Sauber Set To Introduce New Rear-Wing For Spanish Grand Prix
Sauber are planning on introducing a new rear-wing for the Spanish Grand Prix next time out around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, a race where many teams are expected to introduce their first true upgrades package after the first four flyaway races. These upgrades for Sauber will consist of a new rear-wing and various aero updates.
After a slightly uncompetitive opening four races for the Hinwil-based outfit, they will understandably be hoping that their new upgrades allow them to move further up the order after once again becoming stuck within the highly competitive midfield. Although Nico Hulkenberg scored a handful of points at the Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix and even led eight laps around the Shanghai International Circuit, his team-mate has unfortunately been unable to enjoy such successes in his debut in the sport.
Despite several strong seasons in the GP2 Series for Lotus GP [now known as ART Grand Prix], the Mexican driver has struggled greatly during his first few races behind the wheel of the Ferrari-powered C32 machine. During qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Gutierrez crashed heavily in the inclement weather conditions. At the Malaysian Grand Prix he managed to qualify 14th and finish 12th, however he failed to continue improving at the Chinese Grand Prix after a collision with the Force India of Adrian Sutil.
Naturally Esteban Gutierrez’s uncompetitiveness is not all his fault, as Sauber’s new car has not yet lived up to their C31 machine of last season, which immediately enabled Sergio Perez to step upon the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix and again later in the season at the Canadian and Italian Grands Prix. However, both Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez will be hoping the dawn of the European season is a change in luck as they continue to strive for competitive results for the outfit. During Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, the duo will evaluate the new upgrades. The team’s ambition is to see both of their drivers finish in the points, something which has not occurred for the outfit since the Italian Grand Prix last season.
“Although Barcelona is a track we know well from winter testing, the higher temperatures do change how the tyres perform, so we have to adapt to that. The first two sectors are biased towards higher speed corners, whereas the third sector is dominated by a technical sequence of lower speed corners, hence the set-up is always a compromise.” Explained Sauber’s Head of Track Engineering, Tom McCullough. “We have some further aero updates, including a modified rear wing, and we will be evaluating these during Friday practice. Qualifying is particularly important here as overtaking can be difficult in the race. Our target for the race is to finish with both cars in the points.”
Last season Sauber were an extreme threat to many of the front-running teams such as McLaren and Ferrari, with both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi both qualifying and finishing the races competitively. Such a threat seems to have vanished during the winter period for Sauber, however they will no doubt continue to improve as the season progresses. Both Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez know what it takes to be competitive, and simply require a machine capable of taking the fight to the sharper end of the grid.
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Esteban Gutierrez Receives Five-Place Grid Penalty For Bahrain
Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez has been issued with a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend, after the 21-year-old slammed into the rear of Adrian Sutil at Turn 14 and forced both into retirement. Esteban Gutierrez has taken full responsibility for the incident, after admitting to misjudging his braking for Turn 14.
After initially qualifying a lowly 18th for his third Grand Prix, the rookie had worked his way up to 11th position by Lap 4 when the incident occurred. As he stormed down the exceptionally long back straight at the Shanghai International Circuit, Esteban Gutierrez explained that he simply misjudged the loss of downforce on his car whilst fighting for position with fellow countryman Sergio Perez. The ensuing carnage saw Gutierrez slam violently into the rear of Adrian Sutil’s Force India, ending both of their races.
“First of all, I had a good start, and a good first lap.” Explained Esteban Gutierrez, “At that point in the race when the accident happened, we had a reasonable speed and were able to keep the pace in order to stay with the group in front. Right before going into the long straight I had Checo [Perez] fighting behind me, and I approached the corner too fast. I was braking at the same place where I usually brake, however, didn’t anticipate the loss of downforce and the amount of speed I had. I tried my best to stop, but didn’t succeed. It was definitely my fault, and I apologize to Adrian [Sutil] and to his team.”
Naturally the race stewards decided to investigate the collision between Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil, eventually concluding after the race that the Mexican driver was at fault and worthy of a five-place grid penalty next weekend in Bahrain. Looking back at Gutierrez’s poor qualifying performances so far, this will more than likely see the rookie start the Bahrain Grand Prix alongside the Caterhams and Marussias.
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Fernando Alonso Secures Victory In Tyre Dominated Chinese Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso has stormed to a sensational race victory in a Chinese Grand Prix utterly dominated by Pirelli’s P Zero tyres, which also saw a mesmerizing nine lead changes. The Spaniard was followed home by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with Lewis Hamilton only just holding on for 3rd ahead of Sebastian Vettel.
At the start the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa stormed into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, as Kimi Raikkonen fell through the order to 4th through the opening three corners. Lewis Hamilton retained the lead at the front, as the field tightly negotiated the opening lap of the race. Towards the end of the opening lap, the Force India duo collided as Adrian Sutil barged team-mate Paul di Resta onto the grass at Turn 15.
The Ferrari duo rob Lewis Hamilton of the lead.
By Lap 3, the DRS device was activated allowing the various drivers within one second of the car in front to utilize to overtaking assist. This greatly assisted the Ferrari duo of Alonso and Massa, who instantly pounced around Lewis Hamilton to progress to 1st and 2nd. Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez’s race was short-lived, after the Mexican driver was woefully late on the brakes into Turn 14 and slammed into the rear of the Force India of Adrian Sutil. The two were forced into retirement, as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pitted together on Lap 6.
Eventually Fernando Alonso pitted on Lap 7 along with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Felipe Massa. However, the Brazilian driver remained out on the track for too long on the soft tyre compound, and rejoined further down the order after his pit stop on Lap 8. This saw the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg assume the lead of the race, the first time he had led for the Swiss outfit this season. After falling through the order due to his first pit stop, Fernando Alonso gradually began to rise through the order to 4th by Lap 14.
After electing to start the race on the medium tyre compound, Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian Vettel were one of the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 15. The Sauber mechanics failed to produce a pit stop to match Red Bull, as Vettel leapfrogged his fellow countryman during the stop. Meanwhile the McLaren of Jenson Button assumed the lead, after he too elected to start the race on the medium tyre compound. Sebastian Vettel rejoined the race behind his team-mate of Mark Webber, who had started the race in the pits after his exclusion from qualifying.
Mark Webber’s race weekend went from bad to worse on Lap 15, as the Australian driver collided with Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso at Turn 6. The saw Webber suffer a damaged front wing, and forced both he and Vergne to pit after sustaining damage. Whereas Jean-Eric Vergne pitted and rejoined without incident, Mark Webber immediately slowed after his pit-stop with the right-rear tyre loose on his car. After crawling at a snails pace for the majority of the lap, the Australian’s right-rear tyre eventually flew off of his car as he negotiated Turn 14.
Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen then came together at Turn 6 a lap later, with the Finn sustaining light damage to his front nose. However, Lotus elected not to pit Raikkonen as he continued with visible damage on his car. As much confusion ensued throughout the order, Fernando Alonso caught and overtook Jenson Button for the lead of the race on Lap 21. A lap later Raikkonen and Hamilton pitted together, with the duo now battling for the final podium places. Whereas one Mercedes driver was battling towards the front, the other of Nico Rosberg was forced into a frustrating retirement on Lap 23 with a suspension issue.
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button pitted on Lap 24, allowing Sebastian Vettel to take the lead of the race for the first time. With Gutierrez and Sutil’s incident earlier in the race occurring in a DRS zone, the device was disabled as the marshals cleared the stricken machines. This saw almost half of the field come under investigation by the stewards for allegedly using the device during the yellow flag zone, including Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton.
After once again dropping through the order after his second pit stop, Fernando Alonso slowly progressed back through the order. Firstly he overtook Nico Hulkenberg for 2nd before storming around Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Throughout the next few laps both Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton pitted for a second time. Fernando Alonso looked uncatchable out in front, and eventually pitted for a third and final time on Lap 41. The Spaniard only momentarily lost the lead to Vettel, and managed to retake it several laps later.
Jenson Button’s gamble of a two-stop strategy failed to pay off, as he began to plummet through the order from 3rd to 5th as both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton simply breezed around the Briton. The McLaren driver eventually pitted on Lap 50 for the soft tyre compound, which last for only a lap and a half before they began to wear out. Sebastian Vettel became the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 51, as he too switched to the soft tyres.
Unlike Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel managed to make the pace of the soft compound last much longer. As Fernando Alonso simply cruised to his 31st career victory, Vettel began to seriously catch Lewis Hamilton for 3rd. The reigning Champion was a mesmerizing three seconds a lap quicker on the soft tyres, but failed to find a way around the Briton in a frenetic end to a tyre dominated race. Kimi Raikkonen ended the race 2nd, his 20th consecutive race finish in the points.
The Chinese Grand Prix may well have disappointed the purist of Formula 1 fans after being dominated by Pirelli’s tyres and the DRS overtaking device, however it is unquestionable that they combined to create one of the most exciting and memorable races around the Shanghai International Circuit. The excitement is sure to continue next weekend, when the sport reconvenes at Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai, China; 56 laps; 305.066km; Weather: Dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Alonso Ferrari 1h36:26.945 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 10.100s 3. Hamilton Mercedes + 12.300s 4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 12.500s 5. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.200s 6. Massa Ferrari + 40.800s 7. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 42.600s 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 51.000s 9. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 53.400s 10. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 56.500s 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1m03.800s 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1m12.600s 13. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1m33.800s 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1m35.400s 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap Fastest lap: Vettel, 1m36.808s Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Rosberg Mercedes 22 Webber Red Bull-Renault 16 Sutil Force India-Mercedes 6 Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 5
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Mark Webber Fastest In Rain Struck Opening Day At Barcelona
Mark Webber has ended the opening day of the third and final pre-season test fastest overall, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Jean-Eric Vergne. The day featured much action in changeable weather conditions, and made F1 history by becoming the first F1 event to be broadcast in 3D.
After an early morning rain shower the third and final pre-season test began in damp yet sunny weather conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya, with the eleven teams struggling to decide whether to opt for the Cinturato intermediate or full wet weather tyre. The Caterham of Charles Pic became the first driver to take to the track once proceedings got underway, and was quickly followed by many other drivers. In familiar fashion the majority of the drivers completed only installation laps at first, as Sergio Perez set the early benchmark.
Romain Grosjean’s day began with an early spin as he lost control of his Lotus through Turn 12, beaching his E21 machine deep within the gravel. This caused the first red flag delay of the day, however the Barcelona officials were quick to retrieve the stricken Lotus and return the session to green flag conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Jean-Eric Vergne became the first to return to the track, as light rain began to fall upon the circuit. Despite the inclement weather conditions, Mark Webber was able to rise to the top with a 01:44.057.
Jean-Eric Vergne then lowered the benchmark further, as the Frenchman set a 01:43.059. Felipe Massa momentarily disposed of the Toro Rosso driver, before Vergne returned to the top with a 01:42.155. The rain returned as the session progressed, hampering many who ventured out onto the track in the worsening weather conditions. This failed to deter the drivers, who continued to circulate around the Circuit de Catalunya on Pirelli’s Cinturato wet weather tyres.
As the morning session progressed, the rain slowly began to subside. This in turn allowed the drivers to begin switching from the wet to the intermediate tyre, and also saw the times quickly begin to improve as the track dried out. Lewis Hamilton asserted his authority over proceedings in the improving conditions for Mercedes, as the 2008 World Champion set a 01:41.614. The rain returned once again as the morning session neared its conclusion, however the drivers remained out on track as they continued to gather valuable wet weather data.
A second red flag delay was caused only minutes before the end of the morning period, when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez spun at the high-speed Turn 3 and lightly damaged his C32 machine. The session was quickly resumed, however due to the heavy rain the times failed to improve at the front. This therefore saw Lewis Hamilton remain at the top as the morning session came to an end, with the Briton finishing just ahead of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari and the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne.
The weather conditions gradually improved during the hour lunch break, with the rain stopping. Sergio Perez was the first driver to take to the track as the session resumed for McLaren, still sporting the wet weather tyres despite the improved conditions. Mark Webber blitzed the timing screens as the field began to opt for the intermediate tyre, with the Australian driver setting a 01:40.152 for Red Bull. Valtteri Bottas momentarily rose to the top for Williams, before Mark Webber reasserted his authority over proceedings.
As the track continued to dry out, the times at the top quickly began to improve as Felipe Massa set several consistently fast times for Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas had a scare through Turn 8 as the Finn skipped through the gravel trap. Lewis Hamilton rose his Mercedes to the top with a 01:31.689, before his McLaren replacement, Sergio Perez, shot to the top with a 01:30.127
Towards the end of the afternoon session, the time at the top continued to improve as numerous drivers rose to the top of the timing sheets. Mark Webber, Esteban Gutierrez and Valtteri Bottas each shared the top spot, before the Red Bull driver stormed to the top with a 01:25.061. Felipe Massa caused a brief red flag delay several minutes before the end of the day, as his Ferrari F138 came to a halt at Campsa. Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in returning to the top once the session was resumed, before Mark Webber fully cemented his intentions for the day by returning to the top with a scintillating 01:22.693.
The Australian driver remained unchallenged at the top as the opening day drew to a close, with Webber being followed home by Lewis Hamilton in 2nd and Jean-Eric Vergne in 3rd. The final pre-season test will continue tomorrow morning at the Barcelona circuit, as F1 returnee Adrian Sutil continues to rekindle his career in the sport.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyre 1. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m22.693s 90 Soft 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.348s + 1.655s 113 Medium 3. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m25.017s + 2.324s 59 Medium 4. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m26.458s + 3.765s 85 Soft 5. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m26.538s + 3.845s 100 Hard 6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m26.574s + 3.881s 92 Soft 7. Paul di Resta Force India 1m27.107s + 4.414s 57 Medium 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.541s + 4.848s 112 Medium 9. Max Chilton Marussia 1m28.166s + 5.473s 78 Medium 10. Charles Pic Caterham 1m28.644s + 5.951s 83 Medium 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m34.928s + 12.235s 52 Medium
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Fernando Alonso Fastest On Day Three Of Barcelona Test For Ferrari
Fernando Alonso has ended the third day of the second pre-season test fastest for Ferrari, on his final day of track action for the Scuderia. The Spaniard set the time in the morning period, and was followed home at the front by the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean.
The day dawned with a stark contrast in weather conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya, with chilly and cloudy weather conditions coupled with a slight fog in the air as the first cars took to the Barcelona circuit. The third day saw several driver changes up and down the paddock, with the likes of Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Romain Grosjean and Adrian Sutil making their first appearances of the week for their respective teams.
Nico Rosberg became the first driver to take to the circuit as the day began, with the German driver returning behind the wheel of the W04 after Lewis Hamilton’s day in the car yesterday. The German proceeded to set the first timed lap of the day, albeit rather slowly with a 02:09.753. He marginally improved upon this time later on, with a 01:54.056 keeping him at the front for only a short amount of time. Soon, further drivers began setting much more competitive lap times, as Max Chilton rose to the top with a 01:35.802 for Marussia.
The benchmark at the top quickly began to improve as the morning progressed, with Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde momentarily setting the fastest time before the Red Bull of Mark Webber set a 01:27.385 to assert his authority over proceedings. The Australian driver improved upon his time with a 01:26.569, before the Williams of Pastor Maldonado shot to the top with several impressive times at the wheel of the Williams FW35. The Venezuelan ace worked his way down to a 01:22.675, before local hero and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso went fastest for Ferrari.
As the morning period entered its closing stages, Fernando Alonso remained the fastest driver at the top, with the Spaniard constantly improving with his Ferrari F138 and eventually setting a 01:21.875 in the final few minutes before the lunch interval. Alonso was followed at the top by the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg with Romain Grosjean in the Lotus a close 3rd.
After the frenetic morning period, the afternoon session was a somewhat quieter affair as the majority of the field elected to carry out long race simulations, particularly Romain Grosjean who completed a 66-lap stint. Nico Rosberg was once again the first driver to take to the track once the session was resumed, however the order remained relatively the same as the day drew to a conclusion.
There was a slightly comical moment in the McLaren pit box, as the Woking-based mechanics waited patiently to receive Jenson Button. However, rookie Giedo van der Garde mistakingly drove through the McLaren pit box on his way to his own Caterham one, causing a mixture of amusement and frustration throughout the paddock. With rain a strong possibility for the fourth and final day tomorrow, many of the teams are predicting little productive running.
The first and only red flag period of the day occurred only minutes before the end of the session, when the Caterham of Giedo van der Garde stopped at Turn 3. The machine was quickly cleared, allowing several further minutes of track action. However, the order remained the same as Fernando Alonso headed the timing sheets on his final day for the Scuderia ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean. Tomorrow will see further driver changes as Felipe Massa and Jules Bianchi make their first appearances of the week in a day which could be plagued by inclement weather conditions.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyre 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.875s 97 Soft 2. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m22.160s +0.285 91 Soft 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m22.188s +0.313 119 Medium 4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.611s +0.736 108 Soft 5. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m22.675s +0.800 79 Soft 6. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m22.826s +0.951 68 Hard 7. Jenson Button McLaren 1m22.840s +0.965 71 Soft 8. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m22.877s +1.002 78 Soft 9. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m23.024s +1.149 108 Medium 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m23.366s +1.491 106 Soft 11. Max Chilton Marussia 1m25.690s +3.815 58 Soft 12. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m26.177s +4.302 93 Soft
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Nico Rosberg Pips Kimi Raikkonen In Opening Day Of Barcelona Test
Nico Rosberg has marginally finished ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen during the opening day of the Barcelona test, with the German eventually setting a time +0.007 seconds faster than the Finn. The duo were followed home by the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel.
The opening day of the Barcelona test dawned under clear skies at the Circuit de Catalunya, with local hero Fernando Alonso unsurprisingly becoming the first driver to take to the track for the Scuderia in his first track appearance of the year. The two-time Champion decided to skip the opening Jerez test in favor of continued training whilst Felipe Massa and Pedro de la Rosa drove for Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso was instantly joined out on the track by Nico Rosberg, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado in the new Williams FW35 which was unveiled only moments before track action began. In traditional fashion the majority of the field elected to only complete installation laps during the opening few minutes of the day, before Daniel Ricciardo set the first timed lap of the day with a 01:46.712 in the Toro Rosso.
The Australian improved at the top before the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso thwarted the Toro Rosso driver with a 01:37.504. Pastor Maldonado set the first competitive lap time of the day with a 01:29.550, a time which the Venezuelan ace was able to improve upon many times throughout the morning period. Eventually the 27-year-old worked his way down to a 01:26.980, with the new FW35 machine impressing on its opening day.
Pastor Maldonado’s reign at the top was finally brought to an end when the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg set a 01:24.520, with other drivers up and down the pit-lane finally beginning to set competitive looking lap times. The first red flag delay of the day was caused when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez stopped on the track at Turn 7, with the team later confirming that the Mexican had run out of fuel due to a planned fuel-run on the car. Once the action was resumed out on track, the McLaren of Sergio Perez rose to the top with a 01:24.362.
Local hero Fernando Alonso soon reasserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:24.162, as the times at the top continued to fall throughout the morning period. Paul di Resta then went momentarily fastest for Force India before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel produced a 01:24.039 to go top. Kimi Raikkonen briefly rose to the top for Lotus, before Sebastian Vettel set several considerably fast times at the top which eventually culminated in a 01:23.046 which saw the German end the morning session fastest overall.
A second red flag delay was caused just under an hour into the afternoon period, when the Caterham of Charles Pic stopped at Turn 3 with his Renault-powered machine suffering a mechanical issue. The session was quickly resumed once Pic’s Caterham was cleared, as Sergio Perez, Pastor Maldonado and Sebastian Vettel became the first three drivers to return to the track. Nico Rosberg’s lack of track action was explained by Mercedes as the afternoon progressed, with a gearbox issue plaguing the German’s W03 machine.
The reigning World Champion improved his time at the top as the opening day drew to a close, with a 01:22.965 seeing Sebastian Vettel become the first driver to set a sub-01:22s time. After a slow start to the day, Nico Rosberg shot to the top with only twenty minutes remaining in the day with a 01:22.616. Kimi Raikkonen then went 2nd only +007 seconds behind the German. Eventually the checkered flag flew signaling the end of the day’s action, with Nico Rosberg remaining fastest ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.
Tomorrow will see several driver changes ahead of the second day of testing around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas make their first appearances of the week. Mercedes will be aiming to continue progressing after a troubled Jerez test, as the season looms ever closer.
Tuesday times: Pos Driver Team Time Laps Tyre* 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.616s 54 Medium 2. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m22.672s + 0.007s 44 Medium 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m22.952s + 0.336s 110 Medium 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m22.965s + 0.349s 66 Medium 5. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m23.733s + 1.117s 86 Soft 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m23.884s + 1.268s 73 Hard 7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m24.124s + 1.508s 77 Medium 8. Paul di Resta Force India 1m24.144s + 1.528s 82 Medium 9. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m25.124s + 2.508s 68 Hard 10. Max Chilton Marussia 1m26.747s + 4.131s 65 Soft 11. Charles Pic Caterham 1m27.534s + 4.918s 49 Hard * Compound on which fastest lap was set
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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.
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
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Sauber Unveil C32 Machine With New Color Scheme
Sauber today unveiled their new Ferrari-powered C32 machine, in a short but sweet launch at the team’s windtunnel in Hinwil. The team’s new driver partnership Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez together took the covers off the car, which most prominently features a revised color scheme of mainly graphite-grey.
Apart from the startling new color scheme for the C32, the new car also features several rather interesting design modifications in comparison to last year’s highly competitive C31 machine. The new car features a smooth nose section, incorporating the modesty panel to hide the step-nose design but also including “ridges” running along the side of the nose to assist the channel of airflow.
The sidepods for the new C32 car have also been modified, becoming slightly slimmer in comparison to last year’s machine. The car also features a very slim rear-end, incorporating a McLaren-style semi-coanda exhaust layout which appears rather different to that of the team’s previous C31 challenger. The sidepods for the new C32 were a major influence on the rear of the car, however the team’s Chief Designer Matt Morris has praised his design and production team.
“The airflow in this area [the sidepods] has a major influence over everything that happens at the rear of the car.” Explained Matt Morris, “It is one thing the aerodynamicists coming up with great ideas, but they are often difficult to make into reality. In this respect, the design and production team has done a fantastic job on the side pods, both from a structural and packaging perspective.”
Sauber’s team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, believes the team is well prepared for pre-season testing, which begins in only several days time at Spain’s Jerez circuit. Despite Kaltenborn understandably optimistic that the Swiss-outfit can continue to build upon their extremely competitive 2012 season, she is realistic in understanding that the true pecking order will only surface during the opening race weekend in Australia next month.
“This is another of those questions one is asked every year, and it’s always a tricky one to answer.” Said Monisha Kaltenborn, when asked what her expectations were on the season ahead. “What I can say is that we’re well prepared, that we’ve got the new car finished in good time and that we’ve met the performance targets we set ourselves internally. That puts us in a confident frame of mind. But we’ll only really find out what it all amounts to at the first race of the season in Melbourne. We put some good foundations in place last year. And now we want to build on that base and continue to improve as a team.”
With Sauber sporting a completely driver new line-up for the season ahead, featuring Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez as well as reserve driver Robin Frijns, the Swiss-outfit is understandably hopeful of further success. Last season both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi finished on the podium, with the former only narrowly missing out on victory at Malaysia. Both Hulkenberg and Gutierrez will be striving to emulate such success, once the lights go out in Melbourne.
Picture(s) Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
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