Sebastian Vettel Laments Inconclusive Winter Test
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has been left lamenting after an inconclusive winter test for Red Bull, which once again saw Pirelli’s tyres dominate proceedings at Jerez and Barcelona. The German driver was highly frustrated after the final test at Barcelona, but still remains confident ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
After a season-long Championship battle for Red Bull last season, the team were initially late on designing their new RB9 machine ahead of the new season. Despite this minor setback, the outfit still managed to unveil their new car prior to the start of winter testing. However, during winter testing Red Bull were one of many teams unable to fully understand the behavior of their car due largely to the temperamental Pirelli tyres. With the start of the new season only several days away, Red Bull ended winter testing in negative fashion.
“Well, I think we all have been limited by what the tyres can do.” Explained Sebastian Vettel, when asked what conclusions could be drawn from winter testing. “It was extremely difficult to read some set-up changes and find a direction with the car as the tyres were simply not good enough. We haven’t been able to tick all the boxes we would have liked to and the last two days weren’t as good as we had expected, but there is a bit of time left until the season starts.”
Although Red Bull may well have struggled throughout winter testing in comparison to other outfits, the general belief within the paddock is that they will remain as the team to beat during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, Sebastian Vettel believes that due to one of the most inconclusive winter tests in recent years, the true pecking order of the grid remains an unknown entity.
“I would say that we never had a winter that was less conclusive than this one: the tyres last more or less, depending on how much temperature you are able to create.” Continued Sebastian Vettel, “So I think it is impossible for all of us to read the pace of the cars and to make out any favorites.”
Some experts within the paddock have suggested that Red Bull were “sandbagging” during the final test around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya and that the reigning Champions should still be able to lap around two-tenths faster than the opposition. Either way, it seems the 2013 season is shaping up to be yet another close and thrilling year of Formula 1 action that could see Red Bull’s authority at the front challenged once again.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
James Calado Ends GP2 Jerez Test Fastest
James Calado ended the final day of the GP2 Jerez test fastest overall for ART Grand Prix, in a day which began with damp track conditions. The British driver set the fastest time in the afternoon period, whereas fellow countryman Adrian Quaife-Hobbs reigned supreme during the morning session.
Unlike the previous two days, the third and final day of the test dawned in damp conditions after overnight rainfall. This forced the majority of the drivers to initially take to the Spanish circuit on the wet weather tyre, despite the sun making a welcome appearance soon after. Johnny Cecotto jr. set the initial pace for Arden International, however as the track dried out the times quickly began to tumble.
Despite the tricky track conditions to begin with the morning session ran relatively incident-free, until Johnny Cecotto jr. stopped out on track. Stephane Richelmi continued to impress for DAMS, as the Monegasque driver rose to the top before his Swedish team-mate, Marcus Ericsson, did likewise.
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs was fastest in the morning period, despite the damp start.
Another brief red flag delay was caused as the morning session drew to a conclusion, after the Carlin of Jolyon Palmer stopped out on track. Once track action had recommenced, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs shot to the top for newcomers MP Motorsport with a 01:26.442, eventually ending the session fastest ahead of Stephane Richelmi in 2nd and Marcus Ericsson in 3rd.
By the time the afternoon session began the track had finally dried out, therefore allowing the drivers to carry out race simulations and pit-stop practices. James Calado took control of proceedings early on in the session with a 01:24.659, a time which allowed the 23-year-old the remain at the top for the remainder of the session. Another red flag delay was caused only moments before the end of the session when the Arden of Mitch Evans stopped on track. Calado was eventually followed by Simon Trummer in 2nd and Fabio Leimer in 3rd.
The GP2 fraternity will reconvene in several days time for the second and final pre-season test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, which is scheduled to begin on March 5th for a further three days. Once completed, the teams’ and drivers’ will proceed to Malaysia for the opening round of the new season.
Morning times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m26.442s 28 2. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m26.884s + 0.442s 21 3. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m26.904s + 0.462s 22 4. Daniel de Jong MP 1m27.025s + 0.583s 32 5. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m27.121s + 0.679s 17 6. Robin Frijns Trident 1m27.156s + 0.714s 12 7. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m27.208s + 0.766s 24 8. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m27.239s + 0.797s 6 9. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m27.514s + 1.072s 10 10. Mitch Evans Arden 1m27.560s + 1.118s 18 11. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m27.846s + 1.404s 16 12. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m28.299s + 1.857s 25 13. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m28.379s + 1.937s 21 14. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m28.489s + 2.047s 15 15. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m29.147s + 2.705s 13 16. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m29.303s + 2.861s 23 17. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m29.303s + 2.861s 23 18. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m30.372s + 3.930s 23 19. James Calado ART 1m48.064s + 21.622s 12 20. Daniel Abt ART 1m56.592s + 30.150s 12 21. Tom Dillmann Hilmer 1 22. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 6 23. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1 Afternoon times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. James Calado ART 1m24.659s 54 2. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m25.045s + 0.386s 26 3. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m25.133s + 0.474s 27 4. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m25.138s + 0.479s 35 5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m25.148s + 0.489s 38 6. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m25.269s + 0.610s 39 7. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m25.276s + 0.617s 38 8. Mitch Evans Arden 1m25.309s + 0.650s 41 9. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m25.318s + 0.659s 44 10. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m25.497s + 0.838s 40 11. Robin Frijns Trident 1m25.572s + 0.913s 23 12. Daniel Abt ART 1m25.695s + 1.036s 56 13. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m25.829s + 1.170s 37 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m25.833s + 1.174s 47 15. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m25.862s + 1.203s 17 16. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m25.883s + 1.224s 33 17. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m25.896s + 1.237s 43 18. Daniel de Jong MP 1m25.959s + 1.300s 31 19. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m26.031s + 1.372s 39 20. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m26.049s + 1.390s 21 21. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m26.133s + 1.474s 43 22. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m26.767s + 2.108s 38
Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Tom Dillmann Remains Fastest At GP2 Jerez Test
Tom Dillmann has continued to top the timing sheets at Jerez, during the second day of GP2 testing at the Spanish circuit. The Frenchman, driving for rookie outfit Hilmer Motorsport, ended the morning session fastest overall, whereas Monaco’s Stephane Richelmi managed to set the fastest time in the afternoon period.
In similar circumstances to the opening day, the second day of track action at Jerez dawned in clear yet chilly weather conditions. British driver James Calado set the initial pace for ART Grand Prix, before the Carlin of Felipe Nasr rose to the top with the first time in the 01:25s. The session was brought to a brief halt early on as the DAMS of Marcus Ericsson spun into the gravel at Turn 10, becoming the first of many to make an error in the morning period.
Although the session was quickly resumed, Nathaniel Berthon brought proceedings to another brief delay after the Trident Racing driver spun and stopped out on track. No sooner had the session been resumed when Felipe Nasr made an error through Turn 3. Tom Dillmann became the next driver to assert his authority over proceedings, before an incident between Daniel Abt and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs brought proceedings to yet another momentary delay.
The remainder of the morning session ran relatively incident-free thereafter, as James Calado momentarily rose to the top before Tom Dillmann returned his Hilmer Motorsport machine to the top of the timing sheets. The Frenchman’s time of a 01:24.400 remained unchallenged as the incident-filled morning period drew to a conclusion, with Dillmann being followed by Stefano Coletti in 2nd and James Calado in 3rd.
Stephane Richelmi was fastest in the afternoon period for DAMS.
During the two hour lunch break the temperature at Jerez dipped slightly, as grey clouds began to gather above the circuit. After setting the fastest time in the morning session, Tom Dillmann continued his competitiveness at the front by setting an early benchmark. In stark contrast to the morning period, the afternoon session ran relatively incident-free, as the majority of the order centralized their running around long race simulations.
With only one hour remaining on the clock, Monegasque driver Stephane Richelmi stormed to the top with a 01:24.604. Despite this time being several tenths off of Tom Dillmann’s quickest time set in the morning period, Richelmi remained fastest as the day drew to a conclusion. Stefano Coletti caused a brief red flag delay in the final minutes of the day after the Italian driver ran slightly wide at Turn 1. Stephane Richelmi, however, remained on top as the checkered flag was brought out. The DAMS driver was followed at the top by Tom Dillmann and Johnny Cecotto jr. The third and final day of the GP2 Jerez test is scheduled to begin at 9am local time tomorrow morning.
Morning session: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Tom Dillmann Hilmer 1m24.400s 19 2. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m24.418s + 0.018s 26 3. James Calado ART 1m24.525s + 0.125s 33 4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m24.534s + 0.134s 28 5. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m24.691s + 0.291s 25 6. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m24.712s + 0.312s 23 7. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m24.776s + 0.376s 34 8. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m24.963s + 0.563s 33 9. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m24.967s + 0.567s 23 10. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m24.976s + 0.576s 24 11. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m25.023s + 0.623s 19 12. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m25.059s + 0.659s 18 13. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m25.243s + 0.843s 27 14. Mitch Evans Arden 1m25.258s + 0.858s 27 15. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m25.310s + 0.910s 31 16. Robin Frijns Trident 1m25.345s + 0.945s 25 17. Pal Varhaug Hilmer 1m25.402s + 1.002s 28 18. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m25.486s + 1.086s 32 19. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m25.604s + 1.204s 28 20. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m25.607s + 1.207s 28 21. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m25.800s + 1.400s 26 22. Daniel de Jong MP 1m25.858s + 1.458s 25 23. Daniel Abt ART 1m25.893s + 1.493s 8 24. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m26.610s + 2.210s 30 Afternoon session: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m24.604s 37 2. Tom Dillmann Hilmer 1m24.932s + 0.328s 18 3. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m25.292s + 0.688s 22 4. Daniel Abt ART 1m25.312s + 0.708s 30 5. Robin Frijns Trident 1m25.335s + 0.731s 22 6. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m25.388s + 0.784s 32 7. Pal Varhaug Hilmer 1m25.391s + 0.787s 42 8. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m25.618s + 1.014s 31 9. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m25.677s + 1.073s 33 10. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m25.685s + 1.081s 49 11. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m25.725s + 1.121s 16 12. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m25.920s + 1.316s 33 13. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m25.925s + 1.321s 18 14. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m26.022s + 1.418s 29 15. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m26.096s + 1.492s 37 16. James Calado ART 1m26.116s + 1.512s 21 17. Mitch Evans Arden 1m26.374s + 1.770s 38 18. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m26.462s + 1.858s 41 19. Daniel de Jong MP 1m27.075s + 2.471s 22 20. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m28.039s + 3.435s 29 21. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m28.793s + 4.189s 43 22. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m29.189s + 4.585s 38 23. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m29.596s + 4.992s 27 24. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m29.749s + 5.145s 33
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Tom Dillmann Fastest After Opening Day Of Jerez GP2 Test
Tom Dillmann has ended the opening day of the Jerez GP2 test fastest overall, after a productive first day for newcomers Hilmer Motorsport. The Frenchman set the time in the afternoon period, whereas Britain’s Jolyon Palmer set the pace in the morning session for Carlin.
The opening day of the test began in cold yet clear conditions at the Jerez circuit, as the majority of the drivers immediately took to the track to carry out their respective installation laps. Once the track temperature had improved, Venezuela GP Lazarus’s Rene Binder became the first driver to set a timed lap. The first red flag delay of the day followed, by returning Norwegian driver Pau Varhaug who spun and stopped on the track. Once the session was resumed, Tom Dillmann proceeded to set the pace before the Arden of Johnny Cecotto jr. rose to the top.
Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson set the pace for DAMS as the morning session progressed, before a second red flag delay was caused when Sergio Canamasas spun into the barrier at Turn 4. The session was quickly resumed, however, allowing the Carlin of Jolyon Palmer to assert his authority over proceedings with a 01:25.330. A third red flag delay only three minutes before the end of the session caused by reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans saw the morning session end under red flag conditions, thus allowing Jolyon Palmer to remain in command at the top ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Rene Binder.
After the two hour lunch break, Swiss driver Fabio Leimer set the benchmark for Racing Engineering, whilst the majority of the field elected to run race simulations. However, Monegasque driver Stephane Richelmi rose to the top for DAMS as the time at the top continued to tumble throughout the afternoon session. James Calado momentarily set the fastest time for ART Grand Prix, before Fabio Leimer returned to the top. Another red flag delay was caused by Daniel de Jong for newcomers MP Motorsport, which saw the Dutchman stop on the track at Turn 7.
With only 20 minutes remaining in the session, Tom Dillmann shot to the top with a 01:25.059, just under three tenths faster than the benchmark from the morning period set by the Carlin of Jolyon Palmer. Tom Dillmann remained fastest as the opening day drew to a close, with Fabio Leimer and Felipe Nasr rounding out the top three. The GP2 fraternity will return tomorrow for the second day of the Jerez test, with proceedings set to get underway at 9am local time.
Morning times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m25.330s 19 2. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m25.426s + 0.096s 11 3. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m25.541s + 0.211s 23 4. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m25.574s + 0.244s 20 5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m25.574s + 0.244s 15 6. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m25.842s + 0.512s 25 7. James Calado ART 1m25.911s + 0.581s 18 8. Tom Dillmann Hilmer 1m25.922s + 0.592s 12 9. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m25.998s + 0.668s 17 10. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m26.019s + 0.689s 22 11. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m26.066s + 0.736s 8 12. Mitch Evans Arden 1m26.070s + 0.740s 14 13. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m26.209s + 0.879s 17 14. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m26.244s + 0.914s 16 15. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m26.398s + 1.068s 20 16. Robin Frijns Trident 1m26.438s + 1.108s 17 17. Daniel de Jong MP 1m26.443s + 1.113s 9 18. Daniel Abt ART 1m26.565s + 1.235s 15 19. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m26.732s + 1.402s 15 20. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m26.990s + 1.660s 11 21. Pal Varhaug Hilmer 1m27.926s + 2.596s 17 22. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m31.642s + 6.312s 5 23. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP - 1 24. Stefano Coletti Rapax - 1 Afternoon times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Tom Dillmann Hilmer 1m25.059 23 2. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m25.248 + 0.189s 27 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m25.262 + 0.203s 34 4. James Calado ART 1m25.403 + 0.344s 31 5. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m25.405 + 0.346s 16 6. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m25.480 + 0.421s 33 7. Daniel de Jong MP 1m25.506 + 0.447s 30 8. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m25.585 + 0.526s 28 9. Robin Frijns Trident 1m25.602 + 0.543s 24 10. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m25.656 + 0.597s 29 11. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m25.718 + 0.659s 40 12. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m25.819 + 0.760s 35 13. Daniel Abt ART 1m25.933 + 0.874s 34 14. Mitch Evans Arden 1m26.116 + 1.057s 32 15. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m26.200 + 1.141s 31 16. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m26.222 + 1.163s 33 17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m26.405 + 1.346s 39 18. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m26.610 + 1.551s 22 19. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m26.682 + 1.623s 25 20. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m27.005 + 1.946s 23 21. Pal Varhaug Hilmer 1m27.595 + 2.536s 22 22. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m27.855 + 2.796s 23 23. Ma Qing Hua Caterham 1m28.002 + 2.943s 31 24. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m29.492 + 4.433s 25
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Julian Leal Optimistic Ahead Of “Important” Season In GP2
Colombian GP2 driver Julian Leal has voiced optimism ahead of the new GP2 season, which will see the promising 22-year-old begin the next chapter of his career in the feeder category with Spanish outfit Racing Engineering. Leal will be partnered at the team by Swiss driver Fabio Leimer, who is preparing for his second season at the team.
The forthcoming GP2 season will be Julian Leal’s third year in the category, with the Colombian driver preparing to compete with his third team in succession. In 2010 he made his GP2 debut with Rapax, before switching to Trident Racing for 2011. This coming season will see him join his third different outfit, as he continues to climb his way up the motor sport ladder. Julian Leal understands the new season will be a pivotal step in his quest for success in the sport, and is already impressed with the way Racing Engineering functions as a team.
“The truth is that this is a very important year for me.” Explained Julian Leal, “It’s my third year in GP2, so I already have experience, I know the car and the tyres well now and I was therefore looking for a good team. I think with Racing Engineering I can find what I am looking for. I hope that everything works out really well during the season. More than anything, this is why I joined Racing Engineering, as I was looking for a team to help me validate the experience I have gained up till now.”
During Julian Leal’s career in GP2, the Colombian has racked up only a handful of points including a personal best finish of 7th at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix feature race. Naturally Leal is hopeful he’ll be able to emulate his previous results in the category this season, in a team which took several podium finishes last season. Leal is therefore hopeful of enjoying his most productive GP2 season, alongside a team-mate who will naturally be aiming for victories.
“I hope that this will be a very positive and very good year.” Continued Julian Leal, “I hope to continue to learn many things, validate the many things I have learned until now. I hope to be able to show everyone what I am really capable of. Racing Engineering is a very good team and I hope that together we can do a very good job and achieve results that are satisfying for both of us.”
Julian Leal will get his first taste of the season to come next week, when the GP2 fraternity reconvenes after the winter break for the first pre-season test at Jerez. After one final test early next month at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Julian Leal will line-up for his first race for Racing Engineering at Sepang in support of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP2 Series Media Service
Charles Pic Q&A
Last season saw Charles Pic become Timo Glock’s third team-mate in as many years at Marussia, following on from both Lucas di Grassi and Jerome D’Ambrosio. Just like his predecessors at the outfit, Charles Pic had graduated from the GP2 Series after taking two victories and five podiums throughout the previous season in the category.
Despite four retirements in the first six races at the start of his Formula 1 career, Charles Pic greatly impressed many during his debut year in the sport. Towards the end of the European season, Charles Pic began both out-qualifying and out-racing his vastly more experienced German team-mate. During the final Grand Prix weekend of the season at Brazil, it was confirmed that Charles Pic had signed for Caterham on a multi-year contract.
After many weeks of speculation regarding who would eventually team-mate the 22-year-old, Dutchman and former Caterham reserve driver Giedo van Garde was confirmed prior to the opening test of the season. Mentored by former race winner Olivier Panis, Charles Pic impressed many during his debut season in Formula 1. With only several weeks to go before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne, I caught up with Charles Pic to discuss his second season in Formula 1.
Charles Pic testing at Jerez in the new CT03 machine.
Q: First of all Charles, many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. You are currently preparing for what will be your second season in Formula 1, and your first with Caterham, how are your preparations going for the start of the new season?
Charles Pic: Preparations are going very well thanks. Before the first test I was able to spend quite a lot of time in the factory in Leafield, meeting everyone, spending some time in the simulator and starting to work with my Race Engineer Tim Wright. The first test was also good. We had a technical issue on my first day in the car, but on day two we ran more than 100 laps and generated a lot of very useful data, so we’re now looking ahead to the next test in Barcelona and picking up where we left off.
Q: Throughout your debut season with Marussia, you out-qualified and out-raced your team-mate Timo Glock on several occasions. How do you feel you performed throughout 2012?
CP: I think I did pretty well, but it was my first year and we were racing a lot of tracks I hadn’t driven before. This year I have that experience, so I think year two will be even better – you never stop learning!
Q: The subject of ‘pay drivers’ has been rather topical in recent weeks throughout the Formula 1 fraternity. What is your opinion on the term, do you think it is good or bad for the image of the sport?
CP: That’s not something I want to get into. There are plenty of other people who can talk about that but for me, I am in the team to do my job and that’s what I want to focus on.
Q: In 2013 Caterham will unquestionably be striving to score their first World Championship points. How confident are you that both yourself and the team will be able to achieve this in the forthcoming season?
CP: It’s too early to tell, and, truthfully, that’s not really the goal. F1 is probably more competitive than it ever has been and our main goal has to be to get as close as we can to the teams ahead – if we reach them then maybe a point will be available, but first we have to catch the cars ahead.
Q: Former Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis was with you throughout the majority of your debut season with Marussia. How much does he assist you throughout a Grand Prix weekend, and will he accompany you at Caterham as well this season?
CP: Olivier has been a great help to me and he’s obviously one of the most experienced people I could work with. Quite a few of the guys at Caterham have worked with him before, when he was driving, so for both him and me there’s a good atmosphere in the team and we’re working with people we know. I’m not sure how many races he’ll be at this year, we’ll see.
Q: And lastly, last season the first three races were completely new circuits for you. How confident are you on returning to the likes of Albert Park, Sepang and the Shanghai International Circuit at the start of the new season?
CP: Confidence is probably not the right word. I’m looking forward to racing again – it’s my job and I love what I do, so I’m excited about going back to work and the fact I know the tracks is a bonus.
Many thanks to Caterham and Charles Pic for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.
Picture(s) Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen Ends Jerez Test Fastest For Lotus
Kimi Raikkonen has ended the Jerez test fastest for Lotus, after the Finn’s second day behind the wheel of the Renault-powered E21. The Iceman was followed home in 2nd by the Fore India of Jules Bianchi, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel 3rd.
Yet again the day began in sunny but chilly weather conditions, as the Caterham of Charles Pic became the first driver to take to the track once the session began. The Frenchman was followed out by many drivers up and down the grid, including the Force India of Jules Bianchi and Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. The 2008 World Champion instantly set the first timed lap of the day, with a 01:37.864, as the Briton set to making up for lost time after his incident on Wednesday.
As more drivers began to set their first timed laps of the day, the Mexican of Esteban Gutierrez went fastest with a 01:21.766. The Sauber driver then instantly improved upon his time at the top with a 01:20.797, and was joined on the track by fellow countryman Sergio Perez. This became the first time two Mexican drivers had been on a track since 1968, when Pedro Rodriguez and Moisés Solana competed at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel soon asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:20.561, with the Red Bull driver keen to defend his Championship crown throughout the coming season. Vettel continued to lower the benchmark as the morning progressed, eventually setting a 01:20.155. However, Esteban Gutierrez soon rose above the German, setting a 01:19.996 as he continued to gather important track time for the new Sauber C32 machine.
Despite a busy morning out on the track, Pedro de la Rosa was one of the only drivers yet to complete a timed lap for Ferrari. Eventually the Spaniard left the confines of the pit lane and took to the Jerez circuit, only for his Ferrari F138 to splutter to a halt in a plume of smoke after two laps. This caused the first red flag delay of the day, however the Ferrari was quickly cleared and the track action was soon resumed. It was later confirmed that Pedro de la Rosa’s Ferrari had suffered from a gearbox failure.
Once the cars began circulating the Jerez circuit once again, Lewis Hamilton and then Sergio Perez rose to the top, with the latter setting a 01:19.696. However, proceedings were once again brought to a halt when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez stopped offline at the Senna Chicane, with the Swiss outfit confirming they were carrying out a fuel check on the C32 thus resulting in Gutierrez running out of fuel.
Kimi Raikkonen shot to the top of the timing sheets once the track returned to green flag conditions, however the Iceman was soon thwarted by the ever-competitive Sebastian Vettel who set a 01:18.789. Esteban Gutierrez momentarily displaced the Red Bull driver, however Sebastian Vettel quickly resumed his top spot with a 01:18.565. Track action was brought to an unorthodox halt in the afternoon, when a hole was spotted between Turns 9 and 10 around a foot from the track.
A Jerez track official investigates the hole.
This discovery saw the red flag return as track officials investigated the issue further, with team personnel also visiting the scene of the delay. Initially the track officials tried to cover the hole with what was described as a black plastic version of a sleeping policeman. However this idea was quickly altered, and the hole was filled with cement which enabled track action to resume shortly after. The lengthy delay due to the hole in the track saw 30 minutes added to the testing time, with proceedings instead set to end at 17:30 local time.
Force India’s Jules Bianchi set the fastest time of the day as the teams once again returned to the track, with the Frenchman setting a 01:18.175 behind the wheel of the VJM06. Bianchi’s day was soon ended when Force India elected to return Paul di Resta behind the wheel, with the Briton set to see out the remainder of the day for the Silverstone-based outfit. Whilst Paul di Resta set his first timed laps of the day, Kimi Raikkonen shot to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:18.148 for Lotus.
Despite the additional time after the delay for the hole in the track, Kimi Raikkonen remained fastest as the fourth and final day drew to a close at Jerez, therefore ending Formula 1’s time at the circuit for another year. The Finn was followed home in 2nd place by the Force India of Jules Bianchi, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel 3rd for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton completed the most amount of laps for Mercedes with 145, with the Briton clearly making up for the lost ground of the opening two days.
The Formula 1 fraternity will reconvene on February 19th at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya for the second pre-season test, and the first of two to be held at the circuit. The second test will also see Williams unveil their new FW35, after using the Jerez test to gather valuable information using an updated version of their 2012 FW34.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m18.148s 83 2. Jules Bianchi Force India 1m18.175s + 0.027 56 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m18.565s + 0.417 96 4. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m18.669s + 0.521 142 5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m18.760s + 0.612 92 6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m18.905s + 0.757 145 7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m18.944s + 0.796 98 8. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m19.851s + 1.703 92 9. Pedro de la Rosa Ferrari 1m20.316s + 2.168 51 10. Charles Pic Caterham 1m21.105s + 2.957 109 11. Luiz Razia Marussia 1m21.226s + 3.078 82 12. Paul di Resta Force India 1m23.435s + 5.287 49
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Hole In Jerez Track Delays Testing
A hole on the edge of the Jerez circuit has delayed proceedings on the fourth and final day of the opening test ahead of the new season, as track personnel strive to rectify the issue to allow track action to resume. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel is currently atop the timing sheets, ahead of the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.
The gaping hole between Turns 9 and 10 was discovered just before 1pm local time, when debris was spotted on the circuit. The hole is situated roughly a foot from the kerb, and track action was naturally brought to a halt to allow track personnel to investigate the issue further. Initially it was decided to try and cover up the hole with what was described by AutoSport as a black plastic version of a sleeping policeman, however the decision to implement such a device was quickly changed.
It was then decided to fill the hole with cement, as track and team personnel watched the proceedings. The cement was assisted in its drying process by the track personnel, with the track eventually being deemed safe for the action to be resumed. This slightly unorthodox delay comes after Pirelli implored the teams to consider an alternative location for pre-season testing next season, after the Italian tyre supplier deemed the track surface too rough for testing.
Reading between the lines, it looks as though Formula 1’s presence at the Spanish circuit is nearing its end, with Pirelli seemingly keen on visiting other circuits to test their new tyres. Jerez has become a significant location for pre-season testing, and last hosted a Grand Prix back in 1997 when Jacques Villeneuve was crowned Champion in unforgettable circumstances.
Felipe Massa Fastest After Day Three At Jerez
Felipe Massa has ended the third day fastest for Ferrari, after another productive day for the Scuderia. The Brazilian driver was followed home by the busy Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, with the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel 3rd for Red Bull on his first day behind the wheel of the RB9.
The day once again dawned in sunny but chilly weather conditions, with the Ferrari of Felipe Massa becoming the first driver to take to the track. The Brazilian driver was quickly followed out by Max Chilton, Jean-Eric Vergne and Kimi Raikkonen, with latter two making their first appearances of the week. Once the traditional installation laps had been completed, Valtteri Bottas completed the first timed lap of the day with a 01:29.697 on his opening day with the team.
However, the Finn’s time was quickly thwarted by the Marussia of Max Chilton who wasted no time in completing several quick lap times which eventually saw the Briton work his way down from a 01:27.581 to an impressive 01:23.938. Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez, who was also making his first appearance of the week, then shot to the top with a 01:23.232 before Nico Rosberg lowered the benchmark with a 01:19.687. The German driver was hoping for a much more productive day with the team, after the previous two days were plagued by mechanical issues.
As the morning progressed Felipe Massa rose to the top on his final day testing with the team, as the Brazilian driver set a 01:19.005, which was later bettered by Nico Rosberg who once again managed to surpass the Ferrari by only +0.001 seconds. The first red flag of the day was caused by the Caterham of Charles Pic, who took over from team-mate Giedo van der Garde for the final two days. The Frenchman came to a halt around Turn 2, with a suspected technical glitch striking his car.
Shortly after the resumption of track action, Felipe Massa completely obliterated the timing screens with a 01:17.879, becoming the first driver to set a sub-01:18s lap. Nico Rosberg managed to improve upon his time as the day progressed, with the German carrying out many laps to make up for the lost time from the previous two days. Paul di Resta took over driving duties from fellow countryman James Rossiter for the afternoon period, with the Briton carrying out his last period of work of the week before Jules Bianchi takes over the reigns for the final day.
However, the Silverstone-based outfit’s day was brought to a premature end, after their VJM06 suffered an exhaust failure after only seven laps for Paul di Resta. Marussia also suffered from technical gremlins throughout the afternoon period, with Max Chilton’s progression plagued with onboard electrical issues with the MR-02. Jean-Eric Vergne caused a momentary red flag delay in the afternoon, with the Frenchman’s STR8 coming to a halt at the end of the pit-lane.
The session was quickly resumed however, with many drivers once again returning to the Jerez circuit in the final hour of the day. Nico Rosberg surpassed a stunning 140 laps as the day drew to a close, more than anyone achieved during testing last year. The German eventually finished the day with 148 laps completed. The day was once again brought to a premature end under red flag conditions, with the McLaren of Jenson Button stopping out on track between Turns 7 and 8.
This saw Felipe Massa end the day fastest overall, ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and the Red Bull of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel. The fourth and final day will see the likes of Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, Pedro de la Rosa and Jules Bianchi take to the track, as the Jerez test draws to a conclusion.
Today’s times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m17.879s 85 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m18.766s +0.887 148 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m19.052s +1.173 102 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m19.200s +1.321 40 5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m19.247s +1.368 85 6. James Rossiter Force India 1m19.303s +1.424 42 7. Jenson Button McLaren 1m19.603s +1.724 83 8. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m19.934s +2.055 110 9. Max Chilton Marussia 1m21.269s +3.390 78 10. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m21.575s +3.696 86 11. Charles Pic Caterham 1m22.352s +4.473 57 12. Paul di Resta Force India 1m23.729s +5.850 7
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Romain Grosjean Fastest In Action-Packed Second Day At Jerez
Romain Grosjean has ended an action-packed second day of the Jerez test fastest for Lotus, nearly a second ahead of the Force India of Paul di Resta. Daniel Ricciardo was 3rd for Toro Rosso, after topping the timing sheets throughout the majority of the morning period.
After a frenetic opening day to the Jerez test, day two dawned in gloriously sunny yet chilly weather conditions and a slightly revised driver line-up. This included Lewis Hamilton replacing Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, Sergio Perez replacing Jenson Button at McLaren and newly confirmed Marussia driver Luiz Razia replacing Max Chilton. The Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg became the first driver to take to the track once again as the day began, with the German starting his final day before handing over driving duties to Esteban Gutierrez for Thursday and Friday.
As per usual the majority of the grid began the day with various installation laps, before the Red Bull of Mark Webber produced the first timed lap of the day with a 01:23.565, which the Australian driver was able to improve upon by just under a second as the morning progressed. The 36-year-old’s fellow compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo, was able to rise to the top for Toro Rosso as the remainder of the field began setting their first timed laps. Ricciardo managed to work his way down to a 01:21.176, before causing the first red flag delay of the day when his Toro Rosso STR8 came to a halt between Turns 10 and 11.
However, the session was quickly resumed as Nico Hulkenberg and Giedo van der Garde returned to the track once the session returned to green flag conditions. Mark Webber then reasserted his authority over proceedings with several impressive lap times, as the Australian driver worked his way down to a 01:19.921. Despite stopping out on the track earlier in the morning, Daniel Ricciardo was quick to return to the track and rose back to the top with a 01:19.487. The Toro Rosso driver was continuing to set impressive lap times when the session was once again brought to an abrupt halt.
This time the delay was caused by Lewis Hamilton, who had skipped through the gravel trap at the end of the back straight and collided with the barrier in exactly the same location as Max Chilton’s incident yesterday. Mercedes were initially coy on the reasons behind the incident, as the W04 was returned to the pits on a low-loader. The Spanish marshals were efficient in clearing away the stricken Mercedes, and the session was able to return to green flag conditions as Giedo van der Garde and Paul di Resta returned to the track.
Romain Grosjean became the next driver to top the timing sheets for Lotus, with the Frenchman repeating his promising pace of the previous year’s pre-season tests with a 01:19.080. Whilst Romain Grosjean set upon improving his time at the top, Mercedes confirmed that Lewis Hamilton’s incident had been caused due to a loss of rear brake pressure, and was not due to a driver error.
A third red flag delay was caused shortly after, as Marussia debutant Luiz Razia stopped along the start/finish straight. However, the marshals and arriving Marussia mechanics were quick to clear the MR-02, allowing the session to be quickly resumed. Whilst the majority of the teams up and down the paddock carried out numerous miles of running, Pastor Maldonado and Williams had remained rather quiet. The reason behind this was due to a clutch issue on the revised FW34, however the Williams mechanics finally managed to fix the issue allowing Maldonado to return to the track.
Romain Grosjean continued to produce impressive lap times at the front of the order, with the Frenchman managing to bring his time down to a 01:18.218 as the afternoon session progressed. Whilst the likes of Grosjean and di Resta produced impressive lap times, Mercedes confirmed they would not return to the track after Hamilton’s incident. Marussia also decided against returning to the circuit, after Luiz Razia’s stoppage earlier in the day.
James Rossiter replaced Paul di Resta at the Force India towards the end of the day as planned, with the Silverstone-based outfit still yet to confirm a team-mate for the Scot. Rossiter gradually got to grips with the VJM06, rising above rookies Luiz Razia and Giedo van der Garde. The latter returned to the pits after a slight excursion through the gravel, and will hand over driving duties to Charles Pic tomorrow.
Romain Grosjean remained fastest as the day drew to a close, despite bringing proceedings to a premature end after running out of fuel between Turns 3 and 4. Nico Hulkenberg also stopped out on track between Turns 8 and 9, with the German driver set to hand driving duties over to Esteban Gutierrez for the final two days. Paul di Resta ended the day 2nd fastest, with Daniel Ricciardo a close 3rd.
Tomorrow will see the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Esteban Gutierrez and Charles Pic gets their first taste of their respective machines. Nico Rosberg will resume his driving duties with Mercedes, and will be hoping for a much more productive day behind the wheel of the W04.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m18.218s 95 2. Paul di Resta Force India 1m19.003s + 0.785s 95 3. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m19.134s + 0.916s 83 4. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m19.338s + 1.120s 101 5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m19.502s + 1.284s 99 6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.519s + 1.301s 15 7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m19.572s + 1.354s 81 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.914s + 1.696s 78 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m20.693s + 2.475s 71 10. James Rossiter Force India 1m21.273s + 3.055s 19 11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m21.311s + 3.093s 88 12. Luiz Razia Marussia 1m23.537s + 5.319s 31
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