Monday, May 28, 2012

Monaco Gp : the race


Monaco Gp : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes


*Fernando Alonso: 
"In Italy, there is a saying that says "that goes slowly goes surely". This is not true? Well this is what we do. Step by step we get closer, I am pleased with this qualification, the best team we've had since the beginning of the season. I had a good feeling throughout the weekend. Perhaps in Q3 we could have won a few hundredths here and there but I do not think I would have moved up since the pilot in front of me is the three-tenths. Usually here, the top three fights to win so I think our realistic goal is a podium finish but may that will be surprises to the agenda. We saw that today with Michael on pole. I was very happy for him, even if will not be able to maximize his position because of his penalty. Tomorrow morning I'll have to work with the team to choose the best strategy. The Softs are well behaved but we start with the Super-soft tires , so we do not know how long they will last. We will see their performance in race. In terms of the championship, it's a good grid position because of our rivals. Hamilton alone is before us, Vettel is ninth. Michael by my side on the grid? It's nice to have it close but I will concentrate to exceed the 4 Felipe Massa: "It was a good qualifying and I certainly would have done better than this 7th place: be 5 th was within my reach is given what we did in Q1 and Q2. Unfortunately, in Q3 I was not able to have a perfect lap because of traffic, but it is like that here. That said, I am happy the way things happened, I have fun finally driving the F2012. Clearly, it is much easier to make the most of the potential set-up we chose here. It's one thing to keep in mind for the rest of the championship. We are still fighting in places where traction is essential, which is easily seen in comparing with the best but yet, we also made progress in that direction. Michael did a very good lap and I congratulate him: it's a shame he is near me tomorrow afternoon on the grid. Hope we have a good race tomorrow and a new league starts for me. "


* Felipe Massa: "It was a good qualifying session and I certainly would have done better than this 7th place: be 5 th was within my reach is given what we did in Q1 and Q2. Unfortunately, in Q3 I was not able to have a perfect lap because of traffic, but it is like that here. That said, I am happy the way things happened, I have fun finally driving the F2012. Clearly, it is much easier to make the most of the potential set-up we chose here. It's one thing to keep in mind for the rest of the championship. We are still fighting in places where traction is essential, which is easily seen in comparing with the best but yet, we also made progress in that direction. Michael did a very good lap and I congratulate him: it's a shame he is near me tomorrow afternoon on the grid. Hope we have a good race tomorrow and a new league starts for me. "

Monaco Gp : the grid


Friday, May 25, 2012

Monaco Gp : Alonso & Massa Thursday quotes



* Fernando Alonso: "Monaco is for us driver , the opportunity to ride on a single circuit in its kind, in which you take pleasure in each turn and you need confidence, this is the most difficult, because you can make errors easily. This morning, we were able to carry out the program without problem but in the afternoon, because of the rain, we have failed to complete, as was the case for our rivals. We tried to get the best out of the meeting, we must see what we can do with super-soft tires. If Saturday morning the track is dry then we can complete programs. Intermediaries have just helped to understand certain things but the runway was wet that in some places, it was so difficult. We cannot control the weather and it can change so fast. With regard to the car, I find that the first sensations are very good, everything seems to react as expected it. We made a few small changes to improve it but it is not easy to draw conclusions now. Say that we must do this weekend and continue in this way."


* Felipe Massa: "we were not able to make as many laps as we would have liked due to the rain that fell this afternoon, but I am pleased with the course of the day because the car seemed well balanced and that as soon as the first testing session, we have good traction, a little better than we thought. Even when we have driven intermediates end-of-session, I had a positive feeling. With respect to the super-soft tires, we have not tried them, so I cannot say anything on them while the soft tires seem to function well and does not degrade. Of course much remains to be done on the settings but we have an extra day to do so. It is difficult to make the prognostic on the qualitifation and even more for the race but I can say that it was a good day of trials."

Monaco Gp : FP2


Monaco Gp : FP1 results


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Barcelona Gp : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: 
"this second place is like a victory especially after the previous race where we finished with a minute of delay on the winner and now we are in front of the two Red Bull and we were fighting for the victory until the end. In addition, we mark more points than the Red Bull and McLaren drivers which makes the outcome of the weekend even more positive. At the end of the second relay was the time key to the race and Maldonado pitted earlier than us , we decided to stay on track, we lost time behind a laggard and subsequently there was a yellow flag which has not helped. Suddenly, I lost grip on the rear gear and I asked the team if something was broken because the behavior of the car had changed without apparent reason. in the race, the Williams was still very fast and in the end we had the chance to finish second while Raikkonen was faster than me. This Championship is very long and difficult, the interpretation is sensitive and we had different winners in each race, teams are fast. We haven't done the best job in the design of the car and there is still much to do but we can be proud of the course of development and our potential, this result is probably above the limits of the car after two major difficult Gp and be back on the podium gives us confidence for the rest of the Championship. We must continue to make changes for the remainder of the Championship because performance is close between the cars and the slightest thing can make the difference."


* Felipe Massa: 
"my race has been affected by a penalty at round 28 and honestly I would not have done something wrong but I think that it is better to look this in detail to understand what happened. Indeed, I was in a group of drivers and I do not try to catch up with others and it is really a shame because the race was going on for me and the top ten was within my reach. I was in the Red Bull and the McLaren Group but I couldn't keep up their pace. I have had a first positive lap and I managed to make many suitable loops. I am pleased that Alonso was able to fight for victory until the end of race, this demonstrates the potential of our car which is much improved. We still do not have the fastest car, but it seems that we are going in the right direction, I would like to congratulate Pastor Maldonado, he is a friend who loves F1 and the first win is superb, I understand how he can feel at the moment."

Barcelona Gp : the race results


Sunday, May 13, 2012

Barcelona Gp : the grid


Lewis Hamilton has lost his pole position : he didn't have sufficient quantity of fuel for the stewards control so he stopped his car at the turn 9 just before the end of the session . the stewards considered it was an infraction of the regulation and so he got a penalty . Lewis will start at the last position on the grid . 

Friday, May 11, 2012

Barcelona Gp : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes

* Fernando Alonso: 
"it is well being back here in front of my audience. I arrived on Wednesday evening, I can already feel the heat of my fans who are now fans of Ferrari. We had a busy programme, with many things to try, and it was very important to evaluate them conscientiously . First impressions are positive. Some parts worked as we expected , others less, but in general, it confirms the trend that we had already seen in the Mugello last week that information from the wind tunnel were confirmed on the track . Today, the conditions were visibly different from the last time we came here during the winter tests. It is much warmer and the track surface conditions have therefore changed, with temperatures approaching 45 degrees. We have tried to adapt the settings of the car to track conditions, but we are still not completely satisfied. There is still much work to be done. In fact, it was one really different Friday , with times even more nearest than what we have seen in the four first races this year. Tires ? No surprises, we know now it enough after all the kilometres that we have done this winter and the first part of the Championship. The Soft ones appear more quick , the hard ones more resistant, therefore not nothing new here."


* Felipe Massa:
"it was very hot today, which has developed tire pressure. We have much worked on the updates we have since the weekend and, at first glance, the results have to be positive. This morning, we concentrated on different types of configurations while this afternoon, we mainly worked on the settings and the behavior of the tires. It is impossible to make a comparison with the results of the winter tests because the track conditions have completely changed since the temperature is different from what we had this winter. Now we must set all the best elements to produce our best performance and prepare the qualifications and the race.
Sunday, if it's also hot like today , it will be a race even more difficult than usual, mainly because of the strong degradation of tires ."

Barcelona Gp : FP1 results


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Barcelona Gp : Fernando Alonso Thursday press conference


Q: Fernando, another winner here in 2006. How did you feel the Ferrari was in testing? Did you feel it was a lot different? 
Fernando Alonso: No, not really. We didn't have any big improvements in the car, so what we tested were different set- ups and things we missed from winter testing. It's been quite difficult for us with a lot of problems on the car and not many laps. The Mugello test was to complete what we had left from winter but in terms of improvements, we had minimum changes on the car so it felt the same? 

Q: Did that set-up research, as it were, make you feel more comfortable with the car, more competitive? 
FA: Well, we'll see. Obviously we had some ideas in terms of setup and some different possibilities that we were not introducing in the first four races because we didn't have the opportunity to test them. So, it was good in Mugello: some of them were positive; some of them were negative so it's good to know. As much information as you have is better preparation for the next grand prix. Obviously we arrive more prepared now than how we arrived in Australia with only three tests in the winter. But to make the car faster I think in terms of setup you cannot find much. If you want to be running at the front it's more aerodynamic parts and updates in the car. Hopefully they come but we need to wait. 

Q: You know this circuit pretty well, you had a very good start to the race last year - do you think we're going to see more overtaking on the circuit now, what with more KERS and a longer DRS as well? 
FA: I think it will be similar to last year, to be honest. I saw some numbers of previous races here. On average like four or five overtaking manoeuvres in the last nine years and last year there were 57 - so it was a big change. The race this year will be similar to last year because of the degradation, the DRS and the KERS. With all the possibilities that we have now, as we had last year, for sure we will see some more overtaking. This changes also a little bit the philosophy of this circuit. As Kimi said, pole position was 60 per cent of the victories, now pole position is obviously the best starting position but it's not crucial anymore because with this year's tyres it's less important.

Q: Fernando, you have a very different car from this race. Let's suppose this car does not correspondent to that criteria… FA: We'll see, we'll see after the race, because we don't know what car we have. Obviously we have new parts, but everybody has new parts. Because it's Ferrari, there are quite a lot of expectations every race we go to. It seems like only Ferrari is bringing new parts. We have a step forward, we believe, on what we had in Bahrain, but we also know that it's not the last step we have to do. It's a continuous work, that we need to start here in Barcelona, making a step forward and try to improve our qualifying position and our race pace, but in Monaco we have to bring new parts. In Canada (we have to) bring new parts. So we will not bring a new car to every race as it seems that we brought here in Barcelona. 

Q: But just to finish the question: if the car does not correspond… 
FA: I answer you on Sunday. 

Q: Yes, but just to finish: considering your car has completely new ideas, a revolutionary car, do you think this could be the end of the season for Ferrari and you will start thinking about next year's car? 
FA: I don't think so. I don't think so. We need to see how the car works here and if it works fine, it will be a good step, the first step of many that we have to do during the next couple of races. If the step is not good enough, because the others improved the same or more than us so we remain in the same position, we need to work harder, for Monaco and for Canada, and bring more new parts in a more aggressive approach or whatever, because the championship is long and we will never give up in May, after four races. 

Q: Do you think the basis of this car could be used for next year's car? 
FA: I think so. 

Q: Following the rulings in the two Nico Rosberg incidents in Bahrain - one of which Fernando was involved in - are you clear in terms of what's allowed and what isn't when it comes to defending your position? 
FA: Yes. 

Q: Has your understanding changed between before Bahrain to now?
FA: No, maybe I did… 

Q: if a fan of Formula One in Spain is thinking about coming here on Sunday, what are your goals for the race? What can you offer to the people?
FA: Giving 100 percent. We cannot promise anything. This is not a mathematical problem, it's a sport, we all try to do our best so we will work hard, we will take care of every detail this weekend as we do normally, trying to do a serious job and hopefully finishing in the best position possible, but you cannot promise anything.

Q: After testing at Mugello, Vitaly Petrov criticised the circuit, because he expressed concern about its safety, so do you think he was wrong to express his concern like this? He was criticised by other drivers, because he expressed concern. Is he wrong? 
FA: I think everyone will have his opinion. I'm not someone to say that Vitaly is right or wrong. It's more maybe the safety commission's job or whatever. Personally, everyone will have their opinion, as I said. I like Mugello, I like the layout, I like the feelings, the emotions that you have driving there. As I said after the test, driving one lap in Mugello is like driving one hundred at another circuit, for adrenalin and how much you enjoy the lap. We were in Italy, with a lot of Ferrari support. I enjoy those three days testing so much, but in terms of how safe the track was or not, I don't have the information to give an answer.

Q: Mugello is different from every other track that you guys race on in the year so does this very fact make it less useful to have tested there instead of somewhere else?
FA: I think it was good to test some parts of the car, not for some others, but like all the other circuits. When we test in Jerez, test in Barcelona, we try different things. I remember in the old days testing in Paul Ricard. Some days we test on the 50s lap circuit because we were testing for Monaco Grand Prix: different tyres and different parts, so every test is welcome for different areas of the car, but it's good. For people who don't like Mugello there is a very easy solution.

(source : http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/5/13323.html )

Scuderia Ferrari Racing News n. 6 : Fernando Alonso interview + Ferrari passion day at the Mugello

Fernando Alonso blog : "Exciting days ahead !"


"Here we are, on the eve of my home race, the Spanish Grand Prix. It's always a special event for me, because racing in front of my fans has always been a unique feeling. This topic and my relationship with the fans is something you can find out more about exclusively in the sixth edition of the Scuderia Ferrari Racing News at www.ferrarif1.com and, as many of you have been able to read, in the answers I have posted to my followers on @alo_ oficial. 
On the subject of excitement, yesterday was a special day at Maranello. It was the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Gilles Villeneuve and Ferrari chose to commemorate it by inviting his son Jacques to drive the 312 T4, the car that his father drove during the 1979 season. Gilles is a legendary figure for everyone, in Maranello and around the world and I think it must have been incredible for Jacques to drive this fantastic car. What I know of the father came only through films and obviously, the one I remember best is the duel he had with Arnoux at Dijon, when he was driving the very same car that was on track yesterday. Unfortunately, these days, we no longer see this sort of fight because there are more difficulties to deal with: the cars are now dominated by aerodynamics and those sorts of passing moves are no longer possible. On top of that, there was definitely more respect then than there is now between us drivers, partly because they knew that, in those cars, they were risking their lives. I don't want to say that today things are done incorrectly, but I believe there is not that mutual respect, at least not from everyone, that there was back then. It's a problem that goes back a long way, to the junior categories and I think the time has come to try and get it back. 
I think Jacques was happy to be here in Maranello yesterday: for the first time, he was able to put on a red race suit with the Ferrari badge and his name sewn on above it. We are friends and it was nice to see him again. We were team-mates, even if just for very few races in 2004 and I get on well with him. He is very professional and very sincere. Yesterday was also the opportunity to plug a gap in my collection of helmets from my team-mates, as Jacques gave me one which dated back to the season he drove for Sauber. It was nice to see so many mechanics from that time, clearly happy to be back on track watching a Villeneuve. It was yet another episode that made me understand how special is Ferrari's history, the history of a team with an incredible tradition, but that always looks to the future. 
The immediate future means the Spanish Grand Prix. In Montmelo, we will be counting on making a step forward, but we won't know until Saturday if we have and if so, how big a step it is. We have updates on the F2012, some of which we tested in Mugello last week and others which we will try out on Friday in free practice. Clearly, having limited the damage in the first four races this year, we must turn things around. Having said that, it's not the case that if we are not on pole in Barcelona then it's the end of the world… The important thing is to make progress, reducing the gap as much as possible, first this weekend, then again in Monaco and after that, in Montreal, Valencia, Silverstone…The season is very long, with sixteen races to go, the same number that constituted the entire calendar back in 2003. 
We must continue to work day and night, just as did Gilles' mechanics, whom I met at the track yesterday and just as our guys do today. I will be flying with them to Barcelona this afternoon. With the same spirit of wanting to win and being prepared to fight with all one's strength to achieve that, which is the spirit that has driven me ever since I was a kid racing karts."

(source : http://www.ferrari.com )

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

la gazzetta de Ferrari

* Ferrari brought a host of new components tested in the Mugello last week. among them, a new front wing , new pontoons, a better distribution of the masses and especially a new exhaust system(already tested during the winter tests in Jerez but abandoned due to a lack of results)which redirects better the flow of air . Ferrari seems to be satisfied with this system as the results on track seem to be the same as in the wind tunnel. but it is not finished because the Italian team has other new features that will appear during the Barcelona Gp which will be held this weekend. A Mercedes WDuct could be add on a new rear wing . Note that Ferrari chose not to change their chassis and therefore decided to retain their suspensions. 

* Fernando Alonso answered questions asked by fans on twitter and facebook ; and we could learn that Fernando is making the collection of the helmets of all his rivals on the grid ; that if he had not been an F1 driver he may has been cyclist or footballer or a maths teacher since it was his favorite subject at school ! It was also reported that the first person that Fernando contacted after winning his first title in 2005 was his mother ; and that according to the Spanish champion the more difficult curve  to understand is the 14th of the Gp of Malaysia. If you wish to read the interview in its entirety, go here: http://www.fernandoalonso.com
 
* a rumour reappeared last week that Mark Webber could replace Felipe Massa in 2013 ! It was reported that there maybe was talks of an agreement proposal that could have been signed between the two parties but of course the Australian driver and the Scuderia Ferrari have denied any contact !  

* today celebrates the 30 years of the sad disappearance of Gilles Villeneuve and to honour him, Ferrari suggested his son Jacques to take the wheel of the Ferrari 312T4 dating from 1979, in which Gilles Villeneuve had signed most of his victories ! Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were also present for the occasion. 

(pic from the personal twitter of Fernando Alonso : http://www.twitter.com/alo_oficial )

Friday, May 4, 2012

Mugello testing day 3 : Fernando Alonso quotes


* in regard to the updates for Barcelona: 
"there are still two or three important parts for Barcelona which we hope will work well. But we know that all the teams will make a major step forward in Spain, that our be be larger than their if we want to catch them up."

* a special race for Fernando: 
"this is an important race for me, it is my home race. I know that whenever we go to Barcelona, the team tries to provide me the better car ever , and in return I give everything up to 101%, I hope that will be a good weekend."

* in regard to the delay in catching up on the other teams: 
"it is not easy to quantify our gap with the first, it was different according to the tracks. Taking the average of the first races, I would say 7 or 8 tenths. I can only tell you that we can retrieve this gap which is not thin." 

* regarding exhaust tested at the Mugello circuit: 
"we should study all the data. We tested three different configurations of exhausts but this year, we are no longer able to do magic as in the past. In China, for example, we have seen the Red Bull with two different configurations. That will be mounted in Barcelona gives us more confidence, but it is not the key to the changes." 

* the balance:
"my feeling is good, I am very satisfied because we made only small novelties and none did not work. It makes me optimistic because this winter, we put on the car 10 new parts, only six were working. We have brought here two or three and everything works perfectly. It seems that we succeed finally to confirm the data of the factory on track."

Mugello testing day 3 results


Position
Drivers
Team
Time
Laps

Grosjean 
Lotus 
1.21.035 
66
Vettel 
Red Bull 
1.21.267
106 
Alonso 
Ferrari 
1.21.363 
98 
Ricciardo 
Toro Rosso 
1.21.604 
117 
Perez 
Sauber 
1.22.229 
118 
Hulkenberg 
Force India 
1.22.325 
55 
Maldonado 
Williams 
1.22.497 
63 
Rosberg 
Mercedes 
1.22.579 
129 
Turvey 
McLaren 
1.22.662 
99 
10 
Di Resta 
Force India 
1.23.002 
34
11 
Kovalainen 
Caterham 
1.23.169 
139 
12 
Glock 
Marussia 
1.23.466 
110

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Mugello testing day 2 : Massa quotes


"I really enjoyed driving here at the Mugello because it is a sensational track.
It is here that I had my first race in Europe when I was a kid and also my first trials in Formula1, after I came with Ferrari. It is true that this track is very different from those we usually race, of course there are similarities to certain paths, such as Barcelona and Silverstone. However, the tests are always important for a driver because we learn much about the behaviour of the car. Stay in the Simulator is not, as its name indicates, is that simulate, so for us, fly on the actual track is essential. This day was useful, both for me and the team, although the car had roughly the same balance as Bahrain. We have mainly worked on tires, their behavior on the short and long distances and then we tested new aerodynamic components and various set - ups car. We have made our program and tomorrow it will be Fernando to test the new parts that we have prepared for the start of the European season. It is clear that we need a step forward as soon as possible if we want to be competitive. I am confident about the work we do in recent weeks but we will really know if we have reached our goals when we are in Barcelona. We can be sure that other teams have also worked a lot, so if we want to make progress, it must be a significant good in terms of performance. 
It is a very long Championship, but we need to make up the ground lost in the next three to five races, is a time key to improve our situation."

Mugello testing day 2 results


Driver
Team
Time
Laps 
R.Grosjean 
Lotus F1 
1:21.603
97 
K.Kobayashi 
Sauber 
1:21.603 
87 
S.Vettel 
Red Bull 
1:21.825 
64 
M.Webber 
Red Bull 
1:21.997 
54 
F.Massa 
Ferrari 
1:22.257 
106 
J-E.Vergne 
Toro Rosso 
1:22.422 
65 
D.Ricciardo 
Toro Rosso 
1:22.588 
22 
M.Schumacher 
Mercedes 
1:23.404
144 
C.Pic 
Marussia 
1:23.982 
46 
10 
V.Petrov 
Caterham 
1:24.312 
112 
11 
G.Paffett 
McLaren 
1:24.480 
59 
12 
T.Glock 
Marussia 
1:24.499  
37 
13 
P.Di Resta 
Force India 
1:24.749 
14 
14 
B.Senna
Williams 
1:24.842 
100

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Mugello 1st day testing : Alonso quotes


Here is what Fernando Alonso said about his first day of testing yesterday: 
"it's a shame that it rained , it has complicated this first day of tests, it is also damage to the spectators who deserved to see more show.
 We had a fairly busy program but we did in realized that part. It is therefore impossible to give a serious assessment given that we have just rolled to dry. I can only say that for me, it was a pleasure to ride on the track. The last time was when I testing for Minardi, in 2001. It is a spectacular path and it would be nice to have a race." 

about the car: 
"this car is so restive that if I make any error in braking or in a corner, on a quick tour, it is impossible to return to the top 10.
We lack a basis: a fast car. But thanks to a team like Ferrari, a good car is sufficient. In the Mugello we hope that we will take a course, if weather permits. But it is in Barcelona we will see if we have moved to our opponents. The circuit of Catalunya is a Justice of the peace.To succeed, we must qualify us in the top 10, to fight for the top 5 of each race and with two cars in the points. "He must cross a course in Barcelona, another in Monaco, yet another Canada, and so continued." 


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

the news of Tuesday May 1st 2012


* By 2013 Spain will have only one Gp per year since the Valencia and Barcelona races will alternate. This will free up a schedule for a new destination as the state of New Jersey, Mexico or Argentina. 

 * Bernie Ecclestone is about to marry his fiancee in the near future, the Brazilian Fabiana Flosi met in 2010. this will be the third marriage for the treasurer of the F1. 

 * HRT team is not present for testing at Mugello, taking place right now, for economic reasons. 
McLaren, meanwhile, has decided not to send its regular drivers.

Program of the Mugello testing days


Team
Tuesday May 1st
Wednesday May 2nd  
Thursday May 3rd

Red Bull 
M. Webber 
Webber/Vettel 
M. Webber 

McLaren 
Turvey/ Paffett 
G. Paffett O. Turvey 

Ferrari 
F. Alonso 
F. Massa 
F. Alonso 

Mercedes AMG 
Schumacher/Rosberg 
M. Schumacher 
N. Rosberg 

Lotus 
J. d'Ambrosio 
K. Räikkönen 
R. Grosjean 

Force India 
Jules Bianchi 
P. Di Resta 
N. Hülkenberg 

Sauber 
K. Kobayashi 
K. Kobayashi 
S. Pérez 

Toro Rosso 
J.-E. Vergne 
Vergne/Ricciardo 
D. Ricciardo 

Williams 
V. Bottas 
B. Senna 
P. Maldonado 

Caterham 
R. Gonzalez 
V. Petrov 
H. Kovalainen 

Marussia 
C. Pic 
Pic/Glock 
T. Gloc