Caterham Confirms Launch Date For CT03
Caterham have confirmed that their new 2013 challenger, the CT03, will be unveiled to the world of Formula 1 on February 5th in the pit-lane at Jerez. This unveiling will come on the morning of the opening day of the first pre-season test, as preparations for the new season step up a gear as the teams begin running their new cars for the first time.
The new CT03 machine will be the first car to have been designed at Caterham’s new Leafield factory, after the outfit completed the move from their old factory in Hingham last year. Caterham currently have only one driver officially confirmed for the forthcoming season, with Frenchman Charles Pic preparing for his second season in the sport after a relatively successful debut season with Marussia last year.
With only Charles Pic confirmed at the outfit for 2013, speculation has understandably been ripe as to who will eventually team-mate the 22-year-old at the Leafield-based outfit. Amongst the leading candidates for the vacancy are established drivers such as Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, alongside rising stars of the future Giedo van der Garde and Luiz Razia. However, Bruno Senna has also been linked with a move to Caterham after being replaced at Williams by Valtteri Bottas.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Vitaly Petrov Looking Unlikely To Drive For Caterham In 2013
Vitaly Petrov’s future in Formula 1 has taken another blow amid continued speculation regarding the second seat at Caterham for the 2013 season, with reports indicating that communication between the two parties has stalled. Currently only Charles Pic has been confirmed at Caterham, with a team-mate still unconfirmed.
With only one seat remaining at the Leafield-based outfit, speculation is ripe within the Formula 1 fraternity as to who will be selected to team-mate Charles Pic. Both former Caterham drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov have been linked to the drive, alongside others such as former Williams driver Bruno Senna and GP2 driver Giedo van der Garde. With Heikki Kovalainen looking unlikely to be retained at Caterham, Vitaly Petrov has recently emerged as the more likely candidate to partner the young Frenchman.
However, Vitaly Petrov’s manager Oksana Kosachenko has recently confirmed that negotiations between the 28-year-old and Caterham have stalled. Kosachenko has also explained how Vitaly Petrov has still been unable to procure new sponsorship deals for the coming season, a fact which could seriously jeopardise any plans for 2013 and beyond for Petrov.
“At the moment there are a lot of unanswered questions,” explained Oksana Kosachenko to R-Sport. “There are too many nuances that need to be sorted out. We’re at the waiting stage, which is linked to the team’s restructuring. We completely depend on them and can’t speed anything up. So far, we haven’t managed to find new sponsors.”
Caterham’s Group Technical Officer, Mike Gascoyne, has also fueled speculation that Vitaly Petrov will not be retained for the coming season. The Englishman, who has worked for both Jordan, Renault and Force India has worked his way up through the ranks within Caterham, and has hinted that the Leafield-based outfit are looking for a younger driver instead of an experienced driver such as Heikki Kovalainen or Vitaly Petrov.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Andy’s F1 Blog’s Top Ten Drivers Of 2012
Immediately after the enthralling season finale around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, I launched a poll here allowing my readers to vote for their driver of the year. And what a year it was, seven different winners in the first seven different races, a season-long battle at the top, and probably one of the most exciting season finales in the history of the sport.
For me, many drivers up and down the grid deserved the honor of Driver of the Year, everyone from Pastor Maldonado to Sebastian Vettel proved just why they belong in the world of Formula 1. There were the usual ups and downs as the season progressed, such as Lewis Hamilton’s Twitter Tantrums to the likes of Pastor Maldonado’s and Kimi Raikkonen’s sensational victories in Spain and Abu Dhabi.
From seasons end to New Years Day, 143 of you visited my site and voted for who you thought was the driver of the year. Naturally only one driver took the majority of the votes, however drivers such as Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov secured amazingly high votes to enter Andy’s F1 Blog’s Top Ten Drivers’ of the 2012 season, so without any further ado, lets start the countdown…
10th: Michael Schumacher – Mercedes (2 Votes – 1.4%)
Michael Schumacher failed to return to his dominant ways in his return to the sport.
It’s unquestionable that Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula 1 was not a success, with the German never returning to the heights of his Benetton and Ferrari dominance which made him such a revered figure in the sport. However, the 2012 season saw numerous moments where Michael Schumacher returned momentarily to his old ways, beginning with a sensational pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix which the German was frustratingly unable to start from after a penalty from the previous race in Spain.
At the European Grand Prix at Valencia, Michael Schumacher finally returned to the podium for the first time since the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix with 3rd place behind Kimi Raikkonen and eventual race winner Fernando Alonso. Despite these two fleeting moments of success for Schumacher, the 2012 season was another frustrating affair for the seven-time World Champion, and led to his second retirement after the confirmation of Lewis Hamilton as his successor at the German marque.
9th: Felipe Massa – Ferrari (2 Votes – 1.4%)
Felipe Massa endured a tough 2012 campaign for Ferrari.
Felipe Massa suffered a torrid start to the 2012 season, which saw the Brazilian driver qualify no higher than 12th throughout the opening five races of the season. During this period, Massa could only finish in the points on one occasion at the Bahrain Grand Prix where he managed to finish 9th after starting a lowly 14th. However, as the season progressed, so did Felipe Massa’s performance which saw him qualify 5th and finish 4th at the British Grand Prix in July.
Despite Felipe Massa’s gradual improvement as the 2012 season progressed, this did nothing to quell strong rumors linking numerous drivers as potential replacements for the Brazilian. These potential suspects included the likes of Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg and even Jenson Button, however Ferrari decided to retain Massa for one more season alongside Fernando Alonso. Eventually Felipe Massa was able to finish on the podium twice towards the end of the season with 2nd at the Japanese Grand Prix and 3rd at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
8th: Mark Webber – Red Bull Racing (2 Votes – 1.4%)
Mark Webber started the season promisingly, but faded in the latter half.
Mark Webber enjoyed a sensational start to the season with Red Bull, contrary to reigning World Champion and team-mate Sebastian Vettel, as the Australian driver took two victories for the Milton Keynes-based outfit which included his second victory at Monaco. However, once Sebastian Vettel returned to his dominant ways at the front, Mark Webber’s Championship hopes quickly faded slightly, despite several further competitive results at the Korean and Indian Grands Prix.
Throughout the earlier parts of the 2012 season, Mark Webber was rumored to be potentially leaving the Red Bull outfit, with a switch to Ferrari a strong possibility at one stage. However, after Mark Webber’s superlative victory at the British Grand Prix the Australian driver was confirmed for another year at Red Bull alongside triple World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
7th: Jenson Button – McLaren (3 Votes – 2.1%)
Jenson Button won three races in 2012, and will become McLaren’s lead driver in 2013.
Jenson Button both started and ended the 2012 season in fine form, with victories at the season opening Australian Grand Prix and season ending Brazilian Grand Prix. The Briton also took victory at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, whilst carnage ensued further back with the now infamous Romain Grosjean multi-car incident at the start. However, Jenson Button also endured several highly uncompetitive races throughout 2012 including the Spanish, Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix where the Briton suffered three disastrous results in comparison to team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
With Lewis Hamilton now a Mercedes driver, Jenson Button has now fully assumed the role as team leader at the Woking-based outfit alongside the rising star that is Sergio Perez. Results reminiscent of the Canadian Grand Prix would be disastrous during the 2013 season, as Jenson Button prepares to spearhead McLaren’s Championship chances alongside the likes of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
6th: Vitaly Petrov – Caterham (6 Votes – 4.2%)
Vitaly Petrov produced a wonderful drive in Brazil, but is as of yet unconfirmed for 2013.
Vitaly Petrov picked up a surprising amount of votes, most likely due to his stellar performance during the season finale at Sao Paulo which saw Caterham retake the all-important 10th in the Constructors’ Championship over rivals Marussia. The 28-year-old Russian ended the race 11th for Caterham, which enabled the Leafield-based outfit to rise above Marussia despite once again scoring no points throughout the year.
Currently Vitaly Petrov is not confirmed at Caterham for the 2013 season, with Frenchman Charles Pic the only confirmed driver on the grid for the team. The second seat has yet to be announced, with drivers such as Vitaly Petrov, Heikki Kovalainen, Giedo van der Garde and Bruno Senna all linked to what has become one of the last vacancies on the grid for 2013.
5th: Bruno Senna – Williams (12 Votes – 8.39%)
Bruno Senna was consistent in 2012 for Williams, but is also unconfirmed for 2013.
Another driver who has picked up a surprising number of votes, Bruno Senna endured a bitter sweet 2012 season for Williams. Although team-mate Pastor Maldonado received early success with his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, it’s unquestionable that Bruno Senna enjoyed a much more consistent season than his Venezuelan team-mate. Between the Spanish Grand Prix in May and the Japanese Grand Prix in October, Maldonado failed to score a single World Championship point, whereas Senna picked up 11 points for Williams.
Despite this almost stealth-like consistency in comparison to team-mate Pastor Maldonado, the Brazilian driver has unfortunately been replaced at Williams for next season by the team’s reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. However, recent rumors have linked the 29-year-old to Caterham alongside Charles Pic for 2013, a move which would see all change at the Leafield-based outfit, and a rather strong line-up for the new season.
4th: Lewis Hamilton – McLaren (13 Votes – 9.09%)
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a much better season in 2012, and will move to Mercedes for 2013.
Unquestionably one of the stars of the 2012 season, Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a much more competitive season than 2011. The 2008 World Champion began the season very consistently, with points scored at the first seven races which included victory at the Canadian Grand Prix. However, the Briton’s 2012 campaign was not without error as he used the social networking site Twitter in a foolish manner on more than one occasion.
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s off track misdemeanors, the McLaren driver was without-a-doubt one of the quickest drivers all season, which allowed him to take four victories throughout the year including a sensational win at the United States Grand Prix around the brand-new track in Austin. Lewis Hamilton made headline news worldwide just after the Singapore Grand Prix, when it was announced he would be leaving McLaren to join Mercedes alongside Nico Rosberg in 2013.
3rd: Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull Racing (15 Votes – 10.49%)
Sebastian Vettel might well have been crowned World Champion, but struggled in the early stages.
Amazingly the 2012 World Champion only comes 3rd in our top ten countdown, despite a season which saw the young German fight a season-long battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Unlike the previous year which saw Sebastian Vettel utterly dominate the opposition, the 2012 season saw the German driver initially struggle greatly and only pick up one victory in the opening thirteen races of the season.
However, due largely to Adrian Newey’s mastermind and several sensational drives along the way, Sebastian Vettel was able to once again reassert in authority over proceedings and clinch his third successive drivers’ title, becoming only third driver in the history of the sport alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher to do so. Expect much of the same from the youngster in 2013, as he continues to write his own history in F1.
2nd: Kimi Raikkonen – Lotus (17 Votes – 11.89%)
Kimi Raikkonen was his usual laid back self in the paddock, eventually winning one race in 2012.
Despite a rocky return in Australia at the start of the year, where Kimi Raikkonen qualified a lowly 17th, the Iceman was my personal highlight of the 2012 season and rightfully deserves to be within the top three. He might not have fully returned to his once fearsome competitiveness until mid-season, but the Finnish ace returned to the sport as though he never left, with his blunt approach to life in the paddock once again causing headline news in the media.
Admittedly the Finn should have won more races throughout the season, most notably in Bahrain, however Kimi Raikkonen remained the most consistent driver of the year by finishing every single race of the season in the points apart from China where his Pirelli tyres expired. Eventually the Finn stormed to his 19th career victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in doing so snapping at his race engineer to leave him alone on the radio in what has undoubtedly become Kimi’s trademark catchphrase.
1st: Fernando Alonso – Ferrari (61 Votes – 42.66%)
Fernando Alonso was unquestionably the driver of the year in 2012, and will be a strong contender once again in 2013!
Receiving a whopping 61 votes since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, and squeezing every ounce of juice out of his initially disastrous Ferrari F2012, Fernando Alonso has been rated as the Driver of the Year, and rightfully so! The Spaniard took his first victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March in the wet/dry race, and completely overshadowed team-mate Felipe Massa. Whilst his Brazilian counterpart struggled greatly with the F2012, Fernando Alonso called upon his masterful race-craft to remain a title contender right down to the final race of the season.
Fernando Alonso was one of the most consistent drivers of the season, only retiring from two races throughout the year. The Spaniard finished on the podium a mesmerizing thirteen times, which included a streak of five back-to-back podiums during the last five races. However, Sebastian Vettel’s spell of four victories between the Singapore and Indian Grands Prix saw the Championship swing back towards Milton Keynes. With Fernando Alonso coming so very close to Championship supremacy in 2012, expect the Spaniard to be a title contender from the word go in 2013!
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas/Getty Images/McLaren F1 Team/Caterham F1 Team/Williams F1 Team & Pirelli
Petrov Thrilled With Clinching Tenth In The Championship For Caterham
Vitaly Petrov is thrilled with clinching tenth in the Constructors’ Championship with Caterham, after a tough 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix in utterly treacherous conditions. Heading into the race saw Caterham behind Marussia in the Championship, however a superlative 11th from Vitaly Petrov saw them leapfrog their Anglo-Russian competitors.
Throughout the final part of the 2012 season, Caterham have remained adamant they would eventually catch Marussia in the Championship. Seeing as the three bottom teams in the Championship failed to score any points throughout the season, their Championship positions were determined by their highest finishing position outside the points. This meant Caterham needed to somehow finish the race 12th or higher to thwart their opposition, something which Vitaly Petrov managed to achieve after a tense season finale.
Although neither Caterham, Marussia or HRT scored any points this season, finishing tenth in the Constructors’ Championship is worth in excess of $10 million for the lucky team. For the majority of the second half of the season, it has looked as though Marussia would once again finish tenth, however the unrelenting Caterham outfit failed to loose sight of their nearest competitors, and finally finished high enough to clinch that all important position in the Championship.
“What an incredible race.” Enthused a thrilled Vitaly Petrov after the race, “I’m so pleased for the whole team and I want to thank every single one of them for doing such a fantastic job in the conditions today. Seeing what regaining tenth place in the Championship meant to everyone when I got back to the garage was really special and I think we deserve it after all the hard work we’ve put in throughout the whole year. On track it was one of the hardest races I’ve ever been in, but also one of the best.”
The extra income which the team will receive for clinching tenth in the Championship could well see either Vitaly Petrov or Heikki Kovalainen be retained by the outfit for next season, despite neither drivers apparently set to bring a huge amount of sponsorship money to the team in 2013. The lucky candidate will team-mate Charles Pic next season, regarding the team decide against lucrative offers from other candidates up and down the grid.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Charles Pic Signed On A Multi-Year Deal With Caterham For 2013
Frenchman Charles Pic has been signed by Caterham on a multi-year deal starting next season, in a move which will see the 22-year-old move from Marussia to Caterham to replace either Heikki Kovalainen or Vitaly Petrov at the team. Pic has unquestionably impressed many so far this season, and will aim to continue doing so next season.
After graduating from GP2 to Formula 1 for the 2012 season, Charles Pic initially struggled at the start of the season, largely due to the new tracks the Frenchman was striving to learn. But once the F1 fraternity moved back to Europe, and tracks that Pic knew well, the rookie’s form improved greatly. This saw him out-qualify and even out-race vastly experienced team-mate Timo Glock on a regular basis.
As the Frenchman’s form improved as the season progressed, many began linking him to a move further up the order. With the likes of Max Chilton poised to team-mate Timo Glock next season, Charles Pic was speculated to be moving to Caterham several months ago. With the F1 fraternity gearing up for the final race of the season around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, Caterham have finally ended the speculation and have officially confirmed Charles Pic as one of their drivers for 2013.
“Throughout the 2012 season we have been monitoring the progress that Charles has made, challenging us on several occasions in qualifying, and it is clear that he is a special talent.” Explained Caterham’s team principal, Cyril Abiteboul. “As the year has progressed he has performed extremely well against a very experienced team-mate and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further within the environment we will provide in 2013 and beyond. Being able to make this announcement before the end of the current season gives us the chance now to allow Charles and the team to prepare fully for the 2013 season and quickly learn how to maximize the performance benefits of the Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull Technology power-train that will be new to him.”
Charles Pic is understandably thrilled to receive such an opportunity to progress further up the F1 ladder, as Caterham themselves continue improving at each event. The team have quickly become regarded as the top of the three “new” teams in the sport, alongside Pic’s current team Marussia and HRT.
“I am very proud to be able to confirm that I am joining Caterham F1 Team next year and I’m looking forward to many seasons of successful racing co-operation.” Said Charles Pic, “It is clear that the team has great ambitions for the future: the investments already made and the decisions taken in the last few months show how committed the shareholders are to succeed and demonstrates their willingness to keep going forward. I am very excited about starting my second year in F1 with a team that has so much potential. Caterham F1 Team has everything in place to help it move into a position to fight with a number of teams ahead. I know how determined the team is to keep progressing and I am looking forward to playing my part in helping them move up the grid.”
Charles Pic, like many other drivers on the grid, made his way to Formula 1 through the GP2 feeder series, taking numerous race victories along the way before making the “graduation” to Formula 1 this season with Marussia. It’s clear that Charles Pic has the potential to succeed in the sport and this move to Caterham is certainly a move in the right step for the French driver.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
Heikki Kovalainen: “We Underperformed Today”
Heikki Kovalainen has been blunt with regards to Caterham’s uncompetitive qualifying performance for the United States Grand Prix, simply stating that the team underperformed during the all-important qualifying session. The Leafield-based outfit were out-qualified by the Marussia duo of Timo Glock and Charles Pic.
After the team elected to not run a Friday driver during yesterday’s two opening practice sessions to allow both Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov enough time to learn the new venue, the team are understandably frustrated after being outshone during qualifying by the KERS-less Marussia outfit. The team are currently ahead of Caterham in the Constructors’ Championship, something which could cost Caterham millions should they be unable to leapfrog the Anglo-Russian outfit.
“We underperformed today, it’s really that simple.” Explained a disheartened Heikki Kovalainen, “We went with a plan that didn’t work and unfortunately both Vitaly and I weren’t able to get enough heat into the tyres to get the best out of them, or manage the traffic well enough to get a clean lap in. Tomorrow’s another day so now we need to regroup and have a better performance in the race than we did today.”
Heikki Kovalainen is adamant both he and team-mate Vitaly Petrov will be able to beat the Marussia duo during tomorrow’s 56-lap United States Grand Prix. However, with neither Marussia nor Caterham likely to score points this weekend, the outfit will require an 11th place finish to thwart Glock’s 12th place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix back in September.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Cyril Abiteboul Assumes Caterham Team Principal Role
Frenchman Cyril Abiteboul has been promoted to team principal at Caterham with immediate effect, after Tony Fernandes elected to step down from the role to focus more on the company’s road car business. This comes after Cyril Abiteboul was appointed CEO of the outfit in September, a role he will continue to hold.
Caterham were formally known as Lotus in Formula 1, after making their debut in the sport under the leadership of entrepreneur Tony Fernandes back in 2010. Since then, the outfit have remained the strongest out of the three “new” teams in the sport, and have recently been rebranded as Caterham for the 2012 season. Heikki Kovalainen has remained the only driver to race during all three seasons for the outfit, however the Leafield-based outfit are still undecided with regards to their driving line-up for next season.
Tony Fernandes is confident that his successor will carry out an excellent job for Caterham, as they continue to work their way towards the midfield of the Formula 1 grid. Despite remaining the faster of the three “new” teams in F1 (alongside Marussia and HRT), Caterham frustratingly remain behind Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship, a fact which the team are eager to alter in the final two rounds of the season.
“Cyril is going to be an excellent Team Principal.” Enthused Tony Fernandes, “He has extensive experience in F1, he is extremely well respected and he shares our vision for what we want our team to achieve. He takes over during a season when we have not yet fulfilled our potential, but at a time when we have everything in place to help us do so. One day we will earn our seat at the top table of Formula 1 and he is the right person to take us there.”
Cyril Abiteboul is honored to be taking up the team principal role at Caterham, a team which is committed to a long-term future in the sport. The Frenchman will also continue as the teams CEO, a post he took up earlier in the year.
“I am honored to take over as Team Principal, now combining that role with the CEO post I took up in September 2012, and I would like to thank Tony and Kamarudin for the chance to lead this team into the next phase of its growth.” Explained Cyril Abiteboul, “We have big challenges ahead of us but the shareholders are committed and behind us to help us take significant steps forward over the coming years, and one day challenge for the highest honors in F1.”
With Caterham still undecided with regards to their driving line-up for next season, it remains to be seen if Heikki Kovalainen will remain a Caterham driver for what would be a fourth consecutive year. With reserve driver Giedo van der Garde, Bruno Senna and even Charles Pic also linked to the outfit, it could well be all change at the Leafield-based outfit for next year.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Charles Pic Forced To Retire With Engine Problems At Abu Dhabi
After a sensational qualifying performance from rookie Charles Pic yesterday, which saw the Frenchman out-qualify team-mate Timo Glock and the Caterham of Vitaly Petrov, the 22-year-old endured a tough 55-lap race. After loosing out at the start, the Frenchman was eventually forced into retirement due to engine issues on lap 41.
At the start of the race, Charles Pic lost ground to team-mate Timo Glock and the Caterham of Vitaly Petrov. Despite a competitive battle throughout the early stages of the race between the Marussia driver and Vitaly Petrov, Caterham’s KERS advantage saw the Russian driver open up a gap to Charles Pic. The Frenchman’s race was made all the more difficult with a frustrating pit-stop, before Pic was finally forced into retirement during the closing stages of the race.
“It was a very tough but exciting race today.” Explained Charles Pic, who has greatly impressed many in the paddock so far this season. “I was in a good battle with Vitaly and I came close to overtaking him on several occasions. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite meet the challenge of his KERS advantage. Our pitstop was not quite perfect, which is a shame as a slick stop could have helped us to jump him. Overall I am pleased that I could enjoy a good battle with one of the Caterhams; it’s just unfortunate that we had to retire because of the engine problem. Generally I have to say it has been a very positive weekend.”
As Charles Pic’s debut season in Formula 1 draws to a conclusion, speculation still surrounds the Frenchman as to where he will end up in 2013. Both Caterham and Marussia could be potential options for Pic, who is remaining focused on the final two races of the season, at two tracks the Marussia driver has yet to race on.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Kovalainen Hindered By DRS Issues As Petrov Struggles In Qualifying
Heikki Kovalainen’s qualifying effort was hindered by a DRS issue during qualifying for tomorrow’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, whilst the Finn’s team-mate Vitaly Petrov struggled throughout the duration of the session. This saw the Caterham duo qualify 19th and 21st for the race, with the Marussia of Charles Pic splitting the pair.
Vitaly Petrov in particular suffered a rather uncompetitive qualifying session for the Caterham outfit, after struggling during the third and final practice session earlier in the day. This saw the Russian driver test several setups on his car, however once the qualifying hour began, Petrov once again found himself struggling with the balance of his car around the Yas Marina circuit.
“Honestly I’m a little bit disappointed with where I’ve ended up in quali today because I thought the car would be a bit quicker than it was.” Explained a disheartened Vitaly Petrov, “We had a slightly tricky FP3 and tried a couple of setup options to find a good balance and when I went out for my first run in Q1 it didn’t really feel like I could push. It felt better on the softs and on my fastest lap I was looking good up to turn 17 but a bit of traffic after that held me up just enough to cost me time.”
Whilst Vitaly Petrov struggled in his machine, Heikki Kovalainen was suffering from an issue on his DRS. This meant that the Finn was at a severe disadvantage through the high speed corners, and saw him only just qualify ahead of rookie Charles Pic in the Marussia. Despite a tough day at the office for the Caterham duo, they are both confident ahead of tomorrow’s race.
“My first run on the medium tyres was ok but on the second run on the softs I had a problem with the DRS that meant I wasn’t able to really attack the high speed corners and that cost me a bit of time.” Said Heikki Kovalainen, “Despite that I think we’re looking ok for tomorrow. The balance feels better with the lower track temperatures we had for quali and that’ll most likely be the same tomorrow for the race, so hopefully I can have another good start and see how hard we can push the cars ahead.”
Once again the Toro Rossos were the nearest of the midfield teams to Caterham during the qualifying hour, and both Kovalainen and Petrov will be eager to push to Faenza-based outfit during the race. With Caterham still striving to recapture 10th in the Constructors’ Championship from Marussia, a competitive end to the season is imperative for the Leafield-based outfit.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Sebastian Vettel Fastest After Second Practice At Abu Dhabi
Sebastian Vettel has returned to the top after second practice around the Yas Marina circuit, as the teams and drivers continue their preparations for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The reigning World Champion was followed by Lewis Hamilton in 2nd, with the Briton’s team-mate, Jenson Button a close 3rd.
As the sun began to set over the Yas Marina circuit, the Formula 1 teams and drivers returned to the 5.554km circuit to continue their preparations for this weekend’s race. Once again, glorious weather conditions greeted the drivers as they instantly took to the track, with the Sauber duo the first to leave the confines of the pit-lane. Mexican driver Sergio Perez set the first timed lap of the session, with a 01:45.819.
However, Championship favorite Sebastian Vettel was quick to assert his authority over proceedings, setting a 01:43.323. The German driver gradually improved throughout the early stages of the session, bringing his time at the top down to a 01:42.730. Vettel’s reign at the top was surprisingly short-lived, however, as 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton disposed of the reigning Champion and stormed to the top with a 01:42.095.
McLaren’s superlative start to the weekend continued, as Jenson Button slotted himself into 2nd position behind team-mate Hamilton, as the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne became the first driver to switch to Pirelli’s soft tyre compound. Lewis Hamilton remained fastest as the session progressed, as both Sebastian Vettel and then Romain Grosjean shared the 2nd spot behind the McLaren driver.
However, Sebastian Vettel eventually reasserted his authority over proceedings, with the German driver setting a 01:42.056. The reigning World Champion was able to improve upon that time a little later, as the Caterham of Vitaly Petrov spun and continued at turn one. Whilst one Red Bull driver once again dominated proceedings at the sharp end of the order, Mark Webber’s session was brought to a premature end after an ominous water leak was discovered towards the front of his Red Bull.
Mark Webber wasn’t the only driver struggling towards the end of the second session, as Lewis Hamilton once again began to struggle with an intermittent gear change issue. However, the mysterious woes improved slightly, allowing the Briton to continue circulating out on track as the session drew to a frenetic conclusion.
With many drivers carrying out high fuel runs in the closing stages of the second practice session, Sebastian Vettel remained unbeaten as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session. The German was followed home by the ever-competitive Lewis Hamilton, with Jenson Button 3rd. With question marks still hanging over the soft tyre compound, the drivers will be eager to carry out as much running during practice three tomorrow morning prior to the all-important qualifying session later in the day.
Both Red Bull and McLaren look strong this weekend around the Yas Marina circuit, with Lewis Hamilton in particular striving to take at least one more victory for the Woking-based outfit before his departure at the end of the season. Sebastian Vettel, however, once again remains the favorite for victory on Sunday, with Red Bull poised to clinch their third consecutive World Constructors’ Championship.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m41.751 33 2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m41.919s + 0.168 33 3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.412s + 0.661 35 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m42.466s + 0.715 21 5. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m42.500s + 0.749 33 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m42.532s + 0.781 27 7. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m42.587s + 0.836 30 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m42.823s + 1.072 32 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m42.998s + 1.247 36 10. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m43.106s + 1.355 35 11. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m43.191s + 1.440 33 12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m43.200s + 1.449 35 13. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m43.255s + 1.504 33 14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m43.267s + 1.516 31 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m43.578s + 1.827 33 16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m43.689s + 1.938 31 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.260s + 2.509 26 18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m45.073s + 3.322 18 19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m45.245s + 3.494 35 20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m45.782s + 4.031 32 21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m46.589s + 4.838 34 22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m46.671s + 4.920 30 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m46.707s + 4.956 25 24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m47.406s + 5.655 34
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