BARCELONA TEST – Day Three
Driver: Sebastian Vettel
Car: RB6 – 02
Laps: 44
Best time: 1:23.123
Circuit length: 4.655 km
Fastest lap: N. Rosberg (1:20.686)
Sebastian Vettel completed his second day of the final pre-season test in Barcelona this afternoon in another day affected by rain.
Despite few laps being completed in the morning due to a mixture of rain showers and technical issues, the afternoon session proved more valuable, as the team worked on car set-up for the first race in Bahrain. Sebastian’s fastest time was recorded on his last lap of the day.
Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said “We were late out this morning as we had a few technical issues following the overnight rebuild, which carried over into the planned programme for today. Once we were running in the afternoon we got three or four positive tests completed looking at set-up directions for Bahrain, which gave us some clear results – so we ended the session in much better shape.”
Sebastian and Mark Webber will share the driving duties tomorrow on the final day of the 2010 pre-season test.
Red Bull Racing
Moderator: Ed
BARCELONA TEST – Day Four
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber
Car: RB6-02
Laps: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)
Best time: Vettel: 1:20.667; Webber: 1:20.496)
Circuit length: 4.655 km
Fastest lap: L Hamilton (1:20.472)
Having had less time on track than expected yesterday, Sebastian started the test for us this morning with Mark finishing our pre-season preparations in the afternoon. It was a similar programme for both drivers which the team successfully completed; establishing the final set-ups for the start of the season with varying fuel loads.
Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said “Losing a bit of time yesterday we didn't do everything we wanted to with Seb so we got pretty much a day and half's testing into today - which is why we've done 137 laps. It's been busy but we've got a lot done.
“This final test was good for us. With our limited testing in the dry at the two Jerez tests, the four days of almost completely dry weather here meant that we got back on course and we've made a lot of progress this week. It's been a very good test.”
There are now two weeks until we race in the season's opening grand prix in Bahrain.
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber
Car: RB6-02
Laps: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)
Best time: Vettel: 1:20.667; Webber: 1:20.496)
Circuit length: 4.655 km
Fastest lap: L Hamilton (1:20.472)
Having had less time on track than expected yesterday, Sebastian started the test for us this morning with Mark finishing our pre-season preparations in the afternoon. It was a similar programme for both drivers which the team successfully completed; establishing the final set-ups for the start of the season with varying fuel loads.
Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said “Losing a bit of time yesterday we didn't do everything we wanted to with Seb so we got pretty much a day and half's testing into today - which is why we've done 137 laps. It's been busy but we've got a lot done.
“This final test was good for us. With our limited testing in the dry at the two Jerez tests, the four days of almost completely dry weather here meant that we got back on course and we've made a lot of progress this week. It's been a very good test.”
There are now two weeks until we race in the season's opening grand prix in Bahrain.
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL STATISTICS
1st Practice P13, 2nd Practice P5
“So, the first day of the first race. Unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of running today. The track was still green this morning, so everyone was just checking their cars. In the second practice I had to have the brakes changed and Mark couldn’t do the whole session, so it wasn’t ideal. I would have liked more track time, but it’s not Christmas and we’re not given things for free. We have a lot of work to do, but we know where we need to improve, so we will work on that.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P9, 2nd Practice P17
“Not such a good day and not enough mileage. We missed out a bit this afternoon; I had a gearbox problem, so the team made a precautionary stop with the car which ended P2 early. We’ll have to regroup and get what we can out of today – we’ll be focusing on qualifying in tomorrow’s practice. We still learnt some stuff today and Seb looked at the tyres. You can already see that it’s going to be bloody competitive this year, it’s going to be a good fight out there.”
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 13, Best Time: 1:57.943, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:56.459, Laps: 18,
Chassis No. 3
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 9, Best Time: 1:57.255, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 2
Second Practice Session
Position: 17, Best Time 2:00.444, Laps: 12,
Chassis No. 2
1st Practice P13, 2nd Practice P5
“So, the first day of the first race. Unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of running today. The track was still green this morning, so everyone was just checking their cars. In the second practice I had to have the brakes changed and Mark couldn’t do the whole session, so it wasn’t ideal. I would have liked more track time, but it’s not Christmas and we’re not given things for free. We have a lot of work to do, but we know where we need to improve, so we will work on that.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P9, 2nd Practice P17
“Not such a good day and not enough mileage. We missed out a bit this afternoon; I had a gearbox problem, so the team made a precautionary stop with the car which ended P2 early. We’ll have to regroup and get what we can out of today – we’ll be focusing on qualifying in tomorrow’s practice. We still learnt some stuff today and Seb looked at the tyres. You can already see that it’s going to be bloody competitive this year, it’s going to be a good fight out there.”
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 13, Best Time: 1:57.943, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:56.459, Laps: 18,
Chassis No. 3
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 9, Best Time: 1:57.255, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 2
Second Practice Session
Position: 17, Best Time 2:00.444, Laps: 12,
Chassis No. 2
RACE 1 - P1
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“It’s a big surprise to get pole; we didn’t know where we were with performance during the winter testing. Yesterday was a tough day for us, as we didn’t do as much running as we would have liked. It was a long night for the mechanics and there were some tired faces this morning, but everyone was still so keen. I knew we had a good car, Qualifying went smoothly and I’m very happy to be on pole. Thanks to the team, they have been so busy during the last month with a lot of testing – to be on top now is a nice feeling.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position 6th
“I did my worst lap at the most important time today. It was going well until Turn 16, but it wasn’t so good from there on. Seb did a good job for pole position; there was more in the car than sixth today. It’s disappointing, but all is not lost and it’s a long race tomorrow.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “A brilliant job today. It’s great to be starting the new season in pole position. Sebastian drove faultlessly through all three sessions and delivered three laps that were good enough for pole; it’s testimony to all the hard work that’s gone in over the winter. The guys have worked wonders within Red Bull Racing and first on the grid is a great place to be starting the new race format tomorrow. Mark was looking good in the first and second qualifying sessions, but unfortunately he dropped a bit of time in the mid-sector of his last lap, which was the difference between the front row and sixth. I’m sure he’ll be strong tomorrow.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “It’s such a great result for the beginning of the season. We were in a bit of a fog over the winter as we didn’t know where we were regarding performance. This is such a good answer to all the questions. We are quick and this is good. It’s a shame for Mark he was very quick until the last lap in qualifying, but first and sixth is a good start. I think we’re set for a good season.”
Practice 3 Mark Webber: P3, Best Time: 1:54.500, Laps: 15, Chassis 2
Sebastian Vettel: P5, Best Time: 1:54.646, Laps: 16, Chassis 3
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“It’s a big surprise to get pole; we didn’t know where we were with performance during the winter testing. Yesterday was a tough day for us, as we didn’t do as much running as we would have liked. It was a long night for the mechanics and there were some tired faces this morning, but everyone was still so keen. I knew we had a good car, Qualifying went smoothly and I’m very happy to be on pole. Thanks to the team, they have been so busy during the last month with a lot of testing – to be on top now is a nice feeling.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position 6th
“I did my worst lap at the most important time today. It was going well until Turn 16, but it wasn’t so good from there on. Seb did a good job for pole position; there was more in the car than sixth today. It’s disappointing, but all is not lost and it’s a long race tomorrow.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “A brilliant job today. It’s great to be starting the new season in pole position. Sebastian drove faultlessly through all three sessions and delivered three laps that were good enough for pole; it’s testimony to all the hard work that’s gone in over the winter. The guys have worked wonders within Red Bull Racing and first on the grid is a great place to be starting the new race format tomorrow. Mark was looking good in the first and second qualifying sessions, but unfortunately he dropped a bit of time in the mid-sector of his last lap, which was the difference between the front row and sixth. I’m sure he’ll be strong tomorrow.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “It’s such a great result for the beginning of the season. We were in a bit of a fog over the winter as we didn’t know where we were regarding performance. This is such a good answer to all the questions. We are quick and this is good. It’s a shame for Mark he was very quick until the last lap in qualifying, but first and sixth is a good start. I think we’re set for a good season.”
Practice 3 Mark Webber: P3, Best Time: 1:54.500, Laps: 15, Chassis 2
Sebastian Vettel: P5, Best Time: 1:54.646, Laps: 16, Chassis 3
16 POINTS
18 RACES TO GO
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 4th, Start Position: 1st
“It’s a pity today. It was positive all weekend, except for the exhaust failure. From Saturday morning onwards, we were one of the quickest cars on track in all conditions. We had control of the race today and we were on top of the strategy – everything was running smoothly. I think at every point I knew how my tyres were, so we kept good control of the tyres and brakes. At some stage, I think about 15 to 20 laps from the end, you could see my lap times were getting slower. It seems something mechanical broke, luckily we could continue and finished fourth, but we should have won today. It cost us a lot, but we’ve got 12 important points.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 8th, Start Position: 6th
“It was a bit of a traffic jam out there. I had a fight with the two Mercedes in Turn one and Michael (Schumacher) had the inside for two; after that it was just about working out how we were going to jump them. It was very, very difficult to stay close to the cars in front. We got hurt yesterday in qualifying; we still managed to get a few points today, although not as many as we would have liked. We definitely learned a lot as a team today. It wasn’t the most exciting grand prix I’ve driven – following gearboxes all afternoon – but the world class drivers who were ahead don’t normally make mistakes. I tried as hard as I could to make Jenson (Button) and Michael make mistakes, but it wasn’t happening. We have a long Championship ahead and the boys are working incredibly hard; we showed last year we can fight, so I’m looking forward to Melbourne.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “It was cruel luck with Sebastian today. He drove a great race and was pulling away at the front. We had a very good pit stop with him and he was controlling the lead comfortably until lap 33, when he had a sudden loss of power. He was then powerless to defend to the Ferraris and Hamilton, but he drove extremely well to retain fourth position. It gives us valuable points, but ultimately it’s very disappointing to lose such a great opportunity for a victory. Mark lost ground in the first turn and a little more with a slight sticking front tyre at his pit stop, losing him a place to Jenson (Button). After that, despite being a lot faster than the cars in front, he was unable to overtake.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “It’s a very disappointing result. With the pace we showed yesterday we really thought we would get a better result. Mark had a bit of an engine problem at the start which lost him a place and then he lost another with the pit stop. He was eighth in the end, which shows how difficult it was to overtake. For Sebastian, everything seemed to be in our pocket, but then an exhaust problem caused him to lose power. He was still able to finish fourth, which shows great talent. We are a bit disappointed, but we can take a lot of positives from this weekend. We will clear the negatives and be stronger in Australia.”
BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX RACE UPDATE
Our earlier race report stated that Sebastian Vettel’s loss of power on lap 33 of the Bahrain Grand Prix was due to an exhaust problem. However, further investigations by the team have proven that the loss of power was actually due to a spark plug failure and not the exhaust.
18 RACES TO GO
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 4th, Start Position: 1st
“It’s a pity today. It was positive all weekend, except for the exhaust failure. From Saturday morning onwards, we were one of the quickest cars on track in all conditions. We had control of the race today and we were on top of the strategy – everything was running smoothly. I think at every point I knew how my tyres were, so we kept good control of the tyres and brakes. At some stage, I think about 15 to 20 laps from the end, you could see my lap times were getting slower. It seems something mechanical broke, luckily we could continue and finished fourth, but we should have won today. It cost us a lot, but we’ve got 12 important points.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 8th, Start Position: 6th
“It was a bit of a traffic jam out there. I had a fight with the two Mercedes in Turn one and Michael (Schumacher) had the inside for two; after that it was just about working out how we were going to jump them. It was very, very difficult to stay close to the cars in front. We got hurt yesterday in qualifying; we still managed to get a few points today, although not as many as we would have liked. We definitely learned a lot as a team today. It wasn’t the most exciting grand prix I’ve driven – following gearboxes all afternoon – but the world class drivers who were ahead don’t normally make mistakes. I tried as hard as I could to make Jenson (Button) and Michael make mistakes, but it wasn’t happening. We have a long Championship ahead and the boys are working incredibly hard; we showed last year we can fight, so I’m looking forward to Melbourne.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “It was cruel luck with Sebastian today. He drove a great race and was pulling away at the front. We had a very good pit stop with him and he was controlling the lead comfortably until lap 33, when he had a sudden loss of power. He was then powerless to defend to the Ferraris and Hamilton, but he drove extremely well to retain fourth position. It gives us valuable points, but ultimately it’s very disappointing to lose such a great opportunity for a victory. Mark lost ground in the first turn and a little more with a slight sticking front tyre at his pit stop, losing him a place to Jenson (Button). After that, despite being a lot faster than the cars in front, he was unable to overtake.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “It’s a very disappointing result. With the pace we showed yesterday we really thought we would get a better result. Mark had a bit of an engine problem at the start which lost him a place and then he lost another with the pit stop. He was eighth in the end, which shows how difficult it was to overtake. For Sebastian, everything seemed to be in our pocket, but then an exhaust problem caused him to lose power. He was still able to finish fourth, which shows great talent. We are a bit disappointed, but we can take a lot of positives from this weekend. We will clear the negatives and be stronger in Australia.”
BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX RACE UPDATE
Our earlier race report stated that Sebastian Vettel’s loss of power on lap 33 of the Bahrain Grand Prix was due to an exhaust problem. However, further investigations by the team have proven that the loss of power was actually due to a spark plug failure and not the exhaust.
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P14, 2nd Practice P3
“It wasn’t too bad today. Everyone’s programmes were disrupted in P2 with the intermittent weather. It’s pretty much the team’s worst nightmare when the weather’s just on the edge like that; you can’t commit to learning too much in the wet and it’s quite tricky in the dry as well. We had a couple of windows where we got some information though, so we have good data to go through tonight.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P5, 2nd Practice P16
“I had a drift off track at the end of the second session; obviously it wasn’t ideal, but it happens – that’s what practice is for. It was my mistake; I was a bit too far to the left when hitting the brakes. It meant I missed the most important time on the track at the end of P2, but the car feels good and Mark showed that we are right there. It looks very close between the top cars.”
STATISTICS
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 14, Best Time: 1:28.683, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 3, Best Time 1:26.248, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:27.686, Laps: 23,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 16, Best Time: 1:29.134, Laps: 19,
Chassis No. 3
1st Practice P14, 2nd Practice P3
“It wasn’t too bad today. Everyone’s programmes were disrupted in P2 with the intermittent weather. It’s pretty much the team’s worst nightmare when the weather’s just on the edge like that; you can’t commit to learning too much in the wet and it’s quite tricky in the dry as well. We had a couple of windows where we got some information though, so we have good data to go through tonight.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P5, 2nd Practice P16
“I had a drift off track at the end of the second session; obviously it wasn’t ideal, but it happens – that’s what practice is for. It was my mistake; I was a bit too far to the left when hitting the brakes. It meant I missed the most important time on the track at the end of P2, but the car feels good and Mark showed that we are right there. It looks very close between the top cars.”
STATISTICS
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 14, Best Time: 1:28.683, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 3, Best Time 1:26.248, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:27.686, Laps: 23,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 16, Best Time: 1:29.134, Laps: 19,
Chassis No. 3
AUSTRALIAN FRONT ROW RED BULL RACING HAS SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER!
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“A great result for the team. It’s obviously Mark’s home race here – but he got pole in Germany, so it’s kind of a revenge (laughs)! But, it’s a long race tomorrow. I think we made a good step with the car ahead of today’s qualifying. The final session was all about if it would rain or not, so we waited a little bit at the start. My first lap in Q3 was the quickest and it was spot on until the last three corners. I was on the edge through Turn 14, but then I lost a little bit in last corner going on to the main straight. It was a very good lap up until that point though and the result says it all. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position 2nd
“I would prefer to be on pole position of course, but second is still a good result and it’s great for the team to have a one-two. It would be nice to be one place further up, but Seb did a good job. It was a good battle – with about 800ths between us in the end. I wasn’t mega-concerned about the weather today, as it’s the same for everyone and whatever happens, happens! I think tomorrow will be enjoyable – but I would prefer a dry race, as the track can get slippery with intermittent conditions.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “It was a brilliant team qualifying performance today with great laps from both drivers to secure the front row. Sebastian also set a new track record for pole position. Inclement weather looks as if it’s looming for tomorrow afternoon, but there’s no better place to start the race than from the front. Our strategy was slightly different to the other teams with our tyre choice in Q1 and Q2, but both drivers did excellent jobs and we’re in good shape for Sunday.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “A super result, in fact the perfect one for qualifying. It was a very good performance, we have a fast car and good drivers. We’re really happy, but as we can see from the last race, the most important thing is to finish tomorrow with no problems. We let Red Bull down at the last race with engine problems on both cars, so we will only enjoy it if we have no problems tomorrow and finish the race in the same positions.
Practice 3
Mark Webber: P1, Best Time: 1:24.719, Laps: 16, Chassis 4
Sebastian Vettel: P4, Best Time: 1:25.122, Laps: 19, Chassis 3
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“A great result for the team. It’s obviously Mark’s home race here – but he got pole in Germany, so it’s kind of a revenge (laughs)! But, it’s a long race tomorrow. I think we made a good step with the car ahead of today’s qualifying. The final session was all about if it would rain or not, so we waited a little bit at the start. My first lap in Q3 was the quickest and it was spot on until the last three corners. I was on the edge through Turn 14, but then I lost a little bit in last corner going on to the main straight. It was a very good lap up until that point though and the result says it all. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position 2nd
“I would prefer to be on pole position of course, but second is still a good result and it’s great for the team to have a one-two. It would be nice to be one place further up, but Seb did a good job. It was a good battle – with about 800ths between us in the end. I wasn’t mega-concerned about the weather today, as it’s the same for everyone and whatever happens, happens! I think tomorrow will be enjoyable – but I would prefer a dry race, as the track can get slippery with intermittent conditions.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “It was a brilliant team qualifying performance today with great laps from both drivers to secure the front row. Sebastian also set a new track record for pole position. Inclement weather looks as if it’s looming for tomorrow afternoon, but there’s no better place to start the race than from the front. Our strategy was slightly different to the other teams with our tyre choice in Q1 and Q2, but both drivers did excellent jobs and we’re in good shape for Sunday.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “A super result, in fact the perfect one for qualifying. It was a very good performance, we have a fast car and good drivers. We’re really happy, but as we can see from the last race, the most important thing is to finish tomorrow with no problems. We let Red Bull down at the last race with engine problems on both cars, so we will only enjoy it if we have no problems tomorrow and finish the race in the same positions.
Practice 3
Mark Webber: P1, Best Time: 1:24.719, Laps: 16, Chassis 4
Sebastian Vettel: P4, Best Time: 1:25.122, Laps: 19, Chassis 3
“MASSIVELY DISAPPOINTING…”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 9th, Start Position: 2nd
“My start was tricky with a lot of wheel spin, but I was happy to get away with third. After the safety car, the race was going well. I wanted to get in on the lap that Sebastian pitted to change to dry tyres, but obviously whoever’s ahead has the call so I had to do an extra lap on the intermediates, which lost me a lot of time. Leaving the pits I couldn’t get second gear and went wide. I knew I had to make the moves on track. We then decided to pit which worked out okay. At the end of the race we caught the leading guys, but then we had the incident. I apologise to Lewis about that. I lost all down-force in the front of the car when I got close to them, the car lifted and I slid into the back of him. Unfortunately it had looked like a good finish, but it’s still very difficult to follow in these cars. I went down fighting, I wasn’t happy with sixth place and wanted to get a podium, but in the end it was a tough day for the team. We’ll be back.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: DNF Start Position: 1st
“I felt that something was wrong one lap earlier than I went off. I had some sparks coming up from the front left wheel; we didn’t know what it was and so wanted to pit. Then, a couple of corners before, I had huge vibrations building up and as soon as I touched the brakes, I had some sort of failure going in to Turn 13 and ended up in the gravel. There was nothing I could have done, I lost the car and that was it. It’s a shame as I think we had the race in total control at every stage, even though the conditions were difficult. But to win you have to finish. It breaks my balls not to get the win, but there’s still a long way to go in this Championship. We’re working hard to get on top the reliability issues and we hope to have a solid race and see the chequered flag in Malaysia.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “Ultimately an extremely disappointing day. Having been in control of the race, the second in succession, Sebastian unfortunately retired with what looks like a wheel related issue (front left), which certainly cost him a comfortable race win today. It was cruel luck for him for the second year in a row here in Australia. With Mark, at his home GP, he dropped a place at the start, but then was making progress in the damp and tricky conditions. We had to leave him a lap longer than Sebastian to change to dry tyres, as he would have lost too much ground pitting immediately behind him. As the circuit went from intermediates to slicks, he made a couple of good passing moves on Massa, but then, unfortunately, he got tangled up with Hamilton for the first time in the race. After everything had settled down and with the position he was running in, we decided we had nothing to lose by putting another set of tyres on to let him have a go in the last ten laps, which Rosberg and Hamilton also elected to do. We got Rosberg at the stop but Lewis and Mark got tangled together which resulted in Mark having to pit again for a nose change. Ninth place after starting the race with two cars at the front of the grid is massively disappointing.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “What a sad result. The only good thing from today was that we didn’t have any engine problems, but that’s it. It’s a sad day – we had the tool to win the race. We need to tie all our work in all areas together in order to bounce back for the next race. I would like to congratulate Renault for their second place – well done to them.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 9th, Start Position: 2nd
“My start was tricky with a lot of wheel spin, but I was happy to get away with third. After the safety car, the race was going well. I wanted to get in on the lap that Sebastian pitted to change to dry tyres, but obviously whoever’s ahead has the call so I had to do an extra lap on the intermediates, which lost me a lot of time. Leaving the pits I couldn’t get second gear and went wide. I knew I had to make the moves on track. We then decided to pit which worked out okay. At the end of the race we caught the leading guys, but then we had the incident. I apologise to Lewis about that. I lost all down-force in the front of the car when I got close to them, the car lifted and I slid into the back of him. Unfortunately it had looked like a good finish, but it’s still very difficult to follow in these cars. I went down fighting, I wasn’t happy with sixth place and wanted to get a podium, but in the end it was a tough day for the team. We’ll be back.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: DNF Start Position: 1st
“I felt that something was wrong one lap earlier than I went off. I had some sparks coming up from the front left wheel; we didn’t know what it was and so wanted to pit. Then, a couple of corners before, I had huge vibrations building up and as soon as I touched the brakes, I had some sort of failure going in to Turn 13 and ended up in the gravel. There was nothing I could have done, I lost the car and that was it. It’s a shame as I think we had the race in total control at every stage, even though the conditions were difficult. But to win you have to finish. It breaks my balls not to get the win, but there’s still a long way to go in this Championship. We’re working hard to get on top the reliability issues and we hope to have a solid race and see the chequered flag in Malaysia.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “Ultimately an extremely disappointing day. Having been in control of the race, the second in succession, Sebastian unfortunately retired with what looks like a wheel related issue (front left), which certainly cost him a comfortable race win today. It was cruel luck for him for the second year in a row here in Australia. With Mark, at his home GP, he dropped a place at the start, but then was making progress in the damp and tricky conditions. We had to leave him a lap longer than Sebastian to change to dry tyres, as he would have lost too much ground pitting immediately behind him. As the circuit went from intermediates to slicks, he made a couple of good passing moves on Massa, but then, unfortunately, he got tangled up with Hamilton for the first time in the race. After everything had settled down and with the position he was running in, we decided we had nothing to lose by putting another set of tyres on to let him have a go in the last ten laps, which Rosberg and Hamilton also elected to do. We got Rosberg at the stop but Lewis and Mark got tangled together which resulted in Mark having to pit again for a nose change. Ninth place after starting the race with two cars at the front of the grid is massively disappointing.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “What a sad result. The only good thing from today was that we didn’t have any engine problems, but that’s it. It’s a sad day – we had the tool to win the race. We need to tie all our work in all areas together in order to bounce back for the next race. I would like to congratulate Renault for their second place – well done to them.”
Malaysia - Friday Practice session
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P9, 2nd Practice P2
“Some small issues for me today, but nothing big. Mark unfortunately had to stop and couldn’t finish the practice, it looks like his engine went. I wasn’t 100% happy today, I think we still need to get a little bit quicker. The McLarens and the Mercedes look quick and Ferrari have a decent long run pace, so we’ll have to see where we are. This circuit is one of the tougher ones here due to the hot and humid conditions.”
First Practice Session
Position: 9, Best Time: 1:36.043, Laps: 19,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 2, Best Time: 1:34.441, Laps: 28,
Chassis No. 3
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P6, 2nd Practice P20
“It was the engine (Mark stopped early in the second session). You never want your Friday disturbed and today’s problem cost us quite a bit of track time, but the car felt pretty good in the quick stuff and also at low speeds. It’s never ideal to lose an engine, but we did, although it was quite high mileage. It’s good that Vettel’s up there, but it’s where we expected to be, it would have been nice to feel the option tyres today, but we’ll have to do that tomorrow.”
First Practice Session
Position: 6, Best Time: 1:35.479, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 20, Best Time 1:38.786, Laps: 13,
Chassis No. 4
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P9, 2nd Practice P2
“Some small issues for me today, but nothing big. Mark unfortunately had to stop and couldn’t finish the practice, it looks like his engine went. I wasn’t 100% happy today, I think we still need to get a little bit quicker. The McLarens and the Mercedes look quick and Ferrari have a decent long run pace, so we’ll have to see where we are. This circuit is one of the tougher ones here due to the hot and humid conditions.”
First Practice Session
Position: 9, Best Time: 1:36.043, Laps: 19,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 2, Best Time: 1:34.441, Laps: 28,
Chassis No. 3
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P6, 2nd Practice P20
“It was the engine (Mark stopped early in the second session). You never want your Friday disturbed and today’s problem cost us quite a bit of track time, but the car felt pretty good in the quick stuff and also at low speeds. It’s never ideal to lose an engine, but we did, although it was quite high mileage. It’s good that Vettel’s up there, but it’s where we expected to be, it would have been nice to feel the option tyres today, but we’ll have to do that tomorrow.”
First Practice Session
Position: 6, Best Time: 1:35.479, Laps: 22,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 20, Best Time 1:38.786, Laps: 13,
Chassis No. 4
Malaysian Grand Prix - Qualifying
RED BULL RACING MAKES IT A POLE HAT TRICK!
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position: POLE POSITION
“It was tricky today. When you look at the amount of standing water there was in places during Q1 and Q2, trying to get everything right and a clear lap was difficult, especially as there is a fair difference in pace between some of the cars. My Q2 lap on intermediate tyres was a bit of a three point turn round Pedro (de la Rosa) and that was my quickest, so you knew you had to keep pushing; the conditions were changing so quickly. A few big names went out in the first session, which was a surprise, but it just goes to show how sensitive everything is to timing. The pole goes to Ciaron, my engineer, as he made the call for inters in Q3. I said ‘have a look at the track, what do you think?’ and he said ‘yeah let’s go for it’. It was tricky in places, in the last corner there was a bit of aquaplaning, but I kept it on the black stuff and got the job done.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: 3rd
“Good job to Mark today. It was very tricky at the start of Q3, there was a lot of water and it was the right thing to call the red flag – it was just impossible. I think there was too much water – the cars are quite low, so you end up swimming more than driving. In Q3 I think we did the right thing putting on extremes. The water disappeared quicker than the majority of people thought and Mark was on the better tyre in the end, but I think third is a good result for the team. It was a tricky session – it was important to get into the next round and then qualify as high up as we could, which we did. It’s a shame as I had some moments on my fastest lap – I was close to Nico (Rosberg), only about one tenth off I think, but if you look back there wasn’t that much margin. I think we can be very pleased with third today and everything is possible tomorrow.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “A very tricky qualifying, as there was a lot of opportunity to get it wrong rather than right, but both drivers kept cool heads, along with their engineers and car crews. In the end there was quite a lot of risk associated with splitting the strategy for the last run in Q3, but it was the right thing to do. The option of the intermediate tyre had a one lap window that Mark fully exploited and first and third is a great job from both drivers.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “What a great pole position. It was a very difficult session in the wet – Mark made a good call on tyres and along with his good skill, he claimed pole. He erased the issue from yesterday when his engine blew, so we’re happy he could recover and get pole. Sebastian is third, which is a good team result. Now we concentrate on the race tomorrow.”
RED BULL RACING MAKES IT A POLE HAT TRICK!
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position: POLE POSITION
“It was tricky today. When you look at the amount of standing water there was in places during Q1 and Q2, trying to get everything right and a clear lap was difficult, especially as there is a fair difference in pace between some of the cars. My Q2 lap on intermediate tyres was a bit of a three point turn round Pedro (de la Rosa) and that was my quickest, so you knew you had to keep pushing; the conditions were changing so quickly. A few big names went out in the first session, which was a surprise, but it just goes to show how sensitive everything is to timing. The pole goes to Ciaron, my engineer, as he made the call for inters in Q3. I said ‘have a look at the track, what do you think?’ and he said ‘yeah let’s go for it’. It was tricky in places, in the last corner there was a bit of aquaplaning, but I kept it on the black stuff and got the job done.”
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: 3rd
“Good job to Mark today. It was very tricky at the start of Q3, there was a lot of water and it was the right thing to call the red flag – it was just impossible. I think there was too much water – the cars are quite low, so you end up swimming more than driving. In Q3 I think we did the right thing putting on extremes. The water disappeared quicker than the majority of people thought and Mark was on the better tyre in the end, but I think third is a good result for the team. It was a tricky session – it was important to get into the next round and then qualify as high up as we could, which we did. It’s a shame as I had some moments on my fastest lap – I was close to Nico (Rosberg), only about one tenth off I think, but if you look back there wasn’t that much margin. I think we can be very pleased with third today and everything is possible tomorrow.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “A very tricky qualifying, as there was a lot of opportunity to get it wrong rather than right, but both drivers kept cool heads, along with their engineers and car crews. In the end there was quite a lot of risk associated with splitting the strategy for the last run in Q3, but it was the right thing to do. The option of the intermediate tyre had a one lap window that Mark fully exploited and first and third is a great job from both drivers.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “What a great pole position. It was a very difficult session in the wet – Mark made a good call on tyres and along with his good skill, he claimed pole. He erased the issue from yesterday when his engine blew, so we’re happy he could recover and get pole. Sebastian is third, which is a good team result. Now we concentrate on the race tomorrow.”
Malaysian Grand Prix - Race
RED BULL RACING ONE TWO
“THE SPIRIT AND ENERGY IN OUR TEAM IS AWESOME… ” MARK WEBBER
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: WINNER! Start Position: 3rd
“What a day! At the start, I realised that I had a good start past Nico (Rosberg). I was then able to gain on Mark; it’s a long sprint down to Turn one and I had an advantage, so I took the chance into Turn 1 and just made it through! Mark had a better exit out of Turn 2 though Turn 3, but it was very slippery and we both tried to push. We are here to fight, but you should always keep respect and I think we both had respect for each other. If Mark had been in my position I’m sure he would have done the same. After that it was a question of getting away from our competitors. I could see that Mark and I had the same pace – he was a little quicker in the beginning, but I was trying to save my tyres so I could pull away before the stop. The second stint was extremely long and it’s very hot here – I didn’t stop sweating. It’s very physical and at some stages I was hoping for rain just to get a bit of a cool down! Yesterday was extremely difficult with the conditions, but today it stayed dry. We have a magnificent car and the key once again was to pace yourself and watch your tyres. Bridgestone did a good job bringing two compounds here that worked well. It’s a very good result for us after two races where we didn’t finish where we wanted. Thanks to the team – it’s crucial not to panic in that moment and stay relaxed as it’s a long season. Sitting here on Sunday afternoon after finishing in first position is the best result we can get. On top of that, Mark is in second place. It’s a big plus for the team and a lot of points for us, I’m very, very happy.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 2nd, Start Position: 1st
“We know these days with the strategy and the way the races unfold that the first part of the race is crucial. I got a bit of wheel spin at the start and Seb got a tow into the first corner. I didn’t know where Nico was, so I braked late. Both Seb and I were on the limit to make the first corner. I had a little bit better exit coming out of Turn 2 and the fight continued into Turn 4. We had a chat to Christian at the start of the race and he said “Boys, behave yourselves!” and we did. The spirit and the chemistry in our team is awesome and we fight very hard. You saw that today – it was a good fight between Sebastian and I. It could have gone either way, but in the end he did the job at the crucial stage and deserved the victory. A one two finish for us as a team is sensational. The cars ran very well and it was a nice come back for us after a tough few races where we didn’t finish as we wanted to. I’d like to be one spot further up, but it’s a great result for the team. We executed a beautiful weekend, so well done to Red Bull and also to Renault, the engines were great today.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A fantastic team performance. The race ultimately came down to the first 500 metres; both drivers had excellent starts. Sebastian got the inside line into Turn 1, Mark gave him enough space and they fought each other through Turn 2 and into Turn 3. That was the difference between them today, they matched each other tenth for tenth in pace and it was great to see the team achieve a faultless one two finish. It’s been a huge amount of hard work. Obviously we’ve had frustrations in the first two races, but the team has stayed focused. We’ve had tremendous support from the factory this weekend and people gave up their Easter to ensure that our cars had the best opportunity for finishing at arguably one of the toughest races. Both cars behaved impeccably, so it puts us right back in the Championship and gives everyone a lot of confidence.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “Woo hoo! What a good result – it’s the one we deserved since the beginning of the season, but due to reliability problems we were not able to make it. Now it’s done, the reliability is there and it’s a one two finish – it’s great. After all the difficult times we are a team and are back in the fight. Our big competitors didn’t score a lot of points so it’s a really good result for us and the engines behaved very well in this heat. We are fully happy today. “
RED BULL RACING ONE TWO
“THE SPIRIT AND ENERGY IN OUR TEAM IS AWESOME… ” MARK WEBBER
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: WINNER! Start Position: 3rd
“What a day! At the start, I realised that I had a good start past Nico (Rosberg). I was then able to gain on Mark; it’s a long sprint down to Turn one and I had an advantage, so I took the chance into Turn 1 and just made it through! Mark had a better exit out of Turn 2 though Turn 3, but it was very slippery and we both tried to push. We are here to fight, but you should always keep respect and I think we both had respect for each other. If Mark had been in my position I’m sure he would have done the same. After that it was a question of getting away from our competitors. I could see that Mark and I had the same pace – he was a little quicker in the beginning, but I was trying to save my tyres so I could pull away before the stop. The second stint was extremely long and it’s very hot here – I didn’t stop sweating. It’s very physical and at some stages I was hoping for rain just to get a bit of a cool down! Yesterday was extremely difficult with the conditions, but today it stayed dry. We have a magnificent car and the key once again was to pace yourself and watch your tyres. Bridgestone did a good job bringing two compounds here that worked well. It’s a very good result for us after two races where we didn’t finish where we wanted. Thanks to the team – it’s crucial not to panic in that moment and stay relaxed as it’s a long season. Sitting here on Sunday afternoon after finishing in first position is the best result we can get. On top of that, Mark is in second place. It’s a big plus for the team and a lot of points for us, I’m very, very happy.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 2nd, Start Position: 1st
“We know these days with the strategy and the way the races unfold that the first part of the race is crucial. I got a bit of wheel spin at the start and Seb got a tow into the first corner. I didn’t know where Nico was, so I braked late. Both Seb and I were on the limit to make the first corner. I had a little bit better exit coming out of Turn 2 and the fight continued into Turn 4. We had a chat to Christian at the start of the race and he said “Boys, behave yourselves!” and we did. The spirit and the chemistry in our team is awesome and we fight very hard. You saw that today – it was a good fight between Sebastian and I. It could have gone either way, but in the end he did the job at the crucial stage and deserved the victory. A one two finish for us as a team is sensational. The cars ran very well and it was a nice come back for us after a tough few races where we didn’t finish as we wanted to. I’d like to be one spot further up, but it’s a great result for the team. We executed a beautiful weekend, so well done to Red Bull and also to Renault, the engines were great today.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “A fantastic team performance. The race ultimately came down to the first 500 metres; both drivers had excellent starts. Sebastian got the inside line into Turn 1, Mark gave him enough space and they fought each other through Turn 2 and into Turn 3. That was the difference between them today, they matched each other tenth for tenth in pace and it was great to see the team achieve a faultless one two finish. It’s been a huge amount of hard work. Obviously we’ve had frustrations in the first two races, but the team has stayed focused. We’ve had tremendous support from the factory this weekend and people gave up their Easter to ensure that our cars had the best opportunity for finishing at arguably one of the toughest races. Both cars behaved impeccably, so it puts us right back in the Championship and gives everyone a lot of confidence.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “Woo hoo! What a good result – it’s the one we deserved since the beginning of the season, but due to reliability problems we were not able to make it. Now it’s done, the reliability is there and it’s a one two finish – it’s great. After all the difficult times we are a team and are back in the fight. Our big competitors didn’t score a lot of points so it’s a really good result for us and the engines behaved very well in this heat. We are fully happy today. “
Chinese GP - Free Practice 1 & 2
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P5, 2nd Practice P5
“That was good, we had no big issues and the car was working fine. We did quite a lot of laps so it was a solid day. It looks very close; the Mercedes look competitive, as well as the McLarens and Ferraris. It will be tight tomorrow, but we will see. I had a good race here in 2007 when I finished fourth for Toro Rosso and then last year with the victory, so there are a lot of good emotions and memories attached to this place.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P8, 2nd Practice P6
“That was pretty good; it was our first really clean Friday, which was encouraging. We have a lot of stuff go through tonight about how the tyres are round here – it’s the first track where they are behaving a little differently to other venues. I think qualifying is going to be tight again and there’s supposed to be a bit of moisture floating around on Sunday afternoon, so it looks like the fans will yet again be given an action packed race. I’ll look forward to the challenge and to getting something out of it.”
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:37.601, Laps: 20,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:35.791, Laps: 30,
Chassis No. 3
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 8, Best Time: 1:37.980, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 6, Best Time 1:35.995, Laps: 29,
Chassis No. 4
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL
1st Practice P5, 2nd Practice P5
“That was good, we had no big issues and the car was working fine. We did quite a lot of laps so it was a solid day. It looks very close; the Mercedes look competitive, as well as the McLarens and Ferraris. It will be tight tomorrow, but we will see. I had a good race here in 2007 when I finished fourth for Toro Rosso and then last year with the victory, so there are a lot of good emotions and memories attached to this place.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER
1st Practice P8, 2nd Practice P6
“That was pretty good; it was our first really clean Friday, which was encouraging. We have a lot of stuff go through tonight about how the tyres are round here – it’s the first track where they are behaving a little differently to other venues. I think qualifying is going to be tight again and there’s supposed to be a bit of moisture floating around on Sunday afternoon, so it looks like the fans will yet again be given an action packed race. I’ll look forward to the challenge and to getting something out of it.”
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
First Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:37.601, Laps: 20,
Chassis No. 3
Second Practice Session
Position: 5, Best Time: 1:35.791, Laps: 30,
Chassis No. 3
MARK WEBBER
First Practice Session
Position: 8, Best Time: 1:37.980, Laps: 17,
Chassis No. 4
Second Practice Session
Position: 6, Best Time 1:35.995, Laps: 29,
Chassis No. 4
GOOD FOUR-TUNE FOUR RED BULL IN CHINA
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“It was tough today. I was not happy yesterday and this morning, as Mark was quite a bit quicker than me. We made some changes to the car in Mark’s direction, but it was still extremely difficult. I was struggling in the first sector, but then I got a purple (fastest) time in sector one on my last lap, so I think we made a good step forward! I found a better line that worked, remembering things from last year. I lost my way a little bit in free practice this morning, but I had two very good runs in Q3. I think the first would have already been a good time, but I was too wide in the last corner. The second run was better – it was a fantastic lap. We got a fourth consecutive pole position for Red Bull. We’re proving that we have a very good car, no matter what the circuit. I’m very pleased with today. Thanks to the mechanics, as they had zero lunch due to all the changes that were required between free practice and qualifying.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position: 2nd
“In P3, things came a little bit my way on some of the settings and it was a good battle again between me and Seb. He did a good job in Q3. I’m on the front row – which is not a bad position to start from. It’s a big credit to the team that we’ve locked out the front row again, after doing the same in Melbourne – it’s very positive. Thanks to the mechanics too. There was stuff coming out last night for our cars that should never have got here with the volcano exploding in Europe. It wasn’t easy for the team to arrange, so it was a great team effort. We’re set for an interesting Grand Prix tomorrow – I’m looking forward to it.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “I have no idea where Sebastian produced that last lap from, it was quite phenomenal. Mark was in great shape throughout qualifying today and got pipped right at the end there. So, both cars at the front of the grid again for another Red Bull one two. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “I’m very, very happy – it’s the fourth pole in a row for Red Bull Renault at a very difficult track for the engine due to the long straight. We are ecstatic to be on the front row again – but its Sunday that counts, so we have to concentrate on tomorrow’s race and try to score as we did in Malaysia.”
Practice 3 Mark Webber: P1, Best Time: 1:35.323, Laps: 16, Chassis 4
Sebastian Vettel: P3, Best Time: 1:35.691, Laps: 14, Chassis 3
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: POLE POSITION
“It was tough today. I was not happy yesterday and this morning, as Mark was quite a bit quicker than me. We made some changes to the car in Mark’s direction, but it was still extremely difficult. I was struggling in the first sector, but then I got a purple (fastest) time in sector one on my last lap, so I think we made a good step forward! I found a better line that worked, remembering things from last year. I lost my way a little bit in free practice this morning, but I had two very good runs in Q3. I think the first would have already been a good time, but I was too wide in the last corner. The second run was better – it was a fantastic lap. We got a fourth consecutive pole position for Red Bull. We’re proving that we have a very good car, no matter what the circuit. I’m very pleased with today. Thanks to the mechanics, as they had zero lunch due to all the changes that were required between free practice and qualifying.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Position: 2nd
“In P3, things came a little bit my way on some of the settings and it was a good battle again between me and Seb. He did a good job in Q3. I’m on the front row – which is not a bad position to start from. It’s a big credit to the team that we’ve locked out the front row again, after doing the same in Melbourne – it’s very positive. Thanks to the mechanics too. There was stuff coming out last night for our cars that should never have got here with the volcano exploding in Europe. It wasn’t easy for the team to arrange, so it was a great team effort. We’re set for an interesting Grand Prix tomorrow – I’m looking forward to it.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “I have no idea where Sebastian produced that last lap from, it was quite phenomenal. Mark was in great shape throughout qualifying today and got pipped right at the end there. So, both cars at the front of the grid again for another Red Bull one two. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.”
(Renault) FABRICE LOM: “I’m very, very happy – it’s the fourth pole in a row for Red Bull Renault at a very difficult track for the engine due to the long straight. We are ecstatic to be on the front row again – but its Sunday that counts, so we have to concentrate on tomorrow’s race and try to score as we did in Malaysia.”
Practice 3 Mark Webber: P1, Best Time: 1:35.323, Laps: 16, Chassis 4
Sebastian Vettel: P3, Best Time: 1:35.691, Laps: 14, Chassis 3
4 RACES DOWN, 15 TO GO…
76 TEAM MEMBERS TO GET HOME!
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 6th, Start Position: 1st
“It was a difficult race – on nearly every second lap there was a car to pass or I got passed. I lost quite a bit of time with the first pit-stop, but we fought our way back and ended the race in sixth. We started on pole, with a one/two actually, but we didn’t finish there. I think today it was very chaotic and to take sixth can be quite important. Obviously our main competitors finished ahead, so that’s not nice. We struggled quite a lot in some of the conditions with the car, it was okay when we were in clean air, our pace was decent, but it’s very on and off in these conditions. It’s a lot just to maintain your track position. I had battle with Lewis (Hamilton in the pit lane. At the stop I was ahead; I don’t know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me. I hoped I didn’t get a puncture from that – I don’t really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage anyway.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 8th, Start Position: 2nd
“It was a difficult race for us and we got a bit blown away – we weren’t quick enough, simple as that. There were very changeable conditions during the race, I know it’s the same for everyone, but the cars are very sensitive when it’s not going one way or the other. So, an interesting grand prix. We know where we lose out in these difficult conditions and we will improve it. I went for another set of intermediates towards the end of the race to try and make up some places. I thought it might work, it did, but then we weren’t quick at the end.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “It was a very chaotic race today. Both drivers elected to stop early on when the rain came. Unfortunately Mark hit the front jack and damaged his front wing, which ultimately cost both drivers a bit of time. Then, a few laps later as the circuit dried, they ended up coming back in for slicks. Seb got out ahead of Lewis and then they rapidly caught Sutil but, as Seb was passing Sutil, Hamilton got back past him. He lost quite a lot of time at that stage during the race. After the restart, Mark got pushed wide a lost quite a few positions. We took a gamble and opted to put him onto another set of intermediates early. By doing that he was able to leapfrog the cars ahead of him. Unfortunately the tyres were very worn by the end of the race, but it elevated him from twelfth at the time to eighth. Sixth and eighth isn’t the result that we were looking for from first and second, but it is such a lottery in chaotic conditions and they are still valuable points. It’s not often you get a race like that and when you’re first and second you’ve got everything to lose, rather than everything to gain. Things went right for McLaren today, with Lewis on an identical strategy to our guys. So, well done to them and we’ll fight back at the next race.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “I hope people enjoyed the show. I’m sure it was a very good race to watch from the outside, but for us it was bad. We recovered a small amount of points, but it was much less than we expected to get here. The good thing is that the engine behaved correctly in these difficult situations, which is always good. We now just have to focus on the next race; we have three weeks to find more pace and be stronger.”
76 TEAM MEMBERS TO GET HOME!
Car 5 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: 6th, Start Position: 1st
“It was a difficult race – on nearly every second lap there was a car to pass or I got passed. I lost quite a bit of time with the first pit-stop, but we fought our way back and ended the race in sixth. We started on pole, with a one/two actually, but we didn’t finish there. I think today it was very chaotic and to take sixth can be quite important. Obviously our main competitors finished ahead, so that’s not nice. We struggled quite a lot in some of the conditions with the car, it was okay when we were in clean air, our pace was decent, but it’s very on and off in these conditions. It’s a lot just to maintain your track position. I had battle with Lewis (Hamilton in the pit lane. At the stop I was ahead; I don’t know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me. I hoped I didn’t get a puncture from that – I don’t really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage anyway.”
Car 6 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: 8th, Start Position: 2nd
“It was a difficult race for us and we got a bit blown away – we weren’t quick enough, simple as that. There were very changeable conditions during the race, I know it’s the same for everyone, but the cars are very sensitive when it’s not going one way or the other. So, an interesting grand prix. We know where we lose out in these difficult conditions and we will improve it. I went for another set of intermediates towards the end of the race to try and make up some places. I thought it might work, it did, but then we weren’t quick at the end.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal: “It was a very chaotic race today. Both drivers elected to stop early on when the rain came. Unfortunately Mark hit the front jack and damaged his front wing, which ultimately cost both drivers a bit of time. Then, a few laps later as the circuit dried, they ended up coming back in for slicks. Seb got out ahead of Lewis and then they rapidly caught Sutil but, as Seb was passing Sutil, Hamilton got back past him. He lost quite a lot of time at that stage during the race. After the restart, Mark got pushed wide a lost quite a few positions. We took a gamble and opted to put him onto another set of intermediates early. By doing that he was able to leapfrog the cars ahead of him. Unfortunately the tyres were very worn by the end of the race, but it elevated him from twelfth at the time to eighth. Sixth and eighth isn’t the result that we were looking for from first and second, but it is such a lottery in chaotic conditions and they are still valuable points. It’s not often you get a race like that and when you’re first and second you’ve got everything to lose, rather than everything to gain. Things went right for McLaren today, with Lewis on an identical strategy to our guys. So, well done to them and we’ll fight back at the next race.”
FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: “I hope people enjoyed the show. I’m sure it was a very good race to watch from the outside, but for us it was bad. We recovered a small amount of points, but it was much less than we expected to get here. The good thing is that the engine behaved correctly in these difficult situations, which is always good. We now just have to focus on the next race; we have three weeks to find more pace and be stronger.”