Formula 1 - Archive Thread

[pinkmichk]

yeah i reckon the new ones should have a bit but it boils down to money if i gathered it right thing is though he actually out did yamamoto at silverstone

[Iceman]

ye Yamamoto was last (i think) ah well i never liked chandhock anyway, his eyebrows nearly matched that of Alonso's and we cant be having that!

[pinkmichk]

:joker: speaking of which i hope his bad luck continues

[Iceman]

ye its horrific the amount of bad luck he's gotten, i do think he's a great driver but could never support him, he denied schumi the right to retire as champion

[pinkmichk]

well i'm highly amused by it serves him right for whinging like a baby

[Iceman]

oh god i know its so annoying, sometimes is okay but uts getting like every race now, he needs to shut the fook up

[James]

Hispania are meant to be trying out their test drivers in the remaining races, probably see who they can wangle the most sponsorship money out of. :p

[James]

Nicole Pussycat Doll is standing in for Cheryl Cole on X Factor. Does this mean they will show Lewis Hamilton every 5 minutes watching? :D

[Iceman]

Nicole Pussycat Doll is standing in for Cheryl Cole on X Factor. Does this mean they will show Lewis Hamilton every 5 minutes watching? :D

Does it mean she'll feck off out of the garage now, im sick of seeing her mush!:joker:

[James]

They showed Rowan Atkinson watching from the garages at the British Grand Prix, which was a change.

[Iceman]

They showed Rowan Atkinson watching from the garages at the British Grand Prix, which was a change.

oh god gimme someone to look at......any other pussycat doll (except the one that looked like a man) or maybe Pammie...

[pinkmichk]

all i care bout is a repeat from ron dennis but this time he needs to tie ej up in a garage with gaffer tape over his gob

[Iceman]

yeah Eddie is losing all respect from me, he's saying stuff now purely to get headlines i swear if i was near him id knock him out

[James]

What did EJ say this time? The gaffer tape idea sounds like a good one to me. :D

[Iceman]

he said schumi will be gone by end of year.....

[Iceman]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Circuit_Hokenheimring.png

The Circuit in case anyone was wondering. always one of my fav's.

[pinkmichk]

woah thats the tightest hairpin i seen
slightly off topic but remember marks little flying episode that was tame compared to what i saw at brands today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsca3UqysrI but it really highlights just how good safety across all motorsport is driver just got out of car & walked away much like mark did (and luckily noone watching or marshalling got hurt) all marshalls but esp the brits are amazing people

[Iceman]

I still cant get over that, its insane nobody was killed.....


Off topic again but Rossi finished 4th.....he was battling for 3rd the last 5 laps, it was unreal....

[pinkmichk]

its the worst smash i ever seen & i've seen tons over the years just cant get over it
wow what a legend

[Iceman]

really geared up for this GP now, cause i missed last one it seems yonks since i seen one LOL

[pinkmichk]

gonna be strange to go back to tv viewing after last weekend lol

[James]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Circuit_Hokenheimring.png

The Circuit in case anyone was wondering. always one of my fav's.

Think I preferred the old Hockenheim to the new one.

[Gandalf]

I can't actually remember what the old one looked like.

[Iceman]

Shell looks like Bernie is reading what we say.......he's banging on now how Monaco doesnt need to be on the F1 calendar anymore, hopefully he goes through and pulls it.....its a silly procession to show off flash boats...

[pinkmichk]

wow for once he comes out with something that isnt tripe it really does need to go

[Iceman]

Yes, its silly having it, the other street race and new one this year will suffice, at least there's some overtakes on them, not like Monaco, its done get over it I say!

[pinkmichk]

tiff needell was also agreeing on twitter earlier saying monaco needs to go

[Iceman]

id love a really cold circuit.....(i know its not possible though)

[Iceman]

Sebastian Vettel has advised against writing off Michael Schumacher in the F1 2010 World Championship, opining that his feted countryman can still ‘play a very big role’ in the destiny of the laurels this year, that ‘Mercedes will come back’ and that contrary to what his detractors would have you believe, ‘Schumi’ is in actual fact ‘doing a very good job’.

There has been much criticism this season of the eagerly-hyped yet markedly underwhelming comeback of the most successful driver the sport has ever seen, with the Michael Schumacher of 2010 seemingly a very different creature indeed to the driver who claimed no fewer than seven world championship crowns, 91 grand prix victories, 154 podium finishes and 1,369 points and practically obliterated each and every one of his team-mates in the top flight during his ‘first career’ at the highest level between 1991 and 2006.

The model that has returned three years on from ‘retirement’, it is argued, is by stark comparison listless and an easy touch in battle, no longer as quick as he once was and indeed fast becoming a laughing stock, having tallied just 36 points from the opening ten races of the campaign to Mercedes Grand Prix team-mate Nico Rosberg’s 90, and not a single rostrum finish to three for his younger compatriot.

There are even whispers – stringently denied by the 41-year-old – that he may even choose to save himself any further embarrassment and damage to his illustrious reputation by hanging up his helmet again come season’s end, but Vettel suggests to dismiss him that easily would be a grave mistake.

“Obviously he has been criticised a lot lately in Germany, England, everywhere I think,” mused the driver once nicknamed ‘Baby Schumi’ in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, when asked if he deems his elder compatriot’s return to the grand prix grid to have been a failure. “I think he is doing a very good job – it is far from easy to return after a three year break, even though he was never entirely away from F1, but if anybody can manage it, he can.

“The cars have changed, the tyres as well – many things are not the way that he had become accustomed to – [but] when I look at his face and read his body language, I do not see any confusion or panic. Obviously the car he’s in at the moment is probably not the most competitive one, and it’s always hard from the outside to make a fair judgement about what is going on, if the car is to his liking or not – but I still think he can play a very big role in this year’s championship. I think Mercedes will come back, they will have strong races this year and I think they can be able to win races.”

Having already gone wheel-to-wheel with Schumacher in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai earlier this year, Vettel is well-placed to comment upon the Kerpen native’s racecraft appetite for the fight – and the Red Bull Racing star is insistent that in every possible way, he remains one of F1’s biggest draws.

“You can feel that it’s not just anybody racing you,” the 23-year-old reasoned. “I remember the race in China, there was a lot of passing and so on, but you realise he knows how to defend well and he knows how to kill your run, let’s say, and to defend his position better than most. In some other actions you see, like in free practice, it shows you there’s something special going on.

“Obviously the results are not the best, but I think that will change. If someone wins seven titles, you’d think he had to be something special. I don’t think you can take his place – he is still the best known racing driver in Germany and due to him, F1 is a very big sport in Germany. I don’t think people will forget that quickly; surely with good results, drivers like Nico, myself and others can get better known, but Michael is still a long way ahead in those terms.”

[pinkmichk]

current weather is looking to be wet for practice and qualies dry for race

[Iceman]

current weather is looking to be wet for practice and qualies dry for race

I want a dry race.....

Apparently MERC are bigging themselves up hugely for this race......cant thing why LOL

[pinkmichk]

i'd prefere it other way dry qualies wet race

[Iceman]

i'd prefere it other way dry qualies wet race

All I want is a dry race where Schuey can finish 4th......i really really want him to do good this weekend, i dont care if he DNF's every other race, I just want this one take the heat off and a home race with a good result will do amazing for his confidence....ive also changed my mind, Lewis is gonna win, Webber 2nd and vettel 3rd.

[Iceman]

But Schumacher, who holds more records than any other Formula One driver, was never one for statistics, and these numbers do not tell the true story of his return so far. Not only have many of his bad results been due to factors beyond his control — mechanical and sporting — but his results under the circumstances are exceptional. He has finished nine of the 10 races and he has scored points in six. He has twice finished fourth, and his lag behind Rosberg is measurable in tenths of a second.

[James]

Team orders rear their ugly head. :p

[Iceman]

Im disgusted, I turned off.....that ruined a perfectly good battle that was gonna happen. Can I just point out in 2002 that at least Michael Schumacher showed remorse towards Rubens Barrichello. Alsonso sitting in the press conference afterwards playing dumb. I loved how Felipe handled himself in that press conference and more or less admitted that he was given the orders. If there is any hope for F1 they need to award Vettel the win, Lewis secnd and Button third. Eddie Jordan said it all today when he said it was the most blatent team order he'd ever seen. I really really am so pissed of.

[pinkmichk]

quick opinion beens i spent 4 hours moaning bout red cars on twitter
absolute joke massa drove his best drive of the season for the team to do that i also really felt for smedley he obviously didnt want to pass on that message
whats even more of a joke although hardly suprising is the punishment from the ferrari international assistance lot of $100,000 fine & refferal to world motor sport council
i'm a lewis fan but his dq for lying to stewards was justified so both massa & alonso should have had the same treatment
still in other news mclaren 4th & 5th (although should be on podium with the 1-2 removed) which means they still topping the points so i'm happy there

[Iceman]

I dont even care about this season anymore......im really not bothered, funny how 1 thing changes your look on something.

[Novo]

F1 is more staged then WWE

[Iceman]

F1 is more staged then WWE

Evidently not, otherwise they wouldnt have allowed us to hear the radio transmissions.....

[pinkmichk]

F1 is more staged then WWE

really dont agree with that
we all know team orders happen but i think it was the blantant way they did it that has peed people off
plus a lot of it also comes down to the FIA who have always been very much on ferraris side

[Iceman]

1st Fernando Alonso (Ferrari); 2nd Felipe Massa (Ferrari); 3rd Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull).

Q: Fernando, as the team told you at the end you have indeed been very quick this weekend. Frustration though for much of the race and you said on the team radio at one stage 'this is ridiculous' but in the end it ended very well for you.
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I think it was a good weekend overall. We did improve the car a lot and immediately from Friday we felt very competitive. The car behaved very well and all the set-up adjustments worked really well here in Hockenheim. We know that some circuits will be better, some circuits will be worse. In the race as well we were competitive. We performed really well. Some parts of the race we were fighting very close for first position and it was a little bit dangerous but in the end I think it was a little bit more space between all the cars and we finished the laps with no more risky manoeuvres.

Q: It certainly wasn't a risky manoeuvre when you managed to get past Felipe. It looked rather easy from where we were watching.
FA: Well, I think I don't know what happened, but at the exit of turn six I saw Felipe a little bit slow and tried to overtake. You have to take every opportunity you have as it is a very difficult circuit to overtake and you only have one chance into turn six. I was never close enough to do an attempt, so at that point I overtook the other car and then it was 15 or 20 laps to the end. Some more cars to lap. That was some risk at some times as it is a very narrow circuit, especially the last sector, so it was not an easy race but very interesting.

Q: We heard in Australia this year you saying to the team 'look I am faster than Felipe, let me pass him'. At any stage were you saying that this afternoon?
FA: Well, I think sometimes you are quick, sometime you are slow depending on what stage the tyres are. Sometimes you have a little bit of graining and sometimes you have some other problems. In some parts of the race maybe I was quicker than him. Some other parts of the race Felipe was very quick and pulling away from Sebastian and me, so it is very difficult to judge but it is a very strong result for the team. Top three in qualifying and top two in the race and the best thing as well is that the car keeps improving. It is not a result down to the weather conditions or to anything like that. It is a good performance from the team and hopefully next week in Hungary we can do a good weekend as well and score some strong points for the team.

Q: Felipe, a year to the day since your accident in Hungary. A win would have been the perfect way to mark that anniversary. Did you feel you deserved a win this afternoon?
Felipe Massa: Well, I think so. The start was just fantastic and also the pace on the soft tyres was really great. Then I was struggling a little bit on the hard, but anyway it was a very good race for us.

Q: You were told by Rob Smedley, your race engineer, that Fernando was the faster car than yourself. A couple of laps later, turn six at the hairpin, talk us through what happened?
FM: Well, I don't think I need to say anything about that.

Q: Fernando managed to get past you. Did you make a mistake? Was it under braking?
FM: He passed me.

Q: Then Rob Smedley said 'Good lad, sorry'.
FM: Yeah.

Q: Did you feel that you weren't allowed to win that race?
FM: No, the only thing I feel is that we are working for the team and we are doing a very good job for the team and that is the most important thing.

Q: How pleasing is it for you that Ferrari are back up there competing with Red Bull?
FM: Well, I think it was a great job for the team during the last month I would say. We were pushing hard. This was a very good track for us but anyway I think we did a good job, good working inside the car, so the car became faster and faster race by race and I think that is very important for sure when you get to the track that you see your car is very, very competitive, so the best you can do is to do first and second on the track. This is what's happened today, so I think as a team we achieved the maximum that is possible for this race.

Q: Sebastian, another pole that sadly for you, you could not covert into victory. It was the start once again?
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, usually we have very good starts. Yesterday I was told Ferrari have good starts but I think up to today we had better ones. Not really sure what happened. I had quite a lot of grip, dumped the first clutch, so I had a big of a bog, so the first five to 10 metres of the acceleration were very poor. I was lucky I didn't stall the engine. I could get going again but lost the momentum, so I knew that it would be very tight with Fernando who was already side-by-side, so there was no way I could stay ahead of him. Then I was a little bit surprised when I saw Felipe come from the left. But still after that I think we had a good race. We knew it would be very tight. The closer you get you start to feel the tyres losing a bit of grip, starting to have a bit of graining but I think the majority of the race the Ferraris were probably just that tenth or two quicker than us, so it was difficult for us to keep up the pace. Towards the end we were able to push again a little bit but it is very tricky. You cannot really do your own rhythm as then you get so many lapped cars and depending on where you find them on the circuit, especially the last sector where it is very narrow, you can drop a lot of time and lose a lot of time but the race is done, so we finished third. I think we can be proud of that. We achieved our maximum today, so congratulations to Ferrari and I am pleased to be on the podium. Very special for me for my home grand prix to see the people here, be on that podium and see everyone cheering. It is very nice and emotional.

Q: Fernando, you needed a win before the summer break to re-ignite your championship challenge. Do you feel you have done that this weekend? You are back in business?
FA: I think apart from the win the most important thing is to feel confident with the car again, to feel that we are going in the right direction in terms of developing the car. The new parts on the car we introduced in the last couple of races seemed to work really well, so despite the win the better news for us in the last two or three races is that we are competitive. There were some grands prix that we were not quick enough to fight for pole positions, for wins, for podiums and we had to be conservative and now I think we can push a bit more, be more aggressive and try to score points. There is one race in one week. We did nothing today. I think we cannot go too low when the things were not very good for us and we need to be very calm after this strong result. We are happy, but we did nothing. This is the first step.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Fernando, your feelings of a Ferrari one-two. I think it is a certain amount of frustration over the last few races but now you have finally done it.
FA: Yeah, I think we deserved this result for the team. No points for Felipe and me in Valencia and Silverstone with a competitive car for different reasons and very bad luck. We came back here with some upgrades in the car and with some new parts and they seemed to work really well. From Friday morning we felt competitive. We felt happy with the car, so we just were concentrating on finishing and doing a good Sunday with no mistakes and no problems and everything went fine. To win a race is always special, but to win a race for Ferrari is even more special. Two races we did well this year we were first and second, so this is a very strong result for the team. We just need to continue like this. I think we are going to go down when we have some disappointing races and we cannot be too excited after a strong result. This is a very long championship and we need to remain very focused for 10 months. Today is very important for the team, for the motivation of all the guys and especially for the technical people that keep working day and night to improve the car and this result is thanks to them. This is a good motivation for everybody in Maranello as well but as I said in four days we are in Hungary, so there is no time to really be too excited.

Q: How important is this win here but do you feel the car will be similarly suited to the Hungaroring?
FA: I think so. I don't see any reason to be pessimistic for Hungary. The car was competitive in Valencia and Silverstone, more competitive here, so in eight days hopefully the picture doesn't change so much, very strong competition with Red Bull and McLaren, but at least we are in the fight. There were some races this year when we were very close to Renault, to Mercedes and very far away from Red Bull and McLaren. Now I think we feel strong enough to fight with them for important points, so hopefully we can do a good weekend again in Hungary.

Q: Tell us about the start as you were a bit worried about being on the dirty side. There was a certain amount of pressure from Sebastian.
FA: The start was very good. We felt good grip already in the formation lap and then in the start itself it was okay. I felt I had a better start than Sebastian who lost a little bit of ground in the first metres. Then I was very close to the wall. Unfortunately I think this battle we lost a couple of metres close to the wall and we lost one position both to Felipe who started very good in third, so we arrived at the first corner quite close but enough to overtake Sebastian, so it was a super start, I think.

Q: Your view of the start. You must have been interested watching what was going off to your right.
FM: Well, I think the car first of all did a fantastic start. I think I prepared the tyres very well and then I just had a good grip, Sebastian not pulling away like I expected. He was a bit slower than I expected in terms of wheel spin or whatever. Then I just saw him coming to the right, so the only possibility was to go to the left, so I went to the left and then were fighting each other, so I took the chance to pass both, so it was a great start.

Q: After that how was the pace of the car? Did you feel it was pretty perfect?
FM: Yeah, I think it was very good on the soft tyres. It was really good, so I could manage to put a good pace lap by lap. The tyres behaved even better than I expected, the soft in terms of degradation, especially rear degradation. Then I arrived at the time to change to the hard and I was struggling a little bit more on the hard tyres, so it was no news about that. Anyway the car was behaving after but I think I lost a little bit of pace on the hard tyres.

Q: Then Fernando got past you. Was that your decision to let him past?
FM: Yeah, definitely.

Q: Yes, definitely?
FM: (No verbal answer)

Q: Sebastian, what was your feeling about the pace of the Ferraris today?
SV: Not a nice one. I lost two positions at the start. I think the formation lap start was fine, then coming to the race start the lights came off I released the first clutch lever and the revs dropped a lot. The first five to 10 metres the acceleration was very poor, so I lost a lot of momentum. Then it was difficult to recover. You lose that most crucial phase. I knew it would be tight with Fernando. I think he didn't have a great start either. Obviously he had to start from the dirty side, so I was trying to defend my position. But then he was side-by-side and as soon as I saw that there was no reason to go any further. The guy I am focused on is the guy closest to me at that stage and it was Fernando. Then Felipe came around the outside. It was tight then going with more or less three cars into the first corner but not a big deal. I lost two positions after turn one and that was it. After that I think our pace was fine. I felt comfortable in the car. But we were just this tenth or two slower today than the Ferraris. Both of them were pulling away at the first sting a little bit and then the gaps were consistent around I would say three to five seconds. Very difficult then to say as you never really get into a rhythm with the lapped cars. You lose out more than the others, sometimes less. It is tricky. In the end we were never close enough. In the end I think we were a bit quicker again but they had no reason to keep pushing that hard. I was getting closer to Felipe, but he didn't do any mistakes. None the less I am happy to be on the podium. It is special for myself, my home grand prix. Nice to be on the podium even if not the top step and see all the people. Very nice. Lots of energy and big boost for next week. I think we have a very competitive car and today our maximum was finishing third which we did. I would have loved to take a bit more points, but 15 points is still a lot looking at the championship. A lot of race left, so I am happy today.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Fernando and Felipe, via a coded message it appears that we've just witnessed a clear case of team orders being handed out. To Fernando, do you feel embarrassed about taking such a win, and to Felipe do you feel angry about having to give up such a win?
FM: For sure, you always want to win. That's always what we're working for. For sure we don't have team orders, so we just need to do the race that we can and if you see that you cannot do the race that you can, you need to think about the team. I think that's the most important thing.
FA: Yeah, same. What's important is the team result, so I'm happy.

Q: (Fredrik Af Petersens) Felipe, you said earlier that you lost out to Fernando on the hard tyres. How come that after you were passed, that you were doing more or less exactly the same lap times, a couple of times even faster?
FM: I was pushing hard as well but maybe I think he slowed down, I don't know. He was controlling the pace.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Felipe, after this afternoon, do you now think you're the number two driver at Ferrari?
FM: Well, I cannot say that I'm there fighting for first position in the championship. I've lost many points, important points, and the only thing I can say is that I know what I can do, I can win races, that's what counts and everybody saw today that I can win races and I can be competitive. For sure, what happened today is something that has happened in many races this year: when I put on the hard tyres I struggle. This is exactly what happened in the race. On the soft tyres, I was very strong and then when we went onto the hard, I was struggling again, so there's no news about that. So I know why sometimes I'm a little bit penalised, it's just because of the very hard tyres that we have this year. I don't think it's a good thing, to be honest, because you don't have strategies any more. Then also the grip level on hard tyres for me was always a little bit of an issue this year, and most of the races that we used these tyres I was struggling. And this is another one where I was very good on the soft tyres in the first part of the race, and then we put on the hard tyres and I was struggling again. It's a similar issue that we have had in some races.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) Alonso, in a normal race, do you think you could have overtaken Massa, and Massa, in a normal race do you think Alonso could overtake you?
FM: Well, I think I was holding in a good way anyway, but the race is long and you always have many laps, so you never know what can happen in 20 laps. So maybe yes.
FA: Yeah, I think there was one moment also on (I don't know) which lap it was but we were side-by-side into turn six, especially with the people we were lapping - always there is a better chance to overtake and even though we didn't see too many overtakings here today we've seen a lot in the past on this circuit but this year maybe with the new cars etc we didn't see too many.

Q: (Ian Gordon - News of the World) Fernando, you said after Valencia that the race had been manipulated in favour of Lewis. Those words seem a bit hollow now. Where will this victory rank in your career, is it up there with Singapore 2008?
FA: I think you have a very strong result from Ferrari today, one and two, a very strong performance all weekend and if the final thought of the weekend is your question it's because maybe you didn't see the whole practice, qualifying and the race, so maybe it's too early for you that Ferrari came back so strong.

Q: (Ian Gordon - News of the World) Team orders are banned in Formula One. They were banned in 2002, that was blatant team orders.
FA: Sure.

Q: (Ian Gordon - News of the World) Eddie Jordan just said that you two should be kicked out of the race.
FA: Again, if this is the final thought of the weekend for you, I think it is because you didn't see the performance of the team and the performance from our car this weekend.

Q: (Juha Päätalo - Financial Times Germany) Fernando, I think we all know what happened on lap 48 and we don't need any fairy tales about tyres or anything to be clear of that. I just want to ask you, because in 2006 in Monza you said that Formula One is not a sport any more for you but was that which we saw today a sport?
FA: I think we tried to do our race, we tried to do as good as we can. We are professional drivers, we try to work in a team and we try to do the best we can every day, not only here on the track but also between the races, at the factory etc, preparing the races. Again, I think we've been doing a good job over the last couple of races and finally we got a strong Sunday with a strong result. I think we are happy with this, although there are things which are more for you if you want to write all these things.

Q: (Carlos Miquel - Diario AS) Fernando, do you feel that some people are worrying because you are back in the championship?
FA: Maybe it seems like this, yes.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) Fernando, what have you got to say to the people who would call this a dirty win and if you win the championship, a dirty champion?
FA: I have 19 races to... look at the overall races, there are a lot of points that we win sometimes and a lot of points that we lose sometimes. As I said, today was a good day, some other races were bad days for us, disappointing but as I said before, we need to remain focused, keep working, keep developing the car, not to be too excited when we win, not to be too down when we lose. In November, (we need to) try to be in the fight for the championship, not forgetting that Red Bull has so far been very dominant, not scoring many points on Sunday, or the points that they should have scored on Sunday, but remain very strong and McLaren as well, leading both championships, so there is still a long way to go for us.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) The reality is, though, that you couldn't beat him on the track, so you had to get the team to do it for you.
FA: If that's your opinion.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) I'm asking you, is that not your opinion?
FA: No.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) He had to give you this win, didn't he, Fernando?
FA: No.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Fernando, you've said that you're happy with this win but to be honest, I've never seen a driver look less happy in the middle of a podium there today, and in the middle of this press conference here. Why can't you just be honest with us for once, and just admit that this win was handed to you on a plate today?
SV: Can I go?

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Go Sebastian! Sebastian, give us your thoughts?
FA: Hopefully the next question is for Sebastian. No, stay, stay. As I said, I think we were competitive on Friday, I was very competitive on Friday, first position. Finishing second in qualifying by 12 centimeters, I heard yesterday and today I think we scored the fastest lap of the race, so overall I don't think I was very slow this weekend.

Q: (Miran Alisic - Korpmedia) I have a question for Sebastian. I think you had some not similar but close situations with Mark as well. Do you feel proud that what has happened at Ferrari today hasn't happened in your team?
SV: Don't you have another question maybe? Yeah, maybe they should have crashed. I don't know, I haven't seen the incident. I was too far back. I always saw them going into the hairpin when I was coming out of turn five, so I don't know what you're all talking about. I can guess but I don't know. For sure my advice would not be it's better to crash because also then you get a lot of questions that you have to answer so... Yeah, for me I was focusing on my own race and trying to do my thing, trying to stay close enough, trying to get closer, trying to put them under pressure. It didn't work, so I'm not pleased with that. No matter who you race, it's always difficult in Formula One to pass people and sometimes you have to take a lot of risk. When you don't have to race your team-mate, you're racing for the team, both of you, both drivers and on the other hand everyone looks for his own advantage. We had a couple of situations this year in our team, so it's quite a comedy that we are not in focus at this stage but life changes quickly, so… It's never wise to say anything that you might regret. Maybe in a week's time. I'm happy where we are now, as a team. Again, I can only repeat that from the outside there was more of a fuss made than there was inside. I can assure you that Mark and myself are always looking to do our best but on top of that, I think we understood many times this year that the team is the main priority and we are racing for the team, in the end. We don't get our cheque from you guys, we get it from the team. I think that's something we always have to respect.

Q: (Ralf Bach - R & B) Felipe, you said it was your decision to let Fernando past, so my first question is why did you take this decision, as a racing driver in Formula One, and my second question is do you have any idea why Rob Smedley said sorry to you?
FM: No. (Regarding your first question) As I said, because I was not so strong on the hard, so we need to think about the team.

Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) Felipe, Rubens damaged his image a lot in Brazil when he did what you did today. Until now you had the support of the country; aren't you worried that now after you did what Rubens did you have deeply damaged your image in Brazil?
FM: For sure not, for sure not. I'm very professional and I've showed in my career how professional I am. You are professional as well, you work for a company. I believe you are doing what you have to do, so I'm professional and today I showed how professional I am. That's it.

Q: (Tony Dodgins - Tony Dodgins Associates) Fernando you're getting quite a bit of flak but as you say, you've been the quicker Ferrari driver for most of the weekend. We see it so often that the guy who is second on the grid gets beaten away by the guy who is third. Is there ever a case for actually asking to reverse the positions on the grid?
FA: I think there are some circuits where the clean side is an advantage. There are some circuits where it is not an advantage, for example in Hungary next weekend, it will be crucial to be on the clean side. There are other circuits like that. There's nothing we can do. We have a fifty percent chance of being on the clean or dirty side of the grid, unless you are the quickest which secures the clean side. The only thing we can do is to fight for pole position which allows you to be on the clean side. If not, I don't see any other possibility. Maybe there should be more distance. Instead of eight meters, maybe 12 or whatever.

Q: (Tony Dodgins - Tony Dodgins Associates) Take today, if you'd been able to opt to start third instead of second and actually swap places, would you have done it?
FA: Maybe I would have done a bad start, you never know. I think it was a good start today, overtaking Sebastian and that was our target today. You never know.

Q: (Anne Giuntini - L'Equipe) To both Fernando and Felipe, we always talk about the show, the necessity of the show in Formula One. Can you conceive that race lovers and show lovers might be a bit frustrated today?
FA: Well, I think we try to put on a good show always for people, for spectators but as Felipe or Sebastian said, we work for companies, we work for teams. Sometimes, as we saw this year, there are crashes between team-mates and the loss of 42 points for the team. Today Ferrari has 42 in their pocket, so I think it's what we are here for.

Q: (Ted Kravitz - BBC Sport) Fernando, after the pit stop, when you were behind Felipe, we heard a radio message, it wasn't very clear, but it sounded like you were telling the team guys 'think of the victory.' Did you say that?
FA: No.

[Iceman]

On this weekend, its the track where Felipe "I'm a pushover" Massa had his accident last year. Wonder how Fernando "I'm a cheat" Alonso will fair, seemed to have a fast car....

[pinkmichk]

*sick to death of ferrari related stuff now* shame its gonna rumble on and on for a while yet esp if motorsport council wait til sept its gonna be the pre qualie etc talk same as the redbulls issues were after turkey speaking of which i bet horner is over the moon heat off them (oh and both red bulls & ferraris supposed floppy front wings were cleared as ok)

in terms of the race would like obviously like the mclarens to do well (speaking in plural cos i'm really warming to button this year) but i would like the mercs do have a good weekend too
anyone but red cars to be fair for win

[pinkmichk]

*sick to death of ferrari related stuff now* shame its gonna rumble on and on for a while yet esp if motorsport council wait til sept its gonna be the pre qualie etc talk same as the redbulls issues were after turkey speaking of which i bet horner is over the moon heat off them (oh and both red bulls & ferraris supposed floppy front wings were cleared as ok)

in terms of the race would like obviously like the mclarens to do well (speaking in plural cos i'm really warming to button this year) but i would like the mercs do have a good weekend too
anyone but red cars to be fair for win

[Iceman]

Rob Smedley should drive Massa's car. He'd have the biggest following

[pinkmichk]

rob smedley would make a cracking driver he'd ge my support ;)

[Iceman]

^^ Im sure he would ;)

[pinkmichk]

:joker: purely cos he would be good driver ;) i reckon he has more skill than massa beens he often been heard talking him through actual driving things

[Iceman]

I wonder if he's ever driven in any series before *googles*

[pinkmichk]

i would be suprised if he hasnt i know its his job but he seems to have a bigger knowledge if that makes sense

[Iceman]

apparently not, and i also found out he worked for Jordan????? im suprised maybe they should give him a go in the car and see what happens! the support for him is amazing......loving it at the moment.

[pinkmichk]

oh i didnt know that thought he had just been ferrari
smedley for star in reasonably priced car :)

[pinkmichk]

Sakon Yamamoto will be driving for HRT again in Hungary in place of Karun Chandhok.
Am hardly suprised by this news & have been saying it since weekend (so to those poo pooed me for saying it HA :P) obviously rather him driving but if he cant i hope 5live have him back in commentry box again

[Iceman]

yeah i hope Chandhock doesnt come back, he's a nice guy and all, very funny, but he cant drive for beans!

[pinkmichk]

we'll have to agree to disagree on that i think he better than yamamoto & if he were in a better car would be better still but at least we get him on 5live again

[Iceman]

LOL look at us fighting over Karun, this time last year woulda been over Kimi and Lewis.....OH HOW THE TIMES CHANGE

[pinkmichk]

haha i know oh times really have changed or maybe i've mellowed somewhat

[Iceman]

I think we've both mellowed....(its just red bull have become so great theyve outshone the rest over past 2 years)

[pinkmichk]

yeah i think we prob both have
yeah they may have a fast car but the reliability issues are still there i know we had a few with the mclaren last year but the redbulls seem to have tons

[Iceman]

yea they do but they still right up there in the hunt.....and theyre crazy great in last 2 races.

Prediction this week: 1st Schuey, 2nd Rosberg, 2rd Barichello

Real Prediction: 1st Webber, 2nd Vettel, 3rd Hamilton

[magunkey]

Saw this and thought of you Massa fans here (http://www.total-formula1.com)

And Heikki's profile is funny too...Heikki (http://www.total-formula1.com/kovalainen.html)

[Iceman]

So like I was on twitter just you know tweeting and my good friend said this to me:

rubarrichello

@Eoin_l_ helllllooo 2 minutes ago via web in reply to Eoin_l_

[pinkmichk]

heheh legend (rubens aint bad either ;) )
i dont know if i can be giving a prediction its a pretty un exciting track with a farm yard front 2 rows lock out

[Iceman]

Going with Webber. Lewis, Rosberg top 3. all the rest will have problems and hopefully the Cheats take each other out.

[pinkmichk]

only thing i reckon is button will storm through the field again i reckon lewis 4th jenson 5th top 3 i dont know depends on 1st corner

[Iceman]

Im hoping for rain aswell, toward the end would be nice.

[pinkmichk]

reports all say same as qualies (and not even over night rain like last night) but rain would make for 1 happy shell

[Iceman]

I just think Schuey could do some damage in the Rain, I mean he was the Rainmaster and nobody since has come close to the magic he pulled off.

[pinkmichk]

oooooh *does a rain dance* rain could easily mean both lewis & schumi on podium that would just be grand

[Iceman]

*Dances in Rain*

[James]

So like I was on twitter just you know tweeting and my good friend said this to me:

rubarrichello

@Eoin_l_ helllllooo 2 minutes ago via web in reply to Eoin_l_

Ask him about Schu lol.

Was Vettel doing the 'Nescafe handshake' when he did his drive-through? :D

[Iceman]

Schuey had been doing that line 3 laps previous, Rubens knew that and complained on the radio, I dont see why he tried that way again, Surely he knew Schuey was gonna do it again???? I see the view point and yeah maybe he should get a DQ but c'mon this is the most ruthless driver in F1 and he's pee'd off cause he hasn't got a good car, what would you do?

[pinkmichk]

my thoughts on todays race
rather exciting given its the hungarian one
really bad day for mclaren :(
vettel has taken the crown of whingest baby loved his hand gestures though
not a redbull fan but of the 2 prefere webber to take the win
schumi = knob

driver of day i have 3 webber, kobayashi and petrov

[Iceman]

Michael Schumacher has apologised to Rubens Barrichello for his driving during the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The seven-time champion was given a ten-place grid penalty for the Belgian GP after squeezing Barrichello against the pitwall on the main straight as the Brazilian tried to pass him during yesterday's race.

The move angered Barrichello, who was critical of Schumacher's driving.

Schumacher said after the race that he did not feel he had done anything wrong.

However, on Monday the Mercedes driver said he agreed with the stewards' decision and apologised to Barrichello if the Brazilian felt his driving was dangerous.

"Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard," Schumacher wrote on his website.

"I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn't want to let him pass but... I wasn't seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was then I'm sorry, this wasn't my intention."



Idiot, stupidly apologising grrrrrrrrrr

[pinkmichk]

still dont agree with you over this ;)
i recieved some hate from vettel diehards on twitter cos i said his punishment was justified (on that FIA said he was over double that 10 car thing)
it really makes me laugh over how silly some fans get in protecting their driver/team
but anyway moving on spa shouls be a good track for mclaren

[Iceman]

29 August is when F1 returns! sad times, silly winter break!

[pinkmichk]

thank god the f1 & btcc summer breaks arent on at same time
spa should in theory be good to the mclarens
wonder whos turn it is for some drama :joker:

[Iceman]

I'll say maybe Button he's been fine since he went against lewis in that race? er can't even remember now which one it was, so much drama.

[Iceman]

Their names are synonymous with Formula One racing. One abandoned his driving career after two Grands Prix, became a successful team boss and then transformed the sport into a global phenomenon. The other rewrote its record books from behind the wheel, accumulating a set of career statistics that may never be surpassed. They are, of course, Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone and Mercedes GP’s seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. Their friendship goes back almost 20 years. No surprise then that they always have plenty to talk about…

Q: Bernie and Michael, can you both remember when you first met - and what you thought about the other?
Bernie Ecclestone: If memory serves me well, that must have been some two decades ago in Monza…
Michael Schumacher: … that’s right.
BE: I helped a bit to move him from Jordan to Benetton.

Q: Why? Was it already so obvious to you at that time that he had that ‘je ne sais quoi’?
BE: Yes, of course. That was the reason I wanted him in a competitive team. And indeed he not only developed into a magnificent driver, but also into a sort of team manager. In soccer you would call it a player-coach… (laughs)

Q: Before Michael legions of German drivers had tried their luck in Formula One, with varying degrees of success. Why were you so sure that Michael would make it big?
BE: You could see that immediately if you had a good eye for talent. I think it was already visible at his first race in Spa.
MS: I also believe that talent shows right away…
BE: …anyway, I was sure that there is a winner in the making, even before his first podium in Spa in 1992. That he would win the title seven times is of course something that nobody sane would have ever predicted.

Q: When was it clear for you Michael that you would succeed in Formula One?
MS: To be honest that was in Monza after my second race - my first race for Benetton - when there was that gut feeling that bigger things could be in the wings. Before that I was lacking self-confidence to think beyond the mere fact of just being there. Of course there was no vision of winning a championship, but I had the impression that I could race on a level with the best and fight with them.

Q: So you must have been grateful that Bernie helped you move from Jordan to Benetton?
MS: Of course. He was always there if I needed advice and always offered his support. For sure Bernie was an important factor when I changed team from Jordan to Benetton. It was an important change, probably not in the first year, but definitely as a natural next step to being with the right team. Only then was I able to help increase the interest in Formula One in Germany. So I benefitted from it, as well as Formula One.
BE: Absolutely. He and Lewis Hamilton are still the most prominent drivers in Formula One. Even today.

Q: What did Formula One give you Michael?
MS: Twenty years full of passion and positive excitement.

Q: What have the two of you learned from each other?
BE: Michael is a proper guy. That is important for me. If you talk to him you know where you stand. And once again, how fast he upgraded himself from pure driver to ‘team manager’ at Benetton…
MS: …that’s not totally correct. That was rather more the case at Ferrari. (smiles)

Q: And now at Mercedes?
MS: Well, I have worked together with (team principal) Ross (Brawn) and others in the team for so many years that it is natural that my job is not limited to driving only. I’m surely no engineer nor aerodynamicist, but I have enough experience to know the direction it should head in to be successful. With all these computer programs and all the data flowing from it, it is still men who make the decisions.

Q: Bernie, at what point did you know that Michael would make a comeback?
BE: I learned it from the newspaper.

Q: You didn’t talk before?
BE: No.
MS: What for?
BE: The most important factor was that Michael had enough self-confidence to do it and a team that believed in him. The people at Mercedes knew what he stands for and what he is able to achieve and they talked to him in a serious way so that he would listen. If they’d tried to sell him nonsense he surely wouldn’t have listened to them.

Q: Were you surprised by the media hype surrounding your comeback?
MS: You bet. Already in summer 2009 when there was the talk of me returning to Ferrari for a short period I was surprised - positively surprised.
BE: It was super. Very similar to Tiger Wood’s comeback - even though Tiger had stopped playing for very different reasons. We had a tremendous media presence thanks to Michael. Thanks again for that.

Q: Hand on heart Michael, would you ever have guessed it is possible for one driver to win seven titles in his career?
MS: No, nobody can be that narcissistic. Even in my wildest dreams I could not imagine winning more than one title, if at all, because as a driver you depend heavily on the competitiveness of your car. We are not tennis players or other lone sportsmen where it is only your own talent that makes or breaks it. But I love it the way it is - that you are part of a team where you have to put performance together like a jigsaw puzzle to be successful, and where everybody needs to be motivated by the others.
BE: How true. Formula One is a team sport and that shows in the outfit of every individual team member - they are all the same. So they should all pull together for the benefit of the whole. That’s why I am against the so-called ‘team order’ ban that is all over the place right now - because we are speaking about internal team decisions. The only collusion that cannot be tolerated in my opinion is one between two teams for the disadvantage of a third party. What’s your opinion Michael?
MS: Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in Turkey had the smell of team orders, or Nico Rosberg staying out longer in Hockenheim. But is that really team orders? No, it is not. Only things that can be controlled should be regulated.
BE: Absolutely correct.

Q: Bernie, when you heard that Michael was coming back you called it a gift for Formula One. That comeback has been a bit bumpier than expected and there are lots of critics. Was it really a gift for Formula One?
BE: Yes, because Michael is a hundred percent fit and talented, but he is racing because he wants to win - and at the moment this is not possible, so he has to focus on getting the car right.

Q: What about you Michael? Explain why your comeback was not a mistake…
MS: Because I enjoy what I’m doing and because I believe in being able to reach my goal - to win the title. I have to accept that it will take time. Of course we all in the team believed that we would be more competitive this season. Unfortunately that’s not the case.
BE: If Michael were driving a Red Bull I would put my money on him…

Q: You too, Michael?
MS: Let’s put it this way, I would have different options in a Red Bull.

Q: What makes you so optimistic that next year will be better?
MS: Because we know and understand the problems that are haunting us now.
BE: I have to add something else. When people say that Nico Rosberg is faster than Michael I tell them Nico still has to prove himself. Not so Michael. For Nico fourth places are still important - not for Michael. Only winning is what counts for him. Whether he finishes fourth or 14th doesn’t really matter for him…

Q: Is that true, Michael?
MS: He’s probably right.

Q: Both of you like a poker game. How important is it to put on a good poker face?
BE: He doesn’t need it - he’s in the car wearing a helmet! (laughs) But let’s be serious, why should he push to the limit for fourth places?
MS: Wait a minute, I cannot leave that statement unresolved. I always drive at the limit. I do that for myself.

Q: What Bernie obviously means is that you appear much more relaxed than in the past…
MS: Okay, yes. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not giving everything.
BE: I’m only suggesting that the motivation is different if you fight for a win or for eighth or ninth place.

Q: Are you still surprised about the reactions of the media? Do you pinch yourself sometimes, thinking ‘Oh my god, what have I done?’
MS: Once again, for me it is important how I work with the car and with the team. The media are just a side effect. They don’t influence the picture that I envision.

Q: So you believe that you are faster than Nico Rosberg?
MS: I see all the details. True, with how the car behaves at the moment I am not driving at his level. At least not in qualifying. In the race it’s very equal. I know precisely how I can change that fact - and I am working on it.

Q: Jenson Button, your predecessor at Brawn-Mercedes, has said feels a bit guilty as last year he moulded the 2010 car to suit his driving style - and that is completely different to yours. His handling preference is more towards understeer - a characteristic you don’t like. You came to the team too late to change the fundamental characteristics of the car…
MS: …true, every driver has his own driving style and you have to work with the team so that you feel comfortable with the package. I achieved that with Ferrari. But that doesn’t happen overnight. It is no secret that at the moment our car has characteristics that don’t suit me. Now it is up to us to change that. Then the situation will be different.

Q: Bernie, before Michael drivers were not averse to living the high life off track. But then he came and changed it all. He introduced a kind of Teutonic thoroughness that had only one goal - success. Did you view that development with mixed feelings?
BE: I can only say this - today all drivers want to be like Michael Schumacher…
MS: I am sure that, for example, Sebastian Vettel observed my career steps very carefully. He never told me, but I think I’m right. I am proud of that. But I wasn’t only successful because I was the fittest guy on the grid. I also worked hard with the team. My success was the summation of many factors.
BE: And let’s not forget that Michael also introduced new dimensions for driver salaries. Team principals don’t really appreciate him for that! (laughs) And coming back to Sebastian Vettel, he is as smart as Michael when it comes to his working mode and he is gifted with exceptional talent. On top of that he’s a damned nice guy. Wasn’t he called ‘Baby Schuey’ in Germany?
MS: He doesn’t like these comparisons. And he’s right. He has outgrown it.

Q: Last question. Is Fernando Alonso your spiritual successor at Ferrari? Some feel he is the Ferrari team principal in disguise…
MS: I cannot answer that. I have no contact with Alonso.
BE: Fernando has a different character. He will not achieve at Ferrari what Michael did.

[Iceman]

Qualifying is looking like its gonna be wet!

[Grimnir]

who will get pole position?

I will go for Hamilton

[pinkmichk]

mclaren front row please lewis on pole
that Q1 was absolutly crazy

[Grimnir]

i wanted one of the little teams to get through to Q2 :bawling: lol

[pinkmichk]

i thought yamamoto had drove drive of his life at 1 point :laugh:

[James]

Spa is one the best circuits on the calendar. :)

[Grimnir]

ya Spa is best

Schumacher out in Q2 again :joker:

[pinkmichk]

lewis drove amazingly today hoping for a repeat in the race tomorrow with a good start on mark

[Iceman]

ya Spa is best

Schumacher out in Q2 again :joker:

Considering theyve given up on developing this years car plus he knew he had a penalty plus he was less than a tenth from Q1 i'd say that's job done, expet schuey to finish 5th tomorrow.

[Iceman]

Drive of the day Michael Schumacher! Welcome the **** back!

[pinkmichk]

chuffed for lewis gutted for jenson vettel really needs to readdress how he drives 3 investigations in this race alone for him and has proved yet again he doesnt deserve the championship

[ange7]

lol ... webber didn't deserve 2nd, swings and roundabouts I guess.
Great race by lewis. I think he was the only one who was really pushing it (with the exception of vettel lol what an idiot)

[Grimnir]

just watched on iplayer

good race

great drive from hamilton and thoroughly deserved win, sooooo close keepin it runnin when he went onto gravel phew

hope he wins championship :thumbs:

vettel causes too many collisions and doesn't deserve to win this year, needs to get his act together

[Iceman]

Practice 1 FRI 09:00
Practice 2 FRI 13:00
Practice 3 SAT 10:00
Qualifying SAT 13:00
Race SUN 13:00

[King Gizzard]

To this day I still say Grand *****s

Not in an insult way just always thought it was that lol


anyway as you were :bigsmile:

[Iceman]

er random much!

You should watch this one, probably one of the best races you'll ever see.....

[King Gizzard]

I don't have the patience

[Iceman]

I don't have the patience

*sings Take That* *"have a little Patience"*

did you see the Moto2 Crash where the japanese bike rider got killed? such a bad crash.....

[King Gizzard]

How is my German geezer doing?

[Iceman]

How is my German geezer doing?

who did you have again? Vettel?:conf:

[King Gizzard]

Nah...someone that looked like a girl lol

[King Gizzard]

Actually vettel looks a bit like a girl to but its not him lol

[Iceman]

Nah...someone that looked like a girl lol

Um Nico Rosberg?:conf:

[King Gizzard]

Thats the one!

[Iceman]

He's doing well...beating michael Schumacher a lot :(

[pinkmichk]

ooooh yay monza will be able to watch fp 1&2 & the race

[Iceman]

Fernando Alonso will find out on Wednesday if his world title aspirations are still intact after the World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris.

The Spaniard could be stripped of his German Grand Prix victory with Ferrari accused of using team orders during a race that saw team-mate Felipe Massa move aside to allow Alonso past.

Should that be the case Alonso will fall 66 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton with six races remaining.

However, the general feeling is that the team will bear the brunt of the pain in the form of a fine and a penalty in the constructors' standings.

World champion Jenson Button admitted he would be surprised if Alonso is docked any points.

"I don't think the drivers will get a penalty," said the McLaren driver. "If they do get another penalty it will be for the team because it was an order from the team.

"Personally I don't understand why they just don't swap the points around for those two, but you can't do that within the regulations."

Ferrari's argument will centre on the fact that no explicit order was given to Massa for him to cede the lead, and eventually the win, to Alonso.

Instead, Massa was simply told twice by engineer Rob Smedley over the pit-to-car radio that Alonso was faster than him, the message repeated as the Brazilian did not respond to the initial remark.

Despite protestations of innocence from Alonso, Massa and team principal Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari were found to be in breach of article 39.1 of the FIA 2010 sporting regulations that states 'team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited'.

Ferrari were also charged with a breach of article 151c of the FIA international sporting code relating to 'any fraudulent conduct, or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition, or to the interests of motor sport generally'.

Ordinarily, the WMSC would be chaired by FIA president Jean Todt, but due to a conflict of interests given his former role as team principal of Ferrari, he will stand down in favour of his deputy, Graham Stoker, a London barrister.

[pinkmichk]

both ferraris & the teams points from germany removed & race ban for monza is what i'd like to see happen

[Iceman]

both ferraris & the teams points from germany removed & race ban for monza is what i'd like to see happen

nah, too harsh......this is nowhere near as bad as spygate so it shoul be same I reckon, suspended sentence and constructor points gone!

[Iceman]

ferrari decision befor 6pm apparently.

[Iceman]

Ferrari escape with no punishment! (cheers inside a bit hehe)

[James]

Ferrari escape further punishment over team orders controversy


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/

[Iceman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/

;) Ferrari have emerged unscathed from a hearing into the team orders controversy that overshadowed Fernando Alonso's victory at the German Grand Prix.

Team bosses were accused of ordering team-mate Felipe Massa to let Alonso pass him to allow the Spaniard to triumph at Hockenheim.

More to follow....

[pinkmichk]

meh said all i'm gonna say on the matter on twitter all i hope for is a mclaren 1-2 on the ferrari home turf

[Iceman]

We are tifosi we do what we want, we are tifosi come and sing along!

[pinkmichk]

no :P

[Iceman]

Can't wait for the race now......I've decided to switch channels that I watch it on, no more anti Schumi BBC for me :D

[Iceman]

Jacques Villeneuve is refusing to let go of his dream of owning a F1 team despite the FIA rejecting his bid to have the 13th outfit on the grid.

The former World Champion teamed up with Durango to apply for the 13th place on next year's grid, however, instead of filling the slot, the FIA announced on Wednesday that the 2011 grid would remain at 12 teams.

"It was considered that none of the candidates met the requirements to be granted an entry into the Championship," motorsport's governing body said in a statement. "Consequently, the allocation of the 13th team will not be granted."

Villeneuve, though, says he's not giving up and now will turn to his back-up plan, which is to purchase one of the existing Formula One teams.

"We will now return to our original plan, which was our plan B, that is to say, to takeover one of the existing teams," the 39-year-old told Rue Frontenac.

"It will probably cost more and we must ensure that we have a free hand with the team. We do not want to be with partners we would not have chosen.

"We will also see that there are contracts in place to avoid them interfering with our plans.

"For example, we have tremendous confidence in the design of our car. We want to be able to use it, not to have the old design already in place imposed on us."

"I still have to sit with my partners and establish a strategy.

"However, I am pleased that we continued to work on NASCAR. Things are going well on that side."

[Iceman]

Kimi Raikkonen is the third highest-paid driver in Formula One - despite competing in the World Rally Championship and not the flagship open-cockpit series.

The 2007 world champion's bumper pay-off from Ferrari amounts to a £13.1 million salary this season, just over half the £24.6m picked up by the man who replaced him, double champion Fernando Alonso.

Alonso is fifth in the current World Championship.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, the champion in 2008, is second and also on £13.1m, according to a report in El Mundo.

His compatriot and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button will earn £7.4m over the course of the year after jumping ship from Brawn GP, now the Mercedes factory squad, in the winter. He is fifth in the list, behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa (£11.5m) despite his status as reigning world champion.

Seven-times title winner Michael Schumacher is being paid £6.6m on his return to the top flight, the same as Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Surprisingly championship leader Mark Webber comes in at 10th - his salary is £3.5m - while highly-rated team-mate and title hopeful Sebastian Vettel will only see £1.6m basic for his work this season, an amount which puts him 12th in the 26-man list.

However both Red Bull drivers are understood to be on substantial bonuses for race victories, of which Webber has recorded four and Vettel two so far this season.

Behind Ferrari (£49.1m) and McLaren (£20.5m) in the teams' driver spend are Mercedes (£13.1m), Renault (£6.5m), Red Bull and Williams (both £5.1m).

Hispania Racing offer the lowest salaries by some distance, with just £123,000 outgoing from their accounts for that purpose.

Bruno Senna, who picks up that £123,000 - other drivers Karun Chandhok and Sakon Yamamoto are not paid - earns roughly 200 times less than Spaniard Alonso.

The full list:

Drivers

1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) £24.6m

2. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) £13.1m

3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) £13.1m

4. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) £11.5m

5. Jenson Button (McLaren) £7.4m

6. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) £6.6m

7. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP) £6.6m

8. Robert Kubica (Renault) £6.2m

9. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) £4.5m

10. Mark Webber (Red Bull) £3.4m

11. Jarno Trulli (Lotus) £2.5m

12. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) £1.6m

13. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) £1.6m

14. Timo Glock (Virgin) £820,000

15. Nico Hülkenberg (Williams) £573,000

16. Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) £410,000

17. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) £410,000

18. Vitaly Petrov (Renault) £328,000

19. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) £328,000

20. Sébastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) £328,000

21. Adrian Sutil (Force India) £164,000

22. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) £164,000

23. Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin) £164,000

24. Bruno Senna (Hispania) £164,000

25. Karun Chandhok (Hispania) Nil

26. Sakon Yamamoto (Hispania) Nil

Teams

1. Ferrari £49.1m

2. McLaren £20.5m

3. Mercedes GP £13.1m

4. Renault £6.5m

5. Red Bull £5.1m

6. Williams £5.1m

7. Lotus £4.1m

8. Virgin £983,000

9. Sauber £819,000

10. Toro Rosso £655,000

11. Force India £328,000

12. Hispania £123,000
Eurosport

[Iceman]

Still nothing in comparison to what Schuey got back in the day.

[James]

I was watching the 1991 Italian Grand Prix on the BBC site earlier - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/09/your_classic_italian_grand_pri_1.html

[Iceman]

I was watching the 1991 Italian Grand Prix on the BBC site earlier - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/09/your_classic_italian_grand_pri_1.html

Not available in my area......one of the reasons I wont watch BBC coverage anymore......

[King Gizzard]

Go on son!!

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/10/29/1256813753280/Nico-Rosberg-006.jpg

[James]

Not available in my area......one of the reasons I wont watch BBC coverage anymore......

That was Schumacher's second Grand Prix, quite funny to hear him described as the 'senstational newcomer'.

[Iceman]

Bump i think practice is on now, CBA to find a stream though.

Qualifying at 1

[Iceman]

Alonso on pole, im a happy man, delighted that they got pole on the teams home ground.

[Iceman]

Button is going to either do very well and block at the start or cause a crash!

[Iceman]

What a race, lewis out, Button mucks up, Alonso doesnt do a thing wrong the whole weekend! Massa strong! vettel and Webber did okay, these last 5 races will be immense!

[pinkmichk]

snoozefest with my team suffering & eyebrows winning meh

[Iceman]

snoozefest with my team suffering & eyebrows winning meh

Role reversal of last race!

[Iceman]

Fri 24 September 2010
Practice 1 11:00 - 12:30
Practice 2 14:30 - 16:00
Sat 25 September 2010
Practice 3 12:00 - 13:00
Qualifying 15:00
Sun 26 September 2010
Race 13:00

This is the night race, expect this to be all over the place!

[pinkmichk]

i love singapore cant wait

[Iceman]

i love singapore cant wait

Wonder what will happen with the tyres? theyre so unpredictable this year, I mean Vettel did basically a whole race on the 1 compund, amazing....

also im hoping for rain!

[Iceman]

Mercedes team boss tried to clear the matter by telling BBC Sport that there will be no changes regarding a driver change for the 2011 season.

These rumours were denied by Michael Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm as well who told BBC Sport “Michael has no plans to quit at the end of this year”.


I fear the worst :(

[Iceman]

massa out, session red flagged.......he left it in a dangerous place.

[Iceman]

and we're back :)

[Iceman]

Ferrari are really struggling

[Iceman]

Petrov off

[Iceman]

and now out :)

[Iceman]

Alonso doing good :D

[James]

Looks like it could be good race.

[Iceman]

Yeah cant wait now, reckon Schumi could do good if he gains a few places.

[Iceman]

Hamilton gets no points for the second race in a row.......his title chances are all but blown......

[pinkmichk]

silly mistakes are gonna cost him the championship *gutted*

[Iceman]

silly mistakes are gonna cost him the championship *gutted*

I wont say anything, I will post this and thats all -------->:dance:

[Iceman]

Alonso wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[Iceman]

The 2010 Japanese Grand Prix will be the sixteenth round of the 2010 Formula One season. It will be held in Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie Japan on October 10, 2010

Sat 09 October 2010
Qualifying 14:00
Sun 10 October 2010
Race 15:00

[Niamh.]

ahaha, Lewis is gone down to 3rd!

[pinkmichk]

in 2 weeks time he needs to keep his head down & drive a damage limitation drive he can still mathmatically win it but he isnt helping his cause

[Iceman]

in 2 weeks time he needs to keep his head down & drive a damage limitation drive he can still mathmatically win it but he isnt helping his cause

I want him to stay into contention until last race, I wan a 5 way fight in Abu Dhabi for the title :D seperate the boys from the girls :)

[James]

I missed most of the race. Didn't realise it started so early. :s

[MissKittyFantastico]

Poor Lewis :(

I reckon Webber will win it this year, so long as Alonso doesn't then I'm happy tbh, can't stand that a-hole :)

[Niamh.]

I hope Webber or Vettel win it, Gav is hoping for Alonso

[MissKittyFantastico]

I hope Webber or Vettel win it, Gav is hoping for Alonso

Doesn't Gav only like him because he's Spanish? :laugh:

[Niamh.]

Doesn't Gav only like him because he's Spanish? :laugh:

haha, yep well he probably wouldn't admit that....................but it is:joker:

[MissKittyFantastico]

haha, yep well he probably wouldn't admit that....................but it is:joker:

Lmao! I thought I remembered you telling me that a while ago :joker:

[Niamh.]

Lmao! I thought I remembered you telling me that a while ago :joker:

we might be going to the Barcelona Grand Prix next year so he'll blend right in there anyway!

[MissKittyFantastico]

we might be going to the Barcelona Grand Prix next year so he'll blend right in there anyway!

Bitch! :devil:

I'm gonna at least make it to Silverstone one year..Gaz has been before a couple of times but I've never been, gotta be done!

[Niamh.]

Bitch! :devil:

I'm gonna at least make it to Silverstone one year..Gaz has been before a couple of times but I've never been, gotta be done!

Gav went to Silverstone the last 2 years, him and my brother go every year now, it's become a tradition. Go to Barcelona next year and I can accidentally bump into you:joker:

[MissKittyFantastico]

Gav went to Silverstone the last 2 years, him and my brother go every year now, it's become a tradition. Go to Barcelona next year and I can accidentally bump into you:joker:

Okay okay, keep rubbing it in why doncha!

Haha okay I'll tell Gaz and we'll get it booked :joker:

[pinkmichk]

i did silverstone this year gonna try and sort a raceday ticket again for next year

[Niamh.]

i did silverstone this year gonna try and sort a raceday ticket again for next year

my hubby went this year as well:hugesmile:

[pinkmichk]

i actually won my tickets took my dad with me was 1st time trackside for f1 but i wanna do it again

[Niamh.]

i actually won my tickets took my dad with me was 1st time trackside for f1 but i wanna do it again

I've never been to one but hopefully will next year

[Iceman]

I decided when season is over I'm gonna merge all the 2010 threads, will be intresting to see how opinions change etc.... :D

[Iceman]

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Adrian Sutil (Force India), Sakon Yamamoto (HRT)

Q: Kamui, your home race but I don‘t think you have raced here for a long, long time. Since you were 17, I think?
Kamui Kobayashi: Yes, I think the last race at Suzuka was seven years ago. Quite a long time. I am very excited to drive at Suzuka again.

Q: Last year you did the Friday practice.
KK: It was only testing in wet conditions. This time I think I have more opportunity to know the car and track, so I think I have more opportunity to have a good result here. I think my experience in Suzuka is too poor. I only have experience with Formula One in the wet, but this is... (becomes inaudible).

Q: You made your debut just over a year ago. How have things changed for you and how have you changed in the last year?
KK: I think 2009 was really the turning point for myself. In one year it really changed a lot. I had really a lot of things happening and still here, so I am very happy and it is thanks to many people, the fans and the supporters.

Q: In fact you have already been confirmed to drive for Sauber next year. How do you feel about that?
KK: For me it is a really great thing, to be proud for myself. Normally it is really difficult the start and beginning of this year but finally in last couple of races I scored points quite consistently. The team is happy and we have to make sure we can show all the performance for the rest of the season.

Q: Sakon, are you well today? Are you feeling okay?
Sakon Yamamoto: Yes, I feel very good. First of all I would like to mention one thing. At the beginning of this week we got bad news, our colleague he was motor journalist and unfortunately he couldn’t come. He was supposed to come to Suzuka but he couldn’t, so Rest In Peace for him. It is always special for me to be back in Suzuka as I saw Formula One in Suzuka and I started go-kart racing here as well, so it is always special to be back as a Formula One driver. I am really proud to be here and also really looking forward to racing in front of big supporters in Japan.

Q: How do you feel about your future with HRT? For the coming races and next year?
SY: Still we don’t know how I am going to do with HRT next year. But we try to do our best and I am looking forward to working with them again.

Q: Coming back to this circuit. What are the challengers of this particular circuit from your point of view?
SY: Well, my point of view regarding this circuit, sector one is one of the most challenging parts as from turn one to I think turn 10 you don’t have enough time or enough chance to drive straight. You are always going right or left, so it is going to be very challenging. Also that’s one of my favourite parts of this circuit, so in our limited situation it is going to be very tough to drive on that part but we try to do our best.

Q: Adrian, you qualified fourth last year. Admittedly, you didn’t start there but what are the chances of a similar performance this year?
Adrian Sutil: Hopefully good chances. I think it is a circuit that suits our car a bit better than the last ones. I am looking for a top 10 finish again, score some points. It is very important at the moment to do a consistent job and just bring it home. We need every single point if it is possible. I am looking forward to the race this weekend in general. It is a nice circuit and I have good memories here.

Q: Your future has been mentioned in connection with Renault. What is your take on that?
AS: No comment at the moment really. We will see. Very soon hopefully. I don’t want to wait too long until I make my decision but I will probably make it very soon.

Q: In two weeks time we are going to be in Korea. What sort of preparations have you been able to make for that race? What are you expecting from it?
AS: Well, there is some footage out there of course from the first lap ever done on the circuit. I had a look at that but after this race we have our simulator sessions and then you get used to it a little bit. At least where the corners are and how the circuit is. But it is probably not the best simulation you can have. We all need a little bit of experience out there on the real circuit. Hopefully it will take place. It is still not looking so good when you see the pictures. But in general I am really looking forward to a new circuit, new in the calendar. I think it is a challenge to go somewhere else as well. Korea is a little bit outside of everything but pure racing.

Q: You haven’t been there before? Did you do the F3 races?
AS: No, for me it is the first time in Korea.

Q: Lewis, have you been to Korea before?
Lewis Hamilton: I have, yes.

Q: What were your memories of racing there?
LH: I remember going there in Formula Three. I think it was a follow-on race from Macau. I cannot really remember the circuit too well but there was a very tight chicane there. I qualified pole. It was my first pole position in I think one of my first races in Formula Three and I remember being taken out by a certain driver but other than that it was a good weekend.

Q: Looking at this circuit, how do you see the challenges of this circuit?
LH: Well, firstly I am very happy to be here. I love being here in Japan. It is great to be back out here. Last year was quite a good race for us and I think generally just coming here it has always been a track that I enjoyed watching whilst I was growing up. Watching Michael race, watching Ayrton (Senna) race down here and (Alain) Prost. It seemed, at least while watching growing up, one of the very tough circuits but very much a driver’s circuit. Coming here for the first time last year was a great experience and looking forward to getting back out there. We did not have enough laps last year. There are never enough laps. It is a very challenging circuit. The first sector is incredible. You just never seem to stop, corner after corner after corner, and it is such a beautiful flow through there and I think the whole track is like that, so I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Q: Martin Whitmarsh made a point that only one McLaren has finished the last four races. Obviously he is looking for more finishes than that and the drivers would like to finish as well. You have got to stay out of trouble, but to what extent what can a driver do about it?
LH: As drivers we are always on the ragged edge. We are always trying to gain position whilst staying safe. Some of us are more aggressive than others in those positions. Some people do a lot less overtaking than others. You just try to keep out of trouble. It is not easy. Racing is racing and there are racing incidents every now and then, so that is to be expected. I think I have had a pretty good string of races in my Formula One career. I have scored a lot of points in only four years, so it is not all so bad.

Q: Michael, a remarkable record here. Six wins and half of your starts from pole position as well. What are your feelings about this circuit?
Michael Schumacher: Well, from a driver’s point of view it is probably the highlight of the year. Mentioning the first sector as before that’s the one. That’s what you look forward to. From a driver’s point of view that is the ultimate challenge and I really look forward to this one. It has been through all the years very exceptional.

Q: What about your preparations for Korea? What have you been able to do?
MS: There is not much that can be done from that point of view in terms of simulator. Yes, we have a simulator but nobody has been able to drive the track so, at least for me, it is not anything that I make use of. I will go, as I did in Singapore, arrive there and see the nature of the track and get used to it as I normally do.

Q: You have been asked this many times, but we are getting towards the end of this comeback year for you. Just summarise how you have seen it so far this year.
MS: Well, it has been a much tougher year than we expected. If you think of the performance that the team was able to do last year, expectations were high. We have not been able to fulfil those expectations. At the same time it has been a long-term project and if I look back at how long it took with Benetton and with Ferrari to build up a team and then finally to take success it has never been possible to do that in the short term. The nature of the fact that the team used to be a big team, such as the top three teams, then was reduced to a much smaller team during last year due to circumstances that everybody knows, we are now a rather small team compared to the top running teams. That, in the situation that we are right now, makes it, naturally, a little bit more difficult. But then we have made decisions and steps to get back to the winning route although naturally it will take time.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Carole Capitaine - L’Equipe) Question for Lewis, Adrian and Michael: considering the past and Singapore as another example, we can say that Mark Webber is a fighter on the track and is very difficult to overtake. Do you believe that after the kind of experience in Singapore that this can give more confidence to Mark on the track and can you explain if it’s easy to find the limit up to where you can attack or defend your position?
LH: That’s about overtaking, yeah? I think Singapore is a very tough circuit because it’s clearly a very high downforce circuit, but – I don’t know if there was some overtaking there, I didn’t get to see the race after I was done – but then you come here which generally requires quite a bit of downforce but you have long straights, probably a little bit more opportunity here to overtake and watching over the years, it looks like quite a spectacular race circuit and there is quite a bit of overtaking especially when it’s wet, and I suppose it’s going to be wet this weekend, so I’m sure we will see some overtaking this weekend.

(MC clarifies the question.)
LH: I apologise, I didn’t fully understand. I don’t think it gives him more authority. Every driver is very, very… we make it as hard as possible to let the other guy behind you overtake. Of course, you want to race sensibly and avoid incidents and I think that’s what we all try to do, but of course, when you’re racing wheel-to-wheel at those high speeds, it’s very easy to have incidents. I don’t think the situation that we had in Singapore makes any difference really. It’s just racing.
MS: Principally, you always follow the same path. In Formula One, overtaking is very difficult. The nature of tracks, such as Singapore, don’t make it any easier. The straights are rather short and it needs special circumstances such as probably Robert (Kubica) had in the race, having fresher tyres, having the car with the most top speed. Only with those kind of circumstances may you get into a position to overtake. But under normal circumstances it’s tough. Probably in Brazil and on some exceptional tracks it is possible and on others it is simply impossible, so that’s the nature of our business. Naturally, if you have an opportunity you will go for it and having two cars close to each other then occasionally certain contact will happen, that’s unavoidable.

Q: (MC) But it doesn’t reflect on any particular person?
MS: No, not at all. I think that’s the general situation and I don’t think in Singapore we saw anything that changes the general trend.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) It’s a question for Michael. Before, you talked about a longer period project for Mercedes and you mentioned Benetton and Ferrari. In those days, you were in your mid-twenties and then in your mid-thirties. Now you are a little bit older. Is there any risk that time will run out before you find the target and is there any risk that you can work and somebody else can reap the fruits of your work, like Nico (Rosberg) for example?
MS: That’s why, right from the beginning, we talked about a three-year situation. I hope that within this time I can collect the fruits of it. Certainly we are on the right path. If I see modifications and mistakes and the learning curve – all what has been done to improve next year makes me very confident and comfortable and again, the target is to reduce what used to take four to five years to reduce it in time, so that I take the benefit from it.

Q: (Bob McKenzie - The Daily Express) Michael, with your experience, if you were having a bet where would your money go on the championship, among the five contenders now?
MS: If you want to lose money, you bet on one of those guys because none can be right and can be correct. If you look at this year, I think it has been a very exceptional year: for the reason to have so many drivers still in the championship and for the fact that there have been so many up and down happenings, retirements and so on, that I don’t think you could have expected, so I wouldn’t bet any money on anybody. I cross fingers for one that I’m good friends with, but that’s about it.

Q: (Bob McKenzie - The Daily Express) Who would that be?
MS: I’m good friends with Sebastian (Vettel), so my fingers are crossed for him.

Q: (Sarah Holt - BBC Sport) Lewis, immediately after the Singapore race, I think you suggested that your title challenge was in a little bit of trouble. Do you still feel, two weeks on, that that’s still the case, and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure it’s not run away from you?
LH: I think at the time I clearly had quite a few tough races with the failure in Hungary, and then we had a win, and then we had two DNFs, so it was just after two tough races. I think it’s very easy to get your emotions mixed up with your thought process, but I think after coming away from it, there are still four races to go and looking back at the history of the sport and looking back particularly at this season and seeing how close it still is, after many people made mistakes and certain situations, it clearly shows that it isn’t impossible to win. I still feel very optimistic. I still know that clearly I have a tough job ahead of me and it’s going to be tough for all of us but I feel that I have as good an opportunity as anyone and so I’m going to work as hard as I can to make sure that I finish the races. Generally, when I finish races it’s not so bad, so fingers crossed that that will be the case.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Just following up on that point, Lewis, three retirements in your last four races, do you see any need to – not play percentage – but to make sure you score points? As you say, when you finish you do score heavily but you’ve got to finish, haven’t you? Do you see any need to modify your approach?
LH: I’m clearly looking at all of the races that I’ve done and looking at how my approach has been and trying to evaluate and try to take a step back and try to see it as something I can improve on, of course. It’s difficult to pinpoint one particular part. Of course, I could go and drive around and not overtake anyone and just stay in position, that’s easy enough but that’s not me, so that definitely won’t be happening.

Q: (Marco Degli’Innocenti - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, you’ve already partially answered this question but can I have a clear answer from you: as you have not seen the chequered flag for the last two races, how crucial will this race be for you in the fight for the championship?
LH: I don’t think this race will be particularly more crucial than the next three races. I think they’re all very important to score maximum points. Clearly, if I had finished the last three races or the three races that I’ve missed, I’d be in a much stronger position but that’s life and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t go back and change it; all I can do is try to recover and try to apply myself in the most productive way towards my team and towards myself and towards the racing. My plan, of course, is not to arrive at weekends and see how hard my team works and let them down and let my family down, or let my friends down or let myself down. So I’m doing as much as I can. I hope that this weekend is a stronger weekend. I feel good about it, so we will see.

Q: (Sumie Dan - The Hochi Shimbun) I have a request from the three drivers at the front: I would like to hear some frank opinion as the number of grand prix races has been increasing over the last few races through to this year and next year. How is it for you and your teams?
AS: I think it’s OK. Next year we will have twenty grands prix, so I will look forward to it. It’s very busy, no question, but we have no testing in between. Years back, when there was no testing ban, I think there was even more work to do, and it was more stress and busy but we are still in a good position and of course there is a lot of travelling. But the places we go to are very interesting and therefore I think it’s good that we have twenty races.
LH: Yeah, I agree. From my point of view, I think as a driver I love racing, so I kind of welcome it. However, it is very tiring on the team, time away from the family, but then, I’m pretty much certain that if you go and speak to any of my team members, they would not change a thing. We’re all racers, we’re all here because we love doing what we do. I think one more race, two more races isn’t the let-up.
MS: I very much look forward to it and coming back to the point, twenty races, yes, but if you go back to what it used to be in the past, we used to do racing, testing, racing, testing, racing, testing. We used to do a lot more. It’s only probably the last year or two that we do much less than we used to do, so I guess we, as drivers, naturally prefer more races than all the testing. Occasional testing, yes, I would agree on, but certainly I don’t mind the number of grands prix at all.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L’Equipe) Question to Michael and Lewis: what do you need to have a winning car in Suzuka, and do you think the Red Bull can be beaten this weekend?
LH: At this circuit - well, I’ve only been here once, so Michael is probably the best one to start, you’ve won here six times, so there’s no one better to answer that.
MS: In a way, it is a high challenge track, and drivers, yes indeed, can give a great input on this kind of track, especially in the first sector, but nevertheless, the car is mega-important because of this first sector. If the response from the front end in particular, with all these longish corners, is weak, you suffer quite a lot and in this respect, looking at the nature of the Red Bull car, I think it’s going to be very strong in my view, but then I know that McLaren is pushing very hard on developments, so we will see whether they can keep up or not. That’s going to be a tough one.
LH: Well, the Red Bulls are very quick at the moment, so it will be very difficult to beat them. They won here last year, they’ve got very good and efficient downforce but as Michael said, we are all pushing… at least our team is pushing very hard to always close that, so hopefully it will be strong here as we were in the last race and hopefully even closer.

Q: (Nobuaki Tadaki - Tokyo Sankai Shimbun) Question to the three in the front row: it is reported that the Korean International Circuit has started to lay the final pavement, the day before yesterday and going to finish it tomorrow. It means that only two weeks later Formula One cars will drive on it. What do you think of that, particularly from a safety point of view?
MS: I guess we trust that the guys know exactly what they’re doing, because there’s a lot of experience how to build race tracks and I understand Hermann Tilke is involved in the project. We trust that it can all be achieved. I’m sure that they will put in maximum effort to make it happen.
LH: It doesn’t really worry me from a safety point of view. I think the FIA always do a great job and they and the team clearly won’t let us race if it was unsafe. I feel totally comfortable that everything will be done in order to keep us safe and therefore we can continue to race.
AS: Yes, same, very similar. The pictures probably look more dramatic than it actually is but the FIA will for sure make sure that it’s safe enough to race on, otherwise we won’t be going there, so we trust them.
LH: We want to race.
AS: We definitely want to race.
LH: We will keep pushing.

Q: (Yuuki Ishihara -Tokyo Sankei Sports) Michael, people say you are master of Suzuka. You won six times here in Suzuka, many times more than anybody else. I was wondering if you could share some secrets, do you have any reasons why you have been so good here in Suzuka?
MS: I don’t think it is naturally only Suzuka because if you just go for this statistic I have a couple of other tracks where I have been winning many times. It’s just that I’ve been around so long! That’s why maybe the number is so high, plus working with a very professional and fantastic team and doing my best on top of this. That’s what has given the results.


(taken from F1.com)

Schumacher doesn't sound like he's going anywhere.

[pinkmichk]

bah hot headed lewis is still about

[Iceman]

dare I say it??? Yes I will......

I think finally it's coming together for Schumacher...

well thats me thats jinxed it now!

[pinkmichk]

i've kinda resigned myself to lewis taking tile being very slim now (i didnt watch practices sleeps was more important but caught up on twitter when i woke up)

[Iceman]

i've kinda resigned myself to lewis taking tile being very slim now (i didnt watch practices sleeps was more important but caught up on twitter when i woke up)

me either, was KO'd at 1 last night. Schumi 8th in both practices, can only do good things for his confidence, especially as this is his best track

[Iceman]

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Norbert, I gather that there’s a story from Bild saying that Mercedes have given Michael Schumacher an ultimatum to shape up or get out at the end of next season. Can you just give a comment on that, or a reaction?
NH: Well, this is an interpretation of what was said, but of course there was no ultimatum. I think Michael again showed today his class, his full commitment. We are currently a little bit handicapped with our car but I have no complaints and no regrets that we’re going to achieve our target. We need to work hard. As I said before in a similar conference, we are sticking together and Michael is, for me, as good as he ever was and probably even better. He’s relaxed, concentrated. He doesn’t need anybody to defend him, certainly not me but we are very happy with the job he’s doing and we need to give Nico (Rosberg) and him a better car. I think it’s absolutely obvious that Nico has so far extracted what was possible from the car. Only on a very few occasions was this not the case. I think he learned a lot with Williams and if you would name one of the top guys that are currently young and experienced in Formula One you would certainly mention Nico. So Nico is a very good benchmark for probably everybody in the field. You would never know that, because you’re only driving one car for one team but it’s not easy for anybody to compete against such a guy and Michael does that quite well, not always in qualifying but if you look throughout the season, if you take into consideration that he was not in Formula One for three years, we are heading in the right direction and there is certainly not an ultimatum.

Q: (Joe Saward - GP Plus) Norbert, just to go back to the Michael question again: if you build a faster car next year, if Michael goes faster in that car, surely you will be criticised for helping him, or if he doesn’t go faster, you’re going to get the same questions about should he retire or not. It sounds to me you’re in a kind of no-win situation.
NH: Well, I’m happy to take the criticism when we are first and second. It will take a while but we’re working on it and no worries, it will take a while but I think we’re heading in the right direction and again, Michael needs nobody to defend him. I think sometimes one should reflect what this guy has achieved, how he handles the criticism, how good he is for Formula One and again, this is not defending, this is just explaining. I’m happy and I think the Formula One community should be very happy to have Michael.

[James]

Qualifying is in doubt.


Wet conditions raise doubts about Japan GP qualifying

There are serious doubts whether qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix will go ahead on Saturday after heavy, consistent rain during final practice.

Only two drivers completed timed laps as 'rivers' of water flowed across the Japanese circuit.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton described conditions as "unbelievable".

"It is pretty much impossible to drive out here," Hamilton told his team during an exploratory lap shortly before the end of the allotted hour.

Qualifying is due to start at 0600 BST. If it is postponed, among the options are to run it on race morning on Sunday or to form the grid in world championship order.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9076310.stm

[Iceman]

Qulaifying was cancelled this morning, it will now take place at 1AM tonight!

In other news Lewis Hamilton handed 5 place penalty for gearbox change.

[Iceman]

British fans watching at home on television will need to be up at 2am on Sunday morning to witness the almost unique session ahead of a race that begins at 7am UK time. Weather permitting, of course.

The postponement was the first time since the 2004, when Typhoon Ma-On ripped through Suzuka, a qualifying session has had to be switched to the same day as the race. And although the decision was disappointing for thousands of fans who braved torrential rain in the hope of some action, it won almost universal praise from drivers.

Related Articles

*
Japan qualifying rained off
*
Gung-ho Hamilton makes another major error
*
Schumacher out to prove worth
*
Japanese GP: live qualifying
*
Red Bulls dominate practice
*
Red Bull's unlikely reserve

Hamilton failed to complete even a single lap in morning practice, and that was before the rain got really heavy. “I was not even half throttle and it was crazy,” he said. “I like going out in the wet but this was horrible. To keep the temperature up you have to use the brakes but I couldn’t get to full throttle because I was aquaplaning everywhere.”

Commentating on the BBC, Martin Brundle agreed, recalling a horrific crash he suffered when his McLaren flew off at Suzuka’s infamous 130R corner in torrential rain in 1994.

"I saw this little tractor thing coming at me out of the corner of my eye, and I thought: 'I'm going to die.'” Brundle said. “I somehow missed that and then I saw a marshal. I hit him. I saw his face come across the front of my cockpit and then the car carried on spinning for hundreds of metres.

“When I finally stopped, I ran back to see how the marshal was and his leg bone was sticking out of his overalls. I felt really bad for him.

“Then I got called up to the stewards and cautioned for ignoring the yellow flags. I remember being really annoyed about that because in those conditions you can't even see your front wheels - you are driving on the engine note of the car in front.”

[Kerry]

My OH's just been watching it. So weird it happening now!

[James]

Vettel on pole. He really needs some guys to get in between him and Webber in the race though if Seb is to get back in the title hunt.

[Kerry]

Can't believe they race soon. They'll be knackered

[Kerry]

According to Coulthard, racing on the same day as qualifying might serve them well

[Iceman]

What a race!

vettel and Webber were immense, unstoppable!
Alonso consistent as ever.
Button and Lewis blew it today any title chances are gone IMO.
Kobayashi gets drive of the day!
Schumacher finally returned to F1 super race for him, best this season so happy and the haters cant say anything! :D

Bring on Korea!

[Iceman]

Practice 1 FRI 02:00
Practice 2 FRI 06:00
Practice 3 SAT 03:00
Qualifying SAT 06:00
Race SUN 07:00

Brand new circuit :D

[Iceman]

Thursday, October 21, 1500 hours local time (0600 GMT):
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Jenson Button (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and Mark Webber (Red Bull).

Gonna be a good press conderence too :D

[pinkmichk]

ugh stupid times :(
has been a lot of talk on twitter that teams are worried track is gonna be super oily

[Iceman]

ugh stupid times :(
has been a lot of talk on twitter that teams are worried track is gonna be super oily

:bawling::bawling:

[pinkmichk]

why have you not signed back up again?
they are still painting grid boxes etc today (legard tweeted pics)

[Iceman]

Nope not yet, my twitter sabattical is good :D just missing F1 news is bad :(

Cant wait for qualifying.

[pinkmichk]

here you go beens you missing them (come back soon :) )
taken from legards tweets today
Still working to fit seats in temporary granstand. It's dark but lights on from below http://plixi.com/p/51753333

McLaren pitwall perches with grandstand and bridge (still being finished) behind.. http://plixi.com/p/51742862

Still painting the grid boxes http://plixi.com/p/51742531

Welcome to the Korea International Circuit. Last minute work continues on the pitstraight.. http://plixi.com/p/51742356

and a couple from jakes feed
Vast Korean paddock, far from finished but finished enough. Generally impressed...RT #KoreanGP http://twitpic.com/2z6ssj

Is that enough gridboxes?? http://twitpic.com/2z7lq6

[Iceman]

Thank you! (will be back with a new twitter on friday night (will probs be a Schumacher related name :D)

[pinkmichk]

yays :)
i think i saw ant wont be commentating so instead gary paffet is stepping in comms box with crofty

[Iceman]

???? I'm confused?

[pinkmichk]

maybe ant is racing this weekend? paffet will be out there anyway with mclaren, chandhok hasnt gone out of uk this time so he cant stand in, its for practice coverage

[Iceman]

maybe ant is racing this weekend? paffet will be out there anyway with mclaren, chandhok hasnt gone out of uk this time so he cant stand in, its for practice coverage

Oh right I dont get to see that here :(

[pinkmichk]

ahhh boo :( can you hear the audio on 5live?

[Iceman]

ahhh boo :( can you hear the audio on 5live?

Nope, i generally just watch on a german stream on mute.....might give it a miss....not sleeping much at the minute and dont know where ill be....

[pinkmichk]

fp1 i'll prob miss as its my weekend with mol so cant regain much sleep but others i can fill you in on

[Iceman]

fp1 i'll prob miss as its my weekend with mol so cant regain much sleep but others i can fill you in on

Thanks, i'll sort out my twitter tomorrow....

[pinkmichk]

omg all the media bods on twitter are reporting that the safety car has been out doing laps and struggling with the greasy track to the point he struggled keeping it on track. Free practice will be messy tomorrow

[Iceman]

Q: Gentlemen, you have just been doing the recreation of the 1986 photograph of the World Championship contenders. There were four of them then. There are five of you now going into the third last round of the championship. What are your feelings about the championship going into this race, particularly on an unknown circuit?
Jenson Button: For me it has been a very interesting season. Arriving at a new team and working with a new team-mate and finding my feet pretty early on I felt. I have enjoyed the season. For all of us it has been quite up and down. We have all had some pretty poor events and some good events. It has made the championship very exciting. It is good to still be involved in the championship hunt with three races to go. Obviously it’s most difficult for me as I am 31 points behind. But there is always a possibility. We are still very hopeful and I am looking forward to the next three races. I am sure it is going to be pretty mixed up as we go through these next three races. If you look at the last two races the Ferraris and Red Bulls sort of had the legs on us a little bit but these next three hopefully we will be a bit closer. That will make an exciting fight for the end of the season.
Lewis Hamilton: I think Jenson answered it all really. It is good to be here. It is a new circuit which is quite exciting for all us drivers. Quite dusty out there, but as Jenson said this weekend hopefully we will have a little bit more of a fighting chance against the Red Bulls and Ferraris and hopefully we will be a little bit more fortunate as well.
Sebastian Vettel: I think it has been looking worse this year for me, so I think we are in a good position. The car is really good. The last couple of races were very strong. As the others said this race is a bit unknown yet. I think all of us could be very strong potentially here, so we need to see how it goes. Sector one doesn’t look like our home ground, but I think sector two and sector three should give us a possibility to catch up. We will see. Interesting venue this one, so looking forward.
Mark Webber: It was good to do the photo with all the guys. As you say going back all those years with some of our heroes obviously in those photos. It has been a very interesting season up to this point, lots of different winners, and we are all in a position now. It is not by accident we are in these positions. We have all had the season’s we have had up until this point. We have three races to go and they all offer the same points as the first three races of the year and the ones in the middle, so nothing has really changed too much. Just got to go out there and do your best. It is a clean slate here for everybody. It looks like a good little venue to have a race on, so I am looking forward to getting in the car tomorrow and getting on with it.
Fernando Alonso: Well, I think not much to add. Similar comments, up and down in the season. But for me personally a great 2010 championship, driving for a new team, great integration with Ferrari from day one. Felt very comfortable. It has probably been the best year of my career so far with great experience, very happy. Now the last three races try to do our best to arrive in a position to fight for the championship in Abu Dhabi. We came back. We made some good steps forward in the last five, six Grands Prix, so the last three races should be exciting with some better circuits, some worse circuits for all of us and hopefully making the most every weekend.

Q: A question to you all about Korea. I know Jenson and Lewis raced in Korea before in Formula Three. Jenson on the podium in 1999 and Lewis on pole position in 2003. Your feelings first of all about the circuit, maybe about the country?
JB: I enjoyed my experience here in Korea. In 1999 that was. I finished second in the race. It was partly a street circuit and it was a good experience. I think it was good to see so much interest in the event. I think it was one of their biggest motorsport events here. It was a great experience and they seemed very passionate about their motorsport and it is good to see a lot of interest. Hopefully it will be the same here. It is an interesting layout. I think they have done a good job with the layout of the circuit. I think in the first sector there are overtaking opportunities which is good to see and then you have some very fast flowing corners out the back. I think the layout is nice. It looks very slippery at the moment but that is inevitable considering it is quite a new asphalt.
LH: I don’t really remember too much about it. I remember I was taken out by a driver in the race. That was about it. Otherwise it was a good trip and a good experience and it is great coming back. This was my first time to Seoul and I had a good day there. I think they deserve a pat on their backs for getting this place ready and it looks like they can put on quite a good show, so looking forward to it.
SV: My first time here, so haven’t seen much yet. But walking the circuit this morning it looks very interesting and lots of grandstands, so hopefully we will have lots of people coming this weekend. The circuit itself, I think the main things have been covered. We will see how grippy it will be, but given the fact there was a lot of concern and we were even talking about not racing here, lately they did a very good job. I think most of the things are finished, so should be alright for us to go out.
MW: First time for me too to Korea. They have tried incredibly hard to get everything ready against a bit of a deadline. I think we are all ready to go. It looks like it will be ready, properly ready in a few years time if you know what I mean, in terms of around here and in terms of the city and some rural surroundings if you like. It’s a bit remote but that’s fine. I hope the people in the future can embrace the sport and have a good look at what Formula One is about as clearly at the moment it is new to them and a new experience but the enthusiasm looks good which is the most important thing.
FA: Me too, first time here. I think they did a very good job as well with getting everything ready. I think it is 99 per cent ready, so it will be a good show this weekend. It is always nice also from a driver’s point of view coming to a new circuit. It is a new challenge for us and always with a new country it is very welcome in the championship, so looking forward to the race here and hopefully a good show.
SV: The only thing that they could probably finish in the future is the hotel situation for a lot of team members and I think you journalists. I think for the drivers, we are fine, but I have heard some stories and maybe they can work on that.

Q: Again, to you all. What have you been doing since Japan? Did you stay out here or did you go back? Where have you been training?
JB: I headed back. We spent the day together Lewis and myself at a charity event, last Thursday, then I had a day in the simulator on Friday. We did some work for a partner of ours on Saturday and then headed out to Japan where I have been since in Hiroshima.
LH: I had a couple of days back home which was great. Did some training there and then, flew out here. Got here Wednesday morning and had appearances all day yesterday and drove up this morning.
SV: I stayed out after Japan, on the Asian side, to stay with the time rhythm and got a little bit of sun. Did some training and arrived here yesterday night.
MW: We left pretty quickly after the race in Suzuka which got me in trouble a bit apparently. Went to Australia as quick as possible and had a good time at home in Australia. It was all fine.

Q: Lots of appearances down there? Lots of media work?
MW: Absolutely zero.

Q: How did you manage that?
MW: They are not too bothered. No, they are okay. It was fine. They are excited but it was very well managed so it was all fine.
JB: Did you have any shrimps on the barbecue?
MW: Loads of shrimps on the barbie. I think there was a saint, the Italians will know, that we had Mary MacKillop made a saint. That is big news in Australia, but obviously not big news everywhere else, so that’s what the main news was. I had to watch that for seven days.
FA: I stayed in Asia, south of Japan, a little island. Did some training, playing golf, nothing exciting.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP): For Jenson and Lewis. Would you say that this is your very last opportunity for the title? If you miss this one, mathematically speaking it is still possible, but it will be harder.
JB: Every time we go to a race it seems this is the critical race. It is obviously a lot more difficult for us to win the World Championship this year but we have seen in past seasons that anything is possible. We have all had failures this year. We have all had issues, so it is definitely still possible even after this event if it is mathematically possible.
LH: The same.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L’Equipe): The Red Bulls seem quickest in qualifying, so for the two Red Bull drivers can you explain why it is so fast and do you think you will have the pole on Saturday? For the three others, do you think you can beat them and do you have a special thing to beat them on Saturday?
MW: Well, obviously Seb has had a good run in qualifying. He has had a few pole positions and I have had some poles as well. As you say the car is pretty quick on Saturday afternoon. We have adjustable front ride height suspension which has been running since the start of the year and that works well and then we put the car back up for Sunday. Lots of things have been good for us and we try to do the same job on Saturday.
SV: As Mark said we have this big lever for the ride height. I think that is the secret for Saturday.

Q: (MC) The other three, do you feel you can beat the Red Bulls, either to pole position or the race itself?
LH: I think it’s possible, anything’s possible, and I think you can tell that us, as a team, and the Ferraris as well, are pushing very hard because I don’t think the gap is that big, so it’s not impossible. We’ve outqualified them… what was it, one race maybe? So they’ve had more than a few pole positions but no, I think we can close the gap, hopefully.
JB: Yeah, they have had the advantage this season in qualifying. If you look at the last few races we have got closer. That’s an area where we struggled a little bit at the start of the year but over the last few races we’ve been a lot closer, which is good. I know everyone’s bringing new packages to the circuit but I’ve got to say a big thanks to the guys for bringing the parts that we have here which should hopefully make a difference but we have to wait and see if that is correct.
FA: I prefer to beat them on Sunday.

Q: (MC) Can I continue a bit on that: Mark, it has been said that you are a bit worried about the first sector, even to the extent that if the two of you are on the front row, that the advantage of your rivals could mean that you’re not in the lead by the end of the first sector.
MW: Yeah, that could happen, but there’s another 300kms to go after that. Look, it was the same at Spa. We knew that we were going to be quite vulnerable up the hill there. Obviously we didn’t even get into the lead at the start, initially, there. So there are some tracks where the first sector is different than other circuits but you can only do what you can on the day so, yeah, if, if you’re not leading at the end of the first lap, for sure you can still make an interesting race from there. That’s what you always look to do: put your best foot forward. Yeah, we’re ready for most things, so we shall see how we go.

Q: (Jaime Rodriguez - El Mundo) Mark and Sebastian, the last team that tried to win the championship with two drivers was McLaren in 2007 and this story didn’t finish very well. What do you fear now?
MW: Well, for sure the Spanish probably want this. No one in this room knows what’s going to happen in the next three races, nobody. We can talk here for hours about what we’re going to do, what’s going to happen, this and that, upside down, inside out. No one knows, so we’re going to go out there, do our stuff, clearly Seb and I have had a good season. We’re both in with a chance of doing quite well in the championship and also the team is doing well in the Constructors’, because of both of us obviously are getting quite a few points. If there’s a point, in the future, where we have to race each other again then we will do what we always do and that’s obviously try to get the best result out of whatever situation we have. Irrespective if I’m racing Fernando or JB or Lewis or Seb is that I know that I need to finish races, all of us know that, so that’s always in the front of your mind, but you’re not going to give positions up either, so it’s always a balancing act. That’s what it comes down to: the racing. All the other stuff isn’t important.
SV: Yeah, not much to add. What happened in 2007 happened for a reason. Kimi (Räikkönen) had quite a bad chance of winning the championship with two races to go, at the time 17 points behind. Of course he showed it’s possible but he also did his maximum and he won those races but it also required the others not to finish in the points or not to finish high up, so I don’t think you can really compare… I think it will be different this year.

Q: (Marc Surer - Sky TV Germany) I have a question for Alonso: Fernando you have had some engine problems at the beginning of the season. Do you still have enough engines to finish the season?
FA: I think we are OK. Obviously the first problems with the engine in race two and race three gave us a more difficult situation, no doubts, but I think from there on we planned the year, the championship in a different way and so far the situation has been under control, so we should have no concerns for the remaining races and everything is OK for us.

Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Mark, you know that if you win one race and score podiums at the others you will have your destiny in your own hands. Do you sometimes calculate that or never take that into consideration?
MW: It’s ridiculous to start calculating things because a lot of things can happen. As you say: I win the next two races, it’s all over anyway in terms of doing well. But this is another event, another race here and (I must) keep doing what I’m doing. As I say, the gap has been edging away, the right way in the last few races. I need to try to do that. Then just keep doing our best, that’s the most important thing. I’m doing my best and then hopefully the result will take care of itself.

Q: (Bianca Leppert - Auto, Motor und Sport) For everbody, do you think that on Friday and Saturday morning it will be a race itself to find the right set-up or are all the three top teams on one level?
MW: It’s a new venue, clearly, so we obviously have good simulation tools to understand what we expect to a certain point, but the big unknown is obviously what sort of grip level the track will give to us in the cockpit and how the tyres will work. We’ll have a look at that tomorrow and then use a lot of that, obviously, for Friday going into Saturday. Everybody’s in the same boat, I think we’re all imagining that the track won’t be incredible in terms of grip but it might be a surprise if we have some grip to play with, so let’s see how tomorrow goes. I think for everyone it’s the same boat, it’s not that difficult with what we face.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Question to all of you: how much have you achieved what you expected to this season? Fernando, you said it was your best season to date; does that also include winning the championships with Renault as well?
FA: Well, it’s not finished, so we will see how the year ends, but in terms of happiness, in terms of motivation, driving, the team itself etc., it’s the best one. Obviously it will be nice to become champion this year but even if we cannot do it, I will anyway have great, great memories of 2010.
MW: Well, I think all of us to sit at the first qualifying session at Bahrain and say that with three races to go you’re going to be leading the championship is virtually… that is obviously the highest position you can be in with three races to go, so it’s a high bar to set yourself expectation-wise and also for the team, because we know what level of competition we have. We totally respect our rivals and they’re great operations, so that’s why you need to keep your goals in check but on the same side be optimistic and positive and well-driven within yourself that you can achieve great things and clearly Fernando has achieved more things in the past but for me this year has been an incredible season, a real highlight with many special victories for me and a lot of races which I have really, really enjoyed. Also the team chemistry - obviously we’ve had a few little bobbles here and there – but with adversity people learn a lot about themselves as well. So there has been some good stuff from our team and also from myself in terms of learning about the sport and it’s been good. Clearly it’s been my best season to date, so I’m happy with it so far.
SV: Well, I think after last season the expectation was to fight for the championship and with three races to go I think all of us are in a position to do so, some better, some worse, but that’s racing in the end. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re probably not. You spoke about Fernando’s engine problems earlier in the season. I think it’s normal to have ups and downs, sometimes you have more, sometimes less, but as I said, the expectation was probably to be in a position to fight for the championship and I think we are in a very strong and very good position. I think so far we have fulfilled our expectations and there’s still a bit to go.
LH: I never have any expectations. I’m happy where I am, we’re still in the fight for the championship, so it’s not a bad position to be in.
JB: For me it’s been a fun year. Last season was obviously very special for me. I’d been in the same team for seven years, so to move teams was a challenge and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed this year, working with McLaren, working with Lewis. I’ve really enjoyed the situation I’ve found myself in. I still know there’s more to come. There are only three races left and with the partnership and the team, for me, I’m very happy. There is still more to come. I’m enjoying my life right now and I’ve enjoyed this season very much. I’ve had some really fun races, a couple of victories. I’d like to have won more races, but there are still three more to go, so we will give it a go.

[Iceman]

Q: Gentlemen, you have just been doing the recreation of the 1986 photograph of the World Championship contenders. There were four of them then. There are five of you now going into the third last round of the championship. What are your feelings about the championship going into this race, particularly on an unknown circuit?
Jenson Button: For me it has been a very interesting season. Arriving at a new team and working with a new team-mate and finding my feet pretty early on I felt. I have enjoyed the season. For all of us it has been quite up and down. We have all had some pretty poor events and some good events. It has made the championship very exciting. It is good to still be involved in the championship hunt with three races to go. Obviously it’s most difficult for me as I am 31 points behind. But there is always a possibility. We are still very hopeful and I am looking forward to the next three races. I am sure it is going to be pretty mixed up as we go through these next three races. If you look at the last two races the Ferraris and Red Bulls sort of had the legs on us a little bit but these next three hopefully we will be a bit closer. That will make an exciting fight for the end of the season.
Lewis Hamilton: I think Jenson answered it all really. It is good to be here. It is a new circuit which is quite exciting for all us drivers. Quite dusty out there, but as Jenson said this weekend hopefully we will have a little bit more of a fighting chance against the Red Bulls and Ferraris and hopefully we will be a little bit more fortunate as well.
Sebastian Vettel: I think it has been looking worse this year for me, so I think we are in a good position. The car is really good. The last couple of races were very strong. As the others said this race is a bit unknown yet. I think all of us could be very strong potentially here, so we need to see how it goes. Sector one doesn’t look like our home ground, but I think sector two and sector three should give us a possibility to catch up. We will see. Interesting venue this one, so looking forward.
Mark Webber: It was good to do the photo with all the guys. As you say going back all those years with some of our heroes obviously in those photos. It has been a very interesting season up to this point, lots of different winners, and we are all in a position now. It is not by accident we are in these positions. We have all had the season’s we have had up until this point. We have three races to go and they all offer the same points as the first three races of the year and the ones in the middle, so nothing has really changed too much. Just got to go out there and do your best. It is a clean slate here for everybody. It looks like a good little venue to have a race on, so I am looking forward to getting in the car tomorrow and getting on with it.
Fernando Alonso: Well, I think not much to add. Similar comments, up and down in the season. But for me personally a great 2010 championship, driving for a new team, great integration with Ferrari from day one. Felt very comfortable. It has probably been the best year of my career so far with great experience, very happy. Now the last three races try to do our best to arrive in a position to fight for the championship in Abu Dhabi. We came back. We made some good steps forward in the last five, six Grands Prix, so the last three races should be exciting with some better circuits, some worse circuits for all of us and hopefully making the most every weekend.

Q: A question to you all about Korea. I know Jenson and Lewis raced in Korea before in Formula Three. Jenson on the podium in 1999 and Lewis on pole position in 2003. Your feelings first of all about the circuit, maybe about the country?
JB: I enjoyed my experience here in Korea. In 1999 that was. I finished second in the race. It was partly a street circuit and it was a good experience. I think it was good to see so much interest in the event. I think it was one of their biggest motorsport events here. It was a great experience and they seemed very passionate about their motorsport and it is good to see a lot of interest. Hopefully it will be the same here. It is an interesting layout. I think they have done a good job with the layout of the circuit. I think in the first sector there are overtaking opportunities which is good to see and then you have some very fast flowing corners out the back. I think the layout is nice. It looks very slippery at the moment but that is inevitable considering it is quite a new asphalt.
LH: I don’t really remember too much about it. I remember I was taken out by a driver in the race. That was about it. Otherwise it was a good trip and a good experience and it is great coming back. This was my first time to Seoul and I had a good day there. I think they deserve a pat on their backs for getting this place ready and it looks like they can put on quite a good show, so looking forward to it.
SV: My first time here, so haven’t seen much yet. But walking the circuit this morning it looks very interesting and lots of grandstands, so hopefully we will have lots of people coming this weekend. The circuit itself, I think the main things have been covered. We will see how grippy it will be, but given the fact there was a lot of concern and we were even talking about not racing here, lately they did a very good job. I think most of the things are finished, so should be alright for us to go out.
MW: First time for me too to Korea. They have tried incredibly hard to get everything ready against a bit of a deadline. I think we are all ready to go. It looks like it will be ready, properly ready in a few years time if you know what I mean, in terms of around here and in terms of the city and some rural surroundings if you like. It’s a bit remote but that’s fine. I hope the people in the future can embrace the sport and have a good look at what Formula One is about as clearly at the moment it is new to them and a new experience but the enthusiasm looks good which is the most important thing.
FA: Me too, first time here. I think they did a very good job as well with getting everything ready. I think it is 99 per cent ready, so it will be a good show this weekend. It is always nice also from a driver’s point of view coming to a new circuit. It is a new challenge for us and always with a new country it is very welcome in the championship, so looking forward to the race here and hopefully a good show.
SV: The only thing that they could probably finish in the future is the hotel situation for a lot of team members and I think you journalists. I think for the drivers, we are fine, but I have heard some stories and maybe they can work on that.

Q: Again, to you all. What have you been doing since Japan? Did you stay out here or did you go back? Where have you been training?
JB: I headed back. We spent the day together Lewis and myself at a charity event, last Thursday, then I had a day in the simulator on Friday. We did some work for a partner of ours on Saturday and then headed out to Japan where I have been since in Hiroshima.
LH: I had a couple of days back home which was great. Did some training there and then, flew out here. Got here Wednesday morning and had appearances all day yesterday and drove up this morning.
SV: I stayed out after Japan, on the Asian side, to stay with the time rhythm and got a little bit of sun. Did some training and arrived here yesterday night.
MW: We left pretty quickly after the race in Suzuka which got me in trouble a bit apparently. Went to Australia as quick as possible and had a good time at home in Australia. It was all fine.

Q: Lots of appearances down there? Lots of media work?
MW: Absolutely zero.

Q: How did you manage that?
MW: They are not too bothered. No, they are okay. It was fine. They are excited but it was very well managed so it was all fine.
JB: Did you have any shrimps on the barbecue?
MW: Loads of shrimps on the barbie. I think there was a saint, the Italians will know, that we had Mary MacKillop made a saint. That is big news in Australia, but obviously not big news everywhere else, so that’s what the main news was. I had to watch that for seven days.
FA: I stayed in Asia, south of Japan, a little island. Did some training, playing golf, nothing exciting.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP): For Jenson and Lewis. Would you say that this is your very last opportunity for the title? If you miss this one, mathematically speaking it is still possible, but it will be harder.
JB: Every time we go to a race it seems this is the critical race. It is obviously a lot more difficult for us to win the World Championship this year but we have seen in past seasons that anything is possible. We have all had failures this year. We have all had issues, so it is definitely still possible even after this event if it is mathematically possible.
LH: The same.

Q: (Frederic Ferret - L’Equipe): The Red Bulls seem quickest in qualifying, so for the two Red Bull drivers can you explain why it is so fast and do you think you will have the pole on Saturday? For the three others, do you think you can beat them and do you have a special thing to beat them on Saturday?
MW: Well, obviously Seb has had a good run in qualifying. He has had a few pole positions and I have had some poles as well. As you say the car is pretty quick on Saturday afternoon. We have adjustable front ride height suspension which has been running since the start of the year and that works well and then we put the car back up for Sunday. Lots of things have been good for us and we try to do the same job on Saturday.
SV: As Mark said we have this big lever for the ride height. I think that is the secret for Saturday.

Q: (MC) The other three, do you feel you can beat the Red Bulls, either to pole position or the race itself?
LH: I think it’s possible, anything’s possible, and I think you can tell that us, as a team, and the Ferraris as well, are pushing very hard because I don’t think the gap is that big, so it’s not impossible. We’ve outqualified them… what was it, one race maybe? So they’ve had more than a few pole positions but no, I think we can close the gap, hopefully.
JB: Yeah, they have had the advantage this season in qualifying. If you look at the last few races we have got closer. That’s an area where we struggled a little bit at the start of the year but over the last few races we’ve been a lot closer, which is good. I know everyone’s bringing new packages to the circuit but I’ve got to say a big thanks to the guys for bringing the parts that we have here which should hopefully make a difference but we have to wait and see if that is correct.
FA: I prefer to beat them on Sunday.

Q: (MC) Can I continue a bit on that: Mark, it has been said that you are a bit worried about the first sector, even to the extent that if the two of you are on the front row, that the advantage of your rivals could mean that you’re not in the lead by the end of the first sector.
MW: Yeah, that could happen, but there’s another 300kms to go after that. Look, it was the same at Spa. We knew that we were going to be quite vulnerable up the hill there. Obviously we didn’t even get into the lead at the start, initially, there. So there are some tracks where the first sector is different than other circuits but you can only do what you can on the day so, yeah, if, if you’re not leading at the end of the first lap, for sure you can still make an interesting race from there. That’s what you always look to do: put your best foot forward. Yeah, we’re ready for most things, so we shall see how we go.

Q: (Jaime Rodriguez - El Mundo) Mark and Sebastian, the last team that tried to win the championship with two drivers was McLaren in 2007 and this story didn’t finish very well. What do you fear now?
MW: Well, for sure the Spanish probably want this. No one in this room knows what’s going to happen in the next three races, nobody. We can talk here for hours about what we’re going to do, what’s going to happen, this and that, upside down, inside out. No one knows, so we’re going to go out there, do our stuff, clearly Seb and I have had a good season. We’re both in with a chance of doing quite well in the championship and also the team is doing well in the Constructors’, because of both of us obviously are getting quite a few points. If there’s a point, in the future, where we have to race each other again then we will do what we always do and that’s obviously try to get the best result out of whatever situation we have. Irrespective if I’m racing Fernando or JB or Lewis or Seb is that I know that I need to finish races, all of us know that, so that’s always in the front of your mind, but you’re not going to give positions up either, so it’s always a balancing act. That’s what it comes down to: the racing. All the other stuff isn’t important.
SV: Yeah, not much to add. What happened in 2007 happened for a reason. Kimi (Räikkönen) had quite a bad chance of winning the championship with two races to go, at the time 17 points behind. Of course he showed it’s possible but he also did his maximum and he won those races but it also required the others not to finish in the points or not to finish high up, so I don’t think you can really compare… I think it will be different this year.

Q: (Marc Surer - Sky TV Germany) I have a question for Alonso: Fernando you have had some engine problems at the beginning of the season. Do you still have enough engines to finish the season?
FA: I think we are OK. Obviously the first problems with the engine in race two and race three gave us a more difficult situation, no doubts, but I think from there on we planned the year, the championship in a different way and so far the situation has been under control, so we should have no concerns for the remaining races and everything is OK for us.

Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Mark, you know that if you win one race and score podiums at the others you will have your destiny in your own hands. Do you sometimes calculate that or never take that into consideration?
MW: It’s ridiculous to start calculating things because a lot of things can happen. As you say: I win the next two races, it’s all over anyway in terms of doing well. But this is another event, another race here and (I must) keep doing what I’m doing. As I say, the gap has been edging away, the right way in the last few races. I need to try to do that. Then just keep doing our best, that’s the most important thing. I’m doing my best and then hopefully the result will take care of itself.

Q: (Bianca Leppert - Auto, Motor und Sport) For everbody, do you think that on Friday and Saturday morning it will be a race itself to find the right set-up or are all the three top teams on one level?
MW: It’s a new venue, clearly, so we obviously have good simulation tools to understand what we expect to a certain point, but the big unknown is obviously what sort of grip level the track will give to us in the cockpit and how the tyres will work. We’ll have a look at that tomorrow and then use a lot of that, obviously, for Friday going into Saturday. Everybody’s in the same boat, I think we’re all imagining that the track won’t be incredible in terms of grip but it might be a surprise if we have some grip to play with, so let’s see how tomorrow goes. I think for everyone it’s the same boat, it’s not that difficult with what we face.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Question to all of you: how much have you achieved what you expected to this season? Fernando, you said it was your best season to date; does that also include winning the championships with Renault as well?
FA: Well, it’s not finished, so we will see how the year ends, but in terms of happiness, in terms of motivation, driving, the team itself etc., it’s the best one. Obviously it will be nice to become champion this year but even if we cannot do it, I will anyway have great, great memories of 2010.
MW: Well, I think all of us to sit at the first qualifying session at Bahrain and say that with three races to go you’re going to be leading the championship is virtually… that is obviously the highest position you can be in with three races to go, so it’s a high bar to set yourself expectation-wise and also for the team, because we know what level of competition we have. We totally respect our rivals and they’re great operations, so that’s why you need to keep your goals in check but on the same side be optimistic and positive and well-driven within yourself that you can achieve great things and clearly Fernando has achieved more things in the past but for me this year has been an incredible season, a real highlight with many special victories for me and a lot of races which I have really, really enjoyed. Also the team chemistry - obviously we’ve had a few little bobbles here and there – but with adversity people learn a lot about themselves as well. So there has been some good stuff from our team and also from myself in terms of learning about the sport and it’s been good. Clearly it’s been my best season to date, so I’m happy with it so far.
SV: Well, I think after last season the expectation was to fight for the championship and with three races to go I think all of us are in a position to do so, some better, some worse, but that’s racing in the end. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re probably not. You spoke about Fernando’s engine problems earlier in the season. I think it’s normal to have ups and downs, sometimes you have more, sometimes less, but as I said, the expectation was probably to be in a position to fight for the championship and I think we are in a very strong and very good position. I think so far we have fulfilled our expectations and there’s still a bit to go.
LH: I never have any expectations. I’m happy where I am, we’re still in the fight for the championship, so it’s not a bad position to be in.
JB: For me it’s been a fun year. Last season was obviously very special for me. I’d been in the same team for seven years, so to move teams was a challenge and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed this year, working with McLaren, working with Lewis. I’ve really enjoyed the situation I’ve found myself in. I still know there’s more to come. There are only three races left and with the partnership and the team, for me, I’m very happy. There is still more to come. I’m enjoying my life right now and I’ve enjoyed this season very much. I’ve had some really fun races, a couple of victories. I’d like to have won more races, but there are still three more to go, so we will give it a go.

[Iceman]

FP1 is on at 2 AM grrrrrr

[Iceman]

Didn't watch either practices last night, by looks of things Schumacher's form has continued from japan...... i'll take that kindly :)

[pinkmichk]

i didnt watch fp1 but did watch fp2 wont be watching fp3 though cos we're busy tomorrow so need the sleep but will watch qualies

[Iceman]

yeah if im not out ill be watching qualies, havent seen the cars on the circuit yet so hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

[pinkmichk]

they are doing some work on turn 16 building up kerb over night apparently cos none drivers happy
also did you see yamamoto & HRT were fined for sending him out with tyre blanket still on

[Iceman]

Schumacher finishing higher than 5th and I'm happy (obvs top 10 is good with the car, I just have a feeling)

[James]

Vettel got unlucky there with his blown engine. Alonso won.

[Iceman]

Schumacher finishing higher than 5th and I'm happy (obvs top 10 is good with the car, I just have a feeling)

:dance:

[Iceman]

Immense race, cant believe the red bulls.......and Jenson for that matter.....schumacher drove amazingly, I think the hunger is back

[pinkmichk]

hahaha that dear bulls is your karma for pre start moaning bout it being too bad
lewis what a driver even more a fan of his now after his lets go race attitude wish they had listened to him
not happy alonso won but it'd been worse if it were vettel
lewis still in with good title chance jenson has pretty much blown his
side note i want to really smack legard on the nose how many fails

[Niamh.]

Damn webber crashed :/ I really want him to win the championship

[Iceman]

Webber would still be the one to keep an eye on if Im honest.

Schumacher needs a podium in Brazil......it's probably one of his best tracks.....i mean go back ot 06 where he overtook 16 cars I think and owned Kimi Raikkonen.

[Iceman]

Fri 05 November 2010
Practice 1 12:00 - 13:30
Practice 2 16:00 - 17:30
Sat 06 November 2010
Practice 3 13:00 - 14:00
Qualifying 16:00
Sun 07 November 2010
Race 16:00

Possible title decider in Brazil.......gonna be crazy

[pinkmichk]

argh forgot to add but i did say on twitter (through very gritted teeth) schumi done really good that was very nearly a podium

[pinkmichk]

*bows to the greatness of normal times* reckon its gonna be a epic race still very much to play for

[Iceman]

argh forgot to add but i did say on twitter (through very gritted teeth) schumi done really good that was very nearly a podium

I was wishing Massa off....looked like he was nearly going with 2 laps to go....although I'm happy with 4th, shows consistency.....plus he was dying to race today like Lewis was....all in all top 4 were great drives as much as you wont like haha

[pinkmichk]

i was worried lewis' tyres werent gonna last when i watched this morning the last few laps were through fingers

[Iceman]

I cant believe i woke up for the restart and basically missed the downpur haha lucky r what! Yeh Lewis had me on edge of my seat, i really thought he'd off it.

[Iceman]

I know no more early starts I dont think? I like this one 4PM will do nicely.

[pinkmichk]

is abu dhabi normal times thought that was another funny timed one? but hurrah 4pm is very good

[Iceman]

Goes to check.....

[Iceman]

Fri 12 November 2010
Practice 1 09:00 - 10:30
Practice 2 13:00 - 14:30
Sat 13 November 2010
Practice 3 10:00 - 11:00
Qualifying 13:00
Sun 14 November 2010
Race 13:00

woop for 1 Pm start.......

[pinkmichk]

thats even better cos means can eat dinner as race starts

[Iceman]

I know yeah I love doing that.....although all the shouuting I do the food does be cold by time I eat it haha

[pinkmichk]

haha i plan so i dish up & sit down in time for the chain :)

[Iceman]

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is the only one of the five title contenders who could - in theory - wrap up the 2010 drivers’ championship in Brazil this weekend. But what must happen for the Spaniard to achieve that?

The answer: he must finish on the podium for starters, and then it depends on where Red Bull’s Mark Webber finishes. Alonso’s three title-winning combinations are…

1. Alonso wins, Webber fifth or lower

2. Alonso second, Webber eighth or lower

3. Alonso third, Webber tenth or lower

As for Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the permutations that would allow them to stay in the hunt heading to Abu Dhabi are almost endless.

Suffice to say they must heavily outscore Alonso and Webber in Brazil, with Button needing a near miracle to avoid surrendering his crown at Interlagos, the very circuit at which he secured it last year.

In the constructors' stakes, Red Bull need to outscore McLaren by 16 points this weekend to prevent a title decider at the Yas Marina season finale.

[Captain.Remy]

Should be good watching an Alonso vs Webber showdown. :hugesmile:

but if I'm being honest, I haven't been watching this season as much as I did in previous years. I don't know why, something lacked this year.

[Iceman]

should be good watching an alonso vs webber showdown. :hugesmile:

But if i'm being honest, i haven't been watching this season as much as i did in previous years. I don't know why, something lacked this year.

kimi

:)

[Captain.Remy]

kimi

HELL MOTHER****ING YES ! :hugesmile:

To be frank, none of the current drivers make me feel passionate, they all seem so dull. None of their driving ways make me feel as good as Kimi's.
I didn't like Schumi that much but he was a damn God on the road. Him and Kimi had this aura that made you glued to the TV.

Just come back Kimi, just come back.

[Iceman]

HELL MOTHER****ING YES ! :hugesmile:

To be frank, none of the current drivers make me feel passionate, they all seem so dull. None of their driving ways make me feel as good as Kimi's.
I didn't like Schumi that much but he was a damn God on the road. Him and Kimi had this aura that made you glued to the TV.

Just come back Kimi, just come back.

If It Rains (*Prays For rain*) on Sunday Schumacher could be looking at 3rd or higher ;)

[Captain.Remy]

There you go Eoin, I've said it, Schumi was a good driver ! Happy now ? :tongue:

[Iceman]

There you go Eoin, I've said it, Schumi was a good driver ! Happy now ? :tongue:

Delighted! :) haha come on here for the race its gonna be a cracker man!

[James]

Red Bull looking good for this one but rain predicted for tomorrow.

[James]

Button out in Q2 again. :S

[James]

Good job from The Hulk. :o

[pinkmichk]

knew it would be a bit mixed up but hulk on pole just madness i bet sebs redbull will be pointed firmly at hulks car from the grid
jenson has gone back to crap again lewis p4 depends what happens off the line
hoping for engines going bang in red cars & also in the bulls

[Iceman]

Most unpredictable Qulaifying in recent years........Go On The Hulk

[Iceman]

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg139/scaled.php?tn=0&server=139&filename=is9x.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

:worship: Hulkamania Runs Wild Once Again

[Iceman]

Hulkamania starting in just over an hours time :D

[pinkmichk]

looks like it will be a dry race from most reports wonder if hulk will keep tha position

[Iceman]

I hope its a dry race, will help webber if it is. I reckon Hulk will get eaten up, down to 7th after first few laps :)

[Iceman]

I'm gonna be on here for race I think so should have a load to discuss if you're about.

[AJ.]

Whats your top 3 prediction? I've got £5 on Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso. :hugesmile:

[Iceman]

Webber, Alonso, Schumacher (I'm expecting rain for last 5 minutes, mad dash to the pits, schumi gets it perfect and gets podium :D

[Iceman]

Here we go....................Im calling Alonso as winner of WDC :shocked:

[Iceman]

Eddie Jordan's shirt :laugh:

[AJ.]

What was that about Button nearly getting shot or something/?

[Iceman]

What was that about Button nearly getting shot or something/?

Yeah his car was targetted leaving the circuit last night, machine guns and all, he's lucky he got away.

[Iceman]

Alonso has had such a horrific season and still winning.

[Iceman]

Pit lane Open

[Iceman]

Ah this is gonna be epic, havent felt a buzz like this for F1 since 07 when Kimi won :D

[Iceman]

Christian Klien out of the race already (bear in mind it dont start for another 13 minutes LOL)