Tag: kimi raikkonen

F1 2013: Korean GP Preview: F1 knuckles down in Korea

Speed, glamour and exotic locations are everyday associations with Formula 1. But F1 is also considered as the most advanced racing series in the world. These advances include revolutionary technological innovation and taking the sport to all corners of the globe.

There is no genuinely substantial connection between South Korea and motorsport however it did not detract from the construction of a world class racing venue. The Yeongam International Circuit has proven to be a diamond in the rough.

The circuit layout is a perfect blend of medium to high-speed corners with a distinct street track feel to the barrier lined final sector. “It’s a somewhat technical course, one that rewards precision more than it does commitment, so the main challenge comes from dialing the car into the track, which is satisfying when you get it right because there’s a lot of time to be had from running a well-balanced car,” said McLaren’s Sergio Perez.

The first sector of the lap is typified by long straights which translate to opportunities for overtaking. The entries to turns One and Three are the best prospects for overtaking at this weekend’s Korean GP before the tight and twisting nature of the rest of the lap dictates far fewer chances.

The race will be run over 55 laps under usually changeable conditions. When the rain comes down around these parts it has been known to reach monsoon levels. The inaugural race in 2010 was red flagged after only a handful of laps behind the safety car.

Sebastian Vettel has won the last two Korean GP and would have made it a hat trick had his Red Bull not given up the ghost in 2010. There is very little to suggest that the German will not be ahead of the pack this weekend. Team Principal Christian Horner has tried to play down Vettel’s dominant display in Singapore as a “once off” but it is hard to believe that Red Bull will suddenly have to fight tooth and nail for victory. Nevertheless, the Yeongam circuit does have attributes to it that has not suited Red Bull in the past – long straights.

Ferrari and Fernando Alonso will need a bit of luck on their side if they are to make inroads into the gigantic lead held by Sebastian Vettel. Alonso will want to beat his fierce rival in a straight out fight but something extraordinary has to happen if the Spaniard is going to truly be in contention for the title. That something extraordinary could be Red Bull’s less than stellar reliability this season. Mark Webber suffered a mechanical failure in Singapore and both cars were nursed to the finish of the Italian GP.

Mark Webber will start this weekend on the back foot after incurring a ten place grid penalty in Singapore for running onto the circuit during the cool down lap and hitching a ride back to the pits with Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen also heads to the Korean GP with question marks around his fitness. Raikkonen was hampered by back pain in Singapore and will use the first free practice session of Friday to assess the issue.

The possible appearance of Typhoon Fitow has cast some doubt whether the race will be run as scheduled. However, accurately predicting the weather pattern remains a dark and mysterious art that few seem able to master. The only guaranteed prediction is that Super-storm Seb will undoubtedly be thundering around the Yeongam circuit more voraciously than ever.

Photo Credits

Sergio Perez – Photo by McLarenF1.com

Alonso/Webber lift – F1 Madness screengrab

October 3, 2013
Korean GP Preview Quotes – Lotus F1 Team

Here’s what the Lotus boys have to say ahead of this weekend’s upcoming Korean Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus

“Let’s hope we are able to maintain the strong form from Sunday in Singapore. The car felt good for the whole race and it was a nice feeling racing too. The main focus is to keep this positive feeling and benefit from it in the next races. Last year was my first visit (to Korea) and it’s quite a tricky circuit to learn quickly, but I felt comfortable with it after a few laps. When the car is right, you can go well there. Last year we saw it’s a good place to race with a good car.

“The main target is to have a better weekend overall compared to what we saw in Singapore. Obviously, we didn’t have the best qualifying and it makes things easier if you start in the top ten. My back’s better than it was on Saturday in Singapore which is when it didn’t feel too good. It’s not the first time I’ve had a problem, as there have been some issues with my back for a long time. For sure, we will have to see how it is when I get out on track on Friday in Korea.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus

“Last year was my first time at the Korea International Circuit and it’s quite an interesting place. It wasn’t so hard to learn, although there are three quite different parts to it with the long straight in sector one, high and medium speed corners in sector two and then the street course nature of the final sector. The trickiest parts are definitely Turns 11 and 12 which are not easy to get exactly right, but overall it’s not too bad and I think the E21 should go well there.

“I’m feeling pretty positive; Lotus had a good car in Singapore and we should have a good car in Korea.
Qualifying in the top three so late in the season shows that we still have good strength in our package, so if we can show comparable pace at the next few races it’ll be a real strength for us.

“The back-to-back races can be quite tiring, but equally they work pretty well logistically as we stay on a similar time zone for a couple of weeks; certainly with Korea and Japan. It’s also quite nice to be able to see some of the countries we visit with a little bit of time between the races. It’s not so nice to be away from your family of course, but it makes for an interesting end to the season with the six races so close together.”

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“There’s a nice long straight benefiting the DRS effect, meaning there’s a good chance to see overtaking in the race. The layout has a mix of different sections but they flow together well. We see some decent straights in the first section followed by a few interesting corners – some high speed – in the second section, before moving into an almost street-circuit feel through the final part of the track with its stop-start nature and close proximity walls. Although there are good long straights, the number of high- and medium-speed corners means you have to run with a reasonable level of downforce which should certainly be beneficial for us.

“The mixed nature of the track means that compromises are made, and the fact that the circuit isn’t used very much aside from for the Grand Prix weekend means that we should see a reasonable amount of track evolution. The weather can also be quite a challenge, with reasonably extreme temperature variations possible. These factors give the engineers plenty of different considerations as they seek the best setup, but in terms of what’s needed from the car, it’s not a circuit which places a particular premium on one aspect. You need a good all-round package with strong straight line speed and stability, decent traction and change of direction, but also good low speed performance tempered with that.”

October 2, 2013
Lotus driver decision on hold

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has said that decision on who will replace Kimi Raikkonen next year is on hold until the team has sorted out its financial situation.

Raikkonen left Lotus to join Ferrari after he grew frustrated with the Lotus team not being able to give him assurances about their budget.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has revealed that the priority for Lotus now is to finalise a deal with new investors Infinity Racing, which has been in the pipeline for several months now.

Boullier has said that he can only make an informed decision about who to pick to replace Raikkonen once he knows what the Lotus team’s finances are like going forward.

Nico Hulkenberg seemed set to be chosen to fill the Lotus seat but recently Felipe Massa also became a contender after confirming that he will be leaving Ferrari.

Boullier spoke openly to Autosport, saying, “I want to finish what we wanted to show to Kimi, but we could not get done in time,” referring to his efforts to finalise the Infinity deal.

“I want to close this, because it is important for the team. It will give it the financial stability for more than five years and it will give us also two steps forward in terms of revenue, which is what we need after the last two years that were up and down

“After that, we can then think about the drivers for next year – but also for 2015, 2016, and 2017.”

Despite rumours that Felipe Massa will bring major financial backing, Boullier has denied any knowledge of this and is adamant that he wants to be able to choose a driver based on merit, rather than on the sponsorship they could bring to the Lotus team.

“I want to close the financial situation to make sure that we pick the driver on merit,” he said. “And then, if we are an attractive team with an attractive combination of drivers and we can get some sponsors, fine. But that is not the priority.”

Photo by the Lotus F1 Twitter Team.

September 27, 2013
F1 2013: Singapore GP Review – Invincible Vettel Shatters Competitors

It has been a well-known fact for a number of years now that Red Bull cars have a leg up on the competition. However, Sebastian Vettel’s complete domination of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend will strike fear in the most resolute of hearts.

Nico Rosberg flew out of the blocks and momentarily snatched the lead of the race. However, the Mercedes driver ran slightly wide into turn one allowing Vettel the opportunity to re-take the lead of the race. Master-of-the-starts Fernando Alonso started seventh but scythed his way into third ensuring that Ferrari’s afternoon wouldn’t be as glum as previously expected.

Nevertheless, by the end of the first lap Vettel had scampered nearly two seconds clear of Rosberg and continued to pull dramatically away from the field. It looked set to be an afternoon of which Vettel would be firmly in control but a rare driver error from Daniel Ricciardo brought out the safety car mid-way through the race on lap 24. As several drivers dove into the pits the deployment of the safety car was expected to add some spice to the race at the front. Nothing could have been more unlikely.

Sebastian Vettel was able to turn a scintillating pace at the start of the 61 lap race. But as the safety car pulled into the pitlane at the end of the 31st the pace that Vettel churned was so ludicrously quick it bordered on the nigh impossible. To conclusively prove that there was no one near the level of Vettel this weekend the three-time champ pulled out a mind-boggling twenty seconds in nine laps over second placed Nico Rosberg.

Overtaking manoeuvres on a street track are usually at a premium and Singapore was no exception. Nevertheless, Kimi Raikkonen managed to pull off some audacious moves regardless. Despite back pain, which required a cortisone injection before the race, Raikkonen delivered an amazing drive from thirteenth on the grid to third. Teammate Romain Grosjean was on for a decent haul of points but an air consumption issue brought an end to his race.

Only Vettel, Webber, the two Mercedes and Grosjean elected not to pit with the deployment of the safety car. This left Fernando Alonso in second, Raikkonen battling with Button for third and Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez on course for some championship points. Alonso and Raikkonen were able to nurse their medium compound tyres to the end but the McLarens and Saubers were struggling for grip towards the closing stages of the race.

It was Raikkonen who opened the overtaking floodgates with a brilliant move around the outside of turn 14 on Jenson Button. Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, all on much fresher rubber, made short work of the McLarens and Saubers and Felipe Massa fought his way into sixth behind the Mercedes duo.

Webber looked on course for a potential podium finish but was forced into retirement on the final lap with a gearbox issue. The Australian hitched a ride back to the pits with friend Alonso but with hindsight may have elected to take a stroll back to the garage. Webber has been given a ten place grid penalty as this is his third reprimand. Ultimately, the penalty is a bit harsh considering that it provided the fans with a moment worth remembering.

Jenson Button came close to the scoring McLaren’s first podium of the season but ultimately came home in seventh ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in eight. Nico Hulkenberg earned a welcome two points for Sauber with a ninth place finish ahead of Force India’s Adrian Sutil in tenth. Paul di Resta had been in the fight for the minor points but crashed his Force India six laps from the chequer.

Many criticize Sebastian Vettel and declare that the only explanation for his success is the Red Bull. His pace defies logic; many drivers in the fastest cars on the grid couldn’t deliver the same stunning pace. Sebastian Vettel was not in a class of his own this weekend; he was on a whole different planet. To lap nearly two and a half seconds per lap faster is mind-blowing and reminiscent of greats like Senna and Schumacher. That is class.

Red Bull sent a deafening, crystal-clear, message to their competitors – there is not even the slightest of hints that they will be relaxing their grip on this title fight. The pace of Sebastian Vettel this weekend was truly stupendous and at this stage of the game, with a 60 point lead, it is becoming more and more difficult to imagine anyone other than him grasping the world championship trophy at the end of the season.

September 22, 2013
2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 2 Report

The preparations for Sunday’s Singapore grand prix kicked off today with three hours of free practice around the floodlit Marina Bay circuit.

The first free practice session was topped by the 2009 winner of the Singapore GP, Lewis Hamilton. However, free practice two is where Sebastian Vettel stamped his, and Red Bull’s authority, quite ominously.

The three-time reigning world champion dominated the timing sheets for the majority of the session. Vettel not only set a time six tenths of a second quicker than teammate Mark Webber but more stunningly a full second faster than the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Vettel’s closest rival in the world championship fight, Fernando Alonso, managed the 6th quickest time.

An initial flurry of activity had the entire field out on the red walled supersoft tyres simulating a qualifying run. The difference between the two compounds ranged from eight tenths of a second up to 1.4 seconds in the case of Mark Webber. Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen was the only driver who elected not to run a quali sim instead focusing on the set-up and long run pace of the E21.

A few minor excursions included both Mark Webber and Felipe Massa kissing the wall towards the end of the lap. Both these driver’s escaped without damage to their cars but Pastor Maldonado wasn’t as lucky. The Williams driver spent the majority of the session sliding his car around perilously close to the barriers; unfortunately for the Venezuelan it was one slide too many as he lost his front wing after skidding into the barriers. In his defence, the Williams looked a right handful from the moment it left the pitlane. Romain Grosjean reported to his team that he had “hit something” and that he had lost the brakes.

As the session settled in so the driver’s got on with the task of evaluating their long run pace. The differing fuel loads in the various cars is privileged information but irrespective of this knowledge the Red Bull looked on rails around the Marina Bay circuit. More importantly, was Vettel’s ability to set metronomically consistent lap times.

It’s early days yet in this race weekend but Red Bull again look the odds on favourite to feature prominently. Nevertheless, some of the best qualifying laps that has been seen this season has come from Lewis Hamilton. The Brit may yet find something overnight and should be a good bet for a front row starting position if not a stolen pole.

September 20, 2013
2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 1 Report

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the first free practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit

Mercedes look to be back on top after the first free practice session with Lewis Hamilton setting the quickest time of the session with a 1:47.055. Red Bull’s Mark Webber finished P2 with a 1:47.420, 0.365s slower than Hamilton’s time. Webber’s team mate, Sebastian Vettel finished the session in P3, 0.830s slower than Hamilton’s P1 time. Nico Rosberg, and Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen rounded up the top 5 in P4 and P5 respectively.

As expected, Mercedes and Red Bull are looking very strong so far. Ferrari and Lotus are quite a long way behind and its going to take something special from them to get ahead of Red Bull and Mercedes.

With this being FP1, we’ll get a better gauge of pace after FP2 later this afternoon.

You can join us for updates throughout the FP2 session later on.

Below is the full time sheet for the FP1 session:

September 20, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Lotus F1 Team

Lotus preview quotes ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
“I really like going to Singapore. It’s a great place to be, I love the local food, and I don’t mind the unusual times we run in the car as it means I don’t have to get up so early. I have some unfinished business after my three Grands Prix there so far, as I enjoy the circuit but have not yet had a podium. That doesn’t mean I’m not quick there as I’ve been told I still hold the lap record from 2008. I crashed while fighting for fifth place that year, finished down in tenth in 2009, and took sixth last season, so I want more this time.

“In the first years of the race being held I was a little bit surprised by how people were talking so much about the different timing. Obviously when they switched on the lights it was exactly the same as racing in the day time. I think everybody in Formula One enjoys the night race. It’s worked out really well as Singapore is a buzzing city and lots of people turn up. Apart from one or two dark spots in the run-off areas the circuit is very well lit, so there is not a big difference to racing in the day.

“Monaco was not that good for us but there is no reason why Singapore should be difficult. Like at every street circuit it’s very difficult to pass other cars there, so starting the race as high as possible on the grid is very an important factor in getting a good result on Sunday. After these two weekends with zero points it’s nice to get back to a circuit we expect to be more suited to our car. We seem to go better at high downforce circuits, that’s for sure. Obviously, the podium is a target again. We’ve had two races without scoring any points so we need to score as many as we can in the remaining races this season.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus
“Singapore is a pretty fantastic place and the race is always a challenge. I love street races; there’s something about racing in the middle of a city. We race at night which means it looks amazing for the fans, but in the car there’s not so much of a difference for us as drivers as the lights make it seem like it’s daylight on track. Another thing I look forward to when visiting Singapore is the noodles!

“It’s a fun layout to drive, with the last section being my favourite part of the track. It’s certainly a physical race, with lots of kerbs, some bumps on the track and frequent use of the brakes. It’s certainly not a circuit with a long straight where you can take a rest! The layout and the fact it’s a street course don’t make it easy for a driver or the engineers. It can be difficult to find the amount of grip you want so we have to work hard to get the set-up working well. There isn’t much margin for mistakes as the walls are very close, but this does mean that there’s a great feeling when you get a good lap as it’s very special to be driving at the limit around a street course.

“It’s a very high-downforce track and that seems to suit us best as we saw in Budapest. In terms of the tyres I think we should be looking good too. Certainly, we should be able to perform stronger than at the last two races which haven’t always suited our car.”

Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
“There’s no reason to think that a podium will be out of reach. We’ve been quite competitive on twisty circuits this year and Singapore shares a lot of Monaco’s characteristics. Romain loves that type of circuit, while Kimi has always been quick in Singapore. It will be an interesting weekend.

“It’s probably best we don’t mention the wall, but it’s true that we probably have a better car on high-downforce circuits like Singapore than medium-downforce tracks like Spa where we struggled a bit. We have a good reliability record, a durable car, and the Singapore Grand Prix is likely to be one of the longest of the year in terms of running time.”

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“We return to a high-downforce configuration, with some of the front wing developments brought to the car for the recent low-downforce races being carried over. Aside from that it’s business as usual with a package which we know works well from our performances in Germany and Hungary. We didn’t have the greatest of weekends in Spa or Monza, so we’re looking forward to a return to the higher downforce tracks that arise in the next few races where the aim is to get back on the podium.”

Photo Lotus F1 Team

September 19, 2013
F1 2013: Singapore GP Preview – Singapore’s city lights ignite

The Formula 1 paddock has departed the European continent for the final time in the 2013 season. Now the final pushes towards championship glory, towards a race seat for next year, or towards a few extra points begin. The final stretch of the calendar begins with Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit, round thirteen of the championship.

The initial announcement of Formula 1 under floodlights was met with skepticism and questions about whether a spectacle of such proportions was even with the realms of possibility. It became a reality in 2008 as Formula 1 set off for Singapore and its floodlit city streets. Images of gleaming bodywork, glowing exhausts and city skylines quickly became a spectacle worthy of the greatest motorsport series in the world.

The Singapore GP still feels relatively new to the Formula 1 calendar but in reality has been a part of the yearly roundabout since 2008 and has already had its fair share of controversy. The inaugural race, won by Renault’s Fernando Alonso, was plunged into a controversy which had been dubbed Crashgate. Team principal of Renault Flavio Briatore ordered Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash and force the deployment of the safety car. The intentional crash was arranged in order to provide Fernando Alonso with an advantage by making an early pitstop. Since then the Singapore GP has been thankfully controversy free and filled with memorable race victories.

It comes as no surprise that Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel seem to excel on the Singapore streets. The German has taken the last two victories and share’s the distinction of two race wins around these parts with Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton won the 2009 edition of the race and could be a favourite to repeat the feat this weekend. As street circuits tend to go they share some similarities amongst each other; it’s no different for Monaco and Singapore. Although the streets of Monte Carlo are not quite as intensely layed out as the Marina Bay circuit it can be considered an indicator. It is in these set of circumstances that Mercedes found themselves leading the pack. If it is to be a similar case this weekend there, hopefully, will be no sign of a procession.

The bumpy Marina Bay circuit requires a return to the high downforce set up and an extreme level of concentration through its complex twenty-three corner layout. Pirelli has made the soft and supersoft compound tyres available for use this weekend; and given the offset previously seen between these two tyres, strategy will play a part during the Singapore GP.

However, the perfect strategy will mean little if the race is ruined by being stuck in traffic. Overtaking on street tracks is always at a premium and Singapore is no exception. A good slot on the grid will be vital to a good position come race day.

The question of how the track remains completely illuminated is answered by using, in total, 1500 lighting projectors to light the driver’s way throughout the 61 lap race Singapore GP.

That leaves only the question of who will top the podium come Sunday.

September 18, 2013
Massa will no longer support Alonso

Felipe Massa has said that he will no longer play a supporting role to Fernando Alonso in the remaining races of the 2013 F1 season.

Massa insists that he is now driving for himself, and will no longer be Alonso’s wingman since being informed that he will no longer be part of the Ferrari team in 2014.

“I will not race for Alonso from now on,” he told TV Globo. “Right from Friday at Singapore I’ll be working for myself. I will attack all the time, every lap. It’s now the time to look after myself.”

Massa, who has been in talks with Lotus for the seat left vacant by his Ferrari replacement, Kimi Raikkonen, added that he has enjoyed his time alongside Alonso but that fireworks can be expected from Ferrari’s 2014 F1 driver pairing.

“I’m sure Fernando likes me, he has to. We have a nice relationship, I’m sure he sees me as a personal friend as I see him. Kimi and myself are also good friends, much more than when we were team-mates. I know both Fernando and Kimi on and off the track and I rate them as excellent drivers, but I’m afraid they will collide when sharing the team.”

“I told the bosses to breathe as much as possible while they still can because it will be hard for them to breathe next season.”

Photo by Ferrari F1 Twitter team

September 18, 2013
Felipe Massa in talks with Lotus

Felipe Massa has his eyes firmly set on the vacant Lotus seat after announcing his departure from Ferrari, and since the announcement was made that Kimi Raikkonen will take his place at Ferrari.

Massa has confirmed that he is in negotiations with Lotus for the race seat.

The possibility of a straight swop seems very enticing from many angles and it will be very interesting to see how Massa would perform at Lotus.

Massa told Globo Esporte that Lotus appeals to him as the most competitive option remaining on the 2014 F1 grid.

“We are negotiating,” he told the publication. “In my opinion, Lotus has a competitive car, which is what I want. We are having many conversations to try to find a way, not only for me but for Lotus, to continue with a good car.”

Massa revealed he has also been in talks with McLaren but said he that Lotus is still his best option. “I’ve had contact with McLaren but I cannot judge, it’s hard to say,” he said. “With Lotus, the contact was very good,” Massa added.

Nicholas Todt, Massa’s manager, last week told Canal Plus that Massa is determined to drive for a competitive team next year.

“He never would go to a smaller team to be second driver,” Todt said. “We need to find a car that can challenge at the front in F1. The best place available is undoubtedly the one left by Raikkonen at Lotus.”

Eric Boullier last week confirmed that Lotus is in talks with a number of drivers about the 2014 season and that Lotus will make their decision “shortly”.

September 16, 2013