Sunday, July 31, 2011

Hungary GP : FP 2

Pilote
Time
1 HAMILTON Lewis
1'21"018
2 ALONSO Fernando
1'21"259
3 BUTTON Jenson
1'21"322
4 WEBBER Mark
1'21"508
5 VETTEL Sebastian
1'21"549
6 MASSA Felipe
1'22"099
7 ROSBERG Nico
1'22"121
8 SCHUMACHER Michael
1'22"440
9 DI RESTA Paul
1'22"835
10 SUTIL Adrian
1'22"981
11 KOBAYASHI Kamui
1'23"030
12 PEREZ Sergio
1'23"399
13 BARRICHELLO Rubens
1'23"679
14 HEIDFELD Nick
1'23"861
15 MALDONADO Pastor
1'24"181
16 ALGUERSUARI Jaime
1'24"182
17 PETROV Vitaly
1'24"546
18 BUEMI Sébastien
1'24"878
19 TRULLI Jarno
1'24"994
20 KOVALAINEN Heikki
1'25"447
21 GLOCK Timo
1'26"823
22 D'AMBROSIO Jérôme
1'27"261
23 RICCIARDO Daniel
1'27"730
24 LIUZZI Vitantonio
1'28"255

Hungary GP : FP 1

Pilote
Time
1 HAMILTON Lewis
1'23"350
2 VETTEL Sebastian 1'23"564
3 ALONSO Fernando 1'23"642
4 WEBBER Mark
1'23"666
5 BUTTON Jenson
1'23"772
6 MASSA Felipe
1'24"115
7 ROSBERG Nico
1'24"250
8 SCHUMACHER Michael
1'24"369
9 PEREZ Sergio
1'24"620
10 PETROV Vitaly
1'25"093
11 KOBAYASHI Kamui
1'25"113
12 DI RESTA Paul
1'25"336
14 BARRICHELLO Rubens
1'25"836
16 BUEMI Sébastien
1'25"890
17 ALGUERSUARI Jaime
1'26"099
18 MALDONADO Pastor
1'26"124
19 KOVALAINEN Heikki
1'26"878
20 TRULLI Jarno
1'27"352
21 GLOCK Timo
1'28"533
22 D'AMBROSIO Jérôme
1'28"903
23 LIUZZI Vitantonio
1'29"059
24 RICCIARDO Daniel
1'29"904

Friday, July 29, 2011

Fernando's blog : a very special race !


We’re reaching the final stages of a frenetic month of July. I am in Maranello, where I came on Sunday night, directly from the Nurburgring and, early tomorrow morning, it will be time for me and the engineers to head for Budapest. In this very short break between the two races, I worked, as is usually the case when I am at the factory, on the simulator to prepare both for this weekend’s race and for the ones after that. On top of that, I took part in several meetings with the engineers, while today I also got the chance to meet up with President Montezemolo and the members of the Ferrari Board, who were meeting in Maranello. Montezemolo was his usual cheerful self with me and wanted to know how preparations were going for the Hungaroring race. It’s now a few months that our car has become more competitive and that means we have been consistently able to fight for a podium finish.
We have made up a lot of ground compared to the very early part of the season in terms of performance, but we must take a further step forward, as I have said so often before. We still lack something, especially in qualifying: it’s true that in the race we can make up for this, but it’s not always possible to move up two places compared to our grid position, as happened in Monaco, Valencia, Silverstone and Nurburgring. At the Hungaroring, the weather should be more in keeping with summer, which is no bad thing as I’ve had enough of the cold and damp we experienced in England and Germany! That goes not just for me, but also for our car: it would definitely work better in temperatures higher than the 13° we had last Sunday.

I know the Hungarian Grand Prix has a special significance for the Scuderia, as it has experienced some great moments, but also some dramatic ones, like when Felipe was injured in that fluke accident when he was hit by a part of Rubens’ Brawn. Budapest is special for me too, as it was at this very race in 2003 that I took my first ever Formula 1 win. It was a very emotional day, the memory of which will always stay with me.
As was the case in 2010, I will again celebrate my birthday at the track with the Scuderia. On Friday I turn thirty: who knows if I will get a nice birthday surprise…

Monday, July 25, 2011

Germany GP : the race

Pos.
Drivers
Teams
Laps
Gap
Points
01
L.Hamilton
McLaren
60
Vainqueur
25
02
F. Alonso
Ferrari
60
+ 3.9 secs
18
03
M. Webber
RBR
60
+ 9.7 secs
15
04
S. Vettel
RBR
60
+ 47.9 secs
12
05
F. Massa
Ferrari
60
+ 52.2 secs
10
06
A. Sutil
Force India
60
+ 86.2 secs
8
07
N. Rosberg
Mercedes
59
+ 1 Tour
6
08
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
59
+ 1 Tour
4
09
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
59
+ 1 Tour
2
10
V. Petrov
Renault
59
+ 1 Tour
1
11
S. Perez
Sauber
59
+ 1 Tour
12
J. Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
59
+ 1 Tour
13
P. di Resta
Force India
59
+ 1 Tour
14
P. Maldonado
Williams
59
+ 1 Tour
15
S. Buemi
Toro Rosso
59
+ 1 Tour
16
H. Kovalainen
Lotus
58
+ 2 Tours
17
T. Glock
Virgin
57
+ 3 Tours
18
J. d'Ambrosio
Virgin
57
+ 3 Tours
19
D. Ricciardo
HRT
57
+ 3 Tours
20
K. Chandhok
Lotus
56
+ 4 Tours
Ret
V. Liuzzi
HRT
37
+ 23 Tours
Ret
J. Button
McLaren
35
+ 25 Tours
Ret
R. Barrichello
Williams
16
+ 44 Tours
Ret
N. Heidfeld
Renault
9
+ 51 Tours

Germany GP : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
We are neither surprised nor disappointed, quite the contrary. In fact, this grid was more or less what we could expect, what we have seen in free practice. Yesterday we saw that Red Bull would be three or four tenths quicker than us. Hamilton was good, especially in the first sector, it was better than us. McLaren has made many new parts here and you could really see that they were working. I'm happy with my lap and result in any event this year, we saw that we have always done better in the race than qualifying. We will see the weather tomorrow, rain is forecast. If it's dry, then we can claim to have 25% chance win and a little less if it rains because the others have always been better in wet conditions. Maybe tomorrow the situation may change, you never know. I always aim the podium, but if the prospect of winning presents itself, I do not think about it twice. Also on this track, we brought news, that we introduced to improve our performance, race after race. It is clear that we must take a step forward if we are to top with the best. "
Felipe Massa :
"I can not pretend to be pleased with this qualification because some cars were faster than ours, which may not be surprising for the case but certainly more Red Bull with McLaren and Hamilton. Tomorrow we will try to advance the classification, but we know it will not be easy. It is certain that if we had ten more degrees on the track I should not complain, especially with medium tires, we fought hard and that's why I use the the tender of the Q1. The tire is very low, so it really does not penalize me for the race, the big unknown is the weather, we have the maximum support, which should help in the rain. In Anyway on a wet track will be essential to make the most of opportunities that come our way."

Germany GP : the qualifying session

Pos
Drivers
Teams
Q1
Q2
Q3
Laps
01.
M. Webber
RBR
1:33.096
1:31.311
1:30.079
18
02
L.Hamilton
McLaren
1:32.934
1:30.998
1:30.134
15
03
S.Vettel
RBR
1:32.973
1:31.017
1:30.216
16
04
F.Alonso
Ferrari
1:32.916
1:31.150
1:30.442
16
05
F.Massa
Ferrari
1:31.826
1:31.582
1:30.910
19
06
N.Rosberg
Mercedes
1:32.785
1:31.343
1:31.263
22
07
J.Button
McLaren
1:33.224
1:31532
1:31.288
14
08
A. Sutil
ForceIndia
1:32.286
1:31.809
1:32.010
18
09
V.Petrov
Renault
1:33.187
1:31.985
1:32.187
16
10
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
1:32.603
1:32.180
1:32.482
18
11
N.Heidfeld
Renault
1:32.505
1:32.215
16
12
P. di Resta
ForceIndia
1:32.651
1:32.560
15
13
P.Maldonado
Williams
1:33.003
1:32.635
13
14
R.Barrichello
Williams
1:33.664
1:33.043
18
15
S.Perez
Sauber
1:33.295
1:33.176
14
16
S. Buemi
ToroRosso
1:33.635
1:33.546
11
17
J. Alguersuari
ToroRosso
1:33.658
1:33.698
11
18
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
1:33.786
5
19
H.Kovalainen
Lotus
1:35.599
9
20
T. Glock
Virgin
1:36.400
12
21
K.Chandhok
Lotus
1:36.422
11
22
J.d'Ambrosio
Virgin
1:36.641
12
23
V. Liuzzi
HRT
1:37.011
11
24
D. Ricciardo
HRT
1:37.036
11
* Note that Sebastien Buemi was excluded from qualifying after that the FIA has noted that the fuel of his car had a problem ! Buemi has not so far been excluded from the GP but will start dead last.
- Liuzzi was given a penalty of five grid positions for changing gear.

Germany GP : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"This Friday was like any other, quite ordinary. My first impressions of the car are very good. We have a very good support, good top speed and good grip. We are in the right direction, and it very well for us. The performance you can see the last few races are the result of hard work, the engineers working around the clock to give us a good car at each Grand Prix period. The temperatures are also important very important, and we"re not friends with very low temperatures. It will also be a very important element for qualifying and the race. My incident with Michael [Schumacher]? Nothing really important, he did not see me come I had to brake hard to avoid it. We will confirm tomorrow and Sunday."
Felipe Massa :
"It was a very good day, as we love them. We had a lot of work, which proved to be very profitable, especially we had no problems. We are reasonably happy with our competitiveness and reliability. While it is too early to place ourselves in relation to other for qualifying and the race, we can be pretty confident because we are performing. It is a very bumpy circuit and can be trapped at any time, that's what makes racing so exciting, attack while paying attention to our actions. So when you have a car fast and reliable, it's a real pleasure."

Germany GP : FP2 top 10

Here is the top 10 of the second free practice session :
1 Webber
2 Alonso
3 Vettel
4 Massa
5 Schumacher
6 Rosberg
7 Hamilton
8 Heidfeld
9 Petrov
10 Sutil

Germany GP : FP1 top 10

Here is the top 10 of the first free practice in Germany :
1 Alonso
2 Webber
3 Vettel
4 Massa
5 Hamilton
6 Button
7 Rosberg
8 Sutil
9 Hulkenberg
10 Schumacher

The paddock podium of Silverstone

* The 4 in:
- Fernando Alonso:
Finally a victory for Alonso and Ferrari this season, more importantly at the right time because it was the 60th anniversary of the first victory of the Italian team in F1 in the same circuit ! Alonso was simply perfect, certainly taking advantage of a great pit stop using Vettel but proving that his Ferrari was simply the fastest since the gap with the second was 16 seconds at the checkered flag. The new components of the 150 ° worked well and it ran a very encouraging sign for the future. In addition, this victory has probably liberated the Scuderia that will now be able to approach the German GP with more serenity.
- Red Bull:
Although the GP was not perfect for the Austrian team, but the drivers still have scored big points for both championships.
However, small flat at the pit stops: was Red Bull under pressure?
- Lewis Hamilton:
the weekend had started badly for the British driver! but, no doubt prompted by his supporters came in numbers, he delivered a veritable battle for up to 4th place by overtaking Felipe Massa almost on the line !
- Sergio Pérez:
after experiencing a difficult period following his accident in Monaco Sergio is back and had a good GP, finishing in 7th place, scoring valuable points as well for his team.
* the 3 out :
- Red Bull:
yes the team orders are allowed but we would still have prefered that the team let Mark Webber freedom of movement.
- Jenson Button:
the British driver would probably have wanted to shine at home but did not count on bad luck and this disastrous pit stop! Plus Jenson lost one place in the championship.
- The Fia:
FIA has once again shown in a bad light with the case of banning the blown diffusers finally decide to reinstate it!not to mention the brief but stormy episode where the issue was an advantage for the renault engine and so for Red Bull ! In short, the Fia would again have done better to remain silent !

Fernando Alonso drives the 375F1 at Silverstone !

Fernando Alonso has returned to the history of Ferrari and also of Formula 1 by driving the morning of the GP at Silverstone the car called 375 F1 that allowed Jose Froilan Gonzalez , then the driver for Ferrari, to win the first title with Ferrari 60 years ago and moreover on the same circuit decidedly rich in history for Formula 1. a very nice birthday was celebrated later with a victory of Fernando ! tanti auguri Ferrari ! I now propose to share the reactions of Fernando after driving this car full of history :
"I had the privilege of driving a 375 F1 and a few hours later, I won the same race that Ferrari won 60 years ago. In our team, there are people who are the children of people who worked for the Scuderia at this time. And they share the same love and passion for racing."

Silverstone GP : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"It's really wonderful, the team has done incredible work and I dedicate this victory to everyone in Maranello, as well as the track that my driver's license, as Felipe with a good car. It's very special to win here because this track is legendary Silverstone, especially the fans who love both cars. In addition, the characteristics of here were not suited to our car, but it is clear that the changes were very helpful. At first it was not easy to control because some portions of the circuit was very wet and others were dry or slightly damp. There were difficult moments, as when Hamilton passed me, but we stayed very calm, confident that we could gain an advantage later, I realized that I could only win when I got back on track after the last pit stops. It is obvious that the problem of Vettel in the stands has greatly contributed to this result, like the fact that Lewis Hamilton could contain both Red Bull behind him for several laps, but I must say that on a dry track we were really strong. Earlier in the day, I had the privilege of driving the 375 F1 and then a few hours later, I won the same race, 60 years after Ferrari\u0026#39;s first victory was here, nothing has changed since time, the passion is the same. We are going to Germany with the morale up, Red Bull is still the best car, but the improvements we make to help us fight, more than at the beginning of the season, we did not discouraged, but we responded, now we are reaping the fruits of labor."
Felipe Massa :
"I congratulate Fernando [Alonso] who made a great race today. Celebrating 60 years of Ferrari's first victory with a win, it's magic. Qualifying race as we become more efficient, and it is a very good thing. I did not have a good rhythm today, I do not know why ... the end of the race the team told me that I could still catch up with Lewis [Hamilton], who had reduced his pace so as not to fail gasoline. I do my best to go as long as I could."

Silverstone GP : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"I think it was the best qualifications in terms of performance. Is that this result is worse than in Canada (second he was gone) but I was farther from the pole than I am today. On a circuit whose characteristics were not suit our car, to be a little over a tenth is a good sign. The new parts, we have made here have worked well and I think tomorrow we can put those before us under pressure. The team did a lot of work and this step forward, it will help. We also made progress in how we manage the tires: we have seen in the few laps we had a chance to dry runway. The performance of the gums will be very important tomorrow, either on dry or wet track. We will have to be trimmed every eventuality, it will be important to a good start.
Do I hope it will rain? No, especially for fans who have had two days in the rain. Hopefully there is entertainment for the many spectators."
Felipe Massa:
"I would say it was a good qualifying for us as the third and fourth on the grid is a good result, especially when compared to the previous Saturday. At first glance, I think I did a good lap with a few small mistakes, I thought I could make up for it on my second run but the rain came, it was impossible to improve. The fourth position is positive, especially since I McLaren ahead of the two. From what we saw, the car seems competitive, but of course we do not know what will happen with the competition, when the tanks are full and also the behavior of the tires. It is therefore difficult to make predictions, the race will be like a tunnel, the more we advance the more you will see the light. As to whether our good performance is linked to the new rules, I do not think because we have also this system so we are also penalized.
It is clear that some cars more than others have lost support, but I would say we have made progress with our developments introduced here. I do not know how else to explain the fact that we managed to get good qualifications."

Silverstone GP : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"It's always nice to come to Silverstone is a historic race for F1 but also for Ferrari, which had its first league win here, sixty years ago. I like the new paddock, although I must say that the final part of the pit lane at the bottom of the track is not great, it means that viewers do not see the stops. The rain certainly has not been profitable to this day, which was designed to allow us to evaluate new aerodynamic components which we have brought here. We tried to do what was in our power, using a single set of tires intermediaries in order to preserve them for tomorrow and Sunday, because we do not know what will happen this weekend. I took a one times the risk of putting slick tires at the end of the first session because the conditions were acceptable, but the track was too wet.
From what I've seen, it is difficult to judge the performance level of news, but it seems that on a wet track the car was not bad as was the case in Canada, it's positive knowing that it may rain tomorrow, when I argue about whether Webber for the championship? I support Ferrari!"
Felipe Massa :
"In this weather, it was a difficult day, the rain was present during the two practice sessions. However, it seems that the car behaves quite well on a wet track, which is positive for the rest of the weekend as there is more chance of rain tomorrow and Sunday. It is also the reason I use the intermediate tires, I had a bit of graining on the front, especially at the start of the second session, but towards the end the situation has improved and tire performance was better. Therefore, it is difficult to say where we are with respect to competitors, as the track conditions changing constantly, it is also difficult to know where we stand."

Alonso's Blog : let's go to Germany !


"The German Grand Prix is bang in the middle of the 2011 championship: we have had nine races so far and, after the one at the Nurburgring, we will face the same number again. Some might say that makes it a time to assess what’s gone before, but I prefer not to look too closely at the standings. We had a difficult start, but from a few races ago up until now, we have got back to being competitive. It cannot be denied that we have made progress, up to the point where we have actually taken a fully deserved win on one of the tracks – Silverstone - that on paper was least suited to our car. However, that great victory must not change our approach: we most continue to tackle one race after another, without looking at the classification and then, at the end, we will do the maths. So we head off for Germany in the same spirit we demonstrated in England, but with the additional awareness that we are now more competitive.

After the race across the Channel, I came back to spend a few day relaxing at home. I know we have two very busy weeks ahead of us so I thought it best to recharge the batteries, spending some time with my family and doing some training. From Monday evening, I was in Maranello where I was involved in preparations for the German Grand Prix, which meant a lot of work on the simulator and meetings with the engineers. But in addition, there were also a whole range of activities that see me ever more involved in life at Ferrari. For example, yesterday I took part in a prizegiving ceremony for the top three finalists in a Ferrari World Design Contest: it was very interesting for me to see how much passion these youngsters from all over the world have for their vision of the Ferrari of the future. This morning I was involved in some promotional work, along with two of our partners and then I was invited by President Montezemolo to Podio Ferrari, the event that brings together in Maranello, all the company’s suppliers, both those that work with the Scuderia and those whose relationship is with our colleagues on the road car side. The four prizewinners got the chance to do some laps of the Fiorano track in a 458 Italia: I don’t know if they expected me to be their driver, but I think they enjoyed the experience! Finally, I went to say hello to over four hundred kids, all children of the workforce here, who were taking part in the summer camp organised by the company. As you can imagine, it meant total immersion in the world of Ferrari and it will continue right up to the end of the month. In fact, already from Sunday night, after the German Grand Prix, I will travel back to Maranello with the team and stay another three days before we all head off together for Budapest. The 7th August marks the start of the factory shut-down established by FOTA, which means we will have to prepare for the Spa race, one of the most interesting of the year, well ahead of time.

That’s why I think this will be a very busy time, but I have to say I am really getting to like feeling part of this world.
Now might not be the time to think too much about all that, because as from tomorrow, a race weekend gets underway at the historic venue that is the Nurburgring, where I have already won twice. There’s a saying about something happening twice, but I don’t want to jinx my chances by saying it, so it’s up to the fans to work out what it is!"

Fernando's Blog : amazing victory !


What a great feeling, winning again! And I’m revelling in it all the more now I’m back home in Oviedo. When a Grand Prix is over, there is a rush of emotion, but then there are so many things to do, what with press conferences and the debrief, so you have to stay very focussed. But the following morning, you wake up happy and there’s a truly special feeling that goes with it. And I have to say I’m still feeling that way now!
I haven’t spent too much time thinking about the technical reasons behind the win in the British Grand Prix. Each race has its own story and we know only too well how much things can change when you go from one track to another. There were definitely some major improvements on the car, which mean it feels much easier to drive now and you can feel it much more stuck to the ground than before, especially in the fast corners. That means it’s got more aerodynamic downforce, which was the area where we trailed our main rivals the most. However, I don’t think the changes to the engine mapping were a factor: we were quicker specifically at the part of the track where you practically don’t have to brake, which means it is the actual car that is going well.

This win won’t change our approach to the coming races. We have to be realistic, because we are 92 points behind in the classification and that is a very big gap! We will tackle the races one at a time, trying to win as many as possible. This will also involve taking a few more risks and maybe it will happen that we pay a high price for that, but there is no alternative. We are definitely not giving up, but we must not think about the championship: as Montezemolo said yesterday in Maranello, we are keeping our feet on the ground.
On Sunday morning, I had great fun doing a couple of laps in the 375 F1 which brought Ferrari its first championship Grand Prix win back in 1951. I had already driven a very similar car, the 375 Indy, in Valencia at the Ferrari Days event. It definitely takes a bit of getting used to with a very different pedal arrangement, with the accelerator on the left and the brake on the right. The engine power to tyre grip ratio is the complete opposite of the cars we drive today. You need to change your driving style to go quickly, but it was a wonderful experience. Sure, back then, not only did the drivers need to be incredibly talented, but they also needed a good dose of craziness!
There was a special atmosphere at Silverstone on Sunday. The crowd is always very big there and they are all very involved in the event. For us it felt different and I can’t explain why: maybe it was because we wanted to do well on this important anniversary in our history. Ever since I have been with Ferrari, there have often been unusual coincidences between my wins and special moments. For example, on my debut in red in Bahrain last year, or the first time I raced for the Scuderia at Monza. Now this win has come, sixty years after Gonzalez took the victory. I hope there will be many more moments like this!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Silverstone GP : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"It's always nice to come to Silverstone is a historic race for F1 but also for Ferrari, which had its first league win here, sixty years ago. I like the new paddock, even if I must say that the final part of the pit lane at the bottom of the track is not great, it means that viewers do not see the stops. The rain was certainly not beneficial to this day, which was intended to enable us to evaluate new aerodynamic components which we have brought here. We tried to do what was in our power, using a single set of tires intermediaries in order to preserve them for tomorrow and Sunday, because we do not know not what will happen this weekend. only time I took a risk putting slick tires at the end of the first session because the conditions were acceptable, but the track was too wet. From what I have seen, it is difficult to judge the performance level of the new things , but it seems that on a wet track the car was not bad as was the case in Canada, it's positive knowing that tomorrow may rain, when I argue about whether Webber for championship? I support Ferrari!"
Felipe Massa :
"In this weather, it was a difficult day, the rain was present during the two practice sessions. However, it seems that the car behaves quite well on a wet track, which is positive for the rest of the weekend as there is more chance of rain tomorrow and Sunday. It is also the reason I use the intermediate tires, I had a bit of graining on the front, especially at the start of the second session, but towards the end the situation has improved and tire performance was better. Therefore, it is difficult to say where we are with respect to competitors, as the track conditions changing constantly, it is also difficult to know where we stand."

Silverstone GP : EL2

Pos
Pilotes
Equipes
Temps
Ecart
Tours
01
F. Massa
Ferrari
1:49.967
9
02
N. Rosberg
Mercedes
1:50.744
+ 0.777
16
03
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
1:51.395
+ 1.428
16
04
L. Hamilton
McLaren
1:51.438
+ 1.471
6
05
J. Button
McLaren
1:51.518
+ 1.551
6
06
A. Sutil
Force India
1:51.738
+ 1.771
18
07
P. di Resta
Force India
1:51.781
+ 1.814
7
08
R. Barrichello
Williams
1:51.992
+ 2.025
13
09
S. Perez
Sauber
1:52.169
+ 2.202
12
10
S. Buemi
Toro Rosso
1:52.189
+ 2.222
21
11
V. Petrov
Renault
1:52.198
+ 2.231
9
12
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
1:52.325
+ 2.358
12
13
H. Kovalainen
Lotus
1:52.578
+ 2.611
16
14
M. Webber
RBR
1:52.587
+ 2.620
6
15
F. Alonso
Ferrari
1:52.869
+ 2.902
8
16
N. Heidfeld
Renault
1:54.023
+ 4.056
8
17
J. Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
1:54.274
+ 4.307
16
18
S. Vettel
RBR
1:54.545
+ 4.578
4
19
J. d'Ambrosio
Virgin
1:54.714
+ 4.747
13
20
P. Maldonado
Williams
1:55.155
+ 5.188
8
21
J. Trulli
Lotus
1:55.155
+ 5.188
12
22
T. Glock
Virgin
1:55.549
+ 5.582
10
23
D. Ricciardo
HRT
1:55.828
+ 5.861
10
24
V. Liuzzi
HRT
1:56.037
+ 6.070
6

Silverstone GP : EL1

Pos
Pilotes
Equipes
Temps
Ecart
Tours
01
M. Webber
RBR
1:46.603
19
02
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
1:47.263
+ 0.660
20
03
R. Barrichello
Williams
1:47.347
+ 0.744
23
04
S. Perez
Sauber
1:47.422
+ 0.819
22
05
F. Massa
Ferrari
1:47.562
+ 0.959
13
06
N. Rosberg
Mercedes
1:47.758
+ 1.155
23
07
F. Alonso
Ferrari
1:48.161
+ 1.558
16
08
L. Hamilton
McLaren
1:48.549
+ 1.946
21
09
N. Hulkenberg
Force India
1:48.598
+ 1.995
19
10
J. Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
1:48.678
+ 2.075
22
11
P. di Resta
Force India
1:48.730
+ 2.127
18
12
S. Buemi
Toro Rosso
1:48.778
+ 2.175
18
13
S. Vettel
RBR
1:48.794
+ 2.191
21
14
P. Maldonado
Williams
1:48.809
+ 2.206
17
15
J. Button
McLaren
1:48.841
+ 2.238
23
16
N. Heidfeld
Renault
1:48.941
+ 2.338
20
17
V. Petrov
Renault
1:49.603
+ 3.000
15
18
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
1:50.133
+ 3.530
17
19
J. Trulli
Lotus
1:50.222
+ 3.619
14
20
K. Chandhok
Lotus
1:51.119
+ 4.516
17
21
T. Glock
Virgin
1:52.470
+ 5.867
17
22
V. Liuzzi
HRT
1:53.143
+ 6.540
20
23
J. d'Ambrosio
Virgin
1:53.469
+ 6.866
26
24
D. Ricciardo
HRT
1:54.334
+ 7.731
24

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Fernando's Blog:a postcard from Valencia


Finally, a bit of time off! After the Valencia weekend, I went straight to Maranello where I spent two packed days both on the technical and the promotional front. This morning I went back home to relax for a few days before setting off again for the next Grand Prix, in England this time, at Silverstone.
With the team, we went back over the last race and the short and long term development plans. I take away good memories from Valencia. It was a positive weekend, especially the race. In fact it meant I filled a gap in my trophy collection, but the best part of it was seeing again the delight of the crowd when I passed Mark, first on track and then at the pit stop: racing in Spain is always something special!
It is a key time in the season. We are moving forward, as could be seen in the last three races, but now we must also confirm the progress seen at Monaco, Montreal and Valencia on a track with completely different characteristics, which is definitely more suited to our main rivals. At Silverstone, you need a lot of aerodynamic downforce and this is area where we are lagging behind. We will have some new parts, but there’s a step from that to saying we will have made up the difference…Maybe! We must be realistic and accept that it’s not possible that in less than two months – the time past since the Barcelona race – we have closed the gap that was seen at the Catalunya circuit. It wasn’t a whole lap, because that was down to the way the race panned out, but it was definitely bigger than what we have seen in the last three races. We must continue to work on improving the car and then I am sure the win will come. When? I don’t have a crystal ball to be able to give a definite answer.

In Maranello, I had the opportunity to meet a driver who has been part of the history of Formula 1 and of Ferrari, John Surtees. We took part in a promotional event organised by our technical partner Shell and he was very interesting to talk to, comparing our experiences as drivers and, above all, talking about our lives with a special team like Ferrari. It’s nice to meet people who can give you a first hand account of what Formula 1 was like back then!
Today, the team told me about Pirelli’s tyre choices for the coming three races. At the British Grand Prix, we will be running the Soft and the Hard, the same choice that featured in the early stages of the championship. Okay, for us that means one more challenge, namely being able to make all types of tyre work as well as possible. Anyway, the tyre choice is the same for everyone and there’s no point discussing if the pair of compounds chosen is more suited to one team or another. It’s up to the teams to adjust the cars to get the best out of the tyres both in terms of performance and life."

Friday, July 1, 2011

Valencia GP : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"Well, first I am happy with the performance and the fact that the team is progressing after a difficult start to the season. Then of course the championship is not playable at the moment, our fate is not ours . We must therefore approach it race by race, trying to win the Grand Prix we play and wait for Red Bull makes mistakes. For now, I do not think we can think of the championship. We just have an approach which is limited race by race and see what happens in the latter part of the season. The gap is now 99 points, nearly a hundred wholesale. It's a lot ! As we have said, we are one second behind at the moment, or eight tenths. So if anyone thinks we can win a championship with eight tenths behind the turn, it may understand nothing about Formula 1. I was determined to get on the podium. In my collection of trophies, I miss it more now that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and of course India. I hope I can complete my collection by the end of the year! I really enjoyed tasting the champagne again, especially to this lovely crowd of supporters in Valencia, an amazing city where there is a great passion for racing. This result means a lot to me. It is difficult to see the stands when you fly, but I could feel that there was great enthusiasm when I passed Webber. It is a good result for the whole team because it confirms that we are moving in the right direction."
Felipe Massa :
"It was a good race, I have long fought against other drivers, and it was rather interesting. The car was very good with the soft tires, but once the hard tires shod, it was really different, it was not acting the same way. I must say I am very, very disappointed with the problem that occurred during my last stop. This problem cost me precious seconds that could have made the difference against Lewis [Hamilton] on behalf of fourth place. In terms of performance, we were now and again before the McLaren. In Monaco and Canada, we were faster than them, and here too is a good thing

Valencia GP : the race

Pos
Drivers
Teams
Laps
Gap
Points
01
S. Vettel
RBR
57
Vainqueur
25
02
F. Alonso
Ferrari
57
+ 10.8 secs
18
03
M. Webber
RBR
57
+ 27.2 secs
15
04
L. Hamilton
McLaren
57
+ 46.1 secs
12
05
F. Massa
Ferrari
57
+ 51.7 secs
10
06
J. Button
McLaren
57
+ 60.0 secs
8
07
N. Rosberg
Mercedes
57
+ 98.0 secs
6
08
J. Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
56
+ 1 Tour
4
09
A. Sutil
Force India
56
+ 1 Tour
2
10
N. Heidfeld
Renault
56
+ 1 Tour
1
11
S. Perez
Sauber
56
+ 1 Tour
12
R. Barrichello
Williams
56
+ 1 Tour
13
S. Buemi
Toro Rosso
56
+ 1 Tour
14
P. di Resta
Force India
56
+ 1 Tour
15
V. Petrov
Renault
56
+ 1 Tour
16
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
56
+ 1 Tour
17
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
56
+ 1 Tour
18
P. Maldonado
Williams
56
+ 1 Tour
19
H. Kovalainen
Lotus
55
+ 2 Tours
20
J. Trulli
Lotus
55
+ 2 Tours
21
T. Glock
Virgin
55
+ 2 Tours
22
J. d'Ambrosio
Virgin
55
+ 2 Tours
23
V. Liuzzi
HRT
54
+ 3 Tours
24
N. Karthikeyan
HRT
54
+ 3 Tours

Valencia GP : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"I do not think it was disappointing skills, because even if the observers knotted big expectations of us, the team we were well aware of the situation. The goal was to fight with McLaren and that's what we did. Maybe we had hoped to get ahead of their two cars, but we finally inserted between their two drivers. I did not expect that the slight change of regulation changes the hierarchy and that was the case: Red Bull was and is the favorite. We will see now if at Silverstone, where more significant changes will arrive, something happens, but we must keep in mind that almost everyone will suffer loss of performance. On my second run in Q3, I gave everything to try to improve myself, but once I realized that my time was slower than the previous one, I chose to return pit and save this set of tires as much as possible .
I think tomorrow we might see different strategies at the pit stops. Our goal is to finish on the podium and we have a chance to realize it. Development work on the car is progressing well, but we are still far behind in terms of aerodynamics. In terms of development time, we have two to three months late. We will not easily catch up with us but we will do everything we can to achieve it."
Felipe Massa :
"It was not a single sitting, even if the fourth and fifth is not a bad result than that. McLaren seems to have found a few things between practice and qualifying, while Red Bull is still very strong, as was expected. We have become more competitive over the last three races and our goal is to continue and we must push the development of the car especially the regulations for next year will be more or less the same, so all the current work will be useful the long term. Today, we struggled more than ever, probably because of the filing of rubber on the track and high temperatures, it did not work for us but it will be interesting to see the strategies chosen by competitors. I do not think that making a single stop is possible ."

Valencia GP : qualifying session

Pos
Drivers
Teams
Q1
Q2
Q3
Laps
01
S. Vettel
RBR
1:39.116
1:37.305
1:36.975
15
02
M. Webber
RBR
1:39.956
1:38.058
1:37.163
19
03
L. Hamilton
McLaren
1:39.244
1:37.727
1:37.380
13
04
F. Alonso
Ferrari
1:39.725
1:37.930
1:37.454
20
05
F. Massa
Ferrari
1:38.413
1:38.566
1:37.535
20
06
J. Button
McLaren
1:39.453
1:37.749
1:37.645
14
07
N. Rosberg
Mercedes
1:39.266
1:38.373
1:38.231
15
08
M. Schumacher
Mercedes
1:39.198
1:38.365
1:38.240
18
09
N. Heidfeld
Renault
1:39.877
1:38.781
17
10
A. Sutil
Force India
1:39.329
1:39.034
14
11
V. Petrov
Renault
1:39.690
1:39.068
14
12
P. di Resta
Force India
1:39.852
1:39.422
16
13
R. Barrichello
Williams
1:39.602
1:39.489
19
14
K. Kobayashi
Sauber
1:40.131
1:39.525
17
15
P. Maldonado
Williams
1:39.690
1:39.645
10
16
S. Perez
Sauber
1:39.494
1:39.657
13
17
S. Buemi
Toro Rosso
1:39.679
1:39.711
8
18
J. Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
1:40.232
5
19
H. Kovalainen
Lotus
1:41.664
10
20
J. Trulli
Lotus
1:42.234
9
21
T. Glock
Virgin
1:42.553
9
22
V. Liuzzi
HRT
1:43.584
10
23
J. d'Ambrosio
Virgin
1:43.735
6
24
N. Karthikeyan
HRT
1:44.363