Monday, November 26, 2012

Brazil Gp : Fernando Alonso podium pics







Brazil Gp : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: "if we had the opportunity to remake the season I wouldn't change anything because we did not make any error, we have had no mechanical problems, no worries at the stands and not strategic errors. We have not lost the title today, it's because of what happened to Spa or Suzuka because we could finish the season with more points even though we know we have won by many more on other tracks. I am proud of the work I've done this year, like last year when I finished 4th and still I fought until the end, the situation is different from that of Abu Dhabi in 2010, because there was a big frustration at the time because we had the situation in our hands while here we have done our best and we did a great race. We have worked a lot, these efforts have paid and today they can be proud of what they have done, because even today the work was impeccable and we finished on the podium after to be slender on the fourth line, still so another miracle on Sunday. The team kept me informed of the status of Vettel and end-of-race I hoped that something would happen to him or Button, this would have allowed us to achieve our goals, but that not happened and we have to accept the outcome of the race. What for 2013? It's easy, a faster car but especially a team also determined, hardworking and professional because we have met our initial difficulties with class. We have perhaps failed to achieve the level of performance of the best, but we worked very hard , so I repeat, I am proud and happy, and now is the time to rest a bit." 


* Felipe Massa: "it was very moving for me to be on the podium in my homerace in front of my fans , I cried like a baby thinking about the difficulties of this season, which has been disastrous at the start and then superb late-season, I managed to make beautiful performances even when the car was not perfect. I go at the end of things and this even if the car was not faster than our rivals, we should be proud of what we have done because today the race was difficult and so many things have happened, it was not easy to keep the tires in temperatures especially with these changing conditions. For example, when it started to rain we decided to stay on the track, but we stayed too long probably. And then I was at the eleventh place, and I began to overtake many pilots, and who knows, I may be able to be in the race for the victory today. The team was informed at any time of the situation and what might be useful to help Alonso, I think have done good things for the team and the fans."

Brazil Gp : the race


Brazil GP : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: "I am not surprised by our position because we could not expect a revolution on our performance in just a week, I think I did a good qualifying session, especially if we look at our positions in the last races. My chances to reach the podium are still intact and it will be my goal because I know that in normal circumstances we can not fight for the win, but I also know that we must count on a retirement of Vettel if we want the title and finish on the podium. Obviously I hope a chaotic race in the rain would be a factor, even if on a wet track the situation is difficult for everyone. My car is not prepared for a wet track because we don't really know what it will be. Massa made a superb qualifying session, it was above the performance of the car, it's almost a miracle that he made and that we are still in the race for the world title for the last race. At the end of the Monza Gp I was not thinking anymore that it was possible and I am sure that everything will be played tomorrow and that nothing is finished." 


* Felipe Massa: "it was a good qualifying session, in Q3 I did a perfect lap and I think that we were not far from the fastest to the McLaren and Red Bull, for my part I am very satisfied with the balance of my car. Now we have to stay concentrated on the race, which will be anything but not easy. I am more at ease since the mid-season, I'm more and more confident, I attacked more and more and my approach to the race will be simple and do my best for my public and Ferrari, because I have a very good car that is not the fastest in qualifying but very fast in the race."

Brazil Gp : the grid


Felipe Massa new helmet for the Brazil Gp


Felipe Massa will have a new helmet for his homerace this weekend in Brazil .

Brazil Gp : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: "the track was very hot especially in the afternoon with temperatures that were above the habits here. We have yet to find the right balance and the engineers have a lot of work to do to prepare the rest of the weekend. One should not forget that the conditions are expected to change Saturday and Sunday, it will be hard to make the right choices, mainly for the race. I can not say about the performance but the hard tires appear to be more constant that the soft ones and times are correct. I must say that I do not know if I prefer to be on the rain or dry, but it is essential to prepare for the two situations and we know we must score 14 points more than Vettel. There are also other issues of size which are to stay in front of McLaren for the constructors championship, these are clear objectives but difficult to achieve." 


* Felipe Massa: "it was a very busy day with a lot of work to do and so KM in order to find the best settings for the car. I'm pretty happy with my time in particular in what is our race pace and I think that I was the fastest on the track at the end of session. On my first stint with soft tyres I lost a few tenths and I still managed to finish 4th, I can not figure out what time I would have done without wasting time in some corners. We have the same tyres than in Austin but performance is totally different and the degradation here is much higher and I think that we will have much more than one stop."

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Austin Gp : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: "it's an unexpected podium coming at the end of a particularly difficult weekend because we didn't have the pace to meet the Red Bull and the McLaren and losing only three points on Vettel is a nice gift because it could have been much worse and we can go to Brazil with a small chance to win the title. I would say that we have 25% chance to win but in the background I think we can do much more and anything can happen at Interlagos and we have seen many times that the reliability is important. In addition to this there is a risk of rain and a race in these conditions is very risky but we have nothing to lose, because clearly, if the race is dry then we will have a normal race in which it can be expected that Red Bull are ahead of everyone and we on the third or fourth line, the unknowns are many and it is good for us. For the decision to change Massa gearbox I am proud of what the team decided , it was good even though everyone may not agree with that. The start was very good as well as the first corner and in this second part of the season we made great gains positions in the first few metres. Then I had a good pace to preserve this podium, but it was not enough to do better. My pit stop was not perfect, and it is probably the first time this season that happens, this means that we are always looking for perfection in all areas including that of pit stops. Massa was faster than me throughout the weekend and I have to say that we have to rely on his good form for the Interlagos race because we have very strong opponents and therefore we must be united if we want to win!" 


 * Felipe Massa: "for me this is a bit like a victory because it is certainly the best race of my season and I can now say that I am happy to have started eleventh coz this morning when they told me I lost five places I have not jumped for joy but I accepted to help the team and Alonso. I do not think that many drivers would have accepted the same thing but I am an honest person who is dedicated and I would always do the maximum to help my team. At the start I won three positions but then I went wide and lost a few places again, after that I had a good pace and I was able to do good exceedances and that at various points in the track, I even passed two cars at the same time so I think that we did our best today. I don't think I could have beat me against Vettel and Hamilton. I enjoyed drive on this track and it was very fun and enjoyable, it's not my favourite circuit but it's one of those that I love. Now we go to Interlagos, my home race and it would be nice to finish the season on a podium or even a victory. One thing is certain, it's that I will do everything I can to help the team achieve its goals, today I maybe could finish in front of Alonso but I am well aware of the situation in the Championship, and I am doing what is good for Ferrari, as in my entire career."

Austin Gp : the race results


Austin Gp : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes


* Fernando Alonso: "this is not a surprise to see the two Red Bull at the front : in the last races, they had the best package, so the result of today's logical. We know what are our strengths, team work and reliability and we will make the most. New componentss made here seem to work, but we still need to look more closely the data to have a definitive answer, I am satisfied on this point but it is also true that if one made of small step forward in every race, it is also the case of the other, so that the gap remains intact. Would I be happy to be third tomorrow afternoon? Of course, but we are only Friday and we have already been in this position before and then on Saturday we had other cars ahead of us. The circuit? A beautiful surprise, even if we had an idea of what to expect through the Simulator. It is very require, especially the 1st sector that is very fast and you can really feel the acceleration of a formula 1 car. The track is very smooth and not at all porous: reminds me much at the Portugal Portimao, if it were to rain, this could be as fly on ice." 

* Felipe Massa : "today I spent quite some time to get to know this new circuit, I did a lot of laps for that in the morning.  The track was very slippery, and in my memories I have never had to drive with a track that has a so little abrasive surface but the situation is somewhat improved it then and I started to have confidence in the car. It's fun to drive here and I think we will have a great show this weekend. As for the tires it will be hard, it will be important to work on understanding and the temperature of the latter especially for the qualifications."

Friday, November 16, 2012

the news of Friday !

* the Fia would like to amend the regulations regarding the use of the DRS for 2013. it would be no possible for the drivers to use it in qualifying and free practices but only the way it will be allowed in the race. Reminder: this season it was possible to use the DRS as much as drivers wanted in free practices and in qualifying sessions . 

 * the FIA would also like to introduce a super licence with a points system that would work like this : as soon as a driver would get a fine or a penalty he would have points less on his super licence based on a defined schedule, and as soon as a driver would have exceeded the quota of points of his super licence , he could have a race of suspension.   

* Bernie Ecclestone gets impatient about the holding of a Gp in france ! Indeed Mr E is ready to add a Gp in France (in place of the New Jersey race), in all likelihood on the Castellet circuit, but it would seem that the organizers struggle to find the necessary budget !  

 * Felipe Massa revealed that before his contract has been extended at Ferrari, he had contacts with other teams without however mentioning their names. 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

the news of Tuesday !


* Here are the trophies for the United States Grand Prix which will take place this weekend in Austin. 

 * Pirelli will provide to the teams for the Austin Gp and the Brazil one medium and soft tires . 

 * the HRT team is for sale ! According to the Spanish media "El Confidencial", the Spanish team would have already laid off 40% of its workforce ! 

 * Ferrari has conducted aero tests in a straight line (the last of the year for the Scuderia) in Idiada in Spain last week. Ferrari tested a new rear wing, a new bottom plate and several new pieces. Jules Bianchi was at the wheel.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Abu Dhabi Gp : Alonso & Massa Sunday quotes


*Fernando Alonso: 'I'm happy with the way this weekend has ended. It's true that, with Sebastian behind, there was a possibility to increase the gap more significantly, but it is also true that our performance and our position on the grid could make us lose points during the grand prix, I repeat, they have the fastest car, we have the best team. Everyone is fighting with the weapons at his disposal: we will not succeed in having the fastest car with a flick of a magic wand, but we will address their performance with the perfection of our team. The simulation placed us somewhere between the 4th and 5th place and we finished 2nd , so once more it was a perfect race, the most of the start to finish. Of course, there were a number of drop-outs unexpected and two periods of neutralization which not really came at the right time for us, but these are things out of our control. We just had to stay focused on our race and that's what we did. Now, we go to Austin, a new circuit for everyone: we had a taste of it on the simulator, but it's something else on the track. We hope to get a good result and that there will be some spectacle in a country that is important as the United States. This evening I will go to sleep thinking that the glass is half full rather than half empty. We should be proud of what we did, work of track-mechanics and engineers who have tried to refine the car. I struggled from the start to finish: first with Maldonado, then Jenson, and ultimately, I tried to come back on Kimi. I could not relax a single lap . The best race of the year? It is yet to come." 


*Felipe Massa: "it was a race especially difficult for me because I had problems with the soft tires deteriorating more quickly that we had planned after Friday testing, we must therefore understand what has changed within two days. I also had problems with the balance of the car with the understeer in fast curves and oversteer in the slow corners. My duel with Webber was a crucial moment in the race, he has tried to do outside on me and we are affected. Then, he cut the chicane and came back on the track like crazy, forcing me to turn to avoid him . It's really a shame because I think I could have finish in front of Kobayashi but in all cases I scored points that are important for the constructors championship and we are increasing our lead over McLaren. For the next race I will have the same developments that Fernando Alonso had here and so we hope that there are other important areas. However we should not lose sight that the type of circuit can greatly affect the performance because here we saw McLaren and Lotus very strong, well more than the Red Bull for example, but it is not certain that it will be similarly in other races."

Abu Dhabi Gp : the race results


Abu Dhabi Gp : Alonso & Massa Saturday quotes


*Fernando Alonso: "in the three sessions we understood that we could not expect better than just the third row, we thought we would be between fifth and eighth, that's what has happened. I did three times the same time between Q1 and Q3, which means that we could not do better. Nevertheless, I am happy to work as we have used the most out of the car. Innovations brought a performance gain but is not enough, because others did not remain behind the armchair watching television. Usually the Saturday is the day where we suffer the most and Sunday everything gets better, so hopefully this will be the case even if it is true that the degradation of the tire is low. We know we must score 14 points more than Vettel in the three races, this is the goal." 

 

*Felipe Massa: "it's really a difficult and complicated weekend at least until tonight. We hoped to start a little bit better, being on the three first rows of the grid. In Q3, I chose to make a different program than Alonso because I had only a single set of options and in hindsight I have to say that this was not the best choice but it's always easy to talk about once the events past. I did not have all the latest changes here, the little that I have are positive but others are able to still save time as Alonso has shown. On my last lap, I had oversteer in a turn and it made me lose a few hundredths, maybe I have finished eighth, but this would not change much. Honestly we did the hardest, hope that tomorrow, with a good pace of race, which is traditionally our force we can come back. This circuit seems to highlight some cars such as the McLaren that were not fast in the final three races, here Hamilton clinched pole position."

Abu Dhabi Gp : the grid


Saturday, November 3, 2012

Abu Dhabi Gp : Alonso & Massa Friday quotes


*Fernando Alonso: "it was one Friday like all others, we worked the morning on comparisons of the various aerodynamic solutions and in the afternoon we evaluated the tyres . Between the first and the second session the track changed a lot, it was predictable, because here there are many races throughout the weekend, initially it was dirty but it significantly improved, tomorrow conditions will be better." 


*Felipe Massa: "we completed our program, which is always positive and both in the first and the second practice session we worked on tires, regularity, we varied loads fuel to see the durability and we could see that we are competitive on the long relay but not on a quick lap . It would be good to us to be a little faster, but we will see what will happen , what will really count, what are the qualifications of tomorrow."


Abu Dhabi Gp : FP2


Abu Dhabi Gp : FP1