Tag: preview quotes

Singapore Grand Prix Preview Quotes – McLaren F1 Team

A few Singapore Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the McLaren F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s race.

Jenson Button, McLaren
“Just as it’s exciting to return to Europe after the opening races of the year, it’s always cool to pack your bags for a long-haul flight, knowing that you’re heading off for the flyaways that bring the curtain down on a long season.

“I remember the first time we raced at Singapore [in 2008]; it seemed incredible to think that we could hold a Formula One race at night. I must say, the thrill and novelty of racing through spot-lit streets is just as intense for me today as it was when we first raced there – it’s a unique spectacle, and one that I think is brilliant for F1. In fact, the Singapore Grand Prix is one of the wonders of modern sport.

“I enjoy racing around the Marina Bay circuit. Although I’ve finished second there for the past two years, this year it’ll be interesting to see how our car behaves on a bumpy, high-downforce circuit. This is also a race where good fitness preparation really pays off: the race is usually close to the two-hour limit, so it’s the longest physical challenge on the calendar. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren
“I’ve finished in the points in my two previous Singapore Grand Prix, so, after the disappointment of just failing to get home in the top 10 at Monza, a points finish will clearly be my aim.

“Obviously, the fight at the sharp end of the championship means that the top three or four teams are still pushing hard to develop their current cars, whereas some of the others are looking more towards 2014. That means that it’s getting slightly harder to score good points in the remaining races. However, we’ve still got developments coming through – most with an eye to next year – and I hope that we can maximise our package for one of the toughest races of the year.

“The Singapore Grand Prix is an unpredictable race – it’s tough on drivers and machinery, so we’ll be looking to get the best from our high-downforce set-up and see if we have a car that can ride the circuit’s many bumps. I like street circuits – you can really attack the corners – so I’m really looking forward to the whole weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“It was around 10 years ago that the idea of a Formula One night race was first floated. At the time, I remember thinking it was an incredibly imaginative and ambitious idea, but, given the scope and scale of such an endeavour, I also thought it an unlikely possibility.

“However, the organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix have shown huge determination and ambition to bring the idea to fruition, and, as we approach the sixth edition of the race, I think everybody in Formula One now regards the event as one of the cornerstones of the Grand Prix calendar. Indeed, it’s one of the miracles of televised sport.

“As well as the spectacle, the Singapore Grand Prix is also a very hard motor race: in hot and humid conditions, and on a circuit where there’s little opportunity to relax, the drivers will race for nearly two hours on Sunday night.

“Our focus will be to continue refining and improving the MP4-28. After a run of fast low-downforce circuits, this will be an opportunity for us to measure our car’s performance on a significantly different kind of track. As ever, to achieve points finishes with both cars is our priority.”

September 19, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Red Bull Racing

Red Bull Preview quotes from Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
“It sounds unusual but because the race starts at 8pm we have to try and stay on European time as much as possible, to make sure we’re alert later into the night. I get up at about lunchtime and have breakfast at about 2pm because that’s 8am in Switzerland. It is a bit weird to have lunch in the evening and go to bed in the early hours of the morning. But we’ve done it for a few years now so it feels more normal than it did the first time.

“You tend to see the most passes into Turn 8, and then next common is using DRS into Turn 7. My wins in 2011 and 2012 were the best because I think it’s one of the toughest races of the year to be honest, so to win is an amazing moment and you feel you deserve the champagne! It’s a very long race; the full two hours so the race just seems to go on forever. The circuit itself is a killer because there are so many bumps, there’s no room for mistakes.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull
“The last sector is probably the toughest to get right, it’s a very demanding last sector and the rhythm is very important over the bumps and the curves. You need to get the last sector correct. I think being on the podium is my best (Singapore) moment, after a long and hot race it’s a pretty good reward. I finished on the podium in 2010 and 2011, so both of those were special moments for me.”

September 19, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

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

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
“Singapore is quite unusual for a street race because it’s hot and humid with high speeds, heavy braking areas and lots of corners, all of which test the tyres in terms of traction and braking because it’s a long race and the cars carry a very heavy fuel load. That puts a lot of energy through the tyres at the start of the race, so it’s vital to manage the first stint well. Tyre strategy is always a key ingredient so I will be spending a lot of time with the engineers discussing how we are going to tackle this track. As difficult as the track is, managing the conditions is another element that drivers have to deal with over the weekend as it gets very hot inside the cockpit. I had a very strong qualifying here last year, finishing in second place, so I feel like this layout suits my eye and I know how to squeeze every tenth out of the lap time.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
“I’ve never driven at Singapore in a lower category and it was one of the tracks that I didn’t drive in Friday practice last year for Williams so this will be a new challenge that I’m really looking forward too. I will be doing a lot of simulator work ahead of the Grand Prix to get used to the layout because it has a lot of corners that come in quick succession. I’m normally quite fast at learning new tracks though and showed in Montreal this year that I can quickly get up to speed. The fact that the race takes places at night creates a unique atmosphere but I will try and keep my routine the same as it is important to maintain a rhythm between races, and for that reason I will be staying on European time throughout the week. One thing I do change is the transparency of my visor as we have to use an anti-light glare instead of a sun protector because the lights lining the circuit are very bright.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams chief race engineer
“The Singapore night race is a unique event that we all look forward to despite the fact that it is probably the most demanding circuit of the year for both driver and car. It is mentally and physically draining for the drivers as it’s not only one of the longest races of the year, but they also have to cope with the high temperatures and humidity with the 23 corner layout offering almost no rest. Despite being run at night under floodlights the temperature still averages 30 degrees C, with a humidity of around 75 percent. There has been a modification to the track layout for this year, the chicane at Turn 10 has been removed and replaced with a flowing left-hand corner before the acceleration zone towards the Anderson Bridge. Singapore has the highest pit lane speed loss of the season and a high chance of a safety car – there hasn’t been a race in the modern era without at least one safety car being deployed. These factors, added with how difficult it is to overtake, all hamper strategic capability and for the last couple of years it has typically been a three-stop race. However, Pirelli have gone one step harder on the prime tyre bringing the medium compound so this may change this season.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“The Marina Bay circuit has more turns than any other track on the calendar, however, most are taken in first to third gear. Average speeds are therefore correspondingly low and the engine is working at between 8,000 rpm and 13,000 rpm for the majority of the corner apexes and exits. The stop-start nature of the track and the short bursts of acceleration between the turns make Singapore one of the least fuel efficient of the year so we try and be as careful as we can with the engine settings to avoid a weight penalty. Temperatures are also something to watch carefully – particularly as the race is the longest in duration of the year. Not only are the ambient temperatures high, but the slow turns give the engines little time to breathe so we will tend to use an engine at the end of its life.”

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team

September 19, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Pirelli

Here’s what Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hembery had to say with regards to tyres ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
“The tyres we are bringing to Singapore this year represent a change from last year, when we went for supersoft and soft. This is because the tyres are generally softer across the board this year in order to maximise performance and grip. Singapore is quite bumpy – a typical feature of street circuits – and there’s lots of street furniture such as painted white lines and manholes that compromise grip and traction. We’re racing at night, which presents a unique set of parameters for the tyres to deal with when it comes to the way that track and ambient temperatures evolve. The cars also carry the heaviest fuel load of the year, which again has a direct effect on tyre wear and degradation. It’s a long race, and that gives the teams plenty of scope to come up with some interesting strategies at what is a truly spectacular event in every sense. We’ve always been made to feel incredibly welcome at Singapore, which is probably the most spectacular event of the year in terms of the whole show that is put on for the public. Our aim as always is to contribute to that show by providing tyres with exactly the right compromise between performance and degradation in order to guarantee close racing.”

September 19, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Force India

Preview quotes from the Force India team ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Paul di Resta, Force India
“Given our form lately it’s difficult to know what to expect. It’s a track I enjoy, a great venue and we had a great result there last year with fourth place. It would be great to try and repeat that, but it’s going to be tough given how competitive the grid is at the moment.

“It’s a popular race and the unusual schedule makes it interesting. I always stay on European time and that helps because you can avoid the jet lag. I will stick to my usual routine of going to bed at six in the morning and getting up at two in the afternoon because that’s always worked well for me.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
“It’s not my favourite track, but it’s one of those places that I’ve come to like more and more. There are some nice sections and it’s quite wide for a street circuit, which helps with overtaking. I always enjoy street races and the city is amazing. The atmosphere means it’s definitely one of the best races of the year.

“In Singapore the night becomes your day and I’ve never had a problem coping with the schedule. Every year you learn more about the best technique for sleeping during the day. As for the track, you almost forget you are driving at night because the lights are so bright and clear. The visibility is perfect.

“We’ve got to qualify well to give ourselves the best chance of scoring points. We are still close to McLaren in the championship and we need to make sure we keep a healthy margin ahead of Toro Rosso and Sauber. Singapore can sometimes generate surprises and there’s always the risk of rain, so as a team we need to be ready to react quickly and make the most of any opportunities.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
“We’ve been strong in Singapore, especially last year. Hopefully that will continue this year, but we know we’ve got to get on top of the tyres to unleash the potential of the car. Points must be the target for this weekend to keep up our momentum in the championship fight. There are a lot of Indians and a lot of our fans based in Singapore, and there’s always a great atmosphere in the city. It’s one of the highlights of the year, the place looks wonderful when it’s lit up and I always look forward to it.”

September 19, 2013
Singapore Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Mercedes F1 Team

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
“The Singapore Grand Prix is a fantastic occasion and the whole weekend has one of the best atmospheres of the year. For the drivers, it is one of the toughest races from a physical perspective as there are so many corners and no long straights where you can relax. It’s also a very long race which runs close to the two-hour time limit. The chicane has been removed for this year which I’m pleased about, and the track should suit our car so I hope we can have a good weekend there. My best finish in Singapore to date has been second place back in 2008 and, of course, I would love to improve on that!”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
“I have always really enjoyed the Singapore Grand Prix weekend and the unique ‘night’ timetable that we have to follow there. It certainly makes a change from the usual race weekend and it’s actually very easy to do if you plan your sleeping and eating patterns well. As a street circuit, the Marina Bay track layout really suits my style. It’s quite a testing circuit and you need to work the car hard the whole way round the lap to make the most of the tight corners and braking zones. We’ve had a tough couple of weekends in Belgium and Italy but I know that everyone at the team is determined to bounce back from here and make the most of the opportunities over the last seven races of the season.”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“With seven races left of the Formula One season, we start the season-ending flyaway races in Singapore. The Singapore Grand Prix is always a fantastic weekend for Formula One and provides a great spectacle for the fans in the city and the viewers on global television. It’s become a highlight of the calendar for many and the challenge of working late under the floodlights is enjoyed by the teams and drivers alike. The Marina Bay track layout is tricky, one of the slowest circuits on the calendar, and the punishing heat and humidity provide an extra challenge for the drivers and cars. There has been a lot of hard work at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth since the summer shutdown and the developments that we have found will be introduced during the upcoming flyaway races. Whilst our design and development priorities are naturally increasing towards our 2014 efforts, our aim is to extract the maximum from the car we are racing and regain our second position in the constructors’ championship. This will require a big effort from the team combined with consistent points finishes from Nico and Lewis.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“This weekend’s race in Singapore begins a gruelling series of seven races in ten weekends for the team and we are all focused on regaining some of the momentum we lost at the past two races. We expect the return to maximum-downforce configuration to suit our car and we may see another shift in the competitive order between the teams. The Singapore Grand Prix is a highlight of the Formula One calendar, with its unique setting and night race format, and provides the cars and drivers with tough tests of reliability and concentration during a race which usually lasts the full two-hour time limit. We will bring new developments to the car once again for this race and we are all focused on maximising the opportunities for both Lewis and Nico, in order to re-establish ourselves in second position in the constructors’ standings.”

Photo by the Mercedes F1 Twitter Team.

September 19, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Ferrari

Preview Quotes from the Ferrari boys ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
“This is a very demanding race from the physical point of view and also mentally, because as it takes place at night, it changes your rhythm a bit over the weekend. It’s a very special race with no room for mistakes, but it’s a track I like and where I have usually gone quite well, getting four podiums from five starts, so again this year, I’m tackling the weekend in a positive frame of mind, with great confidence that I can do well again. As a street circuit, it’s a track with a high risk factor, so the possibility is always there to make a mistake. I’d say the last sector, with Turns 18 and 19 that pass under a grandstand where you can easily make a mistake, is the most critical point on the track, where a small loss of concentration can end your race.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
“Singapore is one of the most tiring races on the calendar, or maybe the most tiring, because it is the longest race of the year, going the full two hours. Conditions are very humid even if we actually race at night. You sweat a lot in the car and you don’t get much air coming through the cockpit as the speeds are low. All in all, it’s the toughest race physically, but also psychologically, with it taking place at night, so that you see less, combined with the fact you are always so close to the barriers. Visibility is good under the lights but it’s not the same as driving in sunlight, which adds to the difficulty. But it’s fun and different to be there at night and makes for a great spectacle for the fans and an interesting event for us drivers.
“You can’t single out one aspect of the circuit which is more important than another. Everything counts here. If you make the slightest mistake at a corner, then you pay a high price. You have to take care at every corner and it’s a long track – one lap here is like two at Monaco, so precision and consistency are important, especially in qualifying when you have to put everything together perfectly. In fact, I’d say it’s harder to win at Singapore than Monaco. The track is longer and more complicated; a lap is around 1m 48s, while Monaco is much shorter.”

Photo by the Ferrari Twitter Team

September 19, 2013
Italian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Mercedes F1 Team

The Mercedes F1 Team share their Italian Grand Prix Preview Quotes.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
“Monza is always one of my favourite races and I love driving the track with its unique high-speed and low-downforce layout. The last European race of the season always has a special atmosphere and the Italian fans are so passionate about Formula One. It’s really cool for me that I speak Italian and can communicate easily with the fans in and around the circuit. To go to Monza with the feeling that we have a quick car is fantastic and I hope we will achieve another strong team result as we did in Belgium. We have to keep pushing now and I know everyone is working really hard at the factories to do just that.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
“Monza is a truly amazing circuit and it’s a great feeling to drive at our top speeds of the year there. The layout and atmosphere of Monza are very special and it really feels like you are going back to Formula One’s roots when you race there. The car has a completely different aerodynamic package to anywhere else on the calendar with really low downforce to make the most of the four long straights. My win at the Italian Grand Prix last year was the first of my career at this circuit and it was a great feeling. We had a strong weekend in Belgium with a good team result and that’s what we need to keeping doing in the second half of the season.”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“The Italian Grand Prix marks the traditional end of Formula One’s European season and is one of my favourite race weekends on the calendar. Monza has a special atmosphere all of its own with its historic location and the passion of the tifosi making it an inspirational venue. From an engineering perspective, Monza is unique and requires a special low-downforce aerodynamic package to make the most of the high-speed layout which also places great importance on the strength of the engine on the long straights. I was very pleased with the team’s performance in Belgium and the consolidation of our current position of second place in the Constructors’ Championship. We weren’t quite in the position to fight for the win but we will keep pushing hard to close that gap and keep fighting.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“We scored a good team result at the last race in Belgium, with third and fourth places, and that underlined one of the team’s strengths this year: our drivers. As their performances this season have shown, Lewis and Nico are probably the most closely matched and balanced driver pairing in Formula One. Their combination of speed and consistency has taken Mercedes to second place in the Constructors’ Championship and our clear target is to consolidate this position over the coming races. For the Italian Grand Prix, we will use a refined version of the low-drag package introduced at Spa. We hope to see an improvement in race pace after the lessons we learned over the race weekend in Belgium.”

Photo by the Mercedes F1 Team

September 4, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Italian Grand Prix this weekend at Monza.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
“I really enjoy driving at circuits that are rich in history and Monza is one of the most historic we visit and the fans are incredibly passionate. It’s the fastest track of the season and we will be reaching speeds of up to 340 km/h. Most of the corners are high speed which makes it more of an adrenaline boost and the downforce will be very low on the car which makes it more challenging to drive. This circuit gives everyone the chance to open the car up and see what it is capable of on the long straights. I also have a personal affiliation with the area as I lived very close to the circuit for three years at the start of my career, when I was competing in Formula Renault and Italian F3000, so I enjoy coming back. We had a disappointing result at the Belgian Grand Prix, but our car has good straight line speed so should be suited to this track and hopefully we can continue the progress we made in Hungary and score more points.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
“In Monza straight-line speed is very important for lap time as well as overtaking or defending in a race so we will run the car with the lowest amount of downforce and drag of the season. Tyre wear will not be as big an issue at this race as some other circuits and because of the high pit loss teams will be trying to pit as little as possible. This is an old fashioned circuit that is high speed and has a number of good overtaking opportunities and traditionally leads to some very close and competitive racing which makes it a good spectacle for the fans. I have fond memories of Monza as this is where I won the GP3 title in 2011, so hopefully I can draw upon that experience and have a good weekend.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams chief race engineer
“The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is another historic track which we enjoying visiting. It is a circuit of extremes and it differs significantly from most Formula One circuits. It features the highest top and average speed of all circuits, with the second lowest turn angle of the year. It has a high pit loss time and a low fuel effect, which typically pushes the race towards a one-stop strategy.

“As always it is a compromise in terms of set-up, however low drag is favoured here due to the long straights and high track efficiency, although the lack of downforce makes the chicanes tricky. Monza, alongside Monaco, is one of the two races where teams will often take specific aerodynamic components only used at those tracks. The brakes are under considerable mechanical stress due to the magnitude of the change of speed at the end of the long straights, although the long straights do aid in cooling them down again. Monza marks our last outing before the final flyaway races of the season so we will be aiming to leave Europe with some more points on the board.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“Monza represents the ultimate test for an engine’s outright performance and reliability. Over three-quarters of the lap is spent at full throttle and the maximum speed goes over 330 km/h four times per lap. The cars will also be at the highest average speed of the year; very close to the 250 km/h mark. Only three chicanes break the flow of the lap so drivers try to straightline them as much as possible, however this places its own demands on the engines as the drivers ride the kerbs, momentarily unloading the internals of the units. The phases of heavy braking and acceleration only compound this challenge so we tend to use a new engine where possible.”

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team.

September 4, 2013
Italian Grand Prix Preview Quotes: Force India

Preview quotes from the Force India Team ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Paul di Resta, Force India

“Based on our past performance you’d say that Monza and Singapore are two of the stronger tracks for us. I’d like to say we can be competitive, but we have to see how it is when we get there on Friday morning. We had a very good qualifying session last year and we ended up fourth fastest so that’s a good sign for this year.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India

“The car is very efficient and we showed good top speed in Spa, so I expect the same this weekend. We are usually quick at Monza and I remember Paul qualified well last year. Also, it’s the track where I got my best result in Formula One in 2009 so historically it’s one of our best tracks.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
“Like Spa, the track suits us, so we hope to be able to capitalise on that. But, as I’ve always said, my direction for the technical team has been to develop a car that is competitive on all tracks, which is something we have achieved for the last few years.”

September 4, 2013