McLaren Mercedes

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:11 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE

Spa-Francorchamps, Friday August 28



LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-05

P1 programme 4 laps No time (20th)
P2 programme 29 laps 1m47.201s (1st)

Lewis and his engineers opted to sit out the majority of this morning’s wet session, instead completing a series of installation laps to evaluate a number of minor new components for this weekend’s race. As a result, he finished the session at the bottom of the timesheets without setting a laptime.

The morning’s curtailed running placed greater emphasis onto the afternoon session, and the team quickly worked through its morning set-up work before beginning a tyre analysis programme. With a large number of variables to assess – and a few minor niggles, such as a broken component within the cockpit hampering running – Lewis and his engineers will spend the evening properly examining the full potential of MP4-24’s performance ahead of P3 and qualifying tomorrow.

Nonetheless, Lewis was pleased with the overall pace of the car today – the first proper test of the upgraded package at a high-speed circuit – and finished the day fastest overall.

“I’m happier today than I expected,” he said. “We don’t have as much downforce as some of the other teams, so we’re not as quick as we’d like to be, especially in the middle sector. Fortunately, however, we have KERS and can use it to our advantage in the first and third sectors.

“The car didn’t feel fantastic today – but we only really had one session to find a set-up so we’ve got some changes to make overnight. Still, this is a massive improvement compared with Turkey or Silverstone, and we look competitive, which is important, so we’re not unhappy.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P1 programme 11 laps 1m53.838s (8th)
P2 programme 33 laps 1m47.743s (12th)

Heikki waited until the track was properly damp before beginning his morning programme on Bridgestone wet-compound tyres. He completed limited running, briefly running wide onto the Turn Eight gravel, but set the eighth-fastest time of the morning session.

Like his team-mate, Heikki crammed two sessions’ worth of work into this afternoon, busily working through set-up changes before beginning a lengthy long-run programme to evaluate the tyres. He completed two long runs this afternoon: nine laps on Primes (1m48.321s best), nine laps on Options (1m47.974s).

“I think slower speed corners suit our car better than high-speed stuff,” Heikki said. “So I guess we are still losing a bit of time in the high-speed corners compared to the fastest cars. But we’ve definitely made some good improvements in this area and the car feels positive to drive and seems to be working quite well around here.

“We’re in the hunt again, which is encouraging, and we’re working on a strong strategy for the race. We should be able to fight for a good starting position in qualifying tomorrow.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“As always at Spa, the weather played a prominent role in our preparations for the race – but the local micro-climate is one of the idiosyncrasies of the place, and the reason why it so often throws up an unusual result. As an example, this morning’s rainfall initially looked like a passing shower but ended up rendering much of P1 useless for practical evaluation.

“Into this afternoon’s practice, the blue skies enabled us to complete some more meaningful running as we crammed a busy set-up evaluation and a tyre analysis programme into a single session. The lack of running means there’s still scope for further improvement, and there’s plenty of work to be done overnight, but we end the first day reasonably encouraged by the speed of our overall package.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Today was a positive start to our weekend. Having said that, the top 10 is only separated by 0.4s and there are 18 cars – including the top two in the world championship in 17th and 18th spots – within less than a second of each other. This shows just how mega-competitive Formula 1 is these days and today was probably the Friday with the closest lap times in the history of this demanding traditional 7km circuit.

“However, things will probably look different tomorrow. I’m definitely not expecting the four guys fighting for the world championship to be in positions four, 10, 17 and 18 on the grid.

“Neither Lewis nor Heikki have been completely happy with the set-ups of their cars so there will be some work to be done before tomorrow. But, all in all, Spa has started off better than I would have expected, and everybody in the team has been working flat out to make sure we are continuing in that direction.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:10 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING ANALYSIS
Spa-Francorchamps, Saturday August 29



LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-05

P3 programme
1m46.301s (17 laps, 9th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m45.767s (15th)
Q2 1m45.122s (12th overall)
Q3 -

Despite finding a satisfactory overall balance with the car in the morning’s final practice session, the team suddenly found the pace upped for qualifying. While Lewis scraped through Q1, setting 15th fastest time on the final lap of his first run on Primes, he felt the car was lacking grip – particularly through the high-speed corners in the middle sector of the lap.

Despite a superb effort in Q2, he could not get the car to perform to his liking and finished 12th overall, unable to match the increased pace of the frontrunners.

“We did the best job we could today,” he said afterwards. “We’d always known the car would struggle in the mid-sector corners: being one second down in the mid-sector shows the true downforce level of our car. We expected that we wouldn’t have as good an aero package as some of the others – we just didn’t know to what extent. I guess today we found out.

“But I’m not too disappointed – this year has been a rollercoaster ride for everyone, but I’m enjoying it still and I love driving this track. My plan for tomorrow is a points finish.”


HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P3 programme
1m46.462s (17 laps, 13th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m45.705s (12th)
Q2 1m45.259s (15th overall)
Q3 -

Like his team-mate, Heikki pushed incredibly hard in qualifying but struggled to match the pace shown by the leaders. A mighty effort on the final lap of Q1 earned him 12th spot and saw him graduate into the second qualifying session. However, MP4-24’s lack of high-speed pace became evident and, like Lewis, he failed to make it into the top 10 shootout, finishing the afternoon in 15th.

“This morning, we started to become a little surprised by the pace of some of the other cars,” Heikki said. “We were struggling in the high-speed corners a little more than in either Hungary or Valencia, where the circuit configurations are slower.

“We expected today to be tough and our results show we are still lacking in high-speed efficiency, downforce and straight-line speed.

“Still, it was very close today; there was quite a bit of traffic in the session and, with just a couple more tenths, we could have made it into Q3. I’ll be racing hard tomorrow and I feel confident we can go forwards from here. Nevertheless, we know where we are and we’re not down because of this. We’ve shown progress compared with Silverstone and we’ll keep pushing to improve on our issues.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“First of all, I want to say ‘Well done!’ to Force India on the occasion of their first ever pole position. But Giancarlo Fisichella’s pole wasn’t the only unexpected element of today’s grid – far from it, in fact – and I think it’s fair to say that very few people would have successfully forecast today’s top three. As for us, the reality is that we didn’t provide our drivers with a quick enough car, and the consequence was a disappointing qualifying result. Having said that, the microclimate here is notoriously unpredictable, and it’s a long lap, and form upsets are therefore relatively common. So Lewis and Heikki are both aiming to score points tomorrow.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Formula 1 is really tough and enormously hard fought these days and creates more and more surprises. Very well done to Giancarlo and Force India for their first pole position on this demanding racetrack. The fact that world champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, as well as the current world championship leader Jenson Button, will respectively start from 12th, 13th and 14th describes how unpredictable this sport is these days and that the slightest problem – even if it costs you only a tenth or two – puts you on the back foot.

“A shame for Lewis and Heikki who could not make it past Q2, Lewis by 0.075 seconds and Heikki by a bit over two tenths. Both drivers suffered in the fast corners in the long middle sector. The times were closer than ever: in Q2, the top 10 was covered by five and a half tenths and the top 15 by seven and a half tenths – on a circuit of more than 7km length!

“Tomorrow we hopefully can overtake some cars already on the first lap and then build on a good strategy. Even from 12th and 15th, it is not impossible for us to do a decent job in the race and we certainly will try very hard.

“On a different note: it is of course very pleasing to see that all Mercedes-powered teams – championship leaders Brawn GP, Force India and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, have put a car on pole at least once during the first 12 grands prix of the season covering a total number of six pole positions so far.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:09 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Spa-Francorchamps, Sunday August 30

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

Started: 15th
Finished: 6th
Fastest lap: 1m48.348s (13th)
Pitstops: one (Op- Pr)
2009 points: 17 (10th)

A textbook one-stopper for Heikki, who started from 15th position and drove faultlessly to finish sixth. He began the race on the Option tyre, made a strong start to slot into 10th. As the earlier-stopping cars pitted ahead of him, Heikki moved as high as fourth before making his sole stop of the race on lap 26.

After a switch to Primes, he rejoined 10th and enjoyed a close battle with Rubens Barrichello as he once again climbed up the order to finish sixth.

“A good race for me,” said Heikki afterwards. “Even though our overall pace here hasn’t been as good as in the two previous races, our strategy worked out perfectly and I was able to overtake a lot of the guys stopping before me.

“I want to say a big thank you to all the guys in Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart for all their efforts. Today’s sixth place was the result of a strong, reliable car, a great strategy, a fantastic engine and a first-rate KERS – all of which helped me to make up nine places on my grid position today.

“We still have some work to do to be fully competitive on medium-downforce tracks, but Monza should be a different story as it’s a very low-downforce circuit and we are traditionally quite good there.

“Finally, I’m really happy for Kimi: he drove a great race and I knew he would be a tough guy to beat around this place.”


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-05

Started: 12th
Finished: Ret (0 laps, accident)
Fastest lap: -
Pitstops: -
2009 points: 27 (7th)

Starting from 12th, Lewis’s car bogged down at the start and the anti-stall kicked in, delaying his momentum down to the first corner. Into La Source, he was pincered by two cars, snapping off part of his wing following contact with another car. Into the braking zone for Les Combes, Lewis slowed to avoid an entanglement ahead of him and was heavily broadsided by Jaime Alguersari, pitching him into the gravel and immediately out of the race.

“Some days, when things go bad they go bad – and this was just one of those days,” admitted Lewis. “I got a poor start, the anti-stall kicked in and I tried to recover, but got sandwiched at the first corner and lost a bit of my front wing. When Romain Grosjean spun Jenson around at Turn Five, everyone was trying to avoid them, so I slowed down to try and avoid the damage and got taken out by one of the drivers behind me, who was trying to avoid the accident too. A disappointing day, but we’ll come back and try to win this race next year.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Heikki drove very strongly from 15th on the grid to sixth at the finish, optimising a one-stop strategy that necessitated comparatively heavy fuel loads, and nursing his tyres judiciously all afternoon. Lewis was tapped by another car at La Source, and was then slammed into the wall at Les Combes by yet another. But that’s racing.

“On behalf of all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, I’d like to offer congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari on the occasion of their first win of the season, and also to Giancarlo Fisichella and Force India on a sensational second place – a refreshing result that is very healthy for Formula 1 in that it demonstrates that the smaller teams are capable of turning the tables on the bigger teams from time to time.

“Returning to the subject of our team, we’d hoped to be leaving Spa with more than three world championship points – but the reality is that, although our car has been much improved recently, it still isn’t as fast as the quickest cars. But we’ll analyse that, and we’ll work on it, and we’ll hope to do better at Monza in two weeks’ time.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Both Lewis and Heikki lost places at the start, Lewis was hit in the first corner and then taken out in the third one in Les Combes. So Heikki’s sixth place is the best we could get today and this is not too bad as Heikki started from 15th.

“Congratulations to Kimi – it must be a big relief for him having achieved his first win for 25 races and compliments to Ferrari for their first victory this season. Well done to Giancarlo for second place and to McLaren-Mercedes’ customer team Force India, who showed today, from the start to the finish, that they were a real match for the winner.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:21 am

2009 SANTANDER ITALIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Lewis Hamilton

“Since we no longer test at Monza before the Santander Italian Grand Prix, it will take the drivers a bit of acclimatisation to get used to running in low downforce at this high-speed circuit. It’s a real challenge to get the set-up right because there’s never an ideal compromise between speed along the straight and through the corners. It’s never easy to keep the car on the track because it slides all the time: at most tracks, you feel like the downforce is sticking you to the track at high speeds – but not at Monza, it’s like you are skating across the surface. But it’s a fantastic circuit – our car has traditionally gone well there so I am looking forward to another competitive weekend.”

Heikki Kovalainen

“I’ve scored points in the last four races and can see no reason why we shouldn’t be contenders for more points at Monza next weekend. I love the place: I’ve won there in GP2, finished in the points in both my Formula 1 outings and I think our car will be reasonably well suited to the circuit. Like every team, we’ll be running a special low-downforce aero package in Italy – but we’ll also have the benefit of using KERS along the straights, which should give us a greater advantage over a single lap, especially in qualifying, where it will be extremely valuable. It should be fun!”


Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Monza is a venue where the team has traditionally gone well and we love racing on a racetrack that’s so steeped in Formula 1 history. The unique high-speed nature of the track places unique demands on the cars and, like every team, we’ll arrive at the circuit with a bespoke high-speed aerodynamic package. It will be another interesting test for MP4-24 as we continue to develop the car – it will be useful to understand how it works in a low-downforce set-up. Of course, Monza is notable for being a power circuit, and, with KERS, we should see some incredible speeds – particularly during qualifying when the drivers will double-deploy KERS along the start/finish straight.”


Norbert Haug
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Together with Monaco, Monza is the most untypical Formula 1 track. But, whilst Monaco is a street course with the lowest average speeds, Monza is a high-speed circuit at more than 250 kph average whilst the top speed in the dry will probably exceed 350 kph this year. We have good memories of this special race in the “Royal Park” and won two of the last four grands prix there. During the forthcoming race, we will possibly see the closest field in Formula 1 history. Spa has shown that the current Formula 1 is good for big surprises, and Monza will possibly underline this again. Our target is to continue our upward trend there. However, after Lewis’s win and second place at Budapest and Valencia, we have not been where we wanted to be even after Heikki managed to come home sixth from 15th on the grid. What remains positive: Although Lewis had an accident and therefore already retired on lap one which was not his own fault, no other team scored more points during the last four races than Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. In the remaining five races we will build on this with a healthy ambition – without seeing us being the favourites for Monza. There will be at least a handful of them which is first class for the sport.”

McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix…

10 years ago (September 12 1999)

Pole-sitter Mika Hakkinen looked destined for a straightforward win until mistakenly dropping an extra gear on entering the first chicane, locking the rear wheels and skating off into the gravel. The race was won by Jordan’s Heinz-Harald Frentzen. David Coulthard finished fifth.


20 years ago (September 10 1989)

Alain Prost emerged victorious at Monza after pole man and team-mate Ayrton Senna slid to a halt on his MP4/5’s own oil after the Honda V10 expired at Parabolica with just nine laps remaining. Prost took fastest lap and stretched his lead in the drivers’ championship to 20 points over Senna.


30 years ago (September 9 1979)

Team McLaren continued with the unloved M29, Patrick Tambay qualifying 14th and John Watson starting from 19th. The race was equally unproductive – Tambay retired after three laps with engine problems while Wattie lasted until lap 13 before crashing out.


40 years ago (September 7 1969)

The fledgling McLaren squad took two cars to Monza, an M7C for Bruce McLaren and an older M7A for Denny Hulme. The latter put his car on the front row, behind pole-sitter Jochen Rindt, while Bruce qualified fifth. The tables were turned in the race as Bruce came home fourth and Denny was classified eighth.

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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:07 am

2009 SANTANDER ITALIAN GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE

LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

P1 programme 26 laps 1m23.936s (1st)

P2 programme 32 laps 1m24.902s (11th)

Lewis conducted four runs this morning as he evaluated MP4-24’s low downforce Monza package and back-to-backed a number of aero components. Despite losing a piece of bodywork (a right-hand-side fuel-filler cap) on his first lap, he was immediately on the pace, topping the timesheets for the whole session. He completed runs of three laps/1m24.632s best, four laps/1m24.147s, five laps/1m23.936s and three laps/1m24.920s.

The afternoon’s session also started with a slight hiccup when Lewis flat-spotted his tyres under braking for the Variante della Roggia and pitted early to avoid the excessive vibration. Nonetheless, he enjoyed another productive session, tweaking the set-up and evaluating both tyre compounds while running heavier fuel-loads. He conducted Prime-tyre runs of one lap/1m31.930s, 10 laps/1m25.099s before switching to Options and setting best times of 1m24.902s (nine laps) and 1m24.920s (three laps).

“I’m pleased with our progress,” said Lewis. “It’s always a little nerve-wracking when you arrive at a unique circuit such as this because you want to see if you’ve taken the right direction with the car’s aerodynamics. But this morning’s session showed us that the engineers had made a very accurate assessment of what would be needed. KERS certainly helps around here – we can expect it to be worth nearly four tenths in qualifying tomorrow – but we also made some good progress with our overall package. This afternoon was spent on heavier fuel-loads, so you can’t read too much into the times, but I’m encouraged by where we are.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P1 programme 27 laps 1m24.332s (2nd)

P2 programme 41 laps 1m24.482s (4th)


A strong day for Heikki, who underlined the solid foundations of MP4-24’s low-downforce spec by finishing the day’s sessions in second and fourth place. He started the morning working to neutralise the set-up of the car, becoming increasingly happy with the balance as the session progressed - he set times of 1m25.133s/six laps, 1m24.332s/six laps and 1m24.492s/eight laps.

For P2, he once again declared himself happy with the balance, setting times of 1m25.311s/five laps and 1m25.164s/nine laps before switching to Options and recording a 12-lap long run (1m25.320s), a 1m24.482s/four laps and a final single-lap run of 1m24.865s.

Heikki said: “At Monza, you’re always facing the problem of balancing overall downforce with grip through the corners – and I think today was possibly better than we anticipated. We’re quicker in the corners than we were last year, which is good.

“The KERS advantage here is nearly four tenths per lap so it’s really helpful along the straights and out of the slower corners. Others have more downforce compared with us, but we have this fantastic KERS from Mercedes-Benz. It’s funny: the teams have all adopted different technical solutions but the laptimes are still very close together – that’s the beauty of Formula 1.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“A disciplined day’s work for the team today as we evaluated our low downforce Monza aero components and looked at tyre performance on heavier fuel loads. We’re encouraged by the results of today’s programme, but are fully aware that all teams will be making substantial changes overnight and, equally, we’ll need to further adapt our cars ahead of qualifying. Nonetheless, we’re encouraged by the direction we’ve taken and the results we’ve seen in both of today’s sessions.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Two good and productive sessions for us today. As we’ve all learned over the course of this season, the field is very tight. Heikki in fourth is separated from Giancarlo Fisichella in 20th position by just over a second, and all 20 cars are within 1.6 seconds. Our long runs on high fuel loads looked quite promising compared with our competitors, but I seriously think there are a handful of teams who can compete for pole tomorrow.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:35 am

2009 SANTANDER ITALIAN GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING ANALYSIS
Monza, Saturday September 12

LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

P3 programme
1m23.633s (18 laps, 5th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m23.375s (2nd)
Q2 1m22.973s (2nd)
Q3 1m24.066s (1st overall)

Following on from his strong showing yesterday, Lewis and his engineers began the day with some minor adjustments to the car, finishing P3 fifth fastest with a 1m23.633s.

For qualifying, Lewis was always on the pace, finishing the first two sessions in second spot before opting for two runs in Q3 on Option tyres. On his final run, he used the initial lap to prime his KERS before nailing his final lap when it mattered the most – setting fastest times in all three sectors and securing pole by two tenths from his former Formula 3 EuroSeries team-mate Adrian Sutil.

“It was a very close session,” Lewis said. “The car felt very good, and I was able to really put the lap together. I had a single shot at pole – and that’s the most exhilarating and exciting feeling you can have as a racing driver.

“We didn’t anticipate being this quick before the weekend, but I’m now in the best position to make the most of the start and to get out of the first corner cleanly. It’s fantastic to have Adrian starting alongside me tomorrow and we both want a clean start and to enjoy the grand prix.”



HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P3 programme
1m23.803s (20 laps, 6th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m23.515s (5th)
Q2 1m23.528s (9th)
Q3 1m24.845s (4th overall)

After optmising his car’s balance this morning, Heikki attacked this afternoon’s qualifying session, completing two runs in Q1 and Q2 before taking a determined gamble to complete a single, decisive run in the final minutes of the Q3 session.

The strategy worked, and Heikki posted an excellent 1m24.845s lap, on the Prime tyre, to line up fourth for tomorrow’s Santander Italian Grand Prix.

“Pole position would have been better, but I’m happy with my position,” joked Heikki afterwards. “Tomorrow, we’ll see what strategies everybody is running: I think we’re going to be strong. We’re in good shape, have a solid and reliable car and are looking to be very competitive tomorrow.

“I’ve been quick all weekend and actually felt the car was working better with a heavier fuel load than on lighter tanks, so that’s another positive for the race.

“Our KERS Hybrid is going to be very helpful – it’s a boost at the start and will be useful throughout the race, particularly for overtaking and pushing out of the corners. My focus for tomorrow is to win this race – and I think that’s a realistic target.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“It may be a Formula 1 cliché, but it’s true nonetheless: our whole team did a fantastic job today – Vodafone, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, everyone. Both our drivers drove excellent laps, aggressive yet controlled, and both of them have good strategies for tomorrow. But, however pleased we are with our overall qualifying performance, the reality is that anything can happen on race day and we never under-estimate our opposition. Nevertheless, we look forward to a great Italian Grand Prix at this majestic circuit, and we confidently expect to be able to play a highly competitive part in it.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"What a final lap from Lewis and a great position for Heikki on the second row. This is Lewis’s second pole in the last three races and shows that the team is working in the right direction to get back to the top. Thanks to everybody in the team, particularly the engineers – it is very easy to get it wrong in terms of qualifying strategy here at Monza, but our guys got it absolutely right.

“Congratulations also to Adrian Sutil and Force India for their second place on the grid – it is amazing what these guys are doing and proof that a technical partnership and a talented, hard-working staff in an independent low-budget team can achieve everything in Formula 1.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:31 am

2009 SANTANDER ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
Monza, Sunday September 13


HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

Started: 15th
Finished: 6th
Fastest lap: 1m25.109s (6th)
Pitstops: one (Pr-Op)
2009 points: 20 (10th)

From fourth on the grid, Heikki started on heavy tanks and dropped two places to the Brawns, before losing a further position to Vitantonio Liuzzi. On lap four he began to notice a lack of grip from his Prime tyres – particularly on the exit of the slower corners – and was consequently passed for seventh by Fernando Alonso.

Pitting on lap 28 and switching to Options, he pushed to the finish, running seventh until Lewis’s accident on the final lap promoted him to sixth.

Heikki said afterwards: “I’m rather disappointed with today. My race began with a difficult start and that cost me several places on the first lap. Then I couldn't really push hard in the first stint because my Prime tyres didn't have the grip to allow me to attack. Things were better in the second stint on the Options, but, by then, it was too late to regain the time I’d lost in the first stint.”


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

Started: 1st
Finished: 12th (DNF, 52 laps, accident)
Fastest lap: 1m24.802s (3rd)
Pitstops: two (Op-Pr-Pr)
2009 points: 27 (7th)

With a two-stop strategy, it was always going to be difficult for Lewis to build enough of a gap to keep the single-stopping cars behind him. Despite “pushing on every lap, like a qualifying lap”, and despite leading for much of the race, Lewis was unable to build a sufficient lead and dropped to third behind Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button as all three drivers made their final stops and raced to the flag.

Chasing down his countryman, Lewis cut the gap to Jenson to just over one second but, on the final lap and pushing harder than ever (he had just set his fastest time of the race in the first sector), he lost the back of the car at the exit of the first Lesmo and slid into the barriers.

“I wasn’t on the optimal strategy so I really had to push to make my two-stopper work,” said Lewis. “I got every tenth out of the car that I could possibly get and I didn’t make any mistakes – until the last lap. It’s unfortunate – but these things happen, it’s a racing incident. I was pushing incredibly hard on that lap to try to get close to Jenson and use KERS to pass him, then I exited the first Lesmo and the back-end got away from me and I went backwards into the wall.

“I can only say ‘sorry’ to the team – they did a great job and, although we weren’t quite as quick as the Brawns today, I pushed harder than ever, so I can feel happy about that.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“A disappointing result – there’s no point my denying that we’d expected to achieve a lot more here at Monza than a sixth place and a DNF.

“Looking at the positives, though, thankfully, Lewis walked away unharmed from what was a pretty big shunt – simply the result of his never-give-up attitude, his unquenchable desire to fight until the very last metre of the very last lap. Throughout the final stint he’d been pushing as hard as he possibly could, driving beautifully, right on the limit, in an effort to catch Jenson [Button] for second place, and he pushed just a fraction too hard – and the result was that he lost it on the exit of the first Lesmo on that final lap. He’d just gone ‘purple’ in the first sector of that final lap, in fact.

“But that’s the nature of a driver like Lewis, and there aren’t many like him: if you give it 100 per cent on every single lap, every so often you’ll give it 101 per cent – and then the result will be an ‘off’. But that’s racing, and Lewis is very definitely a racer, and we wouldn’t want him any other way.

“So, yes, we’re disappointed with our points haul today, of course we are, but we’re also pleased that our race pace was almost on a par with that of the Brawns and as quick or quicker than that of anyone else.

“Now, though, we’re already focusing on Singapore, where we intend to be every bit as competitive as we’ve been here at Monza this weekend.

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“That’s how it goes sometimes in motor racing. Lewis drove an excellent race and had the speed to finish on the podium. Lewis was in third place, five seconds behind the leader and catching up consistently when he crashed on the last lap – about three kilometres from the finish line.

“Heikki, starting fourth, came home sixth but three points is obviously not the reward Vodafone McLaren Mercedes would have wished for today.

“The positive side: as in Hungary and Valencia, during two of the last three races Lewis had the speed to fight for a victory and we’ll build on this performance during the final four races of the season.

“Well done to Adrian Sutil for scoring his first points of the season with a strong drive to fourth position – both he and his Force India team did an excellent job.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:15 pm

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Lewis Hamilton

“Last year’s inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was a real example of how to host a new Formula 1 race – fantastic facilities, slick organisation and a unique and interesting track that was not only fun and demanding but also really forced you to push to the limit and take a few risks to get the best from the car. I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation – I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn’t going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it’s very different – I know I’m out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can.”


Heikki Kovalainen

“We really seem to have discovered the sweet-spot of this year’s car. I’ve had points finished in every race since the Nurburgring, and we’ve got some interesting new upgrades in the system that are planned for the Singapore race. Of course, racing at night is what really makes this event unique, but the lighting system is so fantastic that you tend to forget that you are even racing in the dark! Singapore is the sort of circuit that should suit our package – there are lots of slower corners and we’ll be able to use KERS to our advantage. Overall, the city is also a fantastic backdrop to what has already become one of the best circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.”


Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Our pace in recent grands prix increasingly shows that we have developed MP4-24 into a pretty decent all-round competitor and we remain confident for the Singapore Grand Prix. For this race, we are introducing our last major upgrade package of the season before fully devoting our efforts and resources towards next year’s car. Last year’s event was a fantastic success and a testimony to what can be achieved in Formula 1 when you have vision, dedication and foresight. Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is looking forward to these final four flyaway races, the climax to a thrilling, eventful and unexpected title battle and our own steadily improving fortunes. Singapore is a fantastic advertisement for Formula 1 – one that vividly reminds you what a fantastic sport we operate in. Let’s hope for some good, close racing.”


Norbert Haug, Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“Formula 1 will present some challenging weeks. After the end of the European season, four grands prix within six weeks will take place in Singapore, Suzuka, Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi. As with last year’s inaugural race, Singapore will again be held at night. This street circuit has a total of 23 corners and six of them are slower than 100km/h. Our target is to continue our trend shown over the last five races.”

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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:15 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE

Marina Bay circuit, Friday September 25

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P1 programme 21 laps 1m50.699s (6th)
P2 programme 30 laps 1m48.952s (3rd)

Heikki completed three short runs in the first session (three laps/1m52.331s best, four laps/1m51.255s and six laps/1m50.699s) as he evaluated the upgrade package for MP4-24.

Into the second session, he continued his progress, conducting two runs on the Prime tyre (four laps/1m51.008s and two laps/1m50.370s) before switching to the Option and recording best times of 1m49.701s (eight laps) and 1m48.952s (seven laps).

“I’m very happy,” Heikki said. “I didn’t have any problems today and I think we made some good progress between the sessions. Both tyre compounds seem to work okay, so that’s another reason to be optimistic. I’m confident we can find a bit more time overnight, too.

“However, the other teams are also looking quick here, so it’s not going to be easy. The main difference to the track this year is the change to the Turn 10 chicane: it’s slower and tighter, and the kerbs are bigger so you cannot attack there because you can’t afford to risk damaging the car.”


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

P1 programme 17 laps 1m50.715s (7th)
P2 programme 28 laps 1m49.358s (9th)

Like Heikki, Lewis also back-to-backed the new front wing this afternoon, completing three runs (three laps/1m52.816s best, four laps/1m50.715s, three laps 1m52.920s). For the evening session, he evaluated the two different tyre compounds, running stints of three laps/1m50.867s and two laps/1m50.479s on the Prime, before switching to the Option and recording best laps of 1m50.319s (six laps) and 1m49.358s (three laps).

“I’m still lacking some speed in certain areas, so I need to work on that,” he said afterwards. “The sessions were a little up and down for me today – I didn’t have any major problems, but I wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped to be.

“Today’s not the important day though, and when the track gets a bit cleaner tomorrow, we’ll have a better understanding of the tyres. The track’s still very bumpy and all the traffic makes it quite difficult to get a clear lap, and the Turn 10 chicane is also worse than last year – a bit more dangerous – but nobody’s had any problems there so it should be okay.

“The main thing for us is to analyse the data, try and improve the car and find some more time for tomorrow.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Like most street circuits, the track surface is invariably not in great shape on the opening day of practice – and today was no exception. The heavy traffic and red flag stoppages in each session didn’t help our progress through the day.

“We spent the majority of the second session comparing tyres and studying the effects of fuel-load and tyre degradation. We also need to look closely at the results of our back-to-back tests with the new FW6 wing. While we don’t appear to be the only team suffering from oversteer issues today, it certainly looks like the cars setting the benchmark here are the Brawns and the Red Bulls. It will be interesting to see where everyone stands tomorrow after a night of studying the data and making improvements.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“What a great atmosphere here at this special event in Singapore.This was absolutely impressive at the inaugural practice session last year – and it still is. We worked to our planned programme and I think Lewis, Heikki and the team have found quite a decent baseline. But it will be very tight again tomorrow, today, Jenson Button in fifth was separated from Lewis in ninth by less than half a tenth of a second.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:40 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
Marina Bay circuit, Saturday September 26

LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-02
P3 programme
1m47.632s (15 laps, 1st)

Lewis’s mechanics effected a precautionary overnight change of his chassis in order to alleviate a suspected issue with the car’s KERS wiring – he continues the weekend aboard chassis 02. Third practice went well: Lewis immediately fell into the groove and reported that the car felt much better balanced and easier to drive than it had during Friday evening.

He completed three runs, the first two on Prime tyres (five laps/1m48.346s best and one lap/1m48.197s) and the final one on the Option (two laps/1m47.632s).

Qualifying
Q1 1m46.977s (on Prime, 1st)
Q2 1m46.657s (on Option, 4th)
Q3 1m47.891s (on Option, 1st overall)

With his confidence boosted by the positive early evening session, Lewis blitzed the opening session, setting the fastest time, on the slower tyre, with just a single run. For Q2, he maintained his competitiveness, posting a fourth-fastest 1m46.657s and aborting a second run after comfortably making the cut. Into Q3, Lewis set a competitive banker lap of 1m47.891s and was all set for another attempt when the session was red-flagged and cut short following Rubens Barrichello’s crash.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic result,” said Lewis. “We came here with several technical upgrades, and we didn’t know if we’d be up there – particularly after Friday practice, which wasn’t spectacular for me.

“My pole lap was very relaxed: the car has just got better and better as the track has evolved, and I think I would have gone faster on my final lap if the session hadn’t been aborted.

“I didn’t expect to be on pole today, but our pace has been really good. We’ll need to see what fuel loads everyone else is running, but I feel quite confident in what we’re doing and I’m in the best position for the race tomorrow.”

Today’s pole position is Lewis’s third in the last four races and the 16th of his career.

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-02

P3 programme
1m48.420s (14 laps, 4th)

Without any major issues yesterday, Heikki was able to pick up where he had left off yesterday. He continued to refine the car’s balance, particularly noting the effect of tyre wear and, despite experiencing heavy traffic on his final run of the session, reported himself very happy with his progress.

Like Lewis, he ran the Prime for his first two runs (three laps/1m49.263s and three laps/1m48.420s) before switching to the Option (one lap/1m57.833s).

Qualifying
Q1 1m47.542s (on Prime, 8th)
Q2 1m46.842s (on Option, 10th)
Q3 1m49.778s (on Prime, 10th overall)

The late stoppage at the end of Q3 was particularly unfortunate for Heikki. After comfortably graduating through the first two sessions, he and his engineers chose to conserve a set of unused Option tyres for their final run of the night – but were unable to capitalise on their advantage due to Barrichello’s crash. As a result, Heikki was forced to rely on his earlier laptime – set on Prime tyres – which left him 10th – a result that does not reflect accurately on either his speed or his efforts.

“This is a very disappointing result for me,” Heikki said afterwards. “In the first two sessions, things went smoothly – although my laptimes weren’t as competitive as I was expecting. For Q3, I didn’t get a good enough lap in during my first run as I’d been running the harder tyre, which wasn’t quick enough. I also made a couple of mistakes, but I was focusing my efforts on my second run – which would have been on a set of new Option tyres.

“It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow: starting from 10th will make things very difficult, but there’s nothing I can do about that now, so I’m just going to absolutely go for it tomorrow.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Although today’s qualifying ended slightly anticlimactically, owing to an accident that befell Rubens [Barrichello] and triggered a red flag that prevented the session from running its full allocated hour, Lewis thoroughly deserved his pole position.

“Other drivers were also pushing hard at the end, and undoubtedly it would therefore have been close, but we feel relatively confident that Lewis would have remained unbeaten.

“By contrast, on the harder tyre, Heikki hadn’t managed to cut a really quick lap in Q3 by the time the session was red-flagged – but we believe that, with the benefit of another lap, he would have been able to go significantly faster. As a result, although he’s understandably disappointed that he’ll be starting the race from P10, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t put in a competitive showing tomorrow.

“Overall, then, we’re hoping to score plenty of points – but, since Lewis will be starting from pole, I grant you that that isn’t a particularly bold statement. I make no apology for that: the weather will be hot and humid, and we may even see rain; the walls are close and unforgiving; the circuit is a challenging one. But we think we’re pretty well set.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"Congratulations to Lewis for a fantastic job and his third pole position in the last four grands prix since Valencia at the end of August.

“Also, a big, big thank you to everyone in the team who worked through the night until 10 this morning to build up a different chassis for Lewis as a precaution after a problem related to a cable of our KERS Hybrid.

“Sorry for Heikki, who was strong all weekend until the last session when his first run did not work out in the expected way. After Rubens’ crash there was no time for a second run left, so Heikki has to start from 10th position.

“Strategy-wise we should be in a good position and hopefully we can fight for a win tomorrow.”

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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:52 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
Marina Bay circuit, Sunday September 27


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-02

Started: 1st
Finished: 1st
Fastest lap: 1m48.345s (2nd)
Pitstops: two (Pr-Pr-Op)

2009 points: 37 (6th)

Second win of the season for Lewis who dominated the second Singapore night race from start to finish.

Starting from pole position, Lewis quickly established a slim lead over Nico Rosberg. Despite looking set to establish a greater advantage over his pursuers by virtue of his pitting later, his lead was eradicated by a Safety Car period, which coincided with Lewis’s first stop. Nonetheless, he remained at the head of the field and withstood sustained pressure from Sebastian Vettel – who was running significantly lighter than Lewis and was therefore able to push hard for the lead.

After making his final stop, and dropping to second behind Fernando Alonso, Lewis resumed the lead once the Spaniard had made his final stop and maintained his advantage over the chasing Toyota of Timo Glock. This was Lewis’s 11th grand prix win.

“This is the perfect end to a fantastic weekend,” said Lewis afterwards. “The race was physically very tough for all the drivers, but it was actually quite straightforward for me. I made a good start and I knew I was running longer than the guys behind me, so I was able to bridge the gap back to them. It was a very nicely controlled race in that way.

“The team did radio me about a small problem with KERS – but I didn’t have a problem in the cockpit and was able to just disable it and then re-engage it. It worked fine after that.

“We came here hoping for a good result – and I wanted to redeem myself after the last lap in Monza – and we got it!”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

Started: 8th
Finished: 7th
Fastest lap: 1m49.283s (11th)
Pitstops: two (Pr-Pr-Op)

2009 points: 22 (12th)

Heikki lined up eighth on the grid (after the cars of Rubens Barrichello and Nick Heidfeld had been demoted beneath him) but was jumped by the lighter-fuelled Barrichello at the start. He slotted into ninth, jumped Robert Kubica at the first stops and was comfortably running in the top six until Mark Webber’s shunt prompted a flurry of stops on lap 46. The net result saw Heikki lose two positions to Jenson Button and Vettel. He eventually finished seventh.

Heikki said: “I had no problems from start to finish and was feeling very comfortable, but I couldn’t go quicker. I drove to the pace I could with this car. I struggle a bit to maintain the tyre’s performance and the car gets out of shape if I try to increase my pace, so I can’t carry more speed through the corners. My focus now is to get the car better for me, so I can achieve better results.

“As a team, we’ll take many positives from this race. First of all, our car performance has been fantastic all weekend – and Lewis’s victory shows that the performance is definitely there. But, to be honest, my weekend was ruined yesterday in qualifying, which was very unfortunate for me.”

Nonetheless, the team’s double-points finish moves Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to within three points of third position in the constructors’ championship with three races remaining.

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“You won’t be surprised to hear me describe what Lewis did this weekend as ‘a fantastic job’.

“After a slightly troubled Friday, the team worked tremendously hard throughout Friday night and Saturday morning to rebuild Lewis’s car completely – and the result, combined with a brilliant pole lap from the man himself, was that we were able to approach today with a win firmly in our sights.

“As such, it was a perfectly paced weekend – and Lewis delivered magnificently today. Working together with the team, he was able to control the race from the front – and, although at one point both Nico [Rosberg] and Sebastian [Vettel] were piling the pressure on, we were always confident.

“In short, I’d describe it as a great victory – not only for Lewis, but also for the team. To design and manufacture the new parts required for our latest upgrades, against time pressure, and yet to do it accurately and reliably, is a truly superb achievement. In fact, I’m every bit as proud of the team as I am of Lewis himself.

“As for Heikki, he was unlucky in qualifying yesterday, but today he put in a solid performance from 10th position on the grid, in tricky circumstances, and earned us some valuable world championship points as a result.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“A first-class grand prix from Lewis and our whole team. Lewis did everything right, setting pole position yesterday and winning the race today. The team was at its best by building up a different chassis for Lewis over night from Friday to Saturday – and they all got the reward for their exceptional work including perfectly timed and well-executed pit stops.

“Heikki came home seventh, and more was just not possible after his 10th place in qualifying. Well done to everybody – nobody scored more points than Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in this so important night race here in Singapore.

“The statistics speak for themselves: this is the 60th grand prix victory of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership, and no team has scored more points than us in the five races since Lewis’s victory in Hungary two months ago Now we all are looking forward to a great season finale with three more races to go.

“Congratulations to our German friend Timo Glock and Toyota for their second place today, they have been strong all weekend.”

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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:59 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Lewis Hamilton

“It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to race at Suzuka – so, as you can imagine, I’ll be really excited when practice starts there on Friday morning. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve raced Suzuka on computer games – and while it kind of gives you an idea of how the circuit goes, nothing can beat the real thing. It looks like a real driver’s circuit – the first sector esses look very demanding and the higher speed corners towards the end of the lap will probably require real precision and a good car set-up.

“I’m also really looking forward to returning to Japan – it’s one of my favourite countries and I love racing in front of the Japanese fans. It should be a great weekend.”


Heikki Kovalainen

“I had one of my greatest Formula 1 drives in Japan, in the wet race at Fuji in 2007 when I finished second behind Lewis, so I have some fantastic memories of the country. While I’m really looking forward to racing at a classic racetrack like Suzuka for the first time, I don’t think the circuit will be ideal for our package: it’s a bit of a mix of places like Silverstone and Istanbul, with high speed corners, and will require a car with good downforce and mechanical and aero balance. But, that doesn’t put us off: the improvements we’ve made to the car over the course of the season have been genuinely remarkable and I think we still go to Japan confident that we can do a very good job.”


Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Along with Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka is one of Formula 1’s greatest circuits, and one that every driver relishes. Certainly, McLaren has had more than its fair share of spectacular moments there – we’ve won at Suzuka on six occasions, and I vividly remember the 2005 race, when Kimi [Raikkonen] took the lead on the final lap of one of the most spectacular grands prix I have ever witnessed.

“For 2009, we go to Japan knowing that overall victory will not be easy to achieve – but the improvements we evaluated in Singapore, particularly some useful changes to the floor, should give us a competitive boost and it will be interesting to see how our pace translates against that of our rivals.”

Norbert Haug
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“From a teams and drivers’ perspective, the Japanese Grand Prix is one of the biggest challenges of all 17 races this year. The track layout offers everything from the ultra-fast 130R corner to a slow hairpin. With Kimi Räikkönen we won there in 2005. With two race wins and 45 points from the last five races, the final one being last Sunday in Singapore, our team has continued this upwards trend. I don’t think we’ll be among the favourites for victory at Suzuka; however, everybody in the team is working hard to conclude the season with further good results in Japan and the following races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:55 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE
Suzuka Circuit, Friday October 1

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P1 programme 24 laps 1m40.356s (1st)
P2 programme 0 laps -


The morning’s damp but drying track made it difficult to conduct much meaningful work as the circuit conditions were continually moving away from the use of wet-weather tyres.

Heikki started his programme on Extreme tyres, completing a single installation lap and a three-lap run (1m49.134s best laptime) before the drying track required a switch to Intermediate tyres for the remainder of the session.

Heikki completed three more runs (four laps/1m43.127s, six laps/1m41.757s and one lap/1m40.356s), always mindful of looking after the delicate Intermediates in the drying conditions. His final run at the very end of the session secured him fastest time of the morning.

Neither Heikki nor his engineers considered it worthwhile to venture out during the afternoon’s monsoon conditions.

Heikki said: “This morning the track was in a better condition than it was in the afternoon so we decided not to go out in second practice. We think tomorrow and Sunday will be dry so we didn't want to risk any damage to the car in these tricky conditions.

“We also felt that we wouldn’t benefit at all from doing any additional running. In the morning, it was not so bad – it was drying out quite well so we could also use the Intermediate tyre, which worked well. I like this track, it has some very good corners and the grip level is very high. Obviously, the Japanese make very good Tarmac as this was also the case in Fuji!”


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

P1 programme 15 laps 1m41.443s (6th)
P2 programme 5 laps 1m47.983s (4th)

“This track is awesome!” were Lewis’s first words to his mechanics as he was wheeled back into the garage after his first run around Suzuka this morning.

Starting on Extremes and completing a single run (1m46.974s best), Lewis found the conditions not wet enough to continue and switched to the Intermediate tyre. He conducted an exploratory run (three laps/1m42.642s) before sitting out much of the session in the hope of driving on a dry line. However, the dampness remained and Lewis ran a final three-lap stint (1m41.443s) to finish the morning session in sixth position.

In the afternoon, Lewis left his running until as late as possible, completing just three flying laps in the very wet conditions. His best time of 1m47.983s was fourth fastest.

“This is the best track I’ve ever driven,” Lewis said afterwards. “It’s something very special for me and I had a great time today, even though it was wet. We didn’t do much running – we weren’t supposed to be running this afternoon, but I couldn’t help it: I just had to go out and have a little bit of fun!

“I’ve heard it’s going to be dry for the race, I’m just looking forward to getting out there in the dry and seeing how fast you can push around here.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Firstly, it feels fantastic to be back at Suzuka for the first time since 2006. It’s such a mighty racetrack and has clearly caught the imaginations of both our drivers. The organisers have done a fantastic job with the facility’s refurbishment, creating a world-class venue without losing any of the unique character that this place has.

“And although the poor weather made it difficult to appraise our speed relative to our rivals, we’re encouraged by our performance today: Lewis was immediately on the pace during every single one of his runs and Heikki finished P1, comfortably quicker than his nearest rivals.

“Nonetheless, with dry weather forecast for Sunday’s race, and mixed conditions still expected tomorrow, we still have a lot of work to complete to fully prepare us for what could be both an unpredictable qualifying session and a tricky and eventful race.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“A typical Suzuka day, really. Tomorrow’s weather should be better, and on Sunday it should be fine according to the forecast. Having said that, the conditions traditionally change very quickly at this circuit.

“Heikki posted the fastest time of the morning session which nobody could improve in the very wet afternoon practice – but this of course does not mean a lot in judging the competitive order of the field after the few laps that have been done by everybody today.

“It is remarkable what the racetrack owners have invested here to improve working conditions for the teams at this great circuit, and the new pit building is absolutely state of the art.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:55 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE
Suzuka Circuit, Friday October 1

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P1 programme 24 laps 1m40.356s (1st)
P2 programme 0 laps -


The morning’s damp but drying track made it difficult to conduct much meaningful work as the circuit conditions were continually moving away from the use of wet-weather tyres.

Heikki started his programme on Extreme tyres, completing a single installation lap and a three-lap run (1m49.134s best laptime) before the drying track required a switch to Intermediate tyres for the remainder of the session.

Heikki completed three more runs (four laps/1m43.127s, six laps/1m41.757s and one lap/1m40.356s), always mindful of looking after the delicate Intermediates in the drying conditions. His final run at the very end of the session secured him fastest time of the morning.

Neither Heikki nor his engineers considered it worthwhile to venture out during the afternoon’s monsoon conditions.

Heikki said: “This morning the track was in a better condition than it was in the afternoon so we decided not to go out in second practice. We think tomorrow and Sunday will be dry so we didn't want to risk any damage to the car in these tricky conditions.

“We also felt that we wouldn’t benefit at all from doing any additional running. In the morning, it was not so bad – it was drying out quite well so we could also use the Intermediate tyre, which worked well. I like this track, it has some very good corners and the grip level is very high. Obviously, the Japanese make very good Tarmac as this was also the case in Fuji!”


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-04

P1 programme 15 laps 1m41.443s (6th)
P2 programme 5 laps 1m47.983s (4th)

“This track is awesome!” were Lewis’s first words to his mechanics as he was wheeled back into the garage after his first run around Suzuka this morning.

Starting on Extremes and completing a single run (1m46.974s best), Lewis found the conditions not wet enough to continue and switched to the Intermediate tyre. He conducted an exploratory run (three laps/1m42.642s) before sitting out much of the session in the hope of driving on a dry line. However, the dampness remained and Lewis ran a final three-lap stint (1m41.443s) to finish the morning session in sixth position.

In the afternoon, Lewis left his running until as late as possible, completing just three flying laps in the very wet conditions. His best time of 1m47.983s was fourth fastest.

“This is the best track I’ve ever driven,” Lewis said afterwards. “It’s something very special for me and I had a great time today, even though it was wet. We didn’t do much running – we weren’t supposed to be running this afternoon, but I couldn’t help it: I just had to go out and have a little bit of fun!

“I’ve heard it’s going to be dry for the race, I’m just looking forward to getting out there in the dry and seeing how fast you can push around here.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Firstly, it feels fantastic to be back at Suzuka for the first time since 2006. It’s such a mighty racetrack and has clearly caught the imaginations of both our drivers. The organisers have done a fantastic job with the facility’s refurbishment, creating a world-class venue without losing any of the unique character that this place has.

“And although the poor weather made it difficult to appraise our speed relative to our rivals, we’re encouraged by our performance today: Lewis was immediately on the pace during every single one of his runs and Heikki finished P1, comfortably quicker than his nearest rivals.

“Nonetheless, with dry weather forecast for Sunday’s race, and mixed conditions still expected tomorrow, we still have a lot of work to complete to fully prepare us for what could be both an unpredictable qualifying session and a tricky and eventful race.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“A typical Suzuka day, really. Tomorrow’s weather should be better, and on Sunday it should be fine according to the forecast. Having said that, the conditions traditionally change very quickly at this circuit.

“Heikki posted the fastest time of the morning session which nobody could improve in the very wet afternoon practice – but this of course does not mean a lot in judging the competitive order of the field after the few laps that have been done by everybody today.

“It is remarkable what the racetrack owners have invested here to improve working conditions for the teams at this great circuit, and the new pit building is absolutely state of the art.”

Ed
NewsOnF1 Editor
NewsOnF1 Editor
Posts: 22255
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 1:24 pm

Post by Ed » Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:00 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
Suzuka Circuit, Saturday October 3


LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-02

P3 programme
1m32.789s (19 laps, 16th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m30.917s (on Option, 2nd)
Q2 1m30.627s (on Option, 2nd)
Q3 1m32.395s (on Option, 3rd overall)

After struggling with a difficult and unresponsive car during this morning’s P3 session, the team made some lengthy adjustments to MP4-24 ahead of the qualifying session. The changes clearly worked, transforming the car and enabling Lewis to match the frontrunners during all three sessions. He lines up third on the grid for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix.

“We didn’t expect to be as competitive as we were this afternoon,” Lewis said later. “Our car was tricky this morning and we had to make some significant changes between sessions. It was impossible to extract the best from the car, especially through the first sector. We didn’t have much time to develop a dry set-up so we went into qualifying hoping that the changes would work – and they did.

“I’ve said it before, but I really love this circuit, it’s so much fun and has such history and character; I feel honoured and overwhelmed to be driving where the great drivers of the past have raced.

“I would love to win here tomorrow, and I’ll do everything I can to do so: I’ll drive my heart out. Although the Red Bull will be very hard to beat, there’s a long run down to Turn One and our KERS is working better than ever. Sebastian has more to worry about than I do, too. He’ll be looking at the world championship, I’m just here to have a good time and score some points for my team to help us move further up the constructors’ championship table.”


HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03

P3 programme
1m32.546s (22 laps, 8th)

Qualifying
Q1 1m31.499s (on Option, 12th)
Q2 1m31.223s (on Option, 9th)
Q3 No time (9th overall)

Heikki reported fewer problems with his car than Lewis in the morning’s session and satisfactorily honed his car until he felt he had extracted a good deal of performance from the chassis ahead of qualifying.

He eased through the first two sessions (in 12th and ninth), but, as he began his first flying lap, he lost the car through the high-speed Turn Eight and ended up against the tyre barrier. By virtue of Sebastien Buemi’s earlier shunt (at the end of Q2), Heikki will start the race from ninth tomorrow.

“I went a bit too fast into Turn Eight, over the kerb, and the car broke out and I couldn't get it back on the track. So it was game over.

“Today’s three accidents prove that everybody is pushing the limit as much as possible as the running time in the dry was very limited. The car felt good, the balance was okay and we should be in good shape for tomorrow.

“I now hope that the damage on my car won’t be so bad that my mechanics have to spend the night repairing it.”


MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“After very limited dry running prior to today’s qualifying session, Lewis did a great job to qualify third. As a result, starting from the clean side of the track, assisted by KERS Hybrid, he should be able to make good progress off the startline tomorrow. We weren’t happy with his car this morning, but he and his engineers worked patiently yet determinedly in the gap between today’s sessions, and the results were clear to see.

“Heikki ran wide at Turn Eight when pushing hard in Q3, and lost the car and the lap as a result, but these things happen when you’re really on it – and, to be fair to Heikki, he’s made very few such mistakes this year. Besides, with a carefully crafted strategy, backed up by some forceful driving on his part, he should be able to make up some places during the course of tomorrow’s race.

“So, in summary, having bagged a dozen world championship points in Singapore last weekend, our intention is to score heavily again here in Japan.”


NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“What a qualifying session – three times red flags, and finally P3 for Lewis who, again, did an excellent job on this challenging track that he has never driven on before.

“Lewis’s lap time for third place on the grid after three pole positions in the last four grands prix is less than two and a half tenths down on Sebastian Vettel’s pole time whom I sincerely wish to congratulate for his first place of today.

“However, it is quite a long way into the first corner here at Suzuka and I am sure Lewis is planning to give the two guys ahead of him a run for their money tomorrow once the race has started.

“Heikki suffered from an off in Q3 after a very solid performance during his first Suzuka weekend, being quickest yesterday and today and being also fully competitive until his unplanned excursion.

“After three very hectic and challenging qualifying sessions, the most important news is that Timo Glock is safe after his accident. Everyone in our team wishes Timo well, and I am sure the whole paddock – and especially his German fans back home – have the same feelings

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