Tag: japanese grand prix

2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

Drivers:

Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)

Jules Bianchi (Marussia)

Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham)

Jenson Button (McLaren)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Kamui, as we’re at your home race, can we start with you? Last time we saw you here you were on the podium. Just tell us what that was like for you to be on the podium at your home Grand Prix?
Kamui Kobayashi: Well, first of all, thank you for this special seat! I think in 2012, my first podium ever, in Suzuka, it’s a great memory. After 2012 I break for a year and then come back in 2014. It’s a very difficult situation right now but still I’m back at Suzuka. Of course, I think we have a lot of rumour before coming here but at least we can announce that we are here and we will race this week. I’m very happy about that.

Q: Indeed. In terms of the likelihood of being on the podium, it’s perhaps a different story this year, but what do you say to those who have supported you. You’ve got a huge amount of fans here and of course it’s a fantastic Grand Prix in terms of the home crowd?
KK: Yeah, I really appreciate all the support. I’m here because of only fan donation and these donations are very important for me and we show how the Japanese supporter is always supporting Formula One, also myself as well. Next year, Honda will be back and I think this will be helpful for all the Japanese fans and also maybe other Japanese companies as well. This could help one day. At least I’m here for this year and I think it will be really exciting and still it’s only Thursday so many fans try to get [things] signed and it’s still very nice to see for me.

Q: Thanks, I hope you have a great weekend. Jenson, you sometimes say that this is a home Grand Prix for you as well and I remember being told you’re very much a Honda driver as well, which we’ll talk about in a moment, but first tell us what you feel about this race. You’ve finished 14 out of 14 Japanese Grands Prix, plus one win, it’s a remarkable record.
Jenson Button: Yeah, I think the one win stands out for me as a result, rather than just finishing 14 races. Winning here in 2011 was a very special victory for me and also being chased down by Fernando and Sebastian at the end of the race was a proper climax. Really stands out in my Formula One career.

Q: But a little bit of a shadow on the horizon at the moment, in that we don’t know which way your career is going. What do you know? What can you tell us? Is it likely to be decided fairly soon?
JB: I… I don’t know! As you know I can’t discuss anything to do with the contract.

Q: It’s the same with your team-mate?
JB: Exactly.

Q: So, what are your hopes for the Grand Prix this weekend?
JB: I hope that we can race on Sunday, that’s the first thing, I think. With a typhoon coming this way it’s always very tricky. Hopefully it will miss us. It’s going to be a mixed weekend in terms of weather; tomorrow there’s a good chance of rain as well. I think it’s really just thinking on your feet and staying on top of all the different weather forecasts. But this is a circuit I think we all love. It’s fast, it’s flowing, there’s a lot of support here from the fans, not just for Japanese drivers but for every driver in Formula One as a whole, so it’s always great coming here and I’m looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.

Q: Nico, if I can come to you next. Since the summer break you’ve been beaten by your team-mate at every single race. What’s changed? What’s happened there?
Nico Hulkenberg: I think obviously race weekends didn’t go as flawlessly as before and for one or other reasons we didn’t always achieve our maximum on my side of the garage but nothing too concerning I think. Obviously Hungary was a mistake, technical issues in Monza, unlucky in Singapore, so there is always a story behind it. But overall, if we put it together we are still a candidate for points and still looking competitive.

Q: And your team principal is full of praise for both drivers, so what does the future hold?
NH: We’ll see. I think there’s not much to report at the moment but everything is looking quite positive.

Q: OK, Jules, just rate your season so far, how do you think it’s gone?
Jules Bianchi: After the break it was a bit more difficult for us. In Spa I had an issue and in Monza we were not so competitive and then Singapore was a difficult race again. I think overall it was a good season and I’m quite happy. Now I hope we can do some good results again.

Q: You’ve sort of served your apprenticeship, if you understand that expression, at Marussia. Do you think you have achieved all you need to achieve there to continue in Formula One and to move up?
JBi: Well, you can always do better for sure but it was a good season for me. I’m still trying to do my best in the next races we’re going to have and we will see. But for sure I have no regrets.

Q: Romain, also rate your season so far if you would.
Romain Grosjean: Kind of missed the podium. It’s a tough season for all of us. We started a little bit on the back foot and it takes time to recover but things are going slightly better since Singapore. I think we have seen that the car was a little bit more competitive and hopefully it will be the case until the end of the season. There are a few updates coming. Even though they are small pieces it makes a good difference in how you prepare for the future. I think the key now for Lotus is to get on top of issues to prepare as good as we can for next year.

Q: The frustrations clearly spilled over a little bit in Singapore, as we heard on the radio messages. How difficult a season has it been for you?
RG: Well, the season is difficult. Of course part of the frustration… part of that radio message was frustration from the beginning of the year. When you’re racing in Singapore it’s certainly one of the toughest tracks to race, qualifying lap, you give 120 percent of everything you can, you take every single risk to get close to the walls without kissing them too much and the straight line your engine cuts – so I wasn’t very happy with that. I think it was clear. But we’ve found the issue with Renault, they solve it for the race and things were going better. I think it was just the fact that it was hot, humid and trying to get 100 per cent of everything and suddenly you get issues on the straight line where it’s easy not lose time.

Q: Sebastian, you’ve obviously had a remarkable record here, you’ve been on the podium the last five years plus the wins as well. And you’ve just had your best result of the year in Singapore. Has a corner been turned? Is it the new chassis? What’s made the difference?
Sebastian Vettel: I think it’s all the small bits coming together. Obviously we hardly ran the first half of the season, we had lots of issues in winter to overcome and then a lot of issues on my side in the first half – which is never great to get the right feeling and get things lined up the way things should be lined up. I think now we had a little bit more consistent weekends, a bit more time to look at all the stuff and I think it’s coming our way – but there’s still huge potential which I feel we are getting closer but there’s a lot of work ahead of us to make sure we extract it in the next couple of races as well.

Q: You know the podium here very well – is there the possibility to be back on it?
SV: I think there always is. Yeah, there’s some discussions on the weather. Kamui just gave me a brief update on the Typhoon. I think chances are a bit 50:50 but there’s always a chance to do well, race well. This circuit suits me, suits our car so I think we should be a little bit closer this weekend again. Whether we are as strong as Singapore is difficult to say. It’s a different nature of track – but a track I definitely enjoy and an atmosphere that I really enjoy, so I’d love to be on the podium, yes.

Q: But there is a little bit of a shadow hanging over a lot of drivers at the moment with the possibility of penalties. How do you approach that?
SV: Well, I’m one of them! Yeah. The rules are as they are but surely at some stage we have to take some penalties, which penalties those will be is not entirely clear yet. We’re waiting for some parts, we’re hoping that we get as far as we can but it’s inevitable to go for an extra engine on my side – which is already ten positions after qualifying. Potentially there is more waiting for us – which is only a consequence of the poor season we had, first half of the season, in terms of reliability. But that’s something we knew back then. Now we have to figure out what is the smartest plan, let’s say, and the smartest track to come up with a penalty.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Anne Giuntini – l’Equipe) Question to Jules. Considering the many rumours developing at the moment, if it would occur that a seat would become available – vacant – at Ferrari, would you feel ready to go there? And why?
JBi: Well, yes of course I feel ready. I have been working for that since I’m in the Academy, end of 2009. So, now I did nearly two seasons in Formula One. I think I have good experience and I feel ready for that, for sure. It looks like the logical step for me if something happens like this. Obviously at the moment both drivers have a contract so it’s not the question but if there is the opportunity I feel it would be good for me and I feel good.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Jenson, is it for you McLaren or nothing more for the future?
JB: In Formula One I’m hoping you mean. It’s the best option.

Q: (John Westerby – The Times) Question for Sebastian. We have a 17-year-old driving here this week. I wonder if you could compare when you came into F1, perhaps with the cars in particular. Does this mean cars are easier to drive now then when you came into the sport?
SV: I think one of the biggest differences is that I was able to drive myself from the hotel to the track – which I think he isn’t. He doesn’t have a driver’s licence. I think Formula One has changed a lot, especially this year so it’s not a secret cars got slower. Different to drive to previous years, probably a little bit more technical but less demanding in terms of the corner speeds we are taking. Especially on a track like this. But, y’know, I’m as excited as you to see him running. Obviously he was only done half a year, three-quarters of a year in Formula 3. I think he has a remarkable record in go-karting. So, yeah, I think he has the potential. On the other hand, you need to give him time, as much as he needs. When I was 19, joining Formula One, the first time. Of course, you always feel ready and you don’t say no if somebody gives you the opportunity to race or drive a Formula One car – but you have to take your time to get used to all the things. Not just the car but also working with the team, which is completely different in Formula One to all the other categories.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) On that topic, Seb, you have a number of the records for youngest race winner, pole position, world champion, I think. From what you’ve seen of Max so far and he’s part of the Red Bull family as it were, do you think he’s set to take those records from you?
SV: Well, I think records are there to be broken. Obviously he starts quite a bit younger than all the rest of us but it’s hard to say, but one day I think there will be somebody to break these numbers and one day there will be somebody again to break the numbers again, so I think that’s normal.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Romain, it’s the usual question yet I would like to know how can you keep motivated during such a hard season, to keep going?
RG: Well, because you wake up in the morning and you’re still a Formula One driver. It took me quite a long time to get to Formula One. I lost it once, at the end of 2009 and when I came back in 2012, I realised… you know, when you lose something, you realise how much you like it. So even though it’s a tough season, I still have mechanics that give 100 percent of themselves and I still love what I’m doing. Of course, it’s much more fun to fight at the front and for victories but it’s still a very good job.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sebastian, even if you say that your future next year is with Red Bull, your name still comes up a lot and it comes to Ferrari and Fernando, who might possibly leave. Anything to say to that?
SV: Well, I think there has always been rumours over the last couple of years, especially around this time of the season. I think probably more for Jenson; he already has 17 teammates for next year. I have been one of them, a couple of weeks ago, maybe next week I will be again. It’s not really in my head. As I said, coming from back… coming from the back at Singapore we made some progress and I hope that we can carry that momentum into this race and that’s really where the focus lies.

Q: (Ben Edwards – BBC TV Sport) Just a quick question for everybody following on the Max Verstappen question: what was the most powerful car/engine that you drove when you were 17 years old?
JB: I’m trying to think. It was a long time ago now. At 17, I will still be racing in karts, I was racing in – as it was then – Formula Super A. I’d driven three Formula Ford cars before that, when I was 14, so 30 horsepower, I guess.

KK: I think I did Formula Renault but I think that’s it, and I don’t remember how much horsepower.

SV: I think I did a test, when I was 17, in ChampCar in America so around 750 horsepower.

NH: Same as Jenson, karts.

JBi: Yeah, I was racing go-karts. I think I did a test in Formula Renault, so 180 horsepower.

RG: Technically, in horsepower, I think it was my mother’s Subaru. On a race track, for the record.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Kamui, obviously your home race gives you lots of reasons to be cheery and look forward to the weekend but back in Oxfordshire, the team is going through its own troubles at the factory. I wonder if you could summarise what the mood is like in the team, has that affected it at all or is it as usual?
KK: Well, first of all, I won’t get the same information to the boss because I think that our boss is flying over here, so we are waiting what happens really. I think it’s very difficult to say. At the moment, I think we can still communicate with the UK so I think it looks as if the company is OK but I don’t know the rest really. Unfortunately.

October 2, 2014
Weather Report for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

We are in Japan for round 15 of the Formula 1 World Championship and there’s no better place for the Japanese Grand Prix other than Suzuka.

One of the iconic circuits on the F1 calendar, it is also the favorite of many drivers. Why do they like it so much you may ask? It’s quite simple really. Suzuka is one of the very few “old school” circuits that are still in existence today. Beyond the white line there is some grass and gravel traps, not miles and miles of tarmac run-off. Although some modifications have taken place at some places on the circuit, there are many places that are still “old school”.

Typhoon Phanfone is expected to make landfall on Monday or late on Sunday. This typhoon will bring about lots of rain and strong winds. Ahead of the typhoon there will be rain that will hit the circuit on Saturday paving the way for a wet qualifying session. The weather for Friday will be warm with slightly cooler temperatures forecast for the race on Sunday. There is some rain forecast on Sunday for the race which should make for some interesting reading.

The lower temperatures will be kinder to the tyres. Pirelli are bringing the white medium and the orange hard compound to Suzuka. They say that due to the high lateral forces experienced by the tyres around the Esses and through 130R and the high abrasiveness of the asphalt, the tyre choices are well justified.

Below is a snap shot of the predicted weather for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

October 1, 2014
Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

The iconic Suzuka Circuit in Japan plays host to the Japanese Grand Prix and round 15 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Suzuka is billed as a real drivers circuit, a favorite among many of the drivers in the F1 paddock. You wont find a driver out there who has bad things to say about this circuit.

Designed as a test track for Honda back in 1962, it is one of the longest serving circuits in F1. The circuit has decided many drivers titles over the years. This year we will need to wait a bit longer. The gap between the two Mercedes drivers is now just three points with Lewis Hamilton narrowly ahead after winning the Singapore Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Mercedes will want to put their reliability issues behind them for the Japanese Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg on the other hand will look to win the race and put the pressure back on Hamilton.

After a rather anonymous race in Singapore, Williams will also be looking to bounce back to the front. Suzuka will suit the Williams much better and we should see a strong performance from them. McLaren were hoping to be closer to Red Bull at the previous race. The new parts which they brought to Singapore didn’t quite work for them and they seemed neither here nor there. Red Bull also seemed to come alive in Singapore. But with the Renault engine down on power, they might struggle to keep the pace of the Mercedes.

Ferrari on the other hand showed a turn of pace at Singapore. But their Technical Director, Pat Fry has said that Singapore is a low power rating track which is why they were quite strong. Suzuka on the other hand, is a high power rating circuit, so Ferrari will be threading water the entire weekend trying to get up there.

After the Singapore Grand Prix, Force India Team Principal, Vijay Mallya was very happy with the performance of the team. He has said that they will continue to develop their cars so they can finish ahead of McLaren in the Constructors Championship. Can Force India finish ahead of McLaren this season you ask? Of course they can. It’s all to play for.

With the race weekend happening in Japan, the times for our European and African viewers will be a touch on the early side.

Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the legendary Suzuka. All times are GMT+2

Free Practice 1: Friday 03:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 07:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 04:00

Qualifying: Saturday 07:00

Race: Sunday 08:00

September 30, 2014
Team Radio Ban Extends to Pit Boards
After notifying teams that certain radio communications to drivers will be banned. The FIA has now clarified a few issues and have extended the ban to pit boards.

A note sent to the teams on Monday by the FIA made it clear that teams will not be permitted to use pit boards to display information to get around the team radio ban.

The FIA has given teams time till the Japanese Grand Prix to put in place procedures and systems to enable drivers to handle tyre pressure, brake wear and gearbox sync without safety or reliability being compromised.

The full list of what is allowed and not allowed is included below:

Allowed
- Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard.
- Lap or sector time detail.
- Lap time detail of a competitor.
- Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.
- “Push hard”, “push now”, “you will be racing…” or similar.
- Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.
- Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.
- Puncture warning.
- Tyre choice at the next pit stop.
- Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race.
- Tyre specification of a competitor.
- Indication of a potential problem with a competitor’s car during a race.
- Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.
- Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.
Not Allowed
- Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard.
- Lap or sector time detail.
- Lap time detail of a competitor.
- Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.
- “Push hard”, “push now”, “you will be racing xx” or similar.
- Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.
- Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.
- Puncture warning.
- Tyre choice at the next pit stop.
- Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race.
- Tyre specification of a competitor.
- Indication of a potential problem with a competitor’s car during a race.
- Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.
- Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.
September 16, 2014
Pirelli Reveals Tyre Choices for Japan and Russia

Formula 1 tyre supplier, Pirelli has revealed its tyre choices for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit and for the Russian Grand Prix that will take place at the Socho Autodrom.

The two hardest compounds, the white medium and the orange hard, were selected by Pirelli for the Japanese grand Prix. Due to the circuits high lateral energy demands, high speeds and the high abrasion of the surface, Pirelli feel their tyre choice is ideally suited for Suzuka

The choice for the Sochi circuit was a bit more complex for Pirelli. Because the track has only just been built, there is no previous data to rely on. Pirelli’s engineers used simulation data and concluded that the best two tyre choices for the Russian Grand Prix are the Pirelli soft yellow compound and the white medium compound.

The tyre choices for the final three races of the season will be made by Pirelli after the Russian Grand Prix.

Picture by courtesy Pirelli

September 11, 2014
Ricciardo eyeing title challenge

Belgian Grand Prix winner, Daniel Ricciardo, says that he intends to keep fighting for the Formula One Drivers’ Championship title until it is mathematically impossible after claiming his third victory of the season this past weekend.

Ricciardo took his spot in the pound seats after a collision between Mercedes team mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and notched up the maximum 25 points, moving to within 64 points of Rosberg.

When asked whether he considers himself a title contender, Ricciardo said, “If I’m within 50 coming into Abu Dhabi then yeah, but there’s still a few races to go. While it’s still mathematically possible we’ll keep fighting. Today was a big day for that.

“To come and steal some points on a circuit where let’s say we weren’t supposed to is nice but I think what’s important, looking ahead, is to capitalise on the circuits that we should be strong on and if we can take maximum points, let’s say, at a couple of those then it’s never over.”

Ricciardo believes he’s exceeded expectations after winning three of the season’s 12 races.

“Obviously for me it’s great, it’s what I wanted to achieve, to get some race wins,” he said.

“To have three in 12 races I think has exceeded a few expectations. Let’s say the in-team battle has gone really well. Obviously I’ve showed speed throughout qualifying and also races now.

“I’ve demonstrated good racecraft and good consistency so I think let’s say the team has been really pleased and I’ve been pleased so we’re in a good place. I’m enjoying it more than ever. Each race that goes on I’m having more and more fun so yeah, just having a good time.”

Ricciardo is the only driver so far this season to have beaten a Mercedes driver having been there to capitalise on any slip ups from the silver team.

“It couldn’t have gone better, considering everything, particularly pre-season. It’s been awesome – I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I’m happy to keep it up like this and let it continue. Monza will be challenging but then we’ve got Singapore and Suzuka which should be fun for us. We’ll just keep going and if they [Mercedes] slip up then we’ll be there to capitalise.”

August 25, 2014
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
Domenicali Plays Down Ferrari Team Orders Issue

Ferrari Team Principal, Stefano Dominicali played down the team order instruction that was ignored by Felipe Massa during the Japanese Grand Prix

The Brazillian ignored the team order which was given to him in a coded message by his race engineer, Rob Smedley. The instruction, “multi-function strategy A, now please”, was a apparently a coded message to allow Alonso through.

Massa, however, chose to ignore the message and carried on racing. Alonso eventually passed him using DRS on the run down to Turn 1.

“At the end of the day Fernando overtook him on the track. For sure Felipe is trying to be as quick as possible and I understand his feelings. He will find the team totally supporting him up until the end of the season with no problem” said Dominicali.

After the race, Massa had this to say: “But I was happy today. It was unfortunate for the race the drive through and what has happened in the race. It was not over any instruction, he overtook me on the track.”

With Massa leaving Ferrari at the season, and with him declaring that he will be racing for himself, there’s not much the team can really do. Although he may have been given a serious dressing down after the race.

October 14, 2013
2013 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference

Drivers:

1 – Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

2 – Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)

3 – Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Eddie Jordan)

Q: [Sebastian] Nine times a winner already this season – but the championship is still alive. Tell me all about it.
Sebastian Vettel: Konnichi-wa, first of all. Yeah, first of all, I would like to say thank you to all the fans. Every time we come here, the appreciation, the respect we get as drivers is incredible. Obviously, I’m blown away with today’s race. I had a very, very poor start. I think it was right between Romain and, I think, Lewis and I clipped a little bit the front wing. I think Lewis had a puncture after that. I couldn’t go anywhere. After that we were patient, looked after the tyres and had incredible pace towards the end. So we managed to get past Romain, beat Mark on another strategy so, all in all, fantastic. I’m so overwhelmed every time we come here. Thank you very much again for the support.

Q: Who made the final decision on what tyres you were going to run? We got the impression you made the decision right at the very last moment.
SV: Well, to be honest, it happened… I think the decision was already made in the first stint because we stayed out longer, so we obviously took into account that we lapped slower than the others who were on fresh tyres, in order to push them later in the race. We had a similar race in 2011, where I think I came in always as the first and I was under enormous pressure towards the end of the race and got passed by two cars. So this time we did it the other way around: had enough pace in the car to look after the tyres, control the race. Yeah, it was not easy to make the two-stop work, especially in the middle stint – but I think the first stint was crucial to make the decision to stay out and then decide for a two-stop, which turned out to be… [interrupted]

Q: Mark, your last grand prix in a Formula One car at Suzuka, one of the great all-time tracks. Tell us about it.
Mark Webber: Yeah, it’s an amazing circuit. The race today was pretty good, I’d say. Obviously I would have liked one more step on the podium but there were different strategies going on. Seb went longer in the first stint and then it unloaded his race a bit better than mine at the end. So, in general, pretty happy with second but, yeah, hey, you always want a bit more but we got the best out of what I could today. Both of us had very poor starts, which put us on the back foot a little bit and then after that it was just really trying to pace the car again on the tyres and making sure they survived to do the sort of strategy we wanted to. In the end we went to three-stop, which put us a little bit on the back foot but still we got back to where we were.

Q: Romain, we were writing you off last year, we didn’t think you’d have a seat, and here you are, on the podium. How does that feel?
Romain Grosjean: Well, much better than last year for sure. What a start! Terrific. From the past not the best memories here but today was just a very, very good race. The car was fantastic on option tyres to start the race with and we did manage to pull away. Then the Red Bulls catch us a little bit I think, but generally with the work we did, we are the only ones able to follow those guys. We almost catch the Bull I said to my engineer today – it’s a home race for my engineer and I think he’s very happy. Always very good to come here, always very proud of the fans and being on the podium at such a difficult track – it’s good.

Q: Sebastian, you’re ever so close to pulling it off with your fourth consecutive championship. What are your thoughts going into the next race?
SV: First of all, I would like to enjoy today. I think it was a fantastic race. I love this track. As I said, the people are great and make it a very, very special place for us. I’d love to enjoy that first, obviously it does no harm when you win, for the championship. I’ve won now four times here in Suzuka, which is incredible. I’m really looking forward to next year, to be honest. Regarding the championship, as I said, I think obviously we have a very, very good gap but we still keep pushing. I think we’ve proven in the last couple of years that we never give up. I think we’ve won one or two championships because of that. Obviously this year it looks very good at this stage – but it’s not over before it’s over.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Sebastian, you really did seem to enjoy this victory hugely. Is it because of the various problems that happened along the way? The start, for example, the first corner, one or two lock-ups, an interesting tactic…
SV: Yeah, certainly – but I think mostly it’s because of the circuit and the fans to be honest. It’s one of the highlights in the year. I love this track and I’ve been very, very fortunate to have a great car in the past and against this year, being able to finish on the podium and win four times now. Incredible. When we leave the hotel in the morning I think it’s the same for all of us. It makes it so special. The people are crazy about Formula One. They really, yeah, admire us, which is very nice. They love what we do and appreciate the fact we go around. You have the people on the grandstand yesterday, I ran the circuit and there were I think 5,000 people on the grandstand just watching. They are amazed by Formula One and I think that makes it so special and taste so sweet. As you touched on, obviously with the race today, a horrible start but then a fantastic comeback.

Q: That long middle stint – a 23-lap middle stint – and there were one or two lock-ups. Were you affected by that or were the tyres in good condition all the way?
SV: Well, you know, you struggle more in the end obviously. I tried to control the gaps. Obviously we started already to go longer than Romain and Mark in the first stint, so we took into account that we lap a second a lap slower for two or three laps compared to them in order to get the range in the next stint and then tried to extend that to really put them under pressure towards the end. That was, let’s say, the game plan. Obviously after the first pit stop I think very soon in the second stint, Mark decided to go for the three-stop, which wasn’t far off. Before the race I think we targeted more towards two stops but the tyres weren’t holding up as well as probably we thought. As I said, I really tried to manage the gaps in the beginning of the stint and then close the gap, which worked brilliantly, especially with Romain. The end of the second stint I was just on his tail when he pitted, able to stay out another couple of laps and then I had more or less fresh tyres when I was able to pass him, so, yeah, great strategy. It obviously worked. We made it… we didn’t lose the patience early on. Tried obviously to make the stints as long as possible to help us at the end of the race.

Q: Mark, I guess you were hoping you were going to be able to challenge Sebastian during the closing stages. That’s what the engineers suggested to both of you in fact – but you just couldn’t get past Romain.
MW: Ah, no. I don’t think the battle was going to be with Sebastian at the end to be honest. I think that it was pretty much done when we didn’t do enough damage on the three-stop against Seb’s pace on the two. I think we tried to race Romain at the start and then in the end we switched to the three. So I was the meat in the sandwich, trying to beat Romain on a two and then all of a sudden we decided to do a three. I was a little bit surprised. I asked was it the right thing to do because I felt we could get to the lap we were looking to get to. Of course Seb was two or three laps longer, four laps maybe but in terms of the target lap that we looked to get for the two-stop I thought was achievable but in the end Seb did a good race, the strategy worked out perfect and yeah, the three was… not absolutely ridiculous but it’s a bit more high risk we know, and you have to clear people obviously, so yeah, piggy in the middle, trying to do both. In the end, we got back to where we were in terms of position but Seb jumped both of us. But a great result for the team, a sensational result for me in my last time here in Japan in Formula One. The fans are incredible. I enjoyed the grand prix today, it was nice to have fresh tyres a bit more, which is always enjoyable around Suzuka. So that was today’s race.

Q: I mentioned drama-filled for Sebastian, one or two things happened to him, what about yourself?
MW: Apart from the shocking start for both Seb and I, that was really it. After that we could plan our race accordingly. It wasn’t what we expected to be honest, both of us didn’t do anything off the front row. So that put us on the back foot already and Romain was quite strong on the option but I don’t think he was that strong on the prime. Anyway, as I say, I did everything I could today. It’s not too bad a result obviously. It’s nice to be back on the podium after the last few races where I think we could have certainly have been there but we weren’t. All in all, I leave here happy and off to Oz tomorrow for a bit more surfing.

Q: Well done. Romain, tell us about that start because it was a lightning one.
RG: Yeah, it was probably one of the best; I just spoke with Seb [about it]. When I dropped the clutch I said ‘whoah, whoah, that’s a good one, come on, come on go for it’. Amazing. Then when you’re leading it makes the thing easier on the first stint. We were very quick on the option. The car was using less the tyres and I could open the gap. Unfortunately, it was less good on prime than option today for some reason, rather than yesterday when it was the opposite, so the pace dropped a little bit and Seb was really too quick for us. I think it would have been nice with Mark until the end of the race but we caught some slower cars, lapped cars, and they really blocked me a lot. I lost the position against Mark. I don’t know if I could have held him until the end but, yeah, it cost me, I think, quite a lot. Never mind, we were the only car to be able to follow them. We did not even think about racing them before the race and the strategy says that our target was Lewis, so, so far it was a pretty good race and for sure being ahead in the first corner helps quite a lot but we did a very good job to come back from a disaster Friday to have a very good Saturday and Sunday.

Q: You were right in the middle of a backmarker battle right at the end there – there was a lot of traffic around. A little bit of sadness having been out in front and finishing third?
RG: I thought it was the day that the first victory was coming. Honestly on option, I did struggle a little bit but then I could pull away to Mark and I said “our car is beautiful today, it’s gonna be good,” and then Mark pitted earlier than what we thought, we fitted the prime – hard tyres – and the degradation was not the same anymore and it was making it harder to drive. I think I lost second with the Caterham in the middle stint when Mark catch me just before he pitted and then on the last few laps there were a lot of cars in front of us. I know it’s not easy for anyone to let us by but on such a nice big track it costs you a lot . As my tyres were really on the edge every small aero… wing perturbation will cost me a lot and at the exit of the chicane a little bit of wheelspin and Mark could go for it. So, a bit of a shame to lose the second position but never mind, I think the positives that I gain outweigh… were challenging them and that counts for us.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Mark, you spoke about the second stop but the first one was already pretty early for a two stop strategy. Was it just to do an undercut on Romain, or do you feel that you were in the role of a rabbit to challenge Romain to follow you and then obviously it paid out for Seb?
MW: Yeah, we were obviously looking to get in the lead, to put some pressure on Romain. I don’t think the option was easy to handle for any of us. I wanted to put some pressure on Romain towards the end of that stint. We were more or less in the window for a two stop. As soon as I pitted after the prime, the guys said ‘yeah, we’re on a two stop, it’s no problem. Look after the tyres and we’ll stay on two.’ And then I was on two and then we switched to three so I think they just saw that it was just a quicker way for me to do three stops. That’s what they thought, that was the reason they did it. That’s the reason for that.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and National Speedsport News) Mark, in those laps, you were trying to get Grosjean but you couldn’t quite get him down the straights; what was happening through the chicane and down the pit straight?
MW: Well, at the end of the race, the DRS is not as effective because you’re on the limiter, basically. We managed to get off the chicane a bit better on the… when you arrive on someone you want to get the job done pretty quickly. First sector is obviously not that easy because… Romain is a bit low on tyres but they also had more downforce than us. I was quite low on wing. When I arrived on him, I was obviously hoping to get it done a little bit earlier but it was also knowing that his tyres were going to be quite tired, getting towards the end of the race as well. The backmarkers didn’t work out for Romain, it’s a bit of a nightmare when you catch so many guys; they all want the DRS, they all want to fight and in the end, it was beneficial for me to pounce when Romain got not the best run with the backmarkers, which was no fault of his own.

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Romain, what do you think you still miss to get a victory: another car, another team, another strategy? And the same for you, Sebastian, about Romain.
RG: From my side, I think, today, was a little bit of pace on the hard tyre. We covered Mark on the first stop. It was two laps shorter than what we thought and then again, the second stop was just a little bit earlier than we thought because of the tyres’ age and so on. And I think we missed Friday, so we had to do a long run in FP3 to know how the tyres were going because from Friday we had no information from our long runs, we really struggled with the car, so we lost that information that we are normally pretty good on. Today the hard tyres didn’t behave as we expected and before the race, honestly, we said we’ll start on option but then what’s going on in the second stint, we didn’t know if we had to fit option or prime and it was just an unknown. I think the Red Bull today was… we said in the strategy meeting that we never thought that we could beat them. So we are where we expected to be. Just sometimes, it’s a little bit of everything. Today was not the luck missing, it was not the start, the driving, it was just a little bit of pace from the car.
SV: Well, I think after the start and the first stint, I thought that it would be a great race for Romain. Obviously we tried to make our stint longer and so on, to come back in the end but they looked very strong. I think they struggled a little bit more on the prime probably but then again as he just said, they didn’t expect to race where they ended up racing. I think he drove a fantastic race today. I don’t think it’s a matter of… he can beat me, he beat me last year at the Race of Champions. I put the car in the wall. I think it’s not a matter of that. The race is long. Today obviously favoured us over the distance which is a little bit unusual compared to the Lotus because I knew that being in third, losing out in the first stint, usually the distance is more, you know, let’s say the strength of the Lotuses. I think Romain did a great job, great performance all weekend I think, great qualifying yesterday again, outqualified Kimi. We know that Kimi is a strong driver. Last year I think Romain made some mistakes but the most important thing is that we learn from these mistakes as drivers so I think he learned a lot of things and gradually he’s improving, so big respect for that.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Mark, last year you had an incident with Romain here. Did you change your mind about him during this year, especially in this race, but also the whole season?
MW: No, I think it’s very clear that Romain has a very different mental approach to the job at the moment this year. He’s driven some quite strong races, putting together the whole weekend which is a sign of a driver starting to get a bit more relaxed and confident. A lot less mistakes, not just in races but in practice so it’s not… You know, we’re not here to blow smoke up his arse but in the end he’s doing a very good job this year and it’s a big step for him because last year, in Formula One, also the first year against Fernando in Formula One wasn’t easy for him and to come back… yeah, he’s doing a good job. It starts and stops with him. Hope he doesn’t improve too much more before the end of the year! And we can keep going.

Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Sebastian, you haven’t won your fourth consecutive title yet but it’s almost certain to happen this season, barring something very odd. Now you’re also a man who collects an awful lot of race wins, record after record. What means more to you: going down in history with the likes of Fangio and Schumacher as one of three men to have collected four consecutive titles, or to stand on the top of every podium on the calendar?
SV: I think I prefer the second thing you said. You know, I love racing. When I was small, I was dreaming about Formula One and honestly never thought that one day I would be able to test one of these cars. First time I tested the car, it was… Mark drove in the morning, I drove in the afternoon. I shit myself the first couple of laps and I thought, alright, that’s for real men, not for me. Then I got used to it and obviously wanted to do more. A couple of years later, obviously I had the chance to get a drive, Red Bull gave me the chance at Toro Rosso to get some races. It’s incredible what’s happened over the last couple of years but nothing has changed in the way that I still love racing, I love the challenge, I’m still nervous when I wake up on Sunday, still excited when I walk on the grid and tense, looking forward to the race. Enjoying – not the numbers – but enjoying the fact that I’m racing and a great crowd today, a fantastic day. As I said, I think it would be a shame if you were too tense and if you tried to force things too much. I think you have to allow yourself to enjoy it because this is not normal, it doesn’t happen to everyone. I think I’m very fortunate that I’m one of these 22/24 guys in Formula One. As I said, we leave the hotel, great respect from the fans, they’re cheering, they’re shouting our names and it’s just great. That’s what I’m looking forward to most, obviously try to do it again. I love trophies so I don’t mind collecting a few either!

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Sebastian, after overtaking Grosjean, did you ask the team what position Alonso was in in the race?
SV: No.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Did the team inform you?
SV: After the race. Obviously I knew that in the last stint, once we got past Romain, I knew that Mark was the biggest threat from behind. He was on fresher tyres and pretty quick. Obviously he got stuck with Romain a little bit which helped us. But I didn’t really… I didn’t ask and I didn’t want to know because there are still things that can happen at the end, even if you have a little bit of a gap and so on. We’ve seen today a lot of lock-ups; I was wide once in turn two, at the beginning of the race. Mark just said he knew where I was in one of the stints in the race because there was smoke here, smoke there. I was struggling a little bit with locking up the tyres. I was busy enough, also carrying the car to the chequered flag.

October 13, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Review – Seb Rules Suzuka

Demanding or easy, big or small Sebastian Vettel will win them all. The Red Bull driver has increased his tally of victories for the 2013 season to nine with another fine victory in Japan.

Saturday qualifying delivered a first pole of the season for Mark Webber but the Australian couldn’t quite manage to seal the deal on Sunday. However, AussieGrit gave it a good go in a race defined by strategy and patience.

Neither of the front row starting Red Bulls covered themselves in glory as the red lights extinguished. Instead they fell prey to the fast starting Romain Grosjean. The Lotus driver blitzed both Red Bulls and sensationally snatched the lead of the race.

The merest of touches between third placed Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race completely wrecked the Brit’s afternoon. A trip into to the pits with a right rear puncture only postponed the inevitable as Hamilton pulled his Silver Arrow into the garage only a few laps later.

The factor that added to and made the show in Japan was the unknown. For the better part of 53 laps there was no definitive certainty who the eventual victor of the race would be. Romain Grosjean had the lead of the race right off the bat and appeared to have the pace to beat Red Bull. But he is after all in the cockpit of a Lotus and though he got heartbreakingly close beating a Red Bull, much less two, is nigh impossible. Mark Webber’s three stop strategy nearly gave him enough of an undercut to take the victory from Vettel but he ran out of laps before he was able to fully exploit his astute plan. The final stint of the race on fresh medium tyres did however reward Webber with second place at the chequered flag.

There was a third driver in this mix too. Sebastian Vettel patiently waited for his chance to make his own strategy talk. Electing to pit later than his two rivals in the first round of stops meant he would have to stick to a two stopper if victory was to be on the cards. Vettel’s unfailing ability to reel off quick laps paid dividends in the end as he took over the lead of the race from Webber.

Finger boy, selfish, lucky – whatever you want to call Sebastian Vettel he revealed a bit more of what makes him so unbeatable in this race. Beneath that quirky, sort of cheeky, grin there is more talent and skill than we have even begun to glimpse. The regularity with which he is able to set fast laps isn’t in the repertoire of someone who is lucky, that is a skill of a champion.

Further down the field Fernando Alonso played second fiddle for a big part of the race to teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso failed on more than one occasion to overtake the Brazilian; surprising given Alonso’s performances relative to his departing teammate throughout the years. Nevertheless, Alonso managed to get the better of Massa eventually but could not advance much further through the field. “We weren’t as quick as the Red Bulls or Grosjean so fourth was the maximum. We recovered some of the pace we didn’t have earlier in the weekend, but the top three were too strong for us even without traffic,” Alonso concluded.

The traffic Alonso referred to came in the form Daniel Ricciardo. The Toro Rosso driver started his race on the orange side walled hard tyres enabling him to run a good deal further into the race than those immediately around him. The Aussie was lapping three seconds off the front running pace and drivers stuck in the Ricciardo-train included both Ferrari’s and Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn ultimately finished fifth ahead of Sauber pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is the first of the 2013 rookies this season to score points and aptly on the weekend of Peter Sauber’s 70^th birthday. Nico Rosberg’s race was dealt a blow when the pit crew released him into the path of Sergio Perez; the McLaren driver had to take avoiding action and Rosberg incurred a drive through penalty but was still able to salvage eighth place. Jenson Button said a late set-up change made his McLaren quite difficult to drive and that ninth was the maximum. Felipe Massa scored the final point on offer.

Notwithstanding Red Bull’s dominance of the season it has taken until the fifteenth race of the year for any of the rookies to score a point. Add to this that points are awarded all the way down to tenth place, as opposed to sixth in the past; it is an indication that competition for those elusive points is a closely fought affair and more importantly that Formula 1 is healthy and highly competitive.

It will take at least two more weeks for Sebastian Vettel to become a four times world champion. Fifth place is all the German will need to clinch the title in India. If the Japanese GP showed anything it solidified that Seb Vettel is entirely unruffled and that very little is going to keep him from making Formula 1 history, again.

October 13, 2013