September 2009 Archives

Quick Nick attacks Sutil

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 6:48 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Adrian Sutil spun out of the Singapore Grand Prix, only to ram Nick Heidfeld's BMW as the veteran tried to pass the stricken Force India. Heidfeld was not impressed. Asked if his team would take action against Sutil, he replied: "Maybe we should find him a brain."


It was tough for Nick as it brought to an end an impressive run of 42 consecutive classified race finishes. A fact new F1 teams - as well as the mysterious new owners of Sauber - will do well to remember.


Sutil has received a reprimand by the stewards and a US$20,000 fine.

Alonso praises Briatore, and says future is decided

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 6:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

It's been a difficult couple of weeks for the Renault team, having been punished for cheating, but Fernando Alonso believes the team deserved Sunday's result and dedicated his podium to Flavio Briatore. "He will be watching from home," said the 2005 and 2006 World Champion. His hard work has helped to get us here."

 

Asked if the result would influence his decision on where to drive next year, Alonso confirmed his mind is made up but wouldn't reveal his decision. "Soon you will know. How much you pay?" he joked with reporters, before Lewis Hamilton chipped in: "I'll give you a tenner right now!"

Night rider

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 6:41 PM | 8 Comments | No TrackBacks

Lewis Hamilton made winning the Singapore Grand Prix look easy, even though he had to sort a technical problem with the car himself, as he screamed around the flood-lit streets at top speed.

 

The reigning World Champion's Kinetic Energy Recovery System failed and he was forced to fiddle with switches and complicated instruction from the pits between corners.

 

"I had to disable it and re-engage it. There were quite a few switches to press - like I don't have enough to do in the car!" complained Lewis lightheartedly, as Black Eyed Peas star Will.I.Am poured him another glass of champagne in the McLaren garage. "I got to meet Beyonce yesterday," the driver boasted, "it's been an incredible weekend."

 

Hamilton started from pole and was in control throughout, despite the efforts of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. "I knew I was longer than the guys behind me, so I was never under serious pressure." Rosberg beat second-place man Vettel off the start line and was keeping up with Hamilton until he pitted, exited, and drove over the white line. This earned him a drive-through penalty.

 

Vettel also incurred a drive-though for speeding in the pitlane, and drove so hard that a number of parts - such as a wing mirror, a barge-board and part of his diffuser, fell off as he hustled his Red Bull for 61 laps.

 

Team mate Mark Webber suffered a brake failure which put an end to his championship hopes. And the Brawns of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were forced to back off too as their brake temperatures rocketed.

 

Timo Glock finished second to give Toyota a timely result ahead of next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, and Fernando Alonso finished third, dedicating his podium to former boss and manager Flavio Briatore, who was banned from international motor sport last Monday.

 

Brawn take a combined seven points to Vettel's five, which strengthen's their lead in both championships. Button now leads his team mate by 15 points with three races to go.

 

Hamilton sent his countryman a warning: "Last year I was leading by 17 points with two races to go". His breathless victory by a single point at the season finale is still a clear memory.

 

Team principal Ross Brawn says he's not banking on anything: "I've competed in many championships when I've lost the title at the last race."

 

RACE RESULTS:

 

  1. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
  2. Timo Glock - Toyota
  3. Fernando Alonso - Renault
  4. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull-Renault
  5. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
  6. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
  7. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
  8. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber

 

DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP:

 

  1. Button - 84
  2. Barrichello - 69
  3. Vettel - 59
  4. Webber - 51.5
  5. Raikkonen - 40
  6. Hamilton - 37

 

CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP:

 

  1. Brawn GP - 153
  2. Red Bull Racing - 110.5
  3. Ferrari - 62
  4. McLaren - 59
  5. Toyota - 46.5

Jean Todt presents...

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 2:30 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Jean Todt was on the grid for the first time since he announced his candidacy. He was accompanied by Michel Yeoh and chatted with Bernie Ecclestone, Santander boss Emilio Botin, Vijay Mallya, and Jackie Stewart. 

Ari Vatanen was also on the grid for the first time this year I believe.

Todt was shepherded by Richard Woods who has taken a brief sabbatical from his post as director of communications for the FIA to run Todt's campaign. 

Vatanen's campaign is running out of steam. He needs to get creative if he's to challenge the establishment and get those votes he needs.

Vettel has barge-board issue

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 2:27 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

Just come back from the grid where the Red Bull Racing lads have been feverishly fixing the right-side bargeboard on Sebastian Vettel's car. It broke off on the installation lap and was re-drilled on the grid. It was obviously a fairly complicated proceedure as the gang were at it for 20 minutes and Kenny Handkammer (chief mechanic), who had the drill, was sweating and shouting quite a lot. Seems ok now though...

Qualifying analysis

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 12:08 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

Qualifying was red flagged 26 seconds before the end when Rubens Barrichello shunted the barriers. It gave Lewis Hamilton pole position, though Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg appeared to be on quicker laps, which they were forced to abort. They line up second and third respectively.

Mark Webber is fourth, so Red Bull are in a very good position even though, on paper, they didn't look like a good bet here and the Brawns should be quicker.

Barrichello went fifth quickest but will start 10th due to a gearbox change. Fernando Alonso, therefore, starts fifth. 

Disappointment for Ferrari - the car just isn't quick enough here and Raikkonen and Fisichella are 13th and 18th respectively.

Force India's expectations had been built up after their magnificent pace in Spa and Monza, but it's back to 16th and 20th on the grid for Sutil and Liuzzi. They have a new aero pack here which is not working properly. The car is great in a straight line, but on these tight corners, which demand high-downforce, it is nowhere.

Lewis's lap was impressive when you consider he is carrying at least three more laps of fuel than Vettel and one more than Rosberg. Rosberg did a great job and should be able to pass Vettel in the pitstops. Having finished second last year to Alonso - who's team had cheated to elevate him through the field - it would be thoroughly deserving for Rosberg to take his first win at this very same track this year.

The first man to have more fuel than Hamilton is Kubica, back in ninth. It's Lewis's race to lose but when you race at 100 percent sometimes you do 101 percent and shove it in the wall on the penultimate lap, a la Monza. And this is a street track, which makes things far more difficult to predict.

Conservative guess:
1. Hamilton
2. Rosberg
3. Vettel


Beyonce's rear impact

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 27, 2009 11:59 AM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks
Beyonce Knowles was in the paddock yesterday, ahead of her F1 Rocks show. She was wearing a black two-piece with more sponsor logos on it than even we're used to, here in F1 land. 

She met Lewis and Nicole in the McLaren garage, where I'm told the mechanics were inspecting her bodywork and challenging each other to go and introduce themselves. In the end it was a man known only as 'Lethal' who approached Mrs Jay-Z and said "Watch out love, there are a few mechanics coming through, move along..." and gave her a friendly pat on the bottom, before turning round to his mates and giving them the thumbs up.

Her massive bodyguard wisely decided to overlook it.



Behind the scenes at Ferrari and McLaren

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 26, 2009 1:53 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
Rumours abound that Ferrari is primed to make an Alonso announcement. Di Montezemolo got quite excitable on a trip to Madrid this week, saying that their driver situation has changed and that - bar Stewart, Clark and Senna - all the greats have driven for Ferrari and Alonso is a great driver. It's been suggested - by LdM himself - that he'll sit down with Stefano Domenicalli early next week to discuss the situation. 

Therefore, I would expect a Tuesday morning announcement which will allow for the news to hit the Autosprint and Autosport magazine deadlines. Either that, or they'll stall for Suzuka as all the journalists will go to Japan direct from here. Very few will return to Europe. 

Maybe they'll just issue a press release but given this is one of the most greatly anticipated stories of the year, why not hire dancing girls...

What started as a wild rumour about McLaren is looking much more firm. McLaren deny they have a pre-contract with Kimi, but I gather there is an agreement in place now, where Santander will pay the Finn's salary. There are a few things which seem odd with this deal:

1) Kimi didn't enjoy his time at McLaren and, while he's become disenchanted at Ferrari because who would want to drive for a team that didn't want them, he found the culture at Maranello much more to his liking. At least at first. There is a new culture at McLaren due to Martin Whitmarsh, but how much of that is just decoration? They might do afternoon cocktails for the press now, and they might do funny viral videos, but I cannot believe the team has undergone a heart transplant. No way.

2) I understand that Anthony Hamilton has some say in who is Lewis's team mate, and has the right to veto. Apparently he wasn't too keen about Nico Rosberg and, and I stress this is just the rumour, that is what drove Mercedes to buy into Brawn - to put Rosberg there, who would be a great ambassador for them. Now, Nico can be quick but he isn't Kimi Raikkonen. Kimi can be slow, but if he has a sniff of a win I still don't think there's a faster man in F1. So if the McLaren is competitive next year, and Kimi gets equal equipment to Lewis, there could be a civil war. Lewis would be in big trouble, because his psychological games might work with Alonso but it'll all be water off a duck's back for the ice man. Instead, Lewis could be the one that falls apart this time. McLaren won't allow that, after all the time and investment they put into Hamilton. That would be pissing on the metaphorical chips.

3) McLaren didn't get on that well with Kimi because he's totally his own man, he's an individual, and that doesn't fit the Mclaren mould. Plus, though as i say I think Kimi is still the quickest guy when motivated, he is on his last contract I'd say - in two years time, he'll want to retire. Kimi has always said he'll get out of this game early. Wouldn't it be better for McLaren to get a nice, quick, malleable guy who will stick around for a minimum of three or four years and compliment the sponsors? That man is Timo Glock.

And if I were to risk a bit of in-fighting by pairing Lewis with a threat - a quick driver who puts himself before the team (and a proper racing driver will always do that) - the choice is simple: Robert Kubica.

Kubica and Hamilton would be fast and consistent. Everyone talks of the similarities between Lewis and Ayrton. I can see the same between Robert and Alain.

Here's a bit of fun - found on the web by James 'Salmon' Roberts of F1 Racing today. Who says Raikkonen lacks leadership skills...



Webber out in 2nd practice. Gwen Stefani on!

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 26, 2009 12:40 PM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks

Not too much to report from yesterday's practice sessions apart from Grosjean's comical crash, and Mark Webber losing it over the rumble strip on the exit of the last corner, and throwing the car into the pitwall. The track was greener than centre court at Wimbledon, which made it hard for the drivers to find an ideal set up.

Barrichello and Button topped the charts in the first session, Vettel and Alonso the second.

GP Week's Will Buxton, Brad Spurgeon from the International Herald Tribune and I schlepped off early, before second practice had finished, to see F1 Rocks, the concert Singapore is running alongside the race.

The line-up and other celebrity guests are very impressive but it does strike me as madness that the concert is on during the time that F1 fans (not to mention those of us working here) are at the circuit. The concert is at Fort Canning Park which, while not that far as the crow flies, is actually a sweaty 45 minute walk through various shopping centers and up twisty streets. Forget hailing a cab - unless you fancy paying a $40 surcharge, there are none anywhere near Marina Bay.

There is little space for a stage, let alone for a crowd of 9,000, down near the track, unless you were to hold it on the start finish straight. However, I'm sure a solution could have been found, such as putting bands on a barge, or on the roof of the pit building - Beatles Saville Row style - something like that. Have a ticket which covers both events. Then you're exposed to both - whether you're a racing or music fan.

Imagine it - a stage on the roof of the pits, concerts in between sessions and support races, and an absolutely packed grandstand. Great TV, and great for the sport and city.


But whilst it's a shame it takes a lot of effort to see bands if you're at the track, and impossible to see most, we did get to the park in time to see No Doubt last night. They were great and a friend at LG (Will's missus) which is sponsoring the event managed to sort us out with fab VIP passes for the night. Live music and an open bar is definitely preferable to a practice session - you rarely learn anything from the times anyway...

Brad, incidentally, went to a second gig last night which he was starring in. He's taking his guitar to all the races this year, playing Dylan, Bowie and Lennon covers, plus his own material, in open mic nights. Having put down his guitar for 20-odd years and suddenly picked it up again, he plans to write a book about a year gigging with the F1 circus. Surely the best F1 Rocks story of all.

The Black Eyed Peas are on later today, but sadly that's during qualifying. Fergie and Will.I.Am were spotted down in the Red Bull pit this afternoon.

And Nicole Scherzinger - who was meant to be hosting F1 Rocks but quit, replaced by LiLo - is also in the paddock, putting pay to rumours of a Hamilton split.

Lewis is looking unhappy today - says he hates this circuit's bumps.

Oh the irony

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 25, 2009 1:16 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Romain Grosjean just caused the first practice session to be red flagged. He spun his Renault across the track at turn 17 and hit the wall - just as Nelson Piquet did 12 months ago! The whole media centre irrupted in applause and you could see Bob Bell smiling wryly on the pit wall. 

ING and Mutua Madrilena have pulled their sponsorship of the team with immediate effect, so the car is racing with large Renault stickers. Finding replacements at the moment is going to be very hard for Renault's sponsorship department.

Brunch with Bernie

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 24, 2009 1:24 PM | 11 Comments | No TrackBacks
I didn't have lunch with Lindsay Lohan - got my wires crossed as to which do I was doing. Turned up to lunch ready to talk chemical addiction and girl-on-girl, and was presented with Mr E.

Bernie was on terrific form though. LG were hosting a brunch for selected media and that meant we got some face time with The Bolt. We spoke largely about Flavio. Bernie says it's a harsh punishment but he should have come clean quicker. Said there's no point saying your a virgin if you're six months up the duff. 

He also joked about the fit and proper person test that may force Flav out of QPR, saying he didn't think he'd pass it himself, and he moaned about the time it takes to get from his hotel to the track. I blame this bloody Formula One, he said.

For lunch we could have roast beef or breakfast, given it was 1pm but we'd all just got up. I went for the roast, but there was no wine on offer. I ate it with orange juice and coffee.

LG's marketing chief was hosting us and had a watch which is pretty amazing. It's also a phone - not a bluetooth link-up, a fully functioning phone that can play videos, music, has GPS, web, email, a webcam etc. It was like something off Inspector Gadget - didn't the little girl in that have one?

I think if you own a watch like that it's your imperative to solve crimes and that.

LG are a big presence here, and they're sponsoring the F1 Rocks concert. It's happening across the whole weekend and the line up is impressive: Beyonce, N*E*R*D, Simple Minds, Black Eyed Peas, No Doubt, Travis, ZZ Top and others. Mixed bag, eh?

Lindsay Lohan is MCing it - hence why she's in town. It was meant to be Nicole Scherzinger but she pulled out last minute, prompting many to speculate she'd split with Lewis - something he denies.

Singapore - city guide

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 24, 2009 12:44 PM | 29 Comments | No TrackBacks

The appeal of Singapore is that you can watch qualifying, then go clubbing till 6am, and get a full nights sleep before you have to get up for the race. That's because the race doesn't start until 8pm. You should make the Raffles Hotel your first port of call. Its Long Bar was the birthplace of the Singapore Sling. If you are a man, do take note: this is a pink drink with an umbrella in it and you'd better be pretty secure with yourself before ordering. For a view to die for, visit the New Age bar on the 71st floor of the Swissotel Stamford. For fun, try The Clinic where you sit in wheelchairs and drink from an intravenous drip. And if you want to get out of the city, head to Sentosa Island and dance on the beach at Café del Mar, where Red Bull had a great party last year.

www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RHS/Restaurants_Bars/Long_Bar.htm

www.swissotel.com/EN/Destinations/Singapore/Swissotel+The+Stamford/HOTEL+HOME/Gallery/Dining/New+Asia+Bar.htm

www.theclinic.sg

www.cafedelmar.com.sg

Marina Bay - circuit guide

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 24, 2009 12:39 PM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks

Formula One's only night race was deemed a huge success last year, creating a tremendous spectacle with a fantastic backdrop. And, by being held at night, TV audiences in Europe are able to tune in at a more regular time.

 

The circuit runs anti-clockwise. The tight first turn, a left-hander, is immediately followed by a right-left kink. The best chance over overtaking can be found at the far end of Raffles Boulevard, the track ducking through an underpass at 320kph. A sequence of 90 degree bends and then a short straight follow, before the cars race past the colonial government buildings. The narrow Anderson Bridge is very photogenic but also narrow and bumpy, preventing overtaking in this section. The home stretch crosses the Esplanade Bridge and takes a sharp right before the final turn hones into view - the drivers ignore the apex and power through across a rumble strip to start another lap.

Singapore Grand Prix - preview

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 24, 2009 12:28 PM | 8 Comments | No TrackBacks

With Formula One's off-track distractions settled, all eyes return to the race track and the championship battle. The wheels seem to have come off Red Bull's title charge, and unless the team can win in Singapore their mathematical chances may be over. That leaves the battle between the Brawns.

 

Jenson Button leads Rubens Barrichello by 14 points, which is a sizeable gap with just four races to go but Barrichello has outclassed his team mate in the second half of the season so far. He has momentum on his side. Both drivers have shown their street fighting skills already - Jenson winning Monaco and Rubens Valencia.

 

Singapore holds tremendous novelty value as F1's only night race, and the city is a wonderful backdrop. Drivers are encouraged to stay out late and wake up at lunchtime, keeping their body clocks on European time. Nico Rosberg - who came second last year - joked that it means he can "meet friends at the disco" after work.

 

The track comprises a mixture of public streets and purpose built track, which presents a set-up conundrum. There was also an unusual incident last year (aside from a driver crashing on purpose!) when Mark Webber's Red Bull ground to a halt, it's complex electronics software scuppered by a subway train passing underneath the circuit.

 

Last year proved that, despite being narrow, it is possible to overtake here. The drivers, though, will be praying the resurfacing has limited the bumps that left them hobbling for days last year.

 

Unlike Brawn, Red Bull has not fared well on street circuits this year. Expect the main competition to come from McLaren, who were on course for a podium in Monza until Lewis Hamilton threw his car in the wall on the penultimate lap.

 

Force India may continue their sudden surge in form, though it will be interesting to see if it's as quick on a high-downforce track as it has been with minimum wing.

 

As we witnessed last year, the safety car is almost guaranteed if there's an accident, and this can dramatically influence the outcome of the race. Jenson Button, though, says he's hoping for "a nice dull race" that will help him edge closer to the crown.

 

In Singapore, that's unlikely to happen.

Staying up late

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 23, 2009 11:05 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
The big trip continues... I am now in Singapore. Successful flight I'd say. We're encouraged to stick to European time on this one, because it's a night race at all and we're working 2pm-2am local. So I knocked back a sleeping pill at midnight last night on the plane, got a good eight hours kip, and awoke in Singapore.

I've been looking forward to Singapore because I have several friends here and there are lots of parties and everyone's up for it. I'm staying with a friend, and turned up tonight to find my bathroom had no door on it. Paula was very apologetic. Apparently former Minardi driver Alex Yoong had got locked in there by mistake earlier this week and kicked the bleeding door down.

We went to a Red Bull party on Sentosa Island earlier tonight where we bumped into Alex and he explained that kicking down a door isn't as easy as it looks in the movies. I'll make a note of that as Alex crawls around the ventilation ducts above the ceiling, in a  grubby white vest, swearing at German-accented terrorists.

It's 4:45am now. Need to stay awake for another hour or else I'll be all out of kilter. Got a lunch date with Lindsay Lohan in seven hours....

19 races next year...

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 22, 2009 2:32 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
...including Korea and Canada.

14/3BRNBahrain
28/3AUSAustralia
4/4MALMalaysia
18/4CNChina
9/5ESpain
23/5MCMonaco
30/5TRTurkey
13/6CDNCanada
27/6EEurope (Valencia)
11/7GBGreat Britain
25/7DGermany
1/8HHungary
29/8BBelgium
12/9IItaly
26/9SGPSingapore
3/10JJapan
17/10KKorea
31/10AEAbu Dhabi
14/11BRBrazil

It's a fair cop

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 22, 2009 2:28 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The FIA's ruling may appear lenient, given the severity of Renault's crime, but it's the right ruling. F1 cannot afford to lose another team. A two-year suspended sentence is, in my opinion, the right call, given the team/company had already removed Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, condemned their actions, pleaded guilty, and apologized unreservedly.


Having carefully constructed his fiefdom, it's all come crashing down for Flavio Briatore. He had long spoken of F1 being a show, and trying to write the script became his undoing. His driver management contracts included those of Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean and Heikki Kovalainen. Now, they will be forced to cut all their ties or else they'll be refused a superlicence.


Flavio's sentence could have wider consequences for his other business interests, such as QPR.


The ruling comes as an even bigger blow to Pat Symonds, who was one of the most respected engineers. Loyal to Renault, and former incarnations Benetton and Toleman, he'd turned down lucrative offers from the competition. He's unlikely to be employed by an F1 team again. Their will to win is great, but Symonds' crossed a line; a ruthless plan born out of desperation, and being too clever for his own good.

Irvine brings a sense of perspective

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 19, 2009 6:01 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
There really is a lot of hoopla and hyperbole in the press at the moment. Most are saying that this is the worst example of cheating ever, and the blackest day for F1.

Central to the media's criticism of 'Crashgate' has been the danger Piquet, the other drivers, the marshals and spectators were put in in Singapore by Renault's actions. This is, of course, a justified observation but some commentators have been a bit over-the-top when reporting the chances of injury.

Yes, it could have caused death or injury - we have seen in recent months in motorsport that debris, for instance, can be fatal. But it's also important to remember that there hasn't been a driver fatality in F1 since 1994 and, since then, there have been two instances in about 250 races of marshal's being killed. That's two too many, of course, but a relatively low ratio. I would say the chances of 'crashgate' hurting someone was extremely small. Eddie Irvine agrees:

"I think the chances of someone being killed were very, very slim," the Irishman stressed, speaking to the BBC. "I think that's all been blown up. It was a reasonably slow corner; it was no big deal of an accident to be honest. When you plan to crash you can crash pretty much any way you want, so the idea that it's the most amazing piece of cheating in professional sport - which I've read - I think is totally out of order."



Irvine believes that the sentence handed to Renault on Monday will be a relatively modest one, given the fact that the sport doesn't want to lose another team.



"Formula One cannot afford to lose more teams. The manufacturers are falling like ducks here, so to me it will probably be a massaged court where the fine or whatever it will be will be reduced [so as] not to scare Renault away. There are several teams out there that are looking pretty shaky, and they can't afford to give Renault the boot out of Formula One. What they did to McLaren was completely over-the-top."



With McLaren, the Federation was angry at having been lied to. At first they only reprimanded Mclaren, but when it came to light that the court hadn't been presented with all the facts, they came down hard. Renault have said they will not contest the charges, i.e they  are pleading guilty, and none of the three men involved in the crime are with the team anymore - assuming that no others were aware of what was going on. Alonso, for example.



So if Renault are open and honest with the FIA, in my opinion the sentence won't be a ban and it won't be a $100 million fine. 

On the road

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 19, 2009 1:15 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
I'm now on the road for over a month. Thirty-two days to be exact: Left Paris yesterday, and am now in Portimao for the final GP2 race of the season. Then on Monday I fly to London, grab a plane to Singapore Tuesday, and then after that it's Toyko, Suzuka, a bit of a holiday and catch up with mates in LA, Vegas and Texas, and then to Sao Paulo. Big trip.

My bag can only just zip tight: it's not easy packing for this long when you've got all sorts of weather and different events (ie smart and casual) to contend with. Plus, when you're staying at pricey hotels you need to consider it's $10 to wash a shirt. In other words, you're going to spend less if you can squeeze six shirts in your bag instead of five.

Got it down to 18kg.

That includes entertainment: Flight of the Conchords, Californication and 007 DVDs, Rotten Cabbage by Irvine Welsh and On The Road by Jack Kerouac.



The FIA dossier

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 17, 2009 7:10 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Click on this link to read the full dossier that has been sent to the World Motor Sport Council members, which includes interview transcripts with Nelson Piquet Jr and Pat Symonds, radio transcripts from the pitwall in Singapore, telemetry and correspondence between Flavio Briatore and Nelson Piquet Senior regarding alleged blackmail and extortion.

Thanks to Joe Saward for uploading it.

Renault and Flav: What happens next?

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 16, 2009 8:07 PM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks

The removal of Flavio Briatore may be viewed as a personal victory for Max Mosley. Briatore was seen as a threat - a vocal member of the FOTA, which is politically at odds with the FIA, and a possible successor to Bernie Ecclestone. In his last year of office, Max has seen both Briatore and his old foe Ron Dennis banished to lick their wounds. Nelson Piquet's confession has helped Max with his housekeeping.

 

Briatore manages scores of drivers in F1 and the lower formulae, and a motor sport ban will see his business interests shrink.


By plea bargaining, it is likely Renault will escape harsh sentencing despite the fact that the actions of three of its employees put lives at risk and has damaged the sport's credibility.


Renault's involvement with F1 has looked precarious with a lack of results on the track and losses in the road car sector. It may be that what prompted the desperate decision in Singapore last year was pressure from the Renault board to start winning again. It's ironic that they did so on merit at the following race in Japan.

 

The damage caused to Renault's reputation, and the possibility of a big fine next week, may cause Renault to quit but, on the other hand, Formula One needs to keep as many teams as it can and the FIA may negotiate a lenient or suspended sentence in return for Renault's further commitment to the sport and its resignation from the influential FOTA.


That would be a politically savvy way forward. 

 

Flav and Pat get fired

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 16, 2009 3:40 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Renault has announced that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left the team, and that they will not dispute charges of race fixing.

It was the team, rather than the individuals, which were charged so the hearing will still go ahead, but Renault's guilty plea plus the removal of the individuals involved will no doubt go some way to reducing the sentence.

It remains to be seen whether Briatore and Symonds will be banned from international motor sport.

Rumour has it that ART GP2 team boss Frederic Vasseur will take over the team's reigns for the remainder of the season.

Have Renault packed up for good?

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 15, 2009 12:57 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
On Sunday night I went out and about in the paddock and pit lane to take some snaps of the teams packing up. As this was the last European race this year the teams say goodbye to their trucks and motorhomes and say hello to cargo planes and Portacabins. Though I'm sure Abu Dhabi's Portacabins will be encrusted with jewels.

These photos are of from the Renault knockdown which could prove poignant as their court date approaches.

In other news, Pat Symonds has been offered immunity by the FIA if he tells all. 

(Note the man from the FIA on the roof!)






Lotus is back!

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 15, 2009 12:22 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

The FIA announced today that the 13th slot on the 2010 grid is going to a Malaysian company, and the team will be called Lotus. The team principal will be Tony Fernandes, who owns the Air Asia budget airline which has been a sponsor of Williams for several years. The technical chief will be the experienced Mike Gascoyne, who has been itching to come back with "a proper racing team" since being ousted from Force India and who is returning to his Norfolk roots.

Former Ferrari brand boss and Red Bull number two Dani Bahar - my old boss - has been appointed CEO of the Lotus Group. He has significant F1 experience having brokered the deals for Red Bull to buy Jaguar Racing and Minardi. He has also worked on MotoGP, A1GP and other major sports deals. He's at Lotus to re-establish a brand which has been diminishing slowly in value in recent years. Outside the UK road car sales are pretty small and no doubt F1 and other marketing activities will boost this.

The news comes at the expense of Sauber who wanted to put a successful rescue package together and retain their place. Now the team is virtually valueless. However, the FIA has promised that if another slot becomes available (i.e one of the other teams drops out - something that is not, shall we say, unlikely) then it's there's. The FIA has also said it might vote on whether to allow a 14th team. Given the goodwill everyone has for Peter Sauber, and the people working in Hinwill, this may well be accorded. To be ready for 2010 I'm not sure they can afford to down tools until, for example, USF1, Manor, Renault or Toyota decide they'll be doing other things next year.

Perhaps the fate of Renault is already known. Message to Peter: Be ready.

Lotus have said they'll be using Cosworth engines. There is talk that these are too big, too heavy and too slow. But it's what the FIA wants... to the extent that Sauber's intention to use Ferrari power may have cost them.

This is the FIA statement in full:

Following an intensive selection and due diligence process, the FIA has awarded the 13th entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship to the Lotus F1 Team.

The FIA also received an impressive application from the BMW Sauber Team. However, given that BMW has announced it will withdraw its support in 2010, there are still uncertainties regarding the future ownership of the team.

Nevertheless, the FIA considers that BMW Sauber's application is of high quality and would constitute a competitive participant in the Championship. As such, it has awarded BMW Sauber the '14th place' in the Championship meaning that it will be entitled to fill any vacancy that arises on the 2010 grid.

In addition, the FIA believes that a good case can be made for expanding the grid to 14 teams. The FIA will be consulting urgently with the existing teams regarding the introduction of an appropriate rule change to expand the grid to 28 cars in time for the first Grand Prix in 2010.

Detailed below is information about the new team that has been confirmed to compete in the Championship from next year.

Company Name: 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd
Team Name: Lotus F1 Team
Country: Malaysia
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes

A partnership between the Malaysian Government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs, 1Malaysia F1 Team returns the Lotus name as a constructor to Formula One for the first time since 1994. The team will initially be based at the RTN facility in Norfolk, UK, some 10 miles from the Lotus Cars factory. A 50,000 square foot fully equipped facility, RTN was built by Toyota for its initial Formula One programme and then used by Bentley for its successful Le Mans programme.

The team's future design, R&D, manufacturing and technical centre will be purpose built at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit.

Team Principal Tony Fernandes is the founder and CEO of the Malaysian-based Tune Group, owner of the Air Asia airline. The team's Technical Director Mike Gascoyne has over 20 years of experience in Formula One having previously performed the same role for the Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the team has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth and a wide variety of technical partnerships including Xtrac and FondTech.


Fact attack

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 13, 2009 6:25 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
Today I was interviewed live during the race by Children's BBC, who do red-button kid-friendly coverage. As well as sharing some of the current goss I was challenged to a trivia battle with their presenter. Apparently I won, so thanks!

My factual tit-bits were as follows:

1) Giancarlo Fisichella has a 1,400 litre salt-water tank full of tropical fish at home.
2) An F1 transmission changes gear in 0.004 seconds - which is 50 times faster than batting an eyelid.
3) Nico Rosberg's mechanics call him 'Britney'.


Laptime interview: Adrian Sutil

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 13, 2009 6:16 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

Having qualified on the front row for the Italian Grand Prix - the best result of his career - I wanted to see how many questions of a lighthearted variety Adrian Sutil could answer in his laptime of 1min 24.261secs.

 

  1. Wine or beer? Neither, I don't really like alcohol, but I like champagne.
  2. Favourite film? I love all the James Bond films.
  3. What would you like to do after F1? Become a stunt man.
  4. Favourite driver of all time? Mika Hakkinen.
  5. Do you have a motto? Have a goal in your mind and one day you'll achieve it.
  6. What music do you like? Phil Collins (seriously, that's what he said!).
  7. Who would you most like to shake hands with? Lance Armstrong.

Barrichello edges closer

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 13, 2009 6:02 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks


Brawn GP saw a resounding return to form when Rubens Barrichello led team-mate Jenson Button over the historic finish line at Monza.

 

On the podium, the Brazilian fired imaginary arrows as a message to his son, Fernando, to celebrate his fourth birthday.

 

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton led for the first part of the race but his two-stop strategy proved no match for the one-stopping Brawns.

 

The night before, Barrichello could hardly sleep, frustrated his title hopes might be in tatters. Having suffered an exhaust fire at the previous race, there were concerns Rubens' gearbox might need to be replaced. This would have meant a five-place grid penalty, but the team chose to stick with it. The gamble paid off.

 

Throughout the race, Kimi Raikkonen had the Force India of qualifying star Adrian Sutil in his mirrors. They both made their second pitstop together on lap 36 and both made costly mistakes, keeping the order the same. Sutil braked too late for his pit box, hitting a mechanic, while Kimi made a false start. "I was in a hurry to get out," said Kimi. "The lollipop man flinched and I went. We lost a little bit of time as a result, but not too much."

 

And in the closing laps Button came under pressure from third placed Hamilton, until the world champion ran wide and threw his car in the wall, bringing the race to a premature end. "Lewis started pushing on the final three laps," said Jenson. "My engineer was getting a bit excited, but I think I had him covered. Besides, Lewis finished his race half a lap early."

 

Hamilton's accident promoted Raikkonen to the podium. "We got third place a little bit like a gift, but it doesn't matter, it still counts. Today we got the most out of the car."

 

Button is glad of eight points, which stretches his lead over the Red Bull drivers, who could claim only one point between them in Italy. However, Jenson has been out-driven by his team-mate at the last three races. "I struggled at the start of the season with the brakes, but since we changed them at Silverstone I've been much happier," said race winner Rubens.

 

RACE RESULTS

  1. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
  2. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
  3. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
  4. Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes
  5. Fernando Alonso - Renault
  6. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
  7. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber
  8. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull-Renault

 

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

  1. Button - 80
  2. Barrichello - 66
  3. Vettel - 54
  4. Webber - 51.5
  5. Raikkonen - 40

 

CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP

  1. Brawn GP - 146
  2. Red Bull Racing - 105.5
  3. Ferrari - 62
  4. McLaren - 47

The incredible Hulkenberg

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 13, 2009 11:47 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Nico Hulkenberg has won the 2009 GP2 Series title this morning in Monza, taking third place in the sprint race behind Luis Razia and Lucas di Grassi. 

The 22 year-old has taken four wins this season with ART and, thanks to both talent and the guidance of Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber, seems set for F1 stardom.

If I were a betting man I would but an awful lot of money on him racing for Williams next year. It's a cert.

There's still one more GP2 round to go, in Portimao, Portugal next weekend. I'll be there, before heading to Singapore.

Qualifying analysis

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 13, 2009 11:29 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Quali was a scorcher yesterday, Adrian Sutil taking a the fastest time to the applause of Force India fans everywhere - for about 15 seconds. Then his (best) mate Lewis Hamilton took it off him to claim pole at the last minute.

Looking at the fuel loads and relative quali performances we are set for a thrilling race this afternoon. Hamilton, Sutil and P3 man Raikkonen are all stopping twice. It is likely that Sutil will be passed at the start thanks to the Ferrari's KERS. Kimi has aboput three laps more fuel than Hamilton and this could be a great duel - you lose a lot of time in the pits here so if Kimi can bang in three quick laps Schumi style he could leapfrog the Brit.

But the guy on the best strategy is Heikki Kovalainen. He's one-stopping and is P4. His performance was slightly better than The Ham's given their respective fuel loads. The question is, can he keep pushing for a full race distance? Heikki can fade...

Barrichello, in P5, also put in a mega effort and would be a good bet for the win. However, his gearbox is being looked at at the moment and if he does have to change it (after the fire he has in Spa) then it'll cost him five places. Jenson Button is P6 and happy with that, largely because the Red Bulls are 9th and 10th - I don't think they can do anything from there.

Tonio Liuzzi is P7 - a great drive given he's hardly driven an F1 car since March and hasn't qualified since Brazil 2007.

Fernando Alonso is P8 and has KERS so he could conceivably pass Liuzzi and the Brawns and be P5 by the second chicane.

My predictions:

1. Kimi Raikkonen
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Heikki Kovalainen

Whip round for Max

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 12, 2009 3:11 PM | 7 Comments | No TrackBacks
Max Mosley invited some of the Fleet Street mob out for a farewell dinner in Monza this weekend and was presented with a leaving gift.

The journos bought the FIA president an elegant brown leather riding crop, purchased from the Queen's whipmaker Swaine Adenay of Piccadilly.

Doubtless he'll find it useful. Apparently he told the assembled scribes that Woman B is having a baby, but Women A, C and D may still enjoy it.

Renault responds...

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 11, 2009 2:43 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Renault has announced it has commenced criminal proceedings against the Piquets over "false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team".

Meanwhile, a telemetry read-out from Piquet's car on Lap 14 in Singapore is doing the rounds of the media centre and it is very suspicious. It is clear the driver floored the throttle - and kept it floored - before the apex of the turn, which makes it look like he wanted to spin the rear wheel intentionally. 

Excerpts of Pat Symonds interview with the FIA and Quest in Spa have been leaked. About the telemetry, it was said:

FIA adviser: Would it suggest to you a deliberate crash?

Symonds: I'm not sure I've ever seen a deliberate crash, so I.... It's very unusual data.

FIA adviser: Counter-intuitive for a driver to put his foot full on the throttle when he's in a deep (wheel)spin like that, Mr. Symonds?

Symonds: It is. yes, when he has that much wheelspin, it's counter-intuitive.


The Symonds statement is full of "I don't remembers"s, "I won't comment on that"s and "I can't comment on that"s which will do Renault's defense little good.


Symonds: I have no intention of lying to you. I have not lied to you, but I have reserved my position just a little.

FIA adviser: And you're aware that the stewards may draw conclusions from your unwillingness to assist them in relation to what went on in that meeting?

Symonds: I would expect them to. I would absolutely expect that.


Symonds has stated that the plan of a deliberate crash was discussed before the race but that it was Nelson's idea. Whether or not that is the case, or can be proved either way, it seems an admission of involvement.


Pat seems to be shielding Flavio Briatore by not answering the more important questions, preparing to take a bullet for his boss. Briatore denies any knowledge of a conspiracy and claims the meeting before the race was designed to get Nelson to focus on his racing. He did give this somewhat bizarre quote: "I never talk with Nelsinho. I never talk about to crashing the car. He's never coming to me tell me 'Flavio, Jesus Christ, I crash the car, you won the race, can you renew my contract?'

"You know, if somebody do you a favor like that, I just.... You renew the contract."

Hmmmm. 

The hearing on the 21st will be most interesting but it's pretty clear that Pat Symonds is facing a ban from motor racing and Flavio could be facing the same. As for Renault, they are in dire straits financially and, rumour has it, close to pulling out. It would be a big blow to the sport to lose another team. Fining or banning Renault would achieve that, no doubt. 

If I was the FIA I'd offer Renault a deal whereby no penalty is given - apart from the dismissal of Briatore and Symonds - but that the manufacturer has to commit to F1 for another five years and it has to resign from FOTA.

The Italian Job

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 11, 2009 11:54 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
With the long-hauls fast approaching I decided not to fly to Monza but to drive down on Tuesday, as I will soon be fed up of planes. 

Driving from Paris, I managed to fit in lunch in Puligny-Montrachet, where the grapes were being harvested, tea in Geneva and then dinner at a roadside cafe across the Italian border, where I bumped into some Renault and Red Bull truckies.

The scenery driving through the Alps was awesome, and I got to drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel which is 12km long and an even greater technical feat than the Channel Tunnel.

Sense of occasion was lent by a Ferrari 430 Spyder that I followed through Switzerland and into Italy.


I spent Tuesday night with a friend in Milan and then moved into my Monza hotel Wednesday. I've really lucked in this year - I'm staying at the Hotel de la Ville which is a beautiful and very exclusive hotel set opposite the Royal Palace of Savoy, in who's parkland the Autodromo lies. Service, food, all incredible. On Wednesday night I had veal that was so tender it fell off the bone just by blowing on it. And for pudding, quattro chocolati - four different types of chocolate on one plate. 

Usually you have to book three years in advance for this place, but I managed to book on Monday thanks to a contact in the hospitality biz.

Other guests include Giancarlo Fisichella, Stefano Domenicali, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Romain Grosjean, Fernando Alonso, David Coulthard, Paddy McNally, and all the FIA honchos. 

I think they were a bit surprised to see me there. Someone said to me today, incredulously, "apparently there are several journalists staying at the Hotel de la Ville!" Frightful, I said.

Last night I attended a charity dinner for the Gonzalo Rodriguez foundation at Monza's sporting club. Amazing risotto al funghi.


Today we crowded into Williams to toast Sir Jackie Stewart's 70th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his first win, right here in Monza. He said: "I knew you'd all show up when you heard Jackie Stewart had paid for champagne - a Scotsman! This is not Williams champagne and it's not RBS champagne. It's Jackie Stewart champagne... though I am on the board of Moet & Chandon."

Ferrari announce Santander sponsorship

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 11, 2009 11:10 AM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks
Yesterday the press were invited to the Ferrari VIP suite to hear the worst kept secret in F1 - that Santander has signed a major sponsorship deal with the Scuderia.

They are contracted for five years and are rumoured to be paying $80 million per annum. Once Phillip Morris leaves in two years, Santander will be the title sponsor.

It's billionaire president, Emilio Botin, said the deal sends out "a message of strength and determination in difficult times". Santander is the most profitable bank in the world.

It was one of those events where we got to wear headphones and flick through various channels as the speakers - Botin and Luca di Montezemolo - spoke in Spanish and Italian. I haven't seen this many press at an F1 event since, well, Spa when we were invited to a Casio press conference in return for a radio controlled watch each. The Santander presser was even more packed - I'd say there were 400 - and there were TV cameras from all over the world. A bit much for a corporate do. It didn't get off to the best of starts when we were played a video with lots of emotive Ferrari imagery, on a screen behind all of the camera crews so no one could see it!

Santander had previously sponsored McLaren, drawn there by fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso, so it seems inevitable the double world champ will be wearing red soon. Doubtless, many of the press turned up just in case there was a second announcement. Montezemolo remains cagey: "We have two drivers, now three (a reference to Giancarlo Fisichella), plus also we are close to having Michael, so we have a lot of drivers - this is not a problem for us now."

On the matter of Kimi, by the way, I have been hearing strong rumours that he will return to McLaren. It sounds almost unbelievable, I know, but those rumours are coming from sources at McLaren and its partners who say it's "likely".

Another good reason for Santander to join Ferrari is they share the same corporate colour, something they weren't shy in drawing attention to. "We share the same colour... red is the colour of passion... we have so much in common, as we both love red... did I mention red?...etc" went the speeches with comical repetition.

Botin always wears a red blazer and, in return for a mounted Ferrari exhaust, gave Montezemolo a red blazer as a gift. They looked like the cast of a latin Hi-de-Hi! Botin must have been in touch with Luca's tailor though, as it fitted him perfectly.

(a particularly rubbish picture taken by iPhone)

Piquet paints a picture

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 6:11 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
The statement that Nelson Piquet Jr made to the FIA regarding his crash in Singapore last year has been released:

During the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore, held on 28 September 2008 and counting towards the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship, I was asked by Mr. Flavio Briatore, who is both my manager and the Team Principal of the ING Renault F1 Team, and by Mr. Pat Symonds, the Technical Director of the Renault F1 Team, to deliberately crash my car in order to positively influence the performance of the ING Renault F1 Team at the event in question. I agreed to this proposal and caused my car to hit a wall and crash during lap thirteen/fourteen of the race.

The proposal to deliberately cause an accident was made to me shortly before the race took place, when I was summoned by Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds in Mr. Briatore's office. Mr. Symonds, in the presence of Mr. Briatore, asked me if I would be willing to sacrifice my race for the team by "causing a safety car". Every F1 race driver knows that the safety car is deployed on a track when there is an accident which leads to the track being blocked either by debris or a stationary car, and where it is difficult to recover a damaged car, as was the case here.

At the time of this conversation I was in a very fragile and emotional state of mind. This state of mind was brought about by intense stress due to the fact that Mr. Briatore had refused to inform me of whether or not my driver's contract would be renewed for the next racing year (2009), as is customarily the case in the middle of the year (around July or August). Instead, Mr. Briatore repeatedly requested me to sign an "option", which meant that I was not allowed to negotiate with any other teams in the meantime. He would repeatedly put pressure on me to prolong the option I had signed, and would regularly summon me into his office to discuss these renewals, even on racing days - a moment which should be a moment of concentration and relaxation before the race. This stress was accentuated by the fact that during the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore I had qualified sixteenth on the grid, so I was very insecure about my future at the Renault team. When I was asked to crash my car and cause a safety car incident in order to help the team, I accepted because I hoped that it could improve my position within the team at this critical time in the race season. At no point was I told by anyone that by agreeing to cause an incident, I would be guaranteed a renewal of my contract or any other advantage. However, in the context, I thought that it would be helpful in achieving this goal. I therefore agreed to cause the incident.

After the meeting with Mr. Symonds and Mr. Briatore, Mr. Symonds took me aside to a quiet corner and, using a map, pointed me to the exact corner of the track where I should crash. This corner was selected because the specific location of the track did not have any cranes that would allow a damaged car to be swiftly lifted off the track, nor did it have any side entrances to the track, which would allow a Safety Marshall to quickly move the damaged car away from the track. Therefore, it was felt that a crash in this specific position would be nearly certain to cause an obstruction on the track which would thus necessitate the deployment of a safety car in order to allow the track to be cleared and to ensure the safe continuation of the race.

Mr. Symonds also told me which exact lap to cause the incident upon, so that a strategy could deployed for my team-mate Mr. Fernando Alonso to refuel at the pit shortly before the deployment of the safety car, which he indeed did during lap twelve. The key to this strategy resided in the fact that the near-knowledge that the safety car would be deployed in lap thirteen/fourteen allowed the Team to start Mr. Alonso's car with an aggressive fuel strategy using a light car containing enough fuel to arrive at lap twelve, but not much more. This would allow Mr. Alonso to overtake as many (heavier) cars as possible, knowing that those cars would have difficulty catching up with him later in the race due to the later deployment of the safety car. This strategy was successful and Mr. Alonso won the 2008 Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore.

During these discussions, no mention was made of any concerns with respect to the security implications of this strategy, either for myself, the public or other drivers. The only comment made in this context was one by Mr. Pat Symonds who warned me to "be careful", which I took to mean that I should not injure myself.

I intentionally caused the crash by letting go of control of the car just before the relevant corner. In order to make sure I would cause the incident during the correct lap, I asked my team several times via the radio to confirm the lap number, which I would not normally do. I was not injured during the accident, nor was anyone else.

After the discussions with Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds discussed above, the 'accident strategy' was never discussed again with either of them. Mr. Briatore discreetly said "thank you" after the end of the race, without mentioning anything further. I do not know if anyone else was aware of this strategy at the start of the race.

After the race I informed Mr. Felipe Vargas, a family friend and advisor, of the fact that the incident had been deliberate. Mr. Vargas further informed my father, Mr. Nelson Piquet, some time later.

After the race several journalists asked questions about the accident and asked me whether I had caused it on purpose, because they felt it was 'suspicious'.

In my own team, the engineer of my car questioned the nature of the incident because he found it unusual, and I replied that I had lost control of the car. I believe that a clever engineer would notice from the car's telemetry that I caused the incident on purpose as I continued accelerating , whereas a "normal" reaction would be to brake as soon as possible.

Statement of Truth

I believe and swear that the facts set out in this statement are true.

This statement was made at the FIA Headquarters in Paris on 30 July 2009 in presence of Mr. Alan Donnelly (FIA Chairman of the Stewards), Mr. Martin Smith and Mr. Jacob Marsh (both of investigations firm Quest, retained by the FIA to assist with its investigation). Notes were taken by Ms. Dondnique Costesec (Sidley Austin LLP).

Signed:

Nelson Piquet Jr.

Klien hopes to stay at Sauber

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 2:45 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Having reported that Christian Klien and his father Johannes had taken lunch with Alex Tai - Richard Branson's right hand man - in the BMW motor home at Spa, I met Christian one-on-one today to ask how the meeting went and whether we will see him in a Manor - or any F1 car - next year.

"It was the first time we met him and we wanted to talk to see how the team is progressing and what their plans are for next year. It's hard to sign  a contract with any of the new teams, because it's difficult to know if they will even make it to the grid.

"They [Manor] say they have a plan and they intend to be on the grid. It's important for me to get back to a race seat next year, but at the moment I'm waiting to see what happens here [at BMW Sauber]. We're waiting to hear who the knew owner will be - I'm pretty confident the team will be on the grid next year. It's a top team and whoever buys it has the chance to inherit a good car. So my first choice would be to get a race seat here."

Monza: city guide

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 2:32 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

The best loved hotel in Monza is the Hotel de la Ville, a stone's throw from the royal park in which the Autodromo di Monza is situated. Michael Schumacher always stays here, undisturbed by the other VIP clientele. But if you are feeling really flush, you'll want to stay at the Villa d'Este on Lake Como - this was actually where Schumacher signed his contract to race for Benetton in 1992, bringing him his first two titles. Lake Como too relaxing? You'll want to be in Milan then. Hollywood is the discotheque of choice for F1 drivers, footballers and perma-tanned wannabies. Eddie Irvine once bought an apartment around the corner so he could pick up girls, take them back to see his CD collection, and go back to the club before closing.

www.hoteldelaville.com

www.villadeste.it

www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Lombardy/Milan-148247/Nightlife-Milan-Hollywood-BR-1.html

Autodromo di Monza: circuit guide

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 2:30 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

A cathedral of speed, Monza has hosted grands prix since 1922 and while the circuit no longer utilizes its now crumbing, historic banking, the experience is still epic - this is the fastest circuit in Formula One, and can be taken at an average speed of over 250kph.

 

The first chicane is a relatively new addition, and can lead to contact or a trip over the kerbs. It's also the best place for overtaking, as cars red-line at 340kph. The energy going through the brakes here is incredible, and they are susceptible to failure. The chicane slows the cars through the Curva Grande, a fifth gear right, before the second chicane. This is the Variante della Roggia. Next up, the Lesmos which are a very tricky pair of right-handers, and a good exit from the second is essential for the blast back under the old track and down to Variante Ascari. After this third chicane, there's a straight and then the final corner, Paribolica. The driver needs to achieve the highest possible exit speed through this fast spoon curve to maintain or make up a position down the very long and wide start/finish straight.

 

Because the start/finish straight is so long, there's an approximate 25 second penalty for making a pitstop - and that means most teams will run a one-stop strategy.

 

This is a power circuit, so cars run with almost no wing and get to fully utilize KERS. Expect those that use it to be at a distinct advantage. Last year Sebastian Vettel scored a historic win from pole for Toro Rosso, becoming the youngest driver to ever win a grand prix in the process.

Italian Grand Prix: Preview

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 1:21 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Giancarlo Fisichella will get very little sleep tonight. Like a child lies awake on Christmas Eve dreaming of what will be in his stocking come morning, Fisichella will be itching to finally experience driving a Ferrari.

 

"It has always been a dream to drive for Ferrari, but one that I had abandoned," says Giancarlo, glancing down at his red polo shirt with unconcealable excitement. It's a fairytale story of good things coming to those who wait. And Fisichella - an Italian for whom the Scuderia was a schoolboy fantasy - has waited 266 grands prix.

 

Ferrari's ardent supporters, the Tifosi, are excited too because after the embarrassing efforts of Luca Badoer - who finished last in both of his races - they believe the team has selected a driver with sufficient speed and experience to not only score points but to win, and beat McLaren in the Constructors' Championship.

 

However, it shouldn't be underestimated how difficult it is to jump from one car to another. The Ferrari is likely to feel very different to Giancarlo's previous steed, the Force India, and he needs to quickly get a handle on KERS. There will be a lot of new buttons to learn, therefore, when he steers out of the garage today for his first practice session.

 

He is race fit, though, which Badoer was not. Fisichella's Force India replacement, the charismatic Vitantonio Liuzzi, hasn't raced for nearly two years and is likely to be rusty too. However, Liuzzi is an overlooked talent. He never got much opportunity to shine at Red Bull and Toro Rosso, but few have forgotten his dominance in F3000 in 2004. If he can get his head back into race mode quickly, he could make a big splash. We saw in Belgium how competitive the Force India suddenly is, thanks in no small part to their technical partnership with McLaren. Another podium is not unrealistic.

 

McLaren could be favourites at Monza because their KERS system is so good. The long straights here at this hallowed Autodromo require a low-downforce configuration and lots of power, so Lewis Hamilton should put his 60bhp boost to good use here. Ferrari and Renault - who are dusting off their KERS system especially for this race - will be strong too.

 

One shouldn't discount Fernando Alonso doing the business here. Renault may be preoccupied by their looming court date over race fixing charges, but the car has been steadily improving. Also, there are whispers Ferrari will announce its 2010 driver line up here, in which case Alonso will be keen to show the Tifosi what their getting for their money.

 

With KERS so critical, that leaves Brawn GP and Red Bull Racing - who are fighting for the championship - potentially in no man's land, and scraping for eighth place. The shine on Jenson Button's title charge has definitely dulled, and may do so some more in Italy, but so long as Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber aren't scoring highly, the odds of a Button crown will increase. 

Lewis's new company car

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 10, 2009 12:57 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

McLaren have unveiled their long anticipated new road car: The McLaren MP4-12C.

Ron Dennis has a habit of launching expensive sports cars in the middle of a recession. The first was the McLaren F1 which re-wrote the supercar rule book and, at 241mph, broke the Guinness Book as well. This car, however, is less expensive and aimed at Ferrari's F430 Scuderia and the Lamborghini Gallardo. In terms of performance, it should be the market leader.

It's twin-turbo 3.8 V8 produces an epic 600bhp.

The two-seater mid-engined car will go on sale in 2011 and will cost around US$300,000.

Using F1 technology, this is the first road car to feature a carbon fibre monocoque. The tub weighs just 80kg.

A handling feature called Brake Steer, a development of an electronic system used by the F1 team, brakes the inside rear wheel when the car is entering a corner too quickly, to stop the car understeering. It also works on acceleration out of the corner when the inside rear might spin.

McLaren claims the car has more power per gram of CO2 than any car that's not fully electric; not so surprising given that most hybrids concentrate on economy rather than power, but impressive nonetheless.

As for the difficult economic conditions, Ron Dennis said, "What we are offering is a new approach to the market, through a skilled, solid, debt-free and risk-managed company. McLaren is right to take this step now and support future growth of high-technology manufacturing and engineering jobs in the UK."


What's in a name?

'MP4' has been the chassis designation for all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981. It stands for McLaren Project 4, resulting from the merger of Ron Dennis' Project 4 organisation with McLaren.

 

The '12' refers to McLaren's internal Vehicle Performance Index through which it rates key performance criteria both for competitors and for its own cars. The criteria combine power, weight, emissions, and aerodynamic efficiency. The coalition of all these values delivers an overall performance index that has been used as a benchmark throughout the car's development.

 

The 'C' refers to Carbon, highlighting the unique application of carbon fibre technology to the future range of McLaren sports cars

Tonio gets his chance to shine

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 7, 2009 4:48 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
There are a core of people in Formula One who believe Tonio Liuzzi has the DNA of a world champion, but that fate has conspired to suffocate his potential. 

He was a karting world champion - the clearest barometer of natural talent - and went on to dominate F3000, taking 10 wins in 2004 with Christian Horner's Arden International team. 

He was then given his chance in F1. Red Bull Racing gave him a seat in the team's inaugural year in 2005. His first race was at Imola and, after the BARs were disqualified, he earned a point on his debut. But from then on he had to share the seat with Christian Klein, a gimmick which didn't work very well because both lost out in terms of mileage, something Tonio desperately needed. The following two years he was stuck at Toro Rosso with a car that lacked the RBR's technical updates. 

He's been on the sidelines since the end of 2007, testing for Force India. Now, with Fisichella off to Ferrari, he gets to race once again.

It won't be easy for him to get on the pace straight away as he's had so little running in recent months and his only racing experience has been in Speedcar and A1 GP which isn't the same in terms of the competition. 

Spa was no fluke - the aero updates on the Force India have made that car a real contender. Monza will suit it well. But Tonio has just three practice sessions to get on top of everything and get the most out of himself and the car. That's not long - it certainly wasn't enough for Luca Badoer.

But I believe Tonio will deliver. It will be very interesting to see how Adrian Sutil responds.

Renault get their summons

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 4, 2009 7:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
The FIA have announced that on Monday 21st September Renault are requested to appear before an Extraordinary General Meeting of the World Motor Sport Council to answer charges that the team conspired to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

Reporters in Brazil are claiming that at the time Felipe Massa confronted Flavio Briatore about the incident, saying it was suspicious.

If found guilty, Renault could face a lifetime ban from Formula One. 

Monza is likely to be dominated by this story...

Forza Fisichella

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 4, 2009 12:59 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Giancarlo Fisichella must feel like he's won the lottery. Being a red blooded Italian, his dream was always to race for Ferrari. He will see out his career at the Scuderia for these remaining five races, driving a car that - as Kimi proved in Spa - is capable of winning. He has also left Force India off the back of the team's best ever performance.

Not only that, the deal involves a testing contract for next year - a Ferrari testing post is probably the best pension an F1 driver can hope for.

And, as Luca di Montezemolo has said, he's earned it.

In a statement Vijay Mallya said it would be wrong to stand in the way of such an opportunity for Fisi. He also said money hadn't changed hands - although it will probably mean some or all of the money Force India owes for last year's Ferrari engine will disappear.

The team hasn't announced it yet (which makes one wonder what is causing a delay) but Tonio Liuzzi is expected to take Fisi's seat.

So this is great news for Tonio too - as he will be driving a car which seems capable of winning in front of his home crowd at Monza. Tonio hasn't driven an F1 car since March, so let's hope he's up to speed.

Poor Luca Badoer now finds himself without a race seat and, imminently it seems, without a test seat either. If Ferrari asked you, as their test driver, to race in place of Massa, would you? Of course you would. How could you say no? If you said no, you would always regret it. Badoer would have regretted it. Unfortunately he will also regret saying yes. 

He was put in an impossible position.

F1: Fuel Injected Fact Book

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 2, 2009 1:04 PM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks


What's this? Another book you say? Yep, I'm having two books published in the same week...


This one's the Formula 1 Fuel Injected Fact Book, and if you like F1 and pub quizzes it's custom made for you.

Which driver has the bushiest beard, and who moonlighted as a world champion budgie breeder? What scares Mark Webber, and which Ferrari driver learnt in a Lada? If McLaren were a French electro band, which one would they be? And what does Force India have in common with P Diddy?

You'll find all this out and more. And you can test to see whether you have what it takes to be an F1 driver.

Published by Penguin, RRP £4.99, and carrying this official license of Bernard Charles, it's available in all good bookshops from tomorrow and is also on Amazon.


Buy it together with my Definitive Visual Guide (see below) and I think they might/should give you some kind of bulk discount. 


Hope you enjoy them!


ISBN-10: 1409303098

F1 embroiled in new cheating scandal

By Adam Hay-Nicholls on September 1, 2009 2:21 PM | 3 Comments | No TrackBacks
When I heard the story about the FIA investigating the cause and possible motivation of Nelson Piquet Jr's crash in Singapore last year, I thought it was a wind up. I left Spa quite early on Sunday - around 6pm - and read the beginnings of the story on the wire when I got home to Paris.

Nelson crashed on lap 13, bringing out the safety car just after Fernando Alonso had driven a short 12 lap first stint. It played into his hands perfectly and he was able to leapfrog the field and take victory. 

Some are reporting of the conspiracy theories that quickly spread through the press room that day last September. But I don't think anyone at all took those theories seriously - it was all a bit of a joke 'Well done Nelson', Briatore must have said. 'Finally you've turned in a winning performance'. It seemed unthinkable that a team would be so desperate and calculating to have actually pulled off such a feat.

The fact that the FIA really are investigating, 12 months on, suggests that some substantial evidence has come to light. If they didn't check the radio traffic and telemetry on the Renault last time, they will now. Consensus is that the FIA have been alerted to Renault's guilty secret - if they are guilty, that is, and we must for the moment presume innocence - by Nelson Piquet, who remains vitriolic after his unceremonious sacking from the team, or some one close to him. That, at least, is the opinion of Bernard Charles Ecclestone.

Bernie spoke to The Times yesterday, and said two things. 1) This could force Renault out of F1 and 2) Piquet will be hard pressed to find employment in F1 again.

Bernie is stuck in a tricky personal situation here because Flavio Briatore and Max Mosley are two of his best mates - but they don't get along. Also, Nelson Piquet Senior is close to Bernie, having raced for Brabham back in the day. Bernie will likely take a step back, and not get too involved.

Dealing with point 2 first, that would be a shame as I'd like to see what Piquet could do in another team, a team in which he has the same opportunities as his team mate. I think he'd be a very good choice for Campos. He's got enough experience to contribute to the design of the car, and quick enough to develop it. If they got on, he's young enough to stick around for a decade. But Bernie's right - other team bosses will be scared of insubordination and blackmail if Piquet was the whistleblower. Nelson's a cat among pigeons.

Then again, if Renault ordered him to crash he should tell the FIA. He should have told them 12 months ago. He shouldn't have followed the order at all. But, then, he may not have had his contract renewed. It's easy to imagine the conversation, and the pressure Piquet was under. Here, all you have to do is take one for the team, you'll be fine. And we'll do the paper work straight afterwards, yeah? Next year will be your year, Nelson!

Point 1 has serious repercussions for the health of F1. Renault would be a big loss to the sport, though their position has always been delicate. If Carlos Ghosn pulls the plug, Briatore may well take over the team a la Brawn with the help of Russian rubles. At least they'll still be on the grid. But that'll diminish the strength of FOTA and it could be the straw that breaks Toyota's back. If Toyota pull out, the manufacturers will no longer be the driving force.

This investigation could set off dominos the likes of which we haven't seen before.

If Renault are found guilty of 'match fixing' then Renault may not even have the option to withdraw. They will be kicked out of the sport. And it would be hard to argue with a judgement like that. F1 is a dangerous sport at the best of times, and one with a huge amount of money riding on it. To order a driver to put his life and the lives of spectators at risk could result in criminal proceedings. This could be the biggest cheating scandal ever to hit the sport.

But while it may get ugly, the FIA need to tackle this issue head-on. The most damaging action of all would be to sweep it under the carpet.


« August 2009 | Main Index | Archives | October 2009 »