Ted Kravitz of Sky Sports F1 gives us a brief overview of all the updates that were brought to Barcelona by the teams and focuses on the rather interesting one’s.
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Mercedes steal pole position in Barcelona F1 Qualifying
Not many would have predicted that Mercedes would steal the pole position today in Barcelona F1 Qualifying, but they did.
After FP3 this morning, it looked almost certain that either Ferrari or Lotus would lock out the front row but it was the German Mercedes team that took the honours.
Rosberg delivered two amazing qualifying laps, both good enough to take the pole position. Lewis Hamilton was forced to settle for second place 0.254 seconds adrift of his team mate.
Sebastian Vettel placed his RB9 in third place for Red Bull Racing, followed by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen.
Fernando Alonso only managed 5th place at his home qualifying with his team mate Felipe Massa behind him in 6th place. Massa however will have to see the stewards later today for impeding Mark Webber during Q2.
Romain Grosjean put his Lotus in 7th place, ahead of Webber.
The McLaren team are not having the greatest weekend of all. Perez did however manage a last minute surge to qualify 7th but team mate Jenson Button only managed to qualify 14th.
Esteban Gutierrez will be seeing the stewards too after impeding Kimi Raikkonen and Button also complained that he was held up “massively” by Maldonado but both the Massa and Gutierrez incidents seemed far more severe in comparison.
Giedo van der Garde is a very happy man at the back of the grid after qualifying at the front of the bottom four, a triumph for the rookie driver.
Here are the full time sheets for today’s Barcelona F1 Qualifying session:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m20.718s
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.972s + 0.254s
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.054s + 0.336s
4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m21.177s + 0.459s
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.218s + 0.500s
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.219s + 0.501s
7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m21.308s + 0.590s
8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.570s + 0.852s
9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.069s + 1.351s
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.233s + 1.515s
11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.127s + 1.126s
12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.166s + 1.165s
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m22.346s + 1.345s
14. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.166s + 2.165s
15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.389s + 1.388s
16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.793s + 1.792s
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m23.260s + 1.532s
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.318s + 1.590s
19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m24.661s + 2.933s
20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.713s + 2.985s
21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.996s + 3.268s
22. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m25.070s + 3.342s
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Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP3 Results Timesheet
Felipe Massa went fastest during the final practice session in Barcelona this morning. He inched just 0.006 seconds ahead of Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen.
The biggest losers this session were certainly McLaren who seem to really be struggling despite all the upgrades they brought along to Barcelona so it really seems like it’s back to the drawing board for them.
Here is the full Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP3 Results Timesheet:
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Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP2 Results
Sebastian Vettel went fastest in FP2 in Barcelona this afternoon ever so slightly ahead of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Here is the timesheet for the Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP2 Results.
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Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP1 Results
Fernando Alonso set the fastest time (1.25.252) for this morning’s free practice session finishing 0.203 seconds ahead of his team mate Felipe Massa in second. Here is the full timing sheet for the Spanish F1 Grand Prix FP1 Results:
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No more playing the James card for Lotus – James Allison departs as technical director
News broke earlier today that Lotus technical director James Allison is leaving the team.
Allison, highly regarded in the F1 paddock, is very much considered to be the mastermind behind Lotus’ speed and as technical director had become a vital member of the Enstone based team.
Allison joined the team in 1991 while still in its previous guise of Benneton. He had spells at both Larrousse and Ferrari but returned to Renault in 2005 after which he was appointed the technical director in 2009. News of his departure came as a surprise too many, especially in the midst of a season for which Lotus has high hopes.
Naturally, it remains to early to speculate on what effect Allison’s departure will have on the team but losing such an integral and important member of the team will certainly have some impact. Team owner, Gerard Lopez was quoted as saying that only ‘shock events’ could potentially derail Lotus’ quest for a top three finish in the championship – does this qualify Mr. Lopez?
The announcement of Allison’s departure will further intensify rumours that Kimi Raikkonen may be looking elsewhere for a race seat in the near future. Lotus’ biggest drawcard for retaining Raikkonen has been the potential to deliver a race-winning car and with the leaving of James Allison that potential has significantly decreased.While it looks likely that Allison may join Ferrari, Lotus have appointed Nick Chester as its new technical director.
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Weather Report for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix
This weekend Formula 1 returns to Europe and as always Barcelona marks the beginning of the European season.
Showers are predicted for Friday practice but it should clear up and remain partly cloudy for the rest of the weekend.
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Spanish Grand Prix Preview Quotes: Force India
Force India looks ahead to this weekend’s 2013 Formula One Spanish Grand Prix.
Paul di RestaQ. Paul, you’ve enjoyed your strongest start to a season – what’s your feeling after four races…
PdR: “We’ve got to feel very happy with how things are going and I want to congratulate everybody in the team. We took a very sensible approach to the winter and focussed on understanding the key areas that drive performance, which seems to have paid off. It’s important to pick up good points early in the season against our competitors and to be ahead of McLaren after four races is a credit to the team and a nice feeling. Of course we want to be on the podium and it was very close in Bahrain, but I’m sure it will come soon enough.”Q. Do you feel you have a car that will be competitive on any type of circuit?
PdR: “The car is performing well, especially in the heat, and we were also strong in the cooler conditions of China – so that’s a good sign. The key is making sure you find the right operating window whatever the conditions because that’s what makes the difference. We need to keep doing what we’re doing, but at the same time we know the return to Europe always sees every team bring more upgrades. Hopefully we can stay fighting with the big teams and keep picking up the points.”Q. With two tests already completed in Barcelona do you feel well prepared ahead of this weekend’s race?
PdR: “I guess we have more data around Barcelona than anywhere else, but at the same time the temperatures will be much higher at this time of year. So I’d expect that to change things quite a lot and impact on the tyres. Also, it’s one of those tracks where you’re constantly chasing the right aero balance to cope with the long, high-speed corners, especially turn three. But when you come to the end of the lap you need the mechanical grip for the hairpins and chicanes.”Adrian Sutil
Q. Adrian, four races in, how do you sum up the start of 2013?
AS: “The start of the season was good, especially if you consider I had only two or three test days to prepare. Australia was a strong race and the best way to come back to Formula One. Since then I’ve been unlucky with being hit in China and the puncture in Bahrain, and I definitely missed out on a few good points. On the other hand there are lots of positives, especially the performance of the car and the experience of the races. It is still early in the season so there is more to come and the car is really fast. I’m sure we can recover the points we lost in the last few races.”Q. How hard is it to accept the disappointment when you’re simply in the wrong place at the wrong time – as was the case in China and Bahrain?
AS: “These things happen all the time in Formula One – sometimes you benefit from them and sometimes it goes against you instead. They all balance by the end of the year. I try not to spend too much time thinking about the negatives, I try to move on and focus on how to do better. If something happens, I think whether I did anything wrong, learn from it and avoid doing it again.”Q. What do you expect from the upcoming race in Barcelona?
AS: “I know Barcelona really well from all the testing we’ve done there over the years. It is important, after three difficult races without points, to finish the race without any incidents. If I do that, I should have the pace to be among the front-runners. I have to do my job, avoid mistakes and hopefully my luck will change. Wherever we have gone so far, the car has been competitive, so the next few races should see us scoring points and close to the podium.” -
Spanish Grand Prix Preview Quotes: Williams F1 Team
Spanish Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team – Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas share their thoughts ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix.
Pastor Maldonado: “It will be very special to return to Barcelona after my win there last season. Whilst all the drivers know the track very well and we have some good data from testing here earlier in the year, the track changes quite a lot so you still need to familiarise yourself with the conditions during practice and set up the car accordingly. The choice of tyre compound will also be a big factor on how well the teams handle the track conditions as the track can be quite hard on tyres. We are now entering a very important part of the season because the next couple of races are quite close to the factory, so there will be more opportunities for us to react to our performance on track and make changes to the car.”Valtteri Bottas: “Whilst I have never raced at Barcelona in Formula One, I know the track really well as I’ve raced there in Formula Renault and Formula 3 and I’ve done a lot of testing with Williams at the circuit. The win last year in Barcelona was a big motivational boost for everyone and was a good example of what we can achieve when everything comes together. We are working hard to get back to that level and following a good aero test last week at Idiada and a number upgrades coming for this race, hopefully Barcelona can be the start of improved performance for us this year.”
Mike Coughlan, Technical Director: “The Spanish Grand Prix is always one we look forward to as it is a track we all know well due to the amount of time spent there during winter testing. We also have fond memories of Pastor’s win there last season. A lot of engine and chassis decisions are also based around Barcelona as teams have so much data from there.
“Track conditions can change a lot during the weekend, making it a challenge to get a good set-up. The track layout, with its high average speed, also makes it quite hard on tyres. Surprisingly it has a similar power sensitivity to Monaco, due to the long corners and demand on handling. As the first race back in Europe, traditionally many teams will bring upgrades to their cars – and we are no different. Following a successful aero test at Idiada last week, we have a number of upgrades which we will be looking to run over the coming races.”
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Formula One 2013 Spanish GP Preview: Who will gain in Spain?
In the world of motorsport there is no shortage of Spanish sporting heroes. The current crop of Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marques and their domination of MotoGP is testament to the fact.
Spain may be smitten with MotoGP but it was Fernando Alonso who transformed this country’s interest in Formula 1 from mild curiosity to full blown infatuation. In 2005 the then Renault driver, Fernando Alonso, whipped the crowd into a frenzy as he stepped out in his home region of Asturias as the country’s first F1 champion. He would repeat the feat in 2006 and tag to his double glory a career as one of the most respected and revered Formula 1 drivers of his generation.
A different fairytale was written into the history books at last year’s Spanish GP as Williams returned to the very top of the sport they once dominated. An outstanding race and dogged determination accounted for Venezuela’s Pastor Maldonado first ever Formula 1 race victory. Replicating his deed in 2013 may be a bridge to far for Maldonado and his Williams team.
Nevertheless, a spirited battle there will be throughout the sixty-six laps around the Circuit de Catalunya. Sixteen corners in total are dotted throughout the 4.655 km lap and a mixture of medium to high speed corners typifies its layout. The first two sectors of the lap are characterised by high speed corners with the third sector offering a more technical and slower combination of corners.
If it hasn’t yet been in the headlines enough this season the Pirelli tyres will once again be a point of focus this weekend. Tyre wear around the Barcelona circuit has been described as ‘challenging’ and similar to what was seen in Bahrain. But after taking more than a little heat from several teams Pirelli have changed their hard compound tyres in time for Spanish GP. “This latest version of the hard compound is much closer to the 2012 tyre, with the aim of giving the teams more opportunity to run a wider range of strategies in combination with the other compounds, which remain unchanged,” Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said.
The Catalan circuit is regularly used as a testing venue by the majority of the field which makes any advantage especially hard to come by. As the first European race of the season it makes traveling and logistics a much simpler task; hence the rolling out of highly expected upgrades this weekend. “The start of the so-called European season – where many teams unleash a raft of their latest upgrades – could shake up the order somewhat,” predicted Lotus technical director, James Allison. “What do we have in the upgrade cupboard for Catalunya? Nothing revolutionary, but plenty which should help us go faster. We have new front wing end plate detailing, new aero around the rear drums, modifications to the diffuser and a different top rear wing so there’s plenty to help keep us in the hunt,” he continued.
The gap on the points table between Sebastian Vettel and second-placed Kimi Raikkonen currently stands at ten points. But if Lotus and Raikkonen and the rest of the likely challengers want to make a serious bid for the title the gap must be narrowed and Vettel’s strong start to the season tempered.
There are not many things that can be controlled in Formula 1. Mechanical failures, a rival’s rash overtaking manoeuvre, weather and even car performance are all potential uncontrollable factors. Naturally it makes those aspects that can be controlled all the more important. Clinically performed pit stops, a perfectly executed pull-away, lightning quick reactions can all, reasonably, be controlled. And if you add a supremely fast and confident Ferrari loaded Fernando Alonso to this mix it should be a winning combination, shouldn’t it?
