Tag: sauber

Nico Hulkenberg Q & A after the Korean Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg withstood the pressure of having two world champions behind him in Korea on Sunday as he calmly held off the challenge of both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Hulkenberg spoke to reporters about his fine drive and what it means for his future calling it his “best race ever” after getting his best race result by finishing in 4th place …

Q: Nico, was this the race that will catapult you to new heights?
Nico Hulkenberg: I don’t know anything about catapulting me anywhere – I just know that this was one of my best races ever. And yes, it probably was some sort of masterpiece. I’ve had many cars in my rear view mirrors in my career so far, but today was really special with two world champions! Lewis (Hamilton) and Fernando (Alonso) were pushing very hard the whole race, especially later in the race with Lewis in the last sector. But my trick was to see that I exited corner one with enough speed – and it worked. The car had fantastic traction today and that kept us alive – and it was fast on the straights as well. I think that is what the guys behind me had to swallow whether they liked it or not.

Q: How much of an ego trip is it to keep two world champions behind you, knowing that both have – theoretically – the better car?
Nico Hulkenberg: The fun starts now – out of the car. The race was heavily demanding, as it required full concentration on every inch of the track. It was a tough fight, but if you come out of it on top there are 12 points waiting for you and that is a fantastic result given the season that we’ve had. It seems that since Monza we’ve been on a steep upward curve.

Q: You sounded pretty relaxed in your conversations with the pit wall and your pit crew – and yet you say that you felt under enormous pressure. How did you manage to sound so relaxed?
Nico Hulkenberg: It was not the first time in my racing career that I’ve driven under pressure. This is something that you learn to cope with when moving from a go-kart to a Formula One car. These are the basic ins and outs of racing. It basically means that you focus on yourself, don’t look too much in your mirrors and do your thing. Isn’t that what Kimi (Raikkonen) always says? He does his thing? But it doesn’t only work for him! (laughs)

Q: What would you say was crucial for this result?
Nico Hulkenberg: Of course, the car – that worked fantastically. As I just said, that traction out of the slow corners was incredible. But it was also about ‘keeping cool’, not forcing too much, not over pacing it. I think we’ve found a perfect answer for this race today.

Q: When did you really understand that you could control all the cars behind you?
Nico Hulkenberg: Well, right after the start Fernando was glued to me, and it was then that I understood that I could probably not control him, but keep up his speed, and as I was in front of him it meant that with the same speed he would have to pass – and that I didn’t allow. I really started to believe that I could bring P4 home ten laps before the chequered flag. The safety car definitely helped us today, as I don’t know if my tyres would have lasted. So finally, for once all the pieces fell into the right place for us.

Q: How much will this demonstration of your skills help you in finding a 2014 race seat?
Nico Hulkenberg: This is something that I am not thinking about here and now. I am happy about how it went for me and the team today – I am simply enjoying the moment. I also don’t think that a single race will change the staffing policy of any team.

Q: There is a very obvious upward trend at Sauber. Could it be that it is the wrong moment to leave the team?
Nico Hulkenberg: I would say that after such a race it is the wrong moment to think about that and to start to speculate. Yes, we definitely made a huge step forward, but – like in Singapore – we also profited from retirements, otherwise we would not have bagged so many points there. This weekend our concept simply worked out: having good speed with good traction. It sounds simple, but believe me, it isn’t! I want to give my compliments to the team for their effort this weekend.

Q: As it worked so well for you here, what’s your guess about next weekend in Suzuka?
Nico Hulkenberg: Not sure. Suzuka is a high-speed track and from what we’ve seen this weekend the high-speed corners were not really our thing, so it will depend a lot on if we get the set-up right there. Of course the hope is that from now until Brazil it will carry on in this mode.

October 8, 2013
Post Qualifying Report: Korean GP – Vettel Continues Domination

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel has secured pole position ahead of the Korean grand prix.

The qualifying session for the Korean GP got underway under blue skies with the threat of rain having completely sub-sided. The first session saw the elimation of both the Marussia and Caterham teams and suprisingly both the Williams’ drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valterri Bottas failed to advance beyond the first part of qualifying.

The elimination of both Williams drivers was somewhat surprising given the relative pace both drivers were able to show throughout the free practice sessions. The Williams team has also brought several upgrades to the car including a new front-wing on Maldonado’s car.

The second session of qualifying seemed to follow the two-by-two elimination process as both Force India’s, both Toro Rosso’s and both McLaren’s didn’t make the cut. Jenson Button and Force India’s Paul di Resta complained about traffic towards the end of their laps. The biggest improvement was shown by the Sauber duo of Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg as both drivers advanced to the final part of qualifying.

The final top ten shoot-out was expected to a be close fight between Mercedes’ s Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. While Vettel did not annihilate Hamilton in terms of pace it decidedly comfortable for the three time champ. margin of two tenths ultimately secured pole position for Vettel. Mark Webber set the third quickest time in the session but slide back to thirteenth as a result a ten place grid penalty.

Romain Grosjean recorded the fourth fastest time but will move onto the second row of the grid at the expence of Webber. Nico Rosberg quietly slotted into fifth ahead of Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez was quick enough for 8th and ninth as Kimi Raikkonen bailed out of his final qualifying run after making a mistake on his one and only set of new supersport tyres.

Sebastian Vettel continues his domination with yet another pole position and the rest as they say is record breaking history.

October 5, 2013
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.”

October 3, 2013
Bernie Ecclestone working hard to keep Massa in F1

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that he is working hard to ensure that Felipe Massa does not drop out of Formula One.

Currently, Massa is the last remaining Brazilian F1 driver on the grid but he has lost his Ferrari seat and will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen for the 2014 season.

Massa’s manager, Nicholas Todt, is working hard to tap into Brazilian sponsors to ensure that Massa will be in contention for a ride with the Lotus, Williams, Force India or Sauber F1 teams.

Brazil and South America are important markets for F1 and the sport’s chief whip, Bernie Ecclestone, told the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, “I am trying to help; it’s not easy, but we’re working on it.”

Ecclestone admitted that Massa’s future in F1 could depend on whether he can attract sponsorship to take with him to his next team.

“If Felipe gets some sponsors, everything will change and Brazil should have a driver on the grid in 2014,” Ecclestone said. “A strong economy like the one in Brazil is in a good position to invest in a driver,” he added.

September 24, 2013
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.”

September 19, 2013
F1 2013: Italian GP Post-Qualfying Report – Red Bull Romp To Front Row

Sebastian Vettel secured his thirtieth and Red Bull Racing’s fiftieth Formula 1 pole position in Saturday’s qualifying for the Italian GP.

Sebastian Vettel’s domination has been tempered by Lewis Hamilton in the last four races but the German maestro was not going to play second fiddle at the same historic venue as where he memorably won his first ever grand prix.

The pace of the Williams car wasn’t much to write home about but Pastor Maldonado still manged to drag his Renault powered car into the second part of qualifying. Teammate Valterri Bottas didn’t manage to emulate the Venezuelan as he joined Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez, Giedo van der Garde, Charles Pic, Jules Biachi and Max Chilton at the back-end of the grid.

Drama and a closely fought battle was predicted for the final pole position shoot-out but the second session of qualifying is where the real commotion materialized. Paul di Resta, in recovery mode after a practice crash, failed to advance to the top ten and was joined by teammate Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado. The real kicker however was the failure of Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean to advance to the final session of qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton, notoriously hard on himself, was quoted as saying that he “drove like an idiot” in the second part of the qualifying session. Twelfth place is certainly not what the Brit expected but chin up LH there’s always tomorrow. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean bemoaned the fact that he was unable to heat up his medium compound tyres prior to his final effort and Kimi Raikkonen…said nothing. Nevertheless, it is rather peculiar that the Lotus team dedicated both free practice sessions on Friday to testing the long wheelbase car with Kimi Raikkonen and then electing to pursue it further this morning.

The final top ten shoot-out could not have worked out better for Red Bull if they had scripted it themselves. Untroubled be the rest of the pretenders Vettel and Webber locked out the front row of the grid for the 20th time.

Ferrari’s ‘towing’ system didn’t quite go to plan in the final minutes of the session much to the displeasure of Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard could be heard during the run telling his team that Felipe Massa was too far ahead of him to gain an advantage from the tow. Sky F1 later reported that the former world champion allegedly told his team: “You are stupid, you are all stupid, you wrecked my qualifying.” Felipe Massa out qualified his teammate.

The undoubted star of qualifying was Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who miraculously qualified third on the grid for tomorrow’s race. Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, Jenson Button and Jean-Eric Vergne rounded out the top ten.

September 7, 2013
2014 F1 Silly Season Grid Predictions

With silly season in full swing and with rumours flying everywhere we thought it would be a good idea to flesh out a few grid predictions for the 2014 season.

Red Bull

Red Bull have confirmed Daniel Riccardo for their second 2014 seat, in what was probably the worst kept secret in Formula 1. While there was much speculation about the seat and that Kimi Raikkonen was in contention for the seat, and at some stage even Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was said to be interested, it all seemed rather certain that Ricciardo would get the nod.

Sebastian Vettel | Daniel Ricciardo

Ferrari

The Maranello based team announced on Wednesday 11 September that they’ve signed Kimi Raikkonen as their second driver. That came a day after Felipe Massa announced to his fans on Twitter that he will not be driving for Ferrari in 2014.

The opinion is divided amongst commentators on weather this is a good move for Ferrari. There are vast personality difference between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. One the one hand we have the fiery, very political Alonso and on the other side we have a very cool and calm Raikkonen that doesn’t say much. Many are saying that it will be another McLaren 2007 situation, some think that being the strongest driver line up for 2014, Ferrari have their best chance of taking on Red Bull.

Fernando Alonso | Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren

With Jenson Button most likely to extend his contract at the Woking based team, Sergio Perez expressing his desire to stay at the team and Martin Whitmarsh determined to keep both his drivers, it is unlikely that we are going to see a change at McLaren for 2014.

Jenson Button | Sergio Perez

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has a contract to stay on until the end of the 2016 season and Nico Rosberg has been given the option to extend his contract at the end of 2013. So it seems as though Mercedes will also have an unchanged team for 2014.

Nico Rosberg | Lewis Hamilton

Lotus

Lotus have been a rather curious case. There is lots of controversy surrounding the team recently with their money problems, the falling out between Kimi Raikkonen and Allan Permaine, and the “will it happen, wont it happen” investment deal with investment group Quantum. The future of Nico Hulkenberg sort of depends on this deal. If the deal goes through, Hulkenberg will get the drive. If the deal does not happen, it is very likely that Pastor Maldonado will swoop in and get the drive at the Enstone based team.

It could mean that Hulkenberg will be left without a drive for 2014. This would be such a shame as he is a very talented driver. A good option for him could be McLaren. Martin Whitmarsh has made it public that they are looking for a driver, and with Jenson Button having signed a contract for 2014, its Perez’s seat that’s available. Lotus are not saying anything about the investment deal at this time. A few weeks ago it was a done deal. Nothing has been signed or announced till this day. The long it takes for the announcement, the more likely it looks that Maldonado will get the drive.

Romain Grosjean | Pastor Maldonado

Force India

With Paul Di Resta secured for 2014, we’re left with Adrian Sutil. The German has performed well in his comeback season. At the start of the season he has showed very good pace. While the changes to Pirelli’s tyres have resulted in the pace of Force India dropping considerably, Sutil has still been bringing home the points. It seems unlikely that he’ll be replaced this time round.

Paul Di Resta | Adrian Sutil

Sauber

Sauber have made it public that they would like rookie, Sergey Sirotkin to drive for them in 2014. This is obviously on condition that he obtains his Super licence. Sirotkin brings in much needed money from Russia which should hold the team over for the 2014 season. Another possibility is Pastor Maldonado. Having left Williams, the Venezuelan is looking for a drive in 2014 and the money that he will bring with him will be very welcome at Sauber.

With McLaren also looking for a second driver it could mean the return of Sergio Perez to his former team. The other option is that Nico Hulkenberg could return to Sauber if the deal with Lotus falls through. At this stage we cant say who we think could fill the space in Sauber.

TBA | Esteban Gutierrez

Williams

We got this one half right. Williams have announced Felipe Massa as their next driver, but they’ve kept Valtteri Bottas and have negotiated and exit payout with Maldonado’s sponsor, PDVSA. Next year we see Massa for the first time in an England based team. It is a good move from Sir Frank Williams to put Massa in the team. At a time where the new regulations come into play, you need a driver that can provide very good feedback about the car to the engineers as well as the experience.

We will have to wait and see how it goes for Massa at Williams. Thier 2013 car was not very good, but their new engine partner for 2014, Mercedes, will be very interesting and they are confident that they can bring the Williams name back to the front of the grid.

Felipe Massa | Valtteri Bottas

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso have confirmed Daniil Kvyat as their second driver for 2014. This was a very unexpected move as we all here at F1 Madness were pretty sure that Antonio Felix Da Costa would get the 2014 drive for the Faenza based team. Dr Helmut Marko thinks that Kvyat shows more potential than the other rookies out there.

Coming from GP3 it’s going to be a very big change into F1 for nineteen year old Kvyat. No doubt that he will be bullied on track by other drivers. It’s up to him to hold his nerve and show them that he can mix it up with the best of them.

Jean Eric Vergne | Daniil Kvyat

Caterham

Charles Pic is already contracted for 2014, leaving only Giedo van der Garde’s seat with a question mark hanging over it.

There is word that Heikki Kovalainen will make a F1 comeback for 2014. He has already been driving for the team in Free Practice sessions. But since he is not a pay driver, it makes it less likely that Caterham will bring him back on-board. There is also a chance for Rodolfo Gonzalez to take van der Garde’s seat. However, money talks in F1 so it seems likely that Caterham will keep their existing line-up.

Giedo van der Garde | Charles Pic

Marussia

Both Marussia drivers need contracts for 2014. With Ferrari wanting Jules Bianchi in a mid-field team it will be interesting to see who Marussia signs up if Bianchi were to leave.

Being the test driver for Ferrari and for Force India does help him out a bit and with him finishing above his team mate, it would seem that Chilton might be the one that will get the chop. For now, there’s no indication that things will change though.

Jules Bianchi | Max Chilton

September 5, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes: Sauber F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

“Monza is a track with a lot of history and the only true high-speed circuit of the season. I still remember sealing my GP2 title there in 2009. After the race on Sunday morning I was the champion. Monza requires a low-downforce configuration, which can make the car quite tricky to drive when braking from 340 km/h down to speeds of about 60 km/h in the chicanes. It’s a very nice race with a good atmosphere in the Parco di Monza where a lot of passionate Italian fans cheer on the Scuderia Ferrari. I enjoy driving there, as it’s a simple layout but it’s not as easy as it looks. There are some technical bits and chicanes and you really have to master the kerbs.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber

“Monza is a great track, and very different to Spa. It’s important to consider that. Coming from a track like Spa, we need to adapt to Monza in terms of driving style, strategy and set-up. It will be a crucial weekend, because stability in slow corners is important and, unfortunately, this is where we’ve been struggling. We have to focus on that and try to improve. My favourite part of the track is the Variante Ascari, a left-right-left combination. It’s very quick, you have to get the right line, react quickly to the kerbs and the bumps, and it’s fun. Our pace is good, but now we need to complement that with the right decisions. I have great memories of Monza, as I won the Formula BMW and GP3 titles there. I remember very well my pole position lap there in GP3, this point made the difference and I went on to win the championship, so it was very special.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“Monza is a unique challenge for the drivers and engineers as the circuit efficiency requires our lowest drag configuration of the season. The track is well known for its long straights. The majority of the grip-limited time comes from medium-speed cornering and two lower-speed chicanes. The track is pretty bumpy in some areas and you need to be able to use the kerbs, so the ride quality is also an important factor. The track tends to favour strategies with less stops because of the low fuel effect and the time you lose in the pit lane. We have some further developments to be tested. Again, Pirelli has selected the medium and hard tyre compounds. Coming from Spa we are confident we can fight for points in this final European race.”

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

September 3, 2013
Gentlemen, let your F1 silly season begin

With F1 Silly Season in full swing, Motorsport Editor for Streetmotion, Reynard Gelderblom, wrote in to give us his views on who will be filling which remaining seats in the Formula One paddock. Here are his F1 Silly Season thoughts.

We’ve only just past the halfway point and the proverbial F1 silly season of the 2013 F1 championship is in full swing. Several seats are already filled, but some big questions still remain.

In many ways Kimi Raikkonen’s signature holds the key to various open seats. Then there’s the second McLaren seat too. Let’s clear up who’s in, who’s out and caught in between.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel is staying with the team and despite rumours linking various names, I was expecting an announcement before the Italian Grand Prix that Daniel Ricciardo will be partnering him. That announcement is now in. But it would’ve been nice to see Raikkonen or Fernando Alonso alongside him. There’s nothing as spectacular as a top team with two of the best drivers on level terms – remember McLaren with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the end of the eighties?

Still, to ensure that the young driver programme remains a success, it is fitting that Mark Webber’s successor comes from the lower ranks. Ricciardo has done enough to secure his opportunity and it is a well earned promotion for him. Unlike Jean-Eric Vergne, the Australian just looked like being the one who stuck his hand up when it mattered … And this did get noticed.

Ferrari

The dream of two top drivers in a front running team can still be realised when the Italian team announce who will be partnering Alonso in 2014. Raikkonen would love to return to Ferrari. The Finn has one goal in mind: Winning. Sadly, despite strong form early in 2013, Lotus has not quite delivered the car to put him in this position.

The question is however: Will Alonso want Raikkonen alongside him? With the Spanish Santander money following Alonso, even a financially strong team like Ferrari must make decision based on money. We all know Fernando doesn’t play well with others on a level playing field, just ask Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jnr.

Also, don’t expect Raikkonen to be the nice guy that Felipe Massa was during the 2012 American GP. My views for Ferrari: It’s time for Massa to go and I’d love to see Raikkonen back in a Ferrari. I’m however expecting Nico Hulkenberg to drive the second Ferrari in 2014.

Mercedes

I’ve been guilty of calling Mercedes “just another Toyota”, and calling Hamilton a fool for joining them and Nico Rosberg “just another driver as good as his car”. The truth is I was wrong on all three counts. What we’ve seen so far in 2013 is a team and driver pairing that can well bring back the glory days for the Silver Arrows.

Despite the rule changes and new engines, they’re the only team with a confirmed unchanged line-up for 2014. Everything just seems to build towards something big for Mercedes and consistency may well be the key aspect in the changing world of 2014. Watch out Vettel, that Red Bull cloud may have a very silver lining next season.

Lotus

A lot rides on where Raikkonen will go. Ferrari is an option, McLaren not. If Lotus can provide a fast car and pay him, Lotus may just be the best option for him. And if Lotus wants to be smart, they should also keep their line-up intact. Raikkonen’s record with the team speaks for itself and Romain Grosjean has developed into a more mature driver as well. What if Raikkonen does go to Ferrari though? What about Giedo van der Garde, Adrian Sutil or even GP2 championship leader Stefano Coletti? Of the front running teams, Lotus may be the team who’ll surprise all of us when they announce their driver line-up.

Force India

Paul di Resta will be staying with the team. The big question is who should partner him? Despite being replaced in 2012, Sutil has become somewhat part of the Force India furniture. The German is good, make no mistake about it but if he’s not going to progress up the ladder, is he good enough to deserve yet another season? Jules Bianchi tested for the team at the start of the season and has somehow looked better than in his Marussia. Perhaps it’s time to bring some young blood into the team. Also, given his experience as Mercedes test driver and current GP2 form, don’t discount Sam Bird either.

McLaren

The 2009 World champion Jenson Button does not have a contract yet and don’t be surprised if this will be the last season we’ll see the Brit in F1 either. This has been a somewhat hopeless year for McLaren. Sergio Perez is still contracted and one can only hope that his erratic streak comes to an end. Perhaps we’ll see Button for another season, but I doubt it. I’ve heard a lot of names flying around though: Sutil, Bird and Gary Paffett just being a few of them. Never discount McLaren for fielding young blood. Mika Hakkinen, Raikkonen and Hamilton are just three drivers whose careers took off since joining them. On that note, also don’t be surprised to see the name Valtteri Bottas being mentioned here as well.

Torro Rosso

Ricciardo leaves to join Red Bull and I don’t see Jean-Eric Vergne being given a third season, especially not with him not being in contention for any future Red Bull plans. But which of the Red Bull young drivers do you field? Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat and Antonio Felix da Costa all look promising, but you have to remember that all of them only have GP3 knowledge. Torro Rosso might wait till very late to announce their line-up for 2014. With Renault being announced as their engine supplier, we could we see this also influencing their line-up.

Sauber F1

Sauber needs money. Hulkenberg needs a competitive car and Esteban Gutierrez needs to deliver on his pre-season potential. Sauber also still needs an engine for 2014. There are rumours that Massa could be ending his career with them, but without Ferrari engines I somehow don’t see this materialising. There’s speculation of Russian money coming in, and with that maybe a Russian driver. This could mean that we can see Vitaly Petrov making a comeback to F1. Still, I just get the feeling that Sauber will somehow be happy to have two cars competing for the lower points on the gird in 2014, having at least one competitive driver will be a huge bonus.

Williams

I just want to page through the history files here for a bit: Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve – all names that won championships with them during the last 30 years. Senna lost his life while driving for the then dream team. They’ve brought us drivers like David Coulthard, Button and Montoya and once had Ralf Schumacher being in contention for the title.

Where exactly did things go wrong for them that they’ve become the home of pay drivers such as Pastor Maldonado? I can’t stress this point enough; it’s time for Maldonado to go. 2014 will see them switching to Mercedes engines and with that I’m hoping to see either Sutil or Bird coming in. If Bottas can’t secure a top drive, I’d like to see him retain his seat too.

Marussia

Just ask Timo Glock how loud money can speak at the back of the grid. Max Chilton hasn’t quite lived up to any expectation in 2013 and unless he comes with a hefty cheque, I’d be surprised to see him back. I’d also be surprised to see Bianchi not moving up. This could open doors for Luiz Razia who tested with them at the start of the season, or test driver Rodolfo Gonzalez. For all we know Maldonado might even have a lifeline here. They’re another team with a good young driver programme in both GP2 and GP3, but I foresee money speaking louder than talent here.

Caterham

The same goes for Caterham. Charles Pic is already confirmed and Van der Garde has done enough to move up. Test driver Alexander Rossi is fast, but I doubt if this will be enough.

Money may speak louder than talent at the back, but no one can speak louder than Raikkonen at the front end. Watch this space on Street Motion and F1 Madness as we’ll bring you more F1 silly season updates during the rest of the season.

What changes and surprises do you think the F1 Silly Season will still bring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Reynard Gelderblom is the motorsport editor for Street Motion.

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Photo Credits:

Kimi Raikkonen – F1 Madness Screengrab

Alonso and Massa – Ferrari F1 Twitter team

Sutil – Force India Twitter team

Maldonado – Williams F1 Twitter Team

September 3, 2013
Spa-Francorchamps Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Sauber F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Belgiam Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
“I am probably not the only driver to say Spa-Francorchamps is one of my favourite circuits. It’s a track with a lot of history. It’s an old school circuit with great corners like Eau Rouge and Pouhon. I have great memories from last year, it was my strongest career finish so far finishing fourth, which was really good. In terms of the car, it’s important to have a really efficient one. There are a lot of medium and high-speed corners, where you need the down force, especially in sector two. But you also need to lose the drag on the straight, because there are long straights, especially out of turn one through Eau Rouge, which is flat, and then again coming back to the start and finish line. There are a lot of straights, so top speed is also important. The Ardennes area of Belgium has a really nice atmosphere and I enjoy going to there.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber
“Belgium will be an interesting race with everything we have done to the car during the past GPs. Obviously qualifying in Hungary was not good, because of the time we lost in FP3. But I think we can manage to get into the position we were expecting, which is around P10 in Spa-Francorchamps. It is one of the tracks that I enjoy driving the most, because it has a lot of quick corners and it just flows. You can feel the limits of the car at really high speeds. One lap is quite long and sometimes you even face varying weather conditions in different parts of the track – on one side it might be raining, while the other side might be dry. This makes it very challenging and interesting. In terms of the setup, we will have to be clever about which downforce levels we want to race, because you have very long straights, and at the same time you have high-speed corners, where you need the downforce. As a racing driver it is impossible not to enjoy the track, because it has fast corners, you are going uphill, downhill and I am really looking forward to it.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“After the August break the whole team feels refreshed and we are looking forward to the remaining nine races. Spa-Francorchamps is a favourite track for many engineers and drivers as the track requirements are different to the majority of the tracks we visit. The circuit efficiency penalises higher levels of drag so the rear wings will return to the medium levels of downforce. As always, we will have to keep an eye on the forecast as this often influences the race weekend in Spa-Francorchamps. The track is made up of primarily medium and high-speed corners with significant flat out sections. Pirelli has selected the medium and hard compounds for our return to Spa. We have improved the competitiveness of the C32 throughout the first half of the season and we aim to capitalise on that between now and the end of the year.”

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

August 22, 2013