Alonso.
"There will be some circuits where we will be closer to Red Bull and some circuits like in Barcelona where we know it's going to be more difficult.
"But overall, for the remaining races, I think we have a package, a car that can fight for the world championship which is the main goal."
Alonso knows, though, consistency is critical and that he cannot afford to endure a rollercoaster ride for the remainder of the year.
"You need good results all the way through," added the 28-year-old.
"So far we have had two engine problems, one gearbox problem, one jumped start, some chaotic races, but we are only three points behind the leader, so we are happy.
"It's still very early in the championship, but better to be in the first three or four positions than eighth or ninth.
"But from now we need four or five podiums in a row. We cannot have one podium and then another three races with mistakes if we are to win the championship.
"But we understand that. We know the mistakes we have made at the beginning of the championship, which is why we arrived in Barcelona with a very good approach.
"We were a super Ferrari team over the weekend with no mistakes at all."
With Ferrari planning a solid period of upgrades over the next few weeks, Alonso is confident that will keep him in the hunt.
"There is a very aggressive plan of developing the car with some good gains and good improvements to come in the next races, so we are very optimistic on that," said Alonso.
Source: Sportinglife.com
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