Lewis Hamilton showed McLaren could remain a factor at the front of the field in the Belgian Grand Prix after all by topping a fully dry afternoon practice session at Spa.
Having played down its chances of repeating its front-running form from the last two races at this more downforce-dependent circuit, McLaren ended Friday narrowly ahead on pace after Hamilton uncorked an aggressive late lap of 1m47.201s.
The world champion’s time was an inconsequential 0.016s faster than Timo Glock’s best effort, as Toyota showed Jarno Trulli’s quickest time in the rain-hit morning session wasn’t totally unrepresentative of the TF109's potential by claiming strong second and seventh places.
Spa master Kimi Raikkonen completed a ridiculously close head of the field by moving up to third late on, just 0.084s adrift of Hamilton.
However, the Finn ended the session parked on the side of the track after his Ferrari F60 ground to a halt in the closing seconds.
Championship hopeful Mark Webber had led the session for much of the hour but had to settle for fourth – albeit just 0.128s off the pace for Red Bull.
Renault rookie Romain Grosjean continued his impressive Formula 1 start by netting fifth, with Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella vaulting up the order late on to finish the day in sixth.
Just days after reigniting its season with victory in Valencia, championship leader Brawn showed little speed in the session and finished in potentially concerning 17th and 18th positions on the times.
With the entire afternoon session playing out in dry conditions, the top 18 on the times were amazingly separated by just 0.929s - an incredibly tight margin given the undulating circuit stretches to 4.35 miles in length.
A full report will follow…
Belgian Grand Prix free practice session two
1. HAMILTON McLaren 1m47.201s
2. GLOCK Toyota 1m47.217s
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m47.285s
4. WEBBER Red Bull 1m47.329s
5. GROSJEAN Renault 1m47.333s
6. FISICHELLA Force India 1m47.506s
7. TRULLI Toyota 1m47.559s
8. KUBICA BMW 1m47.578s
9. ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m47.579s
10. VETTEL Red Bull 1m47.602s
11. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m47.702s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m47.743s
13. SUTIL Force India 1m47.790s
14. ALONSO Renault 1m47.862s
15. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m47.961s
16. HEIDFELD BMW 1m48.017s
17. BUTTON Brawn 1m48.125s
18. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m48.130s
19. ROSBERG Williams 1m48.360s
20. BADOER Ferrari 1m49.211s
Friday 28 August 2009
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Belgian Grand Prix Preview
Lewis Hamilton
“Like Monaco, Silverstone and Monza, it’s one of the historic circuits that I grew up watching on television when I was younger – which makes it just that bit more special for me, because it’s so easy to imagine the heroes of the past racing here. It’s also a magnificent circuit, a place where you can really push the limits of a Formula 1 car: driving through Eau Rouge, Pouhon or Blanchimont is an incredible sensation – your whole body is on the limit and you are still pushing to go faster still. I love Spa – I don’t think it should ever leave the Formula 1 calendar.”
Heikki Kovalainen
“I think everyone in Formula 1 looks forward to Spa. For the drivers, the circuit is a fantastic challenge: unlike some of the places we visit, Spa has real character, and it’s a place where the confidence and commitment of the driver can make a difference. The big corners mean you need to be brave and take risks – and also mean you’ll have a big accident if you get it wrong. I love this place, I think it’s the best circuit on the calendar.”
Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Despite making some major improvements to MP4-24, we go to Spa knowing that the circuit’s high-speed configuration is unlikely to play to our strengths of our car. Having said that, our new technical package makes us confident that we’ll be a strong contender for points as we look to improve on our fourth position in the constructors’ championship. We’ve enjoyed a tremendous record here, winning 10 times, and both Lewis and Heikki love this place so I’m looking forward to another exciting race.”
Norbert Haug,
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Spa has every element to make a circuit interesting, from long and demanding corners like Pouhon and Stavelot to the tight hairpin La Source which can be taken at a speed of only 70km/h. We have won four of the previous eight grands prix at this demanding circuit, the one with the second highest average speed after Monza of all grand prix circuits. The last two grands prix at Budapest and Valencia have completely different characteristics and according to experience at Spa there will hardly be tropical temperatures like at the previous two races. In these two races, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes scored 27 of 36 possible points - no other team was more successful. After 46 races, Lewis continues to be the driver in the field who during this period, since the beginning of the 2007 season, scored the most points and wins and he started almost half of his Formula 1 races from the front row. Only twice he did not finish. Heikki showed a good upward trend with second on the grid and fourth in the race lately. Spa will be a big challenge for everybody in the team and I don’t see us in a position to perform there as well as in the previous two races. Nevertheless, we approach the second grand prix which will be held within eight days after the summer break with great impetus and very positively - at least, our hit rate there was not so bad in the previous eight grands prix.”
McLaren at the Belgian Grand Prix…
10 years ago (August 29 1999)
Victory went to David Coulthard, pole and fastest lap to Mika Hakkinen. The pair touched at the first corner, enabling the Scot to establish a decisive lead over the Finn that he maintained to the end. Mika finished second – 10 seconds behind.
20 years ago (August 27 1989)
McLaren dominates the race – Ayrton Senna dominates the race driving an MP4/5, leading every lap from pole position. Team-mate Alain Prost ably backs him up, setting fastest lap on his way to runner-up spot.
30 years ago (May 13 1979)
John Watson salvages a point for the team, starting 19th but climbing to a points finish in sixth at the wheel of an M28B at Zolder. Watson’s team-mate Patrick Tambay underlines the team’s poor form by failing to qualify his M26.
“Like Monaco, Silverstone and Monza, it’s one of the historic circuits that I grew up watching on television when I was younger – which makes it just that bit more special for me, because it’s so easy to imagine the heroes of the past racing here. It’s also a magnificent circuit, a place where you can really push the limits of a Formula 1 car: driving through Eau Rouge, Pouhon or Blanchimont is an incredible sensation – your whole body is on the limit and you are still pushing to go faster still. I love Spa – I don’t think it should ever leave the Formula 1 calendar.”
Heikki Kovalainen
“I think everyone in Formula 1 looks forward to Spa. For the drivers, the circuit is a fantastic challenge: unlike some of the places we visit, Spa has real character, and it’s a place where the confidence and commitment of the driver can make a difference. The big corners mean you need to be brave and take risks – and also mean you’ll have a big accident if you get it wrong. I love this place, I think it’s the best circuit on the calendar.”
Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Despite making some major improvements to MP4-24, we go to Spa knowing that the circuit’s high-speed configuration is unlikely to play to our strengths of our car. Having said that, our new technical package makes us confident that we’ll be a strong contender for points as we look to improve on our fourth position in the constructors’ championship. We’ve enjoyed a tremendous record here, winning 10 times, and both Lewis and Heikki love this place so I’m looking forward to another exciting race.”
Norbert Haug,
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Spa has every element to make a circuit interesting, from long and demanding corners like Pouhon and Stavelot to the tight hairpin La Source which can be taken at a speed of only 70km/h. We have won four of the previous eight grands prix at this demanding circuit, the one with the second highest average speed after Monza of all grand prix circuits. The last two grands prix at Budapest and Valencia have completely different characteristics and according to experience at Spa there will hardly be tropical temperatures like at the previous two races. In these two races, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes scored 27 of 36 possible points - no other team was more successful. After 46 races, Lewis continues to be the driver in the field who during this period, since the beginning of the 2007 season, scored the most points and wins and he started almost half of his Formula 1 races from the front row. Only twice he did not finish. Heikki showed a good upward trend with second on the grid and fourth in the race lately. Spa will be a big challenge for everybody in the team and I don’t see us in a position to perform there as well as in the previous two races. Nevertheless, we approach the second grand prix which will be held within eight days after the summer break with great impetus and very positively - at least, our hit rate there was not so bad in the previous eight grands prix.”
McLaren at the Belgian Grand Prix…
10 years ago (August 29 1999)
Victory went to David Coulthard, pole and fastest lap to Mika Hakkinen. The pair touched at the first corner, enabling the Scot to establish a decisive lead over the Finn that he maintained to the end. Mika finished second – 10 seconds behind.
20 years ago (August 27 1989)
McLaren dominates the race – Ayrton Senna dominates the race driving an MP4/5, leading every lap from pole position. Team-mate Alain Prost ably backs him up, setting fastest lap on his way to runner-up spot.
30 years ago (May 13 1979)
John Watson salvages a point for the team, starting 19th but climbing to a points finish in sixth at the wheel of an M28B at Zolder. Watson’s team-mate Patrick Tambay underlines the team’s poor form by failing to qualify his M26.
Sunday 23 August 2009
Hamilton does not blame team
Lewis Hamilton refused to blame his McLaren team after a pit-stop blunder affected his race and may have cost him victory in Valencia, leaving him to finish second behind Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello.
Hamilton had led the majority of the race from pole position, but was coming under attack from the slightly heavier-fuelled Barrichello in the middle stint before his hopes of staying ahead of him were wrecked by a tyre mix-up at his final stop.
But rather than point the finger at his team for the mistake, the reigning world champion instead chose to focus on the fact that his second place acted as further proof that the team has turned around poor early-season form.
"We win and we lose together,” he said.
“We had a tremendous effort to get us here so we cannot at all take second place for granted or be disappointed we didn't get the win because we've had extraordinary pace and it was a tremendous effort from everyone.”
Asked specifically about the blunder at his second pit stop when the tyres weren’t ready for his arrival and time was lost as their blankets were removed, he said: "These things happen and I've had so many races for this team and this hardly ever happens and it's only the second time, I think.”
Talking of the pace of Brawn GP, Hamilton said: “We need to catch these guys up because I believe they are a little but quicker than us, but we're pushing all the time."
Hamilton’s second place moved him up to sixth place in the drivers’ standings.
Hamilton had led the majority of the race from pole position, but was coming under attack from the slightly heavier-fuelled Barrichello in the middle stint before his hopes of staying ahead of him were wrecked by a tyre mix-up at his final stop.
But rather than point the finger at his team for the mistake, the reigning world champion instead chose to focus on the fact that his second place acted as further proof that the team has turned around poor early-season form.
"We win and we lose together,” he said.
“We had a tremendous effort to get us here so we cannot at all take second place for granted or be disappointed we didn't get the win because we've had extraordinary pace and it was a tremendous effort from everyone.”
Asked specifically about the blunder at his second pit stop when the tyres weren’t ready for his arrival and time was lost as their blankets were removed, he said: "These things happen and I've had so many races for this team and this hardly ever happens and it's only the second time, I think.”
Talking of the pace of Brawn GP, Hamilton said: “We need to catch these guys up because I believe they are a little but quicker than us, but we're pushing all the time."
Hamilton’s second place moved him up to sixth place in the drivers’ standings.
Saturday 22 August 2009
Lewis heads all McLaren front-row
Lewis Hamilton underlined McLaren’s stunning resurgence by claiming his first pole position of the season as the team secured a front-row lock-out on the streets of Valencia.
Fresh from his first win of his largely dismal title defence before Formula 1’s summer break in Hungary, the Briton produced a one-lap Q3 wonder to beat team-mate Heikki Kovalainen to pole by 0.034s with a 1m39.498s.
Rubens Barrichello confirmed Brawn's return to something close to its best form with a fine third, while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel pipped points leader and title rival Jenson Button in the other Brawn to fourth.
However, the title contenders would arguably have been chasing Kovalainen, rather than Hamilton, at the very front in Sunday's race had the under-pressure Finn not made a costly mistake towards the end of his crucial final lap.
Kovalainen – told to raise his game by team boss Martin Whitmarsh this week if he wants to remain at the team into 2010 – had looked odds-on to claim just his second career pole after going quickest through the first two sectors.
But he got out shape going over a kerb coming out of the fast penultimate corner, which destabilised his car’s MP4-24 back-end for the left-handed final turn, and meant he came up short.
It meant Hamilton had the luxury of aborting his own final lap, having banged in his eventual benchmark time on his very first Q3 effort – an impressive turnaround considering he missed virtually all of Friday’s second practice session after damaging his upgraded MP4-24 in a spin.
With the fight for pole eventually proving an all-McLaren affair, the title contenders had to settle for the second and third rows at best with Barrichello confirming Brawn’s liking for the sweltering Valencia conditions with third having topped low-fuel Q2.
The Brazilian only completed one Q3 run, as did Vettel - the Red Bull ace recovering impressively from his morning engine failure to edge out Button for the second row by a mere 0.031s.
Fifth-placed Button’s nearest points rival, however, Mark Webber had to settle for ninth place as his struggle with the Red Bull around the fast street circuit continued.
With Luca Badoer continuing to lap a long, long way off the pace, Kimi Raikkonen carried Ferrari to sixth on the grid with a late improvement to nip ahead of Williams’s ever consistent Nico Rosberg.
Home favourite Fernando Alonso couldn’t repeat either his impressive Friday form or his Hungary pole and had to settle for eighth ahead of the struggling Webber.
And just weeks after confirming it would be pulling out of the sport at the end of the season, BMW’s latest car upgrades helped returned it and Robert Kubica to the top 10 for the first time since Turkey in June.
The sister car of Nick Heidfeld will start immediately behind on row six after missing out on his first Q3 appearance of the year, at the expense of Raikkonen, by 0.044s.
Adrian Sutil confirmed the improvement Force India had shown throughout practice in its heavily upgraded car by taking a dry-weather high of 12th, ahead of Timo Glock as Toyota endured a disappointing session.
Renault rookie Romain Grosjean hit his target of making Q2 and will line up a solid 14th as his steady debut race weekend continued, the GP2 graduate lapping within a respectable 0.32s of team leader Alonso’s second session time.
Meanwhile, fellow young-gun Sebastian Buemi made the second stage for the second successive weekend for Toro Rosso and will head up row eight.
Giancarlo Fisichella had probably expected to be in Q2 too given Force India’s practice form, but the Italian veteran failed to clear the first hurdle after best lap was 0.4s slower than team-mate Sutil, leaving him 16th on the grid.
Similarly disappointed will be Kazuki Nakajima after the Japanese driver, who had run comfortably in the top 10 throughout practice, failed to clear the first hurdle after his Williams stopped on track in the middle sector.
The Japanese driver now looks unlikely to open his 2009 points account from 17th on the grid with the stop-start circuit offering few overtaking opportunities.
Jarno Trulli never looked likely to progress in the second stage and could only set the 18th quickest time, the Italian’s Toyota a world away from the pace that secured him fifth place in last year’s inaugural race.
Jamie Alguersuari will again start on the back row for his second F1 race as the 19-year-old teenager failed to fully get to grips with the Toro Rosso around the physically-demanding street venue, lapping a full second slower than Buemi in his first home grand prix.
However, while struggling himself, his lack of speed relative to his team-mate was nothing compared to Badoer, whose troubled F1 return after a decade on the sidelines failed arguably got even worse in Q1.
Having lapped 2.6s slower than team-mate Raikkonen and 1.5s off Alguersuari alone, the 38-year-old may now need to pull out something special in Sunday’s race if Ferrari isn’t seriously to reconsider its decision to keep him in the car until Felipe Massa’s return.
European GP starting grid
1. HAMILTON McLaren
2. KOVALAINEN McLaren
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. BUTTON Brawn
6. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
7. ROSBERG William
8. ALONSO Renault
9. WEBBER Red Bull
10. KUBICA BMW
11. HEIDFELD BMW
12. SUTIL Force India
13. GLOCK Toyota
14. GROSJEAN Renault
15. BUEMI Toro Rosso
16. FISICHELLA Force India
17. NAKAJIMA Williams
18. TRULLI Toyota
19. ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso
20. BADOER Ferrari
Fresh from his first win of his largely dismal title defence before Formula 1’s summer break in Hungary, the Briton produced a one-lap Q3 wonder to beat team-mate Heikki Kovalainen to pole by 0.034s with a 1m39.498s.
Rubens Barrichello confirmed Brawn's return to something close to its best form with a fine third, while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel pipped points leader and title rival Jenson Button in the other Brawn to fourth.
However, the title contenders would arguably have been chasing Kovalainen, rather than Hamilton, at the very front in Sunday's race had the under-pressure Finn not made a costly mistake towards the end of his crucial final lap.
Kovalainen – told to raise his game by team boss Martin Whitmarsh this week if he wants to remain at the team into 2010 – had looked odds-on to claim just his second career pole after going quickest through the first two sectors.
But he got out shape going over a kerb coming out of the fast penultimate corner, which destabilised his car’s MP4-24 back-end for the left-handed final turn, and meant he came up short.
It meant Hamilton had the luxury of aborting his own final lap, having banged in his eventual benchmark time on his very first Q3 effort – an impressive turnaround considering he missed virtually all of Friday’s second practice session after damaging his upgraded MP4-24 in a spin.
With the fight for pole eventually proving an all-McLaren affair, the title contenders had to settle for the second and third rows at best with Barrichello confirming Brawn’s liking for the sweltering Valencia conditions with third having topped low-fuel Q2.
The Brazilian only completed one Q3 run, as did Vettel - the Red Bull ace recovering impressively from his morning engine failure to edge out Button for the second row by a mere 0.031s.
Fifth-placed Button’s nearest points rival, however, Mark Webber had to settle for ninth place as his struggle with the Red Bull around the fast street circuit continued.
With Luca Badoer continuing to lap a long, long way off the pace, Kimi Raikkonen carried Ferrari to sixth on the grid with a late improvement to nip ahead of Williams’s ever consistent Nico Rosberg.
Home favourite Fernando Alonso couldn’t repeat either his impressive Friday form or his Hungary pole and had to settle for eighth ahead of the struggling Webber.
And just weeks after confirming it would be pulling out of the sport at the end of the season, BMW’s latest car upgrades helped returned it and Robert Kubica to the top 10 for the first time since Turkey in June.
The sister car of Nick Heidfeld will start immediately behind on row six after missing out on his first Q3 appearance of the year, at the expense of Raikkonen, by 0.044s.
Adrian Sutil confirmed the improvement Force India had shown throughout practice in its heavily upgraded car by taking a dry-weather high of 12th, ahead of Timo Glock as Toyota endured a disappointing session.
Renault rookie Romain Grosjean hit his target of making Q2 and will line up a solid 14th as his steady debut race weekend continued, the GP2 graduate lapping within a respectable 0.32s of team leader Alonso’s second session time.
Meanwhile, fellow young-gun Sebastian Buemi made the second stage for the second successive weekend for Toro Rosso and will head up row eight.
Giancarlo Fisichella had probably expected to be in Q2 too given Force India’s practice form, but the Italian veteran failed to clear the first hurdle after best lap was 0.4s slower than team-mate Sutil, leaving him 16th on the grid.
Similarly disappointed will be Kazuki Nakajima after the Japanese driver, who had run comfortably in the top 10 throughout practice, failed to clear the first hurdle after his Williams stopped on track in the middle sector.
The Japanese driver now looks unlikely to open his 2009 points account from 17th on the grid with the stop-start circuit offering few overtaking opportunities.
Jarno Trulli never looked likely to progress in the second stage and could only set the 18th quickest time, the Italian’s Toyota a world away from the pace that secured him fifth place in last year’s inaugural race.
Jamie Alguersuari will again start on the back row for his second F1 race as the 19-year-old teenager failed to fully get to grips with the Toro Rosso around the physically-demanding street venue, lapping a full second slower than Buemi in his first home grand prix.
However, while struggling himself, his lack of speed relative to his team-mate was nothing compared to Badoer, whose troubled F1 return after a decade on the sidelines failed arguably got even worse in Q1.
Having lapped 2.6s slower than team-mate Raikkonen and 1.5s off Alguersuari alone, the 38-year-old may now need to pull out something special in Sunday’s race if Ferrari isn’t seriously to reconsider its decision to keep him in the car until Felipe Massa’s return.
European GP starting grid
1. HAMILTON McLaren
2. KOVALAINEN McLaren
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. BUTTON Brawn
6. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
7. ROSBERG William
8. ALONSO Renault
9. WEBBER Red Bull
10. KUBICA BMW
11. HEIDFELD BMW
12. SUTIL Force India
13. GLOCK Toyota
14. GROSJEAN Renault
15. BUEMI Toro Rosso
16. FISICHELLA Force India
17. NAKAJIMA Williams
18. TRULLI Toyota
19. ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso
20. BADOER Ferrari
Friday 21 August 2009
McLaren experiments with new chassis
McLaren has revealed that it is experimenting with a shorter wheelbase car this weekend in a bid to help boost its victory chances in the closing stages of the season.
Fresh from its breakthrough win in Hungary four weeks ago, McLaren has continued its aggressive development plans for the MP4-24 - and part of that has included an evaluation of a shorter wheelbase car that it thinks will help it at the forthcoming races.
The new car caused a major headache for the team in Valencia, however, because there was no spare nose for it after Lewis Hamilton spun early in second practice - meaning he had to sit out the remainder of the session.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "Like everyone we have had a shut-down between the last race and this race, so that has given an extra challenge to everyone at all the factories.
"Everyone has been working hard; I am sure in all the teams, certainly in ours. We have got a series of upgrade packages as evident from today, though maybe not a sufficient number of those parts. But we had a new front wing package here that we tried with Heikki (Kovalainen) this morning.
"We have had some floor modifications which we tried with Lewis (Hamilton) and we were running a shorter wheel-base version of the car with Lewis today, really something that we are looking for the higher speed circuits, probably frankly for the benefit of Spa and beyond.
"We are still pushing hard on this year's car. I think everyone is. That is just how competitive Formula One is today. You have to continue to improve every race but clearly we are in a slightly different position from Ross and Red Bull as we have got to concentrate and make sure that we come out of the box next year with a quick car. There is a tremendous amount of effort to do that as well."
Speaking about the impact of Hamilton being forced out of practice after damaging his nose, Whitmarsh said he was more frustrated than anything by the situation.
"We knew that if you change the wheel base you have to change the floor, the nose and the front wing assembly as well as we had moved the front axle position," he said.
"In doing that we had insufficient parts. Lewis damaged the nose cone at the start of P2 and we have got parts that are literally in transit here. I don't feel embarrassed about it. I feel frustrated. There are some issues in Formula One for all the sensible prudent reasons that we have progressively cut down testing, the number of things that result from that, is that one we have got to be concerned about developing young drivers in the future."
He added: "We are just pushing hard to develop the car, use Fridays as a test day and on this particular situation we were unfortunately left not being able to run. It is frustrating as I say, not embarrassing but I think both drivers are fairly comfortable where the car is and I am sure tomorrow the circuit will have evolved a little bit more and I think we can be competitive. But it is not nice having to sit there for nearly an hour-and-half not being able to run the cars."
Fresh from its breakthrough win in Hungary four weeks ago, McLaren has continued its aggressive development plans for the MP4-24 - and part of that has included an evaluation of a shorter wheelbase car that it thinks will help it at the forthcoming races.
The new car caused a major headache for the team in Valencia, however, because there was no spare nose for it after Lewis Hamilton spun early in second practice - meaning he had to sit out the remainder of the session.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "Like everyone we have had a shut-down between the last race and this race, so that has given an extra challenge to everyone at all the factories.
"Everyone has been working hard; I am sure in all the teams, certainly in ours. We have got a series of upgrade packages as evident from today, though maybe not a sufficient number of those parts. But we had a new front wing package here that we tried with Heikki (Kovalainen) this morning.
"We have had some floor modifications which we tried with Lewis (Hamilton) and we were running a shorter wheel-base version of the car with Lewis today, really something that we are looking for the higher speed circuits, probably frankly for the benefit of Spa and beyond.
"We are still pushing hard on this year's car. I think everyone is. That is just how competitive Formula One is today. You have to continue to improve every race but clearly we are in a slightly different position from Ross and Red Bull as we have got to concentrate and make sure that we come out of the box next year with a quick car. There is a tremendous amount of effort to do that as well."
Speaking about the impact of Hamilton being forced out of practice after damaging his nose, Whitmarsh said he was more frustrated than anything by the situation.
"We knew that if you change the wheel base you have to change the floor, the nose and the front wing assembly as well as we had moved the front axle position," he said.
"In doing that we had insufficient parts. Lewis damaged the nose cone at the start of P2 and we have got parts that are literally in transit here. I don't feel embarrassed about it. I feel frustrated. There are some issues in Formula One for all the sensible prudent reasons that we have progressively cut down testing, the number of things that result from that, is that one we have got to be concerned about developing young drivers in the future."
He added: "We are just pushing hard to develop the car, use Fridays as a test day and on this particular situation we were unfortunately left not being able to run. It is frustrating as I say, not embarrassing but I think both drivers are fairly comfortable where the car is and I am sure tomorrow the circuit will have evolved a little bit more and I think we can be competitive. But it is not nice having to sit there for nearly an hour-and-half not being able to run the cars."
McLaren awaits Alonso Ferrari move
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says his outfit is happy to hold back on a decision about its 2010 driver line-up because he believes the market will be blown wide open once Fernando Alonso's move to Ferrari is confirmed.
Heikki Kovalainen's future with McLaren is in doubt unless the Finn delivers an upturn in performance in the next few races - but Whitmarsh insists there is no rush for his team to make a swift decision about what to do.
And he suspects that Alonso's 2010 Ferrari deal is done, with continued speculation there will be announcement confirming the move at the Italian Grand Prix.
"At the moment we have not, and we are not in any conversations with drivers and we will see in the future," Whitmarsh told the BBC about his team's driver plans going forward.
"I think in reality there are some changes probably with Fernando at Ferrari. That frees up the driver market and every year there is a number of pivotal points during the season which determine what is going to happen in the driver market.
"This year I think we all know that the Fernando/Ferrari move has a knock-on and that ripples through the other teams.
"Clearly the BMW withdrawal has also had an impact. I think we don't see a need at the moment to rush into it, we are concentrating on developing the car and making sure we are more competitive, which I hope we will be this weekend."
Whitmarsh said the focus for Kovalainen's improvement was in producing more pace in the race, rather than speed in qualifying.
"I think Heikki is doing a great job as a team player. He is very, very popular in the team and he has done some great qualifying," he said.
"He knows and we know that he has got to a better job during the race. He has got to be more consistent with his race pace. So he is working hard to do that.
"We are not talking to any other drivers at the moment, we want to see Heikki be successful in this team but at the same time we are obliged to have as competitive drivers as we can, so he knows what he has got to do. He'll be working hard and who knows this weekend maybe he can do a good job."
Heikki Kovalainen's future with McLaren is in doubt unless the Finn delivers an upturn in performance in the next few races - but Whitmarsh insists there is no rush for his team to make a swift decision about what to do.
And he suspects that Alonso's 2010 Ferrari deal is done, with continued speculation there will be announcement confirming the move at the Italian Grand Prix.
"At the moment we have not, and we are not in any conversations with drivers and we will see in the future," Whitmarsh told the BBC about his team's driver plans going forward.
"I think in reality there are some changes probably with Fernando at Ferrari. That frees up the driver market and every year there is a number of pivotal points during the season which determine what is going to happen in the driver market.
"This year I think we all know that the Fernando/Ferrari move has a knock-on and that ripples through the other teams.
"Clearly the BMW withdrawal has also had an impact. I think we don't see a need at the moment to rush into it, we are concentrating on developing the car and making sure we are more competitive, which I hope we will be this weekend."
Whitmarsh said the focus for Kovalainen's improvement was in producing more pace in the race, rather than speed in qualifying.
"I think Heikki is doing a great job as a team player. He is very, very popular in the team and he has done some great qualifying," he said.
"He knows and we know that he has got to a better job during the race. He has got to be more consistent with his race pace. So he is working hard to do that.
"We are not talking to any other drivers at the moment, we want to see Heikki be successful in this team but at the same time we are obliged to have as competitive drivers as we can, so he knows what he has got to do. He'll be working hard and who knows this weekend maybe he can do a good job."
Lewis confident of continuing revival in Valencia
Lewis Hamilton says McLaren's Hungary victory has given the team a major boost going into the final stretch of the season and says it will now do everything it can to stay in race-winning contention.
The world champion and his Woking team endured a dismal start to the season, finishing in the points just three times in the opening nine rounds, before a big upgrade package introduced at the Nurburgring propelled it back up the grid and then helped Hamilton score his first win since last October in Budapest.
With the team now aiming to consolidate its Hungaroring form, Hamilton is confident that this success can be replicated; although he remained realistic on his targets given the level of competition around.
"We are going to do the best job we can," he said in Thursday's pre-event press conference in Valencia.
"Again we just have to take it race by race.
"We know we have got a lot of very competitive teams around us who will continue to improve during the season but it is just a great feeling for us to know that we have that competitiveness back in the car."
After his victory in Budapest, Hamilton was full of admiration for his team, explaining how their determination to get back on top of the podium has driven him on through the tough start to 2009.
"No one lost the determination," he said.
"Everyone just kept pushing and even I have been back to the factory and seen everyone’s determination and enthusiasm and it had an impact on me," said Hamilton.
"It is just a family environment with us all pushing together and working to achieve our goals."
Hamilton highlighted the team's never-say-die spirit for its amazing turnaround in form, admitting the employees at its Woking factory had been putting in long hours for most of the season.
"Everyone was working way overtime and whilst we were making those changes to catch up, everyone was making a step forward, so perhaps you did not see the impact it had but in the car we felt it bit by bit get better," he explained.
"Clearly at the last two races we had made a much, much bigger step to be able to keep up with the other guys.
"That is really just due to the team never giving up and never thinking for a second I am going to leave that aside, I am going to leave it for another day."
The world champion and his Woking team endured a dismal start to the season, finishing in the points just three times in the opening nine rounds, before a big upgrade package introduced at the Nurburgring propelled it back up the grid and then helped Hamilton score his first win since last October in Budapest.
With the team now aiming to consolidate its Hungaroring form, Hamilton is confident that this success can be replicated; although he remained realistic on his targets given the level of competition around.
"We are going to do the best job we can," he said in Thursday's pre-event press conference in Valencia.
"Again we just have to take it race by race.
"We know we have got a lot of very competitive teams around us who will continue to improve during the season but it is just a great feeling for us to know that we have that competitiveness back in the car."
After his victory in Budapest, Hamilton was full of admiration for his team, explaining how their determination to get back on top of the podium has driven him on through the tough start to 2009.
"No one lost the determination," he said.
"Everyone just kept pushing and even I have been back to the factory and seen everyone’s determination and enthusiasm and it had an impact on me," said Hamilton.
"It is just a family environment with us all pushing together and working to achieve our goals."
Hamilton highlighted the team's never-say-die spirit for its amazing turnaround in form, admitting the employees at its Woking factory had been putting in long hours for most of the season.
"Everyone was working way overtime and whilst we were making those changes to catch up, everyone was making a step forward, so perhaps you did not see the impact it had but in the car we felt it bit by bit get better," he explained.
"Clearly at the last two races we had made a much, much bigger step to be able to keep up with the other guys.
"That is really just due to the team never giving up and never thinking for a second I am going to leave that aside, I am going to leave it for another day."
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Kovalainen told to raise his game
Heikki Kovalainen has been told that he needs to raise his game over the remainder of the season if he is to have any chance of keeping hold of his seat at McLaren in 2010.
AUTOSPORT understands that Kovalainen's option for next year with McLaren has now lapsed, although the team has not ruled out retaining the Finn. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh has made it clear however that Kovalainen needs to deliver more in the next few races than he has shown so far this season - and the Finn was informed of the situation during a factory visit on Wednesday.
"Heikki is doing, as a team player, a fantastic job in this team," Whitmarsh said in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 'Phone-In' media call. "On his own evaluation he has not raced as well as he would have liked and we would have liked him to this year.
"I was frankly just talking to him on the subject a few minutes before this call. He is working hard...
"A lot of us want to see Heikki get some good results this year, and that will ensure that he remains with us. That is certainly our wish. His goal going into Valencia this weekend is to win - and he is capable of winning the race this weekend.
"He has been a good qualifier, he has done some good qualifying times, and he is capable of qualifying well and winning this race. So that is what he is going to focus on, and I've just had that conversation with him. Then on Sunday evening he will start thinking about Spa, and that is what we want him to focus on - not all the speculation."
In a boost to Kovalainen's situation, McLaren is adamant it has not begun discussions with any other driver yet about a seat in 2010, despite fresh rumours linking Nico Rosberg with the outfit now that the German's previous likely destination BMW Sauber is out of F1.
"Speculation is normal," said Whitmarsh. "We are not commenting on it, but I can confirm that contrary to some of the speculation we are not in discussions with any other drivers outside this team at the moment."
And, denying any talk that McLaren was under pressure to take a German driver to appease engine partner Mercedes-Benz, Whitmarsh said: "In terms of nationality, obviously some nationalities from a marketing perspective are more convenient, but McLaren continues to have the strategy and policy that we will get the two best drivers in our cars every season, and that is what we will continue to do."
AUTOSPORT understands that Kovalainen's option for next year with McLaren has now lapsed, although the team has not ruled out retaining the Finn. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh has made it clear however that Kovalainen needs to deliver more in the next few races than he has shown so far this season - and the Finn was informed of the situation during a factory visit on Wednesday.
"Heikki is doing, as a team player, a fantastic job in this team," Whitmarsh said in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 'Phone-In' media call. "On his own evaluation he has not raced as well as he would have liked and we would have liked him to this year.
"I was frankly just talking to him on the subject a few minutes before this call. He is working hard...
"A lot of us want to see Heikki get some good results this year, and that will ensure that he remains with us. That is certainly our wish. His goal going into Valencia this weekend is to win - and he is capable of winning the race this weekend.
"He has been a good qualifier, he has done some good qualifying times, and he is capable of qualifying well and winning this race. So that is what he is going to focus on, and I've just had that conversation with him. Then on Sunday evening he will start thinking about Spa, and that is what we want him to focus on - not all the speculation."
In a boost to Kovalainen's situation, McLaren is adamant it has not begun discussions with any other driver yet about a seat in 2010, despite fresh rumours linking Nico Rosberg with the outfit now that the German's previous likely destination BMW Sauber is out of F1.
"Speculation is normal," said Whitmarsh. "We are not commenting on it, but I can confirm that contrary to some of the speculation we are not in discussions with any other drivers outside this team at the moment."
And, denying any talk that McLaren was under pressure to take a German driver to appease engine partner Mercedes-Benz, Whitmarsh said: "In terms of nationality, obviously some nationalities from a marketing perspective are more convenient, but McLaren continues to have the strategy and policy that we will get the two best drivers in our cars every season, and that is what we will continue to do."
New parts boost McLaren victory bid
McLaren's bid to win its second consecutive race in Valencia this weekend will be boosted by a new front wing and rear floor - and the fact the team now believes KERS is a big benefit.
Recent improvements to the car helped Lewis Hamilton take the team's first win of the season in Hungary before the summer break, and hopes are high that another good result could be on the cards this time out.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh revealed on Wednesday that improvements brought to the car would be tried out separately by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in first practice for the European GP.
"This coming weekend we have a new front wing system for the car to hopefully bring some more performance," said Whitmarsh during a 'Phone-in' media call on Wednesday.
"You will see that will be on one car in P1, with the new rear floor on the other car in P1...we need to back-to-back the new front wing and rear floor modifications, so by P2 both cars will have converged on the same specification."
Added to the outright car improvements, Whitmarsh believes that its KERS could give it a decisive edge now that its MP4-24 is near the front of the field.
"Now there is no doubt that KERS is an advantage," he explained. "We have potentially a small lap time advantage, we have an overtake or defend advantage and certainly, if we can get near the front of the grid, then we have a launch advantage.
"At the beginning of the year we were frankly too far back on the grid to be able to exploit the launch advantage that KERS should be giving us, but it is now coming together and it is an advantage, and a real interesting technical challenge for everyone in the team and the drivers."
Recent improvements to the car helped Lewis Hamilton take the team's first win of the season in Hungary before the summer break, and hopes are high that another good result could be on the cards this time out.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh revealed on Wednesday that improvements brought to the car would be tried out separately by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in first practice for the European GP.
"This coming weekend we have a new front wing system for the car to hopefully bring some more performance," said Whitmarsh during a 'Phone-in' media call on Wednesday.
"You will see that will be on one car in P1, with the new rear floor on the other car in P1...we need to back-to-back the new front wing and rear floor modifications, so by P2 both cars will have converged on the same specification."
Added to the outright car improvements, Whitmarsh believes that its KERS could give it a decisive edge now that its MP4-24 is near the front of the field.
"Now there is no doubt that KERS is an advantage," he explained. "We have potentially a small lap time advantage, we have an overtake or defend advantage and certainly, if we can get near the front of the grid, then we have a launch advantage.
"At the beginning of the year we were frankly too far back on the grid to be able to exploit the launch advantage that KERS should be giving us, but it is now coming together and it is an advantage, and a real interesting technical challenge for everyone in the team and the drivers."
Monday 17 August 2009
McLaren: Europe preview quotes
Lewis Hamilton: It's great to be getting back to business after the four-week break. I'm still buzzing from the win in Hungary and I'm hopeful of being able to carry that pace into the Valencia weekend - particularly with our new upgrades to the car.
It's a very demanding circuit, the kind of place that punishes any mistakes hard. It's quite tight and relatively slow, so it should suit our package. It's also very difficult to overtake, as we discovered last year – but, with our KERS, Mercedes-Benz has proved that anything can happen and I'm once again hoping that it will provide the difference in the race.
Heikki Kovalainen: Having driven the fully-updated car for the first time in Hungary last month, it was very encouraging to be able to feel just how much progress the team has made developing MP4-24. We've now got a car that's much easier to drive on the limit and which really rewards your input.
So I'm really looking forward to the European Grand Prix which, while it won't suit us as strongly as the Hungaroring, should be another strong opportunity for us to score some more points.
After the summer break, I think the whole team is really looking forward to the second half of the season. We're all refreshed and united. I think there's a lot of potential for the remaining races.
Martin Whitmarsh: While the summer break has meant we've had four weeks to enjoy Lewis's victory in Budapest, it's very important that we are able to maintain that winning momentum into this weekend's race. Fortunately, we have made a structured effort to bring further improvements to the car in Spain and the whole team has been buoyed by that win and is really looking forward to another strong set of results this weekend. I've no doubt that we'll certainly hit the ground running on Friday.
The grand prix also marks the 250th race of our team partnership with Mercedes-Benz, it is pleasing to have reached this important milestone off the back of a win and we are all focused on continuing this form here in Valencia.
Norbert Haug: Last year, the race in Valencia had been held for the first time and it is a welcome addition of the Formula 1 venues worldwide. The European Grand Prix is already the 250th one for McLaren and Mercedes since the beginning of the co-operation in 1995.
The street circuit in Valencia is not considered to be the most challenging one for the drivers; however, just this kind of track can turn out to be even trickier. We finished last year's premiere with Lewis Hamilton's second place and will try this year to adhere to our form of Hungary. Despite Lewis's victory there we don't regard ourselves as favourites yet.
It's a very demanding circuit, the kind of place that punishes any mistakes hard. It's quite tight and relatively slow, so it should suit our package. It's also very difficult to overtake, as we discovered last year – but, with our KERS, Mercedes-Benz has proved that anything can happen and I'm once again hoping that it will provide the difference in the race.
Heikki Kovalainen: Having driven the fully-updated car for the first time in Hungary last month, it was very encouraging to be able to feel just how much progress the team has made developing MP4-24. We've now got a car that's much easier to drive on the limit and which really rewards your input.
So I'm really looking forward to the European Grand Prix which, while it won't suit us as strongly as the Hungaroring, should be another strong opportunity for us to score some more points.
After the summer break, I think the whole team is really looking forward to the second half of the season. We're all refreshed and united. I think there's a lot of potential for the remaining races.
Martin Whitmarsh: While the summer break has meant we've had four weeks to enjoy Lewis's victory in Budapest, it's very important that we are able to maintain that winning momentum into this weekend's race. Fortunately, we have made a structured effort to bring further improvements to the car in Spain and the whole team has been buoyed by that win and is really looking forward to another strong set of results this weekend. I've no doubt that we'll certainly hit the ground running on Friday.
The grand prix also marks the 250th race of our team partnership with Mercedes-Benz, it is pleasing to have reached this important milestone off the back of a win and we are all focused on continuing this form here in Valencia.
Norbert Haug: Last year, the race in Valencia had been held for the first time and it is a welcome addition of the Formula 1 venues worldwide. The European Grand Prix is already the 250th one for McLaren and Mercedes since the beginning of the co-operation in 1995.
The street circuit in Valencia is not considered to be the most challenging one for the drivers; however, just this kind of track can turn out to be even trickier. We finished last year's premiere with Lewis Hamilton's second place and will try this year to adhere to our form of Hungary. Despite Lewis's victory there we don't regard ourselves as favourites yet.
Tuesday 11 August 2009
McLaren: KERS now a bigger help
Martin Whitmarsh believes McLaren’s KERS system can become an even more potent weapon for the team now it is back towards the front of the grid.
The Woking squad and rival Ferrari are the only two teams still using the energy-storing device and both teams’ drivers have benefited from the system’s power boost function to gain places at the start of races in particular so far this season.
However having spent most of the year qualifying in the lower midfield, Whitmarsh reckons the fact the team is now a more competitive force – having won the last race in Hungary – it is in a position to exploit its KERS even more.
“When you’re qualifying as far back as we were earlier in the year KERS doesn’t really help you at the start, because you’ve got to get through the traction-limited phase, you’ve then got to be able to use full throttle, and if you’re way back where we were you don’t actually have the road to do that,” the McLaren team principal said.
“Now that we’re closer to the front, we will be able, I hope, to use KERS to good effect at all starts in the future.”
He added: “…going up the hill at Spa it will be quite handy I imagine, and a few other places too.
“So I think it’s coming into its own. As I said, if you’re nearer the front of the grid you can start to use it, and it’s clear that ourselves and Ferrari are starting to use it now."
Although Renault and BMW opted to ditch KERS earlier in the season, and six teams have not used it at all, Whitmarsh says McLaren has continued to learn more about how to maximise the weighty device’s benefits as the season has progressed.
“The drivers and the team are learning more; it’s a very driver-controlled system, very heavy driver workload, and probably we all underestimated that at the beginning of the year,” he said.
“There’s the technical challenge of achieving KERS, then there’s the challenge of incorporating it on the car while minimising the impact on the car, and then being able to exploit it effectively.
“I think we’ve come a long way in learning about it.”
He hopes its KERS will continue to be an advantage for the team in all race situations as it looks to enjoy a strong finish to the year.
“As the season has developed, and as the underlying performance of our car has improved, KERS has become a substantial element in our armoury of competitiveness,” he said in a separate McLaren YouTube video blog.
“It’s something which I hope we’re going to see as a defining and differentiating characteristic, not just in race starts but in races in general.”
The Woking squad and rival Ferrari are the only two teams still using the energy-storing device and both teams’ drivers have benefited from the system’s power boost function to gain places at the start of races in particular so far this season.
However having spent most of the year qualifying in the lower midfield, Whitmarsh reckons the fact the team is now a more competitive force – having won the last race in Hungary – it is in a position to exploit its KERS even more.
“When you’re qualifying as far back as we were earlier in the year KERS doesn’t really help you at the start, because you’ve got to get through the traction-limited phase, you’ve then got to be able to use full throttle, and if you’re way back where we were you don’t actually have the road to do that,” the McLaren team principal said.
“Now that we’re closer to the front, we will be able, I hope, to use KERS to good effect at all starts in the future.”
He added: “…going up the hill at Spa it will be quite handy I imagine, and a few other places too.
“So I think it’s coming into its own. As I said, if you’re nearer the front of the grid you can start to use it, and it’s clear that ourselves and Ferrari are starting to use it now."
Although Renault and BMW opted to ditch KERS earlier in the season, and six teams have not used it at all, Whitmarsh says McLaren has continued to learn more about how to maximise the weighty device’s benefits as the season has progressed.
“The drivers and the team are learning more; it’s a very driver-controlled system, very heavy driver workload, and probably we all underestimated that at the beginning of the year,” he said.
“There’s the technical challenge of achieving KERS, then there’s the challenge of incorporating it on the car while minimising the impact on the car, and then being able to exploit it effectively.
“I think we’ve come a long way in learning about it.”
He hopes its KERS will continue to be an advantage for the team in all race situations as it looks to enjoy a strong finish to the year.
“As the season has developed, and as the underlying performance of our car has improved, KERS has become a substantial element in our armoury of competitiveness,” he said in a separate McLaren YouTube video blog.
“It’s something which I hope we’re going to see as a defining and differentiating characteristic, not just in race starts but in races in general.”
Monday 10 August 2009
Lewis plays down Schumacher threat
Lewis Hamilton believes Michael Schumacher will find it difficult to live up to the high expectations being raised by his dramatic return to Formula 1, given that he has missed more than half of the 2009 season.
Bernie Ecclestone has tipped the 40-year-old German to give his younger rivals “a driving lesson” when he steps into the Ferrari cockpit as a substitute for the injured Felipe Massa at Valencia, and Ross Brawn has said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Schumacher win one of the season’s remaining races.
Hamilton, however, doubts that the seven-time world champion will resume his former position of dominance so easily.
“Coming in at this part of the season, Michael is at a disadvantage because he hasn’t had the same experiences as everyone else,” he told the Mail on Sunday.
“It would be unfair to say that I’ll be excited if I finish ahead of him in Valencia because it is his first race of the season.”
Hamilton has never raced against Schumacher, having joined the F1 grid in 2007, the year after the German retired.
The reigning champion has already spoken of his excitement at having the opportunity to do so, describing it as “an honour and a privilege”.
But he is sensitive to the circumstances of Schumacher’s comeback and says he is eager to see his 2008 title rival Massa – who suffered a fractured skull and brain concussion in a freak accident in Hungary on July 25 – return to the fray.
“My thoughts are still with Felipe and his family following his terrible accident,” he said.
“I’ve read on the internet how much progress he has made and things are getting more encouraging by the day.
“I know first-hand how much fighting spirit Felipe has because we had a fantastic battle for the championship last year. He was a total gentleman throughout.
“I want Felipe to know we’re all waiting for him; Michael might be keeping his seat warm, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
McLaren’s uncompetitiveness in the first half of the season has left Hamilton powerless to defend the title he pipped Massa to last year.
But after a new aerodynamic package transformed the MP4-24’s performance and enabled him to score an emphatic first win of the season in Hungary, the 24-year-old is now brimming with confidence.
“Winning in Budapest has really given me extra strength,” he said.
“I know I now have a car beneath me that can push us to the front and I want to be ready to deliver.”
Bernie Ecclestone has tipped the 40-year-old German to give his younger rivals “a driving lesson” when he steps into the Ferrari cockpit as a substitute for the injured Felipe Massa at Valencia, and Ross Brawn has said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Schumacher win one of the season’s remaining races.
Hamilton, however, doubts that the seven-time world champion will resume his former position of dominance so easily.
“Coming in at this part of the season, Michael is at a disadvantage because he hasn’t had the same experiences as everyone else,” he told the Mail on Sunday.
“It would be unfair to say that I’ll be excited if I finish ahead of him in Valencia because it is his first race of the season.”
Hamilton has never raced against Schumacher, having joined the F1 grid in 2007, the year after the German retired.
The reigning champion has already spoken of his excitement at having the opportunity to do so, describing it as “an honour and a privilege”.
But he is sensitive to the circumstances of Schumacher’s comeback and says he is eager to see his 2008 title rival Massa – who suffered a fractured skull and brain concussion in a freak accident in Hungary on July 25 – return to the fray.
“My thoughts are still with Felipe and his family following his terrible accident,” he said.
“I’ve read on the internet how much progress he has made and things are getting more encouraging by the day.
“I know first-hand how much fighting spirit Felipe has because we had a fantastic battle for the championship last year. He was a total gentleman throughout.
“I want Felipe to know we’re all waiting for him; Michael might be keeping his seat warm, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
McLaren’s uncompetitiveness in the first half of the season has left Hamilton powerless to defend the title he pipped Massa to last year.
But after a new aerodynamic package transformed the MP4-24’s performance and enabled him to score an emphatic first win of the season in Hungary, the 24-year-old is now brimming with confidence.
“Winning in Budapest has really given me extra strength,” he said.
“I know I now have a car beneath me that can push us to the front and I want to be ready to deliver.”
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