Latest

Force India Preview Quotes – Indian GP

Paul di Resta, Force India

“This is always a massive event for Force India and comes at the end of a very busy week because we will be spending a few days in Delhi ahead of the race to meet the local media and fans. We come to India several times during the year and you can see the growing enthusiasm of the fans. It’s great that we get to spend time with them and show them the thrill of Formula One up close.

“I think the layout is one of the best from the new generation of tracks. Sector one stands out for me because it’s where you can really challenge somebody – it’s got long straights and big braking zones and can make for some exciting battles. The rest of the track has elevation changes and off-camber corners so it’s a challenging combination for the engineers as it’s important to have good mechanical grip.

“We didn’t score points in Japan but we made some real progress with setting up the car, so going an extra step and getting in the top ten has got to be the goal this weekend. Friday is going to be crucial because this is one of those tracks where finding the right rhythm with a well-balanced car really pays you back with lap time.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India

“It is special – it’s Force India’s home Grand Prix and to have the colours of the Indian flag on the side of the car makes it even more memorable. I remember the first race there two years ago – so many people came to the race, showing such strong support for our team. We were in the spotlight for the whole weekend and scoring points in the first Indian Grand Prix was very important for us.

“I think scoring points will be a big task, but we will go there ready to fight. The last couple of races have not been easy for us and I’ve struggled to get the balance and consistency with the car. We are moving forward, however – we’ve learned a lot from the last two races so hopefully that will help us find a direction that gives me the confidence to push the car harder.

“It’s a very demanding track which requires stability and a good front end. There are some similarities with Korea with some long, flowing corners in the second and third sectors where the downforce is important. We will need to find a good balance to be able to exploit these characteristics.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
“Our home race is always a very proud weekend for everyone in the team: the atmosphere at the track is incredible and we always enjoy plenty of support. The track itself is one of the best in the world. It’s also a good one for us – in the last two years we scored points in both races, so a similar result would be a good target for the Force India team.”

October 23, 2013
Indian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – McLaren F1

Here are this week’s Indian Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the McLaren F1 Team.

Jenson Button, McLaren

“This is such a great racetrack – it’s fast, flowing and challenging. It’s pretty technical too, which is quite unusual for a fast circuit, but the flow from one corner to the next means that positioning the car is quite critical if you don’t want to fall out of the rhythm and lose time. Track positioning is also important because several areas of the circuit are extremely wide, and narrow down from corner-entry to exit. The long back straight will once again make it important to balance the car’s gearing and downforce for maximum speed with DRS. That straight, and the braking zone into Turn 4, are probably the most straightforward places on the circuit upon which to overtake. In fact, the rest of the circuit is quite fast, with only a single racing line, so trying to get past during the rest of the lap is pretty tricky.

“The last few races have shown that, realistically, we’ll once again be fighting for the minor points. Still, I enjoyed my races in Korea and particularly Japan – where it was both satisfying and unusual to be armed with fresh tyres and able to pick off cars on older rubber, as opposed to the other way round – so I’ll be looking to take the fight to some of the faster cars once again at the Indian Grand Prix.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren

“I love traveling to India – it’s such a rich and vibrant country, and always an eye-opening place for any visitor.

“The Indian Grand Prix has been an interesting and exciting event for the past two years – I really think it’s starting to make its mark on the country. It’s well attended, and the crowds seem interested, enthusiastic and passionate – that’s always great to see.

“After two tricky races in Korea and Japan, in which I had good pace but just seemed to suffer a whole range of misfortune, I’ll be hoping for a smoother ride in the next flyaway double-header. It’s been frustrating to see decent results slip away from me, but I’m confident that we’ll be able to turn things around quickly.

“With the Indian Grand Prix skipping a year for 2014, I hope we can help make this year’s event particularly memorable. We know we don’t have the machinery to fight the top four teams, but there’s always fierce competition around the fringes of the top 10; scrapping for points might not be what Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is all about, but it’s nonetheless satisfying to nail the set-up and the strategy and drive a perfect race. That’ll be my aim again this weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“There is little rest for our personnel as we quickly turn ourselves around from a fortnight in the Far East and prepare for this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix. While we didn’t possess the machinery to enable us to fight the top four teams at either of the last two events, I think we can be pleased from an operational standpoint – despite issues that affected both drivers in Japan and Korea – most notably a broken front wing and two punctures – we were strategically efficient, and were able to deliver some consistent finishes for both Jenson and Checo.

“Equally, I must also single-out praise for both drivers: it’s been a difficult season, but they have each remained calm, measured and dedicated – they have been a motivational force for the entire organisation, and I am very proud of the way they’ve responded.

“The Indian Grand Prix has quickly developed into an important Formula One event – it’s popular and well attended, and the next few years will be critical if the sport is to establish a foothold in such a vast territory. It’s been pleasing to see the enthusiasm that Indian fans have for our sport – and our love for their country is equally reciprocated – and I would love to see the race grow in significance over the coming years.”

Photo Credit: McLaren.com

October 23, 2013
Indian GP Preview: History Beckons In India

The Formula 1 paddock heads to one the most unique countries on the planet as India hosts its third F1 race.

From the culture to the people to the food India stands out as one of the most distinctive venues on the F1 calendar. The possibility of hosting an Indian GP has been in the works from as early as 1997 and after years of negotiating New Delhi was announced in 2007 as a future Formula 1 race host. The first Indian GP was received with much fanfare and praise as it made its debut in 2010.

The Budhh International Circuit is similar to Korea’s Yeongam circuit despite not being as technical in nature. The steep uphill climb and the blind apex into turn three is the highlight of the first sector which is otherwise dominated by power hungry straights. The second sector progresses with a mixture of medium to high speed corners which is capped with a short, slow speed final sector. The elevation changes may not be evident on television but provide a challenge to drivers with off camber and blind entries to some of the turns.

A significant weekend in the history of Formula 1 lies in prospect as Sebastian Vettel bids to become a four time consecutive world champion. Irrespective of what rival Fernando Alonso can do in his Ferrari this weekend Vettel will only need fifth place to clinch the 2013 title. However, ten points seems like a decidedly unspectacular way for the German to win his fourth title and at the very least he will want to occupy one of the steps on the podium if not the winner’s step. Only Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher have previously achieved four consecutive titles.

Lotus’ E21 has shown improved pace since the introduction of the longer wheelbase car. However, if Kimi Raikkonen has any designs on troubling the front of the race this weekend he must deliver an improved performance in qualifying. “Hopefully we finally get it right in qualifying as the last five qualifying sessions have not been that great for me. If we don’t, it’s going to be a difficult Sunday afternoon, although of course we’ll keep pushing. If we do get it right, then we can really go for it,” said Raikkonen.

Race after race has seen Fernando Alonso and Ferrari lose the opportunity of fighting for the title. What is more, the lackluster Ferrari pace has slowly but surely led to Alonso’s unflustered nature becoming a tad more edgy of late. A few statements here and there by the Spaniard have revealed his slightly despondent attitude regarding his position in the standings. The Scuderia’s sole aim is to beat Mercedes and Lotus to second place in the constructor’s title and they will have to summon something special if they are to re-ignite Alonso’s once unyielding determination.

Regardless of who the winner at the end of the Indian GP is, the day will undoubtedly belong to Sebastian Vettel. It doesn’t seem that long ago that a bright-eyed, eager nineteen year old German meandered into the pitlane, completely unknown and on the cusp of completely re-writing Formula 1 history.

October 23, 2013
Williams F1 Preview Quotes – Indian Grand Prix

Here are the preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams F1

“All the drivers seem to enjoy the Indian circuit due to its fantastic design and high speeds and I will miss it not being on the calendar next year. I particularly like the 180-degree right hander which is taken very fast and seems to go on forever. Of the new generation of circuits this is one of the best with its good variety, combining fast chicanes, slow corners, and corners that require a big KERS input. Normally the track is quite dirty on Friday as the track is not used that often outside of the Formula One race weekend, but it does tend to improve as the weekend progresses with more rubber being laid down and the grip levels vastly improving.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1

“India is always a unique place to visit and I enjoy the contrasts with other races on the calendar so I’m looking forward to returning again this year. It’s a really interesting track to drive and normally produces entertaining races, with a good mixture of corner types that test the car and driver. The track does have some overtaking opportunities because it is quite wide, with the hairpin off the back straight a key opportunity. The weather can also be warm and humid which can be challenging physically. We have not had the sort of results that we would have hoped for so far in the second half of the season, but I will continue to fight as hard as I can and try to get the most out of the package we have to try and get us in to the points.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams F1 chief race engineer
“The Indian Grand Prix takes place at the Buddh International Circuit, which was new on the calendar for the 2011 season. With fast, free-flowing and undulating characteristics the track has drawn comparisons to Spa-Francorchamps with the track rising by 14 metres within the first three corners. The track has a mixture of fast and slow corners making it challenging for the drivers, with the multi-apex sequence of Turns 10, 11 and 12 likened to Turn 8 at the Istanbul Park Circuit in Turkey. The Indian Grand Prix features one of the longest pit lanes in F1 and this contributes to a higher than average pit loss which pushes strategies towards fewer stops. Track temperatures are likely to be relatively high and to date there has never been a safety car in the race. After finishing just outside the points in recent races, the team will be pushing hard until the very last race of the season to score a top ten finish.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“We have learnt a lot about the track in the past two years. It is an interesting circuit, with a variety of corners and speeds throughout the lap. The first part requires good top speed and power since 75 percent of this sector consists of straights. The second part of the track is twistier and requires a more driveable and responsive engine. However the main feature of the track is the high levels of dust at the start of the weekend, which makes the circuit surface very slippery. To deal with this we will moderate the driver torque maps to give greater driveability and less wheelspin on the entrance and exit of corners to try to extend tyre life.”

October 23, 2013
Indian GP – Pirelli – F1 Tyres Preview Quotes

Pirelli

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
“We’ve decided to go for the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft f1 tyres in India this year, which we think will be the best combination for the Buddh circuit and lead to closer racing. For the last two years running we’ve actually gone for the hard and soft compound f1 tyres, which might have been slightly on the conservative side, so this year we’ve gone for a softer and slightly more aggressive choice. As a result, just like the last race in Japan, we’re not expecting to see a particularly big variation in lap times between the two compounds. Consequently, the strategy made a very big difference in Japan and this should be the same in India. We only had one pit stop per car in India last year, but this year we would expect two – which also provides the drivers and teams with more opportunities to make up places. With varying elevations and a wide variety of corners India provides the f1 tyres with quite a test, as there are forces coming from all directions, so tyre management will once again prove to be important. As usual, it should be very warm in India, which increases thermal degradation as well. This looks set to be a decisive race for the championship so we hope that our tyre choice will help to make it a memorable contest with high-quality racing.”

October 23, 2013
India GP Preview Quotes – Mercedes F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Mercedes F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes Preview Quotes

“I’m looking forward to our trip to India. It really is a fascinating country and there is always something new to see or experience when you are there for the race weekend. The track itself is pretty challenging and there are good overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straight so the race should hopefully be quite exciting. The Indian fans are very passionate and increasingly knowledgeable about our sport and I hope they will enjoy the experience and provide some good support for our team. The last few races haven’t been the best for us so I am hoping for a good weekend. We are all determined to finish the season strongly and to continue our challenge for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Preview Quotes

“I have really enjoyed our two visits to India so far. It’s such a vibrant country and the support that we’ve received from the fans there has been fantastic. They love sport and the knowledge that some of the fans that I’ve met have had about Formula One has been great to see. I really hope that we can see the country take Formula One to heart in the future. I also really like the Buddh International Circuit. The layout has a great rhythm and I love the fast turns and high speeds. We’re hoping for a strong weekend after a couple of difficult races and I know that everyone has been working really hard to make sure that we can get all of the performance possible from the car over the last four races. We know that we have a good car and, if we can put together a good race weekend, then we have the potential for some great results before the season is over.”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal Preview Quotes
“The Buddh International Circuit presents a good challenge for the drivers and engineers with its combination of low-speed corners and long straights. The track also has one of the highest average speeds of the year. After two visits to India, we hope to see our sport continue to grow in popularity and look forward to more fantastic support from the Indian fans. We are once again pleased to have agreed a race partnership with Airtel, title sponsors of the Indian Grand Prix, and we look forward to welcoming them to our team over the weekend. There has been a great deal of analysis and hard work taking place at Brackley and Brixworth since we returned from Japan and I am pleased with the continued work ethic of the team and the determination to achieve our goal of second place in the championship. Both Nico and Lewis have been in the factory this week to assist with our preparations for the next two races and we are all looking forward to the challenge of securing strong finishes for both drivers.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director Preview Quotes
“The last three races have shown us that we have a real fight on our hands to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship – but also that we have the performance to achieve our goal if we consistently deliver the full potential of the car. We quickly put the disappointing weekend in Japan behind us and are now fully focused on the final four races of the season. The engineering team has been working hard to extract every last bit of performance and Nico and Lewis are both hungry to achieve strong finishes. We have no reason to fear any of the upcoming circuits, as we have been strong on all types of track so far this season. That should once again be the case this weekend in India, on a circuit that includes one of the most demanding corners of the year at turn 10. We will aim to do our usual, professional job, maximise the performance of the car and our target for both drivers will be a podium finish.”

October 23, 2013
Indian GP – A special record helmet for Fernando Alonso

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso will wear a different helmet design at this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix, marking his passing of Michael Schumacher’s previous record of most career points scored.

Alonso’s fourth place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix was enough for him to increase his career points tally to 1571 and overtake Michael Schumacher’s previous record of 1566 points.

A regular helmet livery changer, Alonso will sport a special design on his crash helmet at the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.

Using the hashtag #1571, Alonso gave his Twitter followers the first look at his new helmet starting with a couple of black and white cropped drawings of the new design, and ending with a full colour look at the top and side view of the helmet.

The special record helmet sports a large number 1571 at the top, centre of the helmet as well as on the side. The words, “F1 points world record” are also displayed accompanying the record number.

On the predominantly white-coloured background, there’s also a thank you note to his fans in three languages – English, French and Italian.

Alonso will no doubt be hoping to increase his points tally by 25 points to 1596 at the upcoming Indian Grand Prix this weekend but even a win would not be enough to keep the world championship out of Sebastian Vettel’s hands, should the German finish anywhere within the Top 5 positions.

With everything on the line at the Indian Grand Prix, where the world championship title could very well be decided, Fernando Alonso will be hoping that his new record, and helmet livery will be a little more than just lucky for him. Either way, it’s going to be a nail-biter of a race!

Here are a few more images tweeted by Alonso of his new helmet:

October 23, 2013
Formula 1 in 2014: Technical Changes and Challenges

Formula 1 in 2014 is going to be a whole new ball game for the teams and the drivers. There are a whole raft of changes that are going to be made, from the engines to the wings and everywhere in between. There is not much that will stay the same. Let’s take a look at some of the technical changes that will be taking place.

The biggest technical change will be the engines. From next season we will see the debut of 1.6-litre V6 turbo charged engines which will produce about 600 horsepower or roughly around 450 KW. Extra power will be made available through an Energy Recovery System (ERS). This is a big change from the current naturally aspirated 2.4-litre V8 which produces 750 horsepower or roughly 560KW. The maximum revs will also be reduced from 18 000 rpm to 15 000 rpm.

Listen to the Sound of the new Mercedes-Benz V6 turbo engine here.

Or listen to the Sound of Honda’s new 2015 F1 engine here.

The ERS unit will recover energy under braking (as it currently does) as well as the excess heat energy generated by the engine’s turbocharger. The ERS unit, together with the engine, make up the cars power unit. The ERS unit will give the drivers an extra 160 horsepower (+/- 120KW), for 33 seconds a lap as opposed to the current KERS units, which give drivers around 80 horsepower (60KW) for 6 seconds per lap.

The gearbox will now feature eight forward gears, as opposed to the current seven. Teams will need to choose their new gear ratios before the start of the season.

Fuel will be limited to 100kg per race in order to promote fuel efficiency in cars. There is currently no fuel limit, but cars use up about 160kg of fuel per race.

The exhaust outlet for the 2014 cars will be a single exhaust outlet which will be angled 5 degrees upwards at the exit of the pipe. This is to prevent the use of exhaust gasses for gaining aerodynamic benefit.

The height of the nose for cars in 2014 will be lower than it is currently. The maximum height that’s allowed for the nose is 550mm. Next year, this height will be reduced to 185mm. This drastic drop in height will result in cars looking like the F1 cars in the early 90s or more recently the Brawn Mercedes of 2009 with its droopy nose.

The other technical change up front will be to the front wing. The width of the 2014 front wings will be 150mm shorter, or 75mm from either side. Currently, the width of the front wings may not exceed 1800mm. In 2014 the front wing may not exceed 1650mm.

At the back of the car, the beam wing that teams use for extra down force is being outlawed. The main plane of the rear wing will be slightly shallower in length.

The minimum weight for the cars will be raised from 642kg to 690kg to accommodate for the extra weight of the ERS unit.

The greatest technical challenges that teams will run into will be around how to package all the new bits into the car whilst also taking into account the cooling of the much bigger ERS unit. Each team will have their own unique way of packaging the different elements into the cars. This, in itself, brings about quite a few challenges. Because, on the one hand you need things to be easily accessible when the need arises to repair parts, while at the same time you need the tightest packaging possible to ensure that the impact on the aerodynamics of the car is minimal.

2014 will bring teams back on to a level playing field. The team that finds the best package to make everything come together and work perfectly, will undoubtedly win the 2014 Formula 1 Championship.

October 22, 2013
Sound of Honda’s new 2014 F1 engine

Listen as Honda fires its new 2014 F1 Engine for the first time.

October 22, 2013
Weather Forecast for the 2013 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix

The Indian Grand Prix is usually a hot and sunny, although with the air pollution around New Delhi its more of a hazy sunshine. Nevertheless the entire race weekend will be mostly hot and sunny with little weather variations from Friday through to Sunday. Temperatures will stay in the low 30’s all throughout the weekend.

October 22, 2013