Sam Bird Q&A

After a season away in the World Series by Renault, Sam Bird has made an explosive return to the GP2 Series with Russian Time which has so far included one race victory. The 26-year-old Briton, who has tested for the Mercedes F1 team, has already knocked up numerous races victories in the feeder category.

Since making his open-wheel debut back in 2004, Sam Bird has competed in many of the sport’s top feeder categories such as British Formula Three, Masters of Formula 3 and the World Series by Renault. Recently he has tested for the Mercedes Formula 1 team, alongside his commitments in GP2, GP2 Asia and the World Series by Renault. After a competitive season in the World Series by Renault last year with ISR, which included two victories and numerous podiums, the Briton returned to the GP2 Series with new outfit Russian Time.

Already the outfit has proven to be a competitive force in the GP2 Series, with Sam Bird already securing a race victory and Tom Dillmann finishing competitively in the points and securing the reverse grid pole in Bahrain. Although Sam Bird believes Russian Time is still behind most of the top teams on the grid, he is confident of the season ahead. With a lengthy gap between Bahrain and Spain, I caught up with Sam Bird to discuss his successful return to the category and his plans between the two race weekends.

Q: First of all Sam, many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. You have had an extremely competitive return to the GP2 Series with Russian Time, which has included a victory at Bahrain. Did you think such a victory would be possible so early in the season?

Sam Bird takes victory by just +0.080 over Felipe Nasr.

Sam Bird: Yes I did. We knew we were on the back foot as a result of coming into GP2 so late in the day and missing out on pre-season testing. Equally, we felt that if everyone worked hard and worked smart, we could compete for honors very early. Having said that, we are well aware that we are still a little behind from a technical point of view so there is a lot of hard work ahead.

Q: Russian Time is a completely new outfit in the GP2 Series, however both you and your team-mate Tom Dillmann have been instantly on the pace. As the Series returns to Europe, how do you rate you and your teams chances of mounting a Championship challenge alongside the likes of Racing Engineering, Carlin and Rapax?

SB: As I have just said, I think we are still behind those teams – and probably others – simply by virtue of the wealth of experience and data that they have over us. In this game, knowledge and data are paramount. But the technical team at Russian Time is switched on and Tom Dillmann and I both have some GP2 experience to bring to the party. So we will do our best to catch up and continue competing at the sharp end.

Q: This season in GP2, Pirelli have designed their tyres to behave like they do in Formula 1 to prepare the next generation of drivers in tyre conservation. How do you believe the tyres handle in comparison to F1, what with your knowledge in F1 machinery with Mercedes?

SB: Having not yet raced on the Pirelli tyres in an F1 Grand Prix, the direct comparison is a difficult one to make. Having said that, based on my experience of testing the F1 car on Pirelli rubber, I would say that the challenges of managing the tyres are similar, although GP2 has the added challenge of having only one pitstop in the feature race and none at all in the sprint race! This makes tyre conservation in GP2 possibly even more critical than it is in F1. In F1, if you unexpectedly fall off the “cliff” you can dive into the pits for a fresh set, even if it means having to readapt the pit stop strategy. If the same happens to you in the GP2 sprint race, you’ve pretty much had it…

Q: During the season opener in Malaysia, we saw Johnny Cecotto jr. display rather questionable driving against you during qualifying. He was demoted to the back of the grid, however such unacceptable driving was repeated in Bahrain by Sergio Canamasas on Kevin Ceccon. Do you think the stewards need to hand out tougher sanctions against drivers who display such dangerous driving?

SB: The stewards have branded such driving “unacceptable”. As for the punishments, it’s not for me to comment. They have been handed out and are to be respected.

Sam Bird has tested for the Mercedes F1 team on numerous occasions.

Q: As well as your GP2 Series commitments with Russian Time, you are also associated with the Mercedes F1 Team. For the last three years you have partaken in their Young Driver Program. Can we expect to see you reprise your role later in the year, or is it too early for such plans?

SB: I continue to work for Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team as their Reserve Driver but precise plans for the Young Driver Test are yet to be finalised.

Q: And finally, what are your plans for the extensive gap between Bahrain and Spain? With no ability to carry out track testing between the two race weekends, will you jump into the Mercedes simulator to prepare yourself for racing around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya?

SB: I will be fulfilling my role for Mercedes at their factory in Brackley, working mainly on the simulator. I will travel to Oschersleben too, to meet with the Russian Time engineering team. I will also be working hard on my ongoing preparation and fitness. Finally, I have a few media and charity commitments. So all in all, I will be pretty busy.

Many thanks to Sam Bird and James Olivier for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.

Picture(s) Copyright © Glenn Dunbar/GP2 Series Media Service & Getty Images

Romain Grosjean: “Sepang Is Probably My Favorite Track”

Romain Grosjean is looking forward to this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, as it takes place around the Frenchman’s favorite circuit on the calendar. After making his first appearance around the track in 2008 during his time in the GP2 Asia category, the circuit instantly became a firm favorite due largely to its wide and fast flowing nature.

Last season saw Romain Grosjean retire from his first Malaysian Grand Prix, after the Frenchman collided with Michael Schumacher on the opening lap and then spun out of the race when the heavens fully opened on Lap 3. This season the Frenchman will understandably be hoping for a much more competitive outing around the Sepang International Circuit, especially after his team-mates success last time out.

“Sepang is probably my favorite track of the whole season.” Enthused Romain Grosjean, “I first raced there in 2008 as part of the GP2 Asia Series and I really loved the circuit. It’s nice and wide, with fast flowing corners and a lot of undulation which makes it great fun to drive. The last corner is a tricky one, but I enjoy everything about racing there. Well, maybe not the heat and humidity, but at the end of the day it’s just another challenge for the drivers! I’m really looking forward to it.”

Romain Grosjean endured a tough race weekend last time out in Australia, in stark contrast to team-mate Kimi Raikkonen who stormed to race victory with ease. The Frenchman could only manage 8th during qualifying, and struggled with what he believed was a damaged car to finish 10th during the 58-lap race. On a plus side Romain Grosjean’s race was clean and devoid any incidents, however it’s unquestionable that after Kimi Raikkonen’s victory the 26-year-old will be striving for success in the remaining races of the season.

“It’s a shame as everything looked positive after qualifying in the morning [at Australia], but in the race something felt wrong with my car.” Explained Romain Grosjean, “I sat down with my engineers to analyze where the problem came from and we hopefully will be able to perform better in the future. The car felt so good at times over the weekend, but then at other times it wasn’t where I wanted it to be. It meant that the race felt long and pretty difficult for me. It was very frustrating and I’m disappointed for the team and for myself as I wanted to start the season with a strong result.”

Last season Romain Grosjean seemed to take one step forwards and then two back in what became a frustrating and topsy-turvy year for the Frenchman. This season Grosjean is adamant he has changed his ways, and will be striving to prove his worthiness in a team which is now fighting at the top of the sport’s echelon.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Romain Grosjean: “I Want To Score A Lot Of Points For The Team”

Romain Grosjean is aiming to score more points for Lotus in the forthcoming 2013 season, as the Frenchman prepares for what will be his second full season in the sport. After a topsy-turvy 2012 season for the 26-year-old, which featured a combination of incidences and podiums, Grosjean is after a much more consistent year in 2013.

After securing both the GP2 Asia and GP2 Series Championships in 2011, Romain Grosjean returned to Formula 1 to compete in his first full season last year, after a slightly unsuccessful debut with the same outfit back in 2009. The Frenchman instantly showed his return to the feeder categories had paid dividends during the opening race of the weekend when he qualified an excellent 3rd behind the McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

However, the bouts of competitiveness witnessed at Melbourne were tarnished throughout the majority of the 2012 season by a collection of opening lap incidents between Romain Grosjean and other drivers, which unfortunately resulted in the Frenchman receiving notoriety by the majority of the grid. Despite Grosjean’s unfortunate tendency to find carnage during the opening laps of a Grand Prix in 2012, the Frenchman is adamant that 2013 will be a different and much more prosperous affair.

“I can clearly say I want to score a lot of points for the team – everybody knows that – but I think it would be wrong for me to say I want to finish in a particular position in the Championship.” Explained Romain Grosjean, “I really want to jump out of the car as many times as possible thinking that I did a good job. Knowing that everything I could do, I did, and feeling proud of my race or session. I hope to feel that way as many times as possible this year. I think everyone is waiting to see if I’m able to be consistent, which is where I was lacking a little bit last year. I know it and I’ll do everything I can to prove to people that I’m able to achieve this goal.”

Romain Grosjean is no stranger when it comes to taking victories in motor sport, with the Frenchman having done so six times in both GP2 Asia and GP2 during his dominance in 2011. Kimi Raikkonen showed that Lotus are equally capable of securing victories in Formula 1 last season, and Romain Grosjean will be striving to show his worthiness at the Enstone-based outfit in 2013 as Lotus aims for the top.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Jake Rosenzweig To Partner Rio Haryanto At Barwa Addax In 2013

Spanish GP2 team Barwa Addax have confirmed that American driver Jake Rosenzweig will partner Rio Haryanto at the outfit in the forthcoming GP2 season, after the 23-year-old competed in the final two rounds of the season for Barwa Addax last year. Rosenzweig will become the first American to compete in the Series since Scott Speed.

After enjoying Championship supremacy in 2011 with Romain Grosjean, Barwa Addax endured a relatively tough 2012 season which yielded only two victories at the hands of both Johnny Cecotto jr. and Josef Kral. The Spanish outfit finished the year only 8th in the Constructors’ Championship with 131 points scored, a tally they will be aiming to better in the coming season with a revised driving line-up which includes Rio Haryanto and American star Jake Rosenzweig.

Jake Rosenzweig’s path to the GP2 Series has included stints in both the GP2 Asia, Auto GP and Formula Renault 3.5 categories. Towards the end of the 2012 GP2 season, Jake Rosenzweig was called upon by the Spanish outfit to partner Johnny Cecotto jr. in the final two rounds of the year at Monza and Singapore, where the American driver managed to finish all four races albeit well outside the points paying positions. However, Barwa Addax were impressed with Rosenzweig’s performances during both the final two rounds of the season and the post-season tests, and he will therefore compete in his first full season of GP2 action in 2013 alongside Indonesian ace Rio Haryanto.

“I am excited to be joining Addax for the 2013 GP2 season and wish to thank all involved for making this possible.” Said Jake Rosenzweig, “Having raced in the final two rounds of the 2012 Championship with Addax, I know what an opportunity this represents to be working with them again. The race calendar has some great circuits and I am looking forward to hitting the ground running. I will do my best to score as many points as possible over the course of the season.”

Barwa Addax have become the sixth team on the grid to confirm their full driver line-up for the forthcoming season, along with DAMS, Lotus GP, Arden International, Racing Engineering and Carlin. With so many Championship contenders on the grid for the new season, 2013 is expected to be yet another sensationally exciting season of GP2 action. Both Rio Haryanto and Jake Rosenzweig will be hoping to add to the excitement once the action gets underway in March at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Sauber Duo Rue Missed Opportunities In First Half Of 2012

Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi have enjoyed a highly competitive start to the 2012 season, with Perez already stepping onto the podium twice in Malaysia and Canada and Kobayashi coming ever so close to his first ever podium finish in Germany with 4th. However, the Sauber duo are ruing missed opportunities in what was a highly competitive opening eleven races of the season.

Although Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi currently sit 9th and 10th in the Drivers’ Championship respectively, the duo are realistic in the fact that the 2012 season has not been all glory so far. The Hinwil-based outfit have lately been suffering greatly when it comes to qualifying, with Sergio Perez failing to progress through to the top ten shootout since the Spanish Grand Prix back in May.

This has greatly plagued Sergio Perez, who came agonizingly close to his maiden Grand Prix victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the beginning of the season. Since then, the Mexican driver has only been able to finish on the podium one other time, at the Canadian Grand Prix when the likes of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel began to suffer greatly from tyre wear.

Sergio Perez finished 2nd in Malaysia, only +2.263 seconds off winner Alonso.

“I had some great moments in the first half of the season.” Explained Sergio Perez, “There were the two podiums in Malaysia and Montreal, which, of course, made me very happy. Nevertheless it was also a period with ups and downs because we didn’t make the most of every situation.”

Sergio Perez’s team-mate, Kamui Kobayashi, has yet to finish on the podium in 2012. However, the Japanese driver has shown exceedingly quick pace throughout the first half of the season, and has also stated that missed opportunities has been the only set-back of the season so far.

“Overall we have done a good job and achieved great things.” Said Kamui Kobayashi, “The team built a very good car with an excellent performance. Since the beginning of the season we have been competitive on most tracks, and this means we can be confident for the remainder of the season. The downside so far has been we definitely missed some opportunities for some more great results. Too often we didn’t manage the weekend perfectly. If we can improve there, a lot will be possible.”

It’s visible that Sauber have designed a car which is capable of great things this season, and which is consistently quick on the majority of the circuits on the calendar. Both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi know how to win races, having done so on numerous occasions in GP2 and GP2 Asia. If Sauber can qualify both cars high on the grid, its highly conceivable that further podiums are there for the taking in this highly competitive and unique 2012 season.

Picture(s) Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

Romain Grosjean Becomes 200th Different Driver On The Podium

Romain Grosjean made Formula 1 history in Bahrain, becoming the 200th different driver to step onto the podium since the sports inaugural season in 1950. With Grosjean joining his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel on the podium, it was all change once again on the top step of the F1 rostrum.

For Grosjean, it was his first step on an F1 podium in only his 11th start. The Frenchman began his career in 2009 with Renault, however he was replaced by Vitaly Petrov for the 2010 season. Grosjean then returned to the GP2 Series and in 2011 won both the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series’.

In 2012, Grosjean has returned to the top tier of motorsport along with his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, and the two have already shown high amounts of competitiveness in only the first four races of the season. Although Grosjean failed to complete more than seven laps in the first two races due to two DNF’s, he seems to have made up for his errors with two points finishes in China and Bahrain.

The last Frenchman to step onto the podium was 14 years ago, when Jean Alesi did so in unforgettable circumstances at the crazy 1998 Belgian Grand Prix for Sauber. The French veteran was joined by the Jordan duo of Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher, who had memorably achieved Jordan’s first F1 victory with a 1-2 finish in the rain at Spa.

Romain Grosjean has ended this drought for France and has returned the French flag to the podium once again, becoming the 21st Frenchman on the podium. He now joins the likes of Jean Alesi, Rene Arnoux, Alain Prost, Didier Pironi and Olivier Panis as French drivers’ who have reached the podium in their career. 

With Grosjean only several races into 2012, his aim now will naturally be to become the first French winner since 1996, when Olivier Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix for Ligier in a race which amazingly saw only three cars eventually cross the finish line at the end of the race, the least amount in F1 history.

Lotus showed promising pace in pre-season testing at both Jerez and Barcelona, with Raikkonen and Grosjean both setting the fastest times throughout the testing period. It now seems that Lotus are beginning to show that pace once again, when it all counts during the race on Sunday. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean know how to win races, and they will undoubtedly be striving to do so in 2012.

Picture Copyright © AFP 

Pastor Maldonado Receives Gearbox Penalty For Bahrain

The Williams of Pastor Maldonado will take an unfortunate 5-place grid penalty for this weekends Bahrain Grand Prix, as the Venezuelan driver will suffer a gearbox change. The same penalty has struck both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton this season, and could well result in a tough race for Maldonado.

With the two Williams’ drivers’ of Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado scoring a wonderful double points finish in China, the Williams team found an issue with the gearbox used during that race and therefore require a new one in the Venezuelan’s car.

The regulations stipulate that a driver must complete a minimum of five races with one particular gearbox, with the only exception being if a driver fails to finish a Grand Prix. With Maldonado finishing 8th in China, this was not the case and as a result he has suffered the penalty.

Pastor Maldonado has only ever raced at the Sakhir International Circuit twice, in both GP2 and GP2 Asia. In GP2 he only ever managed to finish as high as 16th in 2007 with Trident Racing, whereas in the 2008-09 GP2 Asia season he failed to finish both races in Bahrain with ART Grand Prix.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

John Booth Pleased With Marussia Progress

After three races of the 2012 season, Marussia Team Principal John Booth is already very satisfied with the progress his team have made. The Anglo-Russian outfit made a late start to the season, as they were one of only two teams along with HRT to not bring their new car to any of the pre-season tests at Jerez or Barcelona.

However, unlike HRT who were unable to qualify for the season opener in Australia, Marussia have successfully been able to qualify for every race so far this season. Not only have Marussia qualified for every race this season, they have finished every race this season as well (Pic did retire from oil pressure issues in Australia, but was classified nonetheless after completing 90% race distance). 

“Going into last weekend’s race in China we’d eaten into the gap to our immediate competitors by 0.8s since Malaysia.” Explained Marussia Team Principal, John Booth. “Combined with the 0.6s decrease we’d seen between the first two races, that means we’ve found almost 1.5s of lap time in the first three races which, considering the challenges we faced with our late start, is very pleasing to all of us. It is still very early in the season of course, but it is nice to see that we are heading in a good development direction.”

Timo Glock started the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix from the front row of the grid for Toyota, alongside his then team-mate Jarno Trulli. The German therefore has good memories of the circuit, and will be confident heading into round four of the Championship. Frenchman Charles Pic will be confident heading to Bahrain as well, as the rookie begins to race on circuits he is familiar with from his GP2 days. Pic won on the circuit in 2010 in the GP2 Asia Series for Arden International, and will undoubtedly be glad to begin racing on tracks he knows.

Marussia made their debut at Sakhir in 2010 (known then as Virgin Racing), with Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi at the wheel. Unfortunately both cars’ retired during the race, and Marussia will be hoping history does not repeat itself this coming weekend.

Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team

Palmer Quickest In GP2 Practice In Malaysia

For the first time since 2008 when GP2 Asia came to Malaysia, the GP2 fraternity will support the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. With fellow feeder series GP3 set to continue for it’s third year in May, GP2 enters it’s eighth season as the feeder series to Formula 1. 

With practice 1 for Formula 1 only just ending, there was barely enough time to catch your breath before the GP2 cars lined up in the pit-lane eager to get their season underway. First out was Johnny Cecotto jr. for Barwa Addax, as the rest of the field followed the Venezuelan driver out.

As GP3 graduate James Calado set the first timed lap of the day, Sauber’s test driver Esteban Gutierrez collided with Johnny Cecotto jr. on the exit of turn 9. This collision ruined Gutierrez’s session, as the Mexican stopped on track after only completing 4 laps.

After a relatively successful pre-season of testing, Davide Valsecchi then went fastest with a 01:47.005. Valsecchi is now considered a veteran of the sport, as the Italian driver enters his sixth season in GP2 having won only three races in his career so far.

With only 30 minutes of practice time, the track was constantly busy throughout the session as the drivers’ got to grips with the Sepang International Circuit. As the session wore on, Jolyon Palmer went quickest for iSport International with a 01:46.514. This time was the first set on the medium tyre compound, as Palmer remained the only driver to use that particular compound all session. Valsecchi was able to improve on his time, but remained 2nd +0.164 seconds off Palmer’s pace.

As the checkered flag came out signaling the end of the session, Johnny Cecotto jr. ended a miserable session spinning his car at turn 14. The spin brought out yellow flags, which subsequently ended any drivers’ chances of setting a faster time than Palmer.

Qualifying will take place after the second F1 practice session, and could well be rain affected as stormy clouds build up around the circuit. If this is the case, expect the battle for pole in race 1 to be a complete lottery as 26 drivers’ take to the track.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Romain Grosjean Looking Forward To Malaysian Grand Prix

After a highly successful qualifying session during last weekends Australian Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean was brought back down to earth with a bump after a first lap collision with Pastor Maldonado ended his race. However, the Frenchman is eager to get back to racing on probably his favorite track this weekend.

The reigning GP2 Champion won at Sepang back in 2008 when he was racing for ART Grand Prix in the GP2 Asia Series. That weekend also saw Vitaly Petrov win for Campos Grand Prix, another driver who has successfully risen through the ranks and graduated to F1.

“I have a strong relationship with the team after winter testing,” Explained Romain Grosjean, “We’ve built up a good level of understanding and I know if there are areas where we can find time I can trust the guys to find them. It’s a great feeling having a team behind you who all work for each other and are fighting in the same direction, during the good times and bad.”

“Sepang is probably my favorite track.” Continued the Frenchman, “I raced there in 2008 as part of the GP2 Asia Series and I really loved the circuit. It’s nice and wide, with fast flowing corners and a lot of undulation which makes it great fun to drive. The last corner is a tricky one, but I enjoy everything about racing here. Well, maybe not the heat and humidity, but at the end of the day it makes it just another challenge for the drivers! I’m really looking forward to it. I believe we can achieve some positive results this season, hopefully starting in Malaysia.”

With his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen aiming for a podium this weekend, it looks as though the battle is on within Lotus. With both drivers’ having won races around here in their time, both are unarguably well prepared for the weekend ahead on a track which is one of the toughest on the calendar.

Picture Copyright © Reuters