F1 Madness

Tag: preview quotes

  • Korean Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Caterham

    Korean Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Caterham

    Giedo van der Garde, Caterham

    “Korean Grand Prix next and another track I have experience of from last year. Our week starts with a Renault Sport F1 event in Seoul and then it’ll be straight down to Mokpo for the race weekend. I haven’t had the chance to visit Seoul before but everyone tells me it’s a seriously cool city so I’ll make sure I get the chance to take a look around before work starts!

    “Korea’s another track where I ran in FP1 in 2012, completing 19 laps which was enough to find my way around and be able to start pushing. Even though the tyres are different this year, that experience, as I had quite a few tracks last year, is particularly valuable now as it means I’m on it right from the start of FP1 and every lap counts in getting the setup right for the weekend.

    “From inside the cockpit the Korea track is a pretty typical modern F1 circuit. There’s the long straight out of T2 where you need good straight-line speed and then it’s a bit stop-start through Turns three, four, five and six, and then you’re into the high-speed section up to the heavy braking zone at Turn 10. It’s pretty bumpy through that whole section and in the early stages of FP1 there’s little grip around the whole track, but it quickly builds up over the weekend so you can start really pushing through there from quite early on.

    “If it rains this year then it’ll definitely be a very interesting Korean Grand Prix – our car likes the wet and two of my highlights this year have been on tracks where it’s been going from wet to dry, so it would be good if we could have some more unpredictable weather (even though the boys doing the pack up on Sunday probably wouldn’t agree with me on that!)”

    Charles Pic, Caterham

    “Before we go to Mokpo Giedo and I are helping out Renault Sport F1 at the finals of the Renault Samsung Motors remote control racing car championships in Seoul. I’ve seen some of them racing on YouTube and it’s so quick! I think the scaled-up equivalent is around 600mph and, honestly, I’m not too sure how they keep up! That’ll be a good start to the week and then we’re going to Mokpo on Wednesday to begin the normal race week preparations.

    “Last year was my first Korean Grand Prix and I quite enjoyed it. This year it’s obviously a different package and as it’s quite a technical circuit it’ll be important to make the most of all three practice sessions to give us the best shot at quali and the race. In Singapore I didn’t really have a car balance I was happy with all weekend and I want to make that’s not the same in Korea, especially as if it rains on Sunday it’s likely there will be safety cars and we need to make sure we can seize any opportunities that come our way.”

    Photo by the MyCaterham Twitter Team.

  • Korean Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Force India F1 Team

    Korean Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Force India F1 Team

    Here’s what the Force India guys had to say ahead of this weekend’s Korean Grand Prix.

    Paul di Resta, Force India

    “It’s an unusual track, but definitely a place that I enjoy driving. The three sectors are all very different with long straights linked by hairpins, some high-speed corners and a slower technical part of the lap. The tyre choices are the same as in Singapore so it will be interesting to see how they perform. We’ve always gone well on the supersofts, but struggled more on the medium compound so hopefully we can switch it on this weekend.”

    Adrian Sutil, Force India

    “I quite like the track and I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t been so successful there yet, but I want to make up for that this year. The circuit has a nice layout and a nice flow in the second part of the lap with some high-speed corners. Let’s see how the supersoft performs because the corners are very hard on the tyres. That could open up some interesting strategies.”

    Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
    “It’s never been our strongest track, although we did score some points there last year. It’s quite low-grip and the cooler temperatures make it a very different challenge. We will go there ready to learn as much as possible, try and improve our qualifying pace and come up with a smart strategy for Sunday.”

     

  • Korean GP Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

    Korean GP Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

    Here’s what the Sauber F1 Team had to say ahead of this weekend’s Korean GP.

    Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

    “Compared to many other drivers, Korea is a place I quite like. It’s a nice track and each sector is very different. The first sector has two straights and two hairpins. Sectors two and three are a bit like a street circuit and technically quite challenging. I enjoy driving there and also, historically, it has been quite a good circuit for me. In 2010 I would have finished fifth, but had a puncture just before the end of the race. Last year I had a great race there finishing sixth. So I have good memories of the Korean GP and look forward to the race weekend.”

    Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber

    “The Korean GP is going to be an exciting weekend for me, because I’ve been to the track but never raced there before. I’ve heard it’s quite nice to drive and it is going to be a good experience. In terms of preparation, I have mostly learned from and analysed data and notes from previous years. I also watch a lot of on board videos and, of course, walk the track once we get there. With the two weeks between the Singapore and Korean GP’s, I had plenty of time to study the track and make sure I am as best prepared as possible. Other than that, the aim for me will, again, be to keep up and improve my consistency.”

    Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
    “The Korea International Circuit does not get a lot of use prior to or during the Korean GP race weekend. This year there is actually only one support race, which is something we have little experience of. Therefore, observing and understanding the track evolution will be important. The three sectors at the Yeongam circuit are all very different and that makes it a real challenge to optimise the car. The first sector only has two significant low speed corners; the rest of the sector is spent flat out in a straight line, therefore rewarding a lower drag set-up. However, in contrast the final two sectors are a good mix of low, medium and high-speed corners with shorter straights. As in previous years, the option compound will be the supersoft tyre compound. However, like in Singapore, the prime will be the medium compound, which is one step harder than we used last year. It will be particularly important to understand how this tyre performs on a faster track, particularly in high-speed corners. The recent update packages have all worked as intended and are helping us to fight stronger within the tight midfield pack. Our aim is to continue qualifying strongly and give ourselves the best opportunity to score more points.”

  • Korea GP Preview Quotes – Red Bull Racing

    Korea GP Preview Quotes – Red Bull Racing

    Here’s what Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber had to say ahead of this weekend’s F1 race in Korea.

    Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

    “The track in Korea has a bit of an unusual layout. The long straights all come right at the beginning and the turns at the end. I love the curvy part because it is a lot more fun, whereas the straight lines and sharp turns can be a little boring. They are also our weakness, because we often lack in top speed there.”

    Mark Webber, Red Bull

    “I like the layout of the circuit in Korea. The track’s got some challenging sections and some good corners. The last sector in particular is fun because it has a nice flow to it and the walls are pretty close, so you have to be very accurate with your line. Something that’s unique about this race is that the drivers all stay in the same hotel. Meal times can be a bit bizarre because everyone sits by nationality and we like to have a good look at what everyone else is eating for breakfast.”

  • Korean GP Preview Quotes – Lotus F1 Team

    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.”

     

  • Korea GP Preview Quotes – McLaren

    Korea GP Preview Quotes – McLaren

    Jenson Button, McLaren

    “If there’s one circuit on the F1 calendar that hasn’t been particularly kind to me, then it’s the track in Korea. I had a pretty tough race there in 2010, an average race there in ’11, and I didn’t even have a race there last year – someone smashed into me at Turn Three on the first lap, and my race was over.

    “Of course, it would be easy for that to make your head drop, but, in fact, the opposite is true: I travel to Korea next week even more determined than normal to reverse the trend, get the absolute maximum from the car and get a good result. I think we had a solid weekend in Singapore, the engineers, the strategists and the mechanics got the best from the car, and we couldn’t have realistically expected more. That’s the aim again next weekend.

    “This is the first of three pairs of back-to-back races that conclude the season. I think it’s very important for us to further consolidate our position in the championship, so getting points in both Korea and Japan will be important. We go into this weekend with maximum commitment.”

    Sergio Perez, McLaren

    “The Korea International Circuit is an interesting venue – it’s got two very distinct elements, the first half, which is basically a couple of heavy braking zones and three extremely long straights; and the final section, which is a long, undulating section with a mix of high- and medium-speed corners.

    “It’s a somewhat technical course, one that rewards precision more than it does commitment, so the main challenge comes from dialling 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.

    “The aim is also to have a car that works well in the principal overtaking areas – into Turns One and Three – which means making a little bit of a compromise to the set-up. That’s particularly important because it’s very difficult to overtake once you get into the twisty section, as there’s really only a single racing line. The Korean Grand Prix is a very tough race – it might not have that reputation, but, make no mistake, to do well here is always extremely rewarding.”

    Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
    “This final leg of the world championship – in which we’ll race in six Grands Prix in just eight weeks – is an incredibly tough physical feat. After 13 races, and with the prospect of many more weeks spent on the road and thousands of miles spent away from home, it’s essential to remain fit, focused and dedicated in order to stave off the inevitable burnout that comes at the end of such a long year.

    “For Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we go into these final races with the very clear intention of consolidating our position in the constructors’ championship. While improving our position sadly looks impossible, it’s important to consistently achieve top-10 finishes with both drivers in order to strengthen our points cushion over our closest rivals behind. We achieved that in Singapore and will be looking for similar performances from now until the end of the season.

    “That may not be a particularly glamorous task for a team that enjoys winning, but it nonetheless calls for constant application, focus and commitment as we count down the remaining races during this important phase of the season.”

  • Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Marussia F1 Team

    Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Marussia F1 Team

    Jules Bianchi, Marussia
    “The Singapore Grand Prix will be a totally new experience for me as my first night race. In my debut season, where everything is new, it is certainly one of the highlights of the calendar for me and I can’t wait for next weekend. Having been to the race previously I know that there are so many different aspects to the weekend – staying on European hours, going to bed when I should be getting up and eating breakfast in the middle of the afternoon. I’ve driven the track on the simulator and it looks like a lot of fun, although it will be pretty hot in the cockpit. The next part of the season is going to be quite a challenge for everyone, but the Team is pushing so hard to maintain 10th place in the championship and I really hope that is going to be possible for us.”

    Max Chilton, Marussia
    “Singapore is a great city and I can’t wait for my first Formula One night race experience there next weekend, although it’s not a new circuit for me and I have great memories of winning there last year in GP2. The track is quite reminiscent of one of my favourite circuits, Monaco, and I would be happy to achieve the same sort of result as I did that weekend in Monte Carlo. Working to European hours is always interesting but I’ve seen the floodlights first-hand, so I know that while it feels like night-time in the paddock, it’s like daylight on the track. We’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes to try to optimise our current package and for my part I’m quite pleased with how my pace is really building, so my first objective for Singapore is to maintain that momentum.”

    John Booth, Marussia team principal
    “We always feel a little sad putting Europe behind us, along with some of the classic motor racing venues. Having said that, we’re never sorry to head to be heading to Singapore, for one of the team’s favourite races. The atmosphere and spectacle are quite unique and this year it will be nice to share our experience with two drivers who are very excited to be competing in their first night race. The conditions are quite tough for the race team and drivers, with the fierce heat and humidity, but the unique racing environment soon overshadows those factors and I’m sure we’ll look forward to enjoy every second of the Singapore Grand Prix.”

    Photo by Marussia F1 Twitter team

     

  • Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

    Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

    Here’s what the Caterham boys had to say ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP.

    Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
    “I have really happy memories of Singapore as the last time I crossed the finish line there in 2012 I won the GP2 sprint race and finished Caterham Racing’s season on a real high. That was all part of my preparation for F1 and with that experience of the Singapore circuit under my belt I’m really excited about getting back out there in an F1 car!

    “The team have already warned me it’s going to be a very busy week! We’re doing a load of sponsor events and Tony’s going to be unveiling a new Caterham car over the race weekend, and whenever he’s on track, especially in South East Asia, there’s always a real buzz, so I think the whole week we’re there will be one of the best weeks of the year.

    “On track it’s a great challenge, both for me in the car and the whole team. I obviously train and prepare for the heat, but the team makes sure everyone’s drinking enough water and that sleep patterns stick to European time so we avoid any issues with jetlag. Once in the car I think this could be one of the circuits that suits us, a bit like Monaco. You need to have the confidence to be able to push around what are usually normal city streets, and I think we showed in Monaco that that sort of challenge is exactly what we like!”

    Charles Pic, Caterham
    “The European season’s now over for 2013 and we’re back to the flyaway races, starting with Singapore. For me this is one of the best races of the year. It’s an amazing city and the fact we race at night obviously makes the whole event unique. Last year was my first time racing in Singapore and I had a good race, finishing 16th – this time I’d obviously like to finish higher, but I’m sure it’ll be another good week, whatever happens!

    “One thing I know for sure is it’s going to be busy! Tony Fernandes is going to be in town and we have lots of sponsor and team partner activities taking place on and off track, so one of the challenges throughout the week is finding the time to step back from everything going on around us and focus on the main priority which is having as strong a weekend as we can on track.

    “Everyone will be talking about how hot and humid it’s going to be, but for me that’s not really an issue. I like the heat – it gets very hot in France as well, even though it’s never really as humid as it is in Singapore, but we start preparing for races like Singapore way back in winter with the hours put in training, and then fine tuning the physical and mental preparation in the week leading up to the race. I’ll arrive earlier than I would for a European race so I can start acclimatising to the heat, and my fluid intake over the week will increase each day to the point where I’ll take on up to five or six litres of liquid before the race starts. That’s one of the keys to performing to the maximum – being properly hydrated means you can focus 100 percent in the car, and that’s vital around a circuit as technical as Singapore.”

    Photo by the Caterham Twitter Team

  • Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

    Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

    Preview quotes from the Sauber F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP.

    Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
    “The Singapore GP is one of the toughest races of the year, with the high temperatures, humidity and the race almost always reaching the two-hour mark. It’s a challenging circuit with a lot of corners. I particularly like sector one and the first bit of sector two. Because it’s a night race, we stay on European time for the whole weekend, so it’s important to get into the right rhythm with your sleep from the beginning. Being in the paddock when it’s dark is something quite special. It’s the only total night race on the calendar and racing in a mega city like Singapore is unique. It’s a huge hub in many respects, financially and also with the airport being such a vital link between Asia and the rest of the world. To have a track like that is pretty spectacular. A mega event this large needs a lot of logistics, effort from the organisers and everybody involved to make this happen.”

    Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber
    “The Singapore GP is a unique event. The atmosphere and excitement is special, because it’s a night race, it’s right in the middle of the city and the crowd is great. Singapore is a tough circuit in terms of how it affects the driver physically. The humidity is very high, so there is less oxygen in the air, and that’s challenging. However, I’m quite used to racing in hot conditions, especially at the beginning of my career competing in Mexico at 45 degrees, but the difference in Singapore is the humidity. It impacts on concentration, so that means preparation is very important. There is nothing that you can do or train specifically for that, but I tend to arrive early to get used to the conditions. I like the track, it has a lot of corners and it’s quite long, which makes it fun. My favourite part used to be the Singapore Sling, a left-right-left combination, but that has been changed to a long medium-speed corner for this year.”

    Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
    “The Singapore GP requires a totally different set-up philosophy compared to Monza. The circuit efficiency sees a return to our maximum downforce level similar to Monaco. The track is dominated by tight, low-speed corners and this is the area that the mechanical and aero set-up is optimised around. Like Monza, the track is pretty bumpy in some areas, so placing an importance on ride quality. The stop-start nature of the circuit gives the brakes a hard time as there are not many opportunities per lap for them to cool down. It is imperative to qualify strongly on Saturday evening, as overtaking on this track is difficult. The race tends to cross the two-hour mark and there is a high chance of a safety car at any time, which means this will keep the strategy engineers’ attention throughout the whole race. The ambient conditions make it tough for the drivers and crew throughout the weekend. As in previous years, Pirelli has selected the supersoft compound as the option tyre, but the prime will be the medium compound, unlike last year when it was the soft compound. We will bring a further update package to Singapore that should help us to continue fighting for championship points.”

  • Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Lotus F1 Team

    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