Sergio Perez: “My First Win Will Come Sooner Or Later.”

Sergio Perez has admitted in an interview that he believes his first race win in Formula 1 will come sooner or later, after a stunningly mature drive in last weekends Malaysian Grand Prix. The Mexican got as high as 2nd largely thanks to the rain, and then began reeling in race leader Fernando Alonso at a phenomenal rate.

Unfortunately for Sauber and young Perez, he was unable to take the lead and win what would have been a monumental victory for the Swiss outfit. However, taking 2nd place ahead of the likes of Lewis Hamilton who was unable to catch the Mexican is an achievement in itself.

With Perez being strongly linked to move with Ferrari in place of the ailing Felipe Massa, this type of drive and strong result is more than enough to show Stefano Domenicali what to expect if Perez was ever to become a full-time Ferrari driver. He is currently a member of their Young Drivers’ Programme, and has tested for Ferrari in the past.

Felipe Massa finished the Malaysian Grand Prix 15th, only just on the lead lap. After Ferrari issued the Brazilian driver with a new chassis for the race, frustration amongst the team could well begin to materialize unless Massa can begin scoring consistent points finishes.

Sergio Perez could well be approached by Ferrari sooner rather than later, but would it be the right decision for him to move to the team mid-season if the chance arose? Giancarlo Fisichella was in the same position in 2009, and once he moved from Force India after a great 2nd place in Belgium, the Italian driver struggled to make the Ferrari finish any higher than 9th. 

Eventually Fisichella was replaced by Massa once he returned from his horrific accident, a move which Ferrari may well be looking back on in hindsight and maybe wishing they’d either have kept Fisichella or signed a completely new driver.

Either way, Sergio Perez looks set on remaining at Sauber, and is focused on staying realistic after a fairytale race last weekend.

“The target is to keep improving our overall performance and the car.” Said Sergio Perez, after being asked what his next target would be, “We have to push hard and, of course, we have to stay realistic. Although the pace in the race was good we should not forget that this result came after a very special race in extraordinary conditions. Ultimately I always wanted to win races and I strongly believe my first win in Formula One will come sooner or later – in an ideal world it will happen this year.”

The 2012 Sauber C31 has shown it’s ability to conserve tyre wear, something which was always going to be a leading factor during the Malaysian Grand Prix along with the threat of rain. With this the case, could Sauber spark further surprises during what has already been an unpredictable season in F1?

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

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

Felipe Massa’s Woes Continue Into 2012

After a disastrous 2011 season for Felipe Massa, which saw him become the first Ferrari driver not to step on the podium since Ivan Capelli in 1992, it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be an equally frustrating year for the Brazilian.

In 2011, Massa suffered a season-long feud with Lewis Hamilton which saw the two come together on track numerous times over the course of the season. Felipe Massa was also overshadowed by a much stronger team-mate in Fernando Alonso, who secured Ferrari’s only win of the year at the British Grand Prix.

With question marks now over the security of Massa’s drive with Ferrari, it’s unquestionable that the Brazilian has no option but to up his game in 2012. And so far it’s not gone according to plan, as Massa spun off and beached himself in the gravel in only the first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix.

The incident occurred at turn 9, where the Red Bull of Christian Klien had a violent shunt under similar circumstances in 2006. Back in the Ferrari garage, there was shakes of the head as the mechanics watched the replay of the spin, clearly noticing Massa dip his left-rear wheel on the grass. This caused Massa to loose control of his Ferrari, and prematurely end his session deep in the gravel.

Whether this early mistake will set the tone for Massa’s 2012 season, or whether he’ll bounce back strong, time will tell. However, one thing is for certain and it’s that Massa has a lot to prove if he wishes to remain a Ferrari driver for much longer.

Picture Copyright © Reuters

Vitaly Petrov Hits Out At Renault

Russian F1 star Vitaly Petrov has hit out against Renault (now Lotus), stating the team treated him like a child throughout the 2010 season. Petrov made the big leap from GP2 to Formula 1 in 2010, after finishing the previous season as the series runner-up with Barwa Addax.

When Petrov first made his debut on the F1 scene, he was undeniably the No.2 driver to the much experienced Polish driver Robert Kubica. However, towards the end of the season Petrov began to show his potential, especially after his superb drive at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In 2011, Vitaly Petrov was thrown in at the deep end with Renault, as Robert Kubica was severely injured during his rally crash. This made Petrov the unofficial No.1 driver, with the much experienced Nick Heidfeld alongside him for the opening few months of the season. Petrov started the 2011 season strongly, with his first and as of yet only podium with 3rd at the Australian Grand Prix. After that, the team gradually faded away and entered a grueling song-long battle with Force India.

For 2012, the Russian was replaced at the team as Lotus selected two new drivers’ to head their team in Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. With Petrov now racing alongside Kovalainen at Caterham, he can now express his frustrations at driving with the Enstone-based team.

“In 2010, I had some problems with my team, fighting with Mark Slade [Petrov’s race engineer]. He’s a very clever engineer, but it was not a good relationship. They put him up high because he had 20 years of experience and you are the child. If he told you to jump through a window, you must jump through a window,” said Petrov in an interview with AutoSport. “I respected him and listened to him all the time and jumped when he said. But I did the wrong thing. I had my feelings and I should have been more aggressive, but I was afraid I would say something wrong.”

Vitaly Petrov criticized the team after last seasons Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Russian TV, due to the teams apparent lack of lack of car development. Afterwards the Russian apologized to the team, yet the writing was already on the wall for him as he was replaced shortly after seasons end as 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen joined the team.

Petrov will be hoping that this new chapter in his F1 career with Caterham can be a successful one, and that he can become the teams first driver to finish in the points in 2012.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1

Max Chilton And Rio Haryanto To Race At Carlin In 2012

As the 2012 GP2 Series looms ever closer, Carlin have announced a new partnership with the Russian F1 team, Marussia, for 2012 as well as their all important driver line-up. Max Chilton has been confirmed as staying with the Carlin team, with Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto graduating to the team from GP3.

Max Chilton has competed in two GP2 seasons’ so far, his first with Ocean Racing Technology in 2010 and last season with Carlin. After a relatively successful season last year, which consisted of three points finishes for the British driver, he is looking forward to another season in GP2.

“I’m very excited about the season ahead in GP2.” Explained the 20-year-old, “Although we didn’t get the results we’d hoped for last season, we had a very good car and I can’t wait to get back on track and build on the progress we’ve made over the winter. To be racing in Marussia livery makes the season ahead even more exciting, and as a driver I’m delighted to be associated with such a young and promising F1 team.” 

Rio Haryanto is making his graduation up the motor sport ladder, after a highly successful 2011 season racing for Marussia Manor Racing in GP3. The Indonesian driver picked up two race victories, including two podiums as well as successfully finishing all 16 races of the season without retiring. Part of the Marussia F1 Team Young Driver Programme, Haryanto could well become the first Indonesian F1 driver if he makes the big step up in the next few years.

“I am looking forward to my first year in the Series with the Marussia Carlin GP2 Team” said the 19-year-old from Solo in Central Java. “Carlin is a team that has produced many championship winning drivers over the years. The first year in GP2 will be a steep learning curve but I will be trying to learn as much as possible and aim for consistent results. I am looking forward to the challenge. I am also grateful for the continued support from Pertamina, who have been supporting my motor sport activities.”

The first pre-season test for the Series is this week, from February 28th – March 1st at the Jerez circuit. Both Max Chilton and Rio Haryanto will take to the track throughout the three days testing. 

Picture Copyright © Marussia Carlin GP2 Team

 

Mercedes Set To Offer Schumacher Contract Extension

After unveiling their 2012 challenger at the Circuit de Catalunya yesterday, Mercedes seem eager to offer 7-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, a contract extension that would see the German remain at the team until 2014.

After returning to the sport in 2010, Schumacher has been highly uncompetitive in comparison to his former self when he dominated the sport with Ferrari. However, Schumacher still believes he has what it takes to win an eighth World Championship, and is confident Mercedes can build a competitive enough car in the future.

The 43-year-old is without a doubt the most successful driver ever to race in Formula 1, utterly dominating the sport between 2000-2004 with Ferrari. However, upon returning to the sport, he has yet to win a race yet alone finish on the podium. With this in mind, many believe Mercedes should look elsewhere once his contract with the team ends, however Mercedes seem to have other ideas.

“Before we talk to any other candidate, our first contact will definitely be Michael,” said team principal, Ross Brawn, who has worked alongside Schumacher during all seven of his World Championship titles as both Benetton’s and Ferrari’s technical director. This alone fuels speculation that the Brawn/Schumacher partnership is set to continue beyond 2012.

With testing currently underway at the Circuit de Catalunya, Michael Schumacher seems pleased the progress of the Mercedes AMG F1 W03, and has commented: “I’ll decide when the time is right,” regarding his future in Formula 1.

Picture Copyright © Reuters

Jarno Trulli Surprised By Number Of Job Offers

After being replaced at Caterham by Russian Vitaly Petrov, Jarno Trulli has announced how he is surprised by the number of job offers he has received since he was replaced at Caterham. The Italian has raced in Formula 1 since 1997, and is regarded by some as a veteran of the sport.

These job offers are apparently outside Formula 1, which could see Jarno Trulli join the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Takuma Sato and most recently Rubens Barrichello in racing in another form of motor sport, most likely in America.

With the 37-year-old open to opportunities in both Nascar and IndyCar, he admits he needs sponsors to make these job offers come to life.

“I’m open to any possibilities as far as top level and professional racing is concerned.” Explained the Italian in an interview with AutoSport, “I’m happy to work hard, to go testing, to develop a project but I want something with a structure that at least gives me the potential for performance. Nascar and IndyCar could be a possibility, but obviously I don’t have sponsors. I’ve never had that in my career so I’ve had to deal with my talent and nothing else.” 

Jarno Trulli’s Formula 1 career spanned 256 races, which included 246.5 career points, 11 podiums and only 1 win at the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault.

Picture Copyright © Caterham  F1

Mercedes Unveil New W03 Car At Barcelona

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have unveiled the new Mercedes AMG F1 W03 in the pit-lane of the Circuit de Catalunya, ahead of the second pre-season test which gets underway today. The Mercedes becomes the 10th car to be launched, leaving Marussia and HRT the only remaining teams to launch their 2012 cars.

The new Mercedes features an aggressive front nose design, which includes the popular step-nose design. This still leaves McLaren as the only team who have designed a car without the step-nose design, raising questions as to whether it’ll benefit the team or not.

Mercedes opted for a later launch date of their 2012 challenger, with the aim to have more time designing the car. This decision was met with skepticism by many teams’ up and down the grid, with many eager to see if the new Mercedes featured a new design concept for 2012.

  However Mercedes motor sport Chief, Norbert Haug, announced prior to the launch that the new Mercedes W03 would not feature any innovative designs. This was contrary to many who believed Mercedes were hiding a new design concept which could be easily copied by the opposition.

Since Mercedes took over from Brawn GP after the 2009 season, the team have have failed to win a race, even though they have a strong driver line-up in Nico Rosberg and 7-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher. With Schumacher unable to even step on the podium since his return to the sport, he will be hoping the Mercedes W03 allows him to be more competitive in 2012.

Nico Rosberg has yet to win a race in Formula 1, and will be hoping that the Mercedes W03 gives him an opportunity to clench that all allusive maiden Grand Prix victory in 2012.

Mercedes will be hoping that the extra design time pays off for them, and that they can win races and finish consistently on the podium in 2012. 

Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG F1

Caterham Announce Russian Sponsor

Only days after Caterham announced that Russian driver Vitaly Petrov had replaced Jarno Trulli at the team, it has today been announced that Caterham now have a Russian sponsor in petrochemical company Sibur.

Continuing their partnership with Vitaly Petrov, Sibur logos will now appear on the Caterham CT01, as well as Petrov’s overalls throughout the 2012 season. With Sibur becoming an official team partner, this will undoubtedly bring in more funds for Caterham as they begin their third season in the sport.

“We are delighted to welcome Sibur into our team and to help them continue their relationship in F1 with Vitaly, and now with Caterham F1 Team.” Explained Caterham team principal, Tony Fernandes, “F1 is a truly global sport, and Sibur’s investment in our sport is proof of the value F1 can bring, on a national and international level, so we are looking forward to working closely with Mr Konov and his team at Sibur to help them realize maximum benefit from this partnership.”

In 2012, Caterham will be hunting for their first ever World Championship points, with two drivers’ who have both had their taste of success in the sport. Heikki Kovalainen has raced for McLaren and won the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, whereas Vitaly Petrov, who has never won a race before, has finished on the podium on one occasion.

Picture Copyright © Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic

Mercedes Test F-Duct Front Wing For 2012

Although Mercedes took part in the first test at Jerez this week using their old 2011 car, it didn’t stop them trying out new devices and setting fast laps in their three days on track. This new device they were trying out was an innovative F-Duct on the front wing, reminiscent of McLaren’s device from 2010.

With Mercedes yet to unveil their 2012 challenger, their drivers are completing extra mileage in their 2011 car this week with the aim to give their designers more design time in the hope it’ll assist them in designing a highly competitive car.

For the last two seasons, Mercedes have been scoring consistent points finishes, yet have struggled in achieving consistent podium finishes and have failed to win a race. With other teams releasing their cars prior to the start of pre-season testing at Jerez, Mercedes opted for a different route. 

Mercedes have had a successful few days at Jerez, with Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg both topping the timing sheets on the second and third days of testing, albeit driving their 2011 car against others in their new cars (apart from HRT). 

However it has emerged that Mercedes have been testing a new and potentially innovative device in their nose, which has turned out to be an F-Duct style system. Unlike McLaren’s system which sat on the front wing of their car, this device is only a tiny slot at the tip of the Mercedes nose which, according to a report in Auto Motor und Sport, takes the air that enters the device, and channels it down onto the front wing.

With the device estimated at providing around a 5 to 8kph benefit, could this be the device excels Mercedes to the heights of McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari?