Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Brazil GP : Fernando Alonso Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"Today we knew that the power unit had reached the end of its cycle. So there was a risk we wouldn't finish the second session, but this was part of the programme we have been on for a few races now. It's always a shame not being able to use all the time available, even though I don't think it affected our work too much. The new track surface produced a lot of grip and it was extremely difficult to put together a good lap, because tyre behaviour changed from corner to corner. With a new surface, what effect the rain will have is always an unknown factor, so it's impossible to make predictions. That would have been the case at Sochi too, but it didn't rain there, so it means we have to be ready for every eventuality. "

Brazil GP : Kimi Raikkonen Friday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen :
"This was a better Friday than past ones and thanks to the work we did on the car, we got a good response from the changes we made in both sessions. In the first session we concentrated on set-up work and aerodynamic measurements. Because of my usual problems with the front end, we tried to eliminate anything that might have been causing them. In the afternoon, on the Soft tyres, the lap times were good and I'm sure that, without traffic, I could have done even better. Because of the red flags, we were unable to do a race simulation, but everything can change over the next days, because the weather forecast is very uncertain. In the dry, the car is going quite well, but we know that, if it rains, the track conditions could change things around. "

Monday, November 10, 2014

Brazil GP : FP2 results


Brazil GP : FP1 results

Austin GP : Fernando Alonso Sunday quotes

Fernando Alonso : 
"Today went more or less as expected, with the cars ahead of us being very quick, clearing off immediately after the start. After a good start, we tried to manage our sixth place, with a view to the Constructors ' championship, in which it was important to finish ahead of the McLarens. The strategy was the best possible, coming in for the first pit stop at the right moment. For the second one, we tried to go long to fit the Softs and go quicker. I think this season has been very complicated and regardless of the cards performance in these final races, I want to do my utmost to score points and help my team. "

Austin GP : Kimi Raikkonen Sunday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen : 
"This weekend was very complicated and again today in the race, I wasn't able to give my maximum. Up to the first stop, the car behaved well, but after fitting the Mediums the situation got tricky, with higher degradation than expected, so I lacked grip and after a few laps I began to have problems with the front end. I tried to save the tyres in any way possible, slowing in some parts of the track and turning into the corners, but even so I had to take on a set of Softs earlier than expected, which meant I had to make a third stop in the closing stages. Now we will continue to work to try and solve our problems. It won't be easy, but we won't give up all the way to the end of the last race. "

Austin GP : the race results

Austin GP : Fernando Alonso Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso : 
"I think that this was a good qualifying and, looking at the times of the cars ahead of me, I don't think I could have done much more. Before coming here, we had thought about changing the power unit, but then we opted for one we had already used, so as not to start from the pit lane. The track surface is much better than in past years, with a lot more grip, but at the same time, others more tyre degradation so a two stopper is inevitable. The temperatures have dropped from yesterday to today, but I don't think this factor, along with the expectation that the wind direction will change for tomorrow, will affect the strategy. The races are long and anything can happen, including on the reliability front, as has especially been the case this season. "

Austin GP : Kimi Raikkonen Saturday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen : 
"The behaviour of my car was better today than yesterday and I was reasonably happy with the balance, even if I still didn't manage to put together a good enough lap to be higher up the grid. For some reason, we haven't managed to fix a problem with the front end. In all sectors of the track the car tends to slide causing a lot of understeer. Unfortunately, this is a very limiting factor and not ideal. But as usual, tomorrow in the race, we will try our best to get the most out of what we have to work with. I am sure that by continuing to work, improving day by day, we will soon find a solution. "

Austin GP : the grid


Austin GP : Fernando Alonso Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"Today we did some good testing, helped by the track conditions, which were definitely different to previous years. It's possible the races they had here a few weeks ago helped to clean the track and as far as grip levels were concerned, we didn't have too many problems. In the second session, the situation was slightly worse because of the strong wind, but that was expected over the weekend and did not affect our work too much. The Soft compound seems to last less than expected, but we are well aware how much tyre performance can change as the track evolves. Certainly the race looks like it will be different to past editions, because the likelihood of two stops opens up different strategic possibilities. Today we tried the Virtual Safety Car system and I think that, for a first try it went well, although there is still much to do. All us drivers agree it's a very worthwhile idea, we just need to get used to it. "

Austin GP : Kimi Raikkonen Friday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen :
"The day began with a few difficulties in the first free practice session, in which we concentrated on analysing various aerodynamic components. I did not feel comfortable with the set-up we had and controlling the car wasn't easy. In the afternoon, we made some changes and the handling of the car was definitely better. On the Medium compound, I managed to do a good lap and I think if I had not been held up in traffic, I could have done even better. We still have a lot of work to do before tomorrow qualifying, but the improvement we saw from one session to the next seems to indicate we are going in the right direction. We just have to continue doing our best. "

Austin GP : FP2 results


Austin GP : FP1 results

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

How the 2015 F1 grid is shaping up at this date

The drivers in green are confirmed while the drivers in red are not . I also put the different possibilities when they are several drivers for one seat .
And the drivers with an * next to their names have a huge chance to have the seat .

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Official 2015 F1 calendar

Russian GP : Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen Sunday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"Today's race followed the pattern set in the earlier part of a weekend in which we didn't manage to be competitive, even if the car worked well from start to finish. The entire race was particularly demanding from the point of view of managing the fuel consumption and especially in the closing stages, I had to save fuel. During the pit stop, the front jack didn't work, but I think that even without this problem, I'd have finished in the same position, because the McLarens were faster. We took a risk at the start because we knew it was an opportunity to make up some places, but after that, my race pace was what we'd seen to date and it wasn't possible to do any more. We have not picked up many points, but we will continue to give it our all in the last three races, because third place in the Constructors' championship is still a possibility, even if at the moment, the most important thing is to get some good news about Jules as soon as possible."

Kimi Raikkonen : 
"We knew we could expect a very demanding race and that starting from far back it would not be easy to move up the order, but at the start we did very well. Unfortunately a Toro Rosso squeezed me towards the wall once we were on the straight. Because I had to brake hard, various cars passed me and I lost any chance of having a good race, because from then on I was always stuck behind other cars. The car handled well and with a clear track I had a good pace, but we lacked top speed with which to try and overtake on the straight and having to save fuel meant I couldn't push as hard as I wanted to. We are aware that this year it's hard to fight for the top places, but all the same, we will continue to try our best, starting with the very next race in Austin. That track is very demanding and interesting and I hope I don't have the same problems I had here, so that I can aim for a good result. However, what I wish for most is that all our prayers help Jules at this difficult time."

Russian GP : the race results


Russian GP : Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"Today's qualifying was more difficult than usual, or at least more complicated compared to the last two race weekends, when we had been able to fight with the front runners. So far here, we have not been competitive, even though the car seems okay and on the set-up front, we've changed almost nothing. We can't single out any particular bad point because we are losing in all the sectors. The truth is just that the cars ahead of us were quicker. Here, the grip seems to improve with every lap and on top of that, reducing the pit lane speed to 60 km/h all points to a one-stop strategy. Even if the Safety Car could mix things up a bit, I think tomorrow, the start and the first corner could define the outcome of the race, and so we must prepare to tackle the early stages as well as possible."

Kimi Raikkonen :
"After a difficult Friday, things went better today, the car has improved a lot thanks to a series of changes that worked and we had a good pace. Sure, we can't claim to have ended up where we would have liked, but compared to the start of the weekend, we have made a step forward and this makes me confident for the race. Today, it wasn't easy to put a quick lap together because I still have some difficulties with the front end, especially in the final sector, but tomorrow we will try our hardest to be in the game and make up some places."

Russian GP : the grid

Russian GP : Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :
"The track is very unusual and I didn't think that Formula 1 had already got such a large following here. Also surprising today was the good level of grip from the track surface, which is unusual on a brand new circuit. From this point of view, I felt comfortable right from the first lap and that helped a lot when it came to today's most important job, namely learning the track. We worked a lot on set-up and found the two compounds had behaved in similar fashion and tyre performance improved as the laps went by. The track is very hard on brakes, but that is a specific thing we can work on this evening to be well prepared for qualifying."

Kimi Raikkonen :
"This first day of practice was given over to learning the track, which I like and although it's new, the grip level was good. In the first session, we went through our programme step by step, even if towards the end of the session I was unable to complete my last run. In the afternoon, we focused on tyre behaviour, with both compounds taking a long time to reach the maximum performance, which is unusual, especially for the Soft tyre. In order to have a clearer picture on this topic, we will have to wait for the track to evolve. Unfortunately, here too I still don't feel comfortable with the front end and this prevented me from putting together a good lap. Now, along with the team, we will try and find a solution that will allow me to get the most out of the car."

Russian GP : FP2

Russian GP : FP1

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

2016 European GP track revealed

the Fia revealed the track of the future European GP that will take place at Baku ,Azerbaijan , in 2016 .
The circuit will be an anticlockwise one and will have a very long straight line of 2.2 kilometres, which is double of what is usually known in formula 1 and a very narrow section uphill in the old town .

Japan GP : Fernando Alonso Sunday quotes

Fernando Alonso : "It was a real shame losing the opportunity to take part in this race because, with nothing to lose in terms of the championship, I could have taken a few more risks and maybe aimed for the podium. I still don't know what caused the unfortunate technical problem, only that suddenly, the car lost all its electrics, maybe down to a short circuit caused by the rain. Now, in the four remaining races, the priority is still to pick up as many points as possible, because we are still aiming for third place in the Constructors' classification. On that front, it could be good that we can count on using this engine which did hardly any distance today, thus not having to use a new one which would mean starting one of the remaining races from the pit lane. However, the only good news we want right now relates to Jules Bianchi. I hope that we hear very soon that he's alright."

Japan GP : Kimi Raikkonen Sunday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen : "Overall, this was a very disappointing weekend. I had set-up problems right from the first day and again today in the race I didn't manage to drive the way I would have liked. After the start behind the Safety Car, the track conditions were pretty atrocious and visibility was very poor, but my car was handling okay. Then, when the rain eased, I fitted the Intermediate tyres, but after a few laps, they were no longer up to temperature and they began to give me problems at the front end, which meant I had to slow down. Now, we will try and resolve this problem as quickly as possible and aim to improve, starting with the very next race, but more importantly right now, let's hope we get some good news about Jules Bianchi soon."

Japan GP : the race results

Japan GP : Fernando Alonso Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso : "I've often ended up fifth in qualifying, but I think that today's result can be seen in a different light as I enjoyed myself a lot out on track, both in the quick parts and the slower ones. So far, this weekend has been very positive as I had a good feeling from the car right from the first lap of free practice. Unfortunately, the typhoon expected tomorrow is creating a bit of tension, because over the past two days, we haven't done any wet running and having to do the opening lap of the race itself in the rain always complicates matters. Currently, we don't know how much rain we can expect, so all we can do is prepare for a difficult race, because Suzuka is a circuit where, even in the dry, incidents can occur and it's easy to make mistakes. I think that later today, the race director might take a decision regarding this, with the possibility of bringing the race forward."

Japan GP : Kimi Raikkonen Saturday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen : "Today's performance was in line with the whole weekend so far and even if I've had a good feeling from the car, I was unable to resolve a few problems already encountered on Friday. In the morning's free practice, a technical problem meant I had to stop running earlier than planned and that prevented us from testing some new components, which would have been useful for the set-up choice. The team did a great job to get my car ready for qualifying in record time. In the first sector, I had a few balance problems and that stopped me pushing as hard as I wanted. I did my best today and tomorrow we will try and make up some places and have a good race."

Japan GP : the grid


Japan GP : Fernando Alonso Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso : "It's always nice running at Suzuka, as it's one of the circuits that provides the most driving pleasure and where the enthusiasm of the fans is really fantastic. Despite the many interruptions to the second session, today we managed to complete almost our entire planned programme without any problems, working on race set-up for both dry and wet conditions."At the moment, the uncertain weather forecast makes it impossible to take any decision, even when it comes to tyre choice. Here, compared to other tracks, the difference between the two compounds is minimal and their performance level is very similar."

Japan GP : kimi Raikkonen Friday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen : "Today wasn't easy and the lack of grip from the track surface, especially in the morning, didn't help. This is a fast and tough track, very demanding for both car and driver. In the first practice session, on the Hard tyres, we concentrated on testing different set-ups aimed at qualifying and the race, then in the afternoon, we made some changes which brought a partial improvement to the handling of the car."But because of the yellow flags and a technical glitch, I only managed to complete just one good run on the Medium tyres. Now we have a full night's work ahead of us in order to find a set-up that will allow us to get the car to suit any sort of condition."

Japan GP : FP2


Japan GP : FP1


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Honda V6 Turbo engine revealed

Here is the first pic(on the right)of the Honda V6 Turbo engine that will be in the Mclaren car for 2015 . 
Welcome back to Formula 1 , Honda Turbo ! 

Monday, September 29, 2014

Singapore GP : Ferrari race report

Fernando Alonso :

"With hindsight, it's easy to ask oneself how things would have gone if I hadn't made a mistake at the start and the Safety Car hadn't come out when it did, but overall I'm pleased with this weekend, because we were competitive and were able to fight with the front runners. Sometimes, a Safety Car can help but I think that today on this front, we were a bit unlucky, because at that moment, we were trying to make sure of second place and our strategy was good. We didn't have much of an alternative, because if we had stayed out, the probability was that the stop for the Softs would have cost us more places. Even if in the end, I wasn't able to get past, the fact we were competitive right to the finish confirms we have made a step forward. Now, in Suzuka, a real circuit, we will have a clearer picture of where we are."


Kimi Raikkonen :

"Today's race was really frustrating, because despite the fact we were quick, we weren't able to finish where we wanted. My start was good, I moved up a few places and everything was working perfectly. After the first stop, I lost a place to Felipe and from then on, I found myself stuck behind a Williams for the entire race. Unfortunately, every time I managed to get close, I lost aero performance on the rear and on top of that, tyre degradation was very high. It's a real shame I was never able to run my race, even if we already knew that straightline speed is our opponents' strong point. I'm not happy with eighth place, but on the positive side, we have seen improvements this weekend. I'm sure that if, from now on, we don't have problems, things will go better."

Singapore GP : the race results

Singapore GP : Fernando Alonso Saturday quotes

Fernando Alonso :

"If you had told me yesterday that we would still be competitive in qualifying, probably I wouldn't have believed it. And in fact this fifth place is a bit different to usual, because the gap to pole is really small. This weekend, I've felt comfortable right from the first session and probably much of that is down to the characteristics of the track. It's impossible to compare it to other races, because this one and Monaco are a law unto themselves. But definitely, we have made a step forward since the start of the season and I'm sure the car will continue to improve right the way to the end. Tomorrow's race will be long and very demanding from a mechanical point of view. Reliability will play a key role as will tyre management, which could make a big difference."

Singapore GP : Kimi Raikkonen Saturday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen :

"I'm very happy with the handling of my car. Yesterday, we made some changes to the set-up and in qualifying, I finally managed to drive the way I wanted. Unfortunately, in Q3, on my final run on new Supersoft tyres, a problem forced me to pit. It's a real shame as I felt comfortable in the car and we had the potential to get a good result. Now I want to feel confident for the race and I hope the team manages to solve the problem without too much difficulty. Tomorrow, we will do our best to bring home as many points as possible, aware that we are going in the right direction."


Singapore GP : the grid




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Singapore GP : Fernando Alonso Friday quotes

Fernando Alonso :

"As always, Friday in Singapore is a bit different to what it is at other tracks, as its characteristics mean it is one of a kind and driving here at night is always exciting. The feeling is more or less the same as usual on a first day of practice, as we were reasonably competitive in both sessions and we got through the programme without any problems. The two compounds we have for this race behaved as expected and of the two, the Supersoft produced more grip. The restrictions on radio communication did not affect our work much and it was a regular day from that point of view and everything went off as normal." !

Singapore GP : Kimi Raikkonen Friday quotes

Kimi Raikkonen :

"Overall this was a positive day, even if, as usual, there is room for improvement. In the first session we concentrated on looking at different set-up solutions and on my first set of Soft tyres I managed to do a good lap, then unfortunately some technical niggles prevented me from getting the most out of the second set. At the end of the session I had a problem with the brakes overheating, but the team managed to sort it out quickly and prepare the car for the second session. The changes we made to the set-up improved the handling of the car and with the Supersoft tyres there was plenty of grip."


Sunday, March 23, 2014

Australia GP : Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen Saturday quotes


Fernando Alonso: "the fifth position in a difficult qualifying session as today, I think it's a good result; as it was the first time that we were driving in the rain with the new car. This position leaves open the possibility of winning the podium and important points.In Q1, we were lucky as it began to rain just after the lap in which I did time, and also in Q2, we were able to join the track as soon as possible. I knew that the results of the free practices will not do reflect the reality of the situation and that the hierarchy would have become clear today, with Mercedes ahead of the rest, and with a clearer picture than that provided by the tests, where we did not know what the other teams were testing. However, we saw in what areas we need to improve ourselves and the objective is to do so in the next races. I do not think that the consumption factor will change things, because all cars are losing half a second when they save fuel. In addition to this, the weather will come into play tomorrow because the forecast is not clear. The priority is to finish the race and do better than others in the coming months. I'm sure that with practice, we will learn how to get the best out of the car and simplifying all the procedures."

Kimi Raikkonen: "qualifications of today have not been easy, especially because of the traffic because when I was on a quick lap, each time I had a car in front of me . This prevented me from a clean lap at the end of Q2 I'm partial head to tail and I damaged the front wing.I do not think that this had an impact because I was going to reduce my speed knowing that I could not access to Q3. It's a shame because we have taken a step forward from yesterday, we were fast on wet track, I had more feeling with the car.We are aware of the work that awaits us in every area, especially on the set-up of the car, but we believe to be in the right direction. Tomorrow will be a tough race, the weather conditions will be changing and more of the new regulations, it is difficult to predict how things will evolve. But this is the first race of the year, we will do our best to get a good result."