Tag: suzuka

2013 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference

Drivers:

1 – Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

2 – Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)

3 – Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Eddie Jordan)

Q: [Sebastian] Nine times a winner already this season – but the championship is still alive. Tell me all about it.
Sebastian Vettel: Konnichi-wa, first of all. Yeah, first of all, I would like to say thank you to all the fans. Every time we come here, the appreciation, the respect we get as drivers is incredible. Obviously, I’m blown away with today’s race. I had a very, very poor start. I think it was right between Romain and, I think, Lewis and I clipped a little bit the front wing. I think Lewis had a puncture after that. I couldn’t go anywhere. After that we were patient, looked after the tyres and had incredible pace towards the end. So we managed to get past Romain, beat Mark on another strategy so, all in all, fantastic. I’m so overwhelmed every time we come here. Thank you very much again for the support.

Q: Who made the final decision on what tyres you were going to run? We got the impression you made the decision right at the very last moment.
SV: Well, to be honest, it happened… I think the decision was already made in the first stint because we stayed out longer, so we obviously took into account that we lapped slower than the others who were on fresh tyres, in order to push them later in the race. We had a similar race in 2011, where I think I came in always as the first and I was under enormous pressure towards the end of the race and got passed by two cars. So this time we did it the other way around: had enough pace in the car to look after the tyres, control the race. Yeah, it was not easy to make the two-stop work, especially in the middle stint – but I think the first stint was crucial to make the decision to stay out and then decide for a two-stop, which turned out to be… [interrupted]

Q: Mark, your last grand prix in a Formula One car at Suzuka, one of the great all-time tracks. Tell us about it.
Mark Webber: Yeah, it’s an amazing circuit. The race today was pretty good, I’d say. Obviously I would have liked one more step on the podium but there were different strategies going on. Seb went longer in the first stint and then it unloaded his race a bit better than mine at the end. So, in general, pretty happy with second but, yeah, hey, you always want a bit more but we got the best out of what I could today. Both of us had very poor starts, which put us on the back foot a little bit and then after that it was just really trying to pace the car again on the tyres and making sure they survived to do the sort of strategy we wanted to. In the end we went to three-stop, which put us a little bit on the back foot but still we got back to where we were.

Q: Romain, we were writing you off last year, we didn’t think you’d have a seat, and here you are, on the podium. How does that feel?
Romain Grosjean: Well, much better than last year for sure. What a start! Terrific. From the past not the best memories here but today was just a very, very good race. The car was fantastic on option tyres to start the race with and we did manage to pull away. Then the Red Bulls catch us a little bit I think, but generally with the work we did, we are the only ones able to follow those guys. We almost catch the Bull I said to my engineer today – it’s a home race for my engineer and I think he’s very happy. Always very good to come here, always very proud of the fans and being on the podium at such a difficult track – it’s good.

Q: Sebastian, you’re ever so close to pulling it off with your fourth consecutive championship. What are your thoughts going into the next race?
SV: First of all, I would like to enjoy today. I think it was a fantastic race. I love this track. As I said, the people are great and make it a very, very special place for us. I’d love to enjoy that first, obviously it does no harm when you win, for the championship. I’ve won now four times here in Suzuka, which is incredible. I’m really looking forward to next year, to be honest. Regarding the championship, as I said, I think obviously we have a very, very good gap but we still keep pushing. I think we’ve proven in the last couple of years that we never give up. I think we’ve won one or two championships because of that. Obviously this year it looks very good at this stage – but it’s not over before it’s over.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Sebastian, you really did seem to enjoy this victory hugely. Is it because of the various problems that happened along the way? The start, for example, the first corner, one or two lock-ups, an interesting tactic…
SV: Yeah, certainly – but I think mostly it’s because of the circuit and the fans to be honest. It’s one of the highlights in the year. I love this track and I’ve been very, very fortunate to have a great car in the past and against this year, being able to finish on the podium and win four times now. Incredible. When we leave the hotel in the morning I think it’s the same for all of us. It makes it so special. The people are crazy about Formula One. They really, yeah, admire us, which is very nice. They love what we do and appreciate the fact we go around. You have the people on the grandstand yesterday, I ran the circuit and there were I think 5,000 people on the grandstand just watching. They are amazed by Formula One and I think that makes it so special and taste so sweet. As you touched on, obviously with the race today, a horrible start but then a fantastic comeback.

Q: That long middle stint – a 23-lap middle stint – and there were one or two lock-ups. Were you affected by that or were the tyres in good condition all the way?
SV: Well, you know, you struggle more in the end obviously. I tried to control the gaps. Obviously we started already to go longer than Romain and Mark in the first stint, so we took into account that we lap a second a lap slower for two or three laps compared to them in order to get the range in the next stint and then tried to extend that to really put them under pressure towards the end. That was, let’s say, the game plan. Obviously after the first pit stop I think very soon in the second stint, Mark decided to go for the three-stop, which wasn’t far off. Before the race I think we targeted more towards two stops but the tyres weren’t holding up as well as probably we thought. As I said, I really tried to manage the gaps in the beginning of the stint and then close the gap, which worked brilliantly, especially with Romain. The end of the second stint I was just on his tail when he pitted, able to stay out another couple of laps and then I had more or less fresh tyres when I was able to pass him, so, yeah, great strategy. It obviously worked. We made it… we didn’t lose the patience early on. Tried obviously to make the stints as long as possible to help us at the end of the race.

Q: Mark, I guess you were hoping you were going to be able to challenge Sebastian during the closing stages. That’s what the engineers suggested to both of you in fact – but you just couldn’t get past Romain.
MW: Ah, no. I don’t think the battle was going to be with Sebastian at the end to be honest. I think that it was pretty much done when we didn’t do enough damage on the three-stop against Seb’s pace on the two. I think we tried to race Romain at the start and then in the end we switched to the three. So I was the meat in the sandwich, trying to beat Romain on a two and then all of a sudden we decided to do a three. I was a little bit surprised. I asked was it the right thing to do because I felt we could get to the lap we were looking to get to. Of course Seb was two or three laps longer, four laps maybe but in terms of the target lap that we looked to get for the two-stop I thought was achievable but in the end Seb did a good race, the strategy worked out perfect and yeah, the three was… not absolutely ridiculous but it’s a bit more high risk we know, and you have to clear people obviously, so yeah, piggy in the middle, trying to do both. In the end, we got back to where we were in terms of position but Seb jumped both of us. But a great result for the team, a sensational result for me in my last time here in Japan in Formula One. The fans are incredible. I enjoyed the grand prix today, it was nice to have fresh tyres a bit more, which is always enjoyable around Suzuka. So that was today’s race.

Q: I mentioned drama-filled for Sebastian, one or two things happened to him, what about yourself?
MW: Apart from the shocking start for both Seb and I, that was really it. After that we could plan our race accordingly. It wasn’t what we expected to be honest, both of us didn’t do anything off the front row. So that put us on the back foot already and Romain was quite strong on the option but I don’t think he was that strong on the prime. Anyway, as I say, I did everything I could today. It’s not too bad a result obviously. It’s nice to be back on the podium after the last few races where I think we could have certainly have been there but we weren’t. All in all, I leave here happy and off to Oz tomorrow for a bit more surfing.

Q: Well done. Romain, tell us about that start because it was a lightning one.
RG: Yeah, it was probably one of the best; I just spoke with Seb [about it]. When I dropped the clutch I said ‘whoah, whoah, that’s a good one, come on, come on go for it’. Amazing. Then when you’re leading it makes the thing easier on the first stint. We were very quick on the option. The car was using less the tyres and I could open the gap. Unfortunately, it was less good on prime than option today for some reason, rather than yesterday when it was the opposite, so the pace dropped a little bit and Seb was really too quick for us. I think it would have been nice with Mark until the end of the race but we caught some slower cars, lapped cars, and they really blocked me a lot. I lost the position against Mark. I don’t know if I could have held him until the end but, yeah, it cost me, I think, quite a lot. Never mind, we were the only car to be able to follow them. We did not even think about racing them before the race and the strategy says that our target was Lewis, so, so far it was a pretty good race and for sure being ahead in the first corner helps quite a lot but we did a very good job to come back from a disaster Friday to have a very good Saturday and Sunday.

Q: You were right in the middle of a backmarker battle right at the end there – there was a lot of traffic around. A little bit of sadness having been out in front and finishing third?
RG: I thought it was the day that the first victory was coming. Honestly on option, I did struggle a little bit but then I could pull away to Mark and I said “our car is beautiful today, it’s gonna be good,” and then Mark pitted earlier than what we thought, we fitted the prime – hard tyres – and the degradation was not the same anymore and it was making it harder to drive. I think I lost second with the Caterham in the middle stint when Mark catch me just before he pitted and then on the last few laps there were a lot of cars in front of us. I know it’s not easy for anyone to let us by but on such a nice big track it costs you a lot . As my tyres were really on the edge every small aero… wing perturbation will cost me a lot and at the exit of the chicane a little bit of wheelspin and Mark could go for it. So, a bit of a shame to lose the second position but never mind, I think the positives that I gain outweigh… were challenging them and that counts for us.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Mark, you spoke about the second stop but the first one was already pretty early for a two stop strategy. Was it just to do an undercut on Romain, or do you feel that you were in the role of a rabbit to challenge Romain to follow you and then obviously it paid out for Seb?
MW: Yeah, we were obviously looking to get in the lead, to put some pressure on Romain. I don’t think the option was easy to handle for any of us. I wanted to put some pressure on Romain towards the end of that stint. We were more or less in the window for a two stop. As soon as I pitted after the prime, the guys said ‘yeah, we’re on a two stop, it’s no problem. Look after the tyres and we’ll stay on two.’ And then I was on two and then we switched to three so I think they just saw that it was just a quicker way for me to do three stops. That’s what they thought, that was the reason they did it. That’s the reason for that.

Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action and National Speedsport News) Mark, in those laps, you were trying to get Grosjean but you couldn’t quite get him down the straights; what was happening through the chicane and down the pit straight?
MW: Well, at the end of the race, the DRS is not as effective because you’re on the limiter, basically. We managed to get off the chicane a bit better on the… when you arrive on someone you want to get the job done pretty quickly. First sector is obviously not that easy because… Romain is a bit low on tyres but they also had more downforce than us. I was quite low on wing. When I arrived on him, I was obviously hoping to get it done a little bit earlier but it was also knowing that his tyres were going to be quite tired, getting towards the end of the race as well. The backmarkers didn’t work out for Romain, it’s a bit of a nightmare when you catch so many guys; they all want the DRS, they all want to fight and in the end, it was beneficial for me to pounce when Romain got not the best run with the backmarkers, which was no fault of his own.

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Romain, what do you think you still miss to get a victory: another car, another team, another strategy? And the same for you, Sebastian, about Romain.
RG: From my side, I think, today, was a little bit of pace on the hard tyre. We covered Mark on the first stop. It was two laps shorter than what we thought and then again, the second stop was just a little bit earlier than we thought because of the tyres’ age and so on. And I think we missed Friday, so we had to do a long run in FP3 to know how the tyres were going because from Friday we had no information from our long runs, we really struggled with the car, so we lost that information that we are normally pretty good on. Today the hard tyres didn’t behave as we expected and before the race, honestly, we said we’ll start on option but then what’s going on in the second stint, we didn’t know if we had to fit option or prime and it was just an unknown. I think the Red Bull today was… we said in the strategy meeting that we never thought that we could beat them. So we are where we expected to be. Just sometimes, it’s a little bit of everything. Today was not the luck missing, it was not the start, the driving, it was just a little bit of pace from the car.
SV: Well, I think after the start and the first stint, I thought that it would be a great race for Romain. Obviously we tried to make our stint longer and so on, to come back in the end but they looked very strong. I think they struggled a little bit more on the prime probably but then again as he just said, they didn’t expect to race where they ended up racing. I think he drove a fantastic race today. I don’t think it’s a matter of… he can beat me, he beat me last year at the Race of Champions. I put the car in the wall. I think it’s not a matter of that. The race is long. Today obviously favoured us over the distance which is a little bit unusual compared to the Lotus because I knew that being in third, losing out in the first stint, usually the distance is more, you know, let’s say the strength of the Lotuses. I think Romain did a great job, great performance all weekend I think, great qualifying yesterday again, outqualified Kimi. We know that Kimi is a strong driver. Last year I think Romain made some mistakes but the most important thing is that we learn from these mistakes as drivers so I think he learned a lot of things and gradually he’s improving, so big respect for that.

Q: (Anne Giuntini – L’Equipe) Mark, last year you had an incident with Romain here. Did you change your mind about him during this year, especially in this race, but also the whole season?
MW: No, I think it’s very clear that Romain has a very different mental approach to the job at the moment this year. He’s driven some quite strong races, putting together the whole weekend which is a sign of a driver starting to get a bit more relaxed and confident. A lot less mistakes, not just in races but in practice so it’s not… You know, we’re not here to blow smoke up his arse but in the end he’s doing a very good job this year and it’s a big step for him because last year, in Formula One, also the first year against Fernando in Formula One wasn’t easy for him and to come back… yeah, he’s doing a good job. It starts and stops with him. Hope he doesn’t improve too much more before the end of the year! And we can keep going.

Q: (Kate Walker – GP Week) Sebastian, you haven’t won your fourth consecutive title yet but it’s almost certain to happen this season, barring something very odd. Now you’re also a man who collects an awful lot of race wins, record after record. What means more to you: going down in history with the likes of Fangio and Schumacher as one of three men to have collected four consecutive titles, or to stand on the top of every podium on the calendar?
SV: I think I prefer the second thing you said. You know, I love racing. When I was small, I was dreaming about Formula One and honestly never thought that one day I would be able to test one of these cars. First time I tested the car, it was… Mark drove in the morning, I drove in the afternoon. I shit myself the first couple of laps and I thought, alright, that’s for real men, not for me. Then I got used to it and obviously wanted to do more. A couple of years later, obviously I had the chance to get a drive, Red Bull gave me the chance at Toro Rosso to get some races. It’s incredible what’s happened over the last couple of years but nothing has changed in the way that I still love racing, I love the challenge, I’m still nervous when I wake up on Sunday, still excited when I walk on the grid and tense, looking forward to the race. Enjoying – not the numbers – but enjoying the fact that I’m racing and a great crowd today, a fantastic day. As I said, I think it would be a shame if you were too tense and if you tried to force things too much. I think you have to allow yourself to enjoy it because this is not normal, it doesn’t happen to everyone. I think I’m very fortunate that I’m one of these 22/24 guys in Formula One. As I said, we leave the hotel, great respect from the fans, they’re cheering, they’re shouting our names and it’s just great. That’s what I’m looking forward to most, obviously try to do it again. I love trophies so I don’t mind collecting a few either!

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Sebastian, after overtaking Grosjean, did you ask the team what position Alonso was in in the race?
SV: No.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Did the team inform you?
SV: After the race. Obviously I knew that in the last stint, once we got past Romain, I knew that Mark was the biggest threat from behind. He was on fresher tyres and pretty quick. Obviously he got stuck with Romain a little bit which helped us. But I didn’t really… I didn’t ask and I didn’t want to know because there are still things that can happen at the end, even if you have a little bit of a gap and so on. We’ve seen today a lot of lock-ups; I was wide once in turn two, at the beginning of the race. Mark just said he knew where I was in one of the stints in the race because there was smoke here, smoke there. I was struggling a little bit with locking up the tyres. I was busy enough, also carrying the car to the chequered flag.

October 13, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Review – Seb Rules Suzuka

Demanding or easy, big or small Sebastian Vettel will win them all. The Red Bull driver has increased his tally of victories for the 2013 season to nine with another fine victory in Japan.

Saturday qualifying delivered a first pole of the season for Mark Webber but the Australian couldn’t quite manage to seal the deal on Sunday. However, AussieGrit gave it a good go in a race defined by strategy and patience.

Neither of the front row starting Red Bulls covered themselves in glory as the red lights extinguished. Instead they fell prey to the fast starting Romain Grosjean. The Lotus driver blitzed both Red Bulls and sensationally snatched the lead of the race.

The merest of touches between third placed Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race completely wrecked the Brit’s afternoon. A trip into to the pits with a right rear puncture only postponed the inevitable as Hamilton pulled his Silver Arrow into the garage only a few laps later.

The factor that added to and made the show in Japan was the unknown. For the better part of 53 laps there was no definitive certainty who the eventual victor of the race would be. Romain Grosjean had the lead of the race right off the bat and appeared to have the pace to beat Red Bull. But he is after all in the cockpit of a Lotus and though he got heartbreakingly close beating a Red Bull, much less two, is nigh impossible. Mark Webber’s three stop strategy nearly gave him enough of an undercut to take the victory from Vettel but he ran out of laps before he was able to fully exploit his astute plan. The final stint of the race on fresh medium tyres did however reward Webber with second place at the chequered flag.

There was a third driver in this mix too. Sebastian Vettel patiently waited for his chance to make his own strategy talk. Electing to pit later than his two rivals in the first round of stops meant he would have to stick to a two stopper if victory was to be on the cards. Vettel’s unfailing ability to reel off quick laps paid dividends in the end as he took over the lead of the race from Webber.

Finger boy, selfish, lucky – whatever you want to call Sebastian Vettel he revealed a bit more of what makes him so unbeatable in this race. Beneath that quirky, sort of cheeky, grin there is more talent and skill than we have even begun to glimpse. The regularity with which he is able to set fast laps isn’t in the repertoire of someone who is lucky, that is a skill of a champion.

Further down the field Fernando Alonso played second fiddle for a big part of the race to teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso failed on more than one occasion to overtake the Brazilian; surprising given Alonso’s performances relative to his departing teammate throughout the years. Nevertheless, Alonso managed to get the better of Massa eventually but could not advance much further through the field. “We weren’t as quick as the Red Bulls or Grosjean so fourth was the maximum. We recovered some of the pace we didn’t have earlier in the weekend, but the top three were too strong for us even without traffic,” Alonso concluded.

The traffic Alonso referred to came in the form Daniel Ricciardo. The Toro Rosso driver started his race on the orange side walled hard tyres enabling him to run a good deal further into the race than those immediately around him. The Aussie was lapping three seconds off the front running pace and drivers stuck in the Ricciardo-train included both Ferrari’s and Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn ultimately finished fifth ahead of Sauber pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is the first of the 2013 rookies this season to score points and aptly on the weekend of Peter Sauber’s 70^th birthday. Nico Rosberg’s race was dealt a blow when the pit crew released him into the path of Sergio Perez; the McLaren driver had to take avoiding action and Rosberg incurred a drive through penalty but was still able to salvage eighth place. Jenson Button said a late set-up change made his McLaren quite difficult to drive and that ninth was the maximum. Felipe Massa scored the final point on offer.

Notwithstanding Red Bull’s dominance of the season it has taken until the fifteenth race of the year for any of the rookies to score a point. Add to this that points are awarded all the way down to tenth place, as opposed to sixth in the past; it is an indication that competition for those elusive points is a closely fought affair and more importantly that Formula 1 is healthy and highly competitive.

It will take at least two more weeks for Sebastian Vettel to become a four times world champion. Fifth place is all the German will need to clinch the title in India. If the Japanese GP showed anything it solidified that Seb Vettel is entirely unruffled and that very little is going to keep him from making Formula 1 history, again.

October 13, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Qualifying Report – Webber Snatches Suzuka Pole

Mark Webber has secured pole position for the 2013 Japanese grand prix.

The Australian eased his way through qualifying and pounced on his first run on the final ten minute session. Webber did slightly improve his time in his second run but it was ultimately not required. Sebastian Vettel lines up second for Sunday’s race as the German miraculously managed to secure a spot on the front row of the grid despite losing the kers in the final part of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton secured third in the Mercedes and said, post-qualifying, that tyre management will be the most important factor in the race.

The first part of qualifying ended in a fiery mess for Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne. The Frenchman brought his car to a stop as both rear brakes caught fire after being stuck open. The red flag was momentarily out as the marshals cleared the Toro Rosso; the session resumed with just about three minutes remaining. Adrian Sutil was the biggest loser as the Force India driver failed to advance to the second part of qualifying. Sutil has also incurred a five place grid penalty for changing a gearbox.

Max Chilton optimised conditions perfectly as out-qualified both Caterham drivers and teammate Jules Bianchi. Perfect timing for Chilton who is yet to confirm his future in Formula 1.

Despite their best efforts Sergio Perez, Valterri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez, Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo were cut at the end of the second session. Though also being caught in the drop zone in Q2 Force India’s Paul di Resta was upbeat after his qualifying performance. The Scot praised the effort made by the team especially considering the fact that new updates have not been brought to the car this weekend. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean set the fastest time in the second part of qualifying, seemingly preparing himself for a duel with the Red Bull duo of Webber and Vettel.

Ultimately, Grosjean could only muster a time quick enough for fourth but has saved a brand new set of the medium compound tyres for the race. Felipe Massa was able to slot his Ferrari into fifth ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes in sixth. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg continued to impress as he set the seventh fastest time. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen’s lacklustre runs in qualifying continued with eighth and ninth respectively. Raikkonen should be slightly upset given that his pace throughout the weekend suggested a better position was possible. Jenson Button rounded out the top ten in his McLaren.

Although the qualifying session at Suzuka demanded the utmost concentration thoughts about former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota was not far from the driver’s minds. Several drivers were seen sporting Villota’s trademark star on their crash helmets as a show of support.

Mark Webber had earmarked the qualifying session for the Japanese GP as the one his most looked forward to earlier this year. By taking first pole position of the season he has certainly achieved half his goal of leaving this majestic circuit with the best memories possible. This seventh pole of the season for Red Bull also marks a historical moment in Renault’s participation in Formula 1 as the French engine manufacturer has now secured more pole positions than Ferrari.

Sunday’s race holds great potential for cracking grand prix. The challenge could come from Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes but the form this weekend also suggests that Lotus may yet have a thing or two to say about who stands where on those three podium steps.

October 12, 2013
Mark Webber Fastest in FP3 in Suzuka

Red Bull’s Mark Webber topped the time sheets at the end of the third free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

Webber, set a time of 1:32.053 for P1. Hamilton, in his Mercedes set a time of 1:32.187 for P2, only 0.134s slower than Webber. Nico Rosberg finished the session in P3 with a 1:32.255.

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean looked very strong on the prime tyre and held the fastest time until the options came out, finished the session in P4, while both the Ferrari’s of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished the session in P5 and P6 respectively.

The session was not without incident with Force India’s Adrian Sutil having a spin at the exit of the Spoon Corner. He seemed to have lost the rear end on the exit and spun off into the barrier damaging his rear wing, rear suspension and front wing.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg reported and exhaust problem early on in the session. The Sauber mechanics worked very quick and had him out for a run on the options.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was out of FP3 with 30mins left in the session with a suspected KERS battery failure. No doubt his car will be ready before the start of Qualifying.

The full time sheet for the session is included below:

Join us for out live qualifying coverage from 07:00(GMT+2

October 12, 2013
F1 2013: Free Practice 1 Report – Japanese GP

The first free practice session for the 2013 Japanese grand prix was topped by Lewis Hamilton.

The notoriously difficult Suzuka circuit didn’t take long to snare its first victim as Marussia’s Jules Bianchi ended his first session in the tyre barrier of the Degner 2. It was later reported that Bianchi had gotten his elbow stuck between the steering wheel and the chassis and was unable to reduce the steering wheel lock which resulted in the crash. The Frenchman was seen icing his forearm in the Marussia motorhome. Bianchi completed only eight laps in the first free practice session.

The track looked in great nick for the session with slightly overcast conditions doing nothing to hamper the pace set by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton set the quickest time for the session on the orange side-walled Pirelli tyres, a 1:34:178. The standings had a familiar look about them towards the closing stages of the session as Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber occupied second through fourth on the sheets.

Two separate incidents for Williams’ Pastor Maldonado and Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde brought out several yellow flags. The first incident involved Maldonado running wide at the Spoon curve and losing his left right wheel. The tyre bounced into the gravel trap around the edge of the circuit and was quickly recovered by the Japanese marshals. At the same time van der Garde parked his Caterham in the barriers of Degner 2, thankfully without too much damage to the car. The famous Degners have already claimed two victims and there is sure to be a few more this weekend.

The level of tyre degradation seemed minimal however the long runs completed by some drivers lasted on a handful of laps. A clearer picture should emerge in the second free practice session. The news coming into the Japanese GP this weekend was about the possible retirement of Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn. However, during an interview with the BBC Brawn was adamant that nothing had been decided and that no discussions had taken place between himself and Honda nor McLaren. In fact, Brawn made it quite clear that negotiations are on the go with Mercedes for 2014.

Over at McLaren Martin Whitmarsh neither confirmed nor denied the rumour about Fernando Alonso rejoining the Woking based team. Whitmarsh also declined to reveal details about Sergio Perez’ future with McLaren. Rumours suggest that Alonso wants to make the move to McLaren in 2014; however this is pure speculation at this stage.

Jenson Button has long since considered the Japanese GP as his second home race of the season and is sporting quite a nifty new helmet design for the weekend. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

Sebastian Vettel considers every race weekend a special occasion and is also sporting a new lid design. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

October 11, 2013
Suzuka Preview Quotes – McLaren F1 Team

Jenson Button, McLaren

“Suzuka feels a bit like a second home circuit to me. My win there back in 2011 remains one of my most emotional victories, because it was the first Japanese Grand Prix after the terrible tsunami that devastated the north of Japan – it was such an important event for the whole country. The thing I really like about Suzuka is that it’s such an unforgiving track. On most circuits, if you run wide or out-brake yourself, you invariably end up just running onto the Tarmac run-off, so you can easily get back onto the track without any penalty. At Suzuka, if you run wide through the Esses, or go off the track at the exit of the Degners, you’re going to find yourself in the gravel. And I like that – I think it rewards those who don’t make mistakes, and it makes for better racing, because you have to stay honest and focused. Suzuka requires a car with a rock-solid balance and good downforce in order to go well. We’re not quite there with our car, but Korea showed that we can race well and, even despite misfortune, can score points. I think the whole team is keyed up for another positive weekend.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren

“I love Suzuka – such a great circuit. I really enjoy driving at fast tracks, and this place just has so many great corners – the Esses, the Degners, Spoon, 130R. It’s a place which has a fantastic flow – once you commit into Turn 1, you’re basically just modulating your speed all the way through until the track spits the car out over the brow at Turn 7. The feeling through there when you nail it is incredible. The only drawback about Suzuka is that it’s very difficult to overtake – most of the corners are very fast, and most of the heavy braking zones are preceded by quick turns, so it’s very hard to get past another car. I tried and failed in equal measure last year, but I’m proud that I was able to have a go. I’ll be pushing like crazy for a good result in Japan this weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Our race in Korea once again demonstrated the extent of our ability and determination whenever we go racing. Despite suffering numerous setbacks throughout the race, nobody in the team let their head go down, and both drivers posted fantastic, determined comeback drives to get into the points. For Suzuka this weekend, our aim will be for a clean and trouble-free afternoon’s racing in order to see if we can improve upon our results from last weekend. For everybody at McLaren, Suzuka is a place of many fantastic memories – I remember seeing Ayrton win his penultimate grand prix here, Mika’s two world titles were sealed in Japan, Kimi drove one of his very finest races here, and we all fondly remember Jenson’s beautifully measured victory back in 2011. This is a racetrack that ranks with the very greatest in the world, and while we are realistic enough to know that we will not add to the tally of successes this weekend, just being in Suzuka, the spiritual home of Japanese motorsport, will help inspire us to greater heights and many further victories in the future.”

October 10, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Preview – Spectacular Suzuka

There are few things that are greater than the sport Formula 1. But if there was ever a possibility of it being transcended, of something being greater than the sport that so is beloved then Japan’s Suzuka circuit would be that mystical exception.

The circuit lap record is held by Kimi Raikkonen, set during the exceptionally memorable 2005 Japanese GP. Suzuka made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 1987 and this race, where Raikkonen blasted his way through the field from seventeenth to first, is highly regarded as one of the best Japanese GP in F1 history.

The history of this circuit is saturated with some of the sport’s most unforgettable moments. One of the most grandiose and infamous moments between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the rivals who defined F1 in the 90s, transpired here. Both in contention for the 1990 world title Senna’s cunning plan was set into motion the moment the lights turned to luminous green. As Prost turned his Ferrari into turn 1 Senna held station in his McLaren resulting in a collision that sent both into the turn 1 gravel trap. Both retired from the race and Senna was crowned champion ensuring not only one the most memorable moments in Japan but in all of Formula 1.

Aside from its history, drivers are unanimous in their praise of Suzuka calling “one of the best tracks in the world.” The circuit’s old school, classic, layout and limited run-off area is reminiscent of traditional F1 tracks that required intense concentration and precision. The 5.807 km long lap is uncompromising and ready to punish the slightest lapse in discipline. “If you touch the grass at any point, it’s going to spin you off into the wall, so it’s a much more demanding circuit in terms of precision, positioning and turning points for each corner,” said Lewis Hamilton.

The adrenaline charged layout is a combination of medium to high-speed with first sector of the lap characterised by the flowing Esses, more commonly known as the Snake. Spoon curve, a double apex left-hander in sector two, is taken at fairly high-speed and is crucial for a good end to the lap as it leads directly onto the back straight. The figure-of-eight layout adds the element of elevation changes to the mix along with hairpins, Esses, 130R and a chicane, Suzuka is the perfect blend of a prodigious racing track.

A good front-end, a descent amount of drag and few mistakes should translate into a good result at the end of the 53 lap Japanese GP on Sunday. Both Lotus drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, showed good pace in Korea and could be a threat this weekend. As throughout the year the Lotus has shown adequate long run pace in comparison to its one lap speed; at least in the case of Raikkonen. A better run in qualifying should put Raikkonen in prime position to challenge for race victory; assuming that a certain Mr. Vettel isn’t able to unleash his Singapore-style pace.

Of late, Ferrari’s challenge seems to have faded and not even Fernando Alonso’s Samurai inspired tweets have been enough to enthuse his championship bid. Given that the Suzuka circuit is similar, in terms of corner speed, to Silverstone it may be yet another uphill battle for the Italian squad.

It’s all over bar the singing as Sebastian Vettel’s run of recent victories has led to the possibility that he could clinch his fourth consecutive title in Japan. Four world championships crowns in a row has only been achieved twice in the history of F1; first by Juan Manuel Fangio and secondly, by Michael Schumacher who racked up five consecutive titles between 2001 – 2004. Should Sebastian Vettel find himself first to the chequered flag this weekend, and closest rival Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower, the German will secure a fourth driver’s world title at the Japanese GP.

There appears to be no a definite challenge to the all-conquering dominance of Sebastian Vettel. But perhaps the splendour and palpable history is a combination great enough to conjure a Japanese GP to remember.

October 10, 2013
Suzuka Preview Quotes – Lotus

The Lotus boys really had quite a bit more than usual to say ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Perhaps their double podium in Korea had a bit to do with their longer than usual preview quotes.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus

“Normally it doesn’t make too much difference to me where we race – as long as we have a good result then I’ll enjoy it – but Suzuka is a track I look forward to every season. It’s a proper circuit that’s been around for a many years, and you can understand why as it’s a challenge for the drivers and usually makes for some good racing too. It’s fast, technical and there are some good places to overtake, which to me is what racing should be about. There are some corners where you are flat out – or very nearly flat out – but then there are others where you really have to balance the braking and throttle carefully to maintain the best speed. If you push too hard then you can easily be punished, as I found out in qualifying last year when I was on my best lap in the final session. Hopefully this time we’ll get everything right and be fighting at the front; that’s where you can have the most fun at a circuit like Suzuka. As a racing circuit it has unique characteristics and belongs in the top three in the world with Spa and Monaco. I enjoy winning races the most at the places like these.

“For me coming to Suzuka was never that enjoyable because of the long journey, but driving a Formula One car on the track has felt great every time. I had a good race at Fuji too. It was that wet race back in 2007 when I came from pretty far back to a podium finish, but Suzuka 2005 is my best memory from Japan. It’s very difficult to say which is your best race – especially if you have won many – but coming from the last row of the grid to take victory at a place like this is one I remember very, very well. Since my first ever visit to Japan back in 2001 with Sauber, I’ve always enjoyed the almost fanatic loyalty of the local fans. They really support you, no matter what position you are racing for. Maybe that Suzuka victory was the best memory for them too. Even last year – after being out of Formula 1 for two seasons – I still had a lot of Japanese fans all over the world. For sure, that feels nice! Whenever I race or go rallying, there are always some Japanese supporters around and I appreciate the support.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus

“I know I won’t be the first one to say this, but Suzuka is definitely my favourite circuit of the year. Every driver has races that are special to them for one reason or another – a home Grand Prix, or the venue for their first win maybe – but I think if you ask most racers they will tell you there’s just something about this place that’s a little bit different. This will be only my third time driving the track, but I’ve been looking forward to it ever since the flag dropped in Korea; it’s simply fantastic. It’s a track that really allows a driver to demonstrate their feel for the car. Not only is combination of corners pretty relentless – so you never really get a rest – but the way the layout flows together means that the smallest mistake can make a big difference to your time. Get it right, and the feeling is amazing. Get it wrong, and you just want to keep trying again and again until you have it nailed. Each sequence is challenging in its own way, and you have to find the perfect balance to put a good lap together. Every track has its challenges, but Suzuka is a continuous test of a drivers skills and I think that’s what makes it so beautiful to drive.

“As for Japan itself, Suzuka itself it pretty far out from the busier parts of the country, but the people, the culture, and of course the food all really appeal to me, so it’s somewhere I’d definitely like to explore a little more one day. You can’t help but mention the Japanese fans as well; they really are in a league of their own! Everywhere you look there are people with shirts, flags, crazy hats, and so many other things they have made at home just to show their support for the drivers on one weekend of the year. I don’t think any of us will forget the noise last year when [Kamui] Kobayashi got his first Formula One podium in front of his home crowd… my ears were ringing all the way to Korea; it was unbelievable!”

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“I think Suzuka is pretty much everyone’s favourite track; particularly amongst the drivers. The first part of the Esses – also known as the ‘Snake’ – is one of the most rewarding pieces of track a driver can experience. In a strong car with a good front end it really does flow well, and it’s one of the highlights of the year. Then, there are a couple of very high speed corners. Turn 1 is almost flat-out on entry, with braking at the mid-way point for Turn 2. 130R is flat out at very high speed; a little more tricky with high fuel loads, but certainly in flat in qualifying. Then you have the Spoon curve; a very long, double-apex, third to fourth gear corner leading onto the back straight and taken at reasonably high speed. There are plenty of challenges and I think we’ll have another interesting weekend. The nature of a figure-of-eight configuration adds elevation into the mix, with the track heading downhill into Turn 1 followed by a reasonable climb uphill through the Esses in sector one. It then heads down and up out of the hairpin, down some more into Spoon and along the long straight, before rising up again through 130R and the chicane. There’s quite a long downhill stretch on the start-finish straight to wrap things up, so it’s certainly a circuit that’s full of character.

“It’s a reasonably high grip surface, so the hard and medium tyres should be well suited to it. Tyre degradation won’t be as significant here as we saw in Korea, but it’s a track which exposes any weakness in your car or setup so we’ll be working hard as always to get things spot on. Although there are high speed corners it’s actually a high-downforce layout; a similar feel in many respects to Silverstone, but with the added feature of elevation. A car with a strong front end is essential as understeer really kills a lap time here, but everything else is needed as well; good braking, good stability and a car which can ride the kerbs, especially in the last sector.”

October 9, 2013
Suzuka Preview Quotes – Mercedes F1 Team

The Mercedes boys sound very excited about going to Suzuka. Here are their preview quotes ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes

“Suzuka is one of the most exciting circuits of the year and I love racing there. Our car has been fast in high-speed corners this season as we seem to have good downforce so I hope the fast layout of Suzuka will suit us this weekend. The Japanese fans are always very enthusiastic which is fantastic and I look forward to seeing them again. I would love to get the deserved good result that has eluded us for the last few races and I know that everyone has been working really hard to achieve that.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

“Suzuka is one of the few circuits we have left in Formula One with the authenticity of a real old-school circuit. I drove there for the first time in 2009 and it takes a while to pick up pace each year because of how fast-flowing it is. If you touch the grass at any point, it’s going to spin you off into the wall, so it’s a much more demanding circuit in terms of precision, positioning and turning points for each corner. It’s a real race track where you have to think ahead as a driver and it just needs crazy levels of downforce from the car. From my point of view, the car felt fantastic to drive in Korea when everything was hooked up, so I am excited to get to Suzuka and see what we can do there.”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“The Japanese Grand Prix is always one of the highlights of the Formula One season. First of all are the fans: the Japanese public have a great passion for Formula One as well as a deep understanding for the sport, and it is always a pleasure to see them again when we visit Suzuka. As for the circuit itself, it is a fantastic challenge not just for the drivers but also the engineers. It includes an unusual number of medium to high speed corners, which make the circuit exhilarating to drive but also challenging to engineer. It is vital to find a comfortable, neutral car balance that gives the drivers confidence and can also look after the tyres, as this circuit is comparable to Silverstone in terms of the prolonged high lateral loadings they must cope with. It was a tough weekend for us in Korea so our clear target will be to respond to that disappointment with a result that delivers the full potential of the car we have developed this season.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“The team had a frustrating time in Korea: qualifying showed the pace that we had in the car but we were not able to use it at the right moments of the race. We also lost points because of a problem on Nico’s car and everybody in the team is working hard to get on top of reliability issues like this one. Looking ahead to Suzuka, we can take two small positives from last weekend. First, we closed the points gap to Ferrari in the constructors’ championship, and it now stands at just a single point. The second is that our car was possibly the quickest of all in sector two last weekend, which contained all the medium and high-speed corners. This is promising for Suzuka, where nearly two thirds of the corners are taken in fourth gear or higher, and should see our car perform well on this fantastic track. It’s a true drivers’ circuit and we have the best driver pairing in the field, so I am optimistic Nico and Lewis can qualify and race strongly to bounce back from last weekend.”

October 9, 2013
Suzuka Preview Quotes – Marussia

Here’s what the lads at Marussia had to say ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia

“I am very much looking forward to my first experience of racing here at Suzuka. It is a track that is associated with some of the greatest moments in Formula 1 history and racing here will be one of the highlights of my debut season, regardless of the outcome. It is also a real test of car and driver with some fantastic corners, which I have only ever been able to sample on the simulator until now. I think that rain is possible early in the weekend, which should make life interesting – much like some of the big moments I saw here when I was growing up – but I think it may be dry later on, which will enable us to keep pushing for our season objective. I love Japan and have spent the past few days training and relaxing in Tokyo, which has been good fun. I can’t wait to be driving in front of the incredible fans here on Sunday.”

Max Chilton, Marussia

“It’s great to be back in Japan and to finally get the opportunity to race at the Suzuka Circuit. I came straight here from Korea so I would have the opportunity to explore a little more because there are so many fantastic things to experience here. This will be another new challenge and one that I have been looking forward to because it is such a technical circuit and because of all the history attached to it. I have been inspired by some of the great battles I have watched here over the years. The fans are also pretty special, both in and out of the circuit. Seeing them camped outside the drivers’ hotel is quite something, never mind the reception we get when we’re out on track. I hope we can race to a strong two-car finish again – and hopefully with less attrition up ahead.”

John Booth, Marussia team principal
“This weekend represents another interesting challenge for our drivers in that neither Jules nor Max has driven at Suzuka previously. Technically it is one of the more challenging and interesting circuits, so they’ll start the weekend with maximum track time to help bring them up to speed. It has been raining heavily at the circuit today but our forecast suggests this won’t be the case come Saturday and Sunday, so I hope we can enjoy conditions more conducive to achieving our objectives this weekend.”

October 9, 2013