Monday, June 30, 2008

Britain preview quotes: Williams

Nico Rosberg: "Williams won their first Grand Prix at Silverstone back in 1979 so it's always nice when this race comes around and we can compete in front of our home crowd. We have a lot of work to do though at the moment to improve our competitiveness. To help with that, we had a three day test at Silverstone last week. We covered a lot of ground with the FW30, and that should help us out in the next few races. Silverstone is a great track to race on so I'm looking forward to it, and I think we'll do a lot better than we did in France."

Kazuki Nakajima: "I'm really excited about this race, not only because it's the team's home Grand Prix, but also because I count it as my second home race as I've lived in England for quite a long time now. We spent last week testing at Silverstone and managed to cover off a lot of preparation for the race, which was important for us after Magny-Cours. For the first time this year, I'll hopefully bring some friends from Oxford with me to this race, which will be a novelty! That, and being able to drive home and not contend with an airport for once, will make a nice change!"

Sam Michael, Technical Director: "From the high speed first sector through to the low speed third sector, Silverstone has quite a varied track layout. Such variation often demands compromise which presents the drivers and engineers with a fairly significant challenge when it comes to getting the optimum set-up direction and therefore the quickest lap time at this track.

"Aerodynamic efficiency and a solid mechanical balance are key requirements for a competitive performance around Silverstone. With overtaking extremely difficult around the lap due to the speed the drivers carry into the corners, the emphasis on a strong qualifying is perhaps somewhat exaggerated at this race.

"A particularly hard track on tyres due to the heavy loads accrued at high speeds, Bridgestone will bring the hard and medium compound tyres to this race. The best strategy tends to be either a one or two stop. Last week's test at Silverstone afforded all of the teams a final opportunity to fine tune their set-ups for the race."



  • Rossi ends Le Mans test on top
  • Stoner expects to improve on Italy ‘07
  • Pedrosa blames tyres for race slump
  • Britain preview quotes: BMW
  • Britain preview quotes: BMW

    Nick Heidfeld: "Over the main entrance to Silverstone there's a sign saying "Home of British Motor Racing", and that really sums up the atmosphere here. This classic track has stayed true to its roots. It really has character, which I like. There are a lot of great high-speed sections, and some memorable corners and combinations like Stowe, Copse and Beckets. Also, you can always count on the British spectators to create a special atmosphere. The British fans are really into racing; they're very informed and enthusiastic. I hope we can put on a good show for them."

    Robert Kubica: "Silverstone has a great history and is a very nice track. It is very important to have good downforce here, especially in the high-speed first sector. Later on in the lap the track has some low-speed corners. From a driver's perspective, the circuit is a good mix that makes a lot of different demands. Wind conditions are always a big factor, and they can have quite an effect on the car in the first sector. Furthermore, British weather is always unpredictable, but I have been to races in Silverstone three or four times and never had rain. So let's wait and see."

    Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "Silverstone is a classic date on the racing calendar, and it attracts a special calibre of fan. A lot of the racing enthusiasts who come here are less concerned with the personalities and the show side of things and more interested in the sport itself. The team has already been testing in Silverstone this week. Both Robert and Nick have been working on their set-ups for the Grand Prix. Following the difficult weekend in Magny-Cours, we expect to get back on track again at Silverstone.

    "For the BMW Group, Britain is the only market with production sites for all three of its brands: the MINI is built in Oxford, Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, BMW car engines are built in Hams Hall, and the Swindon plant is the main supplier of MINI body stampings and parts. After the US and Germany, Britain is the third-biggest market for the BMW Group."

    Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "Obviously, in England we'll be looking to prove that our result at Magny-Cours didn't do us justice. We picked up some interesting tips from testing in Silverstone, and I'm confident we'll recapture our previous strong form. To drive a fast lap at Silverstone you need a car with very good aerodynamic balance. The drivers have to carry as much speed as possible out of those medium and high-speed corners that are such a big feature of this course. Maggots- Becketts-Chapel is one of the best combinations on the whole calendar. Silverstone is a fairly abrasive track, so it's quite hard on the tyres. That means we will be using the hardest compounds."



  • ITV4 to broadcast GP2 this season
  • Britain preview quotes: Williams
  • Massa not changing racing approach

    Massa not changing racing approach

    Felipe Massa says that his approach to racing will be unchanged despite the fact he heads to this weekend's British Grand Prix as world championship leader.

    The Brazilian's recent victory in Magny-Cours helped move him to the top of the title standings, and his strong run of form after a shaky start to the campaign have made him a genuine contender for the world title.

    But although he has welcomed his place at the top of the standings, Massa insists that his current situation will not alter anything when it comes to races.

    "It's nice to be leading the championship and to see your name at the top of the sheet, but to be honest, it means little at the moment and I have to concentrate on other things," Massa told the official Ferrari website.

    "There is still a very long way to go and being the leader changes nothing for me. I prefer to concentrate on my job and look at the testing and each race as it comes. Only after all the races will we see if we did everything right.

    "Sure, it's good to be first and to come to the next race, leading the series and having won the last race. It gives you a boost, but that only lasts until it's time to start practice again."

    Massa was encouraged by the developments to the F2008 tried out during testing at Silverstone last week, although says his biggest concern ahead of the British GP is getting his health back.

    "To be honest, I need to have some rest now," he said. "If you remember I had a problem with my neck in Magny-Cours and then picked up a cold bug and had to do two days of testing with some sort of influenza and now I am completely tired.

    "I need to relax and concentrate on the next race. My neck is fine after some treatment but now I have this 'flu. But I am sure I will be fine by (the race)."



  • Ecclestone: No more races at Magny-Cours
  • Asmer to race in GP2 with FMS
  • Q and A with Kimi Raikkonen
  • French GP entry gets unanimous approval
  • Brazilian Iaconelli joins BCN
  • Sunday, June 29, 2008

    Hill: British GP chances still 50/50

    Hill: British GP chances still 50/50

    Silverstone's chances of completing a deal to secure the future of the British Grand Prix are still only 50/50, claims Damon Hill - despite the wave of interest sparked by Lewis Hamilton and the track's plans to fulfil a £30 million redevelopment request.

    With discussions between the Northamptonshire track and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone ongoing, Hill, who is president of circuit owners the British Racing Drivers' Club, said that he was still taking nothing for granted in completing a deal.

    "I would say 50/50 was probably about right," Hill told reporters on Thursday when asked about the chances of Silverstone securing a deal beyond 2009. "I am not going to assume anything when it comes to F1.

    "My experience is you should never make some presumptions, so it would be prudent to consider it a 50/50 figure. But, I am 100 percent confident that we have got what it will take and we can deliver what F1 will be proud of, and the UK will be proud of."

    With planning permission for a new pits and paddock complex having been approved, the major stumbling block for pressing ahead with plans was now tying down a commercial deal with Ecclestone.

    Hill admitted that the talks were stuck in a state of limbo now - with a new commercial deal unlikely until the track redevelopment is started, and the track redevelopment unlikely to start until a commercial deal is sorted.

    "I liken it to the Aladdin's cave: the genie says give me the lamp and Aladdin says get me out of the cave and I'll give you the lamp," he explained.

    "You're in this constant cyclical thing whereby in order to get our plans implemented we need to have a Grand Prix contract and in order to get the Grand Prix contract we have to have our planning.

    "So it's going round in circles, but the circles are getting smaller and we're getting closer to the final stage I think."

    He added: "We're definitely making progress. We've got the planning consent for our pit and paddock complex. It's one step at a time; the negotiations typically will be ongoing and I expect won't come to a conclusion until the final hour, whenever that is.

    "If we're going to fulfil the building requirements then ideally we have to get going on it before the end of this year. So it's situation normal."

    Hill also did not dismiss the threat posed by Donington Park, who revealed recently that they were in talks with Ecclestone about a deal to poach the British Grand Prix.

    "I would never discount any other option. It's the nature of this free market that there's always another option to go to and we have to compete.

    "A tremendous amount of work has gone in to placing Silverstone and getting it to the position where it's teed up to become a leading centre for world motorsport.

    "I think it's ideally placed for Formula One and for all motorsport, and we also have ambitions to fulfil the objectives of the government, which is to provide education, vocational training and also promote the UK.

    "We think we've got everything in place there to make us a very strong candidate for either investment or for Grand Prix contracts."

    Hill also said that Silverstone would take nothing for granted about agreements that are held between the FIA and Formula One Management to guarantee the future of 'traditional' races – like the British GP.

    "The British GP is an important event globally. It is conceived as being an intrinsic part of F1, but things can change and I can see that too.

    "But, if there was a way of it becoming a protected event that would be of interest – but we are certainly not relying on it."



  • Hamilton boosted by McLaren updates
  • Rossi rues poor track conditions
  • Q and A with Damon Hill
  • Ecclestone: Silverstone must meet demands
  • Kovalainen says confidence still intact

    Kovalainen says confidence still intact

    Heikki Kovalainen says his confidence remains intact despite the difficult start to the season he has endured so far with McLaren.

    The Finn, joining the British squad from Renault, has scored 20 points in the first eight races of the season, 18 less than teammate Lewis Hamilton, who has been on the podium four times, including two victories.

    Kovalainen has climbed onto the podium just once thanks to a third place in the second race of the season in Malaysia.

    But the McLaren driver says he has not lost any confidence in his abilities, and he reckons he will be able to score better results when he manages to a enjoy a trouble-free weekend.

    "I don't feel that my confidence has been dropping because of these problems," Kovalainen told autosport.com during testing at Silverstone.

    "I've had some difficult races but generally I had very strong qualifying sessions and then I've had some technical problems or the crash in Barcelona.

    "I have not been able to put the race together. In Magny-Cours it was the opposite. In qualifying we had the penalty, but on Sunday the car felt very strong.

    "So I don't think it has made a big difference for the confidence level. Of course everybody in the team is looking to get a strong result and we can try to improve, and to put the whole weekend together and get even better results."

    Kovalainen had a strong race in France last weekend, recovering from a grid penalty to finish in fourth place, right behind Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

    Both the Finn and Hamilton had to serve penalties in France, but Kovalainen rejected suggestions that McLaren have been targeted by the FIA.

    "I don't think it's too many penalties," he said. "We get a penalty whenever we do something wrong.

    "And I don't think we should read into it too much. We need to make sure we don't make mistakes and then we won't receive any penalties. I don't think there are more penalties for McLaren than for others.

    "I think we have made some mistakes, I have made some mistakes and we need to make sure we won't do them again, and then it will be fine."

    And the McLaren driver is confident his team will be in strong form in next week's British Grand Prix, despite Ferrari looking like favourites after their dominant display in Magny-Cours.

    "I'm quite happy with the pace of the car, and the feeling is that the car is strong," he added. "Of course in testing it's difficult to say what the other teams are doing, but Ferrari are going to be strong here as well for sure.

    "But it's something we don't need to worry about too much. We will try to improve our car, our package, and I'm sure we will be competitive. I just don't know what the other teams will do."



  • McLaren deny FIA picking on them
  • Drivers hit by penalties in Istanbul
  • Hamilton boosted by McLaren updates

    Lewis Hamilton says he has been boosted by the updates that his McLaren team have been trying out at Silverstone this week, as he rounded off his preparations for the British Grand Prix on Thursday.

    The McLaren driver was evaluating a number of aerodynamic and car improvements, including a heavily revised front wing that the team hope to run at the British Grand Prix to help get Hamilton's world title bid back on track.

    "Today's test was really encouraging," said Hamilton, who has failed to score points in the last two races. "The changes we've made in the last few tests have really improved the car.

    "I haven't back-to-backed the new parts so I don't have a benchmark, but the car feels strong around here and I can't wait to be racing in front of my home crowd again."

    Although Hamilton had a troubled time in France, failing to score a point and openly criticising the media for their coverage of him, he says the 10,000 British fans present at Silverstone today have helped lift his spirits.

    "Driving into Silverstone this morning felt really cool - I couldn't believe how many fans were at the track so early in the morning; they're pretty special, the most dedicated F1 supporters in the world.

    "At the start of the day I was really eager to get out on the track – this place it so super-fast that it feels amazing in an F1 car.

    "At lunchtime I couldn't believe the amount of people that were waiting outside my garage – it was insane! And while I couldn't say hi to all of them, their support always gives me a special lift at this place."



  • Ecclestone: Silverstone must meet demands
  • Capirossi confident on home soil
  • Hamilton sets the pace at Silverstone
  • Saturday, June 28, 2008

    Q and A with Kimi Raikkonen

    Q. Did you test something new today?

    Q and A with Kimi Raikkonen

    Kimi Raikkonen: Yes, we tried some new stuff - and the team had tried them earlier in the week. But I tried it for the first time today, and it was okay.

    Q. How did the car feel here?

    KR: I thought it was okay. We tried some things and didn't really put too much effort into setting up the car. Overall it was good. It was quite windy in the afternoon but I think we have a good car here, and it is hard to say from testing what fuel loads everyone is running. But the feeling is good here and we will see where we are next week.

    Q. Did you talk to the engineers about the failure in Magny-Cours?

    KR: No, we didn't have time. They are still checking what it was. My guess is it was just an unfortunate thing and broke the exhaust. It happens sometimes.

    Q. What is your forecast for the race after this test?

    KR: I was pretty happy with the car. We need to wait until next Friday to see where we are against the others, but we should have a good car. We were strong here last year, and the car is good, so I expect us to be in with a good chance of being able to win the race.

    Q. You are still stuck on your 17th victory, which in Italy is an unlucky number. What do you think about that?

    KR: For sure we can change it this year, so it won't be an issue. We would rather have won last time around, but we still got good points and we should have a strong car here. So hopefully we can have a good result once again.

    Q. Last year the win was important because it showed you were strong for the championship. What will it mean to win at Silverstone?

    KR: A win is always a nice thing. We are going to try and do our best, but like we saw in the last race there are many things that can go against you, or can help you. I expect to have a good car here, and for sure it would help with the points if we could win, but we need to have a good strong weekend and see where we finish. It will be a close fight. We will try to do another good weekend and hopefully one without any problems, and then have a good result.

    Q. Felipe Massa is leading the championship, but the bookmakers still think you are favourite. What do you think about that?

    KR: There have been many leaders this year, and there is still a long way to go. It doesn't really matter who is leading right now, or who was leading before. It only counts at the end of the last race. Everybody is pretty close and, as we have seen in the last few races, it can change pretty quickly. Hopefully we can come back and lead the championship when it really matters.

    Q. Many people think Ferrari will show a similar level of speed at Silverstone as they did at Magny-Cours. Do you agree?

    KR: I hope it will be. McLaren are always strong here, and I'm expecting that next weekend. I think it's going to be quite close between us and I don't see the other teams being close enough for the win, but with them (McLaren) it is going to be a tight fight.

    Q. Is this championship coming down to consistency?

    KR: It helps for sure if you are consistent. If you are not fast enough then you still need to try and win the races, and get there. If you can score points in every race, then you are always going to be in a strong position.

    Q. Does last season's victory in the British Grand Prix help you in your approach to this year's race?

    KR: Not really. We've won at many places, and we know how it should be done, but every year is different - sometimes it can be easier, and other times more difficult. We saw in the last race you can be fast, but it doesn't always go your way. I hope to be in a position - we should be at least in a position - to win the race, and we will see if we can achieve it or not.

    Q. You know McLaren very well. Are they suffering from a lack of experience with both drivers?

    KR: I don't think so. There are a lot of people who know what they are doing. Sometimes you have a difficult car; sometimes you have a better one. That's normal for everybody.



  • Raikkonen not thinking of title yet
  • Top riders predict ‘long’ title battle
  • Raikkonen: trouble-free practice is key
  • MotoGP: Capirossi looking for strong race pace
  • Heidfeld expects strong BMW in Britain

    Heidfeld expects strong BMW in Britain

    Nick Heidfeld is confident his BMW Sauber team will be back to their place as the third fastest F1 outfit at next weekend's race at Silverstone.

    The German squad struggled to get close to their main rivals at the French Grand Prix last weekend, with Robert Kubica finishing a distant fourth and Heidfeld down in 13th.

    But Heidfeld, like Kubica earlier this week, reckons the team made some mistakes with their decisions for the French race, and the German driver expects to be back in form in Britain.

    "I think so," said Heidfeld when asked if the team had made a step forward since France.

    "But it looks like for Magny-Cours we made one or two wrong choices unfortunately especially because at Magny-Cours the laptimes are always very close together.

    "Although we don't know the fuel levels, here looks more normal. Unfortunately right now Ferrari and McLaren are quicker, but we should be the third fastest again with Toyota looking not bad."

    Heidfeld admitted, however, that it is unlikely BMW, or even McLaren, will be able to match Ferrari's pace unless they make significant progress.

    "I think that on most of the circuits Ferrari will be the quickest," he added. "If McLaren or ourselves do not make a big step ­ taking out Monza which is a different circuit a bit like Canada where we have been strong ­ but on the more normal tracks I expect Ferrari to be the strongest."

    The BMW Sauber driver also said that he was hopeful his qualifying form will be improved after getting close to Kubica in France.

    "I hope that it will continue like in Magny-Cours when I was only six hundredths slower than Robert in Q2 which was acceptable. Of course it was not my target but it was better in the previous races. We're still looking at it."



  • Brazilian Iaconelli joins BCN
  • Kubica: BMW development not quick enough
  • Ferrari ‘respect’ BMW Sauber’s challenge
  • Raikkonen expects very competitive Ferrari
  • FIA scraps plans to ban tyre warmers

    FIA scraps plans to ban tyre warmers

    Tyre warmers will remain in Formula One next year, autosport.com can reveal, after the FIA agreed to scrap plans to impose a ban in 2009.

    The governing body had been scheduled to scrap the use of tyre blankets to coincide with the return of slicks at the start of next season in a bid to improve the racing and cut costs.

    But that move led to concern from drivers about safety implications, after they tried out slick rubber without warmers in winter testing.

    With a big difference in laptimes between cars on cold tyres and those with warmed up rubber, drivers feared about the increased chance of accidents.

    Bridgestone was adamant though that the rubber it planned to use would not cause any safety problems - and it told the FIA that it saw no reason to scrap the tyre warmer ban for this reason.

    However, one way of guaranteeing tyre safety was for Bridgestone to impose a minimum tyre pressure limit – and this was something the teams could not find a satisfactory way of imposing or policing.

    Honda Racing team principal Ross Brawn told autosport.com recently: "You can run tyres for sure without blankets, lot of formulae do, but we are a particularly competitive formula and if you don't run blankets with tyres you need to have a minimum pressure control.

    "We haven't worked out how to do that and that was the big concern – how to introduce it fairly and effectively for all the teams? And how do you avoid the massive overhead of policing it?

    "The TWG (Technical Working Group) said it wanted to keep tyre blankets because it could not see a solution to controlling minimum tyre pressure, and that was a big worry. So the option of having blankets was the easiest.

    "And interestingly tyre blankets are not prohibited in testing, so for efficiency of testing we will almost certainly be using tyre blankets in testing. So we will have had them in testing and not racing."

    The FIA agreed that the tyre pressure problem was insurmountable in the short term and, allied to the fact that there would be little reduction in costs because tyre blankets would still be used in testing, the governing body's World Council this week agreed to scrap the ban.



  • French GP test for new safety car system
  • Monaco Saturday quotes: Bridgestone
  • Edwards rues ’strange’ tyre problems
  • Pedrosa tops post-Le Mans test
  • Stoner happy after reverting to ‘08 engine
  • Friday, June 27, 2008

    Q and A with Jarno Trulli

    Conducted and provided by the Toyota F1 press office.

    Q and A with Jarno Trulli

    Q. Congratulations on third place; how did it feel to be back on the podium?

    Jarno Trulli: "It was just a fantastic feeling and it was a great reward for everyone in the team because we had a perfect weekend. I know everyone back in Cologne is working really hard to improve the car and at Magny-Cours my engineers, my mechanics and everyone performed to the maximum.

    "It was great to share that moment with them on the podium and to see the satisfaction in the garage afterwards. This gives us a big boost for the second half of the season."

    Q. Did you expect to be fighting for the podium?

    JT: "At the beginning of the weekend I wasn't expecting to be challenging for third place, that's for sure. However, we had some new aero bits on the car which we expected to bring an improvement and as the weekend went on I felt we were looking quite strong.

    "Qualifying fourth was a great result and after that I thought I had a very good chance to finish in the top six and maybe push for the podium if everything went well. I was really fired up for the race because I thought there was the possibility for a fantastic result and I'm so happy it all worked out."

    Q. Was it a tough race for you?

    JT: "I was pushing to the maximum all race and fighting really hard, as always. It wasn't easy but after I passed Fernando at the start I knew we had a chance so I never gave up and really pushed every lap. I had to be strong to stay ahead because we were fighting with cars which were a little bit quicker than us.

    "It was tough but I was determined to get a great result, especially at this race because of what happened to Ove Andersson. We wanted to pay tribute to him because he did so much for this team. It was a shame he couldn't see such a great result but it was fantastic to dedicate my third place to him."

    Q. How were the final laps for you?

    JT: "It was very exciting at the end of the race, battling with Heikki. We had some rain and it is harder to be in front in these conditions because you don't know exactly what to expect at each corner; it is easier to follow.

    "So Heikki was very close to me and putting me under a lot of pressure, but I was determined not to lose position. With two laps left he pulled alongside but I was strong and didn't give up. It was close but I fought hard and held on.

    Q. Can you describe that incident?

    JT: "He pulled alongside me and I took the inside line so we went wheel to wheel. I didn't want to lose that position because I could see the podium getting close. We didn't touch because I gave him just enough room. It was like racing go karts - I didn't expect to have the chance to race like that in Formula One again.

    "It was a fun fight, even better for me because I was able to keep position. I would love to fight like that for podium positions at every race."

    Q. How have things changed since last year?

    JT: "This year we are much more competitive; the car seems more balanced and I am able to push more because it is very drivable. Quite simply, the car is quicker than last year and that means we are more competitive.

    "We have already scored a lot more points than in 2007 which shows the improvement we have made and that is thanks to the hard work of everyone in the team. We know we are still a little behind the fastest cars but we have shown that at some races we can fight with McLaren and BMW. We want to do this more often and to do so we must improve the car even more but I am sure we are heading in the right direction."

    Q. How do you think you have been driving this year?

    JT: "I think I am driving better than ever. I have experience and I believe I improve every year because you always learn from mistakes or from your experiences. With a competitive car I can fight at the front, I am sure of that. In France I showed how determined and hard-headed I am; I fought to the end and really enjoyed the battle."



  • Stoner hopes for trouble-free run in Italy
  • Capirossi disappointed by race slump
  • Glock thrilled with career-best result
  • France Sunday quotes: Bridgestone
  • Hamilton sets the pace at Silverstone

    Hamilton sets the pace at Silverstone

    Lewis Hamilton got the perfect end to the Silverstone test by topping the times on the final day of work ahead of next week's British Grand Prix.

    The McLaren driver, taking over from teammate Heikki Kovalainen, set the quickest time of the week with a best lap of 1:19.170, outpacing Toyota's Timo Glock by over six tenths of a second.

    Glock had a positive day of work despite being involved in an accident with David Coulthard, the duo making contact at the Hangar straight.

    "It was a misunderstanding - when I turned in at the end of the Hangar Straight David was there," explained Glock.

    "I just didn't see him so I apologise for that. The mechanics did a really good job to get the car back into shape and they worked hard all day because we had a lot to do.

    "We've made a good step in the last couple of weeks and the last two results have given the team a boost. Now we have to keep up the form at Silverstone next week."

    The strong wind again caused problems for the teams, although there was no rain despite a cloudy sky for most of the day.

    Only Hamilton and Glock lapped the British track in less than 80 seconds today, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen third fastest with a time of 1:20.321.

    Renault's Fernando Alonso took over from teammate Nelsinho Piquet to wrap up the French squad's preparations for the British Grand Prix, the Spaniard posting the fourth quickest time.

    Alonso caused the first red flag of the day when his engine seemed to expire around 10am.

    Nick Heidfeld completed the top five in his BMW Sauber, the German squad finishing the day 25 minutes early because they were already satisfied with their work.

    Red Bull's Coulthard had a difficult day after his crash with Glock, the Scot also causing the last red flag of the day due to an apparent engine problem.

    He finished at the bottom of the times after just 31 laps.

    Today's times:

    Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.170 88 2. Glock Toyota (B) 1:19.815 79 3. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:20.321 60 4. Alonso Renault (B) 1:20.862 78 5. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:21.011 93 6. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.059 70 7. Sutil Force India (B) 1:21.331 71 8. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:21.344 94 9. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:21.432 76 10. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.232 31 All Timing Unofficial

  • Ecclestone: Silverstone must meet demands
  • Stoner upbeat about improved pace
  • Dovizioso downplays slow start
  • Massa tops damp first practice - Canada
  • Filippi sets the pace at Paul Ricard
  • Kubica: BMW development not quick enough
  • Kubica: BMW development not quick enough

    Kubica: BMW development not quick enough

    Robert Kubica believes BMW Sauber's rate of development since the start of the season has not been as good as their rivals', and the Pole fears Ferrari and McLaren will be untouchable unless the German squad find more pace soon.

    Although Kubica gave BMW Sauber their maiden victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, the team struggled for pace in the next race in Magny-Cours, where Kubica lost the championship lead after finishing in a distant fifth.

    The Pole reckons that BMW have been losing ground to Ferrari and McLaren since the start of the season, and he also believes rivals like Red Bull or Renault are catching up on them.

    Kubica is aware that he has benefited from their rivals' problems to be in the championship hunt, but he fears that he will lose contact once McLaren and Ferrari start having trouble-free races.

    "To be honest, with our car, even at full performance we can do fifth," Kubica told reporters during testing at Silverstone. "It's not enough.

    "But fortunately sometimes McLaren and Ferrari have technical problems, and sometimes the drivers help us a bit with some mistakes, and that's why we are still there.

    "But if they start to not have problems and not make mistakes it will be very difficult to keep up with them. I will always try to score as many points as possible."

    The BMW driver believes that unless the team can find more speed quickly, Ferrari and McLaren will be out of reach for good.

    "I think we have improved less since Australia than everybody else, so that's the reason," he said.

    "Also, Renault and Red Bull are closer to us than at the beginning of the season, so we have to find some parts which will give us better handling, better top speed and better pace. If we lose again in the next couple of races, the gap to Ferrari and McLaren... we will never catch them.

    "In Australia we were quicker than Ferrari. In Malaysia and Bahrain we were quicker than McLaren. In Barcelona we had already quite a big gap to Ferrari but still keeping close to McLaren.

    "And then afterwards, McLaren in some occasions joined Ferrari. Ferrari did improve and it looks like we didn't as much as them. The gap is pretty big and in Magny-Cours it was nearly one second."

    Kubica reckons the team made a mistake when choosing some parts for the French Grand Prix, but the Pole is adamant that BMW will be back as the third quickest team in Silverstone next week.

    "I think we made some mistakes when choosing some new parts for Magny-Cours," he added.

    "We tested some things in Barcelona, and I saw some things, but we chose something different because the team was convinced this was the right way to go and it wasn't.

    "Okay, we are not as fast as Ferrari, but in Magny-Cours we dropped behind teams like Toyota, Renault and even Red Bull.

    "It was coming partly from what we had chosen for this grand prix, and at this test we are trying to understand what was it.

    "And for Silverstone we should be back to normal pace, so it means there's still quite a big gap to Ferrari and McLaren but in front of everybody else."



  • Brazilian Iaconelli joins BCN
  • Hanley grabs last-gasp Durango drive
  • Kubica stays realistic on title chances
  • Puglisi to stand in for Valsecchi
  • Kubica not surprised by lack of pace
  • Thursday, June 26, 2008

    French GP entry gets unanimous approval

    The French Motor Sports Federation gave its unanimous approval to the the entry of the 2009 French Grand Prix, which will take place again at Magny-Cours.

    FFSA president Nicolas Deschaux had requested the approval yesterday during the FIA World Council in Paris.

    The FFSA General Assembly, meeting today, studied the results of this year's race at Magny-Cours and confirmed the entry on next year's calendar.

    The race will be held at the Magny-Cours circuit, although the FFSA said it will consider other sites for the French race from 2010 onwards.

    "The FFSA expressed its wish to see the sites interested in hosting the French Grand Prix from 2010 onwards presented at its next Steering Committee meeting in October," said the FFSA in a statement.

    "With this aim in mind the FFSA will send out by mid-July the list of key measures to potential candidates including Magny-Cours 2, which will enable it to select the most serious options."

    The Magny-Cours 2 project includes a major revamp to the facilities at the circuit, in the hope of keeping he French Grand Prix there after 2009.



  • Puglisi to stand in for Valsecchi
  • Ecclestone: No more races at Magny-Cours
  • France preview quotes: Renault
  • Brazilian Iaconelli joins BCN
  • Fisichella aiming to end negative streak
  • Q and A with Damon Hill

    Q and A with Damon Hill

    Q: Where are we up to with Silverstone, Bernie and the contract situation?

    Damon Hill: "I think it's as it always is. We're definitely making progress. We've got the planning consent for our pit and paddock complex. It's one step at a time; the negotiations typically will be ongoing and I expect won't come to a conclusion until the final hour, whenever that is.

    "If we're going to fulfil the building requirements then ideally we have to get going on it before the end of this year. So it's situation normal."

    Q: Do you see Donington Park as a real threat?

    DH: "I would never discount any other option. It's the nature of this free market that there's always another option to go to and we have to compete.

    "A tremendous amount of work has gone in to placing Silverstone, and getting it to the position where it's teed up to become a leading centre for world motorsport. I think it's ideally placed for Formula One and for all motorsport, and we also have ambitions to fulfil the objectives of the government, which are to provide education, vocational training and also promote the UK.

    "We think we've got everything in place there to make us a very strong candidate for either investment or for Grand Prix contracts."

    Q: Where has Bernie's renewed push come from? Is the planning running late or is it just Bernie's impatience?

    DH: "I don't think there's anything new in that. I think we get the same treatment as most venues; we may even get better treatment than some.

    "Without getting personal, Bernie drives the marketing of Formula One and he knows he's got a product which has a market value in the world, and he doesn't see any reason why that can't be matched wherever you go - especially when it comes to a country which is one of the world's leading economies.

    "But equally you can say, hang on a minute, this is one of the best places that Formula One can come to, so it has a value in that regard. We will be sold out all five days and that will be great for Formula One.

    "The reason is that the UK has such a history - we're celebrating 60 years of Silverstone - success in motorsport in drivers, teams and technology; and a knowledgeable fan base who are prepared to come to Silverstone and support the event. So, how valuable is that? That's also an argument."

    Q: Are you still on schedule with your redevelopment plans?

    DH: "Applications for planning consent have to go through a detailed process, it's quite time-consuming. But we have got some excellent people, Spencer Canning is the guy who has really been excellent on working on our estate planning and working with the two local authorities.

    "It's a big job, and we've had plans that have been kicked into touch because they were rejected by the BRDC membership who didn't like aspects of them, so we've had to review that. That was before my time, but it's a slow and long-winded process.

    "But it's going inch by inch in the right direction. In fact, I'd say we're now making good progress to create foundations for a fantastic realignment of the assets of Silverstone, so that they are reinvested in Silverstone to provide the best facility, the best track and also educational facilities which may appeal to the national government, if they feel inclined to support us in what we're doing.

    "We're certainly not making any demands, but I think Silverstone is the UK's premier venue and I think it's right that we don't lose it and that it represents the best of what the UK can offer."

    Q: Is the biggest hurdle to a new deal still Bernie's race fee as opposed to all the redevelopment costs?

    DH: "I liken it to the Aladdin's cave: the genie says give me the lamp and Aladdin says get me out of the cave and I'll give you the lamp. You're in this constant cycle whereby in order to get our plans implemented we need to have a Grand Prix contract, and in order to get the Grand Prix contract we have to have our planning. So it's going round in circles, but the circles are getting smaller and we're getting closer to the final stage I think."

    Q: Can you elaborate on the costs as much as you can? How much is the rebuilding costing and how much is the race fee?

    DH: "One of the requirements was that Silverstone had a redeveloped pit and paddock complex. We have the plans to do that and we can fulfil that part of it because we have the assets at Silverstone. Part of the master plan involves selling off land and creating a revenue stream from that which would enable us to do the building work."

    Q: Which would cost how much?

    DH: "I can only give you a ballpark figure, because land values and property prices are always in a state of flux. If I was to say £30 million, that's the ballpark figure for the pit and paddock complex. That's to develop Silverstone and keep it as a premier motorsport venue, and also to fulfil one of the requests from FOM that we upgrade the circuit.

    "So that puts us in a position to say, 'well, that bit's done'. The contract is also going to be an area of negotiation and is constantly being discussed."

    Q: Just how difficult is it to negotiate with Bernie on the contract when he knows that emerging venues like Abu Dhabi are willing to pay top whack, whereas you guys can't match that?

    DH: "I don't get involved in the negotiation with Bernie myself; I don't sit down across the table with Bernie. The BRDC are the asset holders – they own Silverstone. We act as trustees and our objective is to protect Silverstone for motorsport. The professional commercial body is Silverstone Holdings. It's split into two camps, one is the estate and the other is the circuits.

    "So circuits basically are in charge of promoted events, one of which is the Grand Prix. Neil England has been our negotiator and his history is with Gallahers, and also he was also involved with Benson & Hedges when I was driving with Jordan. He has been also on one of the Formula One commissions, so he knows the sport. He is the man who is charged with the day-to-day negotiating with Bernie. It is better it is done that way. That has been going on for three years really.

    "Bernie is very straightforward really. He says it is that much, and we say we have got this much. We have to act rationally and we cannot over extend ourselves because Silverstone is held in trust by the BRDC and we have to act as trustees and we can only go to a certain point.

    "Beyond that point, then I am sorry there is no more leeway. It is a commercial operation and it cannot project into the future and hope that Lewis Hamilton is going to be around for another five years and leading the world championship. We have to give ourselves a margin as well.

    Q. So even if the redevelopment is self-funding through the sell off of capital, you are still going to have a short fall because of the fees for the race. So are you going to need external funding, perhaps from the government?

    DH: "No, we won't need that. We hope to be able to achieve an agreement that is to everyone's satisfaction, which will provide F1 with what it wants, and us with what we want. If there is an ambitious target and it gets to the point where there is no way to retain a grand prix, then there may be an appeal to the government.

    "I can only say what my feelings are. I would argue the case for Silverstone to receive investment for the things we are trying to achieve here, as I think it would be good for the country and I think traditionally it has been a venue that does the UK good. It would put us in a strong position to retain the grand prix.

    "But the argument that could the government conceivably make direct payments to an organisation that is apparently as well off as Formula One, and a private equity company, would seem to me to be a prickly pear to say the list."

    Q. The FIA has made it clear in the last week or so that there are contracts in place between it and FOM to secure the place of the 'traditional races' – one of which is the British Grand Prix. Has there been any contact with the FIA on how strong this protection is, and is it something you can fall back on and rely on against Bernie?

    DH: "We have to deal with the FIA through Silverstone holdings. We have to be an FIA homologated event. We have a new pit wall that was demanded by the FIA – so there is always a relationship with the FIA. The FIA is respected as the governing body of F1 and world motorsport and we are very interested in the concept of events being protected events.

    "We certainly regard the British Grand Prix as an event that has been linked with Formula One since its inception and is historically devoted to motor sport and has a very strong relationship with F1 and the FIA.

    "So we would regard ourselves as stakeholders in that sport. The politics are quite interesting at the moment, so that means that we have to avoid becoming embroiled in that, and tread carefully in getting engaged in a bit of a dispute at the moment about the ownership and running of F1. We would like to avoid the taking of sides in that one.

    "The British GP is an important event globally. It is conceived as being an intrinsic part of F1, but things can change and I can see that too. But, if there was a way of it becoming a protected event that would be of interest – but we are certainly not relying on it."

    Q. What is the deadline for sorting out a deal? The 2009 calendar was announced yesterday, so can it wait until this time next year?

    DH: "I think realistically something has to be agreed before then. It is an interesting phase but it may well go down to this time next year. I cannot say."

    Q. If you were putting a figure on it, could you say it was 50/50, 60/40?

    DH: "I would say 50/50 was probably about right. I am not going to assume anything when it comes to F1. My experience is you should never make some presumptions, so it would be prudent to consider it in a 50/50 figure.

    "But, I am 100 per cent confident that we have got what it will take and we can deliver what F1 will be proud of and the UK will be proud of."

    Q. How important is Lewis Hamilton to the future of the race?

    DH: "Very important. You cannot deny that, and for any grand prix to have a homegrown hero leading the championship is going to make a difference to the event. But I would not presume that because we have got Lewis Hamilton contending for the world championship, that that guarantees the future of the British Grand Prix."

    Q. On that issue of uncertainty, is there a risk of you doing the development plans and Bernie then saying no to a deal?

    DH: "I think we have to give him credit for something. He is someone who pushes hard for the best he can for the sport, and he is ready to accept when we have delivered. In the past he has said good things about Silverstone, and last year he said it had never looked better and he said some very positive things.

    "Yes, he is a hard taskmaster but that gets the best out of people. So I think we do need sometimes to be shown an ambition, which actually we will feel better for when we achieve it. I don't think he will continually move the goalposts. It is always going to go up."



  • Chinese Grand Prix future in doubt
  • Ecclestone: No more races at Magny-Cours
  • Lorenzo undergoes successful skin graft
  • Plans approved for new Silverstone pits
  • Ecclestone: Silverstone must meet demands
  • Alonso unsure Renault can react

    Alonso unsure Renault can react

    Fernando Alonso is unsure his Renault team will be in a position to fight for fourth place in the standings after a disappointing French Grand Prix.

    The Spaniard qualified in third place in Magny-Cours and claimed he had a real chance of fighting for a podium finish on Sunday.

    Alonso, however, was unable to match his qualifying performance in the race, dropping down to eighth place, saying he car was just not fast enough in race trim.

    "I think we didn't have the pace so it doesn't matter which strategy (you chose) or the start that you have. If you are not quick enough they will overtake you," he said.

    The two-time champion reckons Renault will be in a similar situation in the British Grand Prix next week, and the Spaniard is not convinced Renault can react fast enough to be able to reach their goal of clinching fourth place in the standings.

    "Yeah, but at the moment I don't know if we are in that position," said Alonso when asked if his goal for Britain was to close the gap to their rivals in the standings.

    "Also Toyota is going too much ahead of us in the championship, so we need a quick reaction and I don't know if we can do it. But we will keep trying every race."

    Renault are currently seventh in the standings, 12 points behind fourth-placed Red Bull.

    Alonso admitted he is not expecting his team to be able to do much better at Silverstone next week.

    "I think a similar kind of situation, because there have been some races already that we seem to qualify better than before, but then when we put fuel in the car we are quite slow in the race.

    "So I think taking some points in Silverstone will be again out target. No more than that."



  • Alonso says he could have done better
  • Hanley grabs last-gasp Durango drive
  • Brazilian Iaconelli joins BCN
  • Alonso rues ‘big’ strategy mistake
  • Alonso expects no upsets at Monaco
  • Di Grassi in GP2 return with Campos
  • Tuesday, June 24, 2008

    France Sunday quotes: Bridgestone

    Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development: "We are very happy with our tyre performance here today. There were many strategies possible, but I believe the best solution was the medium - medium - soft strategy that we saw most drivers use.

    "Kimi was fastest, but unfortunately for him he had a problem and he had to be patient to take second place. Congratulations to Felipe and Ferrari for their win and especially to Felipe for taking the championship lead.

    "Congratulations also to Jarno Trulli and Toyota for their good result. In Moto GP we must also praise Casey Stoner and Ducati for their win and Valentino Rossi and Yamaha for their second place in the MotoGP race at Donington Park."



  • JiR set top five championship target
  • MotoGP: Rossi still expecting tough title fight
  • Glock thrilled with career-best result
  • France preview quotes: Toyota
  • Hamilton reluctantly accepts penalty

    Hamilton reluctantly accepts penalty

    Lewis Hamilton reluctantly accepted his second penalty in two races after he was given a drive-through at the French Grand Prix.

    The Briton, already serving a penalty for hitting Kimi Raikkonen at the Canadian Grand Prix, was given the drive-through for overtaking Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel by cutting across a chicane.

    The penalty ruined all his chances of scoring points in France, and the McLaren driver had to settle for 10th position.

    Hamilton said he had no choice but to accept the penalty, although he felt he had not done anything wrong.

    "I feel cool. It's all good. Racing is racing. I'm still here, there's nothing you can do to get me out of it," Hamilton told reporters after the race.

    "I don't particularly feel I did anything. I went into the corner. I believe I was ahead on the outside and I couldn't turn in on the guy, otherwise we would have crashed so I took the outside line, lost the back on the marbles and went over the kerb.

    "I continued because I don't believe I overtook him by going over the kerb, I actually took him before that."

    He added: "I kept pushing. There's nothing you can do that can distract me. You can keep on giving me penalties and whatever you want to do and I'll keep battling and try and come back with a result."

    Hamilton, who made contact with teammate Heikki Kovalainen while trying to recover ground on the first lap, has not scored any points in the last two races.

    "I did everything I needed to do, I stayed out of trouble and drove what I thought was a fair race," added Hamilton. "We just missed the points, so that's three races now without scoring points but there's still 10 races to go."

    He added: "I had quite a good start, but there were about four people abreast in front of me so I took it easy. I was able to overtake a few people in turn five and I thought I overtook reasonably fairly into turn seven.

    "Going in I was ahead but I lost the back end and to correct it I corrected it and I went over the kerb which I don't particularly see as cheating, but rules are rules."

    Hamilton is now ten points behind championship leader Felipe Massa.



  • Grosjean accepts stewards’ penalty
  • Raikkonen: Hamilton penalty was deserved
  • Lorenzo rules out fighting for title
  • Senna: Crash not intentional
  • Q and A with Lewis Hamilton
  • McLaren deny FIA picking on them

    McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh has rejected suggestions that the FIA is picking on the British squad after the penalties the team have been subject to in the last two races.

    Lewis Hamilton was penalised at the Canadian Grand Prix after he crashed into the back of Kimi Raikkonen at the end of the pitlane. He lost ten places on the grid in France.

    The British driver was again hit by a penalty when he had to serve a drive-through in today's French Grand Prix for overtaking a car by cutting through a chicane.

    Teammate Heikki Kovalainen, meanwhile, lost five places on the grid in France for impeding a rival during yesterday's qualifying.

    Despite the penalties, Whitmarsh made it clear that the team did not think the FIA was after them.

    "I'm sure Ron didn't indicate that really," said Whitmarsh when asked about suggestions that Ron Dennis had indicated after the race that the FIA was picking on McLaren.

    "He has the frustrations that happen immediately after the race. We had three penalties this weekend, we have got to accept it and move on."

    Whitmarsh said the team had no choice but to accept Hamilton's penalty, although at the time they felt the Briton had done nothing wrong.

    "I think we have got to accept that the stewards have got a quieter time than us, and they got more information, and they have got to make the decision that they think is right. We didn't see it like that, but we didn't have the information that they had."

    He added: "There was a discussion. We noted that it had happened and we gave an opinion. The stewards had a different opinion."

    Whitmarsh reckons that without the penalty Hamilton would have finished well in the points, despite having started from the middle of the pack.

    "Without the extra drive-through I think he would have been into some solid points. I think it's easier to have the motivation and push and he would have been up in the thick of it.

    "Heikki did a great job. He very narrowly avoided being on the podium, but Lewis could have been up somewhere near that."



  • Grosjean accepts stewards’ penalty
  • Hamilton reluctantly accepts penalty
  • Stewart defends ‘inexperienced’ Hamilton
  • Zuber faces 15-place grid penalty
  • Monday, June 23, 2008

    Stewart defends 'inexperienced' Hamilton

    Stewart defends 'inexperienced' Hamilton

    Former world champion Jackie Stewart has urged Lewis Hamilton's critics to go easy on the McLaren driver - and remember he is only in his second season of Formula One.

    Hamilton has endured a troubled two races in F1, earning a grid penalty for crashing in the pitlane in Montreal and then getting a drive-through in the French Grand Prix for gaining an advantage by cutting a chicane on the first lap.

    And with Hamilton aware that he is coming under more media pressure over the errors that have dented his world title challenge, Stewart thinks that everyone – including the McLaren driver himself – must remember how inexperienced he is.

    "Lewis Hamilton is already world-famous, thanks to the amazing opportunity he was given last year, and the incredible skill with which he took advantage of it," said Stewart in his column for the official RBS Formula One website.

    "He's now experiencing both the privilege and the penalty of celebrity. He's excited the media so much, and now some people are starting to feel let down. But we should remember that Lewis has only been in F1 for fifteen months. He's not the finished article yet – and it's wrong to think that he should be.

    "He might not like to hear this, but he has a fundamental lack of experience at the top of the sport. If he asked for my advice, I'd say, 'Take your time, and don't expect too much of yourself'.

    "I know because I've been there myself. I had a big accident in my second year, which I was lucky to survive. Over the next few years I changed: I gained experience, which gave me knowledge, which in turn enabled me to deliver."

    Stewart has also questioned the consistency of the FIA after the spate of punishments that have been handed down recently.

    "We've seen a rash of penalties handed out by the FIA recently – both in the form of grid penalties and in fines," said Stewart. "There rarely seems to be any compassion or any real attempt to see the driver's side.

    "The drivers are also complaining at a ten-fold increase in the cost of the super-licences which allow them to race. No one can see what they're getting in return for the extra charge, which makes it look like just another way for the FIA to raise money. I don't know of any other sport where the competitors have to pay for a licence to take part.

    "You can also ask questions about the consistency with which penalties are applied. A lot of people – and not McLaren personnel – are saying that the FIA are more interested in finding faults at McLaren than at other teams.

    "For example, in the French race, Kimi Raikkonen's exhaust system broke and part of it was visibly hanging off the car. Why wasn't he called into the pits to have the loose piece removed? That could have been the 'Make it happen' moment of the race.

    "Eventually the loose bodywork flew off the car, which could easily have been dangerous to the public or to another driver. Some people will say that if it had happened with a McLaren, the team would have been fined."

    France Sunday quotes: Force India

    Adrian Sutil - 19th: "We have had some better races this year. It was a bit frustrating. Both myself and Giancarlo had a very aggressive strategy to try to make up some more places in the race, but we also needed to have some luck. Unfortunately nothing happened in the race to other people so I had lots of times when I had to move over to let cars on the lead lap go past and got out of the rhythm. This was disappointing, seeing the cars passing you when you are lapping well. In the middle stint the pace was OK, it was just the strategy didn't work out in the end."

    Giancarlo Fisichella - 18th: "Our target from today's race was to get to the end of the race and we did, so I am pleased from this respect as we have not finished the last three races. We had more reliability from the car but the pace was not as good as we would have liked at times. It was better than yesterday, but we need a step forward to move on. I'm looking forward to the Silverstone test now where we have some new parts that should deliver some more improvements."

    Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer: "It's good to get two cars to the finish today. In a race where only one car retired it was obviously going to be difficult but both drivers did a good job in general. Adrian's strategy didn't really work out for him. He needed to make up some places early on, which he wasn't able to do as everyone was so close, so that meant he dropped back down the order at his first stop. Overall though, it's good to get a double finish and to get some reliability. We now move on to Silverstone for the test where we have a large range of improvements to bring the car on."

    Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director: "Our goal here was to improve reliability and we can take some confidence that we have achieved this aim, with no problems on either cars. We had a strong strategy to try to make up places, which we needed to do when starting from the back, but sadly we could not capitalise on it with the extraordinary reliability of the field. However with this strong basis in the back of our minds we can now move onto Silverstone for the test next week, where we look forward to some new developments that should hopefully let us make up some time up to the field."

    Q and A with Lewis Hamilton

    Q. Do you feel the penalty was justified?

    Q and A with Lewis Hamilton

    Lewis Hamilton: Racing is racing, I had a good race still.

    Q. Was there any discussion with the team that you might pull over and let him back past?

    LH: No. I kept pushing, I was racing.

    Q. No conversation with the team at all?

    LH: No.

    Q. What was your response when the team told you you had a drive through?

    LH: Fortunately they told me towards the end of my lap and I came in.

    Q. Did you not question what it was for?

    LH: Later on I asked them what it was for and they said it was for overtaking someone on the first lap.

    Q. Did your head drop down after that?

    LH: No, I kept pushing. There's nothing you can do that can distract me. You can keep on giving me penalties and whatever you want to do and I'll keep battling and try and come back with a result.

    Q. It seems that if you are driving a silver car you're going to get a penalty, there's almost an inevitability to it. Does it feel like that to you?

    LH: I'm not going to answer that one.

    Q. How difficult was the race?

    LH: I did everything I needed to do, I stayed out of trouble and drove what I thought was a fair race. We just missed the points, so that's three races now without scoring points but there's still 10 races to go.

    Q. You had a good start...

    LH: I had quite a good start, but there were about four people abreast in front of me so I took it easy. I was able to overtake a few people in turn five and I thought I overtook reasonably fairly into turn seven. Going in I was ahead but I lost the back end and to correct it I corrected it and I went over the kerb which I don't particularly see as cheating, but rules are rules.

    Q. What's your point of view of the drive-through penalty?

    LH: What do you mean, my mistake or whatever?

    Q. What did you feel about it?

    LH: I don't particularly feel I did anything. I went into the corner. I believe I was ahead on the outside and I couldn't turn in on the guy otherwise we would have crashed so I took the outside line, lost the back on the marbles and went over the kerb. I continued because I don't believe I overtook him by going over the kerb, I actually took him before that.

    Q. You don't feel the penalty was justified?

    LH: I'm not going to answer that.

    Q. After the race you seemed quite angry towards the media? You didn't want to talk to us. Tell us how you are feeling.

    LH: I feel cool. It's all good. Racing is racing. I'm still here, there's nothing you can do to get me out of it.



  • Raikkonen: Hamilton penalty was deserved
  • Grosjean accepts stewards’ penalty
  • Kobayashi inherits sprint race win
  • Drivers hit by penalties in Istanbul
  • Sunday, June 22, 2008

    Disappointed Raikkonen stays philosophical

    Disappointed Raikkonen stays philosophical

    Kimi Raikkonen stayed philosophical after losing what looked like a sure victory at the French Grand Prix on Sunday.

    The Finn, starting from pole position, was leading the race comfortably ahead of teammate Felipe Massa when he suffered a mechanical problem, with one of his car's exhausts becoming loose.

    The problem meant Raikkonen lost the gap to Massa, who could overtake the Finn easily to win the race.

    Raikkonen admitted he was disappointed, but felt lucky he managed to finish in second.

    "It was disappointing in the end. We had a good car all weekend. I was on pole and leading quite easily and then I had problem with the car," said Raikkonen.

    "That happens sometimes. We were still lucky to finish the race and score eight points.

    "On the last couple of laps the car almost stopped a few times. So even if it's disappointing not to win I still took eight points... and I'm in a more confident position (in the championship). A great the result for the team, just an unlucky situation."

    The Ferrari driver said his car was just lacking power.

    "We car was slow in the straight line and out of the low-speed corners so it was difficult," he said. "But luckily we were fast enough in the beginning to go away from the others, and we had a big enough gap.

    "Two more laps and we would have not finished the race. As I said it's disappointing but still eight points is good for the championship and good for the team."

    He also claimed the late rain did not make much of a difference to him thanks to his problems.

    "It was like having traction control. I didn't have power out of corners so it didn't really affect me at all."

    Raikkonen in now third in the championship, five points behind Massa.



  • Capirossi disappointed by race slump
  • Raikkonen: trouble-free practice is key
  • Raikkonen wary of BMW title threat
  • McLaren bullish on chances for Monaco
  • Q and A with Stefano Domenicali

    Q and A with Stefano Domenicali

    Q: Kimi's engine, how likely is it that you're going to have to replace it for Silverstone?

    Stefano Domenicali: I would say it is quite likely. For sure, after such a heavy race from the middle to the end, it's very likely that we have to change it so we need to play the joker that allows us to do it. As I said, we will do the analysis later on and tomorrow but there's no rush to do anything more than eventually change it when we go to Silverstone.

    Q: Do you know yet what the problem may have been caused by?

    SD: Unfortunately no. Unfortunately it was not possible to understand it and also the other difficulty is that we had almost half of the race with all the breaking parts falling apart so it will also be difficult to have the pieces in our hands because they're somewhere around the track and we will try to do the analysis after this weekend but at the moment there's no other info.

    Q: You predecessor always maintained that Felipe was a fairly undervalued driver in some ways, the press didn't really recognise his talents. Do you think that he's changed this season and that he really is a different driver to the past?

    SD: I think that we always said that we were very very happy... extremely happy about our two drivers. We always need to think that it's better not to take any kind of thinking before the end of the season because if you think that after the first two Grands Prix Felipe had zero points, I recall what was the discussion about him, but we need to look ahead.

    I think that strong drivers in a strong team have to look ahead without breaking on the shoulder the negative thinking around, so I think he's strong now, and as I said, I think it's the first time for him to be leading the drivers' championship so it's a great award to him but it doesn't change anything on our side. The teamwork is our main target and we said at the beginning that there's no changes in our decisions or strategies.

    Q: Can you explain what the problem was with Kimi's car: was it temperature, loss of power, aero?

    SD: Basically it can be everything because if you lose the exhaust there's no more performance and then you start to whether different parameters on the engine, then the temperatures goes up, the water pressure comes down. Everything is mixed up, of course. In a way, it was very very good and very important to finish the race with eight points in that condition.

    Q: Why was it not possible to remove the exhaust at the pit stop?

    SD: It had already fallen off. It was already flying away. There was the cable of the lamda and we decided not to cut that because we were maybe losing more seconds, and we had Trulli pushing behind so we took that into consideration, and I have to say that in terms of strategy, in terms of teamwork everything was done correctly.

    Q: How surprised are you that you managed to get through half the race with that problem, because a lot of other cars might have stopped at that point?

    SD: We take that on our side. For sure we were very worried, no doubt, it was a long race to finish, maybe lost a lot of years and a lot of hair but that's part of the game. Extremely happy. In that condition you never know. It may stop any lap, it's too difficult, it's critical.

    Q: Kimi said that the car was getting quite bad at the end. How many more laps do you think it could have gone?

    SD: The maximum the engine lasts is for two races so maybe... I think it's a bit ambitious to have another race in that condition but honestly, I don't know, difficult to say. I don't want to tell lies; I don't know.

    Q: Kimi's times dropped off, but after a few laps he wasn't as quick as Massa but he seemed to be picking up speed again. Could you do anything on the mapping side of the engine to get it over this problem?

    SD: Yes, that's what we said. We were trying to do what we could in order to protect the engine under those conditions and after all the things that were possible to do, just wait until the chequered flag. A lot of things. You could see that there were a lot of switches being moved around.



  • Kawasaki evaluates in-line five engine
  • Q and A with Stefano Domenicali
  • Suppo stays positive despite problems
  • Lorenzo: I won’t be fully fit in France
  • Vettel proud after 'very strong' race

    Vettel proud after 'very strong' race

    Sebastian Vettel was proud of his performance at the French Grand Prix despite failing to get close to the point-scoring position.

    The Toro Rosso driver finished down in 12th place after fights with BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

    And although he was never in contention for a points finish, Vettel was pleased with his effort.

    "I think we can be proud of ourselves because we had a very strong race," said Vettel. "We started and finished P12, but we were in a part of the pack that included McLaren and BMW. I think we did a fantastic job of keeping ahead of one BMW simply because we had a better pace.

    "We were not so lucky in terms of traffic and I would have liked the rain to come and help us a bit in the last fifteen laps but unfortunately it only arrived fifteen minutes after the finish.

    "Overall, we can be happy. It was not an easy race and I had a lot of graining which made life harder. Definitely a step forward in performance terms compared to the last couple of races."

    Teammate Sebastien Bourdais had to settle for 17th position, the Frenchman saying his strategy was ruined at the start, when he a position to Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima, on a one-stop strategy.

    "As soon as Nakajima, who was on a one-stop, got ahead of me at the start, when my engine bogged down a little bit, it compromised my race," he said.

    "I lost touch with the pack ahead and then I had to let Raikkonen past, but as he was in difficulty, I was actually pulling away from him, but I still had waved blue flags, which I thought was a bit harsh, so I lost around three seconds letting him by and then more time behind him."



  • Vettel not judging new car’s pace yet
  • MotoGP: Capirossi looking for strong race pace
  • Senna proud of Monaco victory
  • Saturday, June 21, 2008

    Kubica not surprised by lack of pace

    Kubica not surprised by lack of pace

    Robert Kubica says he is not too surprised that BMW Sauber have struggled for pace at the French Grand Prix, just one race after their maiden win in Montreal.

    Kubica will start sixth on the grid at Magny-Cours tomorrow with teammate Nick Heidfeld 11th after their team's most unconvincing performance of the season so far.

    But despite the performance, Kubica does not believe the team are any slower than they have been at other races this year.

    "In Canada in qualifying we were helped by the condition of the track, which helped a lot," the Pole told reporters straight after the session. "Here yesterday we were struggling and I was expecting a difficult qualifying. And it was difficult."

    Kubica has been under no illusions that his F1.08 has not been the fastest car this year and sees a similar performance in France to what he has experienced at recent races - even though he won in Canada.

    "We have not enough pace," he said. "We have to point out that we won (in Canada) because others made mistakes and had problems. In Canada and Monaco we were five-six tenths off (the front-runners), and here is a bit similar. We are struggling a bit more here - so maybe other teams improved and we haven't.

    "Last year we were strong here, this year looks the opposite. But this is racing. We saw already yesterday that we were struggling with no grip and it looked like we couldn't fix it."



  • Lorenzo amazed by qualifying performance
  • Kubica stays realistic on title chances
  • Stoner surprised to take pole
  • Berger praises STR3's progress

    Berger praises STR3's progress

    Scuderia Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger says the performance of his cars in qualifying is evidence that the team's new STR3 chassis is developing well.

    The team got both of their cars through to Q2 for the first time this season, with Sebastian Vettel qualifying 12th and Sebastien Bourdais 14th.

    "We showed that we made a good step forward," said Berger of the STR3, which made its debut at Monaco. "Our expectation was that we should be able to run between 10th and 14th and that's what we did.

    "After this morning, we were hoping maybe to get a car into the top ten, but we are not in this league. Overall the team has a very solid performance and is progressing in a good way."

    Despite his season's-best qualifying effort, Vettel had hoped that he might have been able to make it through to Q3 to earn a top ten starting slot.

    "We just missed Q3 by a little bit so we can be very happy," said Vettel. "I was hoping to be in Q3. We were very close and had a strong performance all weekend and in the end we missed it by not even a tenth.

    "We have seen that the pace is quite strong. I hope there is nobody in front of us that is slower. Because then it will be tricky as it is tough to overtake. But we will see tomorrow. I hope that we will have clean air so that we can prove the pace and test the car.

    "With the last two races with the new car I think we have to be careful because they were street circuits. Now we are coming back on a normal circuit and it is positive so far."



  • MotoGP: Capirossi looking for strong race pace
  • Vettel wants fresh season start at Monaco
  • Vettel not judging new car’s pace yet
  • Delighted Pedrosa praises team’s efforts
  • Drivers bemoan Honda's poor form

    Drivers bemoan Honda's poor form

    Honda Racing have expressed some surprise at the torrid time they have had at the French Grand Prix.

    Neither Jenson Button nor Rubens Barrichello made it out of the first session of qualifying and both drivers felt that they had got the most out of the car.

    Button said: "A very disappointing qualifying session today. The car was well balanced and we are pretty much getting the maximum performance from it, however unfortunately our pace reflects where we are at this track.

    "My last run was slow as I was called into the weighbridge and then had to wait in the pit box as there was not enough time to go back into the garage before my final run.

    "That meant that my tyres had cooled down which compromised my lap, although I don't think we could have improved enough to go through to Q2 anyway.

    "Hopefully we can be more competitive in race trim but it's disappointing and unexpected as we thought that the car would perform better around this circuit."

    Barrichello added: "A pure lack of performance from the car today. The laptimes have been very close all weekend but unfortunately we are at the lower end of the grid.

    "We are really pushing the limit of the car to try and achieve more pace but it is evident from how close Jenson and I have been all weekend that there is no more to come from the car.

    "Having achieved a good balance after practice, it's hard to accept the lack of pace, but we just have to try and do our best from here and see what the race will bring."

    Honda's head of race and test engineering Steve Clark said he was hopeful that the drop-off of form this weekend was not indicative of what will come for the team in the second half of the season.

    "On paper this is a track which should play to our strengths much more than Montreal, so we have been rather surprised and disappointed," explained Clark. "Magny-Cours has always been a little unusual in terms of set-up and we have to hope that our pace deficit is specific to this race and that our form will return for the next few races.

    "Considering how close the grids are then a few tenths in performance can make a huge difference in position. We hope that our forthcoming developments will mean we can still look forward to a competitive second half of the season.

    "For now though we feel a little more confident in our race pace, so our focus is doing what we can to improve the car for tomorrow."



  • MotoGP: Capirossi looking for strong race pace
  • Turkey Sunday quotes: Honda
  • No animosity between Piquet drivers
  • Alonso tops second practice in France

    Fernando Alonso topped the second Magny-Cours practice session with a rapid late soft tyre lap for home team Renault.

    Morning pace-setter Felipe Massa had to settle for second in his Ferrari this time, ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

    Sebastian Vettel was an impressive fifth for Toro Rosso, while points leader Robert Kubica (BMW) completed the top six and Hamilton's teammate Heikki Kovalainen took seventh.

    After the lacklustre morning session, second practice proved much more frenetic - both in terms of close competition, and the number of incidents, as the increasingly hot conditions saw many drivers sliding through the gravel or across the asphalt run-off areas.

    Both McLarens and both Ferraris took turns to lead the way during the first half of the session, with Hamilton the first of the major contenders to set a quick time after ten minutes. He stayed ahead of a quarter of an hour before being usurped by Massa, who was only on top briefly before first Kovalainen, then Raikkonen moved to the front.

    But Massa responded with a 1:15.854 lap at the mid-point of the session, beating Raikkonen by 0.148 seconds. That was sufficient to keep him at the head of the order until Alonso grabbed the soft tyres and edged ahead by 0.076 seconds with seven minutes remaining.

    Earlier in the session, Alonso had run off course at the 180 corner and saved a wild sideways slide on the exit of the final chicane, but the former champion was far from the only driver to make an error.

    Hamilton, Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Massa all had spectacular high-speed trips across the gravel at Estoril, with the McLaren driver's mid-session incident forcing him to change his front wing, and Massa's late mistake spoiling his soft tyre run.

    The Brazilian had a similarly dramatic excursion on the exit of Imola, emerging from the gravel halfway around the Chateau d'Eau. The same area also caught out Renault's Nelson Piquet and Force India's Adrian Sutil, although all the drivers managed to avoid the barriers.

    The field was extremely close throughout the session, and by the end of the 90 minutes less than one second covered the top 13 cars.

    Vettel was rapid all afternoon, regularly running in the top five and using the softer Bridgestones to beat Kubica and Kovalainen to fifth.

    Kubica's BMW teammate Nick Heidfeld was eighth, ahead of Piquet and Red Bull driver David Coulthard.

    At the end of the session, the drivers tested the new safety car electronics system after they had taken the flag, although the device - which is designed to limit cars' speed when driving through dangerous situations - remains in the early stages of its development. Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Alonso Renault (B) 1:15.778 37 2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:15.854 + 0.076 24 3. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:15.999 + 0.221 42 4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:16.232 + 0.454 29 5. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:16.298 + 0.520 42 6. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:16.317 + 0.539 35 7. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:16.340 + 0.562 36 8. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:16.458 + 0.680 43 9. Piquet Renault (B) 1:16.543 + 0.765 39 10. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:16.572 + 0.794 36 11. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:16.682 + 0.904 42 12. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:16.743 + 0.965 43 13. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:16.758 + 0.980 42 14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:17.002 + 1.224 32 15. Glock Toyota (B) 1:17.092 + 1.314 39 16. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:17.106 + 1.328 38 17. Button Honda (B) 1:17.244 + 1.466 37 18. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:17.394 + 1.616 42 19. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:17.591 + 1.813 27 20. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:17.868 + 2.090 33

  • Pedrosa tops first practice in France
  • Pedrosa tops post-Le Mans test
  • Pantano tops Istanbul free practice
  • Massa tops damp first practice - Canada
  • Hamilton quickest in practice 2 - Canada
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