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F1: Malaysian GP Chalk Talk


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Steve Matchett highlights the underside of the F1 chassis and tells you all about diffusers.

Source: SPEEDtv



F1: Malaysian GP Roundtable Q&A


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F1: Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett answer YOUR email questions after covering Friday Pratice.

Source: SPEEDtv







Malaysian GP - Friday - Press Conference



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Martin Whitmarsh, Australian GP 2009 © The Cahier Archive



3 APRIL 2009
TEAM PRINCIPALS: Ross Brawn (Brawn GP), John Howett (Toyota), Adam Parr (Williams), Martin Whitmarsh (McLaren Mercedes)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: A question to you all. Could you give us an update on how you feel your teams have done so far looking at Australia and today. Adam?

Adam PARR: Well, if you got points for practice we would be doing very well but obviously we need to do better than we did in Australia, that's for sure.

Q: How has it gone today? Parr: It has gone okay but it does not really count for anything, does it?

Q: Ross, your feelings so far?

Ross BRAWN: Well, obviously Australia was, as has been said many times, a fairytale. Thinking about what the team has gone through for the past few months then to have the result we had in Melbourne was unconceivable and unbelievable. I have been through many things in Formula One. I have been lucky enough to have some very special experiences and that certainly ranks as one of the best, if not the best of my career. It was achieved with a lot of things from within the company but there are a lot of people outside the company who helped us survive. Martin was one of them and Ron did his elder statesman part and did a very good job and I must say FOTA rallied around. We would not have survived without the help of those people. Whilst it was a wonderful it shows that even though we are going through a little bit of a difficult period with protests and things at the moment there is another side of our business which is very united and very together in trying to solve and improve Formula One.

Q: Martin?

Martin WHITMARSH: I think we are already on record as saying that our car is not quick enough and I think that was evident last weekend and it is evident again this weekend. I think after the two massive championship seasons, frankly, fighting through to the end of the year we put a lot of resource into that. It was a decision we felt was right in Brazil but as we stand today we know we have got a lot of catching up to do. On a positive note I think in week 11, Barcelona test, I think we were very slow by comparison to every car. I think the team has made a spirited fight-back to try and drag itself into the pack but the truth is we have got a lot of work to do and we have got a lot of development necessary to get ourselves into a position we would expect to be in.

Q: John?

John HOWETT: I think it is too early to say really. We had a fairly challenging weekend in Australia. In qualifying if you look at fuel corrected pace, definitely Timo (Glock) had a very strong lap and in race pace when we were running in relatively free air the car was competitive. We need to wait at least another couple of races, different type of circuits, to really judge the relative performance of all the teams.

Q: John and Martin, you both had certain events during last weekend. Any further comment on what was happening last weekend and what continues to happen now?

Howett: I don't think so. I mean we have issued press statements on it, so we will have to wait and see in terms of the diffuser what happens on April 14. I think as a team we are very confident that we have interpreted the rules correctly and we have had verification that our interpretation would appear to be correct and we just need to wait to see.

Whitmarsh: Well, okay obviously I have got to comment on what for our team is a very sad day today. We have suspended a long standing Sporting Director, Dave Ryan. I think many people in this room will know Dave and will know of Dave. He has been with the team for 35 years. I have personally known him for 20 years and I think anyone who knows him, knows that he is a very straight forward, dedicated, hard working individual. However, it has become clear from discussions with Dave last night and through into this morning that during the stewards' meeting he was not entirely full and truthful in answers that he gave the stewards and consequently we had no alternative today other than to suspend him. As you can imagine I think it is a very sad day for the team. We have got to deal with this weekend and we have got to look in a bit more detail at all of the events that surrounded that. From my perspective obviously it is a point of deep, deep regret. It is not how I wanted this year in particular to start and it is something for which the team and myself are not only deeply embarrassed but deeply regretful. I think for Dave is has been a shattering day for him.

Q: Another question for both of you in the front row. Relating to KERS, how do you feel KERS went and how you have used it so far?

Whitmarsh: I think at the moment it is still early days and frankly we had some difficulties with KERS today and Lewis's runs in the afternoon were without KERS. It was an incredibly challenging range of technologies to package KERS on a Formula One car. I think Mercedes Benz have done a fantastic job and it was a really successful use of it in Australia. Here it has been a bit challenging but again it is early days. I am confident that we will find our way through those difficulties. It's a technology that is important to Formula One and there has been just a huge effort to make it work. I can appreciate that some teams have decided wisely not to bowl in there with KERS. I think Mercedes Benz and ourselves rolled our shirt-sleeves up and got stuck into it. It has been a massively expensive and challenging programme. But we are going to stick at it. When it is working there is some advantage and we will, I am sure, have benefit of it as the season progresses.

Q: Will you persevere with it this weekend?

Whitmarsh: Yes, we will. I think we had one glitch which caused us for safety and practical reasons to turn it off. I think we had a small cooling pump failure which meant we couldn't run with it on Lewis's car. We will obviously look into that and see whether it is anything particular to these conditions or whether it's the fact it is a very new technology and we are working hard to develop it and solve those problems.

Q: John, when will we see KERS on the Toyota?

Howett: We are still monitoring the situation. We are still continuing development in Cologne. I think we have always said that when we start to see the advantage in terms of lap time or a competitive advantage we will try to install KERS on the car. Here you have fairly long straights and a reasonably long run into the first corner, so we need to evaluate what advantage KERS will give in those situations.

Q: Adam, can you say when your slightly different system of KERS will be used?

Parr: Very similar to John. We are just working on it flat out and we are also waiting to see whether it will generate faster lap time. But I think one thing was quite clear in Melbourne which is that regardless of lap time there may be tactical advantages in having it on the car, so we are more determined than ever to have it on as soon as we can.

Q: Both of you in the back row are independent teams. You have both tasted a certain amount of success in various ways. How important is that from a commercial point of view? Ross, obviously, has got the Virgin sticker on the car and that's about it. How important is success for you from a commercial point of view? Adam, perhaps you could start?

Parr: It is why we are here. We were very fortunate in the last few months of last year that I think 10 of our partners renewed their sponsorship with us and I think including four upgrades for this year, so they showed a lot of faith in the team at a time that, as you will appreciate, was extremely difficult to make a decision like that. We are very grateful to them and the only way we can reward them on the track is by performing, so it is absolutely crucial to us to perform.

Q: Ross, has the phone been ringing with people wanting to give you money since last weekend?

Brawn: It is not quite that simple but there has been a lot of interest and of course given the result we had last weekend it was perfect to develop the commercial side. If we had been at the back of the grid it would have certainly been a lot more difficult. But it is a tough market out there at the moment and we all know what the economic situation is. But things are developing reasonably well but the key objective for us is to find partners that we can have for the next two, three or more years, not just someone to come along and have a quick splash and disappear. We will take our time to develop the right partners. With Virgin it is starting small but with a lot of potential for the future, so I think we have made as good a start as we could have dreamed of with the results we have and the car we have got. With regards to KERS it is not high on the agenda for us at the moment. We had to make some compromises to change the engine in the car, so the car has got to be heavier now than originally intended and that makes it quite difficult to install KERS. We will have to work hard to get some weight out of the car before we can get to a position where KERS is a possibility. Like the rest of the group we will be monitoring the situation. This, I think, is one of the best tracks for KERS according to our simulations when we did it and I think you may see that KERS-equipped cars will be more to the fore here than they perhaps would be on other circuits.

Q: Someone suggested last weekend that is costs more money to have KERS. Is that right?

Brawn: It certainly costs money.

Q: Is it part of the deal? Is it extra?

Brawn: No, our engine agreement with McLaren Mercedes is purely an engine supply agreement. We have had some tentative discussions about KERS but it is a little bit early for us to engage properly on that.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Talking about what happened to Mr Ryan. Does it mean that he was lying then to the stewards?

Whitmarsh: It means he was not truthful and full in his answer which is what I said (becomes inaudible).

Q: (Ed Gorman - The Times) Martin, to follow that up. The impression we are getting from the statement is that Dave Ryan did this on his own. Are you telling us that there was noone else involved in McLaren, senior to him, in this process?

Whitmarsh: Correct, there was no-one else senior. I think anyone who knows Dave will know that he did not set out with any deliberate intention to mislead the stewards. He went to that stewards meeting with Lewis, I am sure, with the intention of being very clear and straightforward but I think during the course of that meeting, as we explored it more with him, over the last 24 hours it became clear that he was not as full and comprehensive as he could have been.

Q: (Ed Gorman - The Times) Could you explain also what Lewis's precise role was because the stewards made it very clear to us that both Dave Ryan and Lewis specifically said that the team had not told them to allow (Jarno) Trulli to go past. So what did Lewis do? Did he follow Ryan?

Whitmarsh: I think Dave was the senior member of the team there and Dave has to take responsibility for leading that process. I think Lewis is going to talk to the media later and I am sure he will give a full account from his perspective. But this is something that was still unfolding until literally minutes before the first practice session. I had to take an incredibly difficult decision. I have personally known Dave for 20 years. If you go around this paddock and ask any team in any organisation of their experiences of Dave in terms of his dedication and commitment, so he is shattered by what has happened today. We need to take stock of that situation but there were two people in with the stewards but Dave is part of the management, he is the Sporting Director of this team, and as such he had the responsibility to ensure that the stewards received a full and entirely truthful account of what happened.

Q: (Ed Gorman - The Times) There have been some very harsh things said about the team, particularly in the British press, including a suggestion that McLaren is contaminated by a culture of cheating. Is that the case?

Whitmarsh: No.

Q: (Ed Gorman - The Times) What is the case?

Whitmarsh: The case is that Dave made a very serious error of judgement in going into that stewards meeting and he is paying the consequences of that. It is something that he deeply regrets, Lewis and I and the team regret, and it is something that we have got to put right.

Q: (Juha Paatalo - Financial Times Germany) You say that Dave was not entirely truthful in front of the stewards but what about Lewis, was he truthful in front of the stewards?

Whitmarsh: No, I think that Lewis was not entirely truthful but we have spoken to Dave, he was the senior member of the team and they went into a situation together and I think they were trying to deal with the situation but they got it wrong. Dave, as the senior member of the team was responsible for what happened and therefore I took that decision this morning.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC) Martin, what is the procedure or the process in terms of deciding what was going to be said? You were on the pit wall and so was Ron Dennis as much as Dave and anyone else. When this process was unfolding and you knew he had to go to the stewards what was done? What happens?

Whitmarsh: In truth the situation was that during this incident we were asking the stewards, well, we were asking race control, for a decision because we realised that Trulli had been let past. We did not think that was right because in fact the original overtake of Trulli was entirely legitimate as Trulli was not on the circuit. We believed that when all of the facts were presented to the stewards that they would recognise and they would restore the positions, so we asked for the race control and the stewards to look into it and Dave and Lewis went to the stewards to give their account.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC) But did they talk to you about what should be said?

Whitmarsh: No. They did not because it was not necessary. We knew what had happened and there was a belief that a true and honest account of that would get the result, that the positions would have been reversed.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC) So what got lost in translation? Lewis gave this interview or interviews saying 'I was asked' and then said 'no' in the stewards' inquiry. Why, why did that happen?

Whitmarsh: Well, I think Lewis got out of the car and gave a truthful account of what happened. I believe that whilst they were at the stewards, Dave, who had been party to what had happened in Spa, was highly sensitive and I think in the heat of the moment, his judgment was to not give a true account, and I think Lewis was then led by that.

Q: (Jon McEvoy - The Daily Mail) Martin, I was just wondering what we should believe is the next step, given that Dave Ryan has been suspended as opposed to sacked or resigned. What does that mean, how will that develop?

Whitmarsh: What it leaves now is that this is something that happened literally minutes before the first practice session. Dave has been sent home and we need to, during the course of this weekend, understand exactly what happened and make the decisions about Dave's future.

Q: (Jon McEvoy - The Daily Mail) And finally, from me, I was wondering if you, given all the fall-out from this, have given any consideration to whether you would resign from your role?

Whitmarsh: I think there's a lot of things going through my mind today and it's happening during an event in which we're trying to do the best job we can. I think, as a team, at the moment, we've lost someone who is very much a significant anchor in this organisation and we've got to make sure that we pull together to do the best job that we can this weekend. I think we've got to reflect on everything that's happened over the course of the Australian weekend, after this race has finished.

Q: (Jon McEvoy - The Daily Mail) So you don't rule that in or out?

Whitmarsh: I don't rule anything in or out. I think at the moment, what we are keen and earnest to do today is make sure that we put our hands up and say it was a serious error of judgement during that process and that we make sure that we come clean on that fact. Page 5 of 7

Q: (Ingo Rorsch - Sport Bild) Mr Whitmarsh, have you had the chance to see the precise words which were spoken between the stewards and your two team members?

Whitmarsh: No, I haven't. Ordinarily they aren't minuted and I believe one of the stewards didn't bring his notebook from Australia but we have no access to that. All we can do is ask the driver and the team manager what was said in that meeting.

Q: (Ingo Rorsch - Sport Bild) But shouldn't that be recorded for the future?

Whitmarsh: Well, again, I think at the moment it's not for me to make that judgement. I think what the stewards should rely upon is that when the teams are called before them, they will give a totally true and open account of what happened.

Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News) John, relations between FOTA and FOA are a bit strained and tense; do you see that getting better or worse?

Howett: Between FOTA and FOA? Well, I think at the moment we have progressed significantly. There was, as you know, some tension over historic payments. They haven't, I think, in the teams' opinion, all been settled but a significant proportion have been settled and whilst we've been in Australia I believe our lawyers together with FOA's lawyers have made significant progress, so I think in terms of the actual agreement, we all believe, we are extremely close to actually reaching a final conclusion.

Q: (Anne Giuntini - L'Equipe) To all of those who are using KERS: how much of an advantage can it be at the start? Is it quantifiable? Is it possible to know?

Whitmarsh: Yes, it's quantifiable. There are a number of factors but clearly if you can discharge going down to the first corner, then you do get a quantifiable advantage that varies from circuit to circuit depending on whether you're grip limited and the length to that corner. It also, frankly, relies upon you being able to deploy that much additional energy. If you are frankly languishing further back on the grid as we were at the last Grand Prix, then it's very rare that you can go to the first corner braking point at full power, even with or without KERS, so its benefit is greater, clearly, if you've got a clear run at the first corner.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Ross, how do you see the situation here compared to Australia one week ago?

Brawn: It's still a little bit too early to say. We're struggling a little bit with the balance of the car today, it's not quite as nice as Australia. Despite what the perceptions are of the car it has actually very good low speed grip, it's very good on traction. It's not a track that perhaps rewards those elements quite as much and neither driver was particularly happy with the balance of the car today, so we've got to do a good job tonight to improve that, but I think we'll be near the front and fighting at the front. Whenever anyone said a car or a team were going to be dominant, don't believe it because this business is too competitive for anyone to be dominant. We're going to have to fight very, very hard to get points this weekend and hopefully get podiums.

Q: This is for Ross Brawn, can you explain for us the development plan for your car this year? Do you have enough resources to develop the car while other teams develop their cars, of course?

Brawn: Yes, we've been through a pretty traumatic winter and unfortunately that still continued this week because we had a lot of restructuring of the team to do. We're not a team with a budget that Honda had, so this week there has been some unfortunate restructuring. We hope we're going into next week with our new team and we can then look forward and the restructuring has been very focused on performance. It would be no good having a team with fantastic production facilities and no ideas, so the team has been structured very strongly around maintaining a good development programme, so we've tried not to impact the technical areas too much and yes, the development is on-going. We're planning an upgrade for Barcelona or just after Barcelona. We obviously have this appeal hearing next week or the week after next and we need to see what comes out of that because that may change direction. I'm reasonably confident but you can't be one hundred percent confident. So yeah, we've got to move forward. I think these new rules, by definition, being a new set of rules, the rate of progress will be very rapid as Martin touched on. At one stage in winter testing they were quite a long way behind and now they're getting into the pack and making rapid progress, so it is an era of very rapid progress and we've got to progress as well as our competitors if we want to have a hope of winning another race this year. Page 6 of 7

Q: (Benny Casadei - Il Giornale) Ross, which is the most important thing you learned at Ferrari that you are applying leading your new team?

Brawn: Non mollare mai - you never give up and there were times over the winter when it was easy to think this was actually not worth it. It was very, very difficult at times. The great thing, I must say, is that the team stuck together. I've said before, I had some black days over the winter. Luckily they didn't coincide with Nick's black days or some of the other management team's black days. As I said at the beginning, the support from McLaren and Mercedes was exceptional. They didn't know whether we were going to make it or not but they just gave us 110 percent all the time. There was no doubt from their side that they were going to give us everything we wanted. So if I took something from Ferrari and from Luca (di Montezemolo) and Jean Todt and Michael (Schumacher), it was just never give up.

Q: (Chris Lines - Associated Press) I want to ask all four guys what they think of the speed and method of Formula One's decision-making with penalties with the Hamilton-Trulli situation, with the diffuser situation. Is there any way these can be sped up? Fans attend the race or they watch on TV thinking they've seen one result; they get home and it's completely changed. Is there anything you can think of to improve that process?

Howett: I suppose fundamentally FIA is the Federation, it's their championship and it's their right to determine how they manage it. It could be something that FOTA, if the members so desired, could try to discuss openly with the Federation, but I think one has to respect the fact that as in football, the stewards are there and appointed and have the right to decide, and I think it's something that could be expressed as a future opportunity to improve but I don't believe it's something that we have the right to really interfere with directly.

Parr: Yeah, I think one has to distinguish between the sporting regulations and the technical regulations. I think the sporting regulations, you have to try and sort it out as quickly as possible and the only reason to come back at any distance from the race is if there's new evidence that is very significant. On the technical side, I think it's extremely difficult because obviously over the winter or before that, we're developing cars, we're seeking clarifications from the FIA as to how to interpret rules or confirming that we've correctly understood them and it's not necessarily until we come up to the new season that people get a sense of what other people are doing. And then the process demands that you protest after an event or during an event or after scrutineering. If you look at the process we're going through now, we were protested on the Thursday which was the first opportunity that anybody had to do it. It was well signalled by the teams that they would do that, very transparently, and we've now got a hearing which is exactly 16 days after that process. You need eight days for the submissions from the appellants and eight days to respond, and I think anything less than that would be very difficult. It may look like a very long drawn-out process but I think it's dictated by the nature of the sport.

Brawn: I think it is always a bit unfortunate when fans go away and there's still debate going on about decisions and I wish it were possible to walk away from a race that was black and white but it's a very complicated sport, particularly when you start to move into the technical side. I think the process that we're going through is fair and proper. I've been on the wrong side of protests and appeals, I've been on the right side of protests and appeals and it is a very, very complicated sport, and particularly with new regulations coming in, three teams took an interpretation which they're very comfortable with and several other teams aren't happy with that interpretation. It has to be resolved, so I think the process is as good as it can be. On the sporting side, even if you make a final decision and it's the wrong decision that's probably worse than it being a good decision that takes a little bit longer.

Whitmarsh: I'm afraid, no particular ideas, but I think inevitably that we have to try and get everyone to work together, the teams and the Federation, to ensure that we find ways to shorten that process because clearly we recognise that it's not the best thing for the sport but I think the teams are as much a part of that as the Federation. We've perhaps got to be more transparent, more clear in our dealings with the sporting body, so I think we shouldn't be looking to any one party, we're all part of this sport and we've got to look at how we can contribute to improving it.

Q: (Jon McEvoy - The Daily Mail) Where do Lewis and his manager stand with the team at the moment, how are relations between them and you and whether their reaction to what's gone on was the factor in Dave Ryan going and whether it's still a factor in how you're evaluating your next step as well?

Whitmarsh: No, it's not a factor. Lewis is not only a very committed member of the team, he's a longstanding friend of many of us in the team who have known him since he was a lad. Anthony is similarly well-regarded. They are solid supporters of the team, consider themselves to be part of it. They weren't involved in the sad decision with Dave Ryan, they learned after the event, Lewis didn't know until after P1 this morning. So they had no bearing on it, they weren't involved in it. We have to manage the business, they know and understand that and I would say the relationship - at the moment, it's a very difficult time for the team. We've got to make sure that we come out of it understanding and learning and hopefully with even stronger relationships than we started with.

Q: (Dieter Rencken - The Citizen) Ross, I wonder whether you could clarify some points please. After your restructure, will the team be a small big team or a big small team? Secondly, for what reason was the team accepted as a new team and not a continuation of the Honda team? And then finally, with regard to the commercial Concorde Agreement, where the team stands in that regard at this point?

Brawn: Well, I hope it's both. I hope it's a big small team and a small big team. In terms of the structuring, we looked very carefully at where we felt performance came from, reliability. We will be pretty lean in terms of the number of spares we carry. I think we've got 55 people here whereas last year we would have had 90 at a race. So it's a different era for us but one which is quite exciting and quite challenging. There will be times when we will be very frustrated, because we can't do something that we would have liked to do and that was a luxury and a nice thing, and I don't mean travelling at the sharp end of the plane, I mean the engineering things that we were able to do with the number of people and the budgets that we had before. With regard to the entry, the FIA determined that we were a new entry. I understand the reasons why they made that decision and we respect that. On the commercial side, it's not something I feel I want to comment on but something I would say that FOTA has been very supportive of, and FOM in finding a solution, to give the team the best chance of a way forward in the future.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello Sport) There's one thing that I don't understand very much, Mr Whitmarsh. Does it mean that you only learned this morning from Mr Ryan that he was not entirely truthful, because yesterday when you talked to us, it was something completely different, and it was after you read what the stewards sent out as a press release that you saw there was some inconsistency from what you said and what you knew?

Whitmarsh: I think in these situations people strive to convince themselves that they have been entirely true and honest in all of their answers and of course you can technically answer something and convince yourself that it is truth. Dave was clear that he had not lied and we believed that. As we dealt with the unfolding situation of yesterday, the more that we discussed it, the more that we believed that the answers that were given were not full and honest in the way that we would expect them to be.


Source: GrandPrix

Is lewis going to leave McLaren.... ?

@ BBB, They really pulled one on him this time. I wouldn't be surprised if near the end of the season we start hearing about deals in the works. There have been articles [GPUpdate] that McLaren are denying any comments about it but we know how that goes.






McLaren MP4-24 - asymmetric sidepods



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For Sepang, McLaren have introduced asymmetric sidepods, the left one now housing the electronics box for the car's
KERS system. This means that compared to the Melbourne design, the bodywork is more bulbous and wider in section
at the rear. Note also the wider exhaust opening to evacuate more hot air in the higher temperatures of Malaysia.


Source: Formula1.com

F1: Mclaren Summoned To WMSC Hearing
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
04/07/2009 - 02:31 PM
Paris (FRA)


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Mclaren will answer further questions about their Australian GP
conduct in front of the World Motor Sports Council (Getty) » More Photos

Mclaren have been summoned to appear before an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, to answer further questions about their role in the incident for which Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix.

Although Lewis Hamilton was originally promoted to third after Jarno Trulli was given a 25-second penalty, the world champion was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated, after it was found that Mclaren had deliberately misled the stewards over the incident, saying that Hamilton had been given no instructions to let Trulli through under the safety car, a fact contradicted by radio transmissions and an interview Hamilton gave to SPEEDtv.com immediately after the race.

The FIA statement in full:

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has been invited to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday, 29 April, 2009, to answer charges that, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, it

- on 29 March, 2009, told the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix that no instructions were given to Hamilton in Car No. 1 to allow Trulli in Car no. 9 to pass when both cars were behind the safety car, knowing this

statement to be untrue;

- procured its driver Hamilton the current World Champion, to support and confirm this untrue statement to the stewards;

- although knowing that as a direct result of its untrue statement to the stewards, another driver and a rival team had been unfairly penalised, made no attempt to rectify the situation either by contacting the FIA or otherwise;

- on 2 April, 2009, at a second hearing before the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix, (meeting in Malaysia) made no attempt to correct the untrue statement of 29 March but, on the contrary, continued to maintain that the statement was true, despite being allowed to listen to a recording of the team instructing Hamilton to let Trulli past and despite being given more than one opportunity to correct its false statement;

- on 2 April, 2009, at the second stewards’ hearing, procured its driver Hamilton to continue to assert the truth of the false statement given to the stewards on 29 March, while knowing that what he was saying to the stewards was not true.


Source: SPEEDtv







Hamilton prays for improvements at McLaren

07 April 2009


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Reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton hopes to see some serious changes soon at McLaren. After a disappointing start of the season the Briton is left with just one point, while championship leader Jenson Button scored 15 points so far.

"I hope we make some improvements," Hamilton said at his official website. "The engineers are optimistic that we have some good improvements in the pipeline for the next race, but we've got a huge amount of distance to cover so it will be tough."


Source: GPUpdate






McLaren accepts WMSC 'invitation'
And confirms Dave Ryan no longer with team
07/04/09 18:43



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McLaren might be facing additional sanctions

Following the FIA's announcement that McLaren Mercedes has been invited to appear before the World Motor Sport Council, the team has replied in the affirmative.

The extraordinary meeting of the WMSC aims at seeing McLaren management answer charges that Lewis Hamilton and Sporting Director Dave Ryan both lied to the stewards investigating Trulli's off-track error and subsequent overtaking of Hamilton while the Safety Car was deployed during the final laps of the Australian Grand Prix.

Trulli was demoted but reinstated a few days later when radio communications evidence proved the contrary to what had been affirmed: Hamilton had purposefully let Trulli reclaim his former position, as he feared his earlier pass of the Toyota driver – when Trulli committed his driving error - might be deemed illegal because the Safety Car was on track.

The discovery of the misleading statements brought about the so-called "Liegate" affair.

Hamilton was stripped of his Australian points and has apologized, explaining that he was under orders from Ryan during the post-race stewards' meeting in Melbourne.

McLaren has also confirmed that the suspended Dave Ryan has now officially left the team.

McLaren statement:
"McLaren acknowledges receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, received this afternoon.

We undertake to co-operate fully with all WMSC processes, and welcome the opportunity to work with the FIA in the best interests of Formula 1.

This afternoon McLaren and its former sporting director, Dave Ryan, have formally parted company. As a result, he is no longer an employee of any of the constituent companies of the McLaren Group."


Source: F1-Live







Lewis Hamilton Q&A
Malaysian GP was ''unbelievable and very dangerous''
07/04/09 14:58



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Between the rain and the twilight, far from ideal
conditions at Sepang

Aside from off-the-track matters, McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had a race to deal with last week-end. The Malaysian Grand Prix offered much racing action up until the point where the predicted rainstorm broke above the Sepang circuit.

Hamilton, like all drivers, had to work with his team and do some guesswork regarding tyre choices when the rain appeared at first. When conditions became downright undriveable, the race was stopped.

By the time the 32-lap race was red-flagged, Hamilton had moved up from 12th position to reach 5th and was engaged in an exciting battle with Red Bull's Mark Webber when the torrential downpour forced both drivers to ease off. With the final positions based on the preceding lap, Hamilton was ranked 7th in the Malaysian standings.

On his official website, Hamilton takes a look back at his race and relates the difficult driving conditions.

A tough race for you Lewis, are you satisfied with your result in Malaysia?

"Yes, it was a tough afternoon. In the dry, we knew our car wouldn't have the pace to run at the front - and that was clear in the opening laps when we didn't have the downforce to match the frontrunners, and we also knew that the lack of downforce would also have affected us in the rain too. I'm satisfied that I pushed hard for the whole race, and even though seventh isn't the greatest reward, it shows that the team never gives up and that we are still capable of scoring decent results."

How were things going when the track was dry?

"I pushed very hard in those opening laps. I had a very heavy fuel load, so I was quite pleased that I was able to stay in touch with some of the lighter cars, who were already faster than me. But I paid a price for that as my rear tyres started to go off and I wasn't able to keep guys like Vettel behind me. I could see the skies starting to darken so I knew the rain was coming - it was just a question of when?"

Did you feel the team made the right choice on tyres?

"The race was turning into a lottery, so you always need a little bit of luck in those conditions, but I think we played it pretty well.

Perhaps the first tyre change, when we switched to full-wets, was the wrong choice - and those tyres went off so quickly that I had no choice other than to change to intermediates - but the other two stops were pretty straightforward. More often than not, the team makes the right decisions and our strategy was good - we were fuelled to the end. If we'd restarted, we'd have been in a good position for sure."

How difficult was it to drive on the track when the rain started falling heavily?

"It was undriveable. I got on the radio and told the team how bad it was - there was standing water and aquaplaning everywhere. It was unbelievable and very dangerous. In fact, I think they weres the most dangerous conditions I've ever raced in."

What were you discussing with Mark Webber when he came over to see you on the grid after the red flag?

"I had been racing quite closely with Mark when the rain really started to fall. We were both driving extremely cautiously and were taking care not to touch each other. He came over to explain that to me and we both talked about the conditions - at that moment, we both agreed there was too much standing water to continue."

Did you want the race to be restarted?

"When you're a racer, and when you're presented with an opportunity to perhaps score a better result than the car is currently able to deliver, then you are always keen to get back on the track. (Sunday), I was looking forward to a restart, and the race had certainly lifted, but it was pretty clear that the daylight was fading - and that was an additional element for the race organisers to consider. It was a pretty tough decision for them, but it was getting difficult to drive in those conditions so it was the right decision to stop."

Finally, are you optimistic about the team's form in the forthcoming races - particularly in China and Bahrain?

"I hope we make some improvements. The engineers are optimistic that we have some good improvements in the pipeline for the next race, but we've got a huge amount of distance to cover so it will be tough."


Source: F1-Live







FIA post-race press conference - Malaysia

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA





1st Jenson Button (Brawn GP), 55m30.622s; 2nd Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), 55m53.344s; 3rd Timo Glock (Toyota), 55m54.135s

Q: Jenson, it is never easy. Very difficult at the start and what calls you had to make with changing weather conditions as your pit stop approached.

Jenson Button: What a crazy race. It really was. My start was pretty bad. I had a lot of oversteer in the car. I don’t think I got heat into the rear tyres and went back to fourth, got up to third and eventually got back to the front and I was pretty happy with that. Our pace was good and then the rain started but choosing the tyres was very difficult. Normally here when it rains it pours but it didn’t to start with. We went for the full wet tyre and it just destroyed itself and we saw Timo flying up behind us on the inter, so we put the inter on. Then just as he came by I saw his tyres were bald and it was raining out the back and he was struggling quite a bit on it and had to pit. I got one lap in on the inter with reasonable pace and I was able to get in and put the wet tyre on and come out in front. A very interesting race and I still haven’t seen the chequered flag without a safety car in front.

Q: Nick, in 2005 from 10th to third and now from 10th to second. Great use of the conditions with a long fuel strategy. You came in on lap 22, a little bit earlier than you needed to, and it worked out perfectly for you.

Nick Heidfeld: Yeah, I think it was a very difficult race obviously in these conditions. I took the right tyre choice, well, not the perfect tyre choice as I went straight to extremes. As Jenson said there is normally heavy rainfall here. Then the team told me there is heavy rain expected and I told them inters would be a lot quicker now. Then just when they told me to pit it started to rain heavier and actually it was just 200 metres from the pit entry and I said ‘no, no I stay out as it starts to rain more heavy.’ I tried to preserve my tyres at the beginning and some other guys were quicker than me on the extreme wets and I knew if the rain starts then hopefully I can stay out. But still my rear tyres were destroyed completely and were slicks basically. When it started to rain I just tried to stay on the circuit.

Q: Timo, a great call to go onto the intermediates as Jenson just said. Talk us through that.

Timo Glock: Yes, it was a tricky race I have to say but in the end I have to say one of the best races I could ever do. We struggled a bit at the start. I don’t know why we lost so many places. I couldn’t believe Fernando and Kimi were in front of me at the first corner. I didn’t know where they came from and I struggled and I was only, I think, P8 after the first lap and the traffic was really tricky and after five or six laps I saw already the clouds were coming and I was asking ‘when is the rain coming, when is the rain coming’ and they said you know it should come in the next couple of minutes and then I thought it takes so long as you saw the big clouds coming definitely. It took just so long and we were so close to the first pit stop, so I said ‘okay I will take the risk and we will go for it and go to inters and then we will see.’ I saw already Felipe Massa was on heavy wets quite early and I knew that will destroy the tyres as well, so I said ‘come on, we go for it and take the risk’ and in the end it paid off. But the last two laps behind the safety car it was so confusing. My engineer told me when I did the pit stop ‘you are leading the race,’ so I said ‘okay, I don’t push because I want to save the tyres.’ Then I saw Jenson coming out just ahead of me, so I was P2. Then I jumped out of the car and now I am here I am P3. So hopefully when I come back down I will still be in P3. That’s what I am hoping for.

Q: Jenson, in those closing laps just before the safety car came out you were racing with Timo in dreadful conditions.

JB: It was really bad conditions and you could not actually see the circuit. I mean it was that bad. We were behind the safety car and my team, who did a fantastic job, said all you have got to do is drive around and that was difficult enough. A few moments I was almost off the circuit. We are going around at running pace, that slow. The safety car was pulling away from us. All I had to do was drive around and stay on the circuit. But how slow it looks. It is embarrassing but that was as quick as we needed to go and if I’d gone any quicker I’d think I would have ended up in the gravel.




Q: Nick, talk us through the atmosphere on the grid when you were just sitting there?

NH: Well, actually I thought I was second if the race was stopped now as I knew that the race is counted not at this lap but one or two laps before that. But there was a lot of confusion and we were told to be in first position if the race resumes because apparently (Mark) Webber would have been at the front. There was a lot of mess and it took a lot of time standing there but in this maybe half an hour there was a lot of conversation and a lot of confusion going on.

Q: What was your feeling and the feeling amongst the drivers in terms of the conditions and a possible restart?

NH: Well, it was very clearly impossible to drive if the rain would have kept as strong as it was when the race was quite rightly stopped. As Jenson and Timo just said it felt like walking speed we were driving and still spinning off, so it was the right decision. And I think now outside it’s dark already, so no chance to carry on.

Q: Timo, how was your start? Talk us through that.

TG: I mean you can see already I had massive wheel spin and I just could not pull away and then suddenly on the left side there is Fernando and Kimi coming and it was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe it that Fernando was on the inside. We struggled quite a lot at the start as it was just really, really tricky, so at the end I was happy to keep my front wing in one piece. But that destroyed a little bit the race as we could not go the speed we should have done as Fernando was holding us up and Mark a little bit. Every time I was close enough I couldn’t just attempt. One time I tried and damaged a bit the front wing. But the biggest problem was just traction. I could not get close enough to overtake.

Q: Jenson, you had a bit of a moment on the outside of turn one?

JB: I mean all weekend the circuit has been quite similar but there was such little grip I was really, really surprised and I went a little bit deep into turn one and got a big snap of oversteer and that carried throughout the first lap. I was really, really struggling with the rear end as (Fernando) Alonso was in front of me. I have never seen a car so sideways before. But I eventually got past Alonso coming into the second to last corner and then I had to chase down Jarno (Trulli) and Nico (Rosberg). An exciting race. I would rather have a boring race but we had an exciting one today and I came out on top, so I am happy.
One final thing. Can I just say a massive thank you to my engineer who was on the podium with me today. We have been through a lot of tough times but he has been wicked and today as we saw we came out on top and a lot of it was down to him, so ‘thank you very much.’

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Jenson, this could become a habit.

JB: Finishing behind the safety car you mean. Wow, what a race. We had everything in that race. It was very enjoyable. It was not the easiest start for me and I had a big snap of oversteer, pretty much at every corner on the first lap from the grid. I really struggled with the rear end. But then I closed up to Jarno and Nico and knew I was going longer and when they pitted I could put in a couple of quick laps. It got me in front and it was looking like it was going to be fine until I looked up and saw the clouds come over and it started raining. Unusual for Sepang it just started spitting and we went for the full wets thinking it is going to chuck it down. But it didn’t to start with. A few other people made the correct choice but we had a 16-18 second lead at that point. So I carried on and it started chewing itself up, so I pitted for inters as this guy (Timo) was flying. I came out just behind him but my inter was obviously new and his was very old and I was able to get past him on the wetter part of the circuit just before he pitted. I got one good lap on the inter but then it started chucking it down, so I came in for the full went but then it was the safety car. It was a tough race and it was tough keeping it on the circuit. We were driving around it as if it was walking pace and you are still scared that you are going to chuck it off because you could not see the circuit to start with. It was not like it was rivers, it was a lake.




Q: You were worried about going off the grid anyway because you were on the dirty side of the grid?

JB: Yeah, it was true. Timo also suffered from the grid. I didn’t get a bad start. The start was reasonable but the right hand side just shot past and the KERS cars came up, so I lost time there and turn one was messy really. I got a massive snap of oversteer at the exit and I couldn’t get back from there.

Q: And you have never driven on the wets before?

JB: No, and the balance was definitely not right on the full wet. The circuit was reasonably dry, so it was difficult to get a balance. But I had massive oversteer on the first couple of laps and then the front started graining. There is a lot of work we need to do to sort our pace and balance out on the wet tyres but as I said it is just nice to get to the end of the race and we ended up on the top because, I think, of a good strategy and also looking at what other people were doing on the different types of tyres and we ended up on top. Congratulations to all the guys who work on the car but also the engineers and the strategy guys who got us here really.

Q: As I was saying just now Nick, you’re eighth second place, but I’m sure you’re happy with it today.

NH: Yes, exactly, I’m more than happy with that position. I started tenth and I couldn’t have wished for more, basically.

Q: Amazing that you had one pit stop whereas these guys had three or four.

NH: It started to rain and as Jenson said, it was clear that it would rain heavily, so we went on the extra wets and as it was pretty dry still, I tried to preserve my tyres, especially the rear tyres and therefore at the beginning there were a couple of cars quicker than me. I was even overtaken by one guy, some people were driving away from me, but I knew that they would kill their tyres and if it would start drizzling or raining a bit more, I would then have the tyre and I would be able to stay out. After that, the team told me all the time ‘OK, heavy rain expected in the next two minutes’ but it just didn’t happen, didn’t happen, didn’t happen. Just when they called me in, it started to rain heavily and just 300 metres before the pit entry I said ‘no, no, I will stay out, now it starts raining.’ That was the right call, a bit lucky, obviously, but stopping once they told me to.

Q: And you got away with a spin right at the end as well, a very slow spin…

NH: Yes, it was. The safety car was out already, I had contact with the pits, they told me that I should observe the safety car’s speed which we have on the dash and not go quicker than that. And I was laughing, telling them that I would be happy if I could go that quick. There was already a car which had spun there, so I thought ‘OK, I will go as slow as possible’ but it was aquaplaning not only on the tyres but also on the plank. I spun and I was happy that I didn’t go into the gravel. I don’t think it would have mattered in the end anyway, because the result was taken from a lap earlier but that shows that it was the right thing to stop the race because it was just undriveable.

Q: Timo, that was an extraordinary race. You were basically part of the group bottled up behind Alonso before your first stop.

TG: Yeah, it was a bit disappointing at the start, I have to say. I went from third to eighth after the start, I think. I couldn’t believe that Kimi passed me on the outside in turn one and Fernando on the inside, so I thought again that the KERS cars were in front of me. I struggled behind Mark Webber especially to get close enough to really go for it. One time I tried it and damaged the front wing a bit and that was it really, so I had to stay behind. In the middle of the race I saw the rain was coming, the rain was coming but it took so long that I thought OK, when it takes so long then I go for intermediates because everybody else was already on heavy wets and I saw they struggled really and destroyed them, so I said ‘we go for inters and take the risk’. I was driving around, driving around, overtaking cars, overtaking cars, and found that my tyres were going off as well, but my engineer told me ‘you’re still the quickest on the track, you’re still the quickest.’ I think it was worse in turns seven and eight and that was the direction that the rain was coming from. It came to the point where I had to pit because my tyres were going off completely and I said ‘OK, I have to come in.’ It was just at that moment that Jenson overtook me again. Then we stayed on heavy wets and tried to follow the safety car and that was difficult, I was swimming around. I couldn’t believe it because Jenson was sometimes going quite quickly and I was just swimming around. This morning we were joking around that hopefully everybody knows how to swim in those weather conditions, and I have to say that in the end it was like this, it was just unbelievable and impossible for me to drive at the end. I think it was the right call to stop the race.

Q: Sorry about the second place…

TG: Yeah, it was a bit tricky. My engineer told me ‘you’re P2, P2’. Then I came up here and now I’m P3.

JB: You’re behind me.

NH: I’m fine with second.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Do you think the decision to stop the race came a little bit too late? Do you think that a five o’ clock start is still a good idea?

JB: We thought it was a fantastic idea before. The reason for it in Melbourne was because of the light and the poor light and the reflection you get on the visor, I found it very difficult to see the corner exits. But here, it obviously gets dark very quickly and as we all know, there’s normally rain storms here at five or six o’ clock in the evening and that proved to be correct. The race was way too wet and I think that the call was correct. It rained so hard so quickly that I think they did the right thing. It was very difficult for them to judge how wet the circuit is and in Fuji, for me, two years ago it was too wet but this year I think they made the right call to stop it at the right time.

NH: I think it was roughly at the right time. It was also not easy for me to judge because my tyres were worn down completely, so for me it was obviously difficult to drive. Maybe other drivers on fresh tyres would say we could have driven half a lap more but I think it was a good call. The safety car was just out for 20 seconds, that’s when I saw the board, and then they put out the red flag, so I thought it was very well done.

JB: When the safety car is pulling away at 20 seconds a lap, you know that it’s too wet for an F1 car.

Q: (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Two wins in a row, is it more than you expected?

JB: For me I think it’s more amazing that we’ve done it in these conditions, because Australia wasn’t easy with the safety cars and here with the changing weather conditions it made it a lot more difficult. These two here were not the guys that were fighting me at the start of the race, so the great thing is that we could see what was going on behind us and we could react to it and react to it quickly and that’s why we’re sat here at the moment. I’m very happy and it would be nice going to Shanghai leading by a few points, I think five points, and hopefully we can have a straightforward race and we can see where we stand.

Q: Nick, how was the KERS during the race, did you use it in the wet?

NH: You can use it, just a bit later than in the dry and I have to say that I was happy that it did work because it was the very first time that we had it on the car in the wet conditions, because it has to pass some tests first obviously in the wet and we were not ready in testing, so it was the very first time on the car and it worked OK.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) To all of you, when you stopped the cars on the straight after the red flag, did they listen to you regarding the possibility of continuing the race?

JB: Yes, that was always a possibility and as far as I knew we were always planning for a restart, that’s why all the cars were moved around, but the problem was that so many cars span off on the last lap that I think it was very difficult understanding who was in what position. So that was why we were all moving around a lot on the grid, but we were all planning to start the race again. I am happy it didn’t start again because we would have spent ten laps behind a safety car and every lap, every corner you got to you would be scared that you were going to throw it off the road, it’s out of your control, it matters what position the river is in on the apex, you can’t see it. So I think it was the right thing to do for sure. But we were planning for a restart.

Q: (Paulo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) If it was up to you, would you want to start again?

JB: No, I would obviously love to have the ten points, but this is the best we could have done, I think, and realistically it was the right thing to do. I’m sure some people will say ‘we didn’t see the whole race and it’s disappointing’ but you have to think about the safety sometimes. I am here to race, as we all are but there are limits to what we can do with the cars that we have.

NH: I used the time to change my visor because it was getting dark and I put on a lighter visor because I thought I would not see anything otherwise. And I was on the radio telling our team manager and Charlie (Whiting) and the guys who normally listen anyway that I think it was undriveable in these conditions and I’m sure they listened to all the conversations that were going on.

TG: For me it was the same. I said to the engineers there was no way to drive anymore and then I was ready to jump out of the car but they said we had to prepare (for a restart) again and we would go behind the safety car, so I just put my helmet on and got ready and then they said ‘no, that’s it, it’s over.’ At the end, you have to understand what Jenson said, it gets dark quite quickly and I think running around behind the safety car is not the best show and we have to stop at the right moment, I think.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) Jenson, if I’m not wrong, I think it’s the first time you drove the Brawn in wet conditions. How was the behaviour of the car and can we say that the Brawn is suitable for every situation?

JB: Yeah, I’m sure it is but the conditions that we were running in today was a very unusual situation to have: full wets, or the extremes as they were, in slightly greasy conditions. We had to go for that option because we thought it was going to rain. There was no use taking a gamble being in the lead, so we took that tyre and obviously it felt pretty terrible. At high speed, you were slowing the car down to third gear because you just couldn’t carry any speed because the rear was always trying to break away. So the balance felt pretty awful but I think that’s more down to the conditions we ran the tyres in, it was not the correct conditions. When we put the intermediates on for one lap, the car felt reasonably good. I had a good balance, because that was the correct conditions for that tyre until it started raining hard and then obviously no tyre was useable.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) Timo, you said it was a risk to go onto the inters. Was it a long conversation with the race engineer, did you have to convince them that you wanted to take them or did they want to convince you that it was better to go onto wets?

TG: No, no, they just said ‘Timo, it’s up to you, just take a look at the conditions’ and I said ‘let’s take the risk, we’ll go for inters,’ so at the end it was my call and it was the right one, I have to say, because like I said, it took a long time before the rain came down really hard. It was just the right call. Sometimes you have to have some luck and this time it was the right decision at the right moment. Unfortunately at the end, we had the late pit stop, we lost a little bit of position but in the end we have to be happy about this.


Source: Formula1.com

McLaren facing severe penalty

09 April 2009


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As Formula One's newly-labelled 'lie-gate' scandal continues, Bernie Ecclestone has reminded onlookers of the seriousness of the situation facing the McLaren-Mercedes team. Although the F1 supremo is also confident in believing that the case began as no more than an innocent mistake which has lead to the possibility of severe consequences, with the team now facing the possibility of race bans or even expulsion from this year's World Championship.

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"We need to investigate closer into what went on," the Formula One Management (FOM) head said. "It is about stealing a point and a place, but those are worth money so basically it is fraud, although I am sure it started off more innocently and without thought of the consequences. There are many options open if the charge sticks, and it would be a terrible thing if any team were banned from races, but it could happen. It is not so long ago that McLaren were in front of the FIA World Council, and it is never good for anyone if you are back in court quickly for something similar."


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F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone

With the hearing for the diffuser teams set to take place in Paris next Tuesday, the FIA will also be holding an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday 29 April, with the case including the matter of a possible discrediting of the sport as a result of McLaren's actions.

Ecclestone's mention of fraud refers to the fact that the team seemingly allowed Toyota to retain a penalty, despite knowing more information on the situation than revealed to the stewards. As Jarno Trulli went off the track under safety car conditions in Australia, he was passed by Hamilton. The team then instructed the World Champion to let the Toyota retake its position, which it subsequently did; after the race, Hamilton explained to reporters that the team had asked him to yield the position although, when being questioned by the stewards shortly after, both the driver and team denied this.


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With Hamilton and sporting director Dave Ryan giving the same version of events at a second enquiry in Malaysia, the former then made a public apology for his actions, as he admitted that he had simply followed the instructions of Ryan. With Trulli having been penalised by 25 seconds for the pass, the FIA lifted the penalty and disqualified McLaren immediately after recordings of the team's radio channel (from during the race) revealed clear instructions of the team asking their driver to yield the position.


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Dave Ryan has lost his job after 35 years with McLaren

The case is made more serious by the fact that McLaren breached the same regulations in 2007, during the 'spy-gate' situation. On that occasion, the team - despite being allowed to continue racing - was thrown out of the constructors' championship as well as receiving a fine of $100m.

Having now been dismissed, Ryan will not be obliged to join the hearing in Paris, although World Champion Hamilton will be attending. Apart from an overall expulsion, McLaren may risk being banned from races, such as B.A.R in 2005 after the team used fuel as ballast for their car. On that occasion, the team missed two races and McLaren could suffer the same fate, if not with greater effect. It is unlikely, however, that Hamilton could be reprimanded individually, as governing body the FIA has admitted that the focus of the investigation remains on the team itself, following the driver's apology in Malaysia.


Source: GPUpdate







McLaren explains diffuser hearing attendance

10 April 2009


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The McLaren team has explained why it is to be attending the FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) on Tuesday for the hearing to decide the fate of the 'diffuser club'. The governing body has announced that all teams will be at the FIA headquarters with the exception of Toro Rosso and Force India, which left question marks over the assumed visit of McLaren.

The hearing will see the conclusion to the investigation on the diffusers of the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, which has been raging since pre-season testing and has proved unsuccessful for protesters with FIA-appointed race stewards; with Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull Racing and BMW having protested, the fact that McLaren will also be travelling to Paris next week came as unexpected.

A McLaren team statement read: "When questioned about this by media in the past, McLaren personnel have stated that we believe the diffusers used on the Brawn, Toyota and Williams cars are outside the scope and intent of the technical regulations. We will therefore be attending Tuesday's hearing, but will not be making any oral submissions. McLaren's role is therefore not an active one, whereas it is understood that BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault will be making full presentations to the ICA at the hearing. The ICA has acknowledged that McLaren will not be making any oral submissions at the hearing."


Source: GPUpdate







Stewart questions FIA-McLaren situation

09 April 2009


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Former World Champion Jackie Stewart has admitted that he is confused over the severity of the situation in which the McLaren team finds itself at the moment; the Woking-based squad faces race bans or even the possibility of being thrown out of this year's World Championship after giving false information to race stewards regarding an incident in the Australian Grand Prix.



"My understanding is that the McLaren officials tried to contact Charlie (Whiting, race director) in the tower, by radio link, to ask for his position on the situation which had occurred between Hamilton and his Toyota rival, Jarno Trulli," Stewart explained. "But Charlie was apparently unavailable, trying to sort out the Sebastien Vettel problem in which the German was involved in a crash with BMW's Robert Kubica, and completed the last three laps with one of his tyres hanging off the car."


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Stewart took the title in 1969, '71 and '73

The Hamilton-Trulli incident took place under the second and last safety car of the race, as Trulli lost third place to the McLaren after running wide and onto the grass. Hamilton then slowed to let the Italian through, only to explain (with sporting director Dave Ryan) to the stewards after the race that he had infact not yielded. The FIA then investigated the radio communication between the two, revealing that the World Champion had been given clear instructions to allow the Toyota to retake the position. "It seems strange that only one person has the authority to deal with these inquiries, which could be result-changing in a multi-million-pound sport," Stewart continued. "When you have four stewards at the race, you would think they would have been able to clarify McLaren's position by radio, if Charlie was otherwise engaged. As it is, we now have a potentially serious state of affairs for McLaren - it is hard to see how they can escape stringent sanctions when Lewis has already apologised publicly and the team has admitted that it got things wrong, which leaves them at the mercy of the FIA.

"I am surprised that McLaren have been caught up in something like this, and if there were lies told, they will have to suffer the consequences and it is difficult to believe they will get off with simply a financial penalty, considering that the World Council fined them $100m for their role in an alleged spy scandal involving Ferrari as recently as 2007. We have to put things in perspective - yes, this episode has reminded us that Hamilton is still an inexperienced driver in the grand scheme of things and there is no excuse for telling fibs, if that is what happened."

Stewart added that the aftermath of the incident which brought out the safety car, though, should have been dealt with more seriously. "In my opinion, what Vettel did in Melbourne was potentially more serious than what McLaren have been accused of; that loose wheel could have flown into the crowd and killed somebody, yet he was only penalised 10 places on the grid at the next race, which is no more than a strong slap on the wrist." The German's Red Bull team was also handed with a fine of $50,000 for instructing their driver to attempt to finish the race, despite lacking the wheel.


Source: GPUpdate

Wow, we really picked a winner didn't we? When your radio communications are recorded who the hell still tries lying?

F1: Hamilton May Face WMSC Hearing Alone
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
04/10/2009 - 03:24 PM
London (GBR)


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Hamilton's woes continue to mount (Getty) » More Photos

Lewis Hamilton may be alone when he faces the World Motor Sport Council in Paris next Tuesday, a source at F1's governing body FIA has suggested.

The Guardian reports that Dave Ryan, the former sporting director who attended the Australia and Malaysia stewards hearings with the reigning world champion, will not be compelled to answer to the inquiry probing McLaren's alleged dishonesty.

"The FIA has jurisdiction only over its licence holders and their employees," the source is quoted as saying by the British newspaper.

Ryan was initially suspended and then sacked by the Mercedes powered team, after Hamilton claimed he was "misled" by the long serving McLaren staffer.

"We cannot compel Dave Ryan to attend or give evidence if he feels unwilling to do so. We have yet to hear precisely who

will be representing the McLaren team in attending the meeting," the FIA source added.

The source also gave a damning account of Hamilton and Ryan's explanations to the race stewards, claiming the pair repeatedly insisted that Jarno Trulli was not deliberately allowed past, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

"It appeared that the strategy (Hamilton and Ryan's) was to be extremely vague and not be very direct with the answers. Then the interview where he (Hamilton) said 'I was told to let him past' was played," the source explained.

"At this point both got very uncomfortable, but still denied that's what actually happened."


Source: SPEEDtv






Whitmarsh hoping for optimism in China

10 April 2009


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McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh is hoping his team will be in as upbeat a mood as possible at next weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. The outfit has suffered one of its worst ever starts to a season, with disqualification from Australia followed by the dismissal of sporting director Dave Ryan, and a steward enquiry still pending.


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"We have reasons to be both disappointed and optimistic about our performance in the opening races of the 2009 season," Whitmarsh said. "Disappointed because we do not yet possess the necessary technical package to enable us to fight with the leaders, but optimistic that our rate of progress is sufficiently rapid that we should be able to fight for points finishes on a regular basis."

Although politics unfortunately control the majority of Whitmarsh's arrangements at the moment he, as team principal for the first time this year, is focussing on the next race. "China will see a number of new components introduced to the MP4-24," he continued. "While we do not expect them to radically transform the car's potential, they should move us a little closer to the front than we were in the opening two races."


Source: GPUpdate







Aiming to close the gap
Chinese GP - McLaren Mercedes - Preview
10/04/09 12:30


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Hamilton dominated in China last year

McLaren Mercedes head to the Chinese Grand Prix keen to get the season rolling after a troubled two opening races.

Heikki Kovalainen is particular has had a tough start to the season after failing complete a racing lap in either Melbourne or Sepang.

Lewis Hamilton has had his own problems with his well documented issue with the stewards in Australia but did at least pick up one championship point with a seventh place finish in the rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix.

While McLaren admit that the MP4-24 is far from a race-winning car at the moment, they do have a number of small modifications for the race weekend and hope that they can close the gap a little to the front-running teams.

Lewis Hamilton
“I really enjoy racing in Shanghai – the track is a good blend of fast and slow stuff and it throws up a few nice challenges for the drivers. Finding the right set-up is important, you need speed and balance through the high-speed corners but decent mechanical grip for the hairpins. We got it spot-on last year, and while I don’t expect us to enjoy that sort of performance advantage this season, I think we’re all looking forward to a good showing. Hopefully, some of the upgrades we’ve added to MP4-24 for this race will have a benefit: it would be very encouraging if we could qualify a little further up the grid and be regularly challenging for points.”

Heikki Kovalainen
“The best corners on the Shanghai International Circuit are Turns Six and Seven – the fast, sweeping left- and right-handers. The left is almost flat in sixth before you shift down a gear and change direction at very high speed.

It’s difficult to find the ideal set-up because of the variety of different corners: there’s some heavy braking, fast esses and high-speed changes of direction, which require a good aero package, and some slower corners where mechanical grip is important. It’s all about compromise – it’s a real challenge for the drivers and the engineers. But at least you can overtake – mainly into Turns Four, 10 and 13 – so I hope we’ll see some great racing this weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal
“We have reasons to be both disappointed and optimistic about our performance in the opening races of the 2009 season: disappointed because we do not yet possess the necessary technical package to enable us to fight with the leaders, but optimistic that our rate of progress is sufficiently rapid that we should be able to fight for points finishes on a regular basis. This weekend’s race will see a number of new components introduced to MP4-24, and while we do not expect them to radically transform the car’s potential, they should move us a little closer to the front than we saw in the opening two races.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport VP
“Last year, Lewis drove an excellent race on this challenging circuit and won. For this year’s Chinese Grand Prix, it has to be our target to start further up the grid than was the case in the first two Grand Prix. Those two races showed that points-finishes or even podiums were possible, even when the basic speed was not good enough. The team has developed further technical and aerodynamic improvements which should enable us to make another small step forward.”


Source: F1-Live







Flags

Marshals at various points around the circuit are issued with a number of standard flags, all used to communicate vital messages to the drivers as they race around the track. A special display in each driver’s cockpit - known as a GPS marshalling system - also lights up with the relevant flag colour, as the driver passes the affected section of track.

Traveling at such high speeds, it may be hard for a driver to spot a marshal’s flag and this system helps them identify messages from race control more effectively.


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Chequered flag
Indicates to drivers that the session has ended. During practice and qualifying sessions it is waved at the allotted time, during the race it is shown first to the winner and then to every car that crosses the line behind him.

Yellow flag
Indicates danger, such as a stranded car, ahead. A single waved yellow flag warns drivers to slow down, while two waved yellow flags at the same post means that drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Overtaking is prohibited.

Green flag
All clear. The driver has passed the potential danger point and prohibitions imposed by yellow flags have been lifted.

Red flag
The session has been stopped, usually due to an accident or poor track conditions.


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Blue flag
Warns a driver that he is about to be lapped and to let the faster car overtake. Pass three blue flags without complying and the driver risks being penalised. Blue lights are also displayed at the end of the pit lane when the pit exit is open and a car on track is approaching.

Yellow and red striped flag
Warns drivers of a slippery track surface, usually due to oil or water.

Black with orange circle flag
Accompanied by a car number, it warns a driver that he has a mechanical problem and must return to his pit.

Half black, half white flag
Accompanied by a car number, it warns of unsporting behaviour. May be followed by a black flag if the driver does not heed the warning.


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Black flag
Accompanied by a car number, it directs a driver to return to his pit and is most often used to signal to the driver that he has been excluded from the race.

White flag
Warns of a slow moving vehicle on track.


Source: Formula1.com

Hamilton issued private apology to Whiting

11 April 2009


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Reining world champion Lewis Hamilton issued a private apology to FIA race director Charlie Whiting after the McLaren driver was caught lying to stewards. McLaren will face the World Motor Sport Council in Paris later this month to answer a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute.

Speaking to Autosport, Whiting said: "I was distinctly uncomfortable about Lewis' demeanour on Sunday (in Melbourne). It was completely clear he was telling lies. On Thursday (in Sepang) I would say he was just doing what he was told to do. The fact he came and apologised to me in Sepang sums it up pretty much.

"He came to me and wanted to talk to me privately, and just said he wanted to apologise for everything he'd done, and he wouldn't do it again, that sort of thing."


Source: GPUpdate







Driver fitness




Formula One drivers are some of the most highly conditioned athletes on earth, their bodies specifically adapted to the very exacting requirements of top-flight single-seater motor racing.

All drivers who enter Formula One need to undergo a period of conditioning to the physical demands of the sport: no other race series on earth requires so much of its drivers in terms of stamina and endurance. The vast loadings that Formula One cars are capable of creating, anything up to a sustained 3.5 g of cornering force, for example, means drivers have to be enormously strong to be able to last for full race distances. The extreme heat found in a Formula One cockpit, especially at the hotter rounds of the championship, also puts vast strain on the body: drivers can sweat off anything up to 3kg of their body weight during the course of a race.




Physical endurance is created through intensive cardio-vascular training: usually running or swimming, although some drivers prefer cycling or even roller-blading! But the unusual loadings experienced by neck and chest muscles cannot be easily replicated by conventional gym equipment, so many drivers use specially designed 'rigs' that enable them to specifically develop the muscles they will need to withstand cornering forces. Strong neck muscles are especially important, as they must support the weight of both the driver's head and his helmet under these intense loadings. Powerful arm muscles are also required to enable the car to be controlled during longer races.

In terms of nutrition, most Formula One drivers control their diets in much the same way as track and field athletes, carefully regulating the amount of carbohydrate and protein that they absorb. During the race weekends proper most drivers will be seen eating pasta or other carbohydrate-rich foods to provide energy and to give the all-important stamina for the race itself. It is also vitally important that drivers take in large amounts of water before the race, even if they do not feel thirsty. Failure to do so could bring on dehydration through sweating - not surprising given that the physical endurance required to drive a Formula One race is not dissimilar to that required to run a marathon.




Source: Formula1.com

14/04/2009




The debacle known as 'Lie-gate' could have been avoided if Lewis Hamilton and Jarno Trulli had bothered to learn the rules about conduct under a safety car.

Even if Hamilton had tried to sucker Trulli, then Trulli should have known better than to fall for it. Jarno said he thought Lewis had problems with his car, but it is often sensible to err on the side of caution. As it was, Lewis was seeking advice, which is like a footballer calling to the bench to clarify the offside rule.

It would have helped had there been an official to speak to McLaren. Charlie Whiting was busy with the Vettel/Kubica incident and there was no deputy. The employment of the safety car is often because there has been an incident, so no surprise there. It's like running a football match without a referee.

That overtaking move initially cost Jarno a 25 second penalty and his team was not inclined to appeal the decision. Toyota believed that their man had goofed. All Lewis had to do was to say, "I had no guidance, but I gave Jarno the opportunity to pass. It was his decision." Sorted.

At the very worst, Hamilton would have been fourth, he would have lost just one Championship point. It would also have been a fair result; Trulli had started from the pitlane because Toyota's rear wings had been deemed illegal. He had done well to get to fifth before Vettel and Kubica had their moment.

The wording of the FIA's invitation for McLaren to attend a hearing of the WMSC in Paris stresses the team's involvement in procuring its driver to give false testimony. This makes Lewis appear to be the fall guy. Perhaps it is a way of preparing to administer a lesser punishment because Lewis is that rare thing, a star, and motor sport can ill afford to lose him.

The fact is, however, that Hamilton went along with a deception. Had he stuck to the moral high ground that he claims is his normal stance, his name would not have been besmirched and Dave Ryan would still have a job.

There was nearly an hour between the ending of the Australian GP and the meeting with the stewards, nothing was done in the heat of the moment. Lewis had already told the media that he had let Jarno through, neither of them knowing the rules, but Hamilton and Ryan had a different story for the stewards.

This begs the question as to whether McLaren had decided on a line to take. If a line was decided on, one must then ask who was party to the decision.

Dave Ryan was a senior member of the team, more important than many of us realised, but he did not have the clout of Martin Whitmarsh or Ron Dennis. Ryan has shouldered all blame and one thing the WMSC must determine is whether he acted alone.

It is also odd that the stewards called in two people with something to gain. There were impartial officials around the circuit who could have been consulted. Like there being nobody to take McLaren's query, it is another instance of bungling, not that it absolves Hamilton and Ryan.

What is bizarre is that Hamilton and Ryan stuck to their story three days later in Malaysia when confronted with conclusive evidence. When that happens, most people do not plough on, they look for the best possible way out. In a court of law, you usually get a lighter sentence if you plead guilty.

Hamilton and Ryan did not commit perjury, that requires an oath to have been sworn. I maintain, however, that in a moral sense, it was perjury. It was certainly bearing false witness.

In the context of a sport, it is assumed that an oath is not necessary, it is assumed that all concerned are people of good will. It was always going to be a very sad day when that assumption is no longer held, and that day has come in Formula One. Our sport has lost one of its last remaining vestiges of moral integrity and all over one World Championship point.

It was not a question of arguing over a technicality, or a loophole in the rules. It was not a question of trying to put on a spin, which most of us do when filling in an accident report for our insurance company. Hamilton and Ryan told direct lies even when confronted with conclusive evidence.

When perjury is committed in a court of law, a defendant will often do so to save his bacon, a witness will sometimes do so because of intimidation, bribery, or personal loyalty. I have never heard of anyone committing perjury because they were misled.

Lewis put on a great show for the media, but he did not say the important thing, that he told direct lies to gain an advantage over a rival. He was the innocent, contrite, multi-millionaire who had been led astray. He lied to stewards on two separate occasions and then said he was not a liar, and expected us to believe him.

Some sections of the British press have been speculating about Lewis jumping ship, the impression given is that he has been wronged. The people who have been wronged are those who turn up to work for McLaren every day, whose jobs have been jeopardised by Lewis being 'misled'.

Anthony Hamilton, who is also Lewis's manager, claims that Lewis was contractually obliged to support the McLaren line. Nice one, Anthony, but wrong. No contract between employer and employee may require the latter to tell a lie or commit an illegal act. Such a contract would be invalid before the law.

Sir Jackie has been talking about 'moral' clauses in contracts and says they are usual. Anthony Hamilton has gone on about imaginary clauses that require a driver to lie, but has said nothing about the clauses which allow a driver to refuse an illegal instruction.

The 'moral' clause was seized on by the press, but mainly to suggest that Lewis considered invoking it to leave McLaren. The subtext is that the British press would love to see Hamilton paired with Button at Brawn GP. It is just as well that none of the hacks wrote off Button. Pitpass never did, we continually emphasised that Jenson scored the most points of any driver in the latter half of 2006.

Anthony Hamilton appears not to have grasped the seriousness of what Lewis has done. He has been coming out with excuses, been on the phone to Uncle Max, been letting it known, off the record, that Lewis may walk. He has running around like a headless chicken while failing to address the essential point: Lewis lied.

Apologists say he is young. From about the age of ten on, we know the difference between right and wrong and stop blaming an imaginary friend.

Neither Hamilton or Ryan were contractually bound to lie because there can be no such contract. There may be pressure, there may be a sense of personal obligation, but there can be no binding contract.

Sorry Lewis, but you attempted to rob a fellow-competitor of his place and points. That is a form of cheating that has never happened before in Formula One and it must be nipped in the bud. The FIA is slanting the charges towards the team, no love lost between Max and Ronzo, but Lewis did not have to lie.

Bernie Ecclestone who, these days, hardly lets a day go by without a newspaper interview, has said that since the number of points a team scores relates to the cash they receive, to try to rob Toyota of a point is tantamount to fraud. A point has a cash value.

Dave Ryan has been sacked and some people consider him to have been sacrificed. We do not know that this is the case. Ryan lied as well and he was not obliged to. After 35 years of loyal service to McLaren, Ryan has been branded a 'rogue employee.' Funny that did not show up before now.

Because Ryan no longer works for McLaren, he is not obliged to give evidence to the WMSC. Some might consider this to be convenient.

The one person involved who may be called before the WMSC is Lewis Hamilton, though the charges are mainly against McLaren who 'procured' his cooperation. Max knows all about procuring.

What is to be done? This season has turned out to be a cracker. In terms of the Show, it would be disastrous to lose McLaren - Heikki Kovalainen has done no wrong, nor have the hundreds of men and women employed by the team. Lewis is the World Champion and he needs to be in the field to give it credibility. Do not deprive rivals of the chance to beat Hamilton and McLaren, that detracts from them.

My suggestion is that both Hamilton and McLaren are deducted points. The sport does not need the sort of publicity which would go with a huge fine. In the present economic climate, a multi-million pound fine would be politically inept, not that it would deter the FIA from shooting itself in the foot.

Hamilton and McLaren would have minus points, but not Kovalainen, who is blameless. Hamilton and McLaren could still race, and win points, and perhaps pay off the deficit. They then could begin to climb their respective championships. We may end the season reckoning that Hamilton did well to finish in the top eight, but he would have had to work for it.

This would be appropriate since the sorry saga began over a World Championship point.

Lewis's reputation has been besmirched, but the lies came from his own mouth. Despite what some people say about it blighting his whole career, it will be forgotten, just like Michael Schumacher being excluded from the 1997 World Championship, for a move on Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez, is largely forgotten. Memory in motor racing is shorter than a London/New York/Paris nanosecond, the time between the traffic lights turning green and the driver behind honking their horn.

In the meantime, the best thing that Lewis and his Dad can do is to shut up, they are only making things worse. Every time they open their mouths, it's another story in the papers. Never explain, never complain, just accept punishment with dignity.

Mike Lawrence
mike@pitpass.com

Source: Pit Pass

This is getting interesting. You should of told me all this cheating and dishonesty occurred so often. I might of taken an interest before now.

there's something for everyone mate have you checked out the pitgirls...

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source

Since Mclaren have been allowed to fit the new diffuser, the bit at the back as shown in Jezzas post lewis has got up to 13th in practicing today... Jenson button is still fastest and while 13 doesn't sound great it a lot better than last... As these are the first real practice session with the improvements, Lewis is in a much better position than he was a couple of weeks ago.. By race day (sunday) hopefully he will be in the top ten and able to pick up a few much needed points....

F1: Chinese GP Chalk Talk
Written by: Steve Matchett
04/17/2009 - 03:30 PM
Charlotte, NC


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SPEED's F1 analyst Steve Matchett shows us how a Kinetic Energy Recovery
System (KERS) system integrates with a 2009 Formula 1 car.


Source: SPEEDtv






McLaren making progress with new parts

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Source: GPUpdate







Dennis: A question that must be asked
16/04/2009


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The Daily Mail claims that Anthony Hamilton will be "keen" to see Ron Dennis leave F1, suggesting the World Champion's father found the McLaren boss "prickly" and "arrogant".

In his press conference earlier today, the man who bought into the team at the end of 1980 and subsequently guided it to 10 drivers' titles and 7 constructors' championships, readily admitted that Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone will not be sorry to see him leave the sport, however, reading Jonathan McKevoy's article in the Daily Mail, it would appear that the Englishman omitted a third name, that of Anthony Hamilton.

Having described Dennis' decision to sever his F1 ties and head up McLaren Automotive as a move "from the shadows to obscurity", McKevoy, contrary to what the team is saying, claims the move is a "coded attempt to defuse the controversy raging over (Lewis) Hamilton". In other words, 'lie-gate'.

However, of real interest is the article's claims that Dennis' "withdrawal" will "meet with approval in the Hamilton household", where, "Anthony finds Dennis prickly and arrogant", adding that the pair have "not seen"eye to eye for some time".

"It is understood that Hamilton Snr and (Max) Mosley have been in contact over the last few days," McKevoy continues, "with both keen to see Dennis leave the sport".

It is then claimed that the Hamiltons have "sided with (Martin) Whitmarsh since the scandal broke prior to the Malaysian Grand Prix", however it is not made clear who they were siding with the McLaren team principal against. That said, McKevoy tells us: "The fact that they have won the battle means that Lewis is now unlikely to seek to leave".

It would be wrong to start making accusations regarding Mr Hamilton. However, it would be nice to think that if there is no truth to the claims in the article, particularly in light of Ron Dennis' highly impressive record, and the fact that without his support Lewis might never have got to F1, far less the World Championship title, Mr Hamilton will speak out and say so.

However, if what Mr McKevoy writes is correct...


Source: Pit Pass

So would that be the same Ron Dennis that backed Lewis his whole racing career since he was ten, bringing him to the point where he became F1 world champion and could be, potentially, sports first Billionaire... That now, he is surplus to the Hamilton household requirements.... The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.... To the talentless Mr Hamilton living off the back of his son I shoot you...? How ungrateful to the man who made Lewis what he is.... IMFHO

Pre-race weights & provisional grid


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For the 2009 season, the FIA are making public the weights of all cars ahead of the race start to help give an idea of relative fuel loads. The cars that made Q3 are weighed after qualifying, while the weights of the remaining cars must be declared by their teams shortly after the session.

Below is the provisional grid for China with each car's weight. Note - Toyota’s Timo Glock has dropped from 14th to 19th after his gearbox change.

1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 644kg
2. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 637
3. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 646.5
4. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP, 661
5. Jenson Button, Brawn GP, 659
6. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 664.5
7. Nico Rosberg, Williams, 650.5
8. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 673.5
9. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 679
10. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 673
11. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 679
12. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren, 697
13. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 690
14. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 682.7
15. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso, 690
16. Nelson Piquet, Renault, 697.9
17. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 659
18. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 648
19. Timo Glock, Toyota, 652
20. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India, 679.5


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Source: Formula1.com

HOBBS: Ron Dennis Will Be Missed

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Written by: David Hobbs
04/17/2009 - 05:43 PM
Charlotte, NC


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Alain Prost (left) was Ron Dennis' most successful driver,
while Lewis Hamilton (center) is his most recent world champion (LAT) » More Photos


The retirement of Ron Dennis fills me with a lot of sadness and regret.

Ron has been in Formula 1 for forty years or more, going back to his early days as a mechanic for Cooper, looking after Jack Brabham’s car in the early 1960s.

He steadily rose up through the ranks, and launched his own Formula 2 team with the late Bob Wollek as his driver, before taking over the Mclaren F1 team from Teddy Mayer in 1982. He won the title with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, before ushering in a crushingly dominant era with Prost and Ayrton Senna, using the Honda engines.

Despite this level of success, he somehow never quite fitted the establishment, and I think that in the end, city hall has got him. Of course, there are plenty of other things for him to do at Mclaren, and I know they are bound and determined to make another road car, so I think he’s probably under a lot of external pressure to stand aside, especially with this upcoming World Motor Sport Council meeting on April 29 that will decide Mclaren’s final punishment for everything that happened in Australia.

I drove for a Mclaren myself of course, but it was back in the seventies, before Ron became part of the team. He wasn’t a guy that I knew terribly well until I started covering Formula 1 for television.

Once Bob Varsha and myself started going to the races regularly we would see Ron a lot, and when myself and my wife Margaret went to the opening of Mclaren’s Technology Centre in 2004, Ron certainly made a very good show of remembering who I was and what I had done with the team. Whether or not he had been reading up on his notes the night before, who knows!

Regardless of your allegiances you’ve got to have a lot of admiration for him, because Mclaren have become one of the major teams in the world. Ferrari have been around a lot longer than Mclaren, and have won a lot more races, but under Ron’s patronage Mclaren have been a major world force since 1984.

It is actually a slight omission that Ron Dennis has never been knighted, bearing in mind that Frank Williams and Jackie Stewart have both received such an honour. There again though, maybe his face doesn’t fit the establishment, although it must be said that Queen Elizabeth II, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, personally opened the Tech Centre, the nerve centre of Mclaren’s modern-day engineering might, so that was a big feather in the cap.


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From humble beginnings - Ron Dennis lifting the nose of Jochen Rindt's Cooper-Maserati at the 1966 Italian Grand Prix (LAT) » More Photos

He’s clearly a great leader of men, and Ron is one of these guys who gets a bad rap from the outside world. People say “I bet he’s a bastard to work with…difficult, obstinate” and so forth, but I know that he’s got a lot of employees who are fiercely loyal to him.

Davey Ryan, who just took the fall for what happened in Australia, had been with the team since Ron took over. Tyler Alexander, who just retired, had been there since Bruce Mclaren himself founded the company. Steve Hallam was there for years prior to coming to America and working for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Ron was a very, very caring and benevolent employer. If somebody at the factory had personal issues to attend to, Ron would stand by them, tell them that they could take time away from work to get things straightened out, and so forth. It’s no wonder that employees are so loyal to him, and it’s the opposite of what people would think of him.

The very fact that Ron is stepping aside is perhaps the ultimate example of this. I think he feels under extreme pressure from the powers-that-be, who have been telling him for a long time that they want him out. In 2007, there were suggestions that if Ron stepped down, the penalties against Mclaren would be less draconian…but he didn’t quit.

Maybe this time, he’s thinking that you can’t fight city hall, and he better bow out gracefully before he gets pushed out.

Source: SPEEDtv

F1: Lola Evaluating 2010 F1 Entry
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
04/22/2009 - 11:51 AM
Huntingdon (GBR) Provided by the Lola press office


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Aguri Suzuki drove a Lola to third place in the 1990 Japanese GP (LAT) » More Photos

Lola Group has commenced a major project comprising a full technical, operational and financial evaluation aimed at developing a car to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship. This follows the decisions announced by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on March 17th 2009 regarding the introduction of a ‘cost capping’ option to Formula One in 2010.

Lola, which has a rich heritage in international motor sport since its inception in 1958, has commenced work on the project and, subject to the publication of both the technical and cost capping regulations for 2010, is in discussions with a number of parties with a view to creating a Lola-designed, manufactured and developed car for the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Lola has appointed key new staff to the project and allocated some of its top engineers to this stage of the evaluation. Lola is extremely well positioned to respond quickly to this opportunity having already at its disposal a F1 standard wind tunnel, latest CFD and FEA and a seven-post dynamic chassis rig.

Lola has previously developed cars to compete in Formula One during the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, while its racing heritage includes production of championship-winning and one-make formulae for Champ Car in America, Formula Nippon in Japan, Formula 3000, Formula 3 and A1GP in Europe. It currently produces the race-winning LMP1 and

LMP2 sports cars competing in both the Le Mans Endurance Series and American Le Mans Series.

“The announcement that Formula One teams may opt for a prudent, financially responsible ‘cost capped’ regime from 2010 has resulted in us deciding to fully evaluate the opportunity to develop a car to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship,” said Martin Birrane, Executive Chairman of Lola Group.


 998303_article_img_large1.jpg ( 70.89K ) Number of downloads: 3

Lola have been more involved with sportscars recently (LAT) » More Photos

“Providing world-class engineering excellence, offering high quality solutions governed by a tightly controlled financial regime has been part of Lola’s DNA over the last decade. The current necessity for Formula One™ to adopt a responsible approach in times of economic uncertainty has created the ideal conditions for us to consider developing a car for the World Championship. Lola possesses the technical resources, capability and know-how to develop cars capable of competing at the very highest levels of international motor sport, including Formula One™. We are therefore embracing the WMSC’s timely announcements and assessing a relevant programme for F1™ with a view to making a formal entry in the coming weeks.”

The Formula One project is being managed by Lola Cars supported by Lola Composites which together form the Lola Group.


Source: SPEEDtv







F1: Hamilton Says Dennis Support Was Crucial
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
04/22/2009 - 03:38 AM
Sakhir (BAH)


 977293_article_img_large1.jpg ( 72K ) Number of downloads: 3

Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to the support he has received from Ron Dennis throughout his career (Getty) » More Photos

After expressing a less than shining tribute to his departed mentor Ron Dennis in China, Lewis Hamilton now insists the 61-year-old is an "incredible man".

Surrounded by reporters in Shanghai, the reigning world champion's assertion that he was "surprised" but "not disappointed" about Dennis' decision to pull away from the McLaren team entirely did not go down well with the British press.

But in an interview subsequently posted on his official website this week, the 24-year-old had more to say about the impact of the man who invested in him as a youngster and groomed him all the way into a Mercedes-powered F1 debut.

"We all owe him more than we could ever repay him for building this great team," the Briton said.

Hamilton also seemed to address speculation that Hamilton is being non-committal about the health of his long-term allegiance to the Woking based squad, with father-manager Anthony reportedly furious about his family's tarnished image amid the 'lie-gate' scandal.

Referring again to Dennis, he said: "Both my family and I are going to do our best to continue the progress we have made over the past two seasons with the team and hope that we can continue to make him proud of having invested in me.

"I was 12 when I first met Ron and, without his vision, I would not be here. I'll never forget -- and neither will my family."


Source: SPEEDtv







Vettel to McLaren in future?

23 April 2009


 123129.jpg ( 25.88K ) Number of downloads: 3


Norbert Haug has suggested that Mercedes may be interested in signing Germany's Sebastian Vettel in coming years. Having won his second Grand Prix in China last weekend, Vettel has been mentioned by the Mercedes Motorsport vice president, who acknowledges the talents of the 21-year-old.


 112640.jpg ( 18.58K ) Number of downloads: 3

Mercedes' Norbert Haug

"A lot of money has been invested in Sebastian and, being fair to Red Bull, they are now reaping the rewards of a long-term investment," Haug told Bild. Sebastian first made his F1 debut in 2007, deputizing for BMW's Robert Kubica in the American Grand Prix. His current Red Bull Racing contract is set to expire at the end of next season, however, for which Haug senses an opportunity.

"We'll look further into it then," Haug admitted, who - despite Mercedes providing engines to three teams - works closely with partners McLaren. "He is great and yes, maybe sometime he could be with us in a silver arrow."


Source: GPUpdate

F1: Lola Evaluating 2010 F1 Entry
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
04/22/2009 - 11:51 AM
Huntingdon (GBR) Provided by the Lola press office


 998303_article_img_large3.jpg ( 50.93K ) Number of downloads: 3

Aguri Suzuki drove a Lola to third place in the 1990 Japanese GP (LAT) » More Photos

Lola Group has commenced a major project comprising a full technical, operational and financial evaluation aimed at developing a car to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship. This follows the decisions announced by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on March 17th 2009 regarding the introduction of a ‘cost capping’ option to Formula One in 2010.

Lola, which has a rich heritage in international motor sport since its inception in 1958, has commenced work on the project and, subject to the publication of both the technical and cost capping regulations for 2010, is in discussions with a number of parties with a view to creating a Lola-designed, manufactured and developed car for the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Lola has appointed key new staff to the project and allocated some of its top engineers to this stage of the evaluation. Lola is extremely well positioned to respond quickly to this opportunity having already at its disposal a F1 standard wind tunnel, latest CFD and FEA and a seven-post dynamic chassis rig.

Lola has previously developed cars to compete in Formula One during the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, while its racing heritage includes production of championship-winning and one-make formulae for Champ Car in America, Formula Nippon in Japan, Formula 3000, Formula 3 and A1GP in Europe. It currently produces the race-winning LMP1 and

LMP2 sports cars competing in both the Le Mans Endurance Series and American Le Mans Series.

“The announcement that Formula One teams may opt for a prudent, financially responsible ‘cost capped’ regime from 2010 has resulted in us deciding to fully evaluate the opportunity to develop a car to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship,” said Martin Birrane, Executive Chairman of Lola Group.


 998303_article_img_large1.jpg ( 70.89K ) Number of downloads: 3

Lola have been more involved with sportscars recently (LAT) » More Photos

“Providing world-class engineering excellence, offering high quality solutions governed by a tightly controlled financial regime has been part of Lola’s DNA over the last decade. The current necessity for Formula One™ to adopt a responsible approach in times of economic uncertainty has created the ideal conditions for us to consider developing a car for the World Championship. Lola possesses the technical resources, capability and know-how to develop cars capable of competing at the very highest levels of international motor sport, including Formula One™. We are therefore embracing the WMSC’s timely announcements and assessing a relevant programme for F1™ with a view to making a formal entry in the coming weeks.”

The Formula One project is being managed by Lola Cars supported by Lola Composites which together form the Lola Group.


Source: SPEEDtv







F1: Hamilton Says Dennis Support Was Crucial
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
04/22/2009 - 03:38 AM
Sakhir (BAH)


 977293_article_img_large1.jpg ( 72K ) Number of downloads: 3

Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to the support he has received from Ron Dennis throughout his career (Getty) » More Photos

After expressing a less than shining tribute to his departed mentor Ron Dennis in China, Lewis Hamilton now insists the 61-year-old is an "incredible man".

Surrounded by reporters in Shanghai, the reigning world champion's assertion that he was "surprised" but "not disappointed" about Dennis' decision to pull away from the McLaren team entirely did not go down well with the British press.

But in an interview subsequently posted on his official website this week, the 24-year-old had more to say about the impact of the man who invested in him as a youngster and groomed him all the way into a Mercedes-powered F1 debut.

"We all owe him more than we could ever repay him for building this great team," the Briton said.

Hamilton also seemed to address speculation that Hamilton is being non-committal about the health of his long-term allegiance to the Woking based squad, with father-manager Anthony reportedly furious about his family's tarnished image amid the 'lie-gate' scandal.

Referring again to Dennis, he said: "Both my family and I are going to do our best to continue the progress we have made over the past two seasons with the team and hope that we can continue to make him proud of having invested in me.

"I was 12 when I first met Ron and, without his vision, I would not be here. I'll never forget -- and neither will my family."


Source: SPEEDtv







Vettel to McLaren in future?

23 April 2009


 123129.jpg ( 25.88K ) Number of downloads: 3


Norbert Haug has suggested that Mercedes may be interested in signing Germany's Sebastian Vettel in coming years. Having won his second Grand Prix in China last weekend, Vettel has been mentioned by the Mercedes Motorsport vice president, who acknowledges the talents of the 21-year-old.


 112640.jpg ( 18.58K ) Number of downloads: 3

Mercedes' Norbert Haug

"A lot of money has been invested in Sebastian and, being fair to Red Bull, they are now reaping the rewards of a long-term investment," Haug told Bild. Sebastian first made his F1 debut in 2007, deputizing for BMW's Robert Kubica in the American Grand Prix. His current Red Bull Racing contract is set to expire at the end of next season, however, for which Haug senses an opportunity.

"We'll look further into it then," Haug admitted, who - despite Mercedes providing engines to three teams - works closely with partners McLaren. "He is great and yes, maybe sometime he could be with us in a silver arrow."


Source: GPUpdate

Fears for McLaren grow
23/04/2009


 2009driverindex400.jpg ( 50.45K ) Number of downloads: 3


There are serious concerns within the F1 paddock that McLaren will be hit hard when the FIA convenes an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council next week.

The extraordinary meeting sees McLaren facing five charges of breaching Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, all relating to the incident now commonly known as 'Lie-gate'.

At the weekend, a number of British newspapers, speculating as to the outcome of the hearing, whilst also ruminating Ron Dennis' shock decision to quit F1, stated that the FIA "hates" McLaren. While this might not come as news to fans of the team/sport, it is a dreadful indictment of the situation and one is hard pressed to think of any other sport where a similar claim might be made of a governing body and a participant.

While some claim that this latest scandal - no matter who is ultimately to blame - is clear proof, in the wake of the spy saga, that there is something rotten at the heart of the Woking team, others are not so sure. Either way, there is a growing fear that McLaren will be hit hard next week, with one very prominent F1 insider keen to remind Pitpass that the Woking team is on two years probation following the 2007 spy saga.

Probably for this very reason, the Daily Telegraph is claiming that should McLaren be hit hard several of its sponsors might seek to end their contracts with the team. The British newspaper claims that agents acting on behalf of a number of sponsors have already approached both the FIA and FOM to "impress upon them the gravity of the situation if McLaren are suspended".

"I can say that if a disproportionately large penalty were given to McLaren on April 29 then the sponsor that I am associated with might leave," said a source close to one of the team's key sponsors. "But the punishment must fit the crime. If there is an irrefutable case of corporate deception then fair enough.

"I think we all know the subtext here," the source continued, "the FIA wanted to oust Ron Dennis. I believe the governing body have allowed this situation to escalate and it is doing no one any good - not McLaren, not the FIA and certainly not the sport. Apart from anything else, it is dissuading other potential sponsors from entering Formula One."

The newspaper mentions a number of possible punishments including race bans and a fine, however it not only stops short of mentioning exclusion from the championship it also fails to point out that the Woking team is still on probation.

A two-race ban, similar to that handed to BAR in 2005, would see McLaren miss the Spanish and Monaco events, both critical in terms of sponsors, most notably Banco de Santander. A four-race ban would see the team, and reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton, miss the British Grand Prix, not only the last ever Grand Prix at Silverstone but possibly the last ever British Grand Prix, period.

While the Woking team will be looking to make up ground on its rivals in Bahrain this weekend, the real fight will take place just a few days later, and it is a fight over which the British outfit will have little control.

No matter the rights and wrongs of the matter, this is a very worrying situation.


Source: Pit Pass







Haug unhappy with McLaren's image problem

23 April 2009


 121990.jpg ( 29.49K ) Number of downloads: 3


Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug has said the team is evaluating its partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 team. The German car manufacturer currently owns 40% of the shares in McLaren but is not amused with the team's image problem.

"We are part of this team (McLaren) and normally we will also be part of it in 2010," Haug told Germany's Focus about Mercedes' partnership with McLaren. The damaged caused to McLaren's image due to the lying-scandal in Melbourne is something Mercedes is very unhappy about. "For Mercedes it is very important to handle things the right way, but the important positions within the team are currently filled by people who are not part of Mercedes."

Mercedes is currently 40% shareholder at McLaren and engine supplier to Force India and Brawn GP. Haug admits Mercedes could change its position in Formula 1 and put their main focus on multiple teams rather than just one team (McLaren). "At least once a year we evaluate the situation in Formula 1 and think about our future in the sport. There's always the option to change our position in F1 and simply become an engine supplier only."


Source: GPUpdate





Getting to Know Formula One




Engine / gearbox




The engine and transmission of a modern Formula One car are some of the most highly stressed pieces of machinery on the planet, and the competition to have the most power on the grid is still intense.

Traditionally, the development of racing engines has always held to the dictum of the great automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche that the perfect race car crosses the finish line in first place and then falls to pieces. Although this is no longer strictly true - regulations now require engines to last more than one race weekend - designing modern Formula One engines remains a balancing act between the power that can be extracted and the need for just enough durability.

Engine power outputs in Formula One racing are also a fascinating insight into how far the sport has moved on. In the 1950s Formula One cars were managing specific power outputs of around 100 bhp / litre (about what a modern 'performance' road car can manage now). That figure rose steadily until the arrival of the 'turbo age' of 1.5 litre turbo engines, some of which were producing anything up to 750 bhp / litre. Then, once the sport returned to normal aspiration in 1989 that figure fell back, before steadily rising again. The 'power battle' of the last few years saw outputs creep back towards the 1000 bhp barrier, some teams producing more than 300 bhp / litre in 2005, the final year of 3 litre V10 engines. Since 2006, the regulations have required the use of 2.4 litre V8 engines, with power outputs falling around 20 percent.

Revving to a limited 18,000 RPM, a modern Formula One engine will consume a phenomenal 650 litres of air every second, with race fuel consumption typically around the 75 l/100 km (4 mpg) mark. Revving at such massive speeds equates to an accelerative force on the pistons of nearly 9000 times gravity. Unsurprisingly, engine-related failures remain one of the most common causes of retirements in races.




Modern Formula One engines owe little except their fundamental design of cylinders, pistons and valves to road-car engines. The engine is a stressed component within the car, bolting to the carbon fibre 'tub' and having the transmission and rear suspension bolted to it in turn. Therefore it has to be enormously strong. A conflicting demand is that it should be light, compact and with its mass in as low a position as possible, to help lower the car's centre of gravity and to enable the height of rear bodywork to be minimised.

The gearboxes of modern Formula One cars are now highly automated with drivers selecting gears via paddles fitted behind the steering wheel. The 'sequential' gearboxes used are very similar in principle to those of motorbikes, allowing gear changes to be made far faster than with the traditional ‘H’ gate selector, with the gearbox selectors operated electrically. Despite such high levels of technology, fully automatic transmission systems, and gearbox-related wizardry such as launch control, are illegal - a measure designed to keep costs down and place more emphasis on driver skill. Transmissions - most teams run seven-speed units - bolt directly to the back of the engine.

Mindful of the massive cost of these ultra high-tech powertrains, the FIA introduced new regulations in 2005 limiting each car to one engine per two Grand Prix weekends, with 10-place grid penalties for those breaking the rule. From 2008, a similar policy was applied to gearboxes, each having to last four race weekends. 2009 saw the introduction of even more stringent engine rules, with drivers limited to eight engines per season. On top of these measures, a freeze on engine development imposed at the end of the 2006 season means teams are unable to alter the fundamentals of their engines’ design until at least 2010.


Source: Formula1

Whitmarsh: McLaren wins still distant


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By Edd Straw and Jonathan Noble Sunday, April 26th 2009, 07:04 GMT

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes his squad still has a long way to go before it is able to fight for race wins despite an improved qualifying performance in Bahrain.

Lewis Hamilton will start tomorrow's grand prix from fifth on the grid, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen just missing out on making Q2 with 11th. Although the results marked another step forward, Whitmarsh insists that the team still needs to improve further to emerge as a potential winner.

"We are not in a position to win a race right now," said Whitmarsh. "But we showed that we are a good race team, we've responded to some pretty difficult conditions in the first three races with a car that wasn't quick enough and we scored points.

"If we can continue to make that level of progress, we will be competitive very quickly. In Spain, there will be performance improvement by a lot of teams. I can't predict what the others are going to do. But we've made our car quicker at each race this year and we're going to continue that programme.

"Clearly, in the last two years we put a tremendous amount of effort into trying to win world championships and we're not as prepared as our competitors. But we'll get back to a level of competitiveness during the course of the year.

"Whether we can win a race remains to be seen. At the fourth race, it is premature to give up on those ambitions for the year."

Whitmarsh added that the improvement the team has made this weekend is down to several factors, including the circuit being better suited to disguise the shortcomings of the car.

"It's a number of things," said Whitmarsh. "Lewis has done a good job, we've made some small improvements on the car and I think that this is a good KERS track.

"But, being frank about it, the high-speed corners here aren't as critical to the overall lap-time so we've got to be realistic. But we are a bit stronger here and that indicates that we have made progress."


Source: Autosport







F1: Whitmarsh Admits McLaren Backers Cautious
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
04/25/2009 - 11:40 AM
Sakhir (BAH)


 1001003_article_img_large1.jpg ( 44.76K ) Number of downloads: 3

Whitmarsh admits it's been a troubled time for Mclaren (LAT) » More Photos


Mclaren boss Martin Whitmarsh on Saturday admitted that scandals past and present would give the team's sponsors pause to evaluate their commitment.

So soon after the 'spy-gate' affair and $100m penalty of 2007, Mclaren is now gripped in 'lie-gate', triggered by Lewis Hamilton and sacked team manager Dave Ryan being economical with the truth when addressing stewards in Australia.

It has been reported not only that Mercedes-Benz is questioning its commitment ahead of the World Motor Sport Council meeting next Wednesday, but that the same is also true of key corporate backers.

"You would expect in these times any of our sponsors to be prudent about what they're doing," Whitmarsh said in Bahrain on Saturday.

"No one can

commit to being with us for many, many years beyond their existing contracts. We're realistic in that regard. We need to do a better job in all sorts of departments."

There is a feeling inside the Sakhir paddock that, in light of the recent scandals and negative headlines, Mclaren is angling for a new start.

F1 regulars have commented upon Mclaren's different approach in Bahrain, including a drinks bar and contemporary music around the team's designated hospitality building here.

"We have to try to be better in many ways. There is no revolution going on here, but there is evolution. We need to be more accessible, more frank and open," Whitmarsh continued.

"We should reflect more on the positive aspects of this sport perhaps a bit more than we have in the past."


Source: SPEEDtv