Category Archives: Uncategorized

Williams is the first team to confirm that it has opted for a late launch of its 2013 contender, preferring to unveil the new FW35 at the start of the Barcelona test on February 19.

In effect the team has given itself at least two more weeks of R&D compared with rivals who are making their official debut at Jerez on February 5, and in most cases will actually shake down their new cars earlier than that.

Williams will be at Jerez with last year’s car running in the new 2013 livery, and says it will “take the opportunity to test a number of key development parts in preparation for the launch of the FW35.”

Silverstone chief medical officer Dr Ian Roberts has been named as the new FIA Formula One Medical Rescue Coordinator.

He replaces American Gary Hartstein, whose contract was not renewed by the FIA at the end of last season.

Roberts reports to Professor Jean-Charles Piette, the FIA’s permanent Medical Delegate to F1.

The FIA says that Dr Roberts “is a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care and a veteran HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) practitioner. He is vastly experienced in trackside emergency response and is best known within the motorsports community as the chief medical officer of the Silverstone Circuit.”

Responding to the news of his successor Hartstein said “Congrats to Ian. Would certainly have been on my short list. Really good doc, skilled leader, great guy.”

Fernando Alonso has responded to criticism from Red Bull boss Helmut Marko, who recently suggested that the Spaniard lost last year’s title because he was “too busy with politics.”

Alonso doesn’t have much time for that theory.

“I don’t think I am good at politics, I just drive the car,” he said in Italy today. “Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them. So clearly they do read them, maybe at night…”

Alonso has consistently said that Lewis Hamilton, rather than triple champion Sebastian Vettel, is the driver he fears most.

“Why do I say Hamilton is the strongest? Because it’s what I think, it’s my personal opinion and there is nothing political in that. Lewis has always won races ever since he has been in Formula 1, even in years like 2009, when he had started the season with a car that was two seconds off the quickest. When you look at what happens on track, you are well aware of what he is doing, that’s a fact. Last year, Rosberg won in China, therefore I expect that this year, Lewis in a Mercedes can win more than one race.

“I did not say that Vettel was not the strongest or that he did not deserve his three titles. There have been periods, like in 2011, when his performance level was fantastic and he was definitely the best. As of today, it’s impossible to say who will be our strongest rivals in 2013.

“Who will have the best car, who will have done the best job of preparation and had the best development, who will be the luckiest – there are so many factors which go to make the strongest combination of driver and team.”

Felipe Massa is confident that he will have a much stronger season this year after enduring a tough first half of 2012.

Massa spent most of last season in Fernando Alonso’s shadow, but says that this year represents a re-set.

“I can’t imagine a team not wanting two competitive drivers,” said Massa in Italy today. “We are fighting for two titles and I am sure the team will help me if it turns out that my situation was the same as the one that meant Fernando was a contender these past years.

“I remember when Kimi was my team-mate and how much we helped one another from one season to the next. It’s the same with Fernando, it’s team work, while the harmony between us is a help, as it would be in any job.

“In Australia we start over from zero and it will all depend on my ability and on the way the championship pans out. I hope to get off to the best possible start, and my aim is always to carry the Brazilian flag onto the highest step of the podium. This year, I am the only Brazilian in Formula 1 and it was an emotional time on the podium in Interlagos last year, hearing the fans cheering my name. It’s a sign of the affection and closeness I feel from my country and that is fundamental for me.”

Regarding Ferrari’s potential he said: “We must wait and see the new car on track and right from the second test, we will have some indication, but it won’t be until Australia that we will know if we have done a good job.

“Vettel is definitely one of our main rivals, but McLaren also finished last year with a very quick car and the stability of the regulations means they too will be contenders. In any case, I am confident in my team and I am sure Ferrari will be in the hunt.”

Fernando Alonso says he has high hopes for 2013 , and expects to have a better start to the season than he did last year.

However he denies that Ferrari is ‘obliged’ to win this season having come so close to the 2012 World Championship.

“I don’t think there is necessarily an obligation to win,” said Alonso at a media event in Italy. “Sport means sacrifice, work, enjoyment of what one does and for the past three years, I’ve been fortunate to be in the fight for important targets.

“There are 24 drivers in Formula 1 and few of them can say they have won races and usually finished on the podium. Since I’ve been at Ferrari, two out of three times I have come very close to being world champion, which is the target for me and for a team like ours and I hope I can now make that three times out of four.

“I’m confident I can start the season with a better car than the one we had in the first few months of last year. It was actually in the early races that we lost decisive points, when we had a car that was only good enough for seventh, as was the case in China, or ninth in Bahrain. The fact we are working with just one wind tunnel, the Toyota one in Cologne, could be a small advantage.”

Alonso was full of praise for team mate Felipe Massa.

“I have always said that Felipe was one of the best drivers around and I still remember that some people smiled when I said this last year. He and I have always helped one another, day by day and I expect him to always be very close to me in terms of performance: what was not normal was the difference between us over the past two years, but now I don’t think that will be the case. That will be a very positive factor for me and especially for the team.”

He is also pleased to have Pedro de la Rosa on board: “When there are new arrivals in high level teams, it is always important. Pedro will work mainly on the simulator, an area where we were not at the same level as the best and his experience will be useful.

“Having said that, it’s not the case that a new driver can change things or can do it in the simulator – there are and there will be further and more significant new arrivals that can make the team grow.”

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admits that this season will be a tough one as the team prepares for the new turbo era in 2014 – but insists that the Italian outfit will be going all out to be competitive from the first race.

“The 2013 season will be a complex one from many points of view,” said Domenicali at a media event in Italy. “We face a few changes on the technical front which will have a significant impact on all areas of the company, not just in terms of design, but also when it comes to the investment and infrastructure required to develop the new engine.

“Within the limits imposed by the regulations, we need to put every effort into reaching our objectives, while making the best use of the timescale in preparing for 2014. Our aim is clear, to win, and the priority is still that of giving our drivers a car that will be competitive right from the very start.”

Domenicali is confident that the team will be able to retain a better grip on aero development as it is focussing on the Toyota wind tunnel rather than trying to compare results with Ferrari’s own.

“The development of the 2013 car began in the Cologne wind tunnel and is on-going. I certainly expect to see greater efficiency than last year, because we will no longer need to carry out comparisons of data and correlation with the Maranello wind tunnel, which is currently being rebuilt and is due to be operational again after the summer break.”

Ferrari confirmed today that Pedro de la Rosa has joined the team as a development driver.

De la Rosa, who is close to Fernando Alonso and worked with the former champion at McLaren, will focus on improving the Ferrari simulator. He brings with him useful inside knowledge of the McLaren simulator, with which he worked until late 2011.

Explaining the move, Stefano Domenicali said: “We decided to add de la Rosa to our group of drivers mainly to strengthen one area, namely work in the simulator, which with the current regulations regarding testing, is becoming ever more important.

“Pedro therefore joins a group of drivers that already includes Davide Rigon, Marc Gene, Andrea Bertolini and Jules Bianchi. Regarding the latter, who is also part of the FDA, we are currently trying to find him a role in Formula 1 and when we have some news, we will let you know.”

De la Rosa is well known to Ferrari’s engineers after using the Maranello company’s engines at Sauber in 2010, and of course has an established relationship with technical director Pat Fry, another ex-McLaren man.

He had an ongoing contract with the now defunct HRT team but was left without a drive when the owners pulled the plug after the Brazilian GP.

“It is amazingly motivating to be working for a team like Ferrari, not just because of what it represents in the history of Formula 1 and motoring in general, but also because it will be a completely new and very stimulating experience for me,” said de la Rosa.

“I really hope I can get to work as soon as possible and to help in the development of the car. I am happy to be collaborating with Fernando again and also to be working with Felipe. There’s not much time until Australia, but there is a lot to do and I am available to help the team from right now.”

Sergio Perez and his new boss Martin Whitmarsh in Woking today

Sergio Perez enjoyed his first official day as a McLaren driver today, speaking to the assembled team staff and also meeting the media wearing his new colours.

It was not his first visit to the McLaren factory, as he has already been there to try the simulator and for a seat fitting and engineering meetings, but until today he had not been on PR duty for the team. Not surprisingly the Mexican was in an upbeat mood.

“It’s been a great day, a very busy day, but extremely a nice day,” he said. “I have really enjoyed all the work as an official McLaren driver. It’s been very special for me.”

Perez admits that he has a lot of work to do even before testing of the new car begins at the start of February.

“The most important thing for me is to get into the rhythm of everything automatically, in terms of the steering wheel, to get to know all the codes, all the functions of the car, to understand the car quite a lot in terms of set-ups for me to be able to have a good communication with my engineers.

“I think it’s a very important part as well to build my relationship with my engineers, with the team, and to get together so when I come into the first test I have as much familiarisation as possible with the whole team, and when we get to Melbourne that I’m very well prepared and everything comes automatically, and I don’t have to think so many things. The more prepared I can get, the better it will be.”

Asked by this writer if he was getting to know key technical folk Paddy Lowe and Sam Michael, he said: “We had some time during last year, some meetings obviously to start the familiarisation for them and for myself, so we start to understand ourselves. It’s going well, time after time it’s getting better. I think we are going in the right direction and we are doing good work so far, and we have a month to go before the first test.”

He admits that he wasn’t able to get too involved in what direction the new car has taken.

“Obviously it’s difficult for me to give any input but in the simulator while driving the team already started to know me better in terms of driving style, so I think in that respect that helped a bit. But if I’m honest I didn’t have much input in the new car.”

Elaborating on the news that he had already tried the McLaren simulator – a tool he did not have access to at his previous team – he said: “I was there last year, Sauber allowed me to come. I was there for only one half day.”

Bernie Ecclestone insists that the German GP will take place as scheduled at the Nurburgring on July 7.

The track alternates with Hockenheim for the right to hold the race but financial problems – the fallout of a misguided attempt at creating a Nurburgring motor racing theme park – meant that the race has been in limbo since the 2013 schedule was announced, with suggestions that it might return to Hockenheim.

However Ecclestone has told Reuters that the race should go ahead as planned, saying: “It should be the Nurburgring and we are trying to make it happen. I’m talking with them today.”

Ecclestone also said that the calendar will stick at 19 races, which means that his attempt to revive the Turkish GP has failed.

That in turn means that Hungary will be the only race to take place between Germany on July 7 and Belgium at the end of August.

Luca di Montezemolo was in good form in today’s meeting with the media in Italy, and as well as discussing his team’s season the Ferrari boss aired his views on the bigger picture.

As in the past he stressed the need for F1 to be a platform for developing road car technology. He also made it clear that he had little time for smaller teams with budget problems – and suggested once again that it would be a better option to for bigger teams to sell them cars.

His views confirm that there is still much uncertainty behind the scenes about the future direction of the sport.

“During the year, there were some things I did not like,” he said. “I saw cars that did not comply with the regulations, but instead of being disqualified, their teams were told to fix it for the next race.

“Above all, I note with regret that it is no longer possible to have a technology transfer from the track to the road, because in too many areas, development is frozen and because aerodynamics is too important, so that the cars are more and more like spacecraft and less like cars.

“All this is born of a desire to go for the lowest common denominator, something that needs to stop, and is the result of decisions made four years ago, at the time of Mosley, when there was an urgent necessity to reduce costs. With 2014 however, we need to start a new phase – we will see which means of governance Formula 1 will adopt, but we will put forward our ideas very forcefully.

“For our part, a choice which I wanted to emphasise to give the greatest possible emphasis with the Board of Directors, is that we will do all in our power to push for a strong change, to bring Formula 1 back to its role as a real test bed for road car research.

“We will no longer accept this principal of absolute democracy. The gap between the small teams and the big ones is still very big but you can’t always do everything at the lowest level – if they don’t have the resources or the structure then they should compete in a lower series.

“On this subject, I will put back on the table the idea of selling a third car to the smaller teams, a solution that would allow them to have a competitive car at relatively low cost, which would allow them to attract more sponsors.”

Montezemolo has long made his opposition to testing restrictions clear, a stance that is no surprise given that Ferrari has access to both Fiorano and Mugello, but can’t utilise them.

“As for testing, it’s getting close to ridiculous,” he said. “The FIA is not opposed to it, we are not, and so what is the reason for it? There are teams who have put a lot of funding into simulators as have we, while at the same time we have invested heavily at Mugello, which is now one of the nicest circuits in the world.

“In the next few days we will meet Ecclestone and Todt and we will put all these perplexing points on the table. I would remind everyone that test sessions are not just for developing the cars, but are also an opportunity for sponsors and for young drivers. What possible media or commercial interest can there be in testing in a simulator?”