F1 Madness

Tag: suzuka

  • Jules Bianchi rushed to hospital after serious crash

    Jules Bianchi rushed to hospital after serious crash

    Jules Bianchi has been taken to hospital in an unconscious condition following a serious accident which ended the Japanese Grand Prix.

    Adrian Sutil crashed at Dunlop Curve and a few minutes later, Bianchi crashed into the same corner.

    Reports are that Bianchi hit the recovery vehicle which was deployed to remove Sutil’s Sauber.

    According to FIA press officer Matteo Bonciani, “The driver is not conscious, he has been sent to the hospital by ambulance because the helicopter cannot go in these conditions. Further updates will follow – for the moment we cannot say anything. We will keep you updated as fast as we can.”

     

  • Typhoon Phanfone Update – Storm still threatening Japanese GP

    Typhoon Phanfone Update – Storm still threatening Japanese GP

    The FIA confirmed this morning that Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix will go ahead as planned at 15:00 local time. Typhoon Phanfone however remains a real threat to the race at Suzuka.

    Earlier this morning, the Typhoon Phanfone had been upgraded to a super typhoon but has since been downgraded again to a typhoon. The exact path that the storm is set to take remains uncertain but forecasts are suggesting that it could pass south of the Suzuka circuit at around 18:00 with wind speeds of up to 170 km/h.

    Even if Typhoon Phanfone does not hit the circuit directly, the outlying rain bands that will come with it are quite likely to disrupt the Japanese Grand Prix, and could even make it impossible to race. According to UBIMET, the official weather partner of the FIA have also indicated that the Japanese Grand Prix will almost certainly be run in wet weather.

    Typhoon Phanfone heading for SuzukaThe FIA have said that it will continue to monitor Typhoon Phanfone and has reiterated that safety remains the primary concern. There are talks of an option to run the race behind the safety car for at least two laps to ensure that half points can be awarded. However, even this might not be possible. If the rain is too severe, there is no way they would risk the lives of the drivers. Furthermore, sunset is expected at around 17:30, so the race will only have two and a half hours in which to run instead of the four hour time limit which the regulations allow for.

    “Although we expect rain during the normal race period, the heaviest rain and possibly storm force winds will affect the circuit later on” said expert on-site meteorologists for UBIMET, Steffen Dietz and Andy Swan. “More problematic will be the demobilisation and onward transport of the equipment to Sochi, where the next Grand Prix will be run on Sunday October 12th.”

    F1 teams usually pack well into the night following a grand prix and continue the following day in order to ensure that their freight makes it to its next destination on time. There is very little doubt that Typhoon Phanfone has a serious chance of disrupting that.

    Typhoon Phanfone heading for Suzuka “The main body of the typhoon will impact most of Honshu on Sunday night with gusts of up to 120 kph (75 mph) and torrential rain over a few hours. Disruption to transport out of Nagoya airport is almost certain,” Dietz and Swan added.

    “Probably Phanfone will pass to the southeast of Suzuka. There are also model solutions that can draw the eye directly on the race circuit. In both cases severe structural damage is expected on Monday, with possible widespread severe damage from the second case.”

    Nevertheless, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is optimistic the race will still go ahead.

    “Actually I have heard the opposite,” he said. “I don’t know if the storm is going to be further south, but I have heard that there are going to be banks of rain with dry places in between. At the moment I think we have to just get on with it.”

    When asked about the impact that Typhoon Phanfone will have on getting to Sochi on time, Wolff said, “If you know that this is going to hit you on Sunday night or Monday, the only thing you can do is work flat-out and try to get the freight onto the airplane. But at the end of the day this is force majeure, if the storm’s going to hit transport generally and the planes leaving then we have a problem. Formula One has overcome larger obstacles than 24 hours of delay. But, honestly, I don’t know.”

  • F1 2014: Japanese GP – Rosberg Secures Pole

    F1 2014: Japanese GP – Rosberg Secures Pole

    Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg secured pole position ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton ahead of Sunday’s Japanese grand prix.

    There were few surprises in the first session of qualifying as both Caterhams, Marussia’s and Lotus’ were eliminated from Q1. The second part of qualifying saw Jean-Eric Vergne out-qualify his younger teammate Danil Kvyat who learnt this morning that he would be a Red Bull Racing driver in 2015.

    The Russian will be replacing four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel who managed to secure ninth on the grid. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, surrounded by rumours and media off the track, slotted into fifth on the grid. Teammate Raikkonen could only set a lap fast enough for tenth.

    The Williams pairing of Valterri Bottas and Felipe Massa locked out the second row of the grid and appear to be Mercedes’ closest challengers. Lewis Hamilton, recovering for a crash in the third practice session, was two tenths of his teammates place.

    The biggest talking point on the track remains the prospective weather conditions for Sunday’s Japanese Gp. As a typhoon makes it way ever closer to the Mie prefecture questions remain as to the conditions and if it will allow for a race to take place.

     

  • 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Friday Press Conference

    2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Friday Press Conference

    Team representatives:

    Pat Fry (Ferrari)

    Andy Cowell (Mercedes)

    Remi Taffin (Renault)

    Paul Monaghan (Red Bull Racing)

    Yasuhisa Arai (Honda)

    Jonathan Neale (McLaren)

     
    Q: Arai-san, if I can start with you please. What’s the current state of the Honda project? Is Honda on target with development?
    Yasuhisa Arai:     First of all, thank you very much to sit in centre. I am glad to be here again after Shanghai. Our progress is right now almost on schedule and I hope that in the year 2015, March we will make [a good start] together with our partner, get a good start on the grid.

    Q: Would you like to run the power unit in a McLaren before the end of the year? Is that feasible? Are you allowed to do that?
    YA:     Everyone asks this to me! McLaren and Honda work together to design and create an experimental test vehicle to check the power unit system but unfortunately we don’t have an actual test plan but I hope if possible we will drive just before next season.

    Q: You can’t say any more than “just before next season”?
    YA:     Just before next season. End of the season and next season, during that time. That’s my hope.

    Q: What lessons have you learned from the efforts from the other power unit manufacturers? Are there particular areas that you’ve noticed they’ve had troubled with?
    YA:     I’ve learned very small things because most of the data we don’t know. So, very difficult to learn on the track.

    Q: You’ve seen the failures that they have had. Are there particular areas you have concentrated on?
    Jonathan Neale:     If I may, just to help my partner here, as Arai-san says it’s very difficult at arm’s length to focus on any particular area. Honda and McLaren have a lot of work to do together in a short period of time and I’m sure if you were to ask – I don’t want to put words in the mouth of either Andy or Remi here – but if you were to ask them what it felt like for them at this time of year before they were starting with the V6 engines, they’ll know what we’re going through at the moment.

    Q: Thank you for that. If I can come to the back row now: a couple of questions for all of you. First of all, what is your state of development at this stage for 2015 with your engines? Remi, if I can start with you?
    Remi Taffin:     It’s all about on plan. It’s basically now a few months we are working on that and we now have got a few examples on the dyno, so it’s a work in process. I think we are going in the right direction. It’s always difficult to know if we’ll hit all our targets but that’s where we are at the minute.

    Q: Andy?
    Andy Cowell:     We’ve been doing lots of development ever since we froze the specification of this year’s engine in February, so we’ve been doing lots of development on research engines and using this year’s engine as a prove-out but our final specification of engine won’t be complete until the early part of next year, because for all of us we’re in the development phase until the.

    Q: Thank you. And Pat?
    Pat Fry:     Our development is very similar to Andy’s really. As soon as the engine was frozen we’ve obviously been developing as hard as we can and trying to improve the power unit in all areas. There is a huge amount for us still to do. Very little of next year’s spec engine actually exists, which I expect to be the same for everyone here. It will all finally be coming together at the start of January.

    Q: Can I ask you your feelings about unfreezing in-season power unit development and where is that discussion actually going? Remi?
    RT:     Where is that discussion? I think at the moment it is at the upper level than the one we are here and what I think about it, or what Renault thinks, is that it is not going to really change the way we are working. As Andy says we are developing our engine for next. There won’t be many parts that will be looking like the one from this year. Whether we will be able to put all the parts, all the development into one engine for Melbourne is difficult to say. Of course we will push as much as we can, because the more we put for the first race, the more performance we will get for the whole season. If we’ve got a slot at some point in the season to introduce some more development, they will be on the shelf, because obviously we just keep on working all through the year. It’s not really decisive in how we achieve our development. We will just take the opportunity if it is there.

    Q: What are your feelings about this Andy?
    AC:     I think it would be a change to the way we are structured. We froze the performance specification of this engine in January/February of this year and started working on a 12-month development programme and if you’ve got one introduction point or two introduction points, it is a change. And often it is the prove-out – taking that performance specification into something that is reliable enough to do five race weekends – that’s the costly aspect, because you’ve got to have several sets of bits and often you have to go back around, because fatigue failures occur and you’ve got to redesign and go again. The regulations were put together several years ago with the opportunity to do an annual performance update. If we change to a mid-season as well as a start-of-season update, we all just need to consider that carefully. I think we all acknowledge that it would affect the financial situation. Perhaps the engineering directors would love the opportunity but the finance directors would have a furrowed brow at the thought of doing it. It needs to be discussed and considered carefully.

    Q: Pat, what does Ferrari think of this?
    PF:     I think we are continually developing all through the year. It’s not like we’re targeting a fixed point, we’re developing as quickly as we can in every single area – some parts of that will be ready in January and some might not. But even then we don’t stop, we’ll carry on developing all through the following year. I think the changes that are being discussed still stay within the technical regulations and the number of tokens that you are allowed – it’s exactly the same number – it just gives you the opportunity to upgrade in one extra point, mid-season. I think for us the cost implications are not huge. As I said we would be doing all that development work anyway and also trying to improve the reliability of bits, so it doesn’t make a huge difference for us from that point of view.

    Q: Jonathan, we’ve heard the state of the engine development for next year. What’s the state of the chassis development?
    JN:     Well, as Arai-san has said, we’ve been developing an experimental vehicle to support the engine and transmission integration. We continue to develop the car on the circuit this year, aerodynamically. And while we are not comfortable with where we’re at, we’re much more confident about the direction in which we’re taking the team and the progress that we’re seeing on the track. The gap to Mercedes still looks pretty eye-watering at times, so we’ve got a lot of work to do. The changes that Eric and I have made to the organisation, I’m happy that that’s going in the right direction. We’ve just got to get out heads down now and get on with it now. It’s going the right way.

    Q: We’d remember in the past McLaren and Honda would be pounding around here for weeks on end… not possible these days.
    JN:     Well the world has changed a bit since that time, not least of which the engine regulations, chassis regulations, aerodynamic restrictions – it’s an energy-constrained series. All of these things, I think, have been good for the sport. They have their challenges, the rate of development, or the rate of aerodynamic development has definitely been restricted by the amount of wind tunnel time that’s available – not so sure that that’s actually restricted the amount of aerodynamic cost because the reality is that a unit of time in capacity is worth so much more at the moment but that’s probably a wider discussion – but we are very optimistic that the steps we’re taking in the organisation are the right ones and we will be a competitive team.

    Q: And finally – and I’m sure you’re expecting this one – when are going to hear about the drivers? What are the criteria for choosing the drivers for next year?
    JN:     That’s a really interesting question and I think it depends on who you ask. I’ll give you my view. We have two very good drivers in the car who have been working incredibly hard this year, not always with the easiest car but with an improving car nonetheless. Having a world champion in the team is fantastic from a development and a confidence part of view, and having the Viking charger is also a joy to work with and good for us. In terms of setting our stall out for the future, then in our longer range, longer term conversations both with the shareholders and with our colleagues in Honda, then we have an eye on what’s happening in two, three, four, five years’ time. Where does the team want to be? In the short term, I read the same magazines that you do. I look with interest and note that everybody’s in contracts – but this is Formula One and anything can happen at a moment’s notice. I’m never surprised by what Formula One will throw up.

    Q: Paul, Sebastian in particular is on five units of certain parts of the engine. Is there any way you can manage that? Is there any way of managing how you take those penalties if there’s going to be a penalty? He says there’s going to be a penalty. How do you manage that?
    Paul Monaghan:     As carefully as you can, with the minimum damage to the team’s performance. Obviously we have a few people breathing down our necks for second place in the Constructors’ title, so we have to keep ourselves in a competitive situation. I think on a race-by-race basis we review where we are, what we’ve got, how far we think we can take it? When is it least damaging to take any penalty? And we’ll have to make that call in the near future.

    Q: Unless it springs up on you beforehand…
    PM:     We’ll deal with it if it does.

    Q: You are entering into a much closer relationship with your engine manufacturer Renault. How is that coming along, what are the benefits of that?
    PM:     I think we’ve always had a close relationship with Renault. Don’t forget we’ve got four Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles with them. I think a closer collaboration will only benefit both parties. So if we can bring some additional skill-sets to the party to complement those which Renault possess, we’ll get a better package out of it, not just the power unit but its integration into the car, and ultimately our performance. That’s our aim, and that’s what we’ll do.

    Q: How far advanced is that?
    PM:     It’s taking shape at the moment and I think a few early projects are starting to bear fruit looking towards next year. We hope to pick up a few more and, as Remi said, when all the pieces come together, then we’ll see how big a step we can make with it all.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Arai-san, there are rumours today saying that Alonso has signed with McLaren-Honda. Can you confirm this, and if not, how desperate or hungry is Honda to have Alonso in its car next year?
    YA:     [to JN] Should I answer? McLaren-Honda know this idea, what driver should be used to drive our car. There is many rumours but my understanding that Formula One driver is just 22 drivers in the world. All of the drivers, I have great respect and so of course not only McLaren-Honda but also the other teams want to keep the good driver. Not only McLaren-Honda but also the team, everyone keeps the good driver. We don’t decide yet.

    Q: (Kaz Kawai – Fuji Television) Pat, we’ve all heard that Steve Clark has won his job back. Do you have any idea when he’s coming back or have you been told by your boss when he’s coming back in?
    PF:     I think that’s all being negotiated and sorted out at the moment, so I’m sure we’ll know in a few days.

    Q: (Kate Walker – crash.net) Pat, we’ve heard some stories today about the movement of technical staff from Red Bull, possibly moving to your team. Does this mean that Seb has signed for Ferrari as has been rumoured?
    PF:     Technical team… we have had a few people join in the recent months but in terms of drivers, it’s got no link to drivers whatsoever.

    Q: (Sumie Dan – The Hochi Shimbun) Question for Arai-san: I understand that your new engine power target is over 600hp. Did you achieve this target now?
    YA:     Sorry, I never said the number of our target. Where did you get such kind of a number? But of course our target is very clear. This season, the Mercedes is top of top so next season we shall achieve that same competition or power. Everyone understands that and wants to exceed that power. Lots of work.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) To Andy, Remy and Arai-san if he would like to comment as well: obviously any change to the engine freeze situation requires regulation change. Given Formula One’s present governance process, that means that the teams would actually be voting for that rather than the engine suppliers. How much of a frustration is it that your destiny is not ultimately in your own hands?
    RT:     Difficult to answer or difficult question, I don’t know, but I will give one. That’s the way it is, as you say, that’s the regulations so obviously we have to follow that, and again, as I said a bit earlier, it’s not going to be changing the way we are working so whether we are going to have a change or not, we’re just pushing like elves to try to get back to where we should be, so at the upper level and whatever we will get for next year… it will just be a plus, I would say, if we have this change. I would not say we are frustrated.
    AC: Yeah, I would support Remy’s comments. It’s not frustrating, that’s how Formula One is set up and one of the great things about Formula One is that the boundary conditions do change and you do well if you can adapt quickly, if you can react quickly, change your organisation, not slow down but accelerate and make sure that you’re in a strong place. And that’s what we’ll do. So as soon as we’ve got any change to the regulations, we’ll all react, we’ll all take the race on and we’ll all see who’s done the best job when we get to the first race.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Andy, I must come back to your comment earlier on that it’s got to be very carefully managed, any changes, and yet you won’t have any input into that process and that’s really what I’m getting at. How would you ensure that it is carefully managed?
    AC:     You’re asked your opinion, so collectively we’ve got lots of years’ experience developing engines, KERS systems, ERS systems and we’ve all got a clear breakdown as to how many people we’ve got, how much we spend on material, how loaded our dynos are so based on a different set of criteria, different set of regulations, we can all work out what the consequences are, what the opportunities are and do we want to take on those opportunities or not. So of course we’re all consulted on that and regulations are often a compromise, not everybody is completely happy but as soon as the regulations are clear and fixed, you react, you respond quickly, motivate the staff and you go racing into the first race with those regulations as we’ve seen at the start of this year.
    YA: Just a small comment: from the engineers and many fans, they and we want to keep the competition so in a season, to develop the many parts and to keep the competition is very important, just from engineering and fans’ side.

    Q: (Kate Walker – crash.net) Arai-san, when you first announced your engine development programme, you said that there would be the possibility of supplying more than one customer team from 2016 onwards. Have you already entered into any negotiations or discussions with potential customers?
    YA:     Not yet, because no one knows of our potential. Of course, we prepare many cards but no one has checked my card.

    Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Mr Arai, what is your target for next year, realistically. What level do you think your power unit will be able to perform at and do you think that you have been doing enough at this stage, to convince a top driver to join your team?
    YA:     Our development progress is still on plan but we need to be careful to achieve top competition power within five months, so I need more time but finally our target, the McLaren-Honda target will be to keep a good position to compete in the championship. That’s our target.

    Q: (Ken Kawakita – Weekly Playboy Magazine) Arai-san, we’ve seen at the debut this year, a lot of engine manufacturers facing problems in testing as this whole system is so complicated and integration of the whole components is a colossal issue. And as far as we’ve heard, you start properly testing from next year with only one partner. That means that the information and data that you can gather from that is quite limited. Do you think this could be a disadvantage for your engine programme? Do you have any concerns about this situation?
    YA:     I don’t think so. Our partner is very strong and I think one of the best teams. Of course that means just one team’s data, but maybe that’s enough, I think. So we already discussed with our partner and set a target and already we have agreed whether the target is good or not. Then finally, maybe in March 2015 we will be in a good position.

    Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Paul, obviously Adrian has started moving out and moving on within the group. What will the restructure look like? Who will be appointed in what positions, come next year?
    PM:     As I understand, a group of four will step into the void created by Adrian’s step-back. That’s Rob Marshall, Dan Fallows, Pierre Wache and myself. So we all get a dose more responsibility. Adrian hasn’t left, he will still be involved in the F1 programme and that’s how it will be divided up

  • 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

    Drivers:

    Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)

    Jules Bianchi (Marussia)

    Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

    Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

    Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham)

    Jenson Button (McLaren)

    PRESS CONFERENCE

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

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

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

    Jenson Button_Press Conference 2014Q: But a little bit of a shadow on the horizon at the moment, in that we don’t know which way your career is going. What do you know? What can you tell us? Is it likely to be decided fairly soon?
    JB:     I… I don’t know! As you know I can’t discuss anything to do with the contract.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    NH: Same as Jenson, karts.

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

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

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

  • Weather Report for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

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

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

    Japan Weather 2014Typhoon Phanfone is expected to make landfall on Monday or late on Sunday. This typhoon will bring about lots of rain and strong winds. Ahead of the typhoon there will be rain that will hit the circuit on Saturday paving the way for a wet qualifying session. The weather for Friday will be warm with slightly cooler temperatures forecast for the race on Sunday.  There is some rain forecast on Sunday for the race which should make for some interesting reading.

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

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

    Suzuka 2014 Weather

     

  • F1 2014: Japanese GP Preview – Who Will Be The Man In Japan?

    F1 2014: Japanese GP Preview – Who Will Be The Man In Japan?

    In Japan there is a circuit known as Suzuka, it is roughly 5.8 km in length and throughout its history has witnessed the both the greats of the sport and some of the most dramatic moments in the history of Formula 1.

    Adored by drivers and fans Suzuka is simultaneously one of the most iconic circuits on the calendar and one of its biggest challenges. Beyond the narrow strip of asphalt there are run off areas, no second chances. Here, a bit of gravel is all that precedes brutal punishment.  This degree of difficulty is why Suzuka is so revered by one and all. The level of skill required around these parts are second to none and the reward for a driver, when he gets it right, is huge sense of achievement and most likely a pretty good lap time to boot.  “When you finish a lap at Suzuka you really appreciate it because you know both the car and you have been really tested. You can be proud if you have got the maximum from everything,” says last year’s podium finisher Romain Grosjean.

    The refreshing Daniel Ricciardo describes the first sector of the lap as a delight. “It’s a dream. You have those fast changes of directions through the Esses, hard around the Dunlop Curve and then, arguably the best bit, turns Eight and Nine: Degner. Through Eight you’re hanging on, it’s so narrow and there’s no room for error but you want to push as hard as you can.”

    Suzuka_CircuitThe great thing about Suzuka is that the lustre isn’t all contained in the first sector.  Sector two is distinguished by the Spoon curve and the frighteningly flat-out 130R which follows on from the back straight. Despite the near non-existent margin for error and narrow track surface a few overtaking opportunities exist. Turn one is a popular choice but has to be preceded with a decent exit off the final chicane and a respectable straight-line speed. Another occasion for overtaking could present itself under braking into the final chicane and if a driver is feeling particularly adventurous, and perhaps a tad desperate, the first part of the Spoon curve may even be an option.

    The demand for downforce isn’t as great around the Japanese track. However, striking the balance between having enough grip in the twisty bits and ensuring that they can reach reasonable speed down the straights is the key to set-up. It bodes well for Red Bull to be the best of the rest behind the outlandishly fast Mercedes.

    The sinister underbelly of Formula 1 has struck once more. At least this is what the Formula 1 conspiracy theorists have been peddling. Giving 800px-2012_Japan_GP_-_at_startrise to their frenzied ramblings was a Mercedes announcement that Rosberg’s retirement in Singapore was caused by a contaminated substance and subsequent electronics short circuiting of his car. It turns out, after a thorough examination, that the steering column electronics were contaminated by an undetectable substance.  The loudest of the conspiracy theorists maintain that Rosberg’s car was deliberately sabotaged by the Mercedes management. Besides the fact that the team lost out on scoring points, and the cash that goes with it, what possible explanation could there be for deliberately taking one of its cars completely out of the race?

    From a perspective more slanted towards the neutral the Rosberg retirement wasn’t exactly a full blown tragedy. Yes, for at least ten minutes we all felt bad for Rosberg and we sympathised with his desperate attempts to get going. But after this period of gloominess subsided the realization of F1’s skulking unpredictability sunk in. And just maybe you would’ve concluded that this little sequence of events could result in a cracking end to the season.  Now we head to Japan with a slender three-point gap between the duelling teammates. Neither Hamilton nor Rosberg has ever won here which tees up the battle perfectly. All that is needed is for Messrs Rosberg and Hamilton to set it on fire.

  • Suzuka Memories: On-Board With Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1989

    Suzuka Memories: On-Board With Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1989

    Go on-board with Ayston Senna in his McLaren around the Suzuka Circuit with James Hunt and Murray Walker commentating

  • Suzuka Memories: Schumacher Qualifying at Suzuka

    Suzuka Memories: Schumacher Qualifying at Suzuka

    Watch Michael Schumacher doing what he did best in his Ferrari around Suzuka

  • Pirelli Reveals Tyre Choices for Japan and Russia

    Pirelli Reveals Tyre Choices for Japan and Russia

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

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

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

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

     

    Picture by courtesy Pirelli