European GP - Valencia - Sunday
SYNOPSIS
AT&T Williams returned home from the European Grand Prix at Valencia with a seventh consecutive point-scoring finish courtesy of Nico Rosberg’s fifth place following another strong weekend in which the FW31 further proved itself as strong on a fast and flowing street circuit as it is on tight and twisty tracks such as Budapest. Friday’s practice sessions ran smoothly, (albeit commencing on a green track and under extreme humidity levels which remained for the rest of the weekend), with the team working through routine set-up work and tyre compares on varying fuel loads. Despite some minor tyre graining issues, Nico closed the day in P4 and Kazuki in P5.
The team entered qualifying optimistic of easing both drivers into top ten grid slots and, for the 10th time this season, Nico drove his FW31 into a place in Q3 and to seventh on the grid with the heaviest fuel load alongside Webber. Meanwhile, Kazuki’s afternoon was over before it had begun when he suffered a technical problem during his second Q1 run. Eliminated in Q1 for the first time this season, Kazuki was left in P17 and on the dirty side of the grid for Sunday’s race.
Lining up down the order allowed the team to opt for an aggressive one stop strategy on Kazuki’s car. Fuelled longer than those around him, Kazuki’s assertive opening lap promoted him three places up the order and into 14th by the end of the first lap. While running in 13th place and racing for 11th after pitstop correction, Kazuki picked up a left rear puncture. Although only two stops ahead of schedule, the additional stop time cost Kazuki ground on track and left him at the back of the pack when he rejoined.
Concerned that damage caused by the puncture could cause potential damage to the gearbox, the team retired Kazuki two laps before the end of the race, thereby ending a frustrating weekend.
Raceday proved more successful for Nico. With KERS of little advantage going into the first corner, and on the clean side of the grid on the prime tyre, Nico was able to make up a place off the line to run in P6, and then P5 courtesy of Vettel’s retirement, before the first round of stops. The team’s strategy to fight for fourth against Raikkonen was, however, short lived when Nico lost time during his second stint. Despite Alonso gaining ground after the second round of stops, Nico held him at bay to cross the line in P5. Sunday’s result consolidates the team’s sixth position in the Constructors’ and Nico’s fifth place in the drivers’ table.
Q&A WITH ROD NELSON, CHIEF OPERATIONS ENGINEER
Q: How did the high temperatures in Valencia affect the performance of the FW31?
RN: Although it felt very hot in Valencia, temperatures weren’t actually that high; it just felt extremely hot due to the high humidity levels. As a comparison, air temperatures at the Bahrain Grand Prix reached 39°C with just 10% humidity, while temperatures were just 31°C in Valencia but humidity levels hit 60%.
Q: Were there any tyre wear issues on either car?
RN: We didn’t have any significant tyre wear problems, no. We experienced a little graining on the front left tyre, but it didn't have any significant impact on performance.
Q: How much did the track conditions change over the course of the weekend?
RN: Although the circuit wasn't too dusty, the track was quite green in the early stages of Friday’s practice session because there wasn't any rubber on the track. We were running the softest Bridgestone tyres which laid plenty of rubber down and that certainly helped increase grip levels. On average, that improved the lap times by approximately one second per lap in each session.
Q: What caused the technical problem on Kazuki's car during qualifying, and where could he have qualified without it?
RN: We had an issue with the throttle control system on Kazuki's car during his second run in qualifying. We have a safety system in place which shuts the engine down if it detects that the throttles are not following the driver’s demand, so this kicked in and stopped Kazuki out on track.
Both Nico and Kazuki were close all weekend up to this point so he should certainly have made it into the top ten. It's very difficult to be accurate when the grid is so tight, but I estimate he should have qualified between sixth and ninth.
Q: How did your cars fare against the KERS cars of McLaren and Ferrari at the start of the race?
RN: KERS wasn't a big issue at the start for two reasons. Firstly, turn one isn't always taken flat out at the start of the race (particularly if you are on the dirty, left-hand side of the track (where Raikkonen was), so the KERS cars can't use the additional 80 horsepower anyway. Secondly, it's also then a relatively short distance to the first serious braking point for turn two.
Q: Nico finished less than a second behind Heikki Kovalainen. Was fourth place ever really on the cards for him?
RN: We were aiming for Nico to finish ahead of Raikkonen and that was achievable. However, in the early part of Nico's second stint, we unexpectedly lost some performance for about 10 laps and that consigned us to finishing not only behind Raikkonen, but also behind Kovalainen as well.
Q: What caused Kazuki's puncture on lap 39, and why wasn't he able to finish the race?
RN: When the tread of the rear left tyre was returned to us we saw a large cut which we believe was the cause of the tyre failure. Grosjean apparently had similar damage to one of his tyres. It seems likely that the damage was caused by something on the track, a kerb for example.
We saw on the telemetry data that there could have been possible damage to the gearbox caused by Kazuki driving back to the pits with the punctured tyre. As we didn't want to have a potentially dangerous failure out on-track, we retired the car.
Q: Looking ahead, how do you think the FW31 will perform at Spa next weekend?
RN: We’ve seen over the past few races that the FW31 is pretty competitive at most types of track.
We are also introducing some new aero components for Spa which should help us to maintain our relative competitiveness so we are optimistic for a good result.
Q. What are your thoughts coming away from the Valencia weekend?
Lewis Hamilton: "It was a great weekend and the team ought to be really satisfied with our result. We can't complain, we're up there at the front and we led most of the race - some you win and some you lose. That's motor racing. As I've said before, we don't have the best car just yet, we've still got a lot of work to do but the positive thing is that I genuinely believe we can catch up."
Q. Is Vodafone McLaren Mercedes a genuine contender now?
LH: "Before the recent upgrades, we'd have been hopeful of getting into the top 10 but now we're regularly hoping for a win or to finish second - and that's a big difference and very encouraging. We're definitely strong again - but we're not fastest. With KERS, we are there or thereabouts but we still lack two or three tenths to the Brawns. Hopefully we can make some further changes to our aerodynamic package - Spa will be an interesting test for us."
Q. What exactly happened during your second pitstop?
LH: "During my second stint, I was saving fuel as well as trying to build the gap to Rubens. I wasn't sure whether I'd actually done enough for another lap but I got the call to do an extra lap just as I was coming into the pitlane. But it was too late: I was committed to coming in and knew I'd lose more time if I aborted my pit entry and continued for another lap. In terms of the procedure with the guys, they never make mistakes at the stops - they are the best - and that's why we win races. And it just happened that the team was expecting me in on the next lap, which is why there was a slight delay in getting the tyres ready. It was a misunderstanding and we did the best job we could. It's very rare that we do things like that but it's not a problem and it didn't ultimately affect our finishing position."
Q. Was it frustrating to lose the race?
LH: "I'm not frustrated. We've been finishing close to last all year so to just finish second is great - it's my first second of the year, so I'm quite pleased. We win and lose as a team - simple as. There are some races where there will be a problem with me on the track and some races where there will be a problem with the car or the pitstop. The fact is that we have been extremely quick - it was always going to be a very tight fight with Rubens, but he just had the overall pace to win. Our car can't match that - at the moment."
Q. What did you think about Rubens winning - it was like seeing two generations of F1 driver on the podium!
LH: "It was a great result for Rubens - he was absolutely on it all weekend. I've got a huge amount of respect for him - he's a driver who's been in Formula 1 for a long time and has seen so much. He was racing back when Ayrton was in Formula 1, which is incredible. He did a fantastic job and drove a stonking race!"
Q. Are you confident ahead of next week's Belgian Grand Prix?
LH: "I don't think we'll be as competitive as we've been at the last few races, because Spa is a circuit where you need a lot of downforce. I think Brawn, Red Bull and even Ferrari will be fast there - it's a high-speed circuit and Ferrari has always been very quick there, so I'm expecting Kimi to be quick. It should also suit the Red Bulls because it's very high-speed and flowing and they have great downforce. But, like most races these days, it's going to be very competitive. For ourselves, we need to ensure that we are competitive without KERS, so that when we use it, it will give us the advantage that we need."
Q. Were you pleased to see that England won The Ashes on Sunday?
LH: "Absolutely, I think it's a fantastic sporting achievement for this country. It's been a great summer of sport for Great Britain - people like Andy Murray, Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Jenson have done so well. We should be proud of this country. I recently played cricket when I was in New Delhi with Vodafone and I know how much people are affected by it. Congratulations to the whole team, especially Andrew Strauss, who did a brilliant job as captain. Also, my best wishes to Andrew Flintoff, I wish him a happy retirement from Test cricket."
Formula 1 has always prided itself on attracting the sharpest brains, but Team US F1 will have some envious eyes looking at it from now on after signing a deal with YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley to be its primary investor.
Hurley will bring with him money and, perhaps more importantly, the brains that have helped turn YouTube into a global phenomenon. His business acumen will be a huge asset to the team – and could well benefit F1 as a whole.
Q: What got you interested in F1 and the US F1 project?
Chad Hurley: Where do I start? I guess first of all, you look at the opportunity. It was a mix of technology, design and sport, and for me personally it was a perfect blend of my personal interest. And that’s what initially raised my interest in this opportunity with Ken [Anderson] and Peter [Windsor] and US F1. Really, beyond that, coming from my perspective as an entrepreneur, I thought it was a great business opportunity and a good investment.
Q: Nothing in your background suggests an interest in racing specifically – have you become interested in the sport, or is it literally a business opportunity?
CH: It’s more than a business opportunity for me. Because of the design and the technology aspects, and the sport aspects &ldots; I love all sports. I love competition, and it’s just an honor to be involved in US F1 and to be racing next year in the world championship.
Q: You’re talking about the challenges and the sporting aspect, but I understand that your first grand prix weekend was the British Grand Prix weekend, which was pretty fraught. What were your first impressions?
CH: It was quite a good experience. I have obviously been able to watch a lot of the races on TV, but seeing it in person &ldots; I guess it’s like watching any sport in person. In the States here, watching football and then having a chance to go to the stadium, and being able to capture that atmosphere in person, is wonderful. So from that aspect it’s great.
Q: You met with Bernie Ecclestone. He has come down hard on the users of YouTube in the past – were your discussions very constructive with him?
CH: We had a productive conversation. We just talked about the opportunities for US F1 and the future of F1 in general. Obviously there have been controversies and they’ve finally ironed out their differences, and it’s great that we can finally move forward. But our conversation just focused on US F1.
Q: What synergies do you see between F1 and new media?
CH: I see tremendous potential for all sports to integrate more media, more social connections, connect with the fans and build a fan base. And that’s exactly what I hope to bring to US F1, bringing my experience and perhaps my opinions of how we could go about that. Obviously video is something I am deeply involved with today, and that is going to be a big part of what we do at US F1. Hopefully we can create compelling content that individuals around the world have an opportunity to view and share, and really feel like they are part of the team.
Q: You obviously have a passion for start-ups, and obviously US F1 is THE start-up. Why do you have a passion for start-ups? Is it to do with coming in at the ground floor with PayPal and YouTube?
CH: Exactly. Again, kind of from the business aspect of what attracted me to US F1 is just that, that it is a start-up. And it’s a very similar situation to one that would be in Silicon Valley – it’s a small team of talented, smart individuals trying to break the mould, trying to accomplish something that others think is impossible. I believe in Ken and Peter and the team that they have put together, and I believe that we have a chance to hopefully start from a clean slate and try to build a team in a different way.
Q: Have you set the team any objectives?
CH: Obviously we want to be competitive. I know there is going to be a lot of competition – it’s going to take quite a few years to ramp up this team and get the cars into a position where we are competing for the world championship, but ultimately that’s our goal. We’re not necessarily going to get involved and be satisfied with just getting a car onto the track. Our aspirations and goals go much farther than that.
Q: Had you been approached by any other teams over the years?
CH: You always get letters and emails with opportunities looking for investment, but I don’t remember any in particular that were dealing with F1. Again, I just happened to meet with Ken and Peter when they were in the area. We had a chance to sit down and discuss the opportunity through a series of meetings, and at the end of the day it seemed like a good investment and a great fit with my interests. I believe in their model and I believe in their team.
Q: You are obviously well-connected in Silicon Valley – do you believe that you could find additional support for the team, technical as well as financial?
CH: I hope so, and I hope it goes beyond Silicon Valley. I am definitely going to be involved in helping the team with sponsors, helping the team with business relationships, and helping the team with integrating technology – ways that they can leverage and benefit from social media and the Internet broadly. So in many ways I hope to add benefit to the team and what they are trying to accomplish.
Q: How did you meet Ken and Peter? Was it a proposal that came across your desk, or were you introduced?
CH: We had an opportunity to meet during a presentation when they were initially trying to gain support for their model and for the team. They came to Silicon Valley. I happened to hear about it and went to check it out. From there, I didn’t have a real idea that I was going to move ahead with the investment but over time, learning more about the opportunity and learning more about the team and the approach that they were taking, that’s when it all sort of came together.
Again, looking at the details of what was involved – the technology, the opportunity to innovate, and having something that potentially benefits transportation, or safety, or other technologies. And really, building a car, designing a car – my background is in design, more in graphic design, but ultimately the process is pretty much all the same. You’re trying to build something that is truly functional, you’re trying to build a team that operates together effectively, and at the end of the day it’s really coming down to design. And all of it is revolving around the spirit of competition and sport.
In my past I have been involved in racing, but using my legs in cross-country and track, and in a way it kind of captured the spirit of what I had been involved with in the past. So it is the combination of all those things coming together on a global platform. It’s just a great opportunity. And the side benefit to all of this is that we are trying to do something new and we are actually creating jobs.
Q: Will you be at another race this year?
CH: I hope so. My schedule is quite hectic, but I always love an opportunity to see another race. I’m looking forward to all the work we have ahead of us. We’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re honored to be a part of all this, and in years to come I believe we can be quite competitive on the track.
Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello won the 2009 European Grand Prix at the Valencia Street Circuit today. The Brazilian, scoring his tenth victory in Formula One and the 100th Grand Prix victory for a Brazilian driver, started from third on the grid and drove an aggressive and determined race to take the chequered flag in his Brawn-Mercedes car. Team-mate Jenson Button came home in seventh place adding a valuable two points to his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Rubens had a good start and kept close to Heikki Kovalainen for his first stint, staying out for an additional three laps prior to his first stop which enabled him to jump ahead of the McLaren. A strong middle stint, trading quick lap times with his rival for the win, Lewis Hamilton, saw Rubens get ahead of the Brit at his second pit stop. From there, he was able to control the gap and bring his Brawn-Mercedes car home after 57 laps for an emotional and well-deserved victory.
Jenson had a difficult start and was caught behind Sebastian Vettel which dropped him to eighth position on the first lap. He was then forced to concede a place to Mark Webber after missing a chicane. His chance to jump the Red Bull came at his second stop when a quick pit stop and a superb out-lap moved him up into seventh place to claim the two points.
After ten races, Brawn GP lead the Constructors’ Championship with 126 points with Jenson leading the Drivers’ Championship with 72 points and Rubens in second place with 54 points.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-01 P1 01:38.990
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P7 01:38.874
Weather Hot and sunny
Temperatures Air: 30-31°C Track: 46-50°C
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“What a fantastic day. I am so delighted with the win after what was a really tough race out there. It’s just amazing and a weekend that I will never forget. Even after five years, you don’t forget how to win and the feeling is so good! Although we were fuelled heavier than the McLarens, I knew that I would have to push really hard throughout the race. My engineer Jock was great today, he really encouraged me and helped me to maintain the pace, and the team did a fantastic job with two excellent pit stops. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and this victory is dedicated to the whole of Brazil but particularly to my great friend Felipe Massa. I hope he is back racing against me soon.”
*JENSON BUTTON
“Rubens did a great job this weekend and he deserves the victory. Its been a long time so Im happy for him although of course I would rather be on top of the podium. The small mistake in qualifying and a difficult start caught behind Vettel really cost me today as I got caught in traffic and it’s really tough to overtake around this circuit. Still we did what we came for this weekend and beat the Red Bulls, our main title rivals, so I’m not too disappointed with seventh position. We’ll go to the next race in Spa positive and ready to have a good race.”
*ROSS BRAWN
“That was a fantastic performance from Rubens today to take his first and Brawn GP’s seventh win of the season. We knew that having a heavier fuel load would give us an advantage over the cars in front but Rubens had to drive at his absolute best to have a chance of victory. He pushed exactly where he needed to. When we got on the radio and told him that he had to put in some quick laps, he delivered. It was a great performance and an extremely well-deserved victory. We’re all delighted for him. Unfortunately it wasn’t such a good afternoon for Jenson who had a quick car but was caught in traffic which prevented him from achieving the result that he could have done. In hindsight perhaps we should have been more aggressive in qualifying but his two points today are valuable and we have increased our lead in both Championships. Thanks and credit is due to everyone at the track today and at the factory in Brackley for all their hard work over the past couple of weeks and to our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for their dedication and the performance of our engine.”
1. Rubens BARRICHELLO (Brawn GP), 1h35m51.289s
2. Lewis HAMILTON (McLaren Mercedes), 1h35m53.647s
3. Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari), 1h36m07.283s
TV UNILATERALS
Q: Rubens, so many difficult emotions in Budapest. But this win has been long, long overdue. You clearly have not forgotten how to win.
Rubens BARRICHELLO: It has been fantastic. It has been a weekend that I will never forget especially because after five years you don’t forget how to do it, but it is tough. In the middle of the race they were telling me push, push, push and although you are pushing like hell there are some things that go through your mind. You know that you cannot commit any mistakes and you want to do it for yourself, you want to do it for your country and you want to do it for your family. There was a lot going through my mind but the car has been perfect and I want to thank the team for that because it wasn’t just me. The car was really brilliant.
Q: Lewis, the team has worked miracles this season to give you a winning car but there is no getting away from the fact that they cost you the victory today.
Lewis HAMILTON: We win and we lose together. We have had a tremendous effort to get us here, so we cannot at all take second place for granted. We’re disappointed that we didn’t get the win as we have had extraordinary pace for us in the last three races and I still feel and believe it was a tremendous effort from everyone. These things happen you know. I have had so many races with this team and this has very rarely happened. This could be only the second time perhaps, so in the amount of races I have done I think they deserve a pat on the back, so regardless we will keep pushing. We need to catch these guys up and they generally are a little bit quicker than us but I believe we can do that, so ‘good job lads.’
Q: Kimi, great drive from you starting sixth and finishing third. How hard did you have to work for that today?
Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: We needed to go 100 per cent all the time. I knew from Friday already I had a good feeling with the car. It was working very well on the longer stints, so I was hoping that it would be okay in the race and it turned out to be good. We know that we are not where we want to be. We are not really bringing new parts anymore for the car, so we are a little bit behind the leaders. But once we get the car running well and it feels good, then usually we can fight for third place. If something weird happens in the race, then maybe we can even fight for the win, but overall it was a good weekend for me and I am really happy to score the podium.
Q: Rubens, you were behind Heikki Kovalainen in the first stint but got ahead at the first stop. But that middle stint of the race with punch and counter-punch with Lewis was fantastic viewing.
RB: It was fantastic. I had to push all the way through. Basically we had different tyres all through the race. There are some questions to see which ones were faster but for sure mine were very consistent and I was able to reduce my lap times every lap. Towards the end of the second stint I was able to catch him a little bit and that gave me some margin for those three or four laps that I pushed after he stopped. A brilliant job from the team. Great pit stops. Delightful. I wish this moment could be forever. I want to be here for the whole Monday as well, so please stay there.
Q: What is your point of view, Lewis, about that middle part of the race? You were pushing each other really hard.
LH: Absolutely. The first part of the race was very well controlled from my point of view. It was very consistent and nice flowing pace. But in the second stint I was struggling with my tyres and to keep up the pace of Rubens, especially in the high speed corners where he seemed to be catching me, I just did not have the car beneath me to push in those areas to pick up the pace. But nevertheless I kept pushing and the last stint on the primes was a little bit better for me. I just pushed and pushed beyond the limit. It was like a qualifying lap every lap and very close to the wall every time and really I can happily go home knowing that I gave it my all.
Q: Kimi, the key target for you I guess was getting Kovalainen at the second stop. Tell us how you did it.
KR: I mean the first target was to try and keep (Nico) Rosberg behind. But then after the pit stop I noticed that I was able to catch Kovalainen. The car was very good. We would go the exact same lap time and sometimes we would go a little bit faster, so I saw that I was catching him a bit and I had a little bit of traffic, one car, two cars and yellow flags which cost some time, but we knew that we had a few laps on him. I put in a few good laps when he came in and it was enough. I could quite easily get in front of him and the last stint was just to stay in third place. The car was really nice to drive.
Q: Rubens, second in the Drivers’ Championship now. When you drove down the pit lane to parc fermé all the teams were out there to applaud you. Rarely could there have been a more popular win. Sum up your feelings at this moment.
RB: Well, I mean it has been 17 years. When I come into the track I come 15 minutes earlier and when I go out it takes me 15 minutes more because I know everyone. I have worked with almost 80 per cent of the paddock. All my wins seem to be so emotional. They are part of it as well, all the teams that I worked with as well. It has been a fantastic day. A hard win today to push all the way through but it is so delightful and I want to thank everyone who supported me, so ‘thanks.’
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Rubens, how tough was that for a 37-year-old out there?
RB: I was a bit emotional in the conference there and I forgot to say that I dedicate this to the whole of Brazil. But I forgot a special one which is Felipe (Massa). This race was for me a little bit more emotional than normal. I never felt it was my fault the spring coming out of my car. But I never, never wished that that would happen and it went to him. There were some bad people who wrote it and said it came out of my car but that didn’t matter. He is such a good friend and I wish him all the very best. What I put on the helmet is my truth. I just wish he can come back. I had two wishes. First of all was to wish that he was the same guy and he is. He really is the same guy and second I wish he is the same driver and I think he is going to be even tougher, so that is my wish.
Q: As we are talking about Brazil, you also set a very special Brazilian record today. The 100th win by a Brazilian driver.
RB: Yeah, it is the 100th. A lot went through my mind. I have learnt in the 17 years how to be not emotional. I can freeze all my thoughts and just drive and I have been doing that very well. Some mistakes at the beginning of my career were because of these emotional thoughts and so on, but today was good. I was concentrated and so on but the last 10 laps everything came up in my mind. You hear all the noises. You hear everything and you can see people in the grandstands. It was a tough one but a fantastic one. Like I said, it seems it is always emotional when I win, but I hope I have a lot more. I hope I can win a lot more.
Q: You said you are very proud to have scored the 100th Brazilian win.
RB: Well, it goes through history, doesn’t it. The 100th number is always going to be famous. I don’t care very much about numbers. I just care about my work and the recognition from my work. I think the team knows very well. Last year people seemed to think that was it for me, but now I can show that it wasn’t. I have always thought I had it in me. I think I have just reached the peak of my speed, so I have more on me. I hope I can carry on.
Q: So how tough was it? It was obviously very hot and a very twisty circuit.
RB: Yeah, you know it was a good race because on this circuit it is so easy to put a foot wrong. The lines on the track started to pick up rubber but the outside just stayed with more marbles and it is just more difficult if you put a wheel wrong. So to overtake cars on the track it is a little bit more difficult. You have to push but at the same time you have to be consistent and I think what won today was my consistency. My lap times were very, very consistent and I was focused on changing the brake balance all the time and that made the car good for almost every corner. I was safe with that and I could push. The car in front is always not so good for your car, so as soon as they went to the pit I could go faster and that is how I won the race.
Q: How much was it a worry on the softer tyre as you were on a different strategy to Lewis?
RB: It was not a worry. We knew that we could also have started on the softer rubber, but sometimes you have the risky strategy and sometimes you have the consistent one and we knew that just with the consistent one if everything went to plan then we could win the race. That was the case for us. I wasn’t at all worried with the softer tyres at the end. I could have pushed harder. I was controlling myself with the gap, so I was within the limit and it was just nice. The car was better on the softer tyre.
Q: Lewis, you’ve obviously got something in your ear, was that champagne or something else?
LH: I don’t know. I can just hear myself a lot, so I’m trying to get it out. I think it is champagne! Just trying to get it out.
Q: As James alluded to just now, there was a problem at the pit stop. How did you see what happened? It was almost as though the team wasn’t ready for you. Had you told them you were coming in? Were they expecting you?
LH: Yeah, I was told to come in that lap. Obviously I had been saving as much fuel as I could to go a little bit longer and I think it was probably a little bit unsure whether I had enough or I didn’t have enough and the worst thing to do is to risk it and run out of fuel on that last lap. So they called me in and I was just on my way in and I’d just got inside the white line and I was already committed and they then told me to do an extra lap. I would probably have lost too much time if I had tried to continue, so it happened. But the team did a fantastic job; they always do a fantastic job. It’s very, very rare that we have these situations. I don’t think it’s a pit issue. It was just unfortunate with the timing. We tried to get that extra lap, to get a little bit closer to Rubens but we didn’t get it, so no worries: I kept pushing and kept pushing. I had a great race, I really enjoyed it. To get second place I still think is a great result and congratulations to Rubens, he did a fantastic job.
Q: How important was KERS at the start and throughout the race?
LH: My start wasn’t fantastic but KERS always cleans up for the inconsistency or wheelspin that you might have, so it was quite an easy start. My pace in the first stint was quite easy. I was looking after my tyres and saving fuel. It was really quite a strong run for me, but the second stint was probably the hardest one for me in terms of car balance, and in the last one the tyres got better and better and better, so perhaps we should have gone on the same strategy as Rubens did.
Q: And are you going to be a regular on the podium now?
LH: Two races in a row? I’m very, very happy about it. It’s been a long year of finishing at the back, so I’m just very grateful to be here.
Q: Kimi, same with you really. Right from the start of the weekend you reckoned you were going to be on the podium.
KR: Yeah, that’s what happened, so we were not wrong. The car felt good on Friday already and usually when you have a good feeling with the car you can do much more with it. We knew that it was not going to be easy because usually in qualifying we cannot challenge the guys but in race conditions we are usually stronger compared to qualifying. A lot of things always depend on the start and I was again able to pick up a few places at the start and then we were able to use our own speed and pick up some places.
Q: Two successive podiums now: are you going to be a regular on the podium too? There are only three steps of course&ldots;
KR: Yeah, it’s not easy to get there, but it really depends on the conditions of the weekend, the circuit layout a bit. Spa has usually been good for me but I don’t know if it’s good for our car right now, so we need to go there and see how it starts to go on Friday but we will push as much as we can. We’re not going to get more new parts on the car, so it’s going to get more and more difficult at every race. Once we get everything running well, we always give ourselves a chance to be there at least. We try every race and see where we can end up.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Rodrigo Franca – VIP Magazine) Rubens, you said to us Brazilian journalists that you will be in Formula One until you have a chance to be a World Champion. Do you think this is your year, and secondly, does this very good victory help you to have a 2010 contract?
RB: I’m here because I love the racing side. If you really think it was a tough winter to wait for all the answers and you call and there’s no answer and nobody knows what to say. Somehow I knew I was going to race, so to be able to get to driving and when I drove I felt the car is good, we’re going to win races, that was a hell of a step, so everything kept on getting better and better. I had a fantastic season last year with a bad car, better than Jenson (Button) and all of a sudden Jenson was well prepared at the beginning of the season and he stepped up and was able to conquer and win races. You guys from Brazil know that I’m a believer and I dream and I work very hard. I think that’s the only way I can try to put myself into a winning situation. I had a great holiday and I came back ready for this, so it’s a great win. Of course it puts me into a better situation in the championship, I just have to keep on working, I think it’s very, very much possible.
For next year, I wish to carry on. It’s early, there’s lots of talking because of (Fernando) Alonso and this and that but as I said, it takes me 15 minutes to get out of the circuit because I talk to everyone and I love to talk to everyone, so I’m really leaving my chances open for next year.
Q: (Marco Evangelisti – Corriere dello Sport) Rubens, as you said before, this is a special victory in many ways for you. Is it special even because it’s your first victory away from Ferrari?
RB: As well, as well. When I left Ferrari, I left them because I felt that my limit was enough to prove to them that I deserved the chance to win, so I wanted to get out and see if I could have a chance somewhere else. But unfortunately I never got the car. For three years the Ferrari car was a hell of a lot better, so it was not possible. This is the very first time that I do have a car and so it is special, it comes at the right time.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Rubens, you showed before in parc fermé your helmet with Felipe’s colours on it. Could you describe when you decided to wear those colours and if you discussed it with Felipe?
RB: I just told him that I had something for him if he didn’t mind. He said ‘of course not.’ I tell you, I spent a whole afternoon with him and he has such a good memory. He said something about lines at this race here and for sure they did help, because he was superb here last year and so I watched the race after we’d spoken. I got home and I watched the race again – I like to do that sometimes because it’s been a year on a new track, so just to refresh your mind. It was great that his colours were with me, that he was telling me some of the good lines that he had last year, so it was a win too.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, how difficult is it to keep McLaren behind in the Constructors’ Championship?
KR: It’s going to be difficult at the end of the year, especially if only one car is scoring points and they go as fast as they are going now. We do the best that we can but it’s not going to be easy but many things can happen. As long as we can finish in the top four I think we still have a good chance to hold them back but we will see what happens. We will give the best that we can and that’s all that we can do.
Q: (Ed Gorman – The Times) Rubens, can you comment on the balance with Jenson? I believe that you have out-qualified him in three of the last four race weekends. You’ve out-driven him here. Do you feel that the competitive advantage has actually shifted in your favour now as we go into the last part of the season?
RB: Jenson is always very competitive, he’s a hard worker. He drives the car very well, very, very smoothly, so you just have to be on the top of your game all the time. I cannot say that yes, from now on it’s one way or the other. During the past three years we have been better in some areas of the championship and then he got better and then I got better and the best thing for the team is that we push each other very, very much. I think this is really good for the team. So although, yes, I feel that I’ve been putting&ldots; my problems at the beginning of the year was to qualify the car on heavy fuel which he seemed to be happier about than I was. If you take Q2, I qualify in front of him more often than he does me. But Q3 has been a bit of a problem, especially setting up the car for the race, not for qualifying and not getting the optimum temperature on the tyres. I just hope so. Next weekend is going to be a hell of a good weekend for us to prove the car is competitive again because the temperatures should be lower, so it’s going to be a good fight, but at least it’s a healthy fight between ourselves. I think we try to beat each other very, very hard, but in a fair way.
Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) Kimi, why is the car’s performance in qualifying worse than in the race; what are the limitations of the car in qualifying?
KR: It’s not fast enough. It’s not the first time that the car is fast in race conditions when we put in more fuel. Comparing Q1 and Q2 to Q3 we usually are a bit stronger and the car is working better with the heavier fuel than the low fuel, but that’s how it’s been for me at least since I joined Ferrari. We know that if we work more on the Fridays and Saturdays for the race and really just try to make it through the first two qualifying sessions to get the fuel in the car and then try to make the best out of the last qualifying. Our only chance to score points is to have a strong car in the race and usually we can help the starts a bit with the KERS, so that always gives us a little extra help on the first lap, so if we can manage to make the car good for the race, then we can usually have a strong weekend.
*Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, do you feel penalised that you have a team-mate who is learning and can’t share the data with you, so you have to work with all the team?
KR: No, I’ve always been working&ldots; there are certain things that you can split between team-mates, sometimes when you are not a hundred percent certain with the tyres, but this weekend the tyres have been straightforward. It hasn’t been hurting me at all. We always work alongside and of course there are some things that you can share; at least this weekend it hasn’t made any difference for us.
Q: (Rodrigo Franca – VIP Magazine) Rubens, are you going to come to Formula One races wearing a Corinthians t-shirt every time?
RB: It’s my soccer team. Just because I come in&ldots; well, it brings me luck, maybe.
LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-05
Started: 1st
Finished: 2nd
Fastest lap: 1m39.056s (4th)
Pitstops: two (Op-Op-Pr)
2009 points: 27 (6th)
Lewis made a good start from pole position, and drove a strong first stint to lead the opening laps, stretching his advantage over Heikki and Rubens Barrichello in so doing. Pitting for the first time on lap 16, Lewis resumed in fourth position but was able to retake the lead once the order had shaken itself out after the first series of pitstops.
He struggled a little with his car's balance in the middle stint, and was therefore unable to pull out a sufficient gap on second-placed Rubens - he needed to have established a lead of at least six or seven seconds before the final pitstop in order to give himself a fighting chance of retaining his lead, but was able to manage only around four seconds.
The team's strategy for him was twofold: to push hard to extend his gap over Rubens, and to take great care to conserve enough fuel for an additional lap before the second pitstop. It was marginal, though, and it was only at the last second that a decision was made to keep Lewis out for that extra lap, but by that time he was heading for the pit entry so it was too late.
As a result, the pit crew hadn't fully readied his final set of tyres, and he was delayed slightly in the pits while they were being unwrapped.
It was a calculated risk to push for that extra lap - but, given the race pace of Rubens's car, it almost certainly wouldn't have paid off even if Lewis's tyres had been ready for him. Second place was anyway safe, though, and Lewis scored a second successive podium finish - a result that moved him up to sixth in the Drivers' World Championship.
"This is my second podium in a row, and I'm very happy to be here," Lewis said. "We did the best job we could today. Am I disappointed? Yes, I think we all are - but that's simply an indication of just how hard everyone in this team is pushing to win. We're never satisfied unless we're winning, in fact.
"But, ultimately, we didn't really lose anything today - it was always going to be tough to beat Rubens and what we tried wasn't quite enough.
"Before my second pitstop, I'd been saving fuel and was a bit unsure if I had enough for that extra lap or not. The pitwall had initially asked me to pit - but, just when I was coming in, they told me to stay out and do an extra lap - however, I was already inside the white line [entry to the pits] and committed, so it was too late.
"In those circumstances, it's always better to be safe and to pit, because the last thing you want to do is run dry out on the circuit. But the call was a marginal one - the team was pushing the envelope, as I say - and it came just a little too late for me and the mechanics, who weren't perfectly prepared. Make no mistake, I think those guys are the best in the business; what happened was simply a result of the team trying everything in their power to turn a safe second place into a possible win.
"In any case, our overall performance this weekend confirmed the huge improvement we've made recently, but we still lack a bit of race pace compared with the very fastest cars. You can be well sure we're working on fixing that, though.
"Congratulations to Rubens - he drove a fantastic race today and really deserved this victory."
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03
Started: 2nd
Finished: 4th
Fastest lap: 1m39.341 (7th)
Pitstops: two (Op-Op-Pr)
2009 points: 14 (12th)
Heikki started from the front row, slotted in behind Lewis into the first corner and maintained second position until the first stops, when he was jumped by Rubens. Despite pushing hard to create a sufficient advantage over fourth-placed Kimi Raikkonen, the Ferrari driver was fuelled longer in the middle stint and jumped Heikki at the second pitstops.
Nonetheless, Heikki drove a solid race to finish fourth - his best result of the season and his third successive points finish.
"To start second and finish fourth isn't ideal," he said. "But I'm more pleased with my overall performance in this race than in Hungary. We showed good performance throughout the whole weekend, and I really want to thank the whole team for helping us to achieve that - it's good to see things improving like this.
"We don't yet have the pace of the frontrunners, but everyone has done an incredible job to get us to where we are. We've scored more points in the last three races than any other team - but I still want to score more. I'm already focusing on Spa; it's a circuit I love and I really want to be on the podium there."
MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
"Following our all-front-row qualifying result, naturally enough we had very high expectations for today's race. In the event, though, our race pace wasn't good enough to beat Rubens's car. We'd adopted a different tyre strategy from many of the front-runners - maybe that was right, maybe that was wrong - but the reality is that we weren't quick enough to win today.
"So, coming in to the final pitstops, in our efforts to convert a safe second for Lewis into a possible first for him, we took a calculated risk in attempting to reverse the sequence of Lewis's and Heikki's pit stops at the last second. That last-second decision caused a bit of pitlane confusion, which probably cost Lewis a couple of seconds overall - but Rubens's race pace was such that that couple of seconds didn't make a difference to the outcome of the race.
"In a nutshell, we decided to take the risk because we knew Rubens had the strategy to win and it was our only chance of attempting to prevent that. We don't like not winning, but second and fourth isn't such a terrible result. Now, though, we'll focus on the challenge of Spa - a very different type of racetrack from Valencia."
NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"A shame for Lewis who drove a faultless race, but it would have been very tight with a perfect pitstop against Rubens anyway and he certainly deserves this victory.
"Our team scored more points than any other today, the same it did before the summer break in Hungary. This makes a total of 27 out of 36 possible points and Lewis scored 18 out of possible 20. That of course is very positive and will certainly please all our team members in Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart who have worked so hard to recover from our not quite typical Vodafone McLaren Mercedes form in the first half of the season.
"Heikki drove a solid race today and brought home his best result so far this season. So, all in all, quite a lot of positives and we all will push hard in order to build on these results.
"Spa will not be a circuit exactly tailormade for our car and I do not expect us to be quite as competitive as we were in Hungary and here where we have been the class of the field or on a level with the best.
"Congratulations to Rubens - he deserves this victory after four tough years since his last one and my feeling is the whole paddock thinks like that."
Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport: "Congratulations to Rubens on taking the 150th win on Bridgestone Potenza F1 tyres. We are very proud to have supported so many drivers in their Formula One World Championship victories over the past 13 seasons but it is apt that Rubens, who has been on Bridgestone tyres for all but a season since we entered in 1997, should take this special victory. When Bridgestone started as a tyre supplier to Formula One it was on slick tyres. Since then, there have been several evolutions in tyre technologies and specifications but throughout we have received the fantastic support of the teams, FIA and FOM. We have also seen tremendous growth in the brand awareness of our company around the globe and much of this can be attributed to our F1 related activities. We would like to thank all involved in F1 for their support. We are now in the second of a three year Official Tyre Supplier tenure and look forward to seeing many more exciting battles on our tyres."
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: "I am very happy to see Rubens win. He first used our F1 tyres in 1997 so it is fantastic that he still has the competitive spirit to win in this highly competitive sport. We are pleased with the performance of both the soft and the super soft Bridgestone Potenzas today. The circuit improved very rapidly, as expected, and as a result drivers could be competitive using the super soft over a stint at the start. The soft was the more consistent tyre however, and we even saw one-stop strategies. Regarding Kazuki Nakajima's tyre, we believe it was a puncture and we are investigating this with the team."
K. Raikkonen: 3rd 1:36.07.283 +15.994 57 laps 279 chassis
L. Badoer: 17th 1:37.13.273 + 1 giro 56 laps 280 chassis
Weather: air temperature 32/33 °C, track temperature 46/47 °C, sunny.
Fourth podium of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the third for Kimi Raikkonen. The second F60 in the race, that of Luca Badoer, came home in seventeenth place. With today’s six points, the Scuderia has consolidated its third place in the Constructors’ classification.
Stefano Domenicali: “Today we did the maximum with Kimi, who drove an amazing race to make it to the podium once again. He was very competitive throughout the race, pushing at the decisive moments, at the start and then when the opportunity arose to get ahead of Kovalainen. Luca managed to finish the race, thus completing this learning weekend, which served as an introduction course prior to tackling the Belgian weekend in the best way possible, next weekend. Clearly, considering our choices and those of other teams in terms of developing this year’s car, our aim of maintaining third place in the Constructors’ classification is becoming harder. For our part, we will give it our best shot, knowing that in some races we can expect to be more competitive than in others and we will have to be ready to exploit every opportunity that arises.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “I am happy about this result. Already on Friday we saw that the car was pretty competitive over a distance and we therefore thought we could fight for a podium finish. We were also aware that, in qualifying, we might have struggled, especially on light fuel. Both these predictions proved correct and today we were once again able to get on the podium. I managed to make up a few places at the start and my first aim was to pull out a bit of a gap over Rosberg, who was going to stop after me. In the second part of the race, I realized that I could close on Kovalainen and try and make the most of the run of pit stops to get ahead of him and I managed it. Now we go to Spa, a track that I like a lot: we must wait for Friday to see how competitive we can be. At this point in the season, if we manage to get everything right, then we can aim for the podium and if anything was to happen to those ahead of us, we can try and do even better. We must do all we can to hang on to third place in the Constructors’ championship.”
Luca Badoer: “I said when I arrived in Valencia that this Grand Prix would be a time for me to dust the rust off my back and get confident in the role of race driver again. It was important for me to complete so many kilometres without making any serious mistakes and I managed that. From the physical point of view, I feel fine and that is another cause for satisfaction. I got a good start, making up a few places but then I was hit by Grosjean and that dropped me back down again. I tried to run my own race, but it was not easy to maintain a consistent pace, especially when I had to let the leaders by. At the first pit stop, I made a mistake which cost me one place and then I was just a whisker over the white line and so I picked up a drive-through penalty. Now I am looking forward to Spa with confidence: it’s a track I know and I will also be able to count on the experience gained this weekend. Thanks to the whole team, who did everything they could to make me feel comfortable, without putting me under any pressure and to Michael, who was a great support throughout the weekend.”
Chris Dyer: “We are pleased with Kimi’s third place, which represents the most we could aspire to today. Driver, team, car: all these elements came together in the best possible way and the result confirms it. As for Luca, it was another difficult day in an equally difficult weekend. However, it should be stressed how much he improved, continuously day by day, lap after lap. We are confident that he will find himself in much better shape next weekend in Belgium.”
Report
Just before the summer break, Kimi Raikkonen finished second in Budapest and today, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver was on the podium again, this time in third place after a strong drive. On his debut for the Scuderia, Luca Badoer brought his F60 home in seventeenth spot. After Ferrari’s Felipe Massa won the inaugural race at Valencia last year, today, Rubens Barrichello ensured that the Brazilian National Anthem was played again, as he took his first win for Brawn, his first victory since his days as a Ferrari driver. Second place went to the McLaren-Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. While this result keeps the Scuderia in third place in the Constructors’ championship, McLaren’s return to form in recent races means the Anglo-German team is now only five points behind in fourth.
The heat and humidity was as high as the rest of the weekend as the grid formed up with Kimi Raikkonen on row 3 and his Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team-mate, Luca Badoer on the back row.
The KERS power boost at the start saw Kimi move immediately up two places to fourth. Grosjean, Glock and Buemi all had to come in at the end of the opening lap to repair collision damage, while Luca crossed the line in seventeenth, having spun. The order was Hamilton, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Vettel, Rosberg, Alonso, Button after a bad start for the championship leader, Webber, Heidfeld, Kubica, Sutil, Fisichella, Nakajima, Trulli, Alguersuari, Badoer, Grosjean, Glock and Buemi.
After 3 laps, Kimi was 4.7 seconds behind the leading McLaren and 0.7 behind Barrichello’s third placed Brawn. Button had to let Webber through to eighth, as it was deemed the Englishman had got ahead of the Australian by cutting the chicane. By lap 10, Kimi had dropped to almost 10 seconds behind the leader and the gap to third placed Barrichello had also grown to 2.2.
Lap 15 and Hamilton pitted from the lead, followed by Vettel and Kubica, so that Kovalainen now led Barrichello and Kimi. The McLaren Finn came in on lap 17 and Vettel had to come in as the fuel had not gone in at the previous stop. Kimi refuelled on lap 19 and Button also came in from ninth. Barrichello came in from the lead on lap 20 as did Webber. After 21 laps, Hamilton still led, but the round of pit stops saw Barrichello get the jump on Kovalainen to go second, while Kimi was sixth, although Heidfeld and Sutil ahead of him had yet to stop for fuel. The Finn found himself back in fourth, 5.1 behind third placed fellow countryman, Kovalainen one lap later. A puff of smoke appeared from the back of Vettel’s Red Bull on lap 23 and his race was over. So after the first run of stops, on lap 25, the order was Hamilton, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Alonso, Webber, with Fisichella, yet to pit, eighth. Luca was 15th and he too had not made any pit stops, the Italian Ferrari driver finally coming in on lap 28. As he left the pits, Grosjean in the Renault managed to squeeze past him while still in pit lane and then on the way out of the pit lane, Luca unfortunately got his outside wheels over the white line which carries an automatic drive-through penalty. Among the lead group, none of the gaps were small enough to signal the chance of any overtaking, so the final order would no doubt hinge on the timing and speed of the second run of pit stops. Badoer’s difficult debut for Ferrari was complicated by a spin on lap 36, but fortunately he avoided the walls and was able to continue.
Hamilton made his second stop on lap 37, allowing Barrichello to lead and the McLaren crew appeared to be late getting the Englishman’s tyres out, costing him precious seconds. Kovalainen refuelled on lap 38, so that Kimi was now lying second to the Brawn, 11.8 seconds down. Kimi and Barrichello pitted together on lap 39 and thanks to a series of fastest laps, the Brawn driver now got the jump on Hamilton to lead. Kimi was currently fifth, but he had got ahead of Kovalainen, while Rosberg in second and Alonso in fourth would have to stop again, which meant the Ferrari man was effectively looking at a third place spot on the podium. On lap 42, Alonso brought the Renault in so Kimi was now fourth and the move up to third came one lap later, when Rosberg refuelled the Williams. From this point on the order did not change, so the final result as far as the points scorers is concerned, was Barrichello, Hamilton, Kimi, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Alonso, Button and Kubica. Luca finished seventeenth.
*Mark Webber - 9th: No gains for us today, which is the first time in a long time. The long and short of it was that I wasn't quick enough today - it was a tough race. I've been struggling all weekend and I think I got the result I deserved, which was no points, unfortunately. We were a little bit unlucky around the pit stops with Lewis (Hamilton) coming back out in front, but that’s the way it goes. The pit stops weren’t great, as I might have been a bit long on positioning – so not the best day for us. But, we will dust ourselves down and move on to Spa.
Sebastian Vettel – DNF: The biggest problem today was the first stop – we weren't able to get fuel in the car, so we had to come in again. We were lucky to make it back for a second stop. The race was lost already at that point but then, a couple of laps on, I had a problem with the engine and I had to retire. It’s not good. In terms of the Championship, I will fight until the last breath, but it’s not good to have retired when you’re hunting and want to get more points than your opponent. You’re in a position to do it, but then you don’t finish the race."
Christian Horner – team principal: A bitterly disappointing day. A fuel rig failure on Sebastian’s car, followed by an engine failure, which is the second of the weekend, was costly. Unfortunately with Mark, we just weren’t quick enough today. He held Jenson (Button) behind him for a long time, but Jenson was too quick and jumped us with a very quick out-lap, unfortunately Mark was not quick enough to hold him behind."
Fabrice Lom – Renault, principal engineer track support: This race ended a nightmare weekend for us. We had two engine failures on Sebastian’s car, so it’s a black weekend. I can only apologise to Red Bull Racing and Sebastian in particular for this reliability issue and assure them that we will work as hard as possible to ensure it doesn’t happen again. But, the end of the season will now be tough on the engine side for Sebastian.
*Fernando Alonso, R2904, P6
“Sixth place is the best I could do today for my home Grand Prix and the three points are a good result considering that we started eighth. It was a very tough race: first of all because of the heat but also because it was a very competitive race and I had to push all the way, constantly fighting to keep my position. But we have been quick all weekend and therefore I’m quite confident we can keep this pace and deliver an even better result in Spa.”
Romain Grosjean, R2903, P15
“Unfortunately the first lap didn’t go well for me, but during the race there were a lot of positives and I gained some valuable experience. At the start of the race I had to really concentrate and pay attention to everything that was happening around me and after that I just tried to be consistent and set some good lap times. It’s clear that I must do better next weekend in Spa and I will aim to put the experience I have gained in Valencia to good use.”
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
“Fernando’s race was compromised by yesterday’s qualifying, but he did the best he could and brought home three points. Romain did a very good job throughout his first Grand Prix and I’m sure he will improve rapidly during the rest of the season. The car is competitive and we can hopefully do better next week in Belgium on a more ‘traditional’ track than here in Valencia.”
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
“After the problem in qualifying, Fernando showed good pace during the race, but on this circuit it was difficult to do more than the result we’ve come away with and we certainly welcome the points. Romain was unfortunate to have an incident on the first lap but from that point he just had to settle down to a steady race and see how the car behaved over a race distance. He did this very well and we are really pleased that he finished his first race.”
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“I think we have come away with as many points as we could today and considering the disappointment of yesterday’s qualifying session to finish sixth is a good result. Unfortunately Romain had an incident on the opening lap, but overall he had a strong race and showed good pace. We have now finished an engine cycle which means that the engines have completed their third Grand Prix and they have worked very well for us. We will be able to use them again during certain sessions later in the year but we will have new engines for Spa which should help us be competitive next weekend.”
The Force India Formula One Team has finished a sweltering European Grand Prix with Adrian Sutil in 10th and Giancarlo Fisichella in 12th position. Adrian’s result is Force India’s fourth top 10 finish this season, and his best result since the season opening Australian Grand Prix, while Giancarlo’s is his fifth top 12 position this year.
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
10th +47.935secs
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21, VJM02/04):
12th +63.614secs
Adrian used a two stop strategy to move up two places on his grid position and enjoyed a race long battle with the two BMWs, passing Heidfeld on his first stop on lap 22 and putting pressure on Kubica on his second stint. On his third run Adrian then chased the Red Bull of Mark Webber for ninth position, matching the Australian’s lap times, to finish just three seconds away at the flag fall.
Giancarlo made a good start off the line and finished the first lap in 13th position, three places up on his grid slot. Using a one-stop strategy he was able to safeguard this position and move up a further place in midway through the race. Despite pressure from Jarno Trulli’s Toyota in the closing laps, Giancarlo held on to the finish to claim a strong 12th place.
Adrian Sutil (car 20)
Today was a good performance with no mistakes, good lap times and we showed a clear step forward. I think tenth was the maximum we could do from 12th position on the grid. It was a very tough race, very hot, but everything worked perfectly. I was behind the two BMWs for my first stint and couldn’t get past on the track but the team did a really good stop and I could pass Heidfeld in the pitlane. I’m really looking forward to Spa now – I love the track and with the pace we’ve shown this weekend it’s looking promising for a good result there.
Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21)
It was a difficult race as the grid position was not as good as we had hoped so we used a one-stop strategy, which gave us an opportunity to gain some positions. I made a very good start, keeping clear of the collision and was running in 13th at the end of the first lap, right behind Adrian. The first stint on the hard tyres was very consistent with a good pace. Then we changed to the soft tyres and it was a bit tricky as there was some graining. I could keep a good pace though I had to watch the tyres to keep them until the end. Twelfth is a good result for us. We made a few positions and now seem to be ahead of Toyota and some other cars. We need another step like we made this weekend and we can easily score points.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Overall it’s been a strong performance for us all weekend and probably our most competitive race in two seasons. The upgrades we introduced this race have clearly given us a big step forward and we’re now really mixing it in the midfield positions. I’d like to say thanks to all the team back at Silverstone who have worked very hard to get the development through, and to the drivers for doing it justice. I can’t wait to get to Belgium now.
*Robert Kubica - 8th: "I had to start the race from a very bad position as I was in the middle of the pack and we were all very close together in the first corners. Unfortunately I was not able to make up positions at the start, and I even lost a place to Nick. But then during the race my pace was good. Although my stints were shorter, I was even able to overtake Mark Webber during his final pit stop, which was very good."
Nick Heidfeld - 11th: "For me the result is rather disappointing because it doesn't reflect what I was able to achieve today. After a good start I was able to match the pace of the guys in front of me, but I let Robert by because he was on a lower fuel load. Then I had to defend my position against Adrian Sutil and lost contact with the front group. This turned out to be crucial, because after his pit stop Heikki Kovalainen came out in front of me and I could not take any advantage from my car being lighter at this stage."
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "Despite being in a very difficult situation with BMW pulling out of the sport, the team really did a very good job all weekend. Starting tenth and 11th on the grid was already a big improvement compared to the previous races. In the race Robert was able to move up to eighth and score a point. Actually Nick had the better chances to make his way up to the front from 11th on the grid because of the strategy he was able to choose. But he got stuck in traffic and therefore couldn´t demonstrate what he was capable of. The result gives us a boost for the next races and the development packages planned up to the end of the season."
Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering): "Our goal was to get at least one point in Valencia. We achieved that. Compliments to the whole team for the effort. The new aero package is clearly progress. We did not have any problems during the race. Unfortunately Nick and, also during some periods, Robert got stuck in traffic and therefore lost valuable time. Our race pace without traffic was as expected."
Today’s European Grand Prix at Valencia’s 5.44km street circuit yielded four points for the AT&T Williams team as Nico Rosberg scored for the seventh consecutive time this season, eight times overall, with his fifth place finish. Despite strong progress from 17th on the grid which saw him jump three places in the opening lap, Kazuki Nakajima’s compromised weekend continued as a puncture on lap 38 forced an unscheduled pitstop and returned him to the back of the field. As a precaution, with two laps to go, Kazuki was retired to limit any potential damage to his gearbox as a result of the earlier puncture. Today’s points consolidate the team’s sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship and Nico’s fifth position in the drivers’ standings.
*Nico Rosberg:
I did enjoy the race, but the heat really took most of the fun out of it. It wasn’t nice, but it was still a good result for the team. Fifth again, after starting seventh, is not bad, and gives us more points. I was hoping to beat Raikkonen today but he was too fast. Our car seems to suit every track we go to, and the team is doing well to keep development going from race to race. It’s nice that we are always up there and I hope we continue like this, and possibly make a step forward onto the podium soon.
Kazuki Nakajima:
It was another disappointing afternoon for me. It was all over in qualifying really. I was in 13th when I had the puncture and that really finished my race. Just a few laps before the end, I then had some kind of problem so I had to stop early.
Rod Nelson, Chief Operations Engineer:
Kazuki was compromised by his problems in qualifying so we decided to go for a long first stint which was looking reasonable until his puncture. We then had to retire his car early as it had some damage from the puncture which could have harmed the gearbox. Nico drove a strong race. We were hoping to get close to Raikkonen but the second stint wasn’t strong enough which, in turn, brought Alonso into play. We managed the gap to Alonso to keep fifth place which we are happy with.
Jarno Trulli (13th):
“The start wasn't great and the car didn't improve from qualifying, when I was struggling a lot with a lack of grip. So I had the same problems again today and the grip was nowhere close to where it had been earlier in the weekend during practice. I did my best but there was nothing I could do to improve my position. I hope for a better weekend in Belgium."
Timo Glock (14th):
"It was a pity the race started like that because over a race distance we were pretty quick, just like we were in Budapest. At the first corner I had to dive down the inside because the cars in front were braking heavily so I had to avoid them. Then I was hit from behind and basically any hope I had of getting a decent position was finished there and then. But I pushed as hard as possible for the rest of the race to at least get some more data and we showed what might have been by setting the fastest lap right at the end."
John Howett, Toyota president:
"That was clearly not the result we wanted or expected from this Grand Prix. It has been a very difficult weekend but we must put this behind us and we have another race next week in which to show our true potential. We have to understand why our relative qualifying pace is worse than our relative race pace because our car is reasonably competitive, as Timo showed by setting the fastest lap. We have to get on top of this and take advantage of what the car can offer."
Jaime Alguersuari - 16th: "This was much tougher for me than Hungary, because of the heat and humidity. With ten laps remaining, I had a problem with my drinks system which meant I couldn't get anything to drink. It was really tough and I just did my best to finish and bring home the car. On the plus side I have now done a lot more kilometres and I therefore hope this will help me do better in Spa, where at least it won't be as hot."
Sebastien Buemi - DNF: "My race was more or less over immediately after the start. I will have to watch the race to see exactly what happened. I moved to the inside to try and avoid the bottleneck and as Glock accelerated, he drove over my wing which obviously broke and the time I lost coming back to the pits to replace it meant my race was done. I carried on pushing to see what lap times I could do and what the car was capable of, but I soon had braking problems and eventually the disc broke and I had to park the car. The last few race weekends have not gone well, but you have to stay positive. The car seems to have improved, so we have the potential to do better. Let's see at Spa."
Franz Tost: "Unfortunately for Buemi, his race was effectively over at the first corner, when he collided with Glock, losing the front wing. He had to pit for a new nose and we assume that the accident had also damaged the left front brake duct, so the brake didn't cool properly, which led to the failure that put him out of the race. Alguersuari did a good job to finish in these tough conditions, in what we must not forget, is only his second F1 race."
Today's European Grand Prix will mark the 250th race of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership. In light of this momentous occasion, we are issuing some facts and figures for your general perusal:
- Back on October 28, 1994, when the McLaren-Mercedes partnership was officially announced, the most popular Mercedes-Benz road car in Germany was the C180, which sold 122,101 models that year. The company produced 594,376 cars in '94 - in '08, the company built 1.2 million cars. On the same day in Britain, Manchester boyband Take That were at the top of the charts with 'Sure' - the group's fifth number one single.
- Our drivers have scored an incredible 1641 points since our first race together at the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix (where, incidentally, Mika Hakkinen picked up three points for finishing fourth): that's a ratio of 6.6 points per race.
- Together, we've won 59 grands prix - nearly one victory every four races.
- 11 drivers have raced for the team: Fernando Alonso (2007, 17 GPs, 4 wins), Mark Blundell (1995, 15 GPs), David Coulthard (1996-2004, 150 GPs, 12 wins), Pedro de la Rosa (2005-2006, 9 GPs), Mika Hakkinen (1995-2001, 116 GPs, 20 wins, 2 drivers' championships), Lewis Hamilton (2007-, 46 GPs, 10 wins, 1 drivers' championship), Heikki Kovalainen (2008-, 29 GPs, 1 win), Jan Magnusson (1995, 1 GP), Nigel Mansell (1995, 2 GPs), Juan Pablo Montoya (2005-2006, 27 GPs, 3 wins), Kimi Raikkonen (2002-2006, 71 GPs, 9 wins) and Alex Wurz (2005, 1 GP).
- The youngest-ever McLaren-Mercedes grand prix winner is Lewis Hamilton, who won his first race for the team in Canada on June 10 2007 aged a tender 22 years, five months and three days. He also became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, lifting the title aged 23 years, nine months and 26 days.
- By contrast, the team's oldest grand prix winner was Mika Hakkinen who triumphed at the 2001 US Grand Prix on September 30 2001 aged 33 years and two days.
- The team's most enduring driver pairing was Mika and David, who, on the occasion of their final grand prix together - the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix - had notched up a mighty 340 grand prix starts between them, 275 of them for McLaren-Mercedes.
- McLaren-Mercedes was the first Formula 1 team in history to gain pole and win a grand prix using KERS Hybrid. Other notable firsts for the partnership include maiden wins for brake-steer (Monza 1997) and grooved tyres (Melbourne, 1998).
- The team's most successful overall driver is Mika. He won two world championships and 20 grands prix, stood on 51 podiums, scored 407 points, took 26 pole positions and carved 25 fastest laps.
- Mercedes-Benz Motorsport boss Norbert Haug sported a moustache for 99 races of the 250-race partnership - David Coulthard immediately labeled Norbert 'more aerodynamic' following its removal!
- The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was the first production car model to sport a carbonfibre monocoque.
Vital statistics
Races 250
World championships 4
- Drivers' 3 (1998, 1999, 2008)
- Constructors' 1 (1998)
Wins 59 (23.6%)
Poles 62 (24.8%)
Fastest laps 68 (27.2%)
Qualifying one-twos 27 (10.8%)
Race one-twos 18 (7.2%)
Lead laps 3933 of 15,726 laps (25.01%)
Lead km 18,723 of 75,586km (24.77%)
