Force India VJM05 breaks cover at Silverstone

Sahara Force India unveiled its 2012 challenger today as Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg pulled the covers off the VJM05 at Silverstone. They were joined by reserve driver, Jules Bianchi, as the team’s new car was presented for the first time.

The VJM05 is the second car to be created under the watch of Technical Director, Andrew Green, as the team seeks to build on its on its sixth place finish in the constructors’ championship and take the fight to the teams that lie ahead.

“We have set our sights on challenging for fifth place,” explained Team Principal and Managing Director, Dr. Vijay Mallya. “To do so we will need to begin the new campaign by delivering the kind of form we showed in the second half of 2011. I believe this is a realistic goal and that we have the talent and determination to realise these ambitions.”

Chief Operating Officer, Otmar Szafnauer, echoed those sentiments as he praised the team’s efforts to develop the VJM05: “The new car has come together nicely over the winter. We don’t know what our competitors have done, but we’ve made some gains over the winter and believe we’re in reasonable shape. It’s going to be difficult in the midfield, but our focus is on starting strongly and improving our position from last season.”

Summing up the approach to 2012, Andrew Green added: “The car looks more refined; a lot racier and a lot more purposeful. You can start to see the aerodynamic concepts coming through now. It looks quite a bit different to the previous years, and so far the performance in the tunnel has been encouraging.”

The drivers were delighted to get their first glimpse of the new car and set out their hopes for the season ahead:

Paul Di Resta: “Seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment. It’s when you realise that all the waiting is finally over and the season is beginning for real. I’ve had a good winter and I’ve recharged my batteries, but now I’m fully focussed on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing. There’s a really positive feeling in the team, good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year.”

Nico Hulkenberg: “I saw the new car in the wind tunnel a few times and followed its progress during the winter. It looks aggressive and fast, but we won’t know where we stand until we get out there and compete against the others. Preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training. I feel ready to get back to racing and I’m excited to find out what the new car feels like next week.”

Source: YallaF1

Video: Lewis Hamilton Jenson Button Silverstone Training Funny Commercial - 2011 New Carjam Radio

Source: CarjamRadio

Massa's Blog: We need to keep the momentum

I’m currently enjoying a few days at home in Monaco after what has been a very busy time since leaving Silverstone after the last race. Looking back briefly at the British Grand Prix, my result was not the best, but I came away from England feeling very encouraged by the performance of the 150º Italia over the course of the weekend. The race itself could have gone better, but as I explained before, from quite early on, around lap 20 or so, my car picked up a piece of debris in the floor, which affected my level of downforce and reduced my pace. That in turn meant I was using the tyres more than I should which impacted on the final result. However, in general our pace at Silverstone was much better than we had expected at this circuit and that is down to an excellent job from the team and those working back in the factory. So now I expect we can continue to move forward like this in the second half of the season. Okay, as from now the rules regarding the off-throttle diffuser go back to where they were, but the suggestion that our improved performance at the last race came from the rule change is wrong: when the engine mapping was changed, I would say we were losing maybe around four tenths of a second, depending on the track. But this lack of downforce should theoretically make it more difficult to get the tyres to work, especially the hard compound, but even in this configuration, Silverstone was the first time we were able to make the hard tyres work very well. As an example, just look at the first part of qualifying at Silverstone where I was third quickest, just a tenth of a second behind the fastest man, using the hard tyre. This means that our performance level was down to all the new components and updates we brought to Silverstone and was not connected to the rule change.

I have also spent a few days in Maranello, with a busy schedule both on the technical front and with promotional work. For two days, I worked in the simulator as well as attending meetings with the engineers and I also attended the annual meeting of the Ferrari dealers, coming from all the 58 countries where the Prancing Horse is present. On Friday, I drove our 3-seater F1 car at Fiorano for a promotional event: I have driven it before and it is definitely an entertaining experience, great fun. The best part is seeing the faces of the people as they prepare to get in the car. There is no other way to say it, they are simply very scared! I also had the opportunity to drive it with my engineers in the car, which actually is very good from a work point of view, so they can understand what it is we do in the cockpit, rather than just shouting at us to go faster all the time! I have to say, my race engineer Rob Smedley was very quiet, very nervous and shaking when he got out of the car J! I also took Pat Fry and Giuliano Salvi and then I also took my wife for a ride. She has been in it before and obviously enjoyed the experience although at the moment she has a rather stiff neck.

Looking ahead to next weekend’s German Grand Prix, it is an event I enjoy and I have been on the podium four times, although three of those have been at Hockenheim and then I have two additional podiums from coming second at the Nurburgring in the 2007 European GP, after leading Fernando in the McLaren for much of the race, and third again behind Michael and Fernando in 2007, my first ever podium in the career. It is an interesting circuit, with some unusual corners, uphill and downhill and slow turns in the modified first sector. So you need good downforce, but there are also some straights where straight line speed is important and based on what we saw from our aero package in Silverstone, I have high hopes that we can continue in the right direction in Germany. As for the championship, what can I say? As long there is a mathematical possibility there is always hope. I have said it so often, but it’s still true, that at Ferrari we never give up and we keep on fighting. The best strategy is simply to think about the season one race at a time, like we did at Silverstone. Now we need to keep the momentum this weekend and then immediately afterwards in Hungary, as that comes just one week later.

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso's Blog: I’m still enjoying it!

What a great feeling, winning again! And I’m revelling in it all the more now I’m back home in Oviedo. When a Grand Prix is over, there is a rush of emotion, but then there are so many things to do, what with press conferences and the debrief, so you have to stay very focussed. But the following morning, you wake up happy and there’s a truly special feeling that goes with it. And I have to say I’m still feeling that way now!

I haven’t spent too much time thinking about the technical reasons behind the win in the British Grand Prix. Each race has its own story and we know only too well how much things can change when you go from one track to another. There were definitely some major improvements on the car, which mean it feels much easier to drive now and you can feel it much more stuck to the ground than before, especially in the fast corners. That means it’s got more aerodynamic downforce, which was the area where we trailed our main rivals the most. However, I don’t think the changes to the engine mapping were a factor: we were quicker specifically at the part of the track where you practically don’t have to brake, which means it is the actual car that is going well.

This win won’t change our approach to the coming races. We have to be realistic, because we are 92 points behind in the classification and that is a very big gap! We will tackle the races one at a time, trying to win as many as possible. This will also involve taking a few more risks and maybe it will happen that we pay a high price for that, but there is no alternative. We are definitely not giving up, but we must not think about the championship: as Montezemolo said yesterday in Maranello, we are keeping our feet on the ground.

On Sunday morning, I had great fun doing a couple of laps in the 375 F1 which brought Ferrari its first championship Grand Prix win back in 1951. I had already driven a very similar car, the 375 Indy, in Valencia at the Ferrari Days event. It definitely takes a bit of getting used to with a very different pedal arrangement, with the accelerator on the left and the brake on the right. The engine power to tyre grip ratio is the complete opposite of the cars we drive today. You need to change your driving style to go quickly, but it was a wonderful experience. Sure, back then, not only did the drivers need to be incredibly talented, but they also needed a good dose of craziness!

There was a special atmosphere at Silverstone on Sunday. The crowd is always very big there and they are all very involved in the event. For us it felt different and I can’t explain why: maybe it was because we wanted to do well on this important anniversary in our history. Ever since I have been with Ferrari, there have often been unusual coincidences between my wins and special moments. For example, on my debut in red in Bahrain last year, or the first time I raced for the Scuderia at Monza. Now this win has come, sixty years after Gonzalez took the victory. I hope there will be many more moments like this!

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso draws level with Stewart in F1 record books

British Grand Prix-winner Fernando Alonso has moved level with triple F1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart in the sport's race-winning record books following his Silverstone success on Sunday

Double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has drawn level with Sir Jackie Stewart in the F1 race-winner record books following his superb British Grand Prix victory at Silverstone last weekend.

Stewart made his final F1 start in the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, a race earlier than planned due to the tragic death of his Tyrrell team-mate François Cevert during practice for the season-ending United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

That meant that the Scottish hero departed the fray with 27 victories from 99 grand prix starts – and it would be 14 years before Alain Prost surpassed that by triumphing for a 28th time in the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. It would be a further 14 years again before Michael Schumacher similarly eclipsed the Frenchman's winning tally, when he prevailed in the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion's 52nd career success.

Alonso now requires a further five wins to leapfrog 1992 title-winner Nigel Mansell into fourth spot in the all-time rankings. Schumacher (91), Prost (51) and the late, great Ayrton Senna (41) occupy the leading three positions.

Alonso's 19th fastest lap from 167 races has lifted the Ferrari star onto a par with Senna, Sir Stirling Moss and Damon Hill – and seven more would carry him past Mika Hakkinen into sixth in that particular list.

Source: Crash.net

Sebastian Vettel F1 Blog: Silverstone | 'Could have been better'

On the face of it, a second and third place for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber is a good result, but is Seb entirely satisfied with his British Grand Prix? The world champion reveals all in his latest blog

by Sebastian Vettel on Jul 11, 2011

Hello everyone!

One thing is clear this morning: the race could have been better. But I don’t like to get into the "what if?" scenarios, so I’m reasonably happy with second place.

My second pit stop wasn't anywhere near perfect, but these things can happen. All I saw was that something wasn't fixed properly on my left back wheel and the guys had to pull the car back in to fix it. That's where we lost our precious time.

By the time I was back on the track there was a big gap between me and the guys in front. All I could do was put the pedal to the metal and come as close as I could. A bit more rain might have helped me because that's where I felt most comfortable, but second place is OK.

'We'll make sure that it won't happen again'

We know we made a mistake and we'll make sure that it won't happen again. The worst thing that we can do is to let a mistake get to us so we’ll just move on and keep on working hard.

The fact that the car was so fast and reliable is a bonus, but it won't affect the way we'll approach the next races. You need to prove yourself on every single track and when you’re racing, the last result doesn't matter.

I've said it before, the most important thing for we drivers is to make sure discussions and talk coming from outside the garage doesn’t distract us from the one thing that should always be our focus: racing.

I'll talk to you from Germany!

All the best,

Seb

Source: Red Bull

Hamilton: That's as close as it gets

Lewis Hamilton reckons that's as "close as it's going to get" after beating Felipe Massa to fourth place by 0.024s at Silverstone

Hamilton had appeared to be on track for a podium finish at his home grand prix as he was lapping in third place ahead of Mark Webber with nine laps to go.

However, the Brit was then informed by his team that he did not have enough fuel to finish the race and need to converse fuel.

It was a blow to the McLaren driver's hopes as he could do little to defend against Webber, who was cruising up behind. The Aussie easily took P3 off Hamilton.

The attacks, though, didn't stop there as just two laps from the end of the race, Hamilton came under pressure from Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Doing everything he could to keep the Ferrari at bay, Hamilton was finally informed on the final lap that he could push. But, by that stage, Massa was right there.

The duo had an intense and thrilling battle for fourth place, which even resulted in them touching and pieces of Hamilton's bodywork flying off his car.

The Brit, though, held on to finish P4, securing a much-needed 12 World Championship points.

"That was as close as it's going to get. It was crazy," Hamilton told the BBC.

"First of all, the team did a fantastic job with all the pit stops.

"Coming here today, knowing the support we had, I've never seen so many people here.

"The support is far greater than any other driver gets anywhere else. I felt it spurring me on.

"I had a good start, made some places up but unfortunately towards end I had to save fuel. I had to give Webber his position.

"Then on the last lap they said now you can push and I was like 'thanks, after I'd let him catch me up' but I was not giving him that position."

Source: Planet-F1

Webber: Not a reply to 'nonsense' changes

Mark Webber says forget about the constant rule changes, he just wants to race, and he's sure that's what the fans want as well

This weekend's British GP has been dogged by controversy as the FIA have opted to alter the rules. And not once, they've done it twice.

In the build up to the Silverstone race, the teams were informed that off-throttle blown diffusers would be banned.

However, they were given a bit of leeway and could open the throttle up to a maximum 10 to 20 percent.

Red Bull, together with Renault, approached the FIA on Friday and were granted concession whereby they could open the throttle 50 percent in order to ensure reliability.

But overnight that was withdrawn and the Red Bull team woke up Saturday morning to be informed that they would have to stick to the maximum 10 to 20 percent that all the teams were limited to.

And although team boss Christian Horner was quick to proclaim that his drivers would be "running at a disadvantage compared to other manufacturers", that was not the case in qualifying where Webber secured pole by 0.032s over Sebastian Vettel.

Asked about the rule change issues during the post-qualifying press conference, the Aussie made it clear that he thinks.

"It's nonsense. Nobody really understands it. We don't know what's going on," said the 34-year-old.

"It's very boring for the fans. I am sure only 0.1 percent of the fans understand what's going on.

"Let's get on with the racing and keep the rules as simple as we can.

"Seb and I have just to concentrate on the driving.

"It is not new for our team - adjustable ride height control, front wing and nothing new - every year we have a new thing to talk about.

"Let's hope everyone can find someone common ground.

Asked whether his pole position was a way for Red Bull to 'reply' to the new rules, Webber insisted the one had nothing to do with the other.

"No, it is not. We are not looking to reply to anything. What has to be reiterated is that our team has turned up very, very early and left very, very late. Every team works hard but this team works incredibly hard.

"We concentrate on that, what is happening in the last few months is not what we have done in the last few months, it is years of work to put ourselves in this situation.

"We have seen today that we are still going okay, but irrespective of lap times it is an interpretation of rules and principles.

"Whether we are on pole or 10th, the team will continue to have a stance on what is correct. It is not a comeback from what we had today."

Source: Planet-F1

Sebastian Vettel sets sights on second golden Silverstone moment

German was disappointed he could not walk away with the trophy after last year's triumph – but is still after another win

Sebastian Vettel is preparing for the British Grand Prix on Sunday but he is still waiting for something tangible to remind him of his victory at Silverstone in 2009, when – as is traditional – he was not allowed to walk away with the trophy, a golden prize not unlike the one held aloft by Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon three days ago.

"Yes, the golden one. I was very surprised because I thought I would be able to take it home with me," Vettel said on Wednesday. "But I had to give it back straight away. I couldn't even take it off the podium.

"So I asked if I could have a replica and they were like: 'What do you mean?' It turns out I was the first ever to ask for a replica. So it was quite a struggle. And I still haven't got it."

Vettel, even when he is surrounded by the uniquely egocentric world of Top Gear, exudes a quiet modesty. The Formula One world champion – and this year's champion-elect – had just completed filming with the BBC at Dunsfold aerodrome for this weekend's show when he was asked whether he attempted to model himself on his idol, Michael Schumacher, or whether he tried to distance himself from the sport's pantomime villain. The man who has made the best start ever to a Formula One season, by winning six of the first eight races and coming second in the other two, smiled with a quiet assurance. "Generally, I'm not trying to do anything consciously. I am who I am," he said. And smiled again. "I am not trying just to look good or avoid something happening. I feel very fortunate to be in the position I am."

Asked if it is possible to dominate, as he has with nine wins in 12 races, and still be nice, he said: "There are two sides. There is no reason why outside the car you have to be a bastard. If you always have been, then that is you. If people don't like it, that is how it is. It is not right to fake being a nice guy. I am who I am and I am not trying to be someone who I am not. If I could do that I would be an actor.

"I'm trying to achieve something. I have my target. I know what it takes. Next to that there are things which other people would like you to do or achieve. But you cannot please everyone. Unfortunately there will always be some people offended by what you do – for instance, with the finger – but that's how it is." He was referring to the raised forefinger – like an umpire giving a batsman out – which he uses to salute yet another pole or race victory.

So is this a different Vettel from the one who became Formula One's youngest champion last year? Last year he won the prize at the last gasp but this year pole position and the chequered flag appear to come easily. "I don't arrive like that. Obviously, when we arrive we are confident and we believe in ourselves. And we believe that we can have a good weekend. But I can't take it for granted to arrive and say pole, race. It never comes easy.

"My biggest dream was to become Formula One world champion. No one can take this away from me, from us, any more. Whatever happens in the future this will always be there."

According to the Red Bull designer Adrian Newey it is Vettel's intelligence that sets him apart from other drivers. "We've got cars covered in sensors and data recorders and so forth. And that tells you what the car's doing. But it doesn't tell you why it's doing it. Seb's got a very good feel for the tyres, for the dynamics, for the car. He also has this intelligence.

"When you start off, in karting and the junior formulas, you don't need a lot of technical understanding. You just drive by the seat of your pants. As you start to move up the formulas, and ultimately reach the top, to be one of the all-time greats you need to be pretty bright. If you look at Ayrton, Schumacher, Prost – that's my era – they've all been very bright, very determined and hard-working. And Seb's the same.

"You need that combo, of being hugely gifted, genetically if you like, but also hard-working and bright and able to verbalise what the car's doing. And that's Seb. He's very analytical."

Source: Guardian

Alonso's Blog: A meeting with Ferrari’s past in Maranello

Finally, a bit of time off! After the Valencia weekend, I went straight to Maranello where I spent two packed days both on the technical and the promotional front. This morning I went back home to relax for a few days before setting off again for the next Grand Prix, in England this time, at Silverstone.

With the team, we went back over the last race and the short and long term development plans. I take away good memories from Valencia. It was a positive weekend, especially the race. In fact it meant I filled a gap in my trophy collection, but the best part of it was seeing again the delight of the crowd when I passed Mark, first on track and then at the pit stop: racing in Spain is always something special!

It is a key time in the season. We are moving forward, as could be seen in the last three races, but now we must also confirm the progress seen at Monaco, Montreal and Valencia on a track with completely different characteristics, which is definitely more suited to our main rivals. At Silverstone, you need a lot of aerodynamic downforce and this is area where we are lagging behind. We will have some new parts, but there’s a step from that to saying we will have made up the difference…Maybe! We must be realistic and accept that it’s not possible that in less than two months – the time past since the Barcelona race – we have closed the gap that was seen at the Catalunya circuit. It wasn’t a whole lap, because that was down to the way the race panned out, but it was definitely bigger than what we have seen in the last three races. We must continue to work on improving the car and then I am sure the win will come. When? I don’t have a crystal ball to be able to give a definite answer.

In Maranello, I had the opportunity to meet a driver who has been part of the history of Formula 1 and of Ferrari, John Surtees. We took part in a promotional event organised by our technical partner Shell and he was very interesting to talk to, comparing our experiences as drivers and, above all, talking about our lives with a special team like Ferrari. It’s nice to meet people who can give you a first hand account of what Formula 1 was like back then!

Today, the team told me about Pirelli’s tyre choices for the coming three races. At the British Grand Prix, we will be running the Soft and the Hard, the same choice that featured in the early stages of the championship. Okay, for us that means one more challenge, namely being able to make all types of tyre work as well as possible. Anyway, the tyre choice is the same for everyone and there’s no point discussing if the pair of compounds chosen is more suited to one team or another. It’s up to the teams to adjust the cars to get the best out of the tyres both in terms of performance and life.

Source: Ferrari.com

Diffuser ban to cost Red Bull half a second

Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that the team expect to lose half a second per lap at Silverstone when the ban on off-throttle blown diffusers takes effect

Speculation has been rife regarding how the ban will impact the teams, with Red Bull thought to be in danger of suffering the greatest loss.

Marko admits that the ban will cost the team but they are well prepared to deal with the changes.

"We expect to lose approximately 0.5 seconds per lap without the blown diffuser," he said.

"However, we made preparations to equalise this in terms of set-up and aero measures. We are optimistic that we will keep our performance level."

The 68-year-old is understandably annoyed at the FIA's decision to implement the ban halfway through the season.

"We would have understood if this was implemented at the end of the season like many other technical developments recently," he said.

"But to do this halfway through the season is a bit strange and not quite understandable," the Austrian added.

Source: Planet-F1

Famous Hunt car set for Silverstone sale

James Hunt's Hesketh F1 car to go up for sale at Silverstone Classic

The car in which James Hunt secured his maiden F1 victory is to be sold at auction later this year at Silverstone.

Hunt, who went on to win the 1976 title with McLaren, secured his maiden F1 victory the previous year at the wheel of Hesketh Racing's 308/2 chassis, which ran in a white livery with red and blue stripes and a famous teddy bear logo.

It was to be the only victory for the Hesketh team, which competed in F1 with its own cars from 1974 to 1978 – its debut having come in 1973 with a car purchased from March.

The 308/2, designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, carried Hunt to victory in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, while he also finished on the podium in both France and Austria.

The car had been part of Lord Hesketh's private collection until 2007 but will now be sold at Silverstone Auctions' sale during the Silverstone Classic weekend, on Saturday, July 23.

“This is an incredibly exciting car, that carried one of the most well-known and loved British Formula 1 drivers to his first victory,” Silverstone Auctions' managing director Nick Whale told the Northampton Chronicle. “It is a very important part of Formula 1 history that continues to be successfully raced.

“We are very proud to offer it for sale during the Silverstone Classic. It seems fitting a car developed so nearby to Silverstone, at Lord Hesketh's Northamptonshire estate, should be returning here to be sold with Silverstone Auctions.”

The car has been used in recent years by Hunt's son James for a number of events, such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Silverstone Classic.

Source: Crash.net

Button gave Hamilton lift home from Silverstone

It has emerged that Lewis Hamilton left Silverstone, having finished second in the British Grand Prix, in the passenger seat of a road-going Mercedes driven by McLaren team-mate and fellow World Champion Jenson Button.

With Hamilton having extended his run of consecutive podium finishes to four, Button climbed to fourth from 14th on the grid in Britain before escorting his team-mate.

“He gave me a lift home from Silverstone last week and I would do the same for him,” Hamilton told Reuters, as he now looks ahead to Germany.

“It's strange. I've had four solid races, two wins and two second places, and yet I'm only 12 points ahead; we'll have to see how it goes but if I can increase that gap a bit I'll certainly be happier.”

Source: GP Update

[Videos] Seb plays the guitar and the tambourine at Silverstone

Source: YouTube @blockcd

[Photos] Silverstone - Saturday and Sunday

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