Monthly Archives: September 2010

Like several other teams Renault is yet to decide whether to run with or without an F-Duct at Monza this weekend, so it seems likely that the team will try both configurations on Friday.

Some sources suggest that the logical path is to have a normal Monza wing and then a slightly higher downforce version equipped for the F-Duct, and Ferrari is believed to be trying both.

Robert Kubica admitted that the team hasn’t made a final call as yet, and it’s not easy to assess form going into the race.

“It’s hard to say and I think this will be a very interesting weekend to judge the performance of the cars,” said Kubica in a Renault preview. “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.”

Technical director James Allison added: “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.”

Meanwhile Kubica says that driving a low downforce car at Monza is always a special challenge: “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.”

It's him! Check @karunchandhok on Twitter for more pics from Korea

Karun Chandhok has given the Korean organisers a big boost by driving the Red Bull demo car today, effectively demonstrating that the track is in place.

However the Indian says that the surface is very slippery and there’s still a lot to be done. He’s been making some interesting comments on his Twitter page today and in so doing has done more positive PR for the event in one day than the locals have managed by themselves all year:

“Done my first 5 laps of circuit in road car…. Layout looks really interesting actually – 1st half slow and technical but then opens up.”

“4 or 5 mega quick corners which should be fun for the drivers and the first sector should be good for overtaking.”

“Just been out for the first run of an F1 car on the Korean circuit ! Very slippery but fun!!!”

“When the track rubbers up for the race weekend will be very interesting… Got a great flow to it especially in sectors 2 and 3!”

“There’s undoubtedly a lot of work still to be done around the circuit but the Kavo guys seem confident it’ll be done!”

Later Red Bull issued more quotes from Karun, while also thanking HRT for loaning him out: “It’s a really interesting layout. The track’s got a good mix of corners and I think we’ll see a lot of overtaking in the first sector – there are long straights into slow hairpins. The straight after turn one and two is really long, so we may see some good slip streaming there, like in Shanghai. From turn seven onwards, there’s a fast section of flowing corners all the way back to the start-finish line – so I think the Red Bull Racing guys will be happy in sectors two and three. It’s an interesting layout.

“Looking at the facilities, the garages and team buildings look pretty much finished and they’re big! I think teams will need to bring around 30% more furniture to fill them! The grandstands also look reasonably finished. The track itself needs a bit more work on the asphalt and the kerbs, but the organisers think it’s all within their time-lines and are confident that it will be ready on time. And the locations nice, we’re overlooking the sea.

“There’s certainly some enthusiasm for F1 here. There are a lot of people at the event today, which wasn’t heavily publicised, and there’s a lot of media, which shows an interest. The organisers say they have sold a significant amount of tickets, so it should be a good race. It’s been great to drive the Red Bull car again and thanks to my team, HRT F1, for letting me complete this demonstration run.”

For more words and pics try @karunchandhok over the weekend.

Karun's pic of the crowd - although presumably they are watching him!

The track appears to be in place, but is that the final surface?

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting is to conduct a final inspection of Korea when he stops off on his way to the Singapore GP.

September 21 is exactly 30 days before the start of the event – which the FIA decrees to be the Thursday of the actual race meeting – rather than the 90 that the rules officially specify (see earlier story).

Meanwhile a photo passed to me by a reader shows an interesting overview of the track. While the outline appears to be complete it’s not clear which parts already have the definitive top surface, and certainly the section on the right appears to need some work.

More worrying is the mess that the surroundings are in, and while he is pushing for it to happen it remains to be seen how Bernie Ecclestone will feel about TV viewers watching a race through a building site.

If the race is cancelled after Whiting’s inspection it will be at considerable inconvenience to everyone in F1 since both freight and team personnel will already have started on a round trip that takes in Singapore, Suzuka and Korea. It leaves very little time to re-route everything.

We also wait to see if the World Motor Sport Council has anything to say about Korea next week. As previously noted if this year’s race is cancelled then it can’t appear on next year’s calendar. At least that’s what the rules say…

We may know a little more after Karun Chandhok drives the Red Bull demo car there tomorrow.

Malaysian Jeffri has driven an F1 car at age 16. Lucky lad...

Formula BMW contender Nabil Jeffri made a little bit of history today by driving a Lotus T127 at the age of 16, as these pics from the team show.

It was only a straightline test at Duxford aerodrome, but nevertheless it represents a pretty impressive effort by the Malaysian, who doesn’t turn 17 until October 24.

And if you are trying to put that into perspective, he was born on the very day of the 1993 Japanese GP, when Ayrton Senna launched his infamous assault on Eddie Irvine, and a certain Rubens Barrichello scored his first points.

So if you can remember that, then you are older than he is…

Jeffri talks to 'old man' Heikki Kovalainen

The Austin track features an elevation change of 40 metres

Further to my earlier story on Austin, here for the very first time is a computer generated 3-D image that gives a clearer idea of how the track will look.

An obvious key characteristic is the uphill run into Turn One, which is somewhat reminscent of the A1-Ring. The long back straight, which appears somewhat truncated in this picture, undulates like the old pit straight at Kyalami.

Incidentally it seems that race pomoter Tavo Hellmund did not after all officially release the basic track map to Austin’s Statesman newspaper. Apparently the determined local media outlet obtained it from City Hall within hours of it being received by the permits office, and then presented to a surprised Tavo for comments yesterday evening.

The above picture did however come via the right channels…

PS: In an official release this afternoon Hellmund said:  “In the modern era of Grand Prix racing, I think this track layout and topography will be very special. It will have many of the elements of previous ‘classic’ circuits combined with the benefits of FIA-mandated safety for the competitors and spectators alike. Add in the amenities fans have come to expect, like rare, multiple-turn viewing opportunities for added value, and you have an ideal, world-class venue.

“For the competitors, we’ll have all the ingredients necessary. You’ll see fast turns that require commitment from the drivers and technical turns that will test the engineers from a set-up point of view. We have a good deal of elevation to make it not only scenic but challenging also, and the view of downtown Austin is wonderful as well.”

The Austin layout has features borrowed from other tracks

Austin F1 promoter Tavo Hellmund has revealed a plan of the Tilke-designed track, and as previously reported, it has corners ‘borrowed’ from other circuits.

Hellmund showed the plans to the city’s Statesman newspaper, which has generally taken a somewhat sceptical line about the race.

Hellmund said that Turns 3-6 are a nod to Maggotts/Becketts at Silverstone, Turns 12-15 are a reflection of Hockenheim’s stadium, and Turns 16-18 are intended to mirror Turn 8 at Istanbul.

However he says that Turn 1, which is an uphill hairpin, will be the track’s own ‘signature’ corner. The anti-clockwise track is 3.4 miles long and features an elevation change of 133 feet, or 40 metres. Hellmund told the paper: “It should be nice, I think drivers and fans should like it.”

If you can’t read the numbers, Turn 1 is at the bottom right, Turn 11 is the hairpin at the top, and the last corner is Turn 20.