Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/29/2229390/team-owner-penske-will-meet-with.html
Clemente Biondetti Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Valencia hoping for F1 race fee reduction | F1 Fanatic round-up
Valencia hoping for F1 race fee reduction is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Valencia hopes to reduce the cost of holding its F1 race.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Valencia in talks to cut Formula One costs (Reuters)
“[Valencia regional president Alberto] Fabra was ‘in a process of negotiation to reduce the cost of the Formula One levy’, Serafin Castellano, secretary general of the region’s ruling party, was quoted as saying in local media.”
Petrov Looking at 3 Teams for 2013 Drive – Manager (Ria Novosti)
“I would like something in my hands, something we can put on the table when we don’t have any proper offer from Caterham.”
Hamilton’s dispute with di Resta put before court (The Telegraph)
“The possibility of a court case later this year between [Lewis Hamilton's] father and one of his on-track rivals, who is now being advised by his team-mate’s manager, will not be appealing. It is thought most likely that both parties will agree to settle before it gets that far.”
Red Bull hits back at critics over rows (Autosport)
Christian Horner: “The bottom line is that the result sheet comes out at the end of qualifying and the end of the race, and the car complies with the regulations. All the rest is all bullshit.”
Hamilton delivers – but ‘wait for judgment day’ (BBC)
“[Lotus's new rear wing upgrade] is in addition to the DRS overtaking device that all teams use – it’s a kind of DRS-plus – and it will be especially effective at the next two races in Spa and Monza because of the long straights on those tracks.”
Comment of the day
Eleanore on race director Charlie Whiting:
I have to say, the most I took away from this – as bizarre as it was, and confusing for some time until a while after the race when it finally came out what actually caused this – was a reminder of the importance of Charlie Whiting’s job.
He’s always there, but I don’t think most watching tend to give him much thought. It’s his job as much as many others to make sure the drivers have a safe and proper start, and he’s obviously got a good eye up there.
(After all, the guy at the back did wave the green flag to give him the go ahead! Despite that, he still spotted that something was amiss and the start needed to be aborted.)
Eleanore
From the forum
- The next race on the calendar is one of the most popular among F1 Fanatics. Join is the discussion here if you’re going to the Belgian Grand Prix
- Where will Massa go if he does leave Ferrari at the end of the year?
- Thread for those going to the World Endurance Championship round at Silverstone
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to EGC!
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On this day in F1
Niki Lauda won the 1977 German Grand Prix – one year on from his dreadful crash at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
The race was now held at the Hockenheimring. Pole sitter Jody Scheckter finished second ahead of Hans-Joachim Stuck.
The race was also memorable for the antics of Hans Heyer, who started despite not having qualified. Read more about that here:
Here’s footage from the race weekend:
Image © Williams/LAT
Valencia hoping for F1 race fee reduction is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
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Peter Collins Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas Franco Comotti
Alonso the new favourite
 Fernando Alonso is the new favourite for the title |
“He is the man with the momentum and, on the same basis that I backed Mark Webber to win the title before Korea, is now my favourite to claim the world title in Abu Dhabi on Nov 14. “When the cars are so evenly-matched you have to back the man in possession. Especially when that man is a two-time world champion and arguably the finest driver of his generation.”The Mirror’s Byron Young drew comparisons between Alonso and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as the Spaniard bids to become the sport’s youngest ever triple world champion.
“Like Schumacher, Alonso accepts no opposition within his team. Ultimately he fell out with McLaren over their refusal in 2007 to bring Lewis Hamilton to heel. “He returned to Renault on condition he was No.1, only to be at the centre of the Singapore cheat scandal - engineered to hand him victory. “The Spaniard has always denied involvement but at the German GP in July he was brazen enough to radio Ferrari to rein in team-mate Felipe Massa so he could start the winning streak that has taken him to the brink of history.”
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/alonso_the_new_favourite_1.php
Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk
Massa’s F1 Future Unclear
Felipe Massa’s long-term Formula One career appears to be in doubt, after he admitted that he may consider quitting the sport if he doesn’t get a new contract with Ferrari.
The Brazilian’s position with the Scuderia has come under increased scrutiny this term, as his form has dipped significantly.
Sergio Perez has been linked with a switch to Ferrari, as the Mexican a part of the team’s Young Driver Programme.
With the mid-season break about to begin, Massa’s future is likely to be discussed within the Italian team, and he has made it clear that if he has no offer for next season from Ferrari, or another top outfit, he may walk away from F1.
“I want to stay in F1, but it has to be in a situation where I am in F1 to race, not just to participate,” said the 31-year-old.
“If for whatever reason, I don’t have the chance to stay in Ferrari, then I will try and find a direction where I can race. But otherwise, small teams? I’m not interested.”
Massa’s poor performances have received even greater levels of criticism due to the displays of teammate Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard currently occupies top spot in the Drivers’ Championship, 34 points clear of Mark Webber.
Follow @Formula1fancast for the latest F1 news and blogs
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Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim ClarkÜ
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Fresh questions over struggling Schumacher
Michael Schumacher's collision with Williams driver Bruno Senna in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix has once again focused awkward attention on the German legend's lacklustre performances for Mercedes.
A senior member of the Mercedes team used the word "mediocre" last weekend when discussing the 43-year-old's driving, and that was before Schumacher clumsily ran into the back of Senna's car in the race.
It was the sort of error you might expect from a beginner, not a man with 91 grand prix victories and seven world titles under his belt.
Coming at Senna from a long way back, Schumacher seemed simply to misjudge the closing speed of the two cars and, caught in two minds about which direction to go, he ran into the back of the Williams.
Schumacher called Senna an "idiot" on the radio as he sat in the gravel trap in the immediate aftermath, and, even after watching replays, he still seemed convinced it was his rival's fault. The stewards disagreed and gave him a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Monaco.
Schumacher's reaction will have surprised no-one in F1 - he has always seemed to lack the ability to accept he can ever be wrong.
In an aspiring young driver, this is a characteristic one might expect. But age is supposed to bring wisdom and, in this aspect at least, it appears not to be the case with Schumacher.
With the passing years comes an inevitable waning of physical abilities, and it is surely now beyond dispute that this has come even to him.
Michael Schumacher collides with Bruno Senna during the Spanish Grand Prix. Photo: Reuters
How long can he go on raging against the dying of the light? More to the point, perhaps, how long can Mercedes accept it?
There is no shame in Schumacher not being the driver he was - one can argue there is honour in him being able to achieve even what he has as he heads into the middle of his fifth decade.
The facts, though, are that he is now no more than a decent F1 driver - and some may argue not even that.
Statistically, this is the worst start to a season in Schumacher's career. But statistics can be misleading - Schumacher actually started the season well. He was the stronger of the two Mercedes drivers in the first two races.
But then came China and Nico Rosberg's qualifying lap, half a second quicker than his team-mate, who was second on the grid.
The gap was explained almost entirely by a stunning middle sector of the lap from Rosberg, which Schumacher, I'm told, justified to himself by Rosberg managing to turn his tyres on better.
That may well have been the reason, but the gap was there nonetheless. As it was again in the race, when that excuse was less justifiable. Schumacher was simply outclassed by his team-mate.
They have been more evenly matched since, but still Schumacher is almost certainly getting no more from the car than a number of other drivers could manage.
The contrast, with what Fernando Alonso is doing in the Ferrari - which is not dissimilar to the sort of thing Schumacher used to achieve in his early years with the team - is stark.
The tragedy of Schumacher's current situation is that it is leading some people to question his earlier achievements of seven world titles; two with Benetton and five with Ferrari between 1994 and 2004.
His criticisms of the Pirelli tyres after Bahrain drew uncomfortable parallels with the bespoke tyres from Bridgestone which Schumacher enjoyed for much of his Ferrari career, a subject that was largely unexplored during his pomp.
Some are beginning to wonder if seven titles really was such an amazing achievement, given the advantages he had at his disposal?
This would be wrong, though. There is no doubt that the Schumacher of the 1990s and early 2000s was an outstanding racing driver, one of the greatest there has ever been.
But that Schumacher belongs to the past.
The current one is out of contract at the end of this season. This, in fact, was the context in which the "mediocre" remark came up.
So what reasons do Mercedes have to keep him on, rather than try for someone else?
Lewis Hamilton, also looking for a new deal in 2013, may well not be available, or interested. Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button are committed to their current teams. Those left are all unproven.
Schumacher may continue to embarrass himself in wheel-to-wheel racing occasionally, but he's close to Rosberg's pace these days - and Mercedes' top management rate their younger driver very highly indeed.
The other reason is less palatable for those who like to consider F1 as the arena in which the very best drivers in the world do battle. It's commercial.
Schumacher's marketing value to Mercedes is huge. After Rosberg's victory in China, vice-president of Mercedes motorsport Norbert Haug delighted in how "fantastic" Schumacher had been in front of 800 guests at the launch of a new road car model in Shanghai the previous night. It had been, Haug said, "the perfect weekend".
Schumacher may no longer be one of the best F1 drivers, but around the world he remains arguably the most famous - and therefore the most valuable to Mercedes off the track. And in Germany, Mercedes' home, he is largely untouchable, voted recently the greatest national sportsman in history.
Ultimately, though, Mercedes are in F1 to win - and it is no secret that, after two disappointing seasons, the pressure on the team at the start of this season was enormous.
It will have been alleviated somewhat by their win in China, but the team have faded after a promising start and currently look no better than they did through much of last year.
In a season as topsy-turvy as this, that could easily change - and, who knows, if everything comes together perhaps Schumacher can win again. After all, who before the weekend would have predicted Pastor Maldonado's victory in Spain?
But, all things being equal, that looks unlikely. For a team with an average car who need to win, is a "mediocre" driver, however famous, good enough?
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/05/fresh_questions_over_mediocre.html
Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz
Hungarian Grand Prix FP2 Roundup: Hamilton Leads The Way
Lewis Hamilton once again topped the order in Friday Practice, securing top spot with a time of 1.21.995.
The McLaren man finished first in FP1, and was quickest in FP2 this afternoon.
The 27-year-old registered his session winning time just before rain interrupted proceedings.
Kimi Raikkonen came in second just ahead of Williams’ Bruno Senna.
Jenson Button, who was second quickest in FP1, finished the Friday outings in sixth, behind both Ferrari’s, of which Felipe Massa was quickest.
Sebastian Vettel made it into the top ten however, the Red Bulls appear to be struggling to keep pace with Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus.
FP2 began in blistering heat, as the Budapest sunshine shone down on the Hungaroring. As a result, many drivers elected to go out early to gain further knowledge of the track in dry conditions.
Both Ferrari’s looked impressive in hot conditions, but it was Hamilton who stole show, as the only man to break into the 1 minute 21 second band.
With 40 minutes remaining the rain began to fall, forcing everybody back into the pits.
With track temperatures high the surface dried put fairly quickly, but not in time for anybody to nip ahead of Hamilton.
The focus will now switch to FP3 and qualifying, where everyone will be battling to secure track position ahead of Sunday’s race.
Follow @Formula1fancast for updates throughout the race weekend
John CampbellJones Adri·n Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell
Massa’s F1 Future Unclear
Felipe Massa’s long-term Formula One career appears to be in doubt, after he admitted that he may consider quitting the sport if he doesn’t get a new contract with Ferrari.
The Brazilian’s position with the Scuderia has come under increased scrutiny this term, as his form has dipped significantly.
Sergio Perez has been linked with a switch to Ferrari, as the Mexican a part of the team’s Young Driver Programme.
With the mid-season break about to begin, Massa’s future is likely to be discussed within the Italian team, and he has made it clear that if he has no offer for next season from Ferrari, or another top outfit, he may walk away from F1.
“I want to stay in F1, but it has to be in a situation where I am in F1 to race, not just to participate,” said the 31-year-old.
“If for whatever reason, I don’t have the chance to stay in Ferrari, then I will try and find a direction where I can race. But otherwise, small teams? I’m not interested.”
Massa’s poor performances have received even greater levels of criticism due to the displays of teammate Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard currently occupies top spot in the Drivers’ Championship, 34 points clear of Mark Webber.
Follow @Formula1fancast for the latest F1 news and blogs
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Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol
WAG WEEKLY: Rachelle Graham
This blonde bombshell is the former girlfriend of Toro Rosso racer Jean-Eric Vergne, and from what we can see, why did he split up with her?
The lovely Rachelle is the current Miss Newcastle and grid girl in the British Touring Car Championship, where she can often be seen on race days.
Anyway, that’s enough chitchat, enjoy our Rachelle Graham image gallery.
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL OUR RACHELLE GRAHAM GALLERY
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/ygFnSNXKP5c/wag-weekly-rachelle-graham
Mark Blundell Raul Boesel Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto
Saturday, July 28, 2012
AMA SBK: Ten Pole Performance
Yamaha star Josh Hayes upped his AMA Pro Superbike pole streak to ten with a triumphant QP performance at Laguna Seca.
Source: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-ten-pole-performance/
Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk
Let's celebrate a great British Grand Prix
I must confess, at the start of the year I wasn't sure what to expect from Formula 1 in 2012. The question for me was: how could a sport that has enthralled us so much in recent seasons deliver again - while at the same time hold its own in a year so packed with stunning sporting spectacles?
We've had the European Football Championship, now followed swiftly by Wimbledon and then almost immediately the London Olympics will be upon us. It's a veritable feast for those sports lovers keen to sit down on the sofa in June and not get up again until late August (if I wasn't working I'd be one of them!).
Among such sporting riches I wondered just how F1 would make its voice heard. Well, here we are, almost at the midway point of the season and it seems I needn't have worried.
Due to the fact that my brain has probably only a hundredth of the power of Adrian Newey's and works at roughly a tenth of the speed of Sebastian Vettel's, there are many things I still can't work out about this sport. One of them: just how does it manage to keep on delivering storylines that even Brookside in its heyday would have been proud of?!
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Since the BBC team and I got involved it's been one drama after another. In 2009 alone we had the Brawn GP 'phoenix-from-the-flames' act, Felipe Massa's nasty accident in Hungary and then Jenson keeping us all guessing until we got to Brazil.
2010 then delivered arguably the most competitive season the sport has ever seen with five drivers in with a shout of the title, and the least fancied of the lot eventually winning it.
Meanwhile, last year was all about the record-breaking domination of our back-to-back champion, as Seb found his feet in the sport - and his place in the history books - with the most amazing performances week after week that all of us, bar Mark Webber, just watched in awe.
And then 2012 arrived. The year of the Union Flag. The year we all celebrate being British, and the Queen being on the throne almost as long as this sport has existed. The year that Wayne Rooney and England would chase glory in the east of Europe, while the likes of Chris Hoy and Usain Bolt would do the same in the east of London.
And among the flotillas, the flypast and the flag waving, Formula 1's job was to remind the British public that if you want to celebrate Britain, then celebrate this sport!
In an age of low profits and high anxiety, it's only natural that we lean on the things we know and trust, and we should include Formula 1 in that bracket. To most of us, it's always been here.
We should not only celebrate it because it employs thousands and contributes millions to the British economy each year. We shouldn't just feel pride because eight of the current teams are based on these shores, or that this was the country where Formula 1 actually began - but because in times like this, what we need is a bit of escapism, something to entertain us. And this sport is currently doing both.
And best of all, this weekend it's the British Grand Prix!
I have incredibly fond memories of this race, and we always try to find a way on the show to tell the story of you, the F1 fans, who attend in your thousands. And whether it's chants of 'BBC' from the grandstand or 'Eddie, Eddie, Eddie' as the crowds gather round us in our pre-show build-up, we appreciate the support you've shown us over the years.
Having arrived on a three-man tandem bike and hovered overhead in a helicopter in the past, we've decided on a quintessentially British, extrovert way of arriving for this year's grand prix. If you're there on the Thursday you won't miss us! I suggest that sometime late-morning you look to the skies and give us a wave... that's all I'm saying.
However, it's the drivers who will again provide the real entertainment this year. And after the British fans braved the rain of 2011 and despite there being no British winner since 2008, I truly hope that this year is a race to remember. As well as a grand prix that lives up to the high standards this season has set.
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If Valencia is anything to go by then it looks like Silverstone will be a cracker. We won't have the sweltering conditions that some races have given us, but with another mixed-up grid full of mixed-up strategies, once again I hope it will have us guessing until the very end.
And we're also at a crucial stage of the season as far as the title is concerned. Can Fernando Alonso now string some success together and build a championship lead? Meanwhile Mark Webber can really show what consistency can do. If Lotus really harbour title aspirations then now is the time to start turning pace into wins, and what kind of form will Michael be in now he's bagged his first podium since 2006?
And that leaves the three lions. Paul Di Resta continues to show flashes of brilliance and stunning raw speed - surely it's just a matter of time until he makes a move to a big team. But he's also got the likes of Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean battling for the crown of top rookie.
Is Jenson going to be cut adrift after struggling on Saturdays and having to fight for scraps in recent races? And as for Lewis, he may well arrive at Silverstone like a bear with a sore head after the way his Valencia race ended, but I predict he will make it British Grand Prix win number two on Sunday.
So, if you can't make it to the race then don't take down your Jubilee bunting and put the fizz back under the stairs just yet. Chill a bottle, settle down in front of the TV and watch a British love affair unfold that is every bit as special as we've seen so far this summer.
And if you are coming to the race, then make sure you bring that Union Flag. This feels like a year that we've fallen in love with being British again, so as the world tunes in to see what Northamptonshire has to offer on Sunday, let's help make it a race to remember.
And after the race, head to Luffield for the grand prix party, as we're hosting the F1 Forum live on stage and we want you to be part of the show.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2012/07/lets_celebrate_a_great_british.html
Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla
A Break Down Of The Hungaroring
This weekend the Formula One World Championship returns to Hungary, and the magnificent Hungaroring. With the form of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button and with such little rest since Germany, expectations are high for a great race.
The Hungaroring is located in Mogyoród, Hungary, 30 km from the centre of the city of Budapest. The construction of the circuit began on October 1, 1985 and was completed in eight months. The current path has a length of 4,381 meters; shorter lines of other similar circuits make overtaking in the race infrequent, which will favour those in a better position during the qualifying rounds.
Since 1986, Hungaroring annually hosts the Hungary Formula One Grand Prix, accompanied between 1998 and 2004 by the Formula 3000 International and since 2005 by the GP2 Series. Hungaroring is the first circuit behind the iron curtain to visit the Formula 1 and since joining the calendar, it has been one of the slower events together with Buenos Aires and Jerez.
In addition to these competitions, the circuit has hosted the Superbike World Championship from 1988 until 1990; the world motorcycling Championship in 1990 and 1992; the FIA GT Championship from 1998 until 2001, European Formula 3000 in 2006 and 2007; the World Series by Renault and the European Formula Renault 2.0 since 2007; and the International Formula Master in 2009. Due to little use, the track is generally covered with dust and lacks the typical rubberised footprint of other busiest racecourses.
This is the reason why the circuit helps those pilots who leave before the others in the classification rounds. With Alonso in a good set of victories a good qualification round tomorrow is vital, for Button more of the same after his great performance in Germany. Lewis Hamilton, due to this, is in need of a solid qualification session, as are both the Red Bulls. All of this puts greater emphasis on Saturday afternoon, with track position come race day.
The fastest lap on the circuit has changed a lot in recent years, although the same team has won it. In 2004 Michael Schumacher had the record with Ferrari, and then in 2007 Kimi Räikkönen with the red team too and in 2008 it was Felipe Massa. Button achieved his first victory in F1 here as well on his way to as his first F1 Championship with Brawn.
The 70 laps at Hungaroring present a challenge in racing, not only the qualification, but the start will have huge bearing on the race. The three first positions are vital, for the possibility of a win; whoever can manage this aspect of the race has half the Grand Prix in his pocket. Let´s see what today brings us.
Follow @Formula1fancast on Twitter for updates throughout the race weekend
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Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt
Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Roundup: Hamilton Secures Pole
Lewis Hamilton carried his practice pace into qualifying to claim pole position for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The McLaren man’s time of 1.20.953 was almost half-a-second quicker than his closest rival, Romain Grosjean, who secured his highest ever starting position in the Lotus.
Sebastian Vettel claimed third, with Jenson Button joining him on the second row of the grid, displaying the remarkable turnaround McLaren have made to the MP4-27.
Scorching temperatures greeted the drivers for Saturday’s qualifying session, allowing all of the teams to use the knowledge built up during the practice sessions.
There were no great surprises in Q1, as the usual suspects dropped out. Sebastian Vettel just scraped through in 16th place, almost losing out to Heikki Kovalainen and Daniel Ricciardo.
The major casualty of Q2 came in the form of Mark Webber, who will have to start tomorrow’s race from 11th on the grid. Williams’ Bruno Senna registered a late time to knock out the Australian who has been struggling in the Red Bull RB8 for most of the weekend.
Along with Webber, both Sauber and Mercedes drivers lost out as well as Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne, who would have been happy just to make it out of Q1.
Lewis Hamilton continued his fine form in Q3 to claim a deserved pole for tomorrow’s race, beating his nearest rival, Grosjean, by a convincing margin. Despite showing great pace in both Q1 and Q2, Senna could only manage ninth, just ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in tenth.
Vettel and Button will occupy the second row for tomorrow’s race, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado.
Attention now switches the main event tomorrow afternoon, and after displaying such great pace it’s hard to look past Lewis Hamilton for the win.
Follow @Formula1fancast on twitter for updates throughout tomorrow’s race
Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti
Friday, July 27, 2012
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
“Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. “Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.”A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth
Alonso: Ferrari now “two to three seconds” faster | 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix
Alonso: Ferrari now “two to three seconds” faster is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari have improved their F2012 by two to three seconds per lap since the season began.
Speaking in the press conference ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix Alonso estimated the team’s improvement at “between two and three seconds, but obviously it’s a number that cannot be very precise”.
Alonso added: “I think the biggest improvement that we introduced was in Barcelona. The biggest update, which were mainly aerodynamics on the car.
“We knew that in the first three or four races when we were in China, Bahrain, the car was not doing what we were expecting and when we arrived in Barcelona everything became a little bit more normal for us and from that point all the updates was fine-tuning. But the Barcelona one was to make everything back to work.”
Alonso stressed that the close competition between the different teams this season made getting the most our of each weekend especially important:
“This year has been not easy. The grid is so tight so in one tenth you have four or five cars. In the races we all are more or less in the same performance.
“It’s not like last year where there were six cars and then another group of cars and then another group again. This year every detail counts, every pit stop counts, the start, so I think it’s a little bit more stress on the grid or between all of us.
“We’ve been in lucky in some moment of the championship, in some manouevres, in some incidents and we’ve been finishing all the races in the points which obviously helps for us. But we need to keep doing like this and hopefully have all season trouble-free.”
“I’m really happy with my last four or five seasons”
Asked if he’d changed anything in his approach in what has so far been a very successful season for him, Alonso replied that he believed he’d driven comparably well in recent seasons:
“I think so far the results are coming good and we’ve been lucky in some moments on some details of the weekends and we’re achieving a lot of points.
“But I have I think [had] a very good season like 2008, winning two races with Renault; 2009, with a car that normally [my] teammate was out of Q1, I was in a podium and things like that; 2010 when I arrived at Ferrari you asked me always if that was my best season, recovering until arriving in Abu Dhabi, leading the championship with that car; and last year you were saying that was my best season with ten podiums with a car that was quite far from Red Bull and McLaren.
“And this year is at the moment good things what you are asking me but, as I said before, two or three races some poor results, you will ask me why I’m not concentrating or something like that. So I will try to do always the best thing I can.
“I’m really happy with my last four or five seasons in Formula 1, especially even more with this one because, at the moment, we are taking care about all the details that in this championship seem quite important because, as we said before, the grid is so tight.
“So you need to be close to perfection, let’s say, every weekend, because if not you lose more positions than in the past. But apart of that, like I said, it’s more or less the same performance or same approach, or same preparation as the last four or five seasons.”
2012 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Predict the top five in Hungary and win F1 prizes
- Hamilton stays on top as rain hits Hungaroring
- Live: 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix second practice
- McLaren lead opening practice session in Hungary
- Live: 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix first practice
Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo
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Ian Burgess Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne
Hamilton's new 'headspace' wins admirers. And races
Lewis Hamilton was almost overcome with emotion after winning the Canadian Grand Prix and taking his first victory of the season at the seventh time of asking. Which is ironic, because one of the most impressive aspects of his performance was its control.
The McLaren driver admitted he too often let his emotions get the better of him in 2011, and he went away for the winter intending to reset his mental state. His performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday was the final confirmation that the world is seeing a new, more potent, Hamilton in 2012.
His change of approach has been apparent from the start of the season. He has remained calm in the face of much adversity when last year he might not have and has never once deviated from his determination that consistency is what will win him the title this season.
Until Sunday, there had been questions about whether he could marry that approach with winning races in the same spectacular style that has earned him such a huge following - not least because winning was exactly what he had not done.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the Canadian GP with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis (left). Photo:Getty
But he drove a superb, perfectly judged race in Montreal to take the 18th victory of his career and the world championship lead – albeit by only two points from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton talked in Canada about the difference between last year and this.
“I think I’m driving the same,” he said, “but last year, every year, I’m able to drive fast, but to remain in the right headspace and remain focused this year is not an issue.”
This new “headspace”, it seems, finally contains room for a skill he has shown only rarely before.
The headlines – and much of the attention – will focus on the exciting last 20 laps in Montreal, when Hamilton dropped to third following his second pit stop and had to make up 15 seconds on Alonso to win the race.
But more impressive was Hamilton’s coolness and awareness of what was going on around him before that.
There have been times in Hamilton’s career when he seemed to look to the team for answers that other great drivers have tended to be able work out themselves.
Brilliantly skilled as his driving is, planning a race had never seemed to be one of his strongpoints. But on Sunday all that changed.
As he led the race during the second stint, he was told by his engineers that Alonso and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel were on the same two-stop strategy as he was. He questioned it, saying: ‘Are you sure they’re not doing a one-stop?” He was right; they were wrong.
It was the sort of leading from the cockpit that is more usual from Alonso, Hamilton’s great rival. But on Sunday it was the Spaniard and Ferrari who got it badly wrong, and Hamilton and McLaren who called it exactly right.
“When the guys were behind me,” Hamilton said. “I kinda had a feeling that Fernando would be doing a one-stop, so I knew I had to make a gap while looking after the tyres.
“I was able to make a gap and then hold it, even though Fernando started to pick his pace up. It was one of the best stints I’ve had for a long, long time.”
The final, winning, stint was spectacular to watch. But with the tyres on the cars of Alonso and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel fading fast, and Hamilton lapping as much as two seconds faster than them, it was obvious from pretty soon after the McLaren driver’s second stop that he was going to win.
And so, in a moment, the narrative of Hamilton’s season has turned full circle.
Before Canada, the talk was all about how McLaren had taken the fastest car and thrown away their advantage through operational errors – several pit stop problems and the refuelling error in qualifying that cost Hamilton almost certain victory in Spain.
Those criticisms remain valid, and Hamilton did have hiccoughs at both his pit stops in Canada, but the win has finally come – and in a style that suggests strongly it will not be his last.
“I’m definitely not going to change my approach, but I think it’s working reasonably well so far,” Hamilton said.
“I probably definitely had to be more on the limit today to catch the two guys ahead, perhaps a little bit more risky than in the past but it is about consistency this year.
“It’s unbelievable to see just how close it is. We got a win and 25 points and I only have a two-point lead and I think it will stay that close throughout the year. Again, it just highlights how important consistency is.”
On the other side of the McLaren garage, things are not as rosy.
Jenson Button sounded like a broken man after struggling to 16th place, saying he was “confused and very lost” about his lack of pace – which has been a problem since Bahrain four races ago.
“I couldn’t look after tyres, I didn’t have any pace, there was nothing there,” he said, cutting a forlorn figure as Hamilton celebrated.
Why do you think you were so slow, he was asked? “Haven’t a clue,” he replied.
Button started the season with a dominant win in Australia, where he made Hamilton look pretty ordinary, and after a lacklustre race in Malaysia, Button again beat Hamilton in finishing second to Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg in China.
At that point, Button looked like the favourite for the title. But since then he has scored two points in four races.
Clearly something is going very wrong somewhere in the set-up of Button’s car for as he put it himself: “I’m not two seconds slower than Lewis and I don’t know what’s going on.”
He is now 43 points behind Hamilton in a season that looks, for all its unpredictability, as if it is distilling down to a battle between Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel, the three finest drivers in the world.
Unless McLaren find some answers soon, Button will be reduced, like the rest of us, to watching it from afar.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/06/hamilton_1.html
Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts
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