Williams Confirm Long-Term Mercedes Engine Deal
Williams has confirmed a long-term engine deal with German marque Mercedes from 2014 onwards, which will see the Grove-based outfit switch to its fifth engine supplier in fourteen years since its endeavor with BMW-power back in 2000. Since then, Williams has been powered by the likes of Toyota, Cosworth and Renault.
Rumors linking Williams to Mercedes for the 2014 season emerged during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, and comes only several weeks since McLaren announced their return to Honda engines from 2015 onwards. The subject of engine suppliers has become increasingly popular in recent weeks, with Toro Rosso confirming a switch from Ferrari to Renault and Caterham likely to confirm their allegiance to the French engine supplier in the coming days.
Although Mercedes will supply Williams with the Mercedes-Benz Power Unit and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, the Grove-based outfit will still manufacture their own transmission next season. This move from Williams comes only several months after former Executive Director Toto Wolff switched to Mercedes to become the marque’s Executive Director. The 41-year-old believes the partnership is a win-win situation for both Williams and Mercedes.
Toto Wolff believes the switch will be a win-win situation for both Mercedes and Williams.
“The proud heritage of Williams and the company’s commitment to technological excellence make it a perfect long-term partner for Mercedes-Benz under the new powertrain regulations.” Explained Toto Wolff, “It is a win-win situation for both HPP and Williams, which will ensure HPP is able to supply at least three teams on a long-term basis under the new regulations and could open interesting new perspectives for technology transfer. We look forward to enjoying much success together over the coming years.”
From 2014 onwards, the technical aspects of a Formula 1 engine will change drastically, with the sport switching from the current normally aspirated 2.4 litre V8 engine to a new 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged hybrid power unit. Mercedes has already unveiled their engine for the 2014 season, which will witness one of the largest technical revamps in the history of the sport. Williams founder and team principal, Sir Frank Williams, has expressed great delight in announcing his team’s technical partnership with Mercedes.
“I’m delighted to announce our new association with Mercedes-Benz for the 2014 Formula One season and beyond.” Enthused Sir Frank Williams, “Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport’s most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will have an extremely competitive engine package. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Renault for their continued hard work since we renewed our engine partnership at the beginning of the 2012 season. We have enjoyed a strong relationship that has resulted in much success over the years, including powering us to winning ways once again last year at the Spanish Grand Prix.”
Since recording their first victory since the 2004 season last year at the Spanish Grand Prix, Williams has endured a frustrating start to the new season. The Grove-based outfit has so far been unable score any points this season, with former race winner Pastor Maldonado and former GP3 Series Champion Valtteri Bottas both suffering a tough start to the 2013 season. However, the switch to Mercedes next season could well provide the team with the technical backing required for a return to their competitive ways.
Picture(s) Copyright © Williams F1 Team & Mercedes AMG Petronas
Takuma Sato Makes IndyCar History With Victory At Long Beach
Takuma Sato has made IndyCar history after taking his and Japan’s maiden IZOD IndyCar Series victory around the Streets of Long Beach, after an incident-filled race ran in scorching weather conditions. The 36-year-old took the victory ahead of Graham Rahal, with Justin Wilson 3rd for Dale Coyne Racing,
After securing pole position, four-time Champion Dario Franchitti led at the start as the field jostled for position through the opening corners. At Turn 6, rookie Tristan Vautier collided with Scott Dixon, an incident which forced the Kiwi to pit with a puncture and saw Vautier struck with a drive-thru penalty for causing an avoidable incident. Further collisions ensued throughout the opening lap, as Sebastian Saavedra slammed into the wall at Turn 9. This saw the first of many full course cautions, as Marco Andretti pitted to replace a damaged front nose cone.
The race was restarted on Lap 7, as Dario Franchitti fought for the lead of the race with reigning Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. This was the first lap the Scotsman had led since the season finale at Fontana last year, in what has so far been a tough new season. Dario Franchitti proceeded to open up a gap to Ryan Hunter-Reay throughout the opening few laps, before Takuma Sato managed to overtake the Andretti Autosport driver for 2nd on Lap 22. The Japanese ace then began to catch Franchitti for the lead, before electing to pit on Lap 28 along with Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Dario Franchitti pitted from the lead a lap later and suffered a frustratingly slow stop, which ultimately led to the 39-year-old loosing the lead to Will Power. A second full course caution was caused on Lap 30 when Charlie Kimball and Alex Tagliani collided at Turn 8. Will Power, who has so far led during each of the three opening races, pitted under caution and handed the lead down to Takuma Sato.
The race was resumed on Lap 35, only for a third full course caution to be caused moments later when James Hinchcliffe and Tony Kanaan collected E.J. Viso at Turn 1. The Venezuelan driver continued to circulate, and eventually pitted for repairs along with Ryan Hunter-Reay, unlike Tony Kanaan who managed to survive the incident relatively unscathed. The race was quickly resumed, as Takuma Sato continued to lead at the front despite Graham Rahal’s attempts to reel in the A.J. Foyt Racing driver.
Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay’s disastrous race was ended on Lap 50, when the American driver struck the tyre barrier at Turn 8. This caused the fourth full course caution of the race, and allowed the leaders to pit under caution. Takuma Sato won the race off of pit road, whereas further back Will Power was struck by Tristan Vautier who was exiting his pit box. This caused slight damage to Power’s Penske, and saw Vautier issued with his second penalty of the day. During the melee in the pit-lane, A.J. Allmendinger was forced into retirement with a mechanical issue.
Once again the race was resumed on Lap 56, as Takuma Sato remained in the lead ahead of Graham Rahal. Charlie Kimball’s race was brought to a premature conclusion when the 28-year-old struck the barrier at Turn 1. However, this did not result in a full course caution, as the gap at the front ebbed and flowed between Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal. As Takuma Sato started his final lap of the race, there was contact between Tony Kanaan and Oriol Servia, which saw the race end under caution conditions as Takuma Sato stormed to an historic victory around the Streets of Long Beach.
The Japanese ace was followed home by Graham Rahal in 2nd and Justin Wilson in 3rd, after 80 incident-filled laps. Takuma Sato’s victory was the first for A.J. Foyt Racing since Kansas in 2002, and the first on a street or road course since Silverstone way back in 1978. With three different winners in the first three races, the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series has enjoyed an exciting and unpredictable start. Helio Castroneves remains atop the Drivers’ Championship with 99 points, however Takuma Sato is only six points adrift in 2nd position. The Series will reconvene in several weeks time around the Streets of Sao Paulo for the Sao Paulo Indy 300.
Results - 80 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Takuma Sato Foyt Dallara-Honda 1h50m08.7155s
2. Graham Rahal Rahal Dallara-Honda + 5.3612s
3. Justin Wilson Coyne Dallara-Honda + 8.2386s
4. Dario Franchitti Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 12.3573s
5. JR Hildebrand Panther Dallara-Chevy + 28.2402s
6. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR Dallara-Chevy + 29.4683s
7. Marco Andretti Andretti Dallara-Chevy + 30.2703s
8. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Dallara-Honda + 31.8674s
9. Simona de Silvestro KV Dallara-Chevy + 33.1224s
10. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara-Chevy + 33.4118s
11. Scott Dixon Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 33.6278s
12. James Jakes Rahal Dallara-Honda + 35.0645s
13. Josef Newgarden Fisher Dallara-Honda + 35.8945s
14. Ana Beatriz Coyne Dallara-Honda + 36.3442s
15. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon Dallara-Chevy + 36.5936s
16. Will Power Penske Dallara-Chevy + 43.0022s
17. Tristan Vautier Schmidt Dallara-Honda + 51.7961s
18. Ed Carpenter Carpenter Dallara-Chevy + 56.4533s
19. Alex Tagliani Herta Dallara-Honda + 1 laps
20. Tony Kanaan KV Dallara-Chevy + 2 laps
21. Charlie Kimball Ganassi Dallara-Honda + 2 laps
22. EJ Viso Andretti Dallara-Chevy + 27 laps
Retirements:
AJ Allmendinger Penske Dallara-Chevy 51 laps
Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Dallara-Chevy 49 laps
Mike Conway Rahal Dallara-Honda 38 laps
James Hinchcliffe Andretti Dallara-Chevy 34 laps
Sebastian Saavedra Dragon Dallara-Chevy 1 lap
Picture Copyright © Chris Jones/IndyCar
Sauber Drivers Looking Forward To “Special” Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez are looking forward to what will be a special Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, as each driver holds particularly special memories of their motor sport career which occurred at the Yas Marina circuit. Both drivers will be striving to score points this weekend, after another disastrous race in India.
Since Kamui Kobayashi’s tremendous podium at his home race in Japan, the Hinwil-based outfit have struggled to return to the points with only one driver finishing at both the Korean and Indian Grands Prix, agonizingly just outside the points. However, at a track both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez adore, the team is hopeful that a double points finish can be achieved after the 55-lap twilight race.
For Kamui Kobayashi, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is special as it was the venue for what was only his second race back in 2009, after making his debut for Japanese outfit Toyota at the Brazilian Grand Prix several weeks beforehand. The race was made all the more memorable as Kobayashi was able to score his first World Championship points with 6th, just ahead of his then team-mate Jarno Trulli.
“For me Abu Dhabi is a special race anyway because it was only my second Grand Prix back in 2009, and actually a very good one as I was able to score points.” Explained Kamui Kobayashi, “So I will go there with positive feelings. Something we need to bear in mind is that there are no GP2 cars running this year between our sessions, which means the track can be quite dusty again each time our sessions start.”
Sergio Perez has equally special memories from the Yas Marina circuit, as the Mexican driver first drove Formula 1 machinery around the track back in 2010 during the Young Driver Test. Previous to this test, Sergio Perez won the GP2 support event at the venue in dominant fashion, and hopes to score his first points since the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.
“Abu Dhabi is a very special place for me. It was there where I jumped into a Formula One car for the very first time.” Said Sergio Perez, ahead of his 35th Grand Prix start this weekend. “This was only two years ago, but it feels as if this test took place ages ago. Time goes by very quickly in Formula One. I had worked so hard to get into this cockpit and I remember very well all the special emotions attached to that moment. It had been a great race weekend back in 2010 anyway, because I had won the GP2 race on Saturday by a good margin of over 20 seconds. In 2012 the Grand Prix will be one of my last races for the team which gave me the chance to get into F1. I will give my utmost to get a very good result.”
With Sauber still striving to catch Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, it’s imperative that both cars finish within the points at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With neither teams scoring points at the Indian Grand Prix last weekend, the gap between the two remains at 20 points. Should Mercedes suffer another points-less race, then Sauber will have a perfect chance to reel in the German marque.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Timo Glock: “Singapore Is My Favorite Circuit”
Like the majority of the F1 paddock, Timo Glock is very much looking forward to next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, especially after the German’s superlative track record around the daunting Marina Bay street circuit. Glock finished the 2009 race in 2nd position, behind eventual winner Lewis Hamilton.
After several competitive races for the Marussia outfit, both Timo Glock and Charles Pic are confident ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Although the outfit has remained towards the rear of the pack throughout the duration of the season, the two drivers have remained upbeat as they continue hunting for the teams first ever World Championship points. The Singapore Grand Prix will be Pic’s first floodlit race, as the Anglo-Russian outfit continue to improve at the back of the pack.
“Singapore is a very special circuit, as the only night race on the calendar.” Enthused Timo Glock, “I have great memories from this race as I finished on the points in the first year and on the podium in 2009. Every year it’s great to come back and without doubt it is my favorite race on the calendar. Over the last races we had some real potential in our package, so I’m looking forward to showing more of that and hopefully we can have a good result there. The next part of the season will be a tough challenge for the team, so I hope we can continue to make good progress to reward all the hard work throughout the team.”
Since Timo Glock’s illustrious 2nd place during the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix, the German driver has suffered torrid luck around the Marina Bay street circuit, failing to finish in the last two races. With Marussia continuously improving, Timo Glock will unquestionably be striving to finish the Singapore Grand Prix this season. With further developments set to be introduced next weekend, there is high amounts of confidence within the Marussia outfit.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
Timo Glock Will Miss Qualifying Through Illness
Marussia’s Timo Glock will unfortunately miss qualifying this afternoon, after the German driver has been hit with a stomach bug. This will mean only 23 drivers will partake in qualifying, with Charles Pic being the sole Marussia in the session. Glock had been suffering from the illness throughout the weekend, however after final practice earlier this morning, Marussia sought medical attention for their German driver.
Timo Glock currently holds the lap record around the Valencia Street Circuit, which was set in 2009 when he drove for Toyota. This will be the first qualifying session the 30-year-old has missed since being injured at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session at Suzuka.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
Marussia Positive With New Updates For Spanish GP
Anglo-Russian team Marussia are confident that their new upgrades to the MR-01 will help them reel in their immediate competitors, after a productive three day test at Mugello. The aerodynamic update to the car will hopefully propel to the teams forwards, as other teams will undoubtedly have improved as well.
Marussia have had a relatively successful start to the 2012 season, with only one retirement in four races. This occurred when Charles Pic unfortunately retired from the Bahrain Grand Prix with engine related issues. That aside, Marussia have progressed greatly since the opening four races of the season, with the team failing to take part in any pre-season activities except a quick shakedown of the new car at Silverstone.
“I am looking forward to the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of the European season.” Explained Timo Glock, “After the tests in Mugello I think we have a good baseline for Barcelona and now we need to see what the new parts we have will bring. I hope they make a difference and we can be a bit closer to the guys in front of us. I am looking forward to the race weekend again.”
Having raced for Marussia since the teams inaugural season in 2010, Timo Glock has raced at the Circuit de Catalunya in every season since 2008 when he raced for Toyota. During this period his best finish around the track was only 10th in 2009, a season which saw him finish on the podium twice. His team-mate, French rookie Charles Pic, has also raced at the Circuit de Catalunya before however only in GP2. Pic has won on the track twice in his GP2 career, in two consecutive years.
“We have a good update and the car feels positive, so if we can make it work at Barcelona, I think we can continue to be strong at the other circuits.” Said Charles Pic, “The Circuit de Catalunya is a track I know well; I have raced here a few times now. I am feeling good about the direction we are heading in and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Although Marussia are confident ahead of this weekends Spanish Grand Prix, it’s a known fact that the majority of the other teams on the grid will be introducing similar upgrades. This means the battle towards the rear of the order can only get more competitive as the season wears on.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
John Booth Pleased With Marussia Progress
After three races of the 2012 season, Marussia Team Principal John Booth is already very satisfied with the progress his team have made. The Anglo-Russian outfit made a late start to the season, as they were one of only two teams along with HRT to not bring their new car to any of the pre-season tests at Jerez or Barcelona.
However, unlike HRT who were unable to qualify for the season opener in Australia, Marussia have successfully been able to qualify for every race so far this season. Not only have Marussia qualified for every race this season, they have finished every race this season as well (Pic did retire from oil pressure issues in Australia, but was classified nonetheless after completing 90% race distance).
“Going into last weekend’s race in China we’d eaten into the gap to our immediate competitors by 0.8s since Malaysia.” Explained Marussia Team Principal, John Booth. “Combined with the 0.6s decrease we’d seen between the first two races, that means we’ve found almost 1.5s of lap time in the first three races which, considering the challenges we faced with our late start, is very pleasing to all of us. It is still very early in the season of course, but it is nice to see that we are heading in a good development direction.”
Timo Glock started the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix from the front row of the grid for Toyota, alongside his then team-mate Jarno Trulli. The German therefore has good memories of the circuit, and will be confident heading into round four of the Championship. Frenchman Charles Pic will be confident heading to Bahrain as well, as the rookie begins to race on circuits he is familiar with from his GP2 days. Pic won on the circuit in 2010 in the GP2 Asia Series for Arden International, and will undoubtedly be glad to begin racing on tracks he knows.
Marussia made their debut at Sakhir in 2010 (known then as Virgin Racing), with Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi at the wheel. Unfortunately both cars’ retired during the race, and Marussia will be hoping history does not repeat itself this coming weekend.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
Will Power Wins Incident Filled Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Will Power has won a highly eventful and incident filled Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the 38th running of the event, even though Power suffered a grid penalty for an engine change after qualifying and started 12th.
With the Target Chip Ganassi of Dario Franchitti starting from pole alongside rookie Josef Newgarden, the start was an eventful one as the rookie tried to go around the outside of the reigning Champion. This unfortunately ended in tears as Newgarden got tagged by Franchitti and found himself embedded in the tyre barriers after only the first turn. This subsequently brought out a full course caution, with the cars barely getting up to racing speeds.
As the race returned to green flag conditions, Franchitti once again found himself under pressure as former F1 driver Justin Wilson overtook him heading into turn 1. Unlike Newgarden, Wilson was able to make the pass stick and streaked off into the distance opening up a considerable lead. As if Franchitti’s race hadn’t already got off to a miserable start, the Scot was then passed by the rookie of Simon Pagenaud, before both Takuma Sato and team-mate Scott Dixon got around the 4-time IndyCar Champion.
On lap 20 the second full course caution was caused as former ChampCar Champion Sebastien Bourdais lost control of his Lotus powered IndyCar and ended up in the wall. As soon as the caution came out, the majority of the field dived into the pits almost immediately.
On the restart, Dario Franchitti suffered a torrid getaway and lost several places heading into turn 1. Before any of the drivers’ could return to full racing speeds, Alex Tagliani was seen limping down an escape road with right rear tyre damage after a collision with E.J. Viso. All attention was then diverted elsewhere as Marco Andretti suffered a violent incident flying into the tyre barriers at high speeds. As Andretti’s crash was shown again, it became apparent the American driver was very lucky to come out of the incident unscathed after making contact with Graham Rahal and getting launched into the air, narrowly missing collecting Scott Dixon in mid air. Graham Rahal was also forced to retire, after loosing the majority of his rear-wing during the collision with Andretti.
With the Safety Car out on track for the third time in 24 laps, Katherine Legge was also seen in the wall, whereas Mike Conway was seen slowing down on track after getting a tap from behind from Rubens Barrichello. Upon making it back to the pits, Conway had the rear of his car dismantled as his mechanics set to fixing the issue.
As the field prepared to go racing once again, they were forced to wait an extra couple of laps after Scott Dixon came to a sudden halt in the middle of the track, and subsequently retired from the race. This added delay forced Sato to pit from the lead, and therefore handed the lead to Ryan Hunter-Reay. However, before green flag racing was resumed, both Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe also decided to pit, with Ryan Briscoe assuming the lead with Franchitti 2nd.
On the restart, Franchitti suffered yet another blow as he made contact with Briscoe, slightly damaging his nose. Four laps later, Dario finally pitted for a new nose, as both Castroneves and Briscoe pitted as well. After rejoining the race, Mike Conway’s Honda powered car finally gave up on lap 48, with a mechanical issue prematurely ending the Brits race.
With rookie Simon Pagenaud leading the race, the Frenchman was forced to pit on lap 48, thus handing the lead to Takuma Sato as Will Power began a charge as he passed Justin Wilson for 2nd. On lap 55, Power pitted for the alternate red sticker tyres, and a lap later Takuma Sato pitted. With the majority of the front running drivers’ all pitting within close proximity of each other, Ryan Hunter-Reay returned to the lead. However his lead was short lived as on lap 59 both he and Hinchcliffe pitted, therefore returning rookie Pagenaud to the lead.
Will Power continued his surge to the top as he scythed passed Takuma Sato for 2nd and turned his attention to catching Simon Pagenaud for the lead. With Rubens Barrichello making up ground going from 6th to 4th, Simon Pagenaud eventually pitted once again. This handed Will Power the lead and left Pagenaud in 4th behind Barrichello. The Frenchman made light work of Rubens, and eventually caught and passed Sato for 2nd much to the adoration of the crowd.
As the 38th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach came to a close, Simon Pagenaud closed the gap to Power from nearly six seconds to just under a second but to no avail, as the Australian took his second consecutive win of the season.
Further behind there was carnage on the final lap as Hunter-Reay and Sato came together and Castroneves and Barrichello also came together at the final corner, blocking the entire track! With Hunter-Reay being issued a time penalty for the collision with Sato, James Hinchcliffe came home 3rd in an unbelievably hectic final lap.
Results - 85 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Will Power Penske DW12-Chevy
2. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt DW12-Honda + 0.8675s
3. James Hinchcliffe Andretti DW12-Chevy + 13.2719s
4. Tony Kanaan KV DW12-Chevy + 18.1951s
5. JR Hildebrand Panther DW12-Chevy + 22.9947s
6. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti DW12-Chevy + 42.5631
7. Ryan Briscoe Penske DW12-Chevy + 1m40.1271s
8. Takuma Sato Rahal DW12-Honda + 1 lap
9. Rubens Barrichello KV DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
10. Justin Wilson Coyne DW12-Honda + 1 lap
11. James Jakes Coyne DW12-Honda + 1 lap
12. EJ Viso KV DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
13. Helio Castroneves Penske DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
14. Ed Carpenter Carpenter DW12-Chevy + 2 laps
15. Dario Franchitti Ganassi DW12-Honda + 3 laps
16. Oriol Servia Dreyer & Reinbold DW12-Lotus + 3 laps
17. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon DW12-Lotus + 3 laps
18. Charlie Kimball Ganassi DW12-Honda + 5 laps
19. Katherine Legge Dragon DW12-Lotus + 5 laps
Retirements:
Simona de Silvestro HVM DW12-Lotus 74 laps
Alex Tagliani BHA DW12-Lotus 46 laps
Mike Conway Foyt DW12-Honda 41 laps
Scott Dixon Ganassi DW12-Honda 27 laps
Graham Rahal Ganassi DW12-Honda 23 laps
Marco Andretti Andretti DW12-Chevy 22 laps
Josef Newgarden Fisher DW12-Honda 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Ocean Racing Technology Sign Carmen Jorda & Robert Cregan For GP3
With only two months until the start of the GP3 Series at the Spanish Grand Prix in May, Portuguese team Ocean Racing Technology have signed two new drivers’ for their inaugural season in the series. This leaves only one seat available within the team, who have taken over from Tech 1 Racing for 2012.
Spaniard Carmen Jorda last year raced in the Indy Lights Series in America, contesting 5 races throughout the season and scoring 84 points. She has also contested numerous European F3 Open Championships’ since 2006, including the Le Mans 24 Hours in the LMP2 class.
“I am delighted with this agreement, especially because Ocean is an experienced team in GP2. I think we can develop a good relationship together.” Explained Carmen Jorda, “I’m sure they will help me to improve my performance. I am eager to test the car that I am sure is very different from the Indy Light that I was was used to. I’ll be a rookie in the Championship but I’m sure I’ll improve race by race. I must thank all those who helped me build this project.”
Robert Cregan will also be a rookie when the opening race of the season begins, having previously raced in Australia’s V8 Supercars Championship. The 22-year-old is the son of former Toyota team manager Richard Cregan, and will be eager to prove his worthiness in front of the F1 fraternity in 2012.
“I have already tested a GP3 car, but I also know that the first race will be hard and I have a lot to learn.” Said Robert Cregan, “The test next week will be very important. I trust my own ability to adapt to this new reality and hope to gradually improve. I think I will be able to run in the top five in the short term.”
Both drivers’ will get their first taste of 2012 when they partake in the pre-season test Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya next week, ahead of the season-opening race on the same track in May.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Jarno Trulli Reveals Ferrari Offer
In the wake of his departure from Caterham, after being replaced at the team by Russian driver Vitaly Petrov, Jarno Trulli has revealed more unknown secrets from his Formula 1 career. The Italian driver has now disclosed that he was offered a Ferrari drive, and that he declined the offer due to his commitments to Toyota.
Jarno Trulli, who was the only remaining Italian in Formula 1, disclosed this to Italian magazine Autosprint, stating it was then Ferrari team principal, Jean Todt, who made the offer.
“Nobody knows this, but at this point I think I can publicly thank Jean Todt for having been one of the few top team managers to consider me during my career,” said the Italian driver, “I won’t tell you when exactly — I was racing for Toyota and I was doing very well. But I had signed a rather long contract with the Japanese [team], and in my career I’ve always honored my commitments. In 15 years of F1 I’ve never needed lawyers,” added Trulli, who seems to disapprove of the current requirements for a drive in Formula 1. Yesterday, he stated how he has never had to deal with sponsors in his F1 career and how he only relied on his talent.
With Jarno Trulli refusing to give an exact date of this Ferrari offer, it’s clear it was during his time driving for Toyota between 2004-2009. This means Trulli could well have been a considered replacement for Barrichello after he left the team in 2005, or even Felipe Massa who replaced the Brazilian.
Jarno Trulli drove for six teams throughout his 15 years in Formula 1, including Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault, Toyota and Lotus. Trulli could well be regretting not adding Ferrari to that list.
Picture Copyright © AFP
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