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06 Sep. 2010
Bridgestone, the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, is pleased to announce the compound allocations of Potenza tyres for the final four rounds of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Teams have been informed of the compounds to be brought to the four races from the Japanese Grand Prix on October 10 to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 14.

A gap of one step between compounds features for each of the final four tyre allocations. The first-ever Korean Grand Prix will feature the hard and soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone Head of Motorsport Tyre Development, says:
“The most interesting question for these final allocations is which tyres will we bring to Korea? As always for a new race we work closely with the FIA, the circuit and the teams to reach our decision but in addition to all this information we always have safety in mind so our allocation for the first race in Korea will naturally be on the conservative side. The tyres for Korea are currently being shipped to the track and we are very interested to see this new facility when we go there in seven weeks time. Suzuka puts the tyres through a tough workout so we have the harder combination of hard and soft, whilst Sao Paulo and Yas Marina suit the softer combination of super soft and medium. Due to the nature of the tracks, there were no further opportunities for a hard – super soft allocation, although we did evaluate this after the lessons learnt at Hockenheim.”

Tyre compounds for the 2010 season:

]]> General http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3256 Wed, 8 Sep 2010 00:42:03 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3255
7 September 2010 - The Italian Grand Prix this weekend will be the final race of the European season before the FIA Formula One World Championship embarks on a quintet of flyaway races in Asia and South America. The Force India F1 Team heads to this historic event looking to consolidate the form it showed at the previous event in Spa-Francorchamps, where it secured its third double points finish of the 2010 season.

Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Yet again Spa was a good track for us, ultimately yielding a double points finish for Adrian and Tonio. These points were crucial for us in the constructors' championship, moving us 18 points clear of Williams for sixth, but it also showed that we're back in business for the second part of the season. The pace and the handling were both encouraging and, with similar configuration tracks coming up in Monza, Japan and Brazil, we're hoping that this performance can be replicated.

Of course we know that the on track fights will intensify and it's not going to be easy to consolidate our position but we feel the momentum is with us now. Adrian and Tonio both raced very well and we've been given a real boost by the double points - we needed it after a couple of frustrating weekends before the summer break.

But we're not sitting back based on this performance - we've been doing a lot of work back at the factory on the blown diffuser, and conducted a successful aero test last week to develop further. We will also use a low downforce package to suit the top speeds we reach in Monza, which is a further refinement of the Spa package. We're cautiously optimistic and quietly confident - if it all comes together I would hope we could show a similar level of performance and results to Spa, but there are so many varying factors that you just can't take anything for granted at this stage in the season.

Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 14, VJM03/03)
Belgium was a great race weeked for us and something we really needed to take us into the second part of the season. It started well in practice, with the car very easy to drive and responding well to changes. It felt quite easy to go out and set quick times so right from the start I believed we were in for a shot of a good finish. Qualifying then went well, we got the weather calls almost exactly right and got back into the top ten for the first time in a few races, which we really needed to do.

It was a pretty exciting race after that and we were always towards the front of the field. Fifth was pretty much the maximum we could do and I was delighted we could hold onto it with the weather changing and then the safety cars. At the end only the championship contenders ahead of us so we can be satisfied.

Based on the speed and handling of the car in Spa I'm now really looking forward to Monza. We don't have the top speed advantage we had last year so it's going to be another close weekend, but we do know that we are amongst the quickest and that gives us a big chance to be in Q3 and then getting in the points. I got a great finish there last year - fourth, my best finish in F1 so far, and to get that again would be amazing. Of course there's a huge championship battle going on ahead of us so getting towards the front isn't going to be easy, but I'm confident, the team has got its momentum back after the double points finish in Spa and we're all going to Italy very optimistic.


Tonio Liuzzi (car 15, VJM03/01)
I was really pleased to get that final point in Belgium: I had to work harder for that one point than almost any other I can remember in my F1 career. It was a really crazy race with the rain and then the battles with the other drivers but I really enjoyed the extra challenge of fighting back through the field. It was very satisfying after a tough weekend.

We had some issues during practice, but as a team we worked together and found a solution just before qualifying. The team did such a good job to work night and day to give me the best possible car they could. Ultimately I believe we could have finished even higher as I got hit by another car early on that damaged my wing and then Vettel ran into me in the last part of the race. Overall though I enjoyed the challenge and the extra pressure mentally, especially when the difference between getting it right and wrong was so small.

Next up I've got my home race in Italy, which is the same race I made my Force India race debut last year. It holds such great memories for me. Going into the race we had just had a fantastic result in Spa so the whole team was on a high, and we knew we had a great car going into Monza. I got the call and of course I was pretty nervous but I tried to build into the weekend and gradually improve. Then in qualifying I got into P7, which was such a fantastic feeling. Unfortunately in the race I had a mechanical problem when I was running in the top six but I really felt that I had done the maximum I could do.

Now this year as always we want to perform, especially after last year. But it's also not just that or because it's my home crowd that I want to do well, I also want to get the result we deserve this season. We have narrowly missed out on really good results for a number of reasons this year, so I want to pull it all together. And if it's at Monza, it's true that it will be even more satisfying. The signs so far are good - the aero test we did showed a big improvement, the car is already strong and we've got a good programme for the race weekend in place.

Paul di Resta, test and reserve driver
I'm looking forward to Monza where I'll be out again in free practice, this time replacing Adrian. It's a special track that will require a very different approach to the other tracks I have driven. It's low downforce, high speed and then heavy braking into the chicanes so it's going to be another experience to put in the book. I've done some work in the simulator in preparation for the run and I'm hoping to get as much out of the session as possible.

Of course the track has a very special atmosphere and while I'm there I'll want to look into the history of it and see some of the old banking and track. With my little bit of Italian ancestry and some of my family still living in the country, hopefully I will feel very at home there.

So it should be an interesting weekend, both professionally and personally. We'll all work together to do as well as we can over the weekend, have the right approach from the start and develop the low downforce package. We showed well in Spa so there's no reason why it shouldn't show again in Monza.

Tonio Liuzzi feature: 'Monza is a wonderful circuit'
It's always special for a driver to race in his home Grand Prix, and since Imola fell off the F1 schedule, Monza has become even more important for any Italian.

This year Force India's Tonio Liuzzi heads to the famous Autodromo as one of only two locals in the field. While veteran Jarno Trulli has a lot of support, Tonio will be the leading Italian contender, as he's the man challenging for a place in the top 10 in both qualifying and the race.

'It's definitely a special occasion to race in front of your own crowd and in front of your friends, because it's the country where you come from,' says Tonio. 'Plus Monza is a wonderful circuit, it's one of the few historical circuits left in the World Championship, along with places like Spa. It has a great feeling, with a great atmosphere, a great crowd, and it's always a special occasion.

'It's one of the races I'm always waiting for most during the year. It's a bit like Monaco for me, because I love the circuit and I love the tough challenge. Monza in a way is a bigger challenge, because you are in front of your crowd as well, and you want to perform particularly well.'

Although he loves the circuit, Tonio did not spend his childhood years standing with the tifosi, watching his heroes. Nor did he race at the track in a junior category at the start of his career. In fact he didn't even Monza until 2003, when he was competing in the F3000 event supporting the Italian GP.

'I never went to watch an F1 race before, so I had never been there. As I've said in the past, when I was karting for me there was just the karting world. I was following F1, because I was a fan of Nigel Mansell, but I didn't see a race live. The first year in F3000 I finished fourth with Coloni, and then in 2004 I had pole and won the race with Arden.'

Tonio competed in the Italian GP for the first time with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006.

'I remember a big fight with David Coulthard in the Red Bull during the race. I can remember being on the grass, trying to overtake, but it was good fun and a good fight, although I finished out of the points.'

In fact he finished 14th, while the following year he was 17th, albeit ahead of team mate Sebastian Vettel and a certain Adrian Sutil! In 2008 Tonio had to watch from the sidelines in his role as Force India reserve driver, but he was back last season for his first race in a season and a half.

'I made it into Q3 and I started in seventh place, and I was running fourth in the race and then the driveshaft broke. It was really frustrating, but for me the important thing was to show on my comeback that I was able to race and be competitive.'

Part of what makes Monza so fascinating is that it is unique, and the teams create a special low downforce wing package.

'It's different from all the other circuits because you use such a low level of downforce. You never have a car with such low grip, so you have to get used to it on Friday practice. It's a circuit I really like to race on, because you feel the car really light. It slides in the corners, and you drift with all four wheels.'

The other big challenge is bouncing over the chicane kerbs effectively.

'In a way it's completely different to all the other races. You might think that with six corners it's not such a big deal, but you have to fly over the kerbs, especially into Ascari. You have to understand which way to use the first kerb to put the car to have a good exit. In fact the key in Monza is to have a good exit out of all of the corners, because the straights are so long that you can gain a huge amount of time.

'The positioning into the corners is the key, but flying over the kerbs is not easy, especially if you have a stiff car that bounces you back. There are not many corners, but they are really technical.'

Last year Force India was very competitive at Monza, and Adrian's fourth place still stands as his best result. This year rivals have eaten into the team's straight line speed advantage, thanks mainly to F-Duct technology, but things could be different this weekend.

'I don't think every team will use the F-Duct in Monza, because the level of downforce you use is so little that you're not paying that much for it. We believe that in Monza we will be competitive. Before Spa we knew that everyone had upgraded their cars to a good level of top speed, even though we know our car is really strong on low drag.

'So we knew Spa would be tougher than last year. But for Monza I think we'll be in good shape - maybe not as strong as last year, but still in a position for good points.']]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3255 Tue, 7 Sep 2010 15:47:26 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3254
Friday 10 to Sunday 12 September, 2010
Monza, Italy, Round: 14 of 19
Sam Michael, Technical Director
Monza is the lowest drag level circuit on the F1 calendar, so the cars are running at very different aerodynamic efficiency levels compared to the normal high downforce tracks. This requires a special rear wing for this race only. Another important aspect of the historic Italian circuit is the kerb riding, something the FW32 will be set up to handle. For this track we have low drag front and rear wings.
Rubens Barrichello
Three wins and two podiums wins at the Autodromo Nazionale make it statistically my best rack, but never mind the numbers, it is a circuit I love and I always travel to Italy with affection and excitement. My positive record at the track and the work we have done to prepare for both the downforce and kerb requirements means that I am full of optimism. It was great to celebrate my 300th Grand Prix in Spa, but the race didn’t go to plan. We will pick up our momentum again in Monza.

Nico Hülkenberg
I have only raced once at Monza in last season’s GP2 Championship, but I immediately enjoyed the challenge of its high speed nature and one of the races ended for me in a podium. So I am approaching next weekend with a degree of respect that such a circuit demands, but equally I feel that it is time that both the car performance we are finding and my own work behind the wheel deserves to be reflected in better results more often, so my respect will be balanced with a really determined approach to the race weekend. Spa was frustrating as I worked hard to claim a good grid position and really want to ensure we convert our opportunities in Italy.

Grand Prix of Italy – Round 14
Monza. Italy
Opened in 1922, Monza is Europe’s oldest active racetrack. It featured on the inaugural F1 world championship calendar in 1950 and has since been an almost permanent fixture (it has been absent only once, in 1980). Monza is always associated with speed – it’s the quickest circuit on the current calendar and, in 2003, staged the fastest race in F1 history (Michael Schumacher won for Ferrari, at 247.585kph). Its long straights are the key: Monza has just one truly fast corner – the Parabolica – and lies only seventh in F1’s average cornering speed chart.

Kilos per lap: 2.11 kg/5km
Time loss per 5km of fuel: 0.05 s/lap of fuel
Vmax: 333 kph
Average speed: 236 kph
Average corner speed: 141 kph
Turn angle: 80 degrees
Temperatures: Ambient 26°C / Track 36°C
Greatest power reduction: 996 mbar pressure
Pit lane loss: 19.8 sec lost
Pit lane length: 420m
Safety cars: 0.4 average per race
Lap distance: 5.793km/3.600m
Race: 53 laps – 306.720km/190.596m
Race start: 14.00 (local)/12.00 (GMT)
Circuit lap record: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) 1m 21.046s (2004)
2009 pole: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) 1m 24.066s
2009 fastest qualifying lap: Jenson Button (Brawn-Mercedes) 1m 22.955s
2009 winner: Rubens Barrichello (Brawn-Mercedes) 1h 16m 21.706s
2009 fastest lap: Adrian Sutil (Force India-Mercedes) 1m 24.739s (lap 36)

]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3254 Tue, 7 Sep 2010 15:41:45 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3253
Hinwil, 7th September 2010. Kamui Kobayashi will again line up for Peter Sauber’s team in the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2011. The Japanese driver, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on Monday 13th September, has collected 21 World Championship points so far this season and recorded a best race result of sixth at Silverstone. He has made it into the top ten qualifying on three occasions.
“We enjoy having our rookie as part of the team – both as a driver and a person,” says team principal Peter Sauber. “We never had any doubts about working with him again in 2011.” And Sauber continues: “Kamui has definitely fulfilled our expectations in terms of his speed and fighting spirit. Plus, his work with the engineers and his technical understanding has also developed very well. The experience he has built up over his first full season in Formula One will certainly stand him in good stead for 2011. And our aim is to give him a fast and reliable car from the outset next season.”

Kamui adds: “We had a very difficult start to the season, but we’ve worked together to pull ourselves out of that situation. I feel very much at home in Peter Sauber’s team and am very pleased we’ll be working together again in 2011. However, for now I’m focusing one-hundred per cent on this year. There are still six grand prix weekends to go in 2010, and we’ll be hoping to make up more ground.”

The team’s second driver for the 2011 season will be announced at a later date.

]]> General http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3253 Tue, 7 Sep 2010 15:31:57 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3252
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza marks the last European race of the 2010 FIA Formula OneTM World Championship. As the Lotus Racing team heads to Jarno Trulli's home country, Jarno and a number of key team members take the time to look ahead to what promises to be another exciting race for the Anglo-Malaysian squad.
Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Looking back to last weekend, Spa was in many ways one of our best performance of the year so far. We have had better positions at the end of a number of races, but in terms of reliability, Spa was our strongest performance to date. Now we go to Monza and that's always a special place to race - the Tifosi create an incredible atmosphere, and while it's obviously focused on Ferrari, I think seeing Jarno and Heikki in our green and yellow cars will be pretty special for some of the most passionate motorsport fans in the world.
"Monza will also be very special for me, Tony, Din, Nasa, Riad and the whole team on a personal level. Race day is the 12th September, which is exactly one year to the day since we heard that our entry into the 2010 Formula OneTM World Championship had been accepted. It's hard to put into words just what that means to all of us, but it's already been an incredible 365 days, and we have many more exciting times to come. I've been asked a number of times if I really thought we'd be able to do what looked to many like an impossible task - creating a team from literally just words on a piece of paper to now sitting 10th in the Championship, best of the new teams and with a very bright future ahead of us.
"Onto the track itself: Monza is unique as it's now the lowest downforce circuit on the modern Formula OneTM calendar. For the race weekend, we'll have a revised low downforce package with new front and rear wings, plus a few other smaller modifications to the cars."


Heikki Kovalainen: "After Spa I'm feeling really good physically and mentally. Before we got to Belgium, I had a proper rest for a week, and then got back into training for the second couple of weeks of the summer break to prepare myself for the end of the season. It paid off because I felt great all weekend in Spa and now I'm looking forward to Monza and then the remaining races. Monza is one of the real highlights of the year and it'll be good to be back in Italy. It's a very different type of circuit and it has a great atmosphere. Obviously Ferrari have huge support out in the stands, but so do the other teams as the fans just love F1TM. I think it'll be a pretty cool weekend - for us drivers it's a high speed track and with the low downforce configuration it makes it very interesting to race there. For the fans it's cool as well as the cars are pushed to the limit, and they look and sound pretty awesome on track."

Jarno Trulli: "Monza is a very special Grand Prix. We Italian drivers have fantastic support out there, and the fans are really fired up for the race. It's such a warm atmosphere, you can't help but enjoy it. The track is challenging, but it's not as technical as some of them. You obviously need good top speed, low downforce, good traction and good braking stability. Everyone talks about the low downforce, but the brakes play a really crucial role. You need to have the confidence to brake as late as possible and as hard as possible at the chicanes, and then you need to have really good traction to get yourself out of them as quickly as possible. I think we saw in Spa that our car is pretty good at the quicker tracks, so I think we'll be able to repeat our performance in Belgium - as long as we come out ahead of our nearest rivals we'll be happy, and then we'll be back in the air for the remaining races of 2010."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I've had to watch the last few races on TV as other commitments have kept me away from the races, so it'll be good to be back on track in Italy. The last couple of weeks have been very exciting for the whole team - we've seen Nabil Jeffri, a Malaysian superstar in the making, become the youngest ever driver to test an F1TM car at the aero test we ran on Wednesday, and it was a very proud moment for me to see him put in a great day's work for us in what must have been a pretty stressful environment for such a young guy. He proves what I've always believed - work hard to achieve your dreams and they will come true. That's the same for everyone in Lotus Racing - exactly one year ago on September 12th our Formula OneTM dream came true, and now we'll be competing at one of the world's great race tracks, bringing the green and yellow cars back to where they belong, and I can't wait to see the reaction of the crowds when we take to the track. Mike has already said what it means to him to see our cars racing hard just 12 months since we started work on this incredible team, and I echo his thoughts entirely. It has been an amazing journey already, but after Monza we'll be heading back to Asia, and it's going to keep getting more exciting with every step we take."
]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3252 Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:27:50 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3251
Vitaly, you did well to score points at Spa, but do you feel you could have got even more from the weekend?
Yes, it was good to score some points, but we could have done better. Because of my mistake in qualifying, I only started from 23rd on the grid, but we made a good recovery and it was a good race. However, we know that we are capable of finishing much higher. It's good to finish in the points, but we know that sixth place could have been possible.
You had some good battles in the race – especially with Rosberg. Did you enjoy that?
It's always a good feeling to be battling with the strong guys in the field, with Mercedes and Rosberg, who is an experienced F1 driver. Our car was very quick on the straights, so I waited for Sutil to pit in order to have a good slipstream and I was then able to pass Rosberg before Les Combes. It was a little bit risky because it was on the outside and it was really at the limit, but overtaking him was a good feeling.

The car took a step forward in Spa – how did it feel to drive?
The car was good to drive and it was quick on the straights thanks to the f-duct. We were able to use more downforce so it definitely was a big improvement.

How did you find racing with the f-duct? Was it easy to adapt to?
We used it all through Friday practice to first check it and then to practise using it. After that it was all good. I was able to use the f-duct without any difficultly, even through Eau Rouge where it was a little challenging to drive with only one hand.

How will you approach the final six races of the season?
Apart from Monza, I will need to learn all the other circuits where we will race in the last part of the season because I have never been to these places. I will study videos and maps, and look at data for those circuits.

Have you got any special memories of Monza from GP2? Do you enjoy the challenge it presents?
I was on pole position for GP2 in Monza last year. I was leading for the majority of the race, but finished second because I had to slow down when there was an accident in front of me and I lost the lead. Despite this, it remains a good memory for me, although now in Formula 1 I will need to learn it again and adapt my driving style. Monza is a great track with some famous corners like Parabolica and the Lesmos. What is important is not to make any mistakes, because even if you lose a few tenths, it could cost five places or even more. It will be interesting to race there and I look forward to it.

What is your target for this weekend?
My target again is to be in the top 10.
]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3251 Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:20:59 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3250
Robert, Monza is an important weekend for you. Do you think of it as a home race?
In a way, it is. Poland is my home country but in go-karts, Formula Renault and Formula 3, I always raced for Italian teams and spent over a year living close to Monza, so this whole area holds good memories for me. Looking at my F1 career, this was also the track where I scored my first podium finish in 2006, so it's certainly a very special circuit and weekend.
What are the characteristics of the circuit for the drivers?
You have a lot of high-speed sections, like Ascari and Parabolica, plus the low-speed chicanes and it's difficult to balance these sectors so the car performs well in all of them. It's the quickest circuit on the calendar, which means we use a very low-downforce, low-drag configuration. In previous years, we tested at Monza the week before the race so we could get used to the feeling of the car, which is much lighter than normal. Now, we don't have that test, so it becomes a bit of a tricky weekend. The other important factor is good mechanical grip for braking stability into the chicanes, and good traction on the exit.

Is it an enjoyable circuit to drive?
I think so because the feeling is so unusual – it's like being at the wheel of a completely different car. At the start of the weekend, you think that the rear end is very unstable, but in fact that's how it stays all the time, and you never quite find the grip and stability you're used to at other circuits. That makes it a bigger challenge for the drivers, and I also enjoy the fact that there's a lot of heavy braking, where you approach the braking points at very high speed and need to be extremely precise. It's not easy to pick them up or to hit the apex of the corners.

After a strong podium finish in Spa, what are your expectations for this weekend?
It's hard to say and I think this will be a very interesting weekend to judge the performance of the cars. Spa was a good example of how powerful the f-duct can be and we were immediately more competitive and closer to the front when we fitted it. The effect will be less powerful in Monza because the cars run with less drag, but there will be still be an advantage, so we need to see which teams use it and if we are able to as well. This circuit can sometimes throw up some surprises, so I prefer to stay cautious when it comes to predictions. But if the car feels as good as it did in Spa, then there's no reason why we won't be competitive in Monza.
]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3250 Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:20:05 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3249
James, the team was back on the podium at Spa and both R30s were in the points. What was your verdict on the race?
It was obviously a great way to come back after the summer break. It was a very encouraging weekend and bodes well for the remaining six races. Robert was quick right from the start of the weekend and was able to match the pace of the leading cars. To finish on the podium was a great effort and a fitting reward for the whole team. Vitaly also had a strong race and did well to recover from a disappointing qualifying session. He drove aggressively, had a memorable battle with the Mercedes, and managed to pull himself up from the back of the grid to score some valuable points.
The R30 appeared to take a big step forward in Spa - how much was down to the f-duct?
Spa was a big weekend for us because the f-duct is a significant upgrade that we have been working very hard to get right. And we knew Spa would be a track where an f-duct would bring considerable gains. I would say that it was worth more than half a second per lap at Spa.

After all the effort of designing and manufacturing the f-duct, it must have been especially satisfying to see it work on the car straight away…
We started looking at f-ducts way back at the start of the year and, although the gain was evident right from the start, it was also clear that it would be a difficult device to get right. We also knew that we had a very substantial set of conventional improvements that were much easier to implement with less technical risk, so we chose to prioritise these over the f-duct. However, from as early as the Bahrain Grand Prix we had a small group of aerodynamicists establishing what we would need to do to put the concept on our car. Once we had a concept that we felt had a good chance of working properly straight out of the box, we committed to manufacture. It was therefore extremely pleasing to see that the device worked correctly from the first free practice runs in Spa.

Let's look ahead to Monza, the fastest track of the season. Can we expect to see a new aero package on the car?
Yes, Monza is very different from all the other circuits and so we have had to prepare a bespoke package that we will not use anywhere else. Monza has such long straights and so few corners that it requires much smaller wings than any other track. To add further complication, the f-duct is a potential alternative option for Monza. Like several other teams, we too are evaluating whether we can make the device work in the particular, low-downforce environment of Monza

What is the development strategy for the rest of the season?
By this stage of the season any sensible team will be spending most of its time working on next year's car, and we are no exception. However, we've still got a few more upgrades to come before the end of the season, although it's fair to say they will not be as significant as those we were brining to the car at the start of the year.

And what is the team's approach for the final part of the season and the close battle with Mercedes?
We're currently 23 points behind Mercedes so we've got to take four points off them in each of the remaining races. We only managed to take three points out of their lead in Spa, but I'm hopeful that, if we can maintain our current level of competitiveness, we can start finishing ahead of Mercedes with both our cars. If we can achieve that, and race effectively with no reliability issues, we stand a good chance of catching them by the end of the year.

What are your expectations for the weekend?
Monza is very different from the mainstream bunch of tracks that make up the calendar, but generally speaking the cars that are good at one track tend to be good everywhere, regardless of the downforce levels. The performance of the R30 in Spa therefore gives me confidence that we can compete for similarly good results at all the remaining tracks, including Monza. We will be aiming to get both cars well inside the top ten both in qualifying and the race this weekend.
]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3249 Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:19:06 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3248
Monza, Saturday 04 September 2010
The next stopover for the 2010 Formula 1 Championship is at the historical Italian Grand Prix in Monza. It is also the last race in Europe, where Hispania Racing, HRT F1 Team has demonstrated it is a reliable team that improves and fights for positions race after race. It is all about speed in Monza and the race is the fastest on the calendar. Top speeds of 340 km/h are possible and consequently cars have to have a very low downforce to maximize their top speed. The brakes are highly demanded and it is important to look after them.
The ‘Autodromo di Monza’, of 5.793 km in length, calls out corners like ‘Curva di Lesmo’, ‘Variante Ascari’ and ‘Parabolica’ and has three long straights. Drivers have to be careful at the first chicane after the straight line, as it leads to contact a competitor or a trip over the kerbs. The two ‘Lesmos’ are a very tricky pair of right-handers and a good exit from the second one is essential for the blast back under the old track and down to ‘Variante Ascari’. The drivers need to achieve the highest speed possible at the exit of the ‘Parabolica’ to maintain or make up a position across the very long and wide start finish straight.
After achieving its best qualifying result this season, Hispania Racing, HRT F1 Team wants to tie in another success. The Spanish team is eager to bring both Bruno Senna’s and Sakon Yamamoto’s cars to the finish line again and to show a good performance in Italy.

Dr Colin Kolles, Team Principal:
“After the exciting race in Belgium, we are looking forward to coming to another historical Grand Prix in Monza. The ‘Autodromo di Monza’ is an ultimate power circuit with a top speed rate of 70 per cent. We have to find a very low downforce set-up for the car to achieve maximum speed. With top speeds of up to 340 km/h, the cars are difficult to control and the drivers have to be attentive and concentrated. We want to show a good performance and to finish the race with both of our cars again.”

Sakon Yamamoto, Race driver #20:
“I was driving a Formula 1 car two times in Monza: in 2006 with Super Aguri F1 and in 2007 with Spyker F1. The circuit is very traditional and I am always looking forward to race there. The car has the lowest downforce setting of the whole season and the maximum speed is around 340 km/h. With this set-up, braking into the first corner is hard and difficult. We need to be prepared for good straight line speed and I am really looking forward to be in the car again.”

Bruno Senna, Race driver #21:
“The track in Monza is full of history and the atmosphere there is very nice. Since 2005, I have been racing in Monza every year except in 2009 and I am always looking forward to racing there. It is a very high speed circuit with slow chicanes and medium speed corners interrupting the straight lines. So the car is configured with low downforce for maximum speed. The brakes and tyres are used very hard due to the high speed nature with low speed corners. I hope to have another competitive weekend against the new teams and still look forward to achieving our best results.”

]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3248 Sat, 4 Sep 2010 17:10:21 +0200 http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3247
Martin Whitmarsh, Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Even though, on paper, the Monza circuit’s characteristics appear to suit our package, developing a car that performs well on one of the most unique venues on the Formula 1 calendar is no easy job. The low-downforce, extreme high-speed nature of Monza demands its own bespoke aero package – and getting that downforce level correct is not as straightforward as it seems. We require a complex number of mechanical and aerodynamic variables to work harmoniously if we are to provide both Jenson and Lewis with front-running machinery this weekend.
Obviously, Lewis’s victory at Spa was perfectly timed, and has substantially motivated the entire workforce ahead of these closing races. After Jenson’s unfortunate failure to finish in Belgium, we are determined to reignite his championship push next weekend to get him back into the hunt for the drivers’ title“It’s no secret that there’s a tremendous amount of fight in this team – and I’m proud of every single person’s efforts to provide us with a winning edge. We know how to win races and world championships, and, clearly, we will once again be pushing for victory this weekend.”

Jenson Button
“Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn’t ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title.
Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging – we’re developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we’re learning more about it all the time, so I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to maintain that form in Italy next weekend.
We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I’m confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape.
I love racing at Monza – it’s a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff. Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix.”

Lewis Hamilton
“Our victory in Belgium showed that, as a team, we never give up, and that we’ll always bounce back from adversity feeling stronger and more determined than before. This team has such an incredible fighting spirit – we strive to win, and I hope that Spa is only the start of a run of stronger form for us as we head into the final races of the championship.
I’ve made no secret of my wish to win this race. Monza is an incredible circuit – full of history and stories from the past. It has a special feeling in the air that you don’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s a circuit that inspires you to race at your limit, and I’ll be pushing hard all weekend.
Finally, I’m looking forward to meeting the Italian fans this weekend. I pretty much grew up racing karts in Italy, so I’ve always appreciated and understood the passion and support of the fans for Formula 1, and motorsport in general.
Even if it’s not always obvious, I know that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes does have a deep pocket of support in Italy. So I hope the whole team can have another great race at one of the classic tracks in Formula 1.”
]]> races http://www.f1-pics.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=3247 Fri, 3 Sep 2010 22:24:00 +0200