Tag: valterri bottas

Williams F1 Preview Quotes – Indian Grand Prix

Here are the preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams F1

“All the drivers seem to enjoy the Indian circuit due to its fantastic design and high speeds and I will miss it not being on the calendar next year. I particularly like the 180-degree right hander which is taken very fast and seems to go on forever. Of the new generation of circuits this is one of the best with its good variety, combining fast chicanes, slow corners, and corners that require a big KERS input. Normally the track is quite dirty on Friday as the track is not used that often outside of the Formula One race weekend, but it does tend to improve as the weekend progresses with more rubber being laid down and the grip levels vastly improving.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1

“India is always a unique place to visit and I enjoy the contrasts with other races on the calendar so I’m looking forward to returning again this year. It’s a really interesting track to drive and normally produces entertaining races, with a good mixture of corner types that test the car and driver. The track does have some overtaking opportunities because it is quite wide, with the hairpin off the back straight a key opportunity. The weather can also be warm and humid which can be challenging physically. We have not had the sort of results that we would have hoped for so far in the second half of the season, but I will continue to fight as hard as I can and try to get the most out of the package we have to try and get us in to the points.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams F1 chief race engineer
“The Indian Grand Prix takes place at the Buddh International Circuit, which was new on the calendar for the 2011 season. With fast, free-flowing and undulating characteristics the track has drawn comparisons to Spa-Francorchamps with the track rising by 14 metres within the first three corners. The track has a mixture of fast and slow corners making it challenging for the drivers, with the multi-apex sequence of Turns 10, 11 and 12 likened to Turn 8 at the Istanbul Park Circuit in Turkey. The Indian Grand Prix features one of the longest pit lanes in F1 and this contributes to a higher than average pit loss which pushes strategies towards fewer stops. Track temperatures are likely to be relatively high and to date there has never been a safety car in the race. After finishing just outside the points in recent races, the team will be pushing hard until the very last race of the season to score a top ten finish.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“We have learnt a lot about the track in the past two years. It is an interesting circuit, with a variety of corners and speeds throughout the lap. The first part requires good top speed and power since 75 percent of this sector consists of straights. The second part of the track is twistier and requires a more driveable and responsive engine. However the main feature of the track is the high levels of dust at the start of the weekend, which makes the circuit surface very slippery. To deal with this we will moderate the driver torque maps to give greater driveability and less wheelspin on the entrance and exit of corners to try to extend tyre life.”

October 23, 2013
Post Qualifying Report: Korean GP – Vettel Continues Domination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 5, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September 7, 2013
Monza Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team.

September 4, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
“Spa is one of my favourite circuits because it has so much history and is so fun to drive. It’s a very technical and fast circuit and you find a very wide range of corners there: uphill, downhill, very slow, medium, fast, short and long corners. It’s the most complete track of the season and this tests you as a driver and also tests the car’s setup. It also has the famous Eau Rouge corner which puts a lot of G force and pressure on your body. You feel this even more during qualifying when you are low on fuel and are trying to get the most from the car. The weather can be changeable and because it is such a long track, there are times where the track can be wet in one sector but dry in another which requires the teams to make some difficult strategy decisions. Two years ago I picked up my first point in Formula One here and hopefully I will be in the points again this weekend.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
“I first drove at Spa in 2007 in Formula Renault and immediately fell in love with the track. It’s very high speed, flowing and undulating and gives you a real adrenaline rush. Achieving a good car set-up is difficult because of the wide variety of corners, but we will try to get as much information as we can during the practice sessions to find the most appropriate setup for qualifying and the race. I’ve had a good break during the shutdown period but I’m now itching to get back in the car. We have shown some improvements in race pace over the past few races and we know we are heading in the right direction. We will therefore be looking to have another points-scoring result this weekend that will give us good momentum for the second half of the season.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams chief race engineer
“After the August break it is great to be back racing again and the whole team is looking forward to arriving at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. It is one of the most challenging circuits in the world for both the car and drivers as you see every kind of corner from long flowing curves to twisty chicanes and hairpins. It’s one of the fastest circuits with an average speed of 230km/h and is also the longest single lap of the year at 7.004km. With DRS and the long lap resulting in large differences in tyre degradation between strategies, overtaking is usually easier here than at many other tracks. Weather is often very changeable here and although early forecasts show a chance of rain on Sunday only, this can quickly change. Also, given the length of the circuit there is an added challenge in selecting tyres in changeable conditions as certain parts of the circuit can be much wetter than others. Overall, we are looking forward to getting the final races of the season underway.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“A massive 70 percent of the 7-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps is spent flat out, meaning the track remains one of the biggest test of engines on the F1 calendar. Even though Monza sees the RS27 at full throttle for a longer time, it is the combination of the wide open throttle with the compressions and steep gradients that gives such an awesome workout. La Source to Eau Rouge and onto the Raidillon sees the engine at maximum revs, diving downhill and then climbing through several metres, putting the engines and internals under considerable stress. Having the right balance between reliability and top end power is always a juggling act as a result – and one that is particularly rewarding when you get it right.”

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team

August 22, 2013
F1 2013 Mid Season Review

Starting with a hazardous Australian Grand Prix with ever changing weather conditions to a controlled race in Hungary we’ve had everything from tyre explosions to loose wheels, pitlane accidents, cars on fire and controversy galore. The 2013 F1 season has been a thrilling, wild ride for teams, drivers and fans alike.

With ten races behind us, it’s time to look at the season so far and how things have been shaping up.

Here is our F1 2013 Mid Season Review ahead of what is set to be an tumultuous second half of the season.

Red Bull Racing – 277 points

Sebastian Vettel – 172 points, Mark Webber – 105 points

Red Bull is still the team to beat and are the only team to really maximise their results every race so far this season. Leading the championship with 60 points over Mercedes in second place, it’s bound to be business as usual for the team following the break. Sebastian Vettel is sitting pretty in the drivers’ championship too – 38 points ahead of his nearest rival, Kimi Raikkonen in second place.

Vettel has raced all out so far this season – even defying team orders to score an extra 6 points – and remains on track for his 4th world championship.

Red Bull have an incredibly quick car – perhaps the quickest on the grid – and have remained incredibly consistent but have suffered like the other teams with tyre degradation issues and saw Vettel retiring from the British Grand Prix with mechanical failures. Vettel however will be very hard to beat going forward and his rivals know it.

Mark Webber, who announced that he will be leaving F1 at the end of the season, has had a more inconsistent – and really unlucky – season. Webber has had no wins yet this season but you can be sure that he’ll be looking to add to his nine career wins before he bows out of F1. His frustration became very clear in Malaysia when Vettel defied team orders to pass Webber for what would have been his only win this season.

Mercedes – 208 points

Lewis Hamilton – 124 points, Nico Rosberg – 84 points

With Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff assuming high profile positions and Lewis Hamilton joining the Brackley based team, all eyes were on Mercedes even before the season got underway.

Nobody expected Hamilton to be challenging for race wins in his first season at Mercedes, but he was on the podium within two races and took his first race win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Team mate Nico Rosberg has already recorded two race wins so far this season and continues to impress.

Mercedes has made quite a turn-around this season and their prospects are not looking bad at all. With a 69 point deficit to championship leaders Red Bull, it seems unlikely that they will challenge for the championship though.

Ferrari – 194 points

Fernando Alonso – 133 points, Felipe Massa – 61 points

A mid season review of the Ferrari team’s performance so far this year, seems all too familiar. Ferrari started off really well with both drivers having a really good start to their season.

Alonso banked a solid second place at the first race in Australia, and Massa also started off well – regularly out-qualifying his team mate and recording point finishes.

But things have been on a downward spiral after Alonso’s wins in Spain and China. In contrast to the 2012 season when Alonso had a 40 point lead at the summer break, the team has lost their second place in the championship and qualifying seems to be a big problem for the team. Massa was struck by a number of crashes and race retirements pushing him far behind his team mate as far the driver standings go.

They’ve just not kept up with the pace of development at Red Bull. Alonso has slipped back into third place in the championship – but it would be silly to discount the Spaniard just yet – his entire championship lead was wiped clean by Vettel in the second half of the 2012 season so that should be a clear indication of how quickly things can change.

Lotus – 183 points

Kimi Raikkonen – 134 points, Romain Grosjean – 49 points

The Lotus F1 Team started the 2013 season on a high, with a win for Kimi Raikkonen at the Australian Grand Prix. But that early strong form has not led to further victories for Raikkonen or the team, with the Finn collecting five second-place finishes and teammate Romain Grosjean – the former ‘first lap nutcase’ added two third-places to his name.

Lotus have been in the midst of the battle at every race. Their constant evolution and the way the tyres work for them has made this team a contender for the podium every race weekend. But their downfall is Saturday qualifying – the E21 has simply not had the outright pace in qualifying to make Sundays a little easier for the team.

Raikkonen has moved up to second place in the championship, one point ahead of Alonso, but if he hopes to catch Vettel they’re going to need to start winning races and with technical director James Allison leaving for Ferrari, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to keep up the development pace that will be required to catch the Red Bull.

Force India – 59 points

Paul di Resta – 36 points, Adrian Sutil – 23 points

For the purposes of a mid season review it can be said that Force India have had a pretty impressive season in general – especially in the earlier part of the calendar. Their car has far outshone the team’s resources and their drivers have both delivered on track, scoring points and making Force India’s mark as the strongest of the mid-field teams.

Adrian Sutil, who recently celebrated his 100th race, has driven really well especially in Monaco when he fearlessly overtook his rivals on the narrow street circuit. But unfortunately, like his team mate Paul Di Resta, the pace has just not lasted and they’ve both been rather lack-lustre of late. The final two races before the mid season break were their worst of the year so far and the tyre change in Budapest seemed to affect them particularly negatively.

Both drivers have worked really hard though and this has culminated in the team now ahead of McLaren in the Constructors’ championship. The Woking-based team is breathing down their necks though and they’ll have to pull up their socks in the remainder of the season if they hope to hold onto 5th place in the championship.

McLaren – 57 points

Jenson Button – 39 points, Sergio Perez – 18 points

The fact that McLaren is being discussed this far down in the mid season review should be a clear indication of the difficult, disappointing season the Woking-based team have had. McLaren are used to being in the heat of the battle for the championship but are currently on 6th in the standings, behind Force India. The dramatic slump in their form will certainly be a surprise to most.

Their drivers both try really hard – sometimes a little too hard as is often the case with Sergio Perez, but their car can’t keep up and they’re left fighting the mid-field.

Jenson Button’s strategy calls have been his only saving grace – in the last four races he was able to challenge for 5th and 6th places but this is obviously not where the team are used to being.

McLaren has said that they are no longer developing their 2013 car and are now working on their 2014 car instead, so don’t expect too much from them in the second half of the season. Jenson Button however has said he is very positive going into the Belgian Grand Prix and has predicted a podium at Spa. Let’s wait and see how that pans out.

Toro Rosso – 24 points

Daniel Ricciardo – 11 points, Jean-Eric Vergne – 13 points

Toro Rosso may not be fighting for titles and race wins but they have shown some significant progress during the season so far.

Daniel Ricciardo, who is still first in line for Mark Webber’s Red Bull seat, has put in some very strong qualifying performances.

Team mate Jean-Eric Vergne has brought home some very impressive race drives. With Vergne out of the running for the Red Bull seat, one can only hope that the Frenchman will still come out fighting for the rest of the season as the battle of the team mates has been the most interesting thing to watch within the Toro Rosso team.

It is unsure how long Toro Rosso will continue development on their current car, given the mammoth task of developing the much-changed 2014 cars that lies ahead.

Sauber – 7 points

Nico Hulkenberg – 7 points, Esteban Gutierrez – 0 points

Sauber has had a really challenging season so far and the mid season review of their performance leaves a disappointed taste in the mouth. Everyone had great hopes for Sauber – their car was the star of the 2013 car launches, but things have just not materialised for the team.

I guess a lot can be blamed on their budget and financial troubles but from the very beginning Sauber were on the back foot with a car that has struggled from the word go, and two brand new drivers in the team.

Nico Hulkenberg has done his best with the car he’s been given and has managed to secure 7 points for the team. His team mate Esteban Gutierrez has not done too badly for a rookie but has failed to bring home any points.

Sauber have closed a deal with Russian investors to help save the team, so let’s hope that pans out well for them or we may never see a C-33.

Williams – 1 point

Pastor Maldonado – 1 point, Valtteri Bottas – 0 points

At the back of the grid it’s been a very disappointing season for the Williams team. After winning a race last year in the FW34 we all expected much more from the FW35 but alas. They only scored their first point for the entire season at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.

The car lacks downforce and both Pastor Maldonado and team mate Valtteri Bottas have found the car difficult to drive, resulting in the team doing a mid season review of their own and overhauling their technical team. Most notably, technical director Mike Coughlan has left the team and been replaced by former Renault and Marussia man, Pat Symonds. He is bound to make a huge difference to the team but I’m afraid it’s a little too late to expect it to make a difference for the 2013 season though so let’s hope they’re already working on next year’s car.

Marussia – 0 points

Jules Bianchi – 0 points, Max Chilton – 0 points)

Marussia continues their battle for tenth place in the championship with the Caterham team. They started the season very impressively and after the Australian Grand Prix you would have been forgiven for thinking they may even be set to trouble the mid-field teams this season, but instead they’ve pretty much been racing the Caterham team all season.

They have gained a lot since last year though, especially in the form of rookie driver Jules Bianchi who has had some impressive performances.

His fellow rookie team mate Max Chilton has struggled a little to come to grips with driving an F1 car but the Marussia team have been impressed by his consistency and the feedback they get from him.

They’ve been dealt a pretty big blow with Pat Symonds leaving for Williams but for now, they still hold on to tenth place thanks to Bianchi’s 13th place finish in Malaysia.

We’re not expecting much in terms of development from the Marussia team for the rest of the season but for now, it seems they should be able to stay ahead of the green machines for the remainder of the season.

Caterham – 0 points

Charles Pic – 0 points, Giedo van der Garde – 0 points

Caterham’s season has been an uphill battle all the way. The team was targeting the mid-field but have just not managed to make any headway. It was only after Heikki Kovalainen was called in to advise the team that they started making some headway and finally in Bahrain – at the fourth race of the season – they managed to out qualify Marussia.

Slowly but surely their car has been improving and their upgrades have steadily resulted in progress. In Hungary they were able to easily out qualify both Marussia’s.

Both Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic have put in solid performances, doing they best they can with what they have so they’ll be hoping that they can take back tenth from Marussia before the end of the season.

And that’s a wrap on our mid season review of the 2013 Formula 1 season. The first half of the season has been a thrilling one but has been dominated by tyres. With that behind us, and teams now on revised Pirelli rubber, the second half of the season should see some real battles taking shape. As we head to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix you can bet that everyone will be bringing their A game.

What are you hoping for in the second half of the season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Photo credits:

Photo of Bianchi’s car on fire – F1 Madness screen grab

Photo of Vettel gearbox failure – F1 Madness screen grab, Sky Sports HD

Lewis Hamilton after the Hungarian GP – Mercedes F1 Twitter Team

Massa and Alonso – Ferrari F1 Twitter team

Raikkonen – Lotus F1 Team

Adrian Sutil – Force India Twitter team

Jenson Button – Wikimedia Commons

Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull Twitter Team

Sauber launch – Sauber F1 Team

Pastor Maldonado – Williams F1 Twitter Team

Max Chilton – Marussia F1 Twitter team

Giedo van der Garde – MyCaterham Twitter team

August 19, 2013
Hungarian GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Hungarian GP.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
“I have driven at the Hungaroring for a few years now and it is a very demanding circuit for drivers as it is often very hot and there are limited overtaking opportunities. There will be new tyres from Pirelli this weekend that combine last year’s construction with this year’s compounds, so understanding how these will perform will be a primary focus for the teams as we prepare for this race. Testing these tyres at Silverstone in the young drivers test has given me an insight into the changes made, but it will only be after practice on Friday that can we sit down and analyse all the data and discuss our strategy for the weekend. Qualifying is so important at this track because of the small number of overtaking opportunities, but I qualified well last year so I know what to expect and can hopefully deliver a strong performance that will give the team a boost as we head into the summer break.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
“I have raced at the Hungaroring in Formula Renault and GP3 and drove in FP1 last year and I always found this to be a very demanding track because there are very few places to overtake and the layout has a lot of corners in quick succession which gives you very few opportunities to rest. The track can be a bit dusty at the beginning of the week as it doesn’t get used much during the year, but the grip does increase a lot as the weekend progresses and you notice a big difference between FP1 and FP2. The team were very close to securing a double points finish in Germany and the hard work everyone is putting in is moving us in the right direction. There is normally a big Finnish contingent who fly over to Hungary for this race and I’d like to be able to give them something to cheer about and secure some points for the team.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams chief race engineer
“The Hungaroring is one of the most challenging circuits of the year with the potential high ambient temperatures also putting extra demand on the drivers. The layout is quite technical; one corner quickly flows into the next and there are not many straights to be able to relax. The circuit layout leads to medium-low average speeds and so we run the maximum downforce configuration. You would think that because the average corner speed is medium-low that the tyres don’t suffer as much, but because of the number of corners, it’s unrelenting and a lot of energy goes through the rubber. Pirelli are introducing new tyres for the race in Hungary, so we will be aiming to fine tune our set-up on Friday to try to get the best out of them this weekend.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“The twisty 4.381-kilometre circuit is often compared to a kart track, with one slow speed corner leading into another in very quick succession. This sinuous nature gives rise to the second lowest average speed over a lap (after Monaco) so power sensitivity and outright engine power is not a major concern. As a result we generally use engines on the third race and work to deliver good low speed torque response and driveability.”

July 24, 2013
Nurburgring German GP Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the German GP to be held at the Nurburgring this weekend. The German GP will be the 600th race for the Williams Team.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams

“Although the Nurburgring layout has changed recently and lost some of its old character, it’s still a pretty fast and flowing track which I tend to like and offers some good overtaking opportunities. It’s one of the most technical circuits on the calendar and we have been working hard to improve our cars balance in slow, technical corners. Tyre degradation is likely to be high as well, but in the last couple of races we have shown that we can control this quite well so that should give us a boost. The weather is often cold and can change throughout the weekend which is a challenge for all teams, but variable conditions would suit us. I just missed out on a points finish at Silverstone and will be looking to go a step better in this race.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams

“The Nurburgring is a very challenging track as it has a broad mixture of corners which makes car set-up difficult. I really like the hi-speed sections in particular, especially the fast left and right corners leading to the back straight. The weather is often changeable so we will be preparing for the possibility of a wet weekend. I’ve always enjoyed driving in tricky conditions though and our car is currently performing better in the wet/damp conditions so I will be hoping that we do see some showers. With tyre management being so important, and teams not having raced here last season, we will be trying to get as much data from the practice sessions as possible to make sure that we are racing on Sunday with the optimum strategy. The team will be continuing our 600th race celebrations in Germany and we will be looking to score some points to give the people back at the factory an extra boost.”

Mike Coughlan, Williams technical director

“Nurburgring is quite a technical track with lots of challenging corner sequences and camber changes. There can also be variable weather which adds another element into the mix, although we don’t see many safety cars, with only two being deployed in the last ten races. It is a slower speed circuit with a below average top speed and the average corner speed is similar to what we see in Barcelona. The circuit is about 600 metres above sea level so engine power is low and downforce is reduced. We’ll reach our 600th race as a team at the GP and we will be looking to mark this milestone with a strong finish this weekend.”

July 4, 2013
Silverstone Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix this weekend.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams

“This weekend has been something that the team have been looking forward to all year and I’m proud to be part of this historic moment. Silverstone also happens to be one of my favourite circuits on the calendar. It has a lot of character and some very iconic corners, and the British fans are always very passionate and knowledgeable. With the track being quick and the temperatures usually low it is easy to grain the front tyres and this is something we will have to manage and consider when deciding on the pit stop strategy. The new part of the track is still very green with less grip which is something you have to bear in mind when behind the wheel. Hopefully we can have a strong weekend and score some points to make the weekend even more memorable for the team.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams

“This is going to be a very special weekend for Williams, celebrating 600 races in front of our home fans at a track which has a lot of history
for the team and is great fun to drive. Silverstone is a classic racers track – with some very high speed corners which require a lot of downforce in order to be quick through them. I drove in FP1 last year and at the young drivers test so I have experience of driving a Formula One car at Silverstone which is always helpful in getting up to speed quickly. Normally the track is quite tough on the tyres with quite a bit of graining because the temperatures are cool and the track is very demanding. The weather never makes the circuit any easier due to the often rainy and cold conditions, but after our strong qualifying in Canada in wet conditions I’m confident we would handle this well.”

Mike Coughlan, Williams technical director

“This weekend is the Williams F1 Team’s home race and it is always great to be amongst all our fans. It is also one of our most successful races,
with ten wins in total for the team in Britain. The new circuit layout, introduced in 2010, has the second highest average speed of any circuit
on the calendar, behind Monza, and the average corner speed is the highest of any circuit this season. Ambient conditions are typically cool which means good engine power and less chance of thermal degradation in the tyres. The track is relatively rough and tyre energy input is high, higher than Barcelona but much more evenly balanced across the left and right hand sides of the car and more towards the front. Longer range forecasts predict a dry and sunny weekend but whatever conditions we meet, we will be pushing hard to continue the development of the FW35.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations

“Even with the addition of the new slow loop, Silverstone remains one of the toughest challenges for the engine. A touch over 66 percent of the lap is spent at full throttle in qualifying and the average speed is well over 200km/h. However it is the high speed corners that also challenge
the RS27, particularly the sweeping Maggotts-Beckett-Chapel complex. Average speeds through this section are around 250km/h and no lower than 190km/h at any one point, with huge lateral forces put through the car. The oil and fuel systems therefore have to be resilient as the fluids
are squashed from side to side, while the engine needs to be smooth to maintain the speed.”

June 27, 2013