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Nurburgring F1 German GP Preview Quotes – Red Bull

Preview quotes from Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

“(The Nurburgring is) one of the longer tracks, and one I know very well from when I was racing in the junior series in Formula BMW and Formula 3. I’ve always had a lot of fun on this track. In 2009, I made it to the podium for the first time in Formula One, when we got a one-two, and it was a fantastic experience thanks to the German fans. The best part of the track? Driving out of the Mercedes-Arena and into the Mullenbach loop is good, then down towards the Dunlop hairpin, you have to put it in third or fourth gear there. Then onto the Schumacher-S into the Warsteiner bend and back down towards the ADVAN arch. If you are (a fan) looking for action, you should go for sections where overtaking is possible, so at the first corner. The fast corners are exciting as well: the Mullenbach loop, the Michael-Schumacher-S, and the section following the ADVAN arch, shortly before the chicane.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull

“My best memory from the Nurburgring, and one of the best of my whole career, has got to be my first Formula One win there in 2009. It was such a special day and to win it in the style that we did that day was incredible. I prefer the Nurburgring to Hockenheim; it’s got a bit of character about it, with some old school camber changes and old kerbs. The best part is Turns 5 and 6, the fast left which goes into the tight right.”

July 4, 2013
Nurburgring F1 German GP Preview Quotes – McLaren

Preview quotes from the McLaren team ahead of the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring this weekend.

Jenson Button, McLaren

“Of course, the Silverstone result wasn’t where we want to be, but there were some reasons to be encouraged by last weekend. Our car is now better balanced and more driveable, so we’re hoping for a rain-free practice day in order to further develop the set-up during Friday’s two free practice sessions. The Nurburgring is a track that seems to encourage close racing and plenty of overtaking. The combination of low- and medium-speed corners tend to allow cars to run quite closely, and there are a couple of big braking zones, where it’s quite easy to get alongside and steal the inside line. However, it’s got some nicely designed sections, which mean – equally – that you can lose out on the entry and yet still regain position if you have better traction and track position on the exit.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren

“I’ve already put the disappointment of Silverstone behind me. In fact, I was more encouraged by the positives: I demonstrated strong pace all weekend, was having a good race and looked set to finish in the points, until my tyre failure in the closing laps. Naturally, these setbacks happen in motor racing, so it’ll be good to get back in the car just a few days after Silverstone and get back to business. I started my single-seater career in Germany, so it’s a place with lots of positive memories for me. I enjoy racing at the Nurburgring, it’s a place where you need to attack to get the best from the lap, so I think it’s well suited to my style. Of course, I’d have loved to have raced on the old track, the Nordschleife, that must have been an incredible place for a grand prix, but I’ll be happy with a positive result on the new circuit.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal

“After a difficult weekend at Silverstone, it’s a motivation for the whole team to return to the track just a week later for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. It’s a very difficult technical challenge to the flat-out sweeps of Silverstone, requiring a higher downforce set-up to get the most from the twisting infield sections and high-traction corner exits from which much of the laptime is derived. Our aim for Germany will be to get our cars into the points after two successive failures to finish inside the top 10. Despite those disappointments, both Jenson and Checo have driven faultlessly, and both are relentlessly positive and upbeat. They have been a strong unifying force for the team as we continue to address the issues we’ve encountered with this year’s MP4-28. With more, uninterrupted mileage, we will be better placed to add performance to the car, so we’ll be hoping for good weather and the opportunity to learn as much as we can.”

July 4, 2013
Nurburgring German GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the German GP to be held at the Nurburgring this weekend. The German GP will be the 600th race for the Williams Team.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams

“Although the Nurburgring layout has changed recently and lost some of its old character, it’s still a pretty fast and flowing track which I tend to like and offers some good overtaking opportunities. It’s one of the most technical circuits on the calendar and we have been working hard to improve our cars balance in slow, technical corners. Tyre degradation is likely to be high as well, but in the last couple of races we have shown that we can control this quite well so that should give us a boost. The weather is often cold and can change throughout the weekend which is a challenge for all teams, but variable conditions would suit us. I just missed out on a points finish at Silverstone and will be looking to go a step better in this race.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams

“The Nurburgring is a very challenging track as it has a broad mixture of corners which makes car set-up difficult. I really like the hi-speed sections in particular, especially the fast left and right corners leading to the back straight. The weather is often changeable so we will be preparing for the possibility of a wet weekend. I’ve always enjoyed driving in tricky conditions though and our car is currently performing better in the wet/damp conditions so I will be hoping that we do see some showers. With tyre management being so important, and teams not having raced here last season, we will be trying to get as much data from the practice sessions as possible to make sure that we are racing on Sunday with the optimum strategy. The team will be continuing our 600th race celebrations in Germany and we will be looking to score some points to give the people back at the factory an extra boost.”

Mike Coughlan, Williams technical director

“Nurburgring is quite a technical track with lots of challenging corner sequences and camber changes. There can also be variable weather which adds another element into the mix, although we don’t see many safety cars, with only two being deployed in the last ten races. It is a slower speed circuit with a below average top speed and the average corner speed is similar to what we see in Barcelona. The circuit is about 600 metres above sea level so engine power is low and downforce is reduced. We’ll reach our 600th race as a team at the GP and we will be looking to mark this milestone with a strong finish this weekend.”

July 4, 2013
Nurburgring German F1 Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Caterham

Charles Pic, Caterham

“After quali in Silverstone Giedo, Cyril, Heikki and I went back to Leafield for a great staff and family event at the factory. They’d had a barbecue and then we took part in a Q&A session with everyone who’d gone and one of the questions I was asked was what’s my favourite track to race on. The answer is Nurburgring and I explained that I don’t really know why it’s my favourite, it’s just the feeling I have racing there – it’s very special! I won there in Formula Renault 3.5 and I was on the podium in GP2 so it has a lot of happy memories for me and there’s just something about getting a lap right there that feels very good.

“In terms of the atmosphere it’s a bit like Silverstone. It’s always very busy, the stands are full and when you come into the stadium section it’s a bit like racing into a football arena. The fans can see a lot of the track so they have a great view and they really know about motorsport. I’ve not raced in F1 there yet – last year we were at Hockenheim, but I’m sure it’ll be a great weekend.

“I think the track should also suit us quite well. We made some progress in Silverstone, in quali when I put together the best qualifying lap of my season so far and in the race where we had better pace than we’d had for a couple of races, and we added a few new parts to the car, mainly around the floor. We’ll have a couple more small updates for Germany and it’ll be good to continue the positive trend we’ve regained since last week in the UK. We have a bit of a gap after Germany before Hungary so it’ll be good to leave the Nurburgring after a positive race, having got ourselves back to the performance levels we’ve targeted for this season.”

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham

“Germany is going to be a great race, partly because the track is relatively near home for me so there will be a lot of Dutch support there, and because it’s a track I’ve always gone well at. Throughout my career I’ve won races there in all categories – I know that’s not going to happen this year but, as a rookie, when you go to a track you know really well it means you’re on it right from the first lap and that helps us maximise the time we have in every session, as long as the weather stays dry which it looks like it should!

“It’ll be the first time for me around the Nurburgring in an F1 car but I last raced there in a GP2 car back in 2011 so I know quite a lot of what to expect. Like Spa the weather can change very quickly so we have to pay very close attention to the forecasts and, even though the track is used a lot outside F1 weekends, the grip levels still improve quite a bit over the weekend so the long run work we’ll do on Friday will be very important for the race. The track itself is mostly made up of low to medium speed corners – apart from T5 there’s not a lot of really high speed stuff but despite that it’s still a very good track to drive on. You can build up a good rhythm and that’s one of the keys to a good lap.”

July 4, 2013
Nurburgring German F1 Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

Preview quotes from the Sauber F1 team ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

“I know the Nurburgring very well. Since 2005 I have driven numerous races in several categories there, and, as far as I can remember, I won a race in every category there. I like the Eifel, and the Nurburgring is another traditional track with a lot of changes in altitude and good combinations, which makes it a lot of fun to drive. Of course, the fans will play a big part and I am looking forward to taking to the track in front of a home crowd. Although this is my third season, I have never raced at the Nurburgring in a Formula One car, so this is a first for me. Overall, however, I know what to expect. I guess, everything will be a bit faster and I might perceive things a little different, but I know the track well and I am looking forward to a nice weekend.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber

“I used the days between the races in Silverstone and the Nurburgring to relax and do some good fitness training in order to recharge before the German GP. With back-to-back races there is less time to analyse the previous weekend and the focus changes pretty quickly, so you take the momentum and move on. On the other hand, back-to-back races are really nice, because you only have a couple of days until you are back in the car again. I have great memories of the Nurburgring. In 2009, I raced there for the first time in Formula Three, and had a podium with my former team mates Jules Bianchi and Valtteri Bottas. It’s a traditional track as the GP circuit is part of the famous Nordschleife and I enjoy it a lot. It’s interesting to drive there with the fast corners, and the weather can be a challenge too. It’s exciting to come to Germany and feel the racing atmosphere. There is not that much to do around the area, so it’s all about pure racing.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering

“The Nurburgring is one of the most technically challenging circuits for the drivers and engineers. There is a good mix of low, medium and high-speed corners with the added challenge of several sections requiring many set-up and driver compromises. There are also some off camber corners, which always make it harder to get the ideal set-up. Pirelli has selected the medium and soft compounds for our return to the Nurburgring. Located within the Eifel mountain range there is often a chance of poor weather which can often add another element to the mix. We take encouragement from our race pace in Silverstone, but it is clear we still have some work to do in order to qualify stronger. As we did in Silverstone our aim will be to add to our points tally.”

July 4, 2013
Video: Nurburgring Track Preview by Pirelli

Mario Isola details the tyre choices for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and gives us a brief explanation about tyre marbles and when the track rubbers in

July 3, 2013
F1 2013 Tyre Update: Pirelli ringing the changes

Pirelli will introduce completely new tyres for the 2013 Hungarian grand prix.

The announcement comes after the Italian tyre manufacturer was put in the spotlight with several tyre failures during the Silverstone grand prix. The all new tyres, which will feature 2012 construction combined with 2013 compounds, will be introduced for Hungarian grand prix. These new tyres will be tested at the young driver’s test at Silverstone in mid-July.

For the immediate future, and this weekend’s German grand prix, teams will be provided with the kevlar-belted rear tyres that were tested at the Canadian grand prix. Teams will also be banned from swapping left and right tyres and strict limitations will be placed on camber and tyre pressures. Pirelli believe that a combination of these factors were to blame for the spectacular failures at the British grand prix.

To prevent a repeat of the failures Pirelli have requested that their engineers be allowed access to real time tyre data, including pressures and cambers, during a race. “What happened at Silverstone was completely unexpected and it was the first time that anything like this has ever occurred in more than a century of Pirelli in motorsport,” said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery.

“These incidents, which have upset us greatly, have stressed the urgency of the changes that we already suggested – which will be introduced for free practice in Germany on Friday.

“We would like to acknowledge the willingness of the FIA, FOM, teams, and drivers to act quickly to find an immediate solution to the problem.

“In particular, the adoption of winter tests, arranged with the FIA, that are more suitable for tyre development, and the possibility of carrying out in-season testing will contribute to the realisation of tyres with increasingly improved standards of safety and performance.”

Hembery went on to stress that the Pirelli tyres are safe for use. “I’d like to re-emphasise the fact that the 2013 range of tyres, used in the correct way, is completely safe,” he said.

July 3, 2013
2013 Young Driver’s Test – FIA set out the rules

Formula 1’s govering body, the FIA, has announced that it will send its own observers to this month’s young driver’s test.

The recent Mercedes-tyregate debacle has prompted the FIA to appoint a ‘security guard’ to ensure that no current race drivers do any work on car development. On the back of multiple tyre failures at the British grand prix the governing body changed testing regulations to allow for the regular race drivers to help out with the tyre work at the test. The Silverstone grand prix circuit will be used from July 17 – 19 for the test.

However, the FIA has stipulated that no current race driver will be only be allowed to work on an emergency testing programme for tyre manufacturer Pirelli. The observers will scrutinise the running programs of every team to ensure that all development work is done by the ‘young’ driver who still be present at the test.

Pirelli also has two further private tests planned in the coming weeks for which the FIA have told Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hembery, that it would be willing to allow the tyre company to use a 2013 car if required.

July 3, 2013
Let’s talk tyres … again – a fan’s perspective by @Reynardg

Reynard Gelderblom, Motorsport Editor of Streetmotion, sent us his perspective on the entire tyre debacle.

We’d love to hear your thoughts too! Let us know what you think in the comments below, or let us know if you’d like us to publish your opinion too.

Here’s what Reynard had to say:

I’m starting to feel like I’ve become a stuck record, but yet again the topic after the race is tyres. In fact, I’ve mentioned the name Pirelli so much during the 2013 season that I should start asking them to pay me for doing so.

With F1 moving back to a purpose-built racing circuit for the first time since Barcelona and the controversial ‘testgate’ scandal, everyone was waiting in anticipation to see what Mercedes would’ve gained. With the penalty for their part in this being nothing more than an eighth grade teacher telling you “If I catch you smoking behind the rugby pavilion again…”.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg ensured a Mercedes front row, but we’ve seen them strong in qualifying before this season. Soon after the start, Hamilton’s left rear tyre called it a day with what seemed to be a puncture and a dramatic delamination. One lap later Ferrari’s Felipe Massa’s left rear did the same at almost the same spot.

“Okay, debris on the circuit or something about that curb” is what we thought. A few laps later Jean-Eric Vergne’s left rear and our theory blew out at the end of a straight. After the first round of pitstops, Red Bull reported something that resembled cuts in the left rear tyre that came off Sebastian Vettel’s car. Then the news broke that the general talk in the paddock was that this might be caused by the heat generated on the faster straights. Near the end of the race, McLaren who already had a bad weekend, suffered another blow out with Sergio Perez.

Earlier in 2013, I said the FIA asked Pirelli to supply a tyre which won’t last till half race distance, but I don’t think that anyone wanted anything like what we’ve seen at Silverstone. This has taken the tyre concerns from being something for the teams to work around, to being something outright dangerous. After everything that has been said over the secret tests with Mercedes at Barcelona, you at least would think that 1 000km of testing with a 2013 car would’ve provided some valuable data for further development.

Shortly after the GP, Pirelli came out with a statement that the new bonding process is not to blame for this, although they themselves appear to be clueless for now on possible causes.

Or do they just prefer to remain quiet? The FIA still needs to announce the sole tyre supplier for 2014. Hankook is one of the names which have been mentioned, but there is speculation that the FIA would love to see Michelin back in F1 in the near future. However, despite no contract yet, changing tyre leftovers may prove to be a bit easier than changing a tyre supplier. The money and advertising aspect alone would provide Pirelli with enough grounds for a better day in court than at the races.

With only six months remaining in the 2013 season, there’s not nearly enough time to start a legitimate tender process and then still expect a manufacturer to come up with something which will be reliable. So the immediate future of Pirelli in F1 may not be as uncertain as we would like to think.

A suitable solution needs to be found though – and soon. With fast circuit races like the Belgium, Italian and Indian GPs coming up I’m sure I’m not the only one who wouldn’t like to see a repeat of what we saw at Silverstone.

Even the night race in Singapore features some fairly fast straights for a street circuit and the bumpy surface at the Brazilian GP with it’s fast main straight could be a genuine reason for concern.

Nor would I think anyone would like to see a repeat of the 2005 USA GP when teams participated in a strike action due to safety issues relating from tyres, but you have to ask: With drivers putting their lives on the line at more than 300km/h, and having to rely on the equipment they’ve been given – how far are we away from someone saying “I’m boxing this lap, these tyres are unsafe”?

An even worse thought – are we going to have to see someone die on a live TV broadcast before we start coming up with ideas on how this could’ve been prevented?

Surely the British GP served as a stark warning that for the safety of all the competitors and spectators involved, someone should come up with answers and solutions that are better than extra sets of tyres or controversial secret tests.

Hopefully the questions of when something is going to be done about this will only be asked by happy fans next to a bar counter and not by a crying family member next to an open grave.

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

Keep up to date with the latest local motorsport news by following Street Motion on Twitter.

July 2, 2013
Pirelli: full statement regarding the Silverstone debacle

Pirelli has issued the following statement tonight, regarding what happened at Silverstone – and what they plan to do next.

After exhaustive analysis of the tyres used at Silverstone, Pirelli has concluded that the causes of the failures were principally down to a combination of the following factors:

1) Rear tyres that were mounted the wrong way round: in other words, the right hand tyre being placed where the left hand one should be and vice versa, on the cars that suffered failures. The tyres supplied this year have an asymmetric structure, which means that they are not designed to be interchangeable. The sidewalls are designed in such a way to deal with specific loads on the internal and external sides of the tyre. So swapping the tyres round has an effect on how they work in certain conditions. In particular, the external part is designed to cope with the very high loads that are generated while cornering at a circuit as demanding as Silverstone, with its rapid left-hand bends and some kerbs that are particularly aggressive.

2) The use of tyre pressures that were excessively low or in any case lower than those indicated by Pirelli. Under-inflating the tyres means that the tyre is subjected to more stressful working conditions.

3) The use of extreme camber angles.

4) Kerbing that was particularly aggressive on fast corners, such as that on turn four at Silverstone, which was the scene of most of the failures. Consequently it was the left-rear tyres that were affected.

The only problems that had come to light before Silverstone were to do with delamination, which was a completely different phenomenon. To stop these delaminations Pirelli found a solution by suggesting that the teams use the tyres that were tried out in Canada from Silverstone onwards. When this proposal was not accepted, Pirelli found another solution through laboratory testing, with a different bonding process to attach the tread to the carcass. So the problem of delamination has nothing at all to do with what was seen in Great Britain.

Following the conclusions of this analysis, Pirelli would like to underline that:

1) Mounting the tyres the wrong way round is a practice that was nonetheless underestimated by everybody: above all Pirelli, which did not forbid this.

2) In the same way, under-inflation of the tyres and extreme camber settings, over which Pirelli has no control, are choices that can be dangerous under certain circumstances. Because of this, Pirelli has asked the FIA for these parameters will be a topic of accurate and future examinations. Pirelli has also asked for compliance with these rules to be checked by a dedicated delegate.

3) Pirelli would also like to underline that the 2013 tyre range does not compromise driver safety in any way if used in the correct manner, and that it meets all the safety standards requested by the FIA.

The logical conclusion is that it is essential for tyres with the performance and technical sophistication of the 2013 range to be regulated and carefully controlled by Pirelli itself. In order to ensure the optimal functioning of the tyres, the Italian firm would need real-time data from the teams regarding fundamental parameters such as pressure, temperature and camber angles. While waiting for new regulations that would permit Pirelli access to this data, vital for the development and management of these state-of-the-art tyres, the following measures are proposed for the forthcoming grands prix, in agreement with the FIA, FOM, the teams and the drivers:

1) The use of the evolution of the current tyre that was tested in Canada (and proved to be completely reliable) for the German Grand Prix this weekend. This represents the best match for the technical characteristics of the Nurburgring circuit. In particular, the rear tyres that will be used at the German Grand Prix, which takes place on July 7, have a Kevlar construction that replaces the current steel structure and the re-introduction of the 2012 belt, to ensure maximum stability and roadholding. Given that these tyres are asymmetric as well, it will be strictly forbidden to swap them round. The front tyres, by contrast, will remain unaltered.

2) From the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards, the introduction of a new range of tyres. The new tyres will have a symmetrical structure, designed to guarantee maximum safety even without access to tyre data – which however is essential for the optimal function of the more sophisticated 2013 tyres. The tyres that will be used for the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards will combine the characteristics of the 2012 tyres with the performance of the 2013 compounds. Essentially, the new tyres will have a structure, construction and belt identical to that of 2012, which ensured maximum performance and safety. The compounds will be the same as those used throughout 2013, which guaranteed faster lap times and a wider working range. This new specification, as agreed with the FIA, will be tested on-track together with the teams and their 2013 cars at Silverstone from 17-19 July in a session with the race drivers during the young driver test. These tests will contribute to the definitive development of the new range of tyres, giving teams the opportunity to carry out the appropriate set-up work on their cars.

What do you think about Pirelli’s statement? Is it reasonable to be shifting the blame to the teams? What are your thoughts? Leave us a comment below.

July 2, 2013