MotoGP News
Date: 30/June/2012
Alvaro Bautista blew the 2012 MotoGP World Championship wide open by eliminating title leader Jorge Lorenzo at turn one of Saturday’s Dutch TT at Assen.
Lorenzo came into the event on the back of a three-race winning streak and as the man to beat in race trim, despite qualifying behind the Repsol Hondas on a showery Friday.
Third heading into turn one, Lorenzo was unaware that Bautista - pole sitter at Silverstone, but starting eighth on the grid after a fall in Assen qualifying - was running out of room after missing his braking point.
Bautista lost control of his RCV as the riders ahead turned in, with his sliding Honda then slamming into Lorenzo, launching the Yamaha rider into the gravel and his first non-finish in over a year.
“Today was a complete disaster, Alvaro's move was crazy,” said a furious Lorenzo. “I met him after the incident, he apologised and we shook hands but in my opinion this is not enough.”
Race Direction has imposed a last place start on Bautista for next weekend’s German Grand Prix as punishment for riding in an irresponsible manner and causing danger to another competitor.
But Lorenzo thinks he should have been banned.
“When I made a mistake in Japan in 2005 [in the 250cc class] I was penalized with a race ban. Race Direction told me that he will start from last position on the grid in Sachsenring but this is nothing,” he said.
“If the riders are not penalized properly then they will continue to do crazy things like today. My leg is a big bruise, a big impact but nothing serious happened.”
Lorenzo’s title rival and reigning champion Casey Stoner went on to win the race - erasing Lorenzo’s hard fought 25-point advantage.
“Now we are at zero with Casey so we begin again, the Championship is long so let’s see what happens,” said Lorenzo.
To make matters worse, Lorenzo’s damaged M1 spewed out a huge cloud of white smoke, prompting concerns that he will need to open another of his six engines for the season.
Also caught up in the incident was Cal Crutchlow, who ran off track as he took evasive action to avoid the mayhem. The already injured Englishman reached fifth at the flag and was also angry with Bautista.
“Alvaro was way too fast and I know he didn't do that intentionally but you have to be sensible when braking from high-speed for a tight first corner like that,” he said. “I had the pace to be on the podium today. I was actually quite lucky to avoid being collected by Alvaro and Jorge but I still had to run off track and I was last.”
Bautista meanwhile could only apologise.
“Unfortunately, when I followed Dovizioso’s wheel I lost my braking point and hit the brakes far too late. I tried to slow the bike down, but lost grip on the front and lowsided,” he said.
“I am very disappointed, even more so because I took out Lorenzo in the process and that was the last thing that I wanted to happen. It was my fault that he crashed out and I apologise profusely to him for that.”
Practice for round eight starts at the Sachsenring on Friday.
Stoner defies pain for surprise Assen pole
MotoGP News
Date: 29/June/2012
Casey Stoner defied the pain from one of the biggest crashes of his career to snatch pole position at the very end of MotoGP qualifying for the Dutch TT at Assen.
The reigning world champion was flung from his Repsol Honda in Friday morning’s final practice session after riding into a rain shower at turn nine.
Stoner, 26, said: “I saw a bit of rain as I approached the corner so I backed off, but as I went through the turn there was more and more rain and I had no chance.
“It was a huge off, one of the biggest in my career and certainly one of the most painful. It really knocked the wind out of me. I hurt my head, neck, wrist, knee and shoulder.”
The crash completed a tough practice for the reigning world champion, who continues to struggle with vibration problems on his Repsol Honda.
Rain showers were again a factor in Friday afternoon’s qualifying hour, when a sore Stoner continued his quest for a race set-up with only minimal success.
But a window of dry track time late in the session saw Stoner switch to the softer rear tyre and rocket from the brink of the top ten to pole position in the space of just two flying laps.
“That surprised me as much as everyone else,” Stoner said of his pole time. “But we're still struggling for race pace and need to make some decisions for tomorrow.
“We haven’t been able to get the hard tyre working well enough, unlike most other riders. But when we put the soft tyre on everything seems to work a lot better.
“However we’d prefer to run the hard tyre in the race, depending on the weather.”
But Stoner doesn’t expect to be held back by his injuries.
“I’ve done something to the top of my knee, but I’m able to walk and I can get on a bike and ride,” he declared.
Although team-mate Dani Pedrosa qualified second on the grid, just 0.115s from Stoner, it is title leader Jorge Lorenzo who again looks the man to beat.
Winner of the last three rounds, the Yamaha star has been able to match the soft tyre lap times, whilst running the harder tyre, during practice.
Lorenzo, who will start on the outside of the front row, currently holds a 25 point lead over Stoner at the top of the standings, after six of 18 rounds.
Date: 29/June/2012
Casey Stoner defied the pain from one of the biggest crashes of his career to snatch pole position at the very end of MotoGP qualifying for the Dutch TT at Assen.
The reigning world champion was flung from his Repsol Honda in Friday morning’s final practice session after riding into a rain shower at turn nine.
Stoner, 26, said: “I saw a bit of rain as I approached the corner so I backed off, but as I went through the turn there was more and more rain and I had no chance.
“It was a huge off, one of the biggest in my career and certainly one of the most painful. It really knocked the wind out of me. I hurt my head, neck, wrist, knee and shoulder.”
The crash completed a tough practice for the reigning world champion, who continues to struggle with vibration problems on his Repsol Honda.
Rain showers were again a factor in Friday afternoon’s qualifying hour, when a sore Stoner continued his quest for a race set-up with only minimal success.
But a window of dry track time late in the session saw Stoner switch to the softer rear tyre and rocket from the brink of the top ten to pole position in the space of just two flying laps.
“That surprised me as much as everyone else,” Stoner said of his pole time. “But we're still struggling for race pace and need to make some decisions for tomorrow.
“We haven’t been able to get the hard tyre working well enough, unlike most other riders. But when we put the soft tyre on everything seems to work a lot better.
“However we’d prefer to run the hard tyre in the race, depending on the weather.”
But Stoner doesn’t expect to be held back by his injuries.
“I’ve done something to the top of my knee, but I’m able to walk and I can get on a bike and ride,” he declared.
Although team-mate Dani Pedrosa qualified second on the grid, just 0.115s from Stoner, it is title leader Jorge Lorenzo who again looks the man to beat.
Winner of the last three rounds, the Yamaha star has been able to match the soft tyre lap times, whilst running the harder tyre, during practice.
Lorenzo, who will start on the outside of the front row, currently holds a 25 point lead over Stoner at the top of the standings, after six of 18 rounds.
Valentino Rossi plays down Ezpeleta quote
MotoGP News
Date: 27/June/2012
Valentino Rossi has played down the significance of a recent quote attributed to Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
The Spaniard seemed to know more about Rossi’s 2013 plans than have so far been made public, when he was reported as telling Omnicorse.it:
"I am calm. Valentino next year will be riding a competitive bike, but I [can't] tell you what it is. It is still too early to talk about: in 2013 we will see Rossi fight for the win... again.”
Some took those comments to mean that Rossi intends to leave Ducati and return to Honda or Yamaha, with whom he seven world titles and 79 premier-class wins between 2000-2010.
Rossi was asked about Ezpeleta’s intriguing quote at Assen on Wednesday.
"Maybe he knows more than me!” laughed Rossi. “I also hope I can race with a competitive bike next year and my first choice is to make the Ducati competitive and to continue with this team."
Rossi also insisted that he had not opened discussions with Honda or Yamaha.
Yamaha’s title leader Jorge Lorenzo is the only factory rider to have signed for 2013.
Rossi will be back in action for Ducati during Thursday’s practice session for the Dutch TT.
Date: 27/June/2012
Valentino Rossi has played down the significance of a recent quote attributed to Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
The Spaniard seemed to know more about Rossi’s 2013 plans than have so far been made public, when he was reported as telling Omnicorse.it:
"I am calm. Valentino next year will be riding a competitive bike, but I [can't] tell you what it is. It is still too early to talk about: in 2013 we will see Rossi fight for the win... again.”
Some took those comments to mean that Rossi intends to leave Ducati and return to Honda or Yamaha, with whom he seven world titles and 79 premier-class wins between 2000-2010.
Rossi was asked about Ezpeleta’s intriguing quote at Assen on Wednesday.
"Maybe he knows more than me!” laughed Rossi. “I also hope I can race with a competitive bike next year and my first choice is to make the Ducati competitive and to continue with this team."
Rossi also insisted that he had not opened discussions with Honda or Yamaha.
Yamaha’s title leader Jorge Lorenzo is the only factory rider to have signed for 2013.
Rossi will be back in action for Ducati during Thursday’s practice session for the Dutch TT.
Schumacher savours first podium since 2006
F1 News
Date: 25/June/2012
A frantic end to Sunday’s Valencia F1 Grand Prix propelled Michael Schumacher into his first podium finish since 2006.
The German legend, who won five of his seven titles for Ferrari, ‘retired’ at the end of the 2006 season - but returned as a Mercedes driver for 2010.
The years since his comeback have surely been tougher than Schumacher had expected, finishing just ninth (2010) and eighth (2011) in the standings with a best race finish of fourth.
Having briefly silenced his critics by taking pole position in Monaco, although a pre-exiting penalty prevented him from starting at the front of the grid, before benefiting from the last race chaos in Valencia to finally seal his 155th grand prix podium.
Schumacher was just eighth with five laps to go and was shadowed by Red Bull’s Mark Webber as he climbed rapidly up the order on fresh tyres - aided by accidents and incidents ahead.
The podium chance ultimately came when Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado collided while disputing third place with just over a lap to go. However Schumacher was so concerned with holding off Webber that he wasn’t aware of his podium until after the race had finished.
“After crossing the line I asked my guys ‘where did we finish?’ And then the boys told me ‘that’s third, that’s podium’. I can’t believe that!” said the 43-year-old.
“It’s something I didn't really expect. You sort of lose count of where you are, because I was pretty busy in the last stages of the race, plus Maldonado and Hamilton had their issue.
“It’s just a wonderful feeling to be back after such a long time, after being close to s podium a couple of times in the past.”
Schumacher, who began the race from twelfth on the grid, added that the unexpected nature of the podium and the chance to answer his critics made it extra special.
“It is a beautiful feeling, not only being on the podium but the way it has happened,” he said. “It was not at all expected. All weekend, I predicted this to be a difficult one for us and it started to be difficult yesterday in qualifying.
“To recover from where we are, getting to third position is just awesome. The team and myself have been criticised here and there, particularly lately, and this is the best way to answer criticism, to go back and deliver as we did today, and therefore I’m proud, thankful and very excited.”
Schumacher then showed a glimpse of his ultra-confident former self, when asked who out of Alonso, Vettel of Hamilton he would put his money on for the title.
“Things change so quickly - maybe I put money on myself,” he smiled.
Having suffered a string of reliability problems, Schumacher is only 13th in the championship. Team-mate and Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg finished sixth on Sunday and is sixth in the standings.
Date: 25/June/2012
A frantic end to Sunday’s Valencia F1 Grand Prix propelled Michael Schumacher into his first podium finish since 2006.
The German legend, who won five of his seven titles for Ferrari, ‘retired’ at the end of the 2006 season - but returned as a Mercedes driver for 2010.
The years since his comeback have surely been tougher than Schumacher had expected, finishing just ninth (2010) and eighth (2011) in the standings with a best race finish of fourth.
Having briefly silenced his critics by taking pole position in Monaco, although a pre-exiting penalty prevented him from starting at the front of the grid, before benefiting from the last race chaos in Valencia to finally seal his 155th grand prix podium.
Schumacher was just eighth with five laps to go and was shadowed by Red Bull’s Mark Webber as he climbed rapidly up the order on fresh tyres - aided by accidents and incidents ahead.
The podium chance ultimately came when Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado collided while disputing third place with just over a lap to go. However Schumacher was so concerned with holding off Webber that he wasn’t aware of his podium until after the race had finished.
“After crossing the line I asked my guys ‘where did we finish?’ And then the boys told me ‘that’s third, that’s podium’. I can’t believe that!” said the 43-year-old.
“It’s something I didn't really expect. You sort of lose count of where you are, because I was pretty busy in the last stages of the race, plus Maldonado and Hamilton had their issue.
“It’s just a wonderful feeling to be back after such a long time, after being close to s podium a couple of times in the past.”
Schumacher, who began the race from twelfth on the grid, added that the unexpected nature of the podium and the chance to answer his critics made it extra special.
“It is a beautiful feeling, not only being on the podium but the way it has happened,” he said. “It was not at all expected. All weekend, I predicted this to be a difficult one for us and it started to be difficult yesterday in qualifying.
“To recover from where we are, getting to third position is just awesome. The team and myself have been criticised here and there, particularly lately, and this is the best way to answer criticism, to go back and deliver as we did today, and therefore I’m proud, thankful and very excited.”
Schumacher then showed a glimpse of his ultra-confident former self, when asked who out of Alonso, Vettel of Hamilton he would put his money on for the title.
“Things change so quickly - maybe I put money on myself,” he smiled.
Having suffered a string of reliability problems, Schumacher is only 13th in the championship. Team-mate and Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg finished sixth on Sunday and is sixth in the standings.
Alonso: My most emotional victory
F1 News
Date: 24/July/2012
Fernando Alonso became the first repeat winner of the 2012 F1 season in Valencia, with a victory was every bit as surprising as the string of different winners produced in the run-up to the European round.
The home star skilfully elbowed his Ferrari up the order from eleventh on the grid and snatched second place from Romain Grosjean following a safety car period to clean up track debris, just after the midway point of the 57 laps.
Moments later, Alonso was handed the race lead when Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull suddenly ground to a halt. The reigning world champion had dominated the event up to that point, starting from pole and leading every lap.
Lotus rookie Grosjean, having been briefly promoted back to second, then also retired with what is thought to have been the same kind of (alternator) problem. Both Lotus and Red Bull use Renault engines.
Alonso then drove to a remarkable and highly emotional victory.
“Today we had an amazing race, amazing start, some good fights, I think I remember six or seven overtakings where it was very close, we touched each other,” recalled Alonso.
“All of those little moments can go on the wrong side and you finish the race in the wall, or you can be the winner at the end. Today we had all the good factors with us and the luck and we have to enjoy this.
“Winning a home grand prix is something unique - a very special feeling. I had the opportunity to do this in Barcelona in 2006 with Renault and I still remember that day perfectly.
“And now I did the same here in Valencia, with this special team, Ferrari, with all the grandstands full of red colour and Spanish flags.”
Alonso explained that the financial difficulties currency faced by the Spanish people played a big part in making his victory so emotional.
“It’s not the best time in Spain at the moment, with the [financial] crisis and all the problems that people have,” he said.
“There are families who have made long trips to come here, they sleep in the car or in a caravan or whatever. They try to enjoy the race and yesterday [in qualifying]… we didn’t deliver what they were probably expecting.
“So today I think we paid back a little bit – only a little bit – the support that they gave us and all the problems that they are facing, all the worries that the Spanish people are facing at this time.
“There is some pride in being Spanish right now due to sport: with Nadal, with the Spanish football team etc and I felt that I needed to do something and today is a very emotional day.
“This race is the best victory I ever felt in terms of emotions. Nothing compares to this one.”
While Alonso had been left undisturbed in the closing stages of the race, there was drama until the end for the other podium places.
World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton had clawed his way back into second place after another tardy McLaren pit stop allowed Alonso and others to pass, but later ran out of rear grip.
Grosjean’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen neatly squeezed past the Englishman to take the runner-up spot with two laps to go, but a clumsy move by Pastor Maldonado proved far more costly.
The Catalunya winner speared the side of Hamilton’s car through the second part of a right-left chicane, sending a livid Hamilton into a wall and out of the race while the Williams driver sustained a broken front wing.
That meant Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber were battling over the final podium position with just a lap remaining. Past master Schumacher kept the Red Bull at bay to claim his 155th F1 rostrum - but first since returning to F1, with Mercedes, in 2010.
All of which means Alonso is now back in the World Championship lead, by a sizeable 20 points over Webber. But he firmly played down talk of being the title favourite, pointing to Ferrari’s poor qualifying form at Valencia.
“I think we always need to be cautious and we always need to be honest with ourselves first and with our supporters…
“Yesterday we were P11 and P13 so we need to work. It’s true that we believe and we will never give up, we will have confidence in ourselves and we will arrive with optimism at every grand prix we go to.
“But at the same time, we know that we are not in the position that we want to be and there are a few cars quicker than us and we cannot be blind to that. We need to work.”
The British Grand Prix at Silverstone takes place on July 6-8.
Date: 24/July/2012
Fernando Alonso became the first repeat winner of the 2012 F1 season in Valencia, with a victory was every bit as surprising as the string of different winners produced in the run-up to the European round.
The home star skilfully elbowed his Ferrari up the order from eleventh on the grid and snatched second place from Romain Grosjean following a safety car period to clean up track debris, just after the midway point of the 57 laps.
Moments later, Alonso was handed the race lead when Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull suddenly ground to a halt. The reigning world champion had dominated the event up to that point, starting from pole and leading every lap.
Lotus rookie Grosjean, having been briefly promoted back to second, then also retired with what is thought to have been the same kind of (alternator) problem. Both Lotus and Red Bull use Renault engines.
Alonso then drove to a remarkable and highly emotional victory.
“Today we had an amazing race, amazing start, some good fights, I think I remember six or seven overtakings where it was very close, we touched each other,” recalled Alonso.
“All of those little moments can go on the wrong side and you finish the race in the wall, or you can be the winner at the end. Today we had all the good factors with us and the luck and we have to enjoy this.
“Winning a home grand prix is something unique - a very special feeling. I had the opportunity to do this in Barcelona in 2006 with Renault and I still remember that day perfectly.
“And now I did the same here in Valencia, with this special team, Ferrari, with all the grandstands full of red colour and Spanish flags.”
Alonso explained that the financial difficulties currency faced by the Spanish people played a big part in making his victory so emotional.
“It’s not the best time in Spain at the moment, with the [financial] crisis and all the problems that people have,” he said.
“There are families who have made long trips to come here, they sleep in the car or in a caravan or whatever. They try to enjoy the race and yesterday [in qualifying]… we didn’t deliver what they were probably expecting.
“So today I think we paid back a little bit – only a little bit – the support that they gave us and all the problems that they are facing, all the worries that the Spanish people are facing at this time.
“There is some pride in being Spanish right now due to sport: with Nadal, with the Spanish football team etc and I felt that I needed to do something and today is a very emotional day.
“This race is the best victory I ever felt in terms of emotions. Nothing compares to this one.”
While Alonso had been left undisturbed in the closing stages of the race, there was drama until the end for the other podium places.
World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton had clawed his way back into second place after another tardy McLaren pit stop allowed Alonso and others to pass, but later ran out of rear grip.
Grosjean’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen neatly squeezed past the Englishman to take the runner-up spot with two laps to go, but a clumsy move by Pastor Maldonado proved far more costly.
The Catalunya winner speared the side of Hamilton’s car through the second part of a right-left chicane, sending a livid Hamilton into a wall and out of the race while the Williams driver sustained a broken front wing.
That meant Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber were battling over the final podium position with just a lap remaining. Past master Schumacher kept the Red Bull at bay to claim his 155th F1 rostrum - but first since returning to F1, with Mercedes, in 2010.
All of which means Alonso is now back in the World Championship lead, by a sizeable 20 points over Webber. But he firmly played down talk of being the title favourite, pointing to Ferrari’s poor qualifying form at Valencia.
“I think we always need to be cautious and we always need to be honest with ourselves first and with our supporters…
“Yesterday we were P11 and P13 so we need to work. It’s true that we believe and we will never give up, we will have confidence in ourselves and we will arrive with optimism at every grand prix we go to.
“But at the same time, we know that we are not in the position that we want to be and there are a few cars quicker than us and we cannot be blind to that. We need to work.”
The British Grand Prix at Silverstone takes place on July 6-8.
Vettel Valencia pole, but no predictions
F1 News
Date: 24/June/2012
Reigning F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel took his second consecutive pole, and third of the season, during qualifying for the European round at Valencia on Saturday.
The German made good use of new parts for his Red Bull and used only a single run in the final part of qualifying to claim pole by 0.324s over McLaren’s title leader Lewis Hamilton.
“One shot there in the end, which turned out to turned out to be a very good lap,” said Vettel.
“I knew that going at the end if the track comes in a little bit and tying the lap together it should be good enough maybe to look at pole.
“In the end it was a surprising gap, but all in all I felt very good this weekend. The boys have been working incredibly hard in the garage, all the people in the factory as well to make sure that we bring a couple of new parts to the car.”
Pressed on the actual number of developments, thought to include a revised front wing, floor and rear sidepod design, Vettel admitted: “A couple is two… maybe we have bought more than two.”
He added: “The first time they were on the car was on Friday. Obviously we try to build the parts so that they are reliable. I’m not worried [in that respect]. It will be hot but it’s not the worst race of the year for the car in terms of the ambient conditions.”
Hamilton was surprised with his performance.
“I expected to be a lot further back,” he said. “We’ve struggled all weekend and going into qualifying we had to make some guesses as to what kind of set-up we wanted to change. It seemed to work OK and I’m really, really surprised.”
Starting behind Vettel and Hamilton will be Pastor Maldonado (Williams) and Romain Grosjean (Lotus), with Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) forming row three.
Among the big names to lose out during the ultra-close early stages of qualifying was second in the championship Fernando Alonso, who will start just eleventh for Ferrari.
But with F1 2012 producing an incredible seven different winners from the opening seven races Vettel, winner at Valencia for the past two seasons is making no predictions.
“We have seen too much this year to sit here on Saturday afternoon and predict what’s going to happen,” he said.
“I think Ferrari has been very competitive. Williams have been quick yesterday on their long runs. Lotus, I think they’ve proven in Bahrain, the first time we had hot conditions, that they’re up there.”
Hamilton - who took his first victory of the season last time in Canada - also believes there is an excellent chance of seeing an eighth different winner on Sunday in the form of Raikkonen or Grosjean.
“I think because it’s so hot, the Lotus cars look massively competitive. I think they’re going to be the ones to watch out for tomorrow,” he declared.
Hamilton will start the race with a slim two-point lead over Alonso, but rejected the suggestion he is now poised to make pull big points over the Spaniard.
“I anticipate that [Ferrari] will come through very strongly throughout the race,” Hamilton explained. “They have great long run pace and can look after the tyres better than others, due to low speed downforce.
“I also know that Ferrari had upgrades this week - at least so Fernando told me - so I anticipate that they are going to be very competitive.
“Again, as I said, I’m very surprised for us because we didn’t have any upgrades this weekend and so to be where we are is a big bonus for us.”
Vettel, the winner in Bahrain, starts third in the championship, just one point from Alonso.
Date: 24/June/2012
Reigning F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel took his second consecutive pole, and third of the season, during qualifying for the European round at Valencia on Saturday.
The German made good use of new parts for his Red Bull and used only a single run in the final part of qualifying to claim pole by 0.324s over McLaren’s title leader Lewis Hamilton.
“One shot there in the end, which turned out to turned out to be a very good lap,” said Vettel.
“I knew that going at the end if the track comes in a little bit and tying the lap together it should be good enough maybe to look at pole.
“In the end it was a surprising gap, but all in all I felt very good this weekend. The boys have been working incredibly hard in the garage, all the people in the factory as well to make sure that we bring a couple of new parts to the car.”
Pressed on the actual number of developments, thought to include a revised front wing, floor and rear sidepod design, Vettel admitted: “A couple is two… maybe we have bought more than two.”
He added: “The first time they were on the car was on Friday. Obviously we try to build the parts so that they are reliable. I’m not worried [in that respect]. It will be hot but it’s not the worst race of the year for the car in terms of the ambient conditions.”
Hamilton was surprised with his performance.
“I expected to be a lot further back,” he said. “We’ve struggled all weekend and going into qualifying we had to make some guesses as to what kind of set-up we wanted to change. It seemed to work OK and I’m really, really surprised.”
Starting behind Vettel and Hamilton will be Pastor Maldonado (Williams) and Romain Grosjean (Lotus), with Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) forming row three.
Among the big names to lose out during the ultra-close early stages of qualifying was second in the championship Fernando Alonso, who will start just eleventh for Ferrari.
But with F1 2012 producing an incredible seven different winners from the opening seven races Vettel, winner at Valencia for the past two seasons is making no predictions.
“We have seen too much this year to sit here on Saturday afternoon and predict what’s going to happen,” he said.
“I think Ferrari has been very competitive. Williams have been quick yesterday on their long runs. Lotus, I think they’ve proven in Bahrain, the first time we had hot conditions, that they’re up there.”
Hamilton - who took his first victory of the season last time in Canada - also believes there is an excellent chance of seeing an eighth different winner on Sunday in the form of Raikkonen or Grosjean.
“I think because it’s so hot, the Lotus cars look massively competitive. I think they’re going to be the ones to watch out for tomorrow,” he declared.
Hamilton will start the race with a slim two-point lead over Alonso, but rejected the suggestion he is now poised to make pull big points over the Spaniard.
“I anticipate that [Ferrari] will come through very strongly throughout the race,” Hamilton explained. “They have great long run pace and can look after the tyres better than others, due to low speed downforce.
“I also know that Ferrari had upgrades this week - at least so Fernando told me - so I anticipate that they are going to be very competitive.
“Again, as I said, I’m very surprised for us because we didn’t have any upgrades this weekend and so to be where we are is a big bonus for us.”
Vettel, the winner in Bahrain, starts third in the championship, just one point from Alonso.
F1 team bosses talk cost-cutting
F1 News
Date: 23/July/2012
The intense competition within Formula One means reaching agreement can be difficult, as each team weighs up whether it will ‘win or lose’ from any rule changes relative to its rivals.
But the prolonged and far reaching effect of the ongoing economic crisis is herding the teams ever closer towards some form of binding cost cutting and cost limiting measures.
Toro Rosso Team Principal Franz Tost described the present state of discussion as being mainly focussed around a resource restriction agreement for the chassis.
But the Austrian is concerned about the cost implications of the new engine format for 2014, when the present 2.4 litre V8s will be replaced by 1.6 litre, turbocharged V6s utilising cutting edge energy recovery systems.
“The chassis resource restriction agreement is one point, but the costs - especially from 2014 onwards, which will increase dramatically - is the powertrain,” he explained. “Therefore the resource restriction agreement for the powertrain would be for Toro Rosso even more important than for the chassis.
“It must be a complete package. I am really worried that we are discussing on one side [chassis] the costs decrease, but from 2014 onwards, with this new powertrain and the new engine, with the new ERS system, pick-up batteries, the cost will dramatically increase.”
The ongoing talk of rising engine costs, which have prompted some to suggest the introduction of the new engines should be delayed, has clearly irked Norbert Haug of Mercedes.
As well as its own F1 team, Mercedes supplies engines to McLaren and Force India.
Firstly, Haug felt the engine manufacturers should be given credit for dramatically cutting lease costs in recent years, while maintaining a competitive product.
“The engine lease [price] years ago was twice as much as it is right now, that’s due to manufacturers bringing that down,” he said. “I think that was a big help for all the teams.
“I think Formula One has never had an engine formula like today, where basically everybody gets a competitive engine, ten teams at least. That needs to be mentioned.”
Haug then addressed the issue of rising costs caused by changing the engine format, claiming that within a five-year period the lease price for the new engine should be back to the present level.
“There was a process [which] decided that a new engine has to be developed and of course that costs money,” said the German. “We worked very hard, together with the FIA, and we have the same opinion with the other manufacturers to bring costs down but this is over a period of five years, so the target has to be minus 20-30% over five years and I’m sure the engine lease will, over five years, be comparable to what we have right now.”
Haug also warned that delaying the new engine would be even more expensive.
“I hear some voices saying ‘delay the engine.’ One thing is for sure; if you delay the engine, you run two programmes in parallel one year longer and your customers will pay for that,” he said.
“We cannot have fully subsidised engines, this is not possible. I think the engine
manufacturers have been very, very fair and I would be pleased to hear
that at one stage as well, because the engine lease was in excess of 25/30 million
years ago and we brought it down.”
A relative newcomer to the sport, Caterham F1 CEO Riad Asmat said it is not hard to spot areas where costs can be cut.
“I’ve been in this for two and a half years and I can see the level of exorbitant areas that could be managed better,” he said.
But HRT’s Luis Perez Sala, principal of the least funded team on the grid, feels he has no more savings to make and fears that costs for his team are set to rise.
“It’s clear that for the biggest teams there are going to be clear rules. They are going to reduce their budgets, but I’m a bit worried about the small teams like us,” he said.
“To reduce our budget is not easy but even to stay with the same budget, I would say, will be difficult.
“We will need to understand how the situation will be in 2014, as Norbert says, what will be the cost of the KERS, the engine etc.
“I would like to maintain the present level of [engine] costs for the future. It seems that it is going to be difficult.”
One possible solution for the less well funded teams is the possible introduction of customer cars, whereby the main constructors sell complete cars of an older spec to the smaller teams.
It would mean a major shift for F1, which currently requires all competitors to be constructors.
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier was open minded on the matter.
“If we have to go to customer cars to be the Formula One of the future, why not?” he said.
“I think the discussion is open now. I know some teams would like to stay as constructors and some teams would maybe need to be customers to save their budget or their company.”
But Haug saw little point, at least in competition terms.
“If you ran this year with last year’s car then just guess what happens,” he said.
One way for the teams to increase their income would be to hold more races, something that is now being rumoured.
“The year has 52 weeks. We should have 26 grand prix!” smiled Tost
Boullier gave a more considered answer.
“We can speak about cost-saving but more grand prix means more revenue for Formula One and the more countries we can visit is the more countries we can bring Formula One to fans,” he said.
“There is no exact number, no magic number I guess, but I’m rather like Franz - more races, why not?”
Date: 23/July/2012
The intense competition within Formula One means reaching agreement can be difficult, as each team weighs up whether it will ‘win or lose’ from any rule changes relative to its rivals.
But the prolonged and far reaching effect of the ongoing economic crisis is herding the teams ever closer towards some form of binding cost cutting and cost limiting measures.
Toro Rosso Team Principal Franz Tost described the present state of discussion as being mainly focussed around a resource restriction agreement for the chassis.
But the Austrian is concerned about the cost implications of the new engine format for 2014, when the present 2.4 litre V8s will be replaced by 1.6 litre, turbocharged V6s utilising cutting edge energy recovery systems.
“The chassis resource restriction agreement is one point, but the costs - especially from 2014 onwards, which will increase dramatically - is the powertrain,” he explained. “Therefore the resource restriction agreement for the powertrain would be for Toro Rosso even more important than for the chassis.
“It must be a complete package. I am really worried that we are discussing on one side [chassis] the costs decrease, but from 2014 onwards, with this new powertrain and the new engine, with the new ERS system, pick-up batteries, the cost will dramatically increase.”
The ongoing talk of rising engine costs, which have prompted some to suggest the introduction of the new engines should be delayed, has clearly irked Norbert Haug of Mercedes.
As well as its own F1 team, Mercedes supplies engines to McLaren and Force India.
Firstly, Haug felt the engine manufacturers should be given credit for dramatically cutting lease costs in recent years, while maintaining a competitive product.
“The engine lease [price] years ago was twice as much as it is right now, that’s due to manufacturers bringing that down,” he said. “I think that was a big help for all the teams.
“I think Formula One has never had an engine formula like today, where basically everybody gets a competitive engine, ten teams at least. That needs to be mentioned.”
Haug then addressed the issue of rising costs caused by changing the engine format, claiming that within a five-year period the lease price for the new engine should be back to the present level.
“There was a process [which] decided that a new engine has to be developed and of course that costs money,” said the German. “We worked very hard, together with the FIA, and we have the same opinion with the other manufacturers to bring costs down but this is over a period of five years, so the target has to be minus 20-30% over five years and I’m sure the engine lease will, over five years, be comparable to what we have right now.”
Haug also warned that delaying the new engine would be even more expensive.
“I hear some voices saying ‘delay the engine.’ One thing is for sure; if you delay the engine, you run two programmes in parallel one year longer and your customers will pay for that,” he said.
“We cannot have fully subsidised engines, this is not possible. I think the engine
manufacturers have been very, very fair and I would be pleased to hear
that at one stage as well, because the engine lease was in excess of 25/30 million
years ago and we brought it down.”
A relative newcomer to the sport, Caterham F1 CEO Riad Asmat said it is not hard to spot areas where costs can be cut.
“I’ve been in this for two and a half years and I can see the level of exorbitant areas that could be managed better,” he said.
But HRT’s Luis Perez Sala, principal of the least funded team on the grid, feels he has no more savings to make and fears that costs for his team are set to rise.
“It’s clear that for the biggest teams there are going to be clear rules. They are going to reduce their budgets, but I’m a bit worried about the small teams like us,” he said.
“To reduce our budget is not easy but even to stay with the same budget, I would say, will be difficult.
“We will need to understand how the situation will be in 2014, as Norbert says, what will be the cost of the KERS, the engine etc.
“I would like to maintain the present level of [engine] costs for the future. It seems that it is going to be difficult.”
One possible solution for the less well funded teams is the possible introduction of customer cars, whereby the main constructors sell complete cars of an older spec to the smaller teams.
It would mean a major shift for F1, which currently requires all competitors to be constructors.
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier was open minded on the matter.
“If we have to go to customer cars to be the Formula One of the future, why not?” he said.
“I think the discussion is open now. I know some teams would like to stay as constructors and some teams would maybe need to be customers to save their budget or their company.”
But Haug saw little point, at least in competition terms.
“If you ran this year with last year’s car then just guess what happens,” he said.
One way for the teams to increase their income would be to hold more races, something that is now being rumoured.
“The year has 52 weeks. We should have 26 grand prix!” smiled Tost
Boullier gave a more considered answer.
“We can speak about cost-saving but more grand prix means more revenue for Formula One and the more countries we can visit is the more countries we can bring Formula One to fans,” he said.
“There is no exact number, no magic number I guess, but I’m rather like Franz - more races, why not?”
Alonso: ‘No problem’ with Hamilton or Vettel as team-mate
F1 News
Date: 22/June/2012
Thursday at Valencia, on the eve of this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix, saw Fernando Alonso face a grilling from the media over how much influence he has in determining future Ferrari team-mates.
Alonso is signed up for Ferrari until 2016, and currently battling for the world title. Present team-mate Felipe Massa is just 14th in the championship and expected to be replaced at the end of this year.
Among the names hotly linked to the future Ferrari drive are fellow former champions and two of Alonso’s closest rivals - Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton’s own long term McLaren deal expires at the end of this year, while reigning double champion Vettel has a Red Bull contract until 2014.
However rumours suggest Vettel could leave at the end of 2013 if performance clauses are not met and some are even suggesting that Vettel has signed some form of pre-contract with Ferrari.
Alonso brushed off the latest speculation:
“Rumours about Ferrari are always the same: when I won the 2005 Championship with Renault, I was linked to Ferrari immediately – and I arrived in 2010.
“So, if Sebastian is linked now, maybe he’ll arrive in five years’ time.”
He added: “Extremely happy with Felipe, whatever team-mate comes in the future will be welcome, will be part of the team and part of Ferrari.”
While an Alonso-Vettel line-up would likely need to wait at least one season (in turn spawning rumours of a one-year Ferrari deal for Vettel’s present team-mate Mark Webber) an Alonso-Hamilton tie-up is contractually possible for 2012.
But that seems highly improbable given their explosive season together at McLaren in 2007. Alonso admitted he is now consulted about the identity of his team-mates.
“In the past, never. Now at Ferrari, yes,” he confirmed.
But Alonso played down suggestions that he could block the signing of a driver he didn’t like.
“I doubt it. It’s an open chat, we talk, but in the end, it’s their decision,” he said.
Alonso then raised eyebrows by claiming he would have no opposition to the idea of working with Hamilton again - despite the 2007 rift between them causing Alonso’s multi-year McLaren contract to be torn up after one season.
“No problem,” he said of driving alongside the Englishman again, a phrase he repeated when asked about Vettel.
After becoming the seventh different winner in the opening seven rounds, Hamilton leads Alonso by just two points at the head of the championship standings.
Hamilton, a McLaren F1 racer since his spectacular 2007 debut and supported by the British team through the lower categories, was asked about recent comments by McLaren Executive Chairman Ron Dennis.
Dennis suggested that Hamilton and his management must be aware of how the economic climate has changed when negotiating his new contract.
Hamilton said: “Ron is a very tough negotiator. He was very tough when they negotiated the contract that I have now and I expect him to be the same when we go back in [this time].
“I don’t see there being many problems, to be honest,” he added, words that cast doubt on a possible split from McLaren.
Asked to reflect on their tumultuous 2007 season together, both Hamilton and Alonso avoided the favouritism claims, deteriorating off-track relationship and spying scandal.
“Losing the championship was definitely the [worst moment]” said Hamilton. “I think the best moment was having the great opportunity and privilege of working alongside Fernando and Pedro [de la Rosa, test driver], and working for such a great team, and winning my first race in Montreal. That was part of my life that I could only have ever dreamed of.”
“Yes, same,” declared Alonso. “The worst moment was losing the championship, for sure, at the last race after being at the top of the table for the whole season, and then we lost it at the last race.
“Best thing for me was the technical approach that was very different compared to Renault and all the things that I learned on the technical side in that year… I think they were very, very important for the rest of my career and I improved 200 percent as a driver that year.”
Alonso and Hamilton finished the 2007 season level on points and just one-point behind Ferrari’s surprise Champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Date: 22/June/2012
Thursday at Valencia, on the eve of this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix, saw Fernando Alonso face a grilling from the media over how much influence he has in determining future Ferrari team-mates.
Alonso is signed up for Ferrari until 2016, and currently battling for the world title. Present team-mate Felipe Massa is just 14th in the championship and expected to be replaced at the end of this year.
Among the names hotly linked to the future Ferrari drive are fellow former champions and two of Alonso’s closest rivals - Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton’s own long term McLaren deal expires at the end of this year, while reigning double champion Vettel has a Red Bull contract until 2014.
However rumours suggest Vettel could leave at the end of 2013 if performance clauses are not met and some are even suggesting that Vettel has signed some form of pre-contract with Ferrari.
Alonso brushed off the latest speculation:
“Rumours about Ferrari are always the same: when I won the 2005 Championship with Renault, I was linked to Ferrari immediately – and I arrived in 2010.
“So, if Sebastian is linked now, maybe he’ll arrive in five years’ time.”
He added: “Extremely happy with Felipe, whatever team-mate comes in the future will be welcome, will be part of the team and part of Ferrari.”
While an Alonso-Vettel line-up would likely need to wait at least one season (in turn spawning rumours of a one-year Ferrari deal for Vettel’s present team-mate Mark Webber) an Alonso-Hamilton tie-up is contractually possible for 2012.
But that seems highly improbable given their explosive season together at McLaren in 2007. Alonso admitted he is now consulted about the identity of his team-mates.
“In the past, never. Now at Ferrari, yes,” he confirmed.
But Alonso played down suggestions that he could block the signing of a driver he didn’t like.
“I doubt it. It’s an open chat, we talk, but in the end, it’s their decision,” he said.
Alonso then raised eyebrows by claiming he would have no opposition to the idea of working with Hamilton again - despite the 2007 rift between them causing Alonso’s multi-year McLaren contract to be torn up after one season.
“No problem,” he said of driving alongside the Englishman again, a phrase he repeated when asked about Vettel.
After becoming the seventh different winner in the opening seven rounds, Hamilton leads Alonso by just two points at the head of the championship standings.
Hamilton, a McLaren F1 racer since his spectacular 2007 debut and supported by the British team through the lower categories, was asked about recent comments by McLaren Executive Chairman Ron Dennis.
Dennis suggested that Hamilton and his management must be aware of how the economic climate has changed when negotiating his new contract.
Hamilton said: “Ron is a very tough negotiator. He was very tough when they negotiated the contract that I have now and I expect him to be the same when we go back in [this time].
“I don’t see there being many problems, to be honest,” he added, words that cast doubt on a possible split from McLaren.
Asked to reflect on their tumultuous 2007 season together, both Hamilton and Alonso avoided the favouritism claims, deteriorating off-track relationship and spying scandal.
“Losing the championship was definitely the [worst moment]” said Hamilton. “I think the best moment was having the great opportunity and privilege of working alongside Fernando and Pedro [de la Rosa, test driver], and working for such a great team, and winning my first race in Montreal. That was part of my life that I could only have ever dreamed of.”
“Yes, same,” declared Alonso. “The worst moment was losing the championship, for sure, at the last race after being at the top of the table for the whole season, and then we lost it at the last race.
“Best thing for me was the technical approach that was very different compared to Renault and all the things that I learned on the technical side in that year… I think they were very, very important for the rest of my career and I improved 200 percent as a driver that year.”
Alonso and Hamilton finished the 2007 season level on points and just one-point behind Ferrari’s surprise Champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Title tipping point for Lorenzo?
MotoGP News
Date: 17/June/2012
Jorge Lorenzo won’t say it, nor will chief rival Casey Stoner, but Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone may have marked the tipping point in terms of the 2012 MotoGP title.
Lorenzo clawed his way from fifth in the early stages to catch and pass reigning champion Stoner at mid-distance, then rode to a two-second victory.
The win was Lorenzo’s fourth from six starts, meaning he has dropped just ten points so far this season. Crucially it also moved him 25-points clear of Stoner at the head of the standings, meaning he now has a one-race advantage.
There are still twelve rounds to go, but Lorenzo’s faultless form and harmony with his Yamaha is in stark contrast with the ongoing tyre/handling issues for Repsol Honda riders Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.
Stoner admitted he hadn’t felt comfortable from the start of the Silverstone race.
“We just didn’t have any edge grip on the left of the rear tyre. So that was a worry right from the beginning. We started pushing in areas I wasn’t happy to push in,” explained the Australian, looking to retire with a third MotoGP title at the end of 2012.
“Ben [Spies, leading] made a small mistake and I took the lead. But from then on I was just braking as late as possible to try and hold people back.
“For us, there seemed to be something wrong with the left hand side of the rear tyre. Even from lap three or four the tyre seemed to drop so quickly we just had nothing to fight with.”
Lorenzo began his victory pass at the end of lap 11 of 20, but took several corners to make it stick.
“In the end we had a small battle with Jorge. He had a lot more mid-turn speed and a lot more grip so we tried to get him back on each exit, but he managed to keep it on around the outside each time and then go home to the victory,” said Stoner. “It was disappointing for us.”
Lorenzo could surely have never imagined he would enjoy such a strong start to the season - having won just three races in the whole of 2011.
“It’s wonderful. We are making a nearly perfect season, so I must say thanks a lot for the work done by Yamaha,” he said.
But Stoner remains defiant.
“Championships can turn around in one race. One DNF and a win for myself and we're equal on points and it’s ‘game on’ again,” he said.
On the other hand, should Stoner suffer the DNF it could be a case of ‘game over’.
Date: 17/June/2012
Jorge Lorenzo won’t say it, nor will chief rival Casey Stoner, but Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone may have marked the tipping point in terms of the 2012 MotoGP title.
Lorenzo clawed his way from fifth in the early stages to catch and pass reigning champion Stoner at mid-distance, then rode to a two-second victory.
The win was Lorenzo’s fourth from six starts, meaning he has dropped just ten points so far this season. Crucially it also moved him 25-points clear of Stoner at the head of the standings, meaning he now has a one-race advantage.
There are still twelve rounds to go, but Lorenzo’s faultless form and harmony with his Yamaha is in stark contrast with the ongoing tyre/handling issues for Repsol Honda riders Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.
Stoner admitted he hadn’t felt comfortable from the start of the Silverstone race.
“We just didn’t have any edge grip on the left of the rear tyre. So that was a worry right from the beginning. We started pushing in areas I wasn’t happy to push in,” explained the Australian, looking to retire with a third MotoGP title at the end of 2012.
“Ben [Spies, leading] made a small mistake and I took the lead. But from then on I was just braking as late as possible to try and hold people back.
“For us, there seemed to be something wrong with the left hand side of the rear tyre. Even from lap three or four the tyre seemed to drop so quickly we just had nothing to fight with.”
Lorenzo began his victory pass at the end of lap 11 of 20, but took several corners to make it stick.
“In the end we had a small battle with Jorge. He had a lot more mid-turn speed and a lot more grip so we tried to get him back on each exit, but he managed to keep it on around the outside each time and then go home to the victory,” said Stoner. “It was disappointing for us.”
Lorenzo could surely have never imagined he would enjoy such a strong start to the season - having won just three races in the whole of 2011.
“It’s wonderful. We are making a nearly perfect season, so I must say thanks a lot for the work done by Yamaha,” he said.
But Stoner remains defiant.
“Championships can turn around in one race. One DNF and a win for myself and we're equal on points and it’s ‘game on’ again,” he said.
On the other hand, should Stoner suffer the DNF it could be a case of ‘game over’.
Home GP curse strikes Crutchlow again
MotoGP News
Date: 16/June/2012
For the second year in succession, British MotoGP star Cal Crutchlow spent qualifying for his home Silverstone round in hospital.
Last year, the Yamaha Tech 3 rider was denied his first home grand prix start when he broke a collarbone in qualifying.
The Englishman returned with a real chance of a fighting for a debut MotoGP podium following an excellent start to the 2012 season, only to be injured in Saturday morning’s final practice.
Crutchlow fell on his out-lap in cold and windy conditions, as he accelerated through the fast Chapel turn leading on to the Hangar Straight.
Reports of a fractured ankle have been denied, but the pain and swelling was so great that Crutchlow was sent to hospital for more detailed scans.
That ruled him out of qualifying, but if Crutchlow passes a final medical check on Sunday morning he will be able to start the race, from last place, having lapped within 107% of pole in Friday practice.
“We are very optimistic that Cal will be able to participate in the British Grand Prix tomorrow,” said Team Manager Herve Poncharal. “The medical staff in Oxford said he should be fine to race and he has no broken bones in the foot or ankle.
“That is a big relief because Cal was in quite a lot of pain. He will now undertake the necessary checks with the Silverstone medics in the morning, but it looks very positive.
“We obviously hope he will be able to ride after the disappointment of last year when he was unable to start the race because he was injured. I know what it means for him to race in front of his home crowd, who have given Cal and the team unbelievable support this weekend.”
Despite Poncharal's claims of no broken bones, paddock sources insist that Crutchlow has indeed suffered fractures and his participation in the race is thus in serious doubt.
Date: 16/June/2012
For the second year in succession, British MotoGP star Cal Crutchlow spent qualifying for his home Silverstone round in hospital.
Last year, the Yamaha Tech 3 rider was denied his first home grand prix start when he broke a collarbone in qualifying.
The Englishman returned with a real chance of a fighting for a debut MotoGP podium following an excellent start to the 2012 season, only to be injured in Saturday morning’s final practice.
Crutchlow fell on his out-lap in cold and windy conditions, as he accelerated through the fast Chapel turn leading on to the Hangar Straight.
Reports of a fractured ankle have been denied, but the pain and swelling was so great that Crutchlow was sent to hospital for more detailed scans.
That ruled him out of qualifying, but if Crutchlow passes a final medical check on Sunday morning he will be able to start the race, from last place, having lapped within 107% of pole in Friday practice.
“We are very optimistic that Cal will be able to participate in the British Grand Prix tomorrow,” said Team Manager Herve Poncharal. “The medical staff in Oxford said he should be fine to race and he has no broken bones in the foot or ankle.
“That is a big relief because Cal was in quite a lot of pain. He will now undertake the necessary checks with the Silverstone medics in the morning, but it looks very positive.
“We obviously hope he will be able to ride after the disappointment of last year when he was unable to start the race because he was injured. I know what it means for him to race in front of his home crowd, who have given Cal and the team unbelievable support this weekend.”
Despite Poncharal's claims of no broken bones, paddock sources insist that Crutchlow has indeed suffered fractures and his participation in the race is thus in serious doubt.
Bautista pole after dramatic day at Silverstone
MotoGP News
Date: 16/June/2012
A dramatic second day at the British ended with a first MotoGP pole for Spaniard Alvaro Bautista.
Cold, windy and damp conditions caused numerous accidents throughout the two track sessions, including an ankle injury for home rider Cal Crutchlow in morning practice.
The final twist was a light shower with ten minutes of qualifying remaining, which kept Bautista on an unexpected pole.
The Spaniard, 27, is riding in his third MotoGP season - having switched from Suzuki to Honda Gresini for the start of this year.
Bautista’s pole is the first of the year by a non-factory rider and he will be aiming to beat his previous best MotoGP finish of fifth in Sunday’s race.
“For the last two years I haven’t been up here, so I’m happy for this pole position,” smiled Bautista. “Also because we have been very fast and consistent all weekend.
“I’m so happy with the bike and team. We’ve worked hard to adjust to this new bike and I’m feeling very confident. Now I want to make a good result tomorrow.
“Today it was difficult with the rain and we’ll wait and see which weather we have for the race. I’m going to push for the maximum and I’ll try and stay up here again tomorrow!”
Bautista is a former 125cc world champion and 250cc title contender.
Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Honda) will start alongside Bautista on the front row, with title leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) qualifying in fourth.
Lorenzo holds a 20-point lead over Stoner after five rounds and they are the only riders to have won a race this year.
Date: 16/June/2012
A dramatic second day at the British ended with a first MotoGP pole for Spaniard Alvaro Bautista.
Cold, windy and damp conditions caused numerous accidents throughout the two track sessions, including an ankle injury for home rider Cal Crutchlow in morning practice.
The final twist was a light shower with ten minutes of qualifying remaining, which kept Bautista on an unexpected pole.
The Spaniard, 27, is riding in his third MotoGP season - having switched from Suzuki to Honda Gresini for the start of this year.
Bautista’s pole is the first of the year by a non-factory rider and he will be aiming to beat his previous best MotoGP finish of fifth in Sunday’s race.
“For the last two years I haven’t been up here, so I’m happy for this pole position,” smiled Bautista. “Also because we have been very fast and consistent all weekend.
“I’m so happy with the bike and team. We’ve worked hard to adjust to this new bike and I’m feeling very confident. Now I want to make a good result tomorrow.
“Today it was difficult with the rain and we’ll wait and see which weather we have for the race. I’m going to push for the maximum and I’ll try and stay up here again tomorrow!”
Bautista is a former 125cc world champion and 250cc title contender.
Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Honda) will start alongside Bautista on the front row, with title leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) qualifying in fourth.
Lorenzo holds a 20-point lead over Stoner after five rounds and they are the only riders to have won a race this year.
Rossi: No rush to decide 2013 destination
MotoGP News
Date: 16/June/2012
Valentino Rossi is likely to wait until after the summer break before deciding on his 2013 MotoGP team.
The seven time MotoGP champion has taken just two podiums since switching to Ducati at the start of last year but, unlike Casey Stoner, has no intention of retiring.
With Stoner leaving and Jorge Lorenzo recently re-signing for Yamaha, attention is turning to whether 33-year-old Rossi will remain with Ducati or seek a return to Honda or Yamaha.
Re-joining Lorenzo in the Factory Yamaha squad would seem unlikely, while Honda - despite losing out on Lorenzo - has claimed Rossi’s only RCV option would be with a satellite team.
Rossi has said he would like to remain at Ducati, but will surely want to see tangible progress in the middle part of the season, explaining his decision to wait.
"The decision of Jorge doesn't change a lot,” said Rossi. “For me it is quite early, and we have to work towards making the Ducati faster, improving the bike and doing some good results before I think about the future.
“We have to wait for Laguna Seca [end of July] minimum or around Brno [end of August]. I think Ducati is very happy to continue, and we have started to speak a little."
A Ducati engine upgrade is expected for Laguna Seca. It may prove make-or-break in terms of Rossi’s future at the Italian team.
Date: 16/June/2012
Valentino Rossi is likely to wait until after the summer break before deciding on his 2013 MotoGP team.
The seven time MotoGP champion has taken just two podiums since switching to Ducati at the start of last year but, unlike Casey Stoner, has no intention of retiring.
With Stoner leaving and Jorge Lorenzo recently re-signing for Yamaha, attention is turning to whether 33-year-old Rossi will remain with Ducati or seek a return to Honda or Yamaha.
Re-joining Lorenzo in the Factory Yamaha squad would seem unlikely, while Honda - despite losing out on Lorenzo - has claimed Rossi’s only RCV option would be with a satellite team.
Rossi has said he would like to remain at Ducati, but will surely want to see tangible progress in the middle part of the season, explaining his decision to wait.
"The decision of Jorge doesn't change a lot,” said Rossi. “For me it is quite early, and we have to work towards making the Ducati faster, improving the bike and doing some good results before I think about the future.
“We have to wait for Laguna Seca [end of July] minimum or around Brno [end of August]. I think Ducati is very happy to continue, and we have started to speak a little."
A Ducati engine upgrade is expected for Laguna Seca. It may prove make-or-break in terms of Rossi’s future at the Italian team.
Lorenzo: Honda offer, but heart said Yamaha
MotoGP News
Date: 14/June/2012
MotoGP title leader Jorge Lorenzo received an offer from Honda, before committing his future to Yamaha for at least the next two seasons.
The Spanish ace, 25, held the key to the 2013 rider market following Casey Stoner’s shock decision to retire at the end of this year.
Lorenzo starts round six at Silverstone this weekend with a 20-point advantage over Honda’s reigning double champion Stoner. Lorenzo and Stoner are the only riders to win races this year.
Honda were predicted to make a big push to try an sign Lorenzo in place of Stoner and Lorenzo confirmed he was pursued by both of the Japanese manufacturers before making a surprisingly early decision.
The 2010 world champion said: “As you know I have signed for two more years with Yamaha and I’m really happy to stay.
“It was a difficult decision this time, as I had another offer from another brand, from Honda, and the decision was very tough. But finally I listened to my heart, and my heart said Yamaha.”
Lorenzo then joked: “I waited in case he [Stoner] changes his opinion and comes back to Honda for another year. So I left the place open to Casey!”
The five other factory seats - alongside Lorenzo at Yamaha and then two each at Honda and Ducati - remain vacant for 2013.
With Stoner leaving and Lorenzo in place, attention now turns to the future destination of seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi. The Italian has struggled since joining Ducati in 2011 but remains the overwhelming fans’ favourite.
Date: 14/June/2012
MotoGP title leader Jorge Lorenzo received an offer from Honda, before committing his future to Yamaha for at least the next two seasons.
The Spanish ace, 25, held the key to the 2013 rider market following Casey Stoner’s shock decision to retire at the end of this year.
Lorenzo starts round six at Silverstone this weekend with a 20-point advantage over Honda’s reigning double champion Stoner. Lorenzo and Stoner are the only riders to win races this year.
Honda were predicted to make a big push to try an sign Lorenzo in place of Stoner and Lorenzo confirmed he was pursued by both of the Japanese manufacturers before making a surprisingly early decision.
The 2010 world champion said: “As you know I have signed for two more years with Yamaha and I’m really happy to stay.
“It was a difficult decision this time, as I had another offer from another brand, from Honda, and the decision was very tough. But finally I listened to my heart, and my heart said Yamaha.”
Lorenzo then joked: “I waited in case he [Stoner] changes his opinion and comes back to Honda for another year. So I left the place open to Casey!”
The five other factory seats - alongside Lorenzo at Yamaha and then two each at Honda and Ducati - remain vacant for 2013.
With Stoner leaving and Lorenzo in place, attention now turns to the future destination of seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi. The Italian has struggled since joining Ducati in 2011 but remains the overwhelming fans’ favourite.
Lorenzo surprises with early signing
MotoGP News
Date: 12/June/2012
A major piece in the 2013 rider puzzle has fallen into place with the surprise early signing of MotoGP man-of the-moment Jorge Lorenzo to remain at Yamaha.
The 2010 world champion and this year’s title leader has agreed a new two-year deal with the only factory he has raced for since joining the premier-class in 2008.
Lorenzo said: “I am extremely happy to have signed with Yamaha for two more years. They’ve made great efforts to retain me in the factory team so I want to thank all those involved at Yamaha for this.
“I’ve been treated like part of the Yamaha family since 2008 and I love working with them. It has always been my first option to stay here and so I’m happy that this important negotiation has finished with such a positive outcome.
“Now I can focus on the Championship and I’m looking forward to paying back Yamaha’s trust in me starting at Silverstone this weekend. I look forward to winning many more Championships together; my dream to finish my career with Yamaha is now closer to becoming a reality!”
With Honda’s double champion Casey Stoner set to retire at the end of this season, speculation had been rife that HRC would try and poach Lorenzo to take the Australian’s place.
“This is excellent news for Yamaha and for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. Jorge has been with us since 2008 and achieved superb results in the first four years, the highlight being his World Championship victory in 2010,” said Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis.
“He's currently on top form having won three of the first five GP races and finishing second in the other two. Jorge's contract extension allows both him and Yamaha to concentrate 100% on this year's Championship challenge without any distractions and also to make future plans together to further strengthen the winning partnership.”
Lorenzo and Stoner are the only riders to win a race so far this year. Lorenzo starts this weekend’s British MotoGP with a 20-point lead over Stoner.
Date: 12/June/2012
A major piece in the 2013 rider puzzle has fallen into place with the surprise early signing of MotoGP man-of the-moment Jorge Lorenzo to remain at Yamaha.
The 2010 world champion and this year’s title leader has agreed a new two-year deal with the only factory he has raced for since joining the premier-class in 2008.
Lorenzo said: “I am extremely happy to have signed with Yamaha for two more years. They’ve made great efforts to retain me in the factory team so I want to thank all those involved at Yamaha for this.
“I’ve been treated like part of the Yamaha family since 2008 and I love working with them. It has always been my first option to stay here and so I’m happy that this important negotiation has finished with such a positive outcome.
“Now I can focus on the Championship and I’m looking forward to paying back Yamaha’s trust in me starting at Silverstone this weekend. I look forward to winning many more Championships together; my dream to finish my career with Yamaha is now closer to becoming a reality!”
With Honda’s double champion Casey Stoner set to retire at the end of this season, speculation had been rife that HRC would try and poach Lorenzo to take the Australian’s place.
“This is excellent news for Yamaha and for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. Jorge has been with us since 2008 and achieved superb results in the first four years, the highlight being his World Championship victory in 2010,” said Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis.
“He's currently on top form having won three of the first five GP races and finishing second in the other two. Jorge's contract extension allows both him and Yamaha to concentrate 100% on this year's Championship challenge without any distractions and also to make future plans together to further strengthen the winning partnership.”
Lorenzo and Stoner are the only riders to win a race so far this year. Lorenzo starts this weekend’s British MotoGP with a 20-point lead over Stoner.
Hamilton is seventh winner as Alonso gets ‘tyred’
F1 News
Date: 11/June/2012
Lewis Hamilton became F1’s seventh winner in seventh races with a stunning victory in Canada on Sunday.
The McLaren star made a two-strop strategy work by overtaking race and title leader Fernando Alonso on lap 64 of 70. The Ferrari driver had opted for a single-stop, but slipped from first to fifth as his tyre grip evaporated in the closing laps.
Hamilton has now taken the World Championship lead by two-points from Alonso, completing a perfect day for the Englishman.
“What a great feeling this is, where I won my first grand prix,” smiled Hamilton. “I knew today would be a tough, tough race but I loved every single minute of it and I’m really grateful.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was coming across the line. That feeling inside, it’s like an explosion. And that’s what I love about racing and if I continue to have this feeling then hopefully I’ll be here for a long, long time.”
Hamilton seemed to spot that Alonso and Vettel would try and one-stop early in the race, but had been wrongly assured over the radio that they were also two-stopping. The 2008 World Champion insisted the information made little difference as a one-stop was never an option for him.
“I was thinking that these guys are falling quite far behind, so I assumed they are doing a one-stop,” explained Hamilton. “But I wasn’t able to do a one-stop [anyway]. I think I would have fallen back as they did: perhaps even further. So I just kept on pushing.
“Fernando and Sebastian looked like they were having oversteer moments and definitely struggling [towards the end]. I had so much traction with fresh tyres that there was almost a two second difference in pace between us.”
While Alonso and pole sitter Sebastian Vettel couldn’t make a single-stop work, Lotus rookie Romain Grosjean and Sauber’s Sergio Perez did just that - and were rewarded with second and third places in the late-race reshuffle.
Spotting the danger, early leader Vettel dived in for a second set of tyres when he began to struggle in the closing stages. The extra performance allowed the Red Bull driver to overtake the fading Alonso, for fourth, with two laps remaining.
Despite suffering at the end of the grand prix, Alonso refused to criticise his one-stop strategy.
"Today we tried to win the race, but the gamble of only making a single stop did not pay off,” said the Spaniard.
“When Hamilton came back into the pits for his second stop, we chose to try and play our hand: now it's easy to say that we should have made that choice too, but it would have meant we had tried nothing.
“The last laps were very long indeed: the tyres dropped off suddenly and I was too slow to defend myself from those coming up behind.”
All of which means that the top four drivers in the World Championship - Hamilton to Mark Webber - are covered by just nine points.
“We got a win and 25 points and I only have a two point lead, so it’s incredible how close it is and I think it will stay that close throughout the year,” predicted Hamilton. “Again, it just highlights how important consistency is.”
“I think it will continue to be like this throughout the year,” Hamilton added. “We’re still trying to fully understand these tyres. Sometimes you’re overheating them, sometimes you’re not heating them up enough.
“But I think it’s great for Formula One and it’s great for the fans. I’m guessing there was a lot of overtaking today, a real mix-up and seven different winners in seven races - I can’t remember hearing of anything like that.
“I hope there’s no more!”
Round eight of the 2012 season will be held at Valencia on June 24th.
Date: 11/June/2012
Lewis Hamilton became F1’s seventh winner in seventh races with a stunning victory in Canada on Sunday.
The McLaren star made a two-strop strategy work by overtaking race and title leader Fernando Alonso on lap 64 of 70. The Ferrari driver had opted for a single-stop, but slipped from first to fifth as his tyre grip evaporated in the closing laps.
Hamilton has now taken the World Championship lead by two-points from Alonso, completing a perfect day for the Englishman.
“What a great feeling this is, where I won my first grand prix,” smiled Hamilton. “I knew today would be a tough, tough race but I loved every single minute of it and I’m really grateful.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was coming across the line. That feeling inside, it’s like an explosion. And that’s what I love about racing and if I continue to have this feeling then hopefully I’ll be here for a long, long time.”
Hamilton seemed to spot that Alonso and Vettel would try and one-stop early in the race, but had been wrongly assured over the radio that they were also two-stopping. The 2008 World Champion insisted the information made little difference as a one-stop was never an option for him.
“I was thinking that these guys are falling quite far behind, so I assumed they are doing a one-stop,” explained Hamilton. “But I wasn’t able to do a one-stop [anyway]. I think I would have fallen back as they did: perhaps even further. So I just kept on pushing.
“Fernando and Sebastian looked like they were having oversteer moments and definitely struggling [towards the end]. I had so much traction with fresh tyres that there was almost a two second difference in pace between us.”
While Alonso and pole sitter Sebastian Vettel couldn’t make a single-stop work, Lotus rookie Romain Grosjean and Sauber’s Sergio Perez did just that - and were rewarded with second and third places in the late-race reshuffle.
Spotting the danger, early leader Vettel dived in for a second set of tyres when he began to struggle in the closing stages. The extra performance allowed the Red Bull driver to overtake the fading Alonso, for fourth, with two laps remaining.
Despite suffering at the end of the grand prix, Alonso refused to criticise his one-stop strategy.
"Today we tried to win the race, but the gamble of only making a single stop did not pay off,” said the Spaniard.
“When Hamilton came back into the pits for his second stop, we chose to try and play our hand: now it's easy to say that we should have made that choice too, but it would have meant we had tried nothing.
“The last laps were very long indeed: the tyres dropped off suddenly and I was too slow to defend myself from those coming up behind.”
All of which means that the top four drivers in the World Championship - Hamilton to Mark Webber - are covered by just nine points.
“We got a win and 25 points and I only have a two point lead, so it’s incredible how close it is and I think it will stay that close throughout the year,” predicted Hamilton. “Again, it just highlights how important consistency is.”
“I think it will continue to be like this throughout the year,” Hamilton added. “We’re still trying to fully understand these tyres. Sometimes you’re overheating them, sometimes you’re not heating them up enough.
“But I think it’s great for Formula One and it’s great for the fans. I’m guessing there was a lot of overtaking today, a real mix-up and seven different winners in seven races - I can’t remember hearing of anything like that.
“I hope there’s no more!”
Round eight of the 2012 season will be held at Valencia on June 24th.
Vettel pole but ‘this is a crazy place’
F1 News
Date: 10/June/2012
Sebastian Vettel provided the perfect response to the recent Red Bull technical controversy by qualifying on pole position in Canada and thus setting himself up as the theoretical favourite to be F1 2012’s first repeat winner on Sunday.
The slot holes in the Red Bull floor were banned by the FIA between the Monaco and Canadian rounds, while the reigning champions were informed in Montreal that brake cooling holes in the wheel hub of the RB8 must also be closed due to a perceived aerodynamic benefit.
Just before the weekend, Mark Webber responded angrily to suggestions that the rule changes mean his Monaco win, and the Bahrain victory by Vettel, were with ‘an illegal car’.
The Australian 35, said: “It completely pisses me off to be honest, because the car has passed every single technical regulation after the race.”
Vettel then went on to prove that the parts had not been a ‘make or break’ feature of the car by claiming pole in Saturday’s qualifying session by a sizeable - for F1 2012 - 0.303s.
“Well, we changed the car. We had to close the hole or slot or whatever you call it. It seemed to work pretty well without the hole,” smiled Vettel.
“First it was declared illegal, then it was declared legal and now illegal again, so maybe next week it’s legal again. We have the parts in the garage!”
But the German, 24, insisted he didn’t feel the need to prove a point following the technical changes.
“There’s no real extra motivation. I think we still just have to make sure we get the best out of the car that we can,” he said.
Vettel was denied a first victory in Canada on the very final lap of last year’s grand prix, marking the latest in a long line of race day surprises thrown up by a circuit built on a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River.
“This place is a crazy place, it has delivered some crazy races in the past and safety cars are likely etc, so you have to be aware of all that and take it into account for your strategy,” he said.
“Sometimes it can help you, sometimes it may work against you. We have to look after ourselves and try to do the best we can, have clean pit stops and have the fastest race that we can.”
Starting alongside Vettel will be McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, chasing his first win of the season, with World Championship leader Fernando Alonso in third.
Alonso is also braced for an unpredictable race.
“Races this year are very difficult to predict,” said the Spaniard. “What we think on Saturday is normally not anywhere near what happens on Sunday. So we’ll see.
“It would be nice to win here and it’s a good circuit for Ferrari historically. Also, it’s Gilles Villeneuve’s anniversary, 30 years. So, it would be nice to offer all the Ferrari tifosi here in Canada a good result.
“But we know there are, at the moment, two guys quicker than us, as they proved today. Tomorrow we need to do better if we want to win.”
Alonso, who has new parts this weekend, will start round seven with a three-point lead over Vettel and Webber. Webber qualified fourth while last year’s winner, Jenson Button, will start from tenth for McLaren.
Date: 10/June/2012
Sebastian Vettel provided the perfect response to the recent Red Bull technical controversy by qualifying on pole position in Canada and thus setting himself up as the theoretical favourite to be F1 2012’s first repeat winner on Sunday.
The slot holes in the Red Bull floor were banned by the FIA between the Monaco and Canadian rounds, while the reigning champions were informed in Montreal that brake cooling holes in the wheel hub of the RB8 must also be closed due to a perceived aerodynamic benefit.
Just before the weekend, Mark Webber responded angrily to suggestions that the rule changes mean his Monaco win, and the Bahrain victory by Vettel, were with ‘an illegal car’.
The Australian 35, said: “It completely pisses me off to be honest, because the car has passed every single technical regulation after the race.”
Vettel then went on to prove that the parts had not been a ‘make or break’ feature of the car by claiming pole in Saturday’s qualifying session by a sizeable - for F1 2012 - 0.303s.
“Well, we changed the car. We had to close the hole or slot or whatever you call it. It seemed to work pretty well without the hole,” smiled Vettel.
“First it was declared illegal, then it was declared legal and now illegal again, so maybe next week it’s legal again. We have the parts in the garage!”
But the German, 24, insisted he didn’t feel the need to prove a point following the technical changes.
“There’s no real extra motivation. I think we still just have to make sure we get the best out of the car that we can,” he said.
Vettel was denied a first victory in Canada on the very final lap of last year’s grand prix, marking the latest in a long line of race day surprises thrown up by a circuit built on a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River.
“This place is a crazy place, it has delivered some crazy races in the past and safety cars are likely etc, so you have to be aware of all that and take it into account for your strategy,” he said.
“Sometimes it can help you, sometimes it may work against you. We have to look after ourselves and try to do the best we can, have clean pit stops and have the fastest race that we can.”
Starting alongside Vettel will be McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, chasing his first win of the season, with World Championship leader Fernando Alonso in third.
Alonso is also braced for an unpredictable race.
“Races this year are very difficult to predict,” said the Spaniard. “What we think on Saturday is normally not anywhere near what happens on Sunday. So we’ll see.
“It would be nice to win here and it’s a good circuit for Ferrari historically. Also, it’s Gilles Villeneuve’s anniversary, 30 years. So, it would be nice to offer all the Ferrari tifosi here in Canada a good result.
“But we know there are, at the moment, two guys quicker than us, as they proved today. Tomorrow we need to do better if we want to win.”
Alonso, who has new parts this weekend, will start round seven with a three-point lead over Vettel and Webber. Webber qualified fourth while last year’s winner, Jenson Button, will start from tenth for McLaren.
McLaren defends Button practice repairs
F1 News
Date: 9/June/2012
While Lewis Hamilton led both Friday practice sessions for the Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal, McLaren team-mate Jenson Button spent much of the day in the pits.
Button, last year’s Canadian winner, completed just 12 laps in the morning and 14 laps in the afternoon due to a series of technical issues. Once a gear box oil leak had been fixed, a ‘secondary problem’ was discovered forcing the repairs to start all over again.
“This morning in P1 Jenson had an oil leak, which was leaking onto the clutch, and we thought we’d fixed it,” explained McLaren Managing Director Jonathan Neale.
“The oil leak was in the gearbox. The mechanics did a great job in repairing the seal, but as soon as we fired the car up we could see there was a secondary problem that hadn’t revealed itself before that time. And unfortunately we had to change the gearbox and the whole rear end of Jenson’s car.
“So, disappointing that we didn’t get the mileage in that we were looking for. But I have to say, hats off to the mechanics and on Lewis’s side as well, the moment that Lewis’s car left the garage, all of the mechanics came across to help Jenson get running and that was terrific.”
But some commentators weren’t quite so complimentary, with the BBC’s Gary Anderson - a former F1 Technical Diirector for Jordan, Stewart and Jaguar - criticising a team of McLaren’s calibre for ‘taking four hours to fix a gearbox issue’.
“Well, he’s entitled to his opinion,” said Neale. “I think it helps if you’re standing a bit nearer the problem. He’s right, though. In terms of these things we don’t want to happen, but Formula One cars are designed to be right on the edge. From time to time there will be a technical problem.
“It certainly wasn’t trivial, and having been back over it this afternoon, I don’t think that we missed anything in our first diagnosis that would have led us to believe that we were going to have the problem that we did after lunch.”
Button concluded practice in ninth, but just 0.553s from Hamilton on a day when the top 13 drivers were covered by 0.73s. Button is one of the six different race winners this year, although Hamilton is three places higher in the championship (fourth).
Hamilton drove for 73 Friday laps, the best of which was 0.054s ahead of Ferrari’s World Championship leader Fernando Alonso.
Date: 9/June/2012
While Lewis Hamilton led both Friday practice sessions for the Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal, McLaren team-mate Jenson Button spent much of the day in the pits.
Button, last year’s Canadian winner, completed just 12 laps in the morning and 14 laps in the afternoon due to a series of technical issues. Once a gear box oil leak had been fixed, a ‘secondary problem’ was discovered forcing the repairs to start all over again.
“This morning in P1 Jenson had an oil leak, which was leaking onto the clutch, and we thought we’d fixed it,” explained McLaren Managing Director Jonathan Neale.
“The oil leak was in the gearbox. The mechanics did a great job in repairing the seal, but as soon as we fired the car up we could see there was a secondary problem that hadn’t revealed itself before that time. And unfortunately we had to change the gearbox and the whole rear end of Jenson’s car.
“So, disappointing that we didn’t get the mileage in that we were looking for. But I have to say, hats off to the mechanics and on Lewis’s side as well, the moment that Lewis’s car left the garage, all of the mechanics came across to help Jenson get running and that was terrific.”
But some commentators weren’t quite so complimentary, with the BBC’s Gary Anderson - a former F1 Technical Diirector for Jordan, Stewart and Jaguar - criticising a team of McLaren’s calibre for ‘taking four hours to fix a gearbox issue’.
“Well, he’s entitled to his opinion,” said Neale. “I think it helps if you’re standing a bit nearer the problem. He’s right, though. In terms of these things we don’t want to happen, but Formula One cars are designed to be right on the edge. From time to time there will be a technical problem.
“It certainly wasn’t trivial, and having been back over it this afternoon, I don’t think that we missed anything in our first diagnosis that would have led us to believe that we were going to have the problem that we did after lunch.”
Button concluded practice in ninth, but just 0.553s from Hamilton on a day when the top 13 drivers were covered by 0.73s. Button is one of the six different race winners this year, although Hamilton is three places higher in the championship (fourth).
Hamilton drove for 73 Friday laps, the best of which was 0.054s ahead of Ferrari’s World Championship leader Fernando Alonso.
Mark Webber angry at ‘illegal win’ talk
F1 News
Date: 8/June/2012
F1 star Mark Webber has made clear that, while he is prepared to accept criticism on just about any racing issue, he draws the line at suggestions he has won with an ‘illegal car’.
Following Webber’s recent Monaco win, the FIA issued a directive banning holes in the floor of the car ahead of the rear wheels, as used by Red Bull.
The FIA’s verdict seemed to vindicate the view of some rival teams, which had threatened to protest the Red Bull design.
But since the directive does not apply in retrospect, Webber’s Monaco win - like that of team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain - still stands.
Some will doubtless claim the directive means the Red Bull wins were taken with an ‘illegal car’, a suggestion that makes Webber’s blood boil.
“In relation to winning races with an illegal car, I’m happy to be called lots of things and I’m happy to have criticism about my driving and lots of stuff, but I will not take criticism in that respect,” he said.
“It completely pisses me off to be honest, because the car has passed every single technical regulation after the race.
“All of the teams that were against it did not make any protest after Monaco, the car passed the test after Bahrain, the car passed the test after Monaco and now there has been a clarification on the rule.
“The rule now is different and we had a car that was legal for the first part of the season and now the rule has been changed and we will start again, so looking forward to it.”
Webber, 35, added that Red Bull was going to remove the holes for performance reasons anyway.
“You won’t believe us but we had some changes for Valencia anyway which included no hole, irrespective of the rule change,” declared the Australian.
Turning to a lighter subject, Webber gave his thoughts on the unpredictable nature of the 2012 F1 season to date, which has seen six winners from the first six rounds, heading into this weekend’s Canadian event.
“I don’t think there are many top teams at the moment,” he said. “Obviously it’s very tight between everyone’s performances. It looks quite sensitive to venue, quite sensitive to temperatures, quite sensitive to drivers, even.
“It’s quite open, and that’s why we’ve seen some different results, different podiums, different winners, like we haven’t seen before.
“I think that the teams which were not very good with the regulations last year, like Ferrari, Williams, Sauber - they were not very quick with the blown floor [banned for 2012] - they had a good step this year, coming back to the people that made the blown floor very strong, like McLaren and Red Bull. That’s the way it is.”
Free practice at Montreal takes place on Friday.
Date: 8/June/2012
F1 star Mark Webber has made clear that, while he is prepared to accept criticism on just about any racing issue, he draws the line at suggestions he has won with an ‘illegal car’.
Following Webber’s recent Monaco win, the FIA issued a directive banning holes in the floor of the car ahead of the rear wheels, as used by Red Bull.
The FIA’s verdict seemed to vindicate the view of some rival teams, which had threatened to protest the Red Bull design.
But since the directive does not apply in retrospect, Webber’s Monaco win - like that of team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain - still stands.
Some will doubtless claim the directive means the Red Bull wins were taken with an ‘illegal car’, a suggestion that makes Webber’s blood boil.
“In relation to winning races with an illegal car, I’m happy to be called lots of things and I’m happy to have criticism about my driving and lots of stuff, but I will not take criticism in that respect,” he said.
“It completely pisses me off to be honest, because the car has passed every single technical regulation after the race.
“All of the teams that were against it did not make any protest after Monaco, the car passed the test after Bahrain, the car passed the test after Monaco and now there has been a clarification on the rule.
“The rule now is different and we had a car that was legal for the first part of the season and now the rule has been changed and we will start again, so looking forward to it.”
Webber, 35, added that Red Bull was going to remove the holes for performance reasons anyway.
“You won’t believe us but we had some changes for Valencia anyway which included no hole, irrespective of the rule change,” declared the Australian.
Turning to a lighter subject, Webber gave his thoughts on the unpredictable nature of the 2012 F1 season to date, which has seen six winners from the first six rounds, heading into this weekend’s Canadian event.
“I don’t think there are many top teams at the moment,” he said. “Obviously it’s very tight between everyone’s performances. It looks quite sensitive to venue, quite sensitive to temperatures, quite sensitive to drivers, even.
“It’s quite open, and that’s why we’ve seen some different results, different podiums, different winners, like we haven’t seen before.
“I think that the teams which were not very good with the regulations last year, like Ferrari, Williams, Sauber - they were not very quick with the blown floor [banned for 2012] - they had a good step this year, coming back to the people that made the blown floor very strong, like McLaren and Red Bull. That’s the way it is.”
Free practice at Montreal takes place on Friday.
Pedrosa vents frustration over MotoGP tyre change
MotoGP News
Date: 5/June/2012
A significant change in the MotoGP tyre regulations will take place from the next round at Silverstone.
For the past four rounds a new specification front tyre has been offered in addition to the normal allocation, by exclusive tyre supplier Bridgestone.
But from Silverstone the new tyre will become ‘standard’, replacing the previous front construction.
The problem is that, whilst most prefer the new tyre, factory Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa don’t like it and have continued to race with the older spec.
That will no longer be an option and, after struggling with the tyre during Monday’s post-race at Catalunya, Pedrosa voiced his opposition.
The Spaniard said: “I will keep my mind open and keep trying hard with my team to improve the situation, but it's just an unfair situation for Honda.
“The reason they say for changing [to the new spec tyre] is safety, but at the moment it's not safety for us, we are riding on the limit every lap.”
Frustrating Pedrosa and Honda further is that the new spec tyre will not be available during Wednesday’s test day at Aragon.
As a result, Repsol will not take part and will next be on track - with the new front tyre - during practice for the British Grand Prix.
Team-mate and reigning world champion Stoner shares Pedrosa’s opinion of the new tyre, but declared: “We'll make our bike work around it.”
Stoner is second in the championship led by Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, with Pedrosa in third. Lorenzo and Yamaha are among those that already favour the new front.
Date: 5/June/2012
A significant change in the MotoGP tyre regulations will take place from the next round at Silverstone.
For the past four rounds a new specification front tyre has been offered in addition to the normal allocation, by exclusive tyre supplier Bridgestone.
But from Silverstone the new tyre will become ‘standard’, replacing the previous front construction.
The problem is that, whilst most prefer the new tyre, factory Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa don’t like it and have continued to race with the older spec.
That will no longer be an option and, after struggling with the tyre during Monday’s post-race at Catalunya, Pedrosa voiced his opposition.
The Spaniard said: “I will keep my mind open and keep trying hard with my team to improve the situation, but it's just an unfair situation for Honda.
“The reason they say for changing [to the new spec tyre] is safety, but at the moment it's not safety for us, we are riding on the limit every lap.”
Frustrating Pedrosa and Honda further is that the new spec tyre will not be available during Wednesday’s test day at Aragon.
As a result, Repsol will not take part and will next be on track - with the new front tyre - during practice for the British Grand Prix.
Team-mate and reigning world champion Stoner shares Pedrosa’s opinion of the new tyre, but declared: “We'll make our bike work around it.”
Stoner is second in the championship led by Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, with Pedrosa in third. Lorenzo and Yamaha are among those that already favour the new front.
Marquez continues to cause controversy
MotoGP News
Date: 4/June/2012
Moto2 title favourite Marc Marquez, all but certain to step up to MotoGP next season, continues to cause controversy in the intermediate grand prix class.
The innocent looking Spanish teenager has been a regular visitor to Race Direction due to on-track incidents, including a frightening collision with Ratthapark Wilairot after a free practice session had ended in Phillip Island last year.
Marquez wasn’t to blame for his season-ending spill at the following Sepang round, on an unmarked section of wet track, but his last lap contact with Thomas Luthi while fighting for victory in Qatar 2012 saw his riding once again questioned.
Unpunished for the Losail incident, Marquez initially found himself on the receiving end of a hefty one-minute penalty following Sunday’s Catalunya round, imposed by Race Direction for a clash with countryman Pol Espargaro in the closing stages of the race.
The incident summed up the two sides to Marquez.
It began when Marquez brilliantly saved a near crash, but ran wide whilst wrestling his Suter back under control. Espargaro, leading the championship, dived for the space created - but Marquez then sliced back across towards the inside kerb, causing a heavy impact that sent Espargaro bouncing across the asphalt.
Marquez was able to continue and claim third, which then became 23rd after the penalty. However, in a highly unusual situation, the FIM Stewards overturned the decision of Race Direction, reinstating Marquez.
Whilst the appeals were ongoing, the MotoGP top three offered their opinions of who was to blame.
Winner Jorge Lorenzo felt that Espargaro should have known Marquez would cut back across.
“It was a little risky for Pol to overtake there,” he said. “Marquez was in front and Pol knew he was going to close the line. Pol saw the opportunity and wanted to pass, but maybe it was not the right moment.”
But Dani Pedrosa, who lost the MotoGP race to Lorenzo at the very same turn, saw things differently.
“When Jorge passed me it was almost the same,” said the Honda rider. “I ran a little wide and I knew I had left the door open. I didn't know if Jorge was there or not, but I couldn't come back like no-one was there just in case. Yes, Pol was a little behind at that moment, but Marquez has to be aware that if you leave the door open someone can get in.”
Third place Andrea Dovizioso gave a “50/50” verdict.
“Marquez was in front so he couldn't see Pol,” the Yamaha Tech 3 rider explained. “For Espargaro it was the same, because he was leaning over and couldn't see exactly where Marquez was. It is bad to see this kind of crash but I don't think there is a clear fault.”
As Dovizioso suggested, Marquez insisted he simply hadn’t seen Espargaro. “I didn't see him because we have no mirrors and I can't see what is going on behind me,” commented the Repsol rider.
Luthi now leads the MotoGP championship with Marquez second and Espargaro third.
Earlier in the weekend Valentino Rossi said that “for sure” Marquez will be given a full factory Honda in MotoGP next year, although it remains to be seen which team he rides for.
Date: 4/June/2012
Moto2 title favourite Marc Marquez, all but certain to step up to MotoGP next season, continues to cause controversy in the intermediate grand prix class.
The innocent looking Spanish teenager has been a regular visitor to Race Direction due to on-track incidents, including a frightening collision with Ratthapark Wilairot after a free practice session had ended in Phillip Island last year.
Marquez wasn’t to blame for his season-ending spill at the following Sepang round, on an unmarked section of wet track, but his last lap contact with Thomas Luthi while fighting for victory in Qatar 2012 saw his riding once again questioned.
Unpunished for the Losail incident, Marquez initially found himself on the receiving end of a hefty one-minute penalty following Sunday’s Catalunya round, imposed by Race Direction for a clash with countryman Pol Espargaro in the closing stages of the race.
The incident summed up the two sides to Marquez.
It began when Marquez brilliantly saved a near crash, but ran wide whilst wrestling his Suter back under control. Espargaro, leading the championship, dived for the space created - but Marquez then sliced back across towards the inside kerb, causing a heavy impact that sent Espargaro bouncing across the asphalt.
Marquez was able to continue and claim third, which then became 23rd after the penalty. However, in a highly unusual situation, the FIM Stewards overturned the decision of Race Direction, reinstating Marquez.
Whilst the appeals were ongoing, the MotoGP top three offered their opinions of who was to blame.
Winner Jorge Lorenzo felt that Espargaro should have known Marquez would cut back across.
“It was a little risky for Pol to overtake there,” he said. “Marquez was in front and Pol knew he was going to close the line. Pol saw the opportunity and wanted to pass, but maybe it was not the right moment.”
But Dani Pedrosa, who lost the MotoGP race to Lorenzo at the very same turn, saw things differently.
“When Jorge passed me it was almost the same,” said the Honda rider. “I ran a little wide and I knew I had left the door open. I didn't know if Jorge was there or not, but I couldn't come back like no-one was there just in case. Yes, Pol was a little behind at that moment, but Marquez has to be aware that if you leave the door open someone can get in.”
Third place Andrea Dovizioso gave a “50/50” verdict.
“Marquez was in front so he couldn't see Pol,” the Yamaha Tech 3 rider explained. “For Espargaro it was the same, because he was leaning over and couldn't see exactly where Marquez was. It is bad to see this kind of crash but I don't think there is a clear fault.”
As Dovizioso suggested, Marquez insisted he simply hadn’t seen Espargaro. “I didn't see him because we have no mirrors and I can't see what is going on behind me,” commented the Repsol rider.
Luthi now leads the MotoGP championship with Marquez second and Espargaro third.
Earlier in the weekend Valentino Rossi said that “for sure” Marquez will be given a full factory Honda in MotoGP next year, although it remains to be seen which team he rides for.
‘I just want to win’ - Pedrosa shrugs off speculation
MotoGP News
Date: 3/June/2012
Dani Pedrosa insists that his focus is purely on winning as speculation grows that his Repsol Honda team will launch a determined bid to sign fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo for 2013.
Casey Stoner’s shock announcement that he will retire at the end of the year has left Honda, which had waited four seasons for a MotoGP title before Stoner’s arrival last year, in search of a new rider.
And Lorenzo, world champion for Yamaha in 2010 and leader of this year’s title race after three wins from five starts, is the obvious choice.
Such a big-money signing would place a major question mark over Pedrosa’s future at the only team he has raced for since joining MotoGP in 2006. Especially with young Spanish talent and Repsol favourite Marc Marquez set to join MotoGP next year, then be eligible for a factory ride in 2013.
But Pedrosa insists he’s heard it all before.
“These things are always here in the kind of years when every rider is out of contract,” he said of the speculation. “I have other people to take care of that. I really care more about winning.
“Actually that is more disappointing than anything else for me at the moment. I have everything good this year, but I am not winning. So I want to win soon.”
Pedrosa was speaking after finishing runner-up to Lorenzo in Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix. Even Pedrosa admits that it’s hard to fault Lorenzo at present, who has finished no lower than second in the opening five rounds.
“Jorge is almost doing a perfect season,” said Pedrosa. “He is only missing ten points out of the total possible. He’s really on the pace and we have to be there also if we want to keep up in the championship.”
Pedrosa remains third in the world championship, but has now slipped 30 points behind Lorenzo. Team-mate Stoner, the only other rider to win this year, is second.
Date: 3/June/2012
Dani Pedrosa insists that his focus is purely on winning as speculation grows that his Repsol Honda team will launch a determined bid to sign fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo for 2013.
Casey Stoner’s shock announcement that he will retire at the end of the year has left Honda, which had waited four seasons for a MotoGP title before Stoner’s arrival last year, in search of a new rider.
And Lorenzo, world champion for Yamaha in 2010 and leader of this year’s title race after three wins from five starts, is the obvious choice.
Such a big-money signing would place a major question mark over Pedrosa’s future at the only team he has raced for since joining MotoGP in 2006. Especially with young Spanish talent and Repsol favourite Marc Marquez set to join MotoGP next year, then be eligible for a factory ride in 2013.
But Pedrosa insists he’s heard it all before.
“These things are always here in the kind of years when every rider is out of contract,” he said of the speculation. “I have other people to take care of that. I really care more about winning.
“Actually that is more disappointing than anything else for me at the moment. I have everything good this year, but I am not winning. So I want to win soon.”
Pedrosa was speaking after finishing runner-up to Lorenzo in Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix. Even Pedrosa admits that it’s hard to fault Lorenzo at present, who has finished no lower than second in the opening five rounds.
“Jorge is almost doing a perfect season,” said Pedrosa. “He is only missing ten points out of the total possible. He’s really on the pace and we have to be there also if we want to keep up in the championship.”
Pedrosa remains third in the world championship, but has now slipped 30 points behind Lorenzo. Team-mate Stoner, the only other rider to win this year, is second.
Stoner: Tyres could be 'critical' in Catalunya race
MotoGP News
Date: 2/June/2012
If the hot temperatures continue at Catalunya, the end of Sunday’s MotoGP race could see riders struggling for grip on heavily degraded tyres.
That’s the view of reigning world champion Casey Stoner, who took his 40th grand prix pole by 0.146s from title leader Jorge Lorenzo at the Spanish circuit on Saturday.
Repsol Honda rider Stoner has been openly surprised at the amount of track time his rivals have spent on Bridgestone’s softer rear this weekend, believing the harder option is the safer choice.
Stoner said: "We've done a lot on the hard tyre, quite a bit more than other people, and we feel quite confident with the pace.
"Everyone else seemed to put in more laps on the soft tyre. That [tyre] is a slight risk for tomorrow in warmer conditions, although if the conditions cool down there is a chance we can go to the soft as well.”
Barring a change in the weather - and there is even a slight chance of thunderstorms - the Australian warned that the closing stages could see tyre performance collapse.
"I think this is going to be one of the first races in quite a long time where tyres are quite critical, especially towards the end of the race,” he said.
"We haven't seen that very often with Bridgestone tyres.
“But if the extreme temperatures continue tomorrow there is every chance the tyres could get too high for too long."
Despite the 50-degree qualifying asphalt, Yamaha rider Lorenzo is one of those learning towards the softer option.
“I think it can last,” Lorenzo insisted. “The best laps will be at the beginning of the race and then we’ll have a big drop in performance after seven laps. But I think the soft tyre can last to the end.”
Lorenzo estimates that even in the closing stages he would be able to lap within two-seconds of pole pace on the soft tyre.
All of which sets up the tantalising possibility of Stoner and Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa running the harder rear, while some or all of the Yamaha riders (including front row starter Cal Crutchlow) gamble on the softer tyre.
If so, the Yamahas would need to build an advantage over the early laps, then hang on to their sliding machines as the Honda riders reel them back in during the closing stages.
Lorenzo will start the race with an eight-point Championship advantage over Stoner. Both riders have won two races so far this year.
Date: 2/June/2012
If the hot temperatures continue at Catalunya, the end of Sunday’s MotoGP race could see riders struggling for grip on heavily degraded tyres.
That’s the view of reigning world champion Casey Stoner, who took his 40th grand prix pole by 0.146s from title leader Jorge Lorenzo at the Spanish circuit on Saturday.
Repsol Honda rider Stoner has been openly surprised at the amount of track time his rivals have spent on Bridgestone’s softer rear this weekend, believing the harder option is the safer choice.
Stoner said: "We've done a lot on the hard tyre, quite a bit more than other people, and we feel quite confident with the pace.
"Everyone else seemed to put in more laps on the soft tyre. That [tyre] is a slight risk for tomorrow in warmer conditions, although if the conditions cool down there is a chance we can go to the soft as well.”
Barring a change in the weather - and there is even a slight chance of thunderstorms - the Australian warned that the closing stages could see tyre performance collapse.
"I think this is going to be one of the first races in quite a long time where tyres are quite critical, especially towards the end of the race,” he said.
"We haven't seen that very often with Bridgestone tyres.
“But if the extreme temperatures continue tomorrow there is every chance the tyres could get too high for too long."
Despite the 50-degree qualifying asphalt, Yamaha rider Lorenzo is one of those learning towards the softer option.
“I think it can last,” Lorenzo insisted. “The best laps will be at the beginning of the race and then we’ll have a big drop in performance after seven laps. But I think the soft tyre can last to the end.”
Lorenzo estimates that even in the closing stages he would be able to lap within two-seconds of pole pace on the soft tyre.
All of which sets up the tantalising possibility of Stoner and Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa running the harder rear, while some or all of the Yamaha riders (including front row starter Cal Crutchlow) gamble on the softer tyre.
If so, the Yamahas would need to build an advantage over the early laps, then hang on to their sliding machines as the Honda riders reel them back in during the closing stages.
Lorenzo will start the race with an eight-point Championship advantage over Stoner. Both riders have won two races so far this year.
First blood to Lorenzo but all eyes on tyres
MotoGP News
Date: 1/June/2012
A pseudo qualifying session on Friday afternoon in Catalunya ended with MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo on top of the free practice timesheets for his home Grand Prix of Catalunya.
By contrast, title rival and morning pace setter Casey Stoner was left down in tenth place for Repsol Honda.
That’s because Stoner elected to stay on the harder compound rear tyre whilst many riders, Lorenzo included, fitted the softer option in the closing stages - producing a flurry of changes.
“Everyone seemed to treat this afternoon's session like it was qualifying, using the softer tyre, but in the end this is their choice!” shrugged Stoner, who had been fastest in the morning.
While the likes of Alvaro Bautista (Gresini) and Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3) shot momentarily to the top with the aid of the softer rubber, Lorenzo set the pace on both types of tyre.
The Spaniard ran the harder option early on, then reclaimed the top spot from Bautista by 0.2sec while using the softer tyre.
Lorenzo said: “We started this morning two tenths behind Casey, then this afternoon from the beginning we’ve been in first position. We tried the hard rear tyre which is very important for this track because it’s a real possibility for the race on Sunday.”
One rider hoping that the soft tyre can last the distance is Bautista, whose second place was by far his best performance as a Honda rider.
“I didn't have a good feeling on the hard tyre no matter what we changed on the setting, but on the soft tyre my pace was decent,” he said. “Tomorrow we'll try to see if we can do full race distance on the soft tyre because it would be a great option for us if we can.”
Date: 1/June/2012
A pseudo qualifying session on Friday afternoon in Catalunya ended with MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo on top of the free practice timesheets for his home Grand Prix of Catalunya.
By contrast, title rival and morning pace setter Casey Stoner was left down in tenth place for Repsol Honda.
That’s because Stoner elected to stay on the harder compound rear tyre whilst many riders, Lorenzo included, fitted the softer option in the closing stages - producing a flurry of changes.
“Everyone seemed to treat this afternoon's session like it was qualifying, using the softer tyre, but in the end this is their choice!” shrugged Stoner, who had been fastest in the morning.
While the likes of Alvaro Bautista (Gresini) and Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3) shot momentarily to the top with the aid of the softer rubber, Lorenzo set the pace on both types of tyre.
The Spaniard ran the harder option early on, then reclaimed the top spot from Bautista by 0.2sec while using the softer tyre.
Lorenzo said: “We started this morning two tenths behind Casey, then this afternoon from the beginning we’ve been in first position. We tried the hard rear tyre which is very important for this track because it’s a real possibility for the race on Sunday.”
One rider hoping that the soft tyre can last the distance is Bautista, whose second place was by far his best performance as a Honda rider.
“I didn't have a good feeling on the hard tyre no matter what we changed on the setting, but on the soft tyre my pace was decent,” he said. “Tomorrow we'll try to see if we can do full race distance on the soft tyre because it would be a great option for us if we can.”
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