Red Bull Racing

[Ed]

JEREZ TEST, DAY THREE

Driver: Daniel Ricciardo
Car: RB5-02
Time: 1:17.418
Laps: 77
Circuit length: 4.423 km
Fastest Lap: See above

This was the final day of Formula 1 testing for 2009 and once again, Daniel Ricciardo was at the wheel of the RB5 in Jerez, where the past three days were restricted to drivers having competed in fewer than three Grands Prix. Following on from the past two days, the team again worked on aerodynamic testing aimed at 2010, getting through its entire programme, even though track time was shortened by some light rain in the middle of the day. Ricciardo’s performance was impressive and in fact, his best lap today was the fastest recorded at the Jerez circuit this year.

“These last three days have been an incredible experience for me,” said Daniel, as he reluctantly stepped out of the cockpit. “I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity, which has made me even more determined to make it into Formula 1 one day. I know it was just a test, but seeing my name on the top of today’s timesheet was really something special.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

JEREZ TEST, DAY TWO

Driver: Daniel Ricciardo
Car: RB5-02
Time: 1:19.243
Laps: 92
Circuit length: 4.423 km
Fastest Lap: Gary Paffett (McLaren) 1:18.718

For his second day in an F1 cockpit, Daniel Ricciardo tackled a similar programme to yesterday, which involved getting to grips with the actual driving and procedures that are unique to these cars, as well as trying two different tyre compounds. The Australian also carried out various tests aimed at the 2010 season: aero and brake testing, as well as running the car in the very heavy configuration resulting from next year’s ban on race refuelling.

“I found it a bit easier today,” said Daniel. “I knew what to expect this morning and the procedures were easier to understand, so I was able to concentrate on improving my driving and hopefully give my best in terms of providing the engineers with good feedback.”

Ricciardo will be back in the cockpit for the final day of testing this year.
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

JEREZ TEST, DAY ONE

Driver: Daniel Ricciardo
Car: RB5-02
Time: 1:19.534
Laps: 113
Circuit length: 4.423 km
Fastest Lap: Andy Soucek (Williams) 1:19.158
Several teams are at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit for what has been designated a ‘young driver test’, a measure introduced as a result of the ban on in-season testing. Red Bull Racing is fielding this year’s British Formula 3 Champion and Red Bull Junior Driver, Daniel Ricciardo. Although the Australian suffered a spin early on in today’s testing, he was soon back on track and ended the day with the fourth fastest time. “I don’t think I stopped smiling all day,” he said after the session was over. “Working with the team was great and they let me go at my own pace until I built up some confidence. After that, we began working on things that will be useful for next season. This was the first time I’ve ever driven a Formula One car round corners, having previously only done a straight line test and I have to say, it’s got more grip than anything else I’ve ever driven.”

The team was impressed with Daniel’s first drive and, as he seems to have survived the physical demands of a day in the cockpit of a Formula One car, he should be back in action tomorrow, when the testing continues.
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Abu Dhabi Race

2009: 6 WINS, 16 PODIUMS
2010: BRING IT ON!

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: WINNER, Start Position: 2nd
“That was a fantastic race. We had a very good start, it wasn’t good enough to overtake Lewis, but I was surprised I was so close to him. Then, when Lewis was on the long straight, he pushed a button and disappeared ahead, but I was able to stay close. We knew we were a little bit heavier and we were always able to catch him up, especially in the last sector. The car was a dream today. There was a lot of pressure, I nearly went a bit wide in the pit lane entrance during my first stop and then there was the scary exit through the tunnel, but I was on the limit and it was enough to get past Lewis. Unfortunately he then had to retire, but up to that point it was a fantastic race with him. After that I had a little bit of a cushion to Mark and Jenson behind and I was able to pace myself, but the car was fantastic until the end. It worked brilliantly on both tyre compounds and it was a pleasure to sit in the car this evening. To sum up the season, what can I say? I would say up and down, we are currently very strong and have just gained our fourth one-two finish, so congratulations to the team. They have been pushing a lot, working very hard back in the factory. It’s a shame now that the season ends, as we are on a roll! It’s just perfect to finish the season in this way on such a high.”

Car 14 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: SECOND, Start Position: 3rd
“I made a pretty good start and had a bit of a look on the outside of Sebastian, but I knew I had to get back on the inside and get a good exit, as it was a long run down to Turn five. My car got hit quite hard on the left rear after the first corner and I was worried about a puncture. My race engineer, Ciaron, told me the tyre had enough pressure and I was relieved. It looked like Lewis was struggling a little bit in the first few laps and Sebastian and I were able to get a bit closer to him than we expected. Things then started to stabilise and I was pretty happy on the prime tyres. Sebastian was a bit quicker today in the second two race stints, especially the last one. I didn’t have much of a feeling on the option tyre and it was the same for me on Friday. I was quite slow on that and preferred the stability of the prime. Towards the end of the race, Jenson was able to close the gap to me and I thought ‘this is going to be tight’! We knew we had a slight top-speed advantage, but not much and I had to make sure I was accurate with my braking points. We had a good clean fight on the limit and the battle was a credit to how Jenson’s driven all year. I want to congratulate the team on what they have achieved and thank them for their patience with me at the start of the year when I was coming back from my accident. It’s been very enjoyable driving alongside Sebastian this year, Renault has given us a fantastic engine and overall Red Bull can be incredibly proud of what they have done. It’s been my best season to date; we’ve had 16 podiums together; it’s very good.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “That was the most brilliant way to finish the season, by gaining our fourth one-two finish and our sixth win. Both our drivers were supreme today. Sebastian drove an immaculate race and we managed to jump Lewis through good strategy, good pace and good work with the pit crew. Mark also had enough fuel to get Lewis at the next pit-stop – however, that came sooner than expected when Lewis retired. Thereafter both guys were really strong on the prime tyre. Mark lost quite a bit of time with some difficult traffic just before his final stop and then he was struggling a little bit for traction on the option tyre, so Jenson was able to close in. It was a really exciting last lap of the year and Mark did a brilliant job to hang on to second place, so congratulations to the whole team – it’s been an excellent year. Thank you to Red Bull, to Mr Mateschitz for all his support, to our engine partner Renault and all the people who have worked so hard in Milton Keynes this year for this fantastic result. We’ve learned a great deal this year and we’ll come back stronger in 2010.”

FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “That's it, the season is over and it’s time to reflect on what we have achieved. Firstly, I think we’ve had a very good season: the team is second in the Championship, ahead of teams with far more experience than ourselves and we have twice as many points as McLaren or Ferrari. This is a big achievement and I would like to thank Red Bull for the excellent car they made. I also would like to thank the drivers who did a fantastic job, both in and out of the car. I mention the work they did out of the car, because both drivers stayed team members when we had difficult technical and political times with our engine. Our group team effort paid off and we only used the permitted number of engines this year. Sebastian didn’t need to use any extra engines, which is a true achievement and he even scored two more wins after he had no fresh engines left. Thank you also to all the guys in Viry and Aubigny for the good engines they have provided us. And finally, thanks to my Renault team who have worked for Red Bull at the races and tests. They did a fantastic job and they can be proud of what we have achieved this year, I am proud of them.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER:
On Red Bull Racing finishing second in the 2009 Constructors’ Championship:
“Second is a fantastic achievement for the team. In many respects the eam is still very young and it’s only our fifth season in Formula One. To have achieved 16 podiums, six wins, five pole positions and six fastest laps – including four one-two finishes – as well as in excess of 150 points, is a massive achievement. We were Championship contenders right up until the penultimate race – however the Championship ultimately wasn’t lost in Brazil and you have to show respect to the season that Jenson and Brawn had, with a very dominant early display in the Championship. We were playing catch up thereafter. I think the effort that’s gone into RB5 has been superb from every member of the team. We have to thank our partners, including Renault for their support and assistance - without which none of the results would have been possible this year. I think it’s a season that members of the team can be very proud of and, although second is one place off our ultimate target, it’s still a very good result. We’ll learn a lot of lessons from this year, which will only make us stronger going into 2010.
“In regards to the high point of the year, for me there have been several. The biggest was probably winning our first GP with a one-two finish in China. That was a really special moment for the whole team and a testimony to the support and commitment that both Red Bull and Mr. Mateschitz have made to Formula One. Winning the British GP was another high point of the season together with Mark’s first GP win two weeks later in Germany. Seb’s dominant GP drive in Japan was another, Mark’s second victory in Brazil a week ago and, of course, the one-two we have just gained here in Abu Dhabi – there are so many highlights.

“There’s no room for complacency in this sport. We’ve beaten some formidable opponents this year, but they’re not going to be sleeping. They’ve demonstrated in the second half of the year that they’ve worked very hard to recover, by winning races in Ferrari and McLaren’s case, and I’m sure they’ll be formidable opponents again next year. But, we’ll learn lessons from this year and I think, as the team has developed, it’s only got stronger. I’m convinced that it can continue to evolve and with continuity in our line-up, we’re perfectly placed to build on this year’s campaign.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Abu Dhabi Qualifying notes

Car 15,
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Position 2nd
“I think both Mark and I were surprised by the gap to Lewis. He’s been quick all weekend and the McLaren seems to be generally very strong here. We could see in Q1 and Q2 that it would be difficult to match their pace, so I think this was the maximum we could do today. I’m very pleased so far, it should be a good race. The car is working well here; it just seems that our KERS button, which we have on the steering wheel, isn’t working! But, let’s see. I think we have a good race pace and the car is getting better and better. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

C ar 14,
MARK WEBBER
Position 3rd
“A good day for the team - I’m happy to be starting near the front of the grid and we have a good chance tomorrow for a strong result. I’m surprised by Hamilton’s time, McLaren have done a very good job, no question about it, and it seems that this track suits them. We’re going to have our work cut out to beat Lewis tomorrow, but we’re going to give it our best shot. I think the KERS gives them a good advantage but, even without that, they clearly have a good car here. But, it’s a long race and anything can happen.

CHRISTIAN HORNER:
“Firstly, what a fantastic venue. Abu Dhabi has done an amazing job and the track is a brilliant addition to the calendar. It was a good final qualifying session of 2009 – both cars comfortably made it through in to Q3 and both drivers delivered really good laps. Second and third is a very strong team result. Lewis is on pole by a reasonable margin, but we hope we can push him hard in the race tomorrow. It should be a really exciting finale to the season.”

FABRICE LOM,
Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “A good team effort. Coming here, we didn’t think this track would suit us so well, so it’s a good result.
Second and third is the best we could do today I think, especially when we see Hamilton’s pace – he’s very, very quick, so congratulations to him for his pole position. We’ll try to make life hard for him tomorrow and score the maximum number of points to end the season on a high
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Abu Dhabi Friday practice report

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P3, 2nd Practice P4
“So, that was the last Friday practice of this year. I’d like to say thanks to Renault – many people didn’t believe that we’d succeed without having to change an engine, but here we are having completed a lot of miles on another Friday without a single problem. Abu Dhabi is a new circuit, so new conditions – including starting driving in the daylight and finishing the session at night, which is quite exciting. Obviously, the circuit was very green and slippery to begin with, but overall it’s quite a thrill to drive, with some good corners. It’s also pretty special to go under a hotel! Performance wise, we’re looking quite good. We didn’t know what to expect around here, but it seems as though we’re quite competitive, although we will have to wait to see how competitive. Even though it’s a new track, it was a normal Friday practice and we were testing which tyre works best.”


Car 14 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P8, 2nd Practice P7
“A productive first day at a new track. We had an engine change between P1 and P2 – the guys did a brilliant job to get the car turned around in time. Other than that, we got on with the normal tyre comparisons and other tests we do on a Friday – so, although a new track, a normal Friday. The track’s pretty good – it’s not Spa, but it’s also not Bahrain! It’s not bad. There was a difference in clarity between driving in the afternoon for P1 and in the early evening during P2 – it’s a different atmosphere when the lights are on, but we’re used to that from Singapore.”


STATISTICS
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 3, Best Time: 1:44.153, Laps: 28, Chassis No. 1
Second Practice Session
Position: 4, Best Time 1:41.591, Laps: 37, Chassis No. 1

MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 8, Best Time: 1:44.805, Laps: 25, Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 7, Best Time: 1:41.684, Laps: 34, Chassis No. 4
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIXVIEW

AS WE PREPARE FOR ABU DHABI, HERE’S PART THREE OF THE 2009 FORMULA ONE SEASON … ALONG WITH A LAP FROM DAVID COULTHARD OF THE YAS MARINA CIRCUIT…

Singapore outglams Monaco, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani, Simple Minds, ZZ Top, In the paddock it’s breakfast at lunch, dinner at midnight and sleeping pills in the morning. Grosjean crashes at Piquet Corner, even the Renault pit wall smile, Vettel on the front row, Webber on second, but Hamilton wins. Drivers meet potential FIA presidents blah blah blah, jet lagged F1 moves on to revamped Suzuka, amusement park rollercoasters gone, but new paddock features escalators for oldies. Paper boats sail down pit lane river on Friday, Alonso announced at Ferrari, world’s most expensive game of Musical Chairs begins as we do the Driver Shuffle, Raikkonen going back to McLaren, Kubica to Renault, Barrichello to Williams in Brawn swap with Rosberg, Elvis to USF1, Glock sick Kobayashi in, Glock back, Glock crash, Glock ouch, Glock out. Buemi, Alguersuari and Webber in Crash Bang Wallop, makes life expensive for Red Bull, but Vettel keeps title fight alive with masterful drive from pole to first for third win, Sunday night mayhem in Log Cabin, as F1 folk start its planned demolition work early. Jet lag reaches record level as F1 goes back to Europe, then west to Brazil, clocks go forward, but Glock not back. Torrential rain on Saturday, pit garages boast new water features, rain pours through roof during mammoth 2h45min Saturday Qualifyathon, TV pundits talk rubbish to fill extra time, so what’s new, drivers go to loo and eat snacks, qualifying back on, crowd berserk as Rubinho gets pole, Webber on front row, but Vettel back in 16th, Webber clinches win number two – the team’s fifth of the year, Buemi in the points, but all unnoticed as a Brit finishes fifth in Sao Paulo to deny a Brazilian (and a German) the title, a case of 2008 déjà vu. Well done to Button and Brawn, Red Bull Racing secures its best-ever finish, Second in 2009 Constructors’ Championship, one more race to go as F1 goes east from Europe again, this time to Abu Dhabi and to the Yas Marina circuit, where David Coulthard drove a 2-seater Formula One car earlier this month. And this is what he had to say about it…

DAVID COULTHARD ON THE YAS MARINA CIRCUIT
“Having had the opportunity to drive the circuit, what struck me is that it’s a two-stage track; the first half of the lap until corner nine is typical of the new type of track. There’s the fast section at the beginning from Turn One to the Turn Four tight hairpin with the grandstand literally overhead, giving great viewing for the spectators. The 1.2 kilometre back straight should give an opportunity for some slipstreaming and overtaking and then the back section of the circuit has a real street circuit feel to it, where you come along the section that takes you to the hotel and then passes underneath it, via a series of 90 degree right-handers and left-handers before opening out to the end of the lap and a medium speed corner on to the start-finish straight. The pit lane entry is very challenging, as is the exit, which is actually in a tunnel under the circuit and is going to make it particularly challenging for the drivers coming in and out of pit stops. There are great facilities and air-conditioned garages which will make working conditions in the heat a little bit easier and also having an evening race will obviously take some of the heat out of what can be a very hot venue. I think the twilight aspect of the race will be more of a visual treat for the spectators and the TV audience, but I think for the drivers it will be absolutely fine, as there is enough overhead lighting to make it blend seamlessly from day into night, no problem.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

FIRST TODAY
SECOND THIS YEAR

Car 14 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: WINNER, Start Position: 2nd
“I’m happy with that! You never know in the first stint of a race what’s going to happen, although I knew Rubens (Barrichello) and Robert (Kubica) were a bit shorter than me. I was matching Robert’s pace to start with and when they made their pit stops, I knew I had a clear run to make a gap to start my second stint. I just cleared Jenson (Button) on my outlap, which was good too. I was just making sure the tyres were comfortable for the whole stint. I was a little bit panicky in the second stint as Robert started closing, although my pace was not too bad and I knew he was quite short in the middle stint. I was then able to control the gap to Robert and he backed off towards the end, which gave me a nice run home. It’s fantastic feeling to win again. As a team we’ve had quite a few victories this year off the back of some tough seasons, but today has confirmed second place for us in the Constructors’ Championship. We’re very proud of what we have achieved this year as a team – I want to thank Renault as well, the engines have been very good and they’re not easy environments for them to work in. Congratulations to Jenson and also to Brawn on clinching the Championships today after a good fight. It was a good weekend for the Australians, as Jason Crump won the World Speedway Championship last night. He’s a close friend of mine and he won it under difficult conditions, so a good weekend.”

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 4th, Start Position: 15th
“I think there is a guy at Brawn who is happier than me today. All in all it was a good race – starting from the back and finishing fourth. We were helped by some people crashing, but I think fourth was the maximum we could do today. Without the problems in yesterday’s qualifying, we could have won the race, but we didn’t so there’s not much more to say. The pressure wasn’t too much during the race, I was just focusing on each lap. I knew that Jenson was just ahead or behind me and would score points for the Championship – but you don’t really think about it until the last couple of laps. Before that you never know what can still happen. At one point I was praying for rain, there was the smell of rain, but it didn’t come. Congratulations to Jenson and Brawn, I think they did the best job this year.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A brilliant drive from Mark today; he was faultless from start to finish. We knew he had a good overlap of fuel and he used it to brilliant effect, so a dominant win and a very strong weekend for him. For Sebastian, it was an excellent recovery from a lowly grid position. After the difficulties of yesterday, he drove a stunning race and fourth is a great result considering where he started. It was a very good team performance today, with great pit work. Congratulations to Jenson on becoming World Champion, he’s been a great competitor this year and also to the Brawn team on winning the Constructors’ Championship. We can reflect on an outstanding season and we’ll go to Abu Dhabi determined to finish with the momentum that we’ve had at the last few races.”

FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “On one side we lost both Championships today, so I have a sad feeling for that. The fight was hard and very fair with Brawn, so congratulations to them. I won’t let anyone say that the engine is the only aspect that cost us the title, we won as a team and we lost as a team. Renault is part of this team and we are proud to be so. Putting the negatives aside, we are second in the Constructors’ Championship, which is a great achievement and I am very, very happy for Mark today. The second win is perhaps the one that confirms the talent of the driver and Mark has gained his second win with Renault, so congratulations to him and well done.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

AUSSIE SURFS TO SECOND

Car 15,
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Position 16th
“I’m not happy, it’s very disappointing. It should have been better, but it was difficult in the conditions. There was a window when the circuit was at its fastest, but we couldn’t use it as we were in traffic. Afterwards, when we were in clear air towards the end of the session, it was raining hard and there was too much water, so it was impossible to improve the time. It’s not the best position to start from – we were targeting much higher, but that’s life and we have to accept it.
There wasn’t really anything missing from our side today, it wasn’t about our pace, it was just a case of timing.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER:
“Firstly, it’s really frustrating for Sebastian to just miss out on Q2. Unfortunately, in the window when the circuit was at its best, traffic or other cars were making mistakes ahead of him, which cost him dearly and he wasn’t able to put a lap together at the optimum time. Later in Q1, the circuit was in an atrocious state and he just missed getting through to Q2. It’s frustrating as after the delay you could see how competitive the car was once some of the standing water had moved. Mark ran very competitively and missed out on pole by less than a tenth of a second. It was a strong performance by him and it’s going to make for a fascinating race tomorrow.”

Car 14,
MARK WEBBER
Position 2nd
“That was a very tricky session - especially in Q1 when the conditions were really bad. The car was difficult to drive then, but we scraped through. After qualifying re-started, the track came back to us a bit and I was able to be more competitive. It wasn’t too comfortable at first out on track, but then the grip came and the times were quite good. In Q3 I kept switching between the top three, from pole to third to pole to third; I would have liked to have had another crack at being on pole, but I made a mistake. I think it wasn’t easy to knit six perfect laps together in those conditions, but I’m very happy with how I drove and the guys in the garage did a great job. Congratulations to Rubens for his pole here at home; we’ll give him a race tomorrow.”

FABRICE LOM,
Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support:
“That was the longest qualifying session of my career – what a session! The first part was very disappointing with Sebastian not being able to make it into Q2. The second part was much better and Mark drove very well in the difficult conditions to secure second place. I have mixed feelings, it’s going to be very hard for both Championships now, but if it’s wet tomorrow anything can happen, so we will fight.”

Practice 3
Webber: P10, Best Time: 1:25.440, Laps: 5
Vettel: P15, Best Time: 1:27.047, Laps: 4
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

‘ENCOURAGING FRIDAY’

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P3, 2nd Practice P7
“All in all, a good Friday. We had another practice day without any engine trouble, even though we did a lot of laps – so thanks to Renault for that. Other than that, we were fast throughout the whole of practice today. We’ll look into the data now and I’m sure we can improve further – we should have enough time before tomorrow to make another step forward. Weather-wise, I think today was the day they predicted rain and it didn’t rain much, so maybe that means rain for Sunday?... We will see.”

SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 3, Best Time: 1:12.932, Laps: 27,
Chassis No. 1
Second Practice Session
Position: 7, Best Time 1:12.611, Laps: 45,
Chassis No. 1

Car 14 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P1, 2nd Practice P4
“We couldn’t have got much more out of today. The guys did a good job getting the optimum time on track that we could with the tricky conditions. We were dodging showers here and there, but we timed everything as well as we could. It’s one of the more encouraging Friday’s that we’ve had for a long time, so it was good. I hope it carries on tomorrow. We’ve seen that things can change day to day with this Championship, so I’m looking forward to qualifying – it should be good for us.”

MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 1, Best Time: 1:12.463, Laps: 29,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 4, Best Time: 1:12.514, Laps: 41,
Chassis No. 4
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIXVIEW

SAO PAULO SURVIVAL GUIDE PART ONE

Brazil is like a drug that Formula One can’t get enough of. With great food, powerful drinks, intoxicating music (but not as intoxicating as Caipirinha) and beautiful people, what’s not to like? Over the years, we have even learned to appreciate the ‘minimalist’ paddock facilities. But, like any drug, there comes a time when it’s best to Just Say No!

Here are some questions to which, when in Brazil, you really should answer in the negative:

“Is that a real Rolex?”
“Would you like an eighth Caipirinha?”
“Should I stop at red traffic lights?”
“Would you like to meet a very pretty girl I know?”
“Is that really a girl?”
“Would you like more meat?”
“Would you like me to park your car?”
“Have you considered getting by with just one kidney?”
“Should I stop if a car runs into the back of me?”
“Will my wife believe the worn g-string she finds in my suitcase is a gift for her?”

SAO PAULO SURVIVAL GUIDE PART TWO

It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings

The famous quote originates from the world of American basketball, but it’s equally apt for Formula One. In case you haven’t noticed, for the first time since 2003, the Brazilian Grand Prix is no longer the last race of the season. So concentrate hard and follow our advice to avoid putting it in the wall with just two laps to go:

Please…
Don’t leave the press room on Sunday night and sell your pass to a spectator
Don’t go around saying, “see you next year mate!”
Don’t go on a three week holiday
Don’t file your final story with a cheery note telling the Sports Editor what you really think of him, on the basis you’re not working for that paper next year
Do remember the clocks change on Saturday night, going forward one hour. That means turning the dial clockwise, unlike the Interlagos track that goes anticlockwise.

Great, still not over the Singapore-Japan-Europe-Brazil jet lag and the gods rob you of another hour’s sleep…
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Japanese Grand Prix

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 1st, Start Position: 1st
“What a race! We already had pole position and strategy-wise we were the favourites, but, you know – first of all you have to do the start! We were pretty confident that we could defend our position, as we’ve had good starts in the past, but it was closer than I thought it would be! Going into Turn 1, I suddenly saw a silver arrow on my left-hand side, but I had the inside line so it was my advantage. After that I put my head down and tried to push with every single lap. The car was fantastic and I was able to create a gap quite quickly. We were two laps longer than Lewis (Hamilton) and a lap longer than Jarno (Trulli) in the first stint, so it all worked out and I was pretty much in control of the race. After we fitted the soft tyres for the last stint, I wanted to have a little bit of fun. I did one very quick lap (I think a 32.5), but then my engineer came on the radio and said ‘watch your tyres, there might be a safety car or something’ and two laps later there was the safety car! It’s not what you want when you’re in the lead, but I was still taking care of my tyres and had a good restart. I had a bit of a cushion with Grosjean behind me and then three or four laps to build a gap again that was enough to win the race. Finally, we made it! Fantastic. I was screaming with happiness on the radio at the end of the race. The last couple of races have been a bit up and down, sometimes we had pace and sometimes not, but finally we made it. It’s good to be back in first position on Sunday. A huge thanks to all the team and everyone at Red Bull for this.”

Car 14 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 17th, Start Position: Pit Lane
“I had to make two pit stops on the first two laps, so it was all over from there. On the first lap, the headrest came loose in the car, so I had to come in and get that fixed. I went back out, but the same thing happened so I had to come in again in order for the guys to tape it down. We tested some things today, and tried some other items for future races. That’s all we could really do from there.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A brilliant job by Sebastian today. He’s been on it all weekend and he looked like he really enjoyed himself out there. The car’s worked fantastically well and a big thank you to everyone in the Red Bull team, to Renault and to all of our partners that have supported us so well here. For Mark, this was the weekend from hell – with a chassis change overnight, then issues on the first lap with a headrest that had somehow come loose and then a puncture. After that the race was little more than a test, but it’s encouraging that right at the end he got the fastest lap time as a small consolation.”

FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “A fantastic result for Sebastian today – pole position and a win. It was a perfect weekend for him on what is a very difficult track for engines. Unfortunately for Mark – his glass was more half empty than half full today. It was a difficult race for him after starting from the pit lane. He proved he was quick by setting the fastest lap of the race, but he couldn’t do anything else, so I’m sad for him. There are two more races to go and we won’t give up until the end.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Red Bull Qualifying notes:

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, POLE POSITION
“I did my best not to get distracted today; it was a strange session with a lot of incidents. The most important thing is that all the drivers are okay. In qualifying, it’s usual that you’re looking for the limit, as it’s about just one fast lap time, but Turn 9, where the people went off, is quite difficult. If you go too wide on that kerb you’re basically just a passenger, as you can’t get rid of the speed. There’s not much run off, so the wall is close and people hit it. For the other cars, sometimes you’re lucky and the red flag is called just as you’re about to warm up your tyres, but sometimes it’s called when you’ve started your flying lap. The car worked fantastically today and we were quickest in Q1, Q2 and Q3. The most difficult was probably Q3, due to running with race fuel and only having one lap. It’s not easy through the S-bends and the tyres don’t really last for a second lap. I’m very happy, we’re back to full strength since Singapore and have now put the car on pole. A good day today, now let’s see tomorrow.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A great performance by Sebastian and the team. We were fastest in all three sessions and have a healthy fuel load for the race; we’ll wait with interest to see the fuel figures later today. So, a good start for Sebastian. It’s unfortunate for Mark not to be able to take part in qualifying when the car’s proved so competitive here. It’s important tomorrow that we attack the race from both ends of the grid.”

FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “A fantastic result – especially on this track, which requires a lot of power from the engine and a very good chassis – and we have both! Pole position is the best we could do today, so let’s wait for the weights and see if we can turn it into a win. It was such a shame for Mark. He was in very good shape, but unfortunately lost the car – although we’re rebuilding it now to give him the chance to fight back tomorrow. Qualifying proved this is a difficult track, as a lot of people lost their cars in the same place.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Japanese Grand Prix Practice

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P17, 2nd Practice P2

"In P1 it was too dry for the extreme wets and by the end, also for the inters, but it was too wet for the dry tyres too. I think the general problem today for all is that teams are short of wet tyres – whatever you use today has to also count as part of your allocation for the weekend, which is why not many cars were running. In P2 there was a lot of water on the circuit at the start, so no-one wanted to take the risk of maybe doing something stupid. Towards the end of the session the rain became lighter, so we went out to check everything was good with the car. The circuit is fun to drive here, even in the wet. Let’s hope for more consistent conditions tomorrow, but I think we have a competitive package whatever the weather, so let’s see"

First Practice Session
Position: 17, Best Time: 1:43.218, Laps: 11, Chassis No. 1
Second Practice Session
Position: 2, Best Time 1:47.3923, Laps: 6, Chassis No. 1


Car 14 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P11, 2nd Practice P13

Today was all about the conditions. We’ve only got a certain amount of wet tyres that we can use during a race weekend, so we can’t just run round in the wet for the sake of it. We have to do what we can in the laps that we have available on those tyres. The start of P2 was very wet and it wouldn’t have been possible to learn a great amount – but we did a few laps at the end of the session to get an idea of where we’re going

First Practice Session
Position: 11, Best Time: 1:42.332, Laps: 10, Chassis No. 2
Second Practice Session
Position: 13, Best Time: 1:49.382, Laps: 7, Chassis No. 2
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors

[Ed]

Japanese Grand Prix preview

Sebastian Vettel
“Suzuka is the best track in the world. I drove the two hours of Friday free practice here at the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. The first hour was wet, which was pretty scary as I didn’t know where the track went. I’m looking forward to racing there as it’s one of the most challenging circuits with a lot of high speed corners. It’s enjoyable and I think it should suit our car. I like the culture and the people in Japan. Last year, I climbed Mount Fuji and I’ve also spent time in Tokyo. The food is great, although maybe not all of it! Everything about the place is very disciplined and ordered, which I like.”

Mark Webber
“Fourth is my best result here, for Williams in 2005, the penultimate time we raced at Suzuka. It was a bit of a classic with Raikkonen and Alonso coming through from the back. Kimi took the lead on the last lap and I had a good battle with Fernando in the middle of the race. It’s a sensational circuit and I’ve even got good memories of watching the 8 Hours motorcycle race on TV, as a lot of Australians ride in that race. The crowd are pretty close to the Italians in terms of how knowledgeable and passionate they are, although they’re also very reserved. When I walk into the track, going through the amusement park, you can really feel that Suzuka has got something about it that makes it special.”
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Your predictions in 2010 - Drivers - Constructors