BRITISH GP, updates and results ......
07-06-2007, 11:56 AM
#16
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Raikkonen on top in practice 2 - Britain
By Matt Beer Friday, July 6th 2007, 14:32 GMT
Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari one-two in the Friday afternoon practice session at Silverstone.
The Toyotas showed good speed to take third and fifth with Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, while the McLarens could only manage fourth and sixth, with Lewis Hamilton ahead.
The majority of the action took place in a busy opening half-hour. The McLarens were briefly fastest, before the Ferrari drivers both took a turn on top.
All four title contenders were then momentarily shaded by Trulli, before Felipe Massa and Raikkonen restored Ferrari's advantage.
Raikkonen's 1:20.639 put him 0.650 seconds clear of his teammate, and although Massa twice improved his time on subsequent runs, he remained half a second adrift.
The McLarens were then shuffled down to the foot of the top ten as the Toyotas, Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella and the Williams all improved.
A brief rain shower in the first part of the lap limited opportunities for gains during the next 20 minutes, but even once the conditions cleared the McLarens were unable to get back on terms with the Ferraris.
Hamilton improved to fourth, equalling the time set by third-placed Schumacher's Toyota, but 0.742 seconds slower than Raikkonen. Fernando Alonso ended the session sixth, behind Schumacher's teammate Trulli.
Williams continued their strong morning form with Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz taking seventh and eighth, followed by Mark Webber and Anthony Davidson.
Christian Klien made his first appearance in an official session since losing his Red Bull drive last September. He deputised for Jenson Button at Honda after the Briton suffered back pain in this morning's practice, and set the 18th fastest time.
Both Renaults had minor trips off the road during the afternoon, with Heikki Kovalainen going through the gravel at Brooklands, and Fisichella exploring the Copse run-off area. Honda's Rubens Barrichello also visited the gravel at the complex.
The only driver to damage his car was Adrian Sutil, who spun his Spyker in the middle of Copse and nudged into the wall on the outside of the corner.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:20.639 35
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:21.138 + 0.499 30
3. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:21.381 + 0.742 34
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.381 + 0.742 39
5. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.467 + 0.828 35
6. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.616 + 0.977 35
7. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.619 + 0.980 40
8. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.650 + 1.011 37
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.137 + 1.498 31
10. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:22.143 + 1.504 40
11. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:22.189 + 1.550 42
12. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:22.257 + 1.618 39
13. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:22.372 + 1.733 41
14. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.428 + 1.789 23
15. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:22.486 + 1.847 34
16. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:22.487 + 1.848 38
17. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:22.511 + 1.872 39
18. Klien Honda (B) 1:22.833 + 2.194 45
19. Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:22.840 + 2.201 42
20. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:23.105 + 2.466 35
21. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:23.113 + 2.474 35
22. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:23.720 + 3.081 30
Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari one-two in the Friday afternoon practice session at Silverstone.
The Toyotas showed good speed to take third and fifth with Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, while the McLarens could only manage fourth and sixth, with Lewis Hamilton ahead.
The majority of the action took place in a busy opening half-hour. The McLarens were briefly fastest, before the Ferrari drivers both took a turn on top.
All four title contenders were then momentarily shaded by Trulli, before Felipe Massa and Raikkonen restored Ferrari's advantage.
Raikkonen's 1:20.639 put him 0.650 seconds clear of his teammate, and although Massa twice improved his time on subsequent runs, he remained half a second adrift.
The McLarens were then shuffled down to the foot of the top ten as the Toyotas, Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella and the Williams all improved.
A brief rain shower in the first part of the lap limited opportunities for gains during the next 20 minutes, but even once the conditions cleared the McLarens were unable to get back on terms with the Ferraris.
Hamilton improved to fourth, equalling the time set by third-placed Schumacher's Toyota, but 0.742 seconds slower than Raikkonen. Fernando Alonso ended the session sixth, behind Schumacher's teammate Trulli.
Williams continued their strong morning form with Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz taking seventh and eighth, followed by Mark Webber and Anthony Davidson.
Christian Klien made his first appearance in an official session since losing his Red Bull drive last September. He deputised for Jenson Button at Honda after the Briton suffered back pain in this morning's practice, and set the 18th fastest time.
Both Renaults had minor trips off the road during the afternoon, with Heikki Kovalainen going through the gravel at Brooklands, and Fisichella exploring the Copse run-off area. Honda's Rubens Barrichello also visited the gravel at the complex.
The only driver to damage his car was Adrian Sutil, who spun his Spyker in the middle of Copse and nudged into the wall on the outside of the corner.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:20.639 35
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:21.138 + 0.499 30
3. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:21.381 + 0.742 34
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.381 + 0.742 39
5. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.467 + 0.828 35
6. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:21.616 + 0.977 35
7. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.619 + 0.980 40
8. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.650 + 1.011 37
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.137 + 1.498 31
10. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:22.143 + 1.504 40
11. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:22.189 + 1.550 42
12. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:22.257 + 1.618 39
13. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:22.372 + 1.733 41
14. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:22.428 + 1.789 23
15. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:22.486 + 1.847 34
16. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:22.487 + 1.848 38
17. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:22.511 + 1.872 39
18. Klien Honda (B) 1:22.833 + 2.194 45
19. Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:22.840 + 2.201 42
20. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:23.105 + 2.466 35
21. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:23.113 + 2.474 35
22. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:23.720 + 3.081 30
07-06-2007, 12:16 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by ltc
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/38540/
I don't recall Alonso making so many 'mental' errors in the car last season.
Perhaps being #2 doesn't suit his personality?
I don't recall Alonso making so many 'mental' errors in the car last season.
Perhaps being #2 doesn't suit his personality?
OK everyone listen up !
Joey and roberto, i need you to follow hamilton at all times, i want to know what he eats, who he eats with , everything !
Coolly, Javier, Juan , you watch his engineers , let me know if he is getting anything different...
Last edited by A.Wayne; 07-06-2007 at 01:36 PM.
07-06-2007, 09:26 PM
#18
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In the wake of the unraveling Stepneygate saga, I heard Kimi has hired his own investigative team to uncover probable sabotage of his car in his early season races .
The Beasties
"IknowtherehasbeenwhitepowdereverywhereanditwasslowingmedownsomuchthatIc ouldnotcatchFelipesoIhavehiredthebeastiestogettothebottomofthisimmediate ly.OfcoarseIshouldwinallracesfromhereonoutnowthatIhavethebeasties"
The Beasties
"IknowtherehasbeenwhitepowdereverywhereanditwasslowingmedownsomuchthatIc ouldnotcatchFelipesoIhavehiredthebeastiestogettothebottomofthisimmediate ly.OfcoarseIshouldwinallracesfromhereonoutnowthatIhavethebeasties"
07-07-2007, 07:22 AM
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Raikkonen tops Saturday practice - Britain
By Matt Beer Saturday, July 7th 2007, 10:05 GMT
Kimi Raikkonen continued his commanding British Grand Prix practice form by going fastest for Ferrari in the Saturday morning session at Silverstone.
The session looked set to end with another Ferrari one-two until McLaren's Fernando Alonso usurped Felipe Massa from second in the closing moments.
Alonso's McLaren teammate and crowd favourite Lewis Hamilton was fourth quickest.
Raikkonen was fastest for the majority of the session, setting a 1:20.278 on his first run after 20 minutes.
Alonso beat that time by 0.110 seconds a few minutes later, but Raikkonen soon responded with a 1:19.751 to comfortably reclaim the leading position. Although Alonso improved on his next outing, he remained 0.343 seconds adrift.
Massa a more eventful session than his teammate - catching a sideways slide through Becketts on his first run, and then going across the grass at Stowe later on. He improved to second with three minutes to go, but was then beaten by Alonso on the McLaren's final lap.
Hamilton never challenged for the top spot and ended up 0.593 seconds slower than Raikkonen in fourth.
Williams' Nico Rosberg repeated his Friday morning form to occupy fifth place, with his teammate Alex Wurz only four tenths of a second slower, but ten places further down the order, having had a quick spin. Just six tenths covered Rosberg in fifth, to David Coulthard in 18th.
Ralf Schumacher maintained his strong form to take sixth, with his Toyota teammate Jarno Trulli only 17th. The Italian gesticulated at Hamilton after an apparent blocking incident at the end of the session.
Toro Rosso again showed surprising speed in practice, as Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi leapt up to fifth and sixth places with 15 minutes remaining. They were shuffled down the order, but Liuzzi worked his way back up to seventh place, with Speed taking 13th.
Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Super Aguri's Anthony Davidson completed the top ten.
Jenson Button returned to action after back pain forced him to sit out Friday's afternoon session. He had the track to himself for the first ten minutes as he worked to make up for lost mileage, but slipped down to 19th by the end of the hour.
Robert Kubica sat out much of the session while the BMW mechanics worked on his car in the garage. Although he rejoined near the end of the hour, he could only manage 16th.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:19.751 17
2. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.920 + 0.169 12
3. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:19.969 + 0.218 17
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:20.344 + 0.593 12
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.666 + 0.915 17
6. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:20.770 + 1.019 21
7. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.876 + 1.125 21
8. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:20.882 + 1.131 17
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:20.882 + 1.131 19
10. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:20.915 + 1.164 23
11. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:20.983 + 1.232 19
12. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:21.002 + 1.251 16
13. Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:21.039 + 1.288 19
14. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:21.140 + 1.389 22
15. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.148 + 1.397 17
16. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:21.156 + 1.405 17
17. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.321 + 1.570 18
18. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:21.343 + 1.592 16
19. Button Honda (B) 1:21.583 + 1.832 24
20. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:21.745 + 1.994 23
21. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:22.101 + 2.350 23
22. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:22.180 + 2.429 24
Kimi Raikkonen continued his commanding British Grand Prix practice form by going fastest for Ferrari in the Saturday morning session at Silverstone.
The session looked set to end with another Ferrari one-two until McLaren's Fernando Alonso usurped Felipe Massa from second in the closing moments.
Alonso's McLaren teammate and crowd favourite Lewis Hamilton was fourth quickest.
Raikkonen was fastest for the majority of the session, setting a 1:20.278 on his first run after 20 minutes.
Alonso beat that time by 0.110 seconds a few minutes later, but Raikkonen soon responded with a 1:19.751 to comfortably reclaim the leading position. Although Alonso improved on his next outing, he remained 0.343 seconds adrift.
Massa a more eventful session than his teammate - catching a sideways slide through Becketts on his first run, and then going across the grass at Stowe later on. He improved to second with three minutes to go, but was then beaten by Alonso on the McLaren's final lap.
Hamilton never challenged for the top spot and ended up 0.593 seconds slower than Raikkonen in fourth.
Williams' Nico Rosberg repeated his Friday morning form to occupy fifth place, with his teammate Alex Wurz only four tenths of a second slower, but ten places further down the order, having had a quick spin. Just six tenths covered Rosberg in fifth, to David Coulthard in 18th.
Ralf Schumacher maintained his strong form to take sixth, with his Toyota teammate Jarno Trulli only 17th. The Italian gesticulated at Hamilton after an apparent blocking incident at the end of the session.
Toro Rosso again showed surprising speed in practice, as Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi leapt up to fifth and sixth places with 15 minutes remaining. They were shuffled down the order, but Liuzzi worked his way back up to seventh place, with Speed taking 13th.
Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Super Aguri's Anthony Davidson completed the top ten.
Jenson Button returned to action after back pain forced him to sit out Friday's afternoon session. He had the track to himself for the first ten minutes as he worked to make up for lost mileage, but slipped down to 19th by the end of the hour.
Robert Kubica sat out much of the session while the BMW mechanics worked on his car in the garage. Although he rejoined near the end of the hour, he could only manage 16th.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:19.751 17
2. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.920 + 0.169 12
3. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:19.969 + 0.218 17
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:20.344 + 0.593 12
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.666 + 0.915 17
6. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:20.770 + 1.019 21
7. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.876 + 1.125 21
8. Kovalainen Renault (B) 1:20.882 + 1.131 17
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:20.882 + 1.131 19
10. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:20.915 + 1.164 23
11. Fisichella Renault (B) 1:20.983 + 1.232 19
12. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:21.002 + 1.251 16
13. Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:21.039 + 1.288 19
14. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:21.140 + 1.389 22
15. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) 1:21.148 + 1.397 17
16. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:21.156 + 1.405 17
17. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:21.321 + 1.570 18
18. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:21.343 + 1.592 16
19. Button Honda (B) 1:21.583 + 1.832 24
20. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:21.745 + 1.994 23
21. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:22.101 + 2.350 23
22. Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 1:22.180 + 2.429 24
07-07-2007, 10:46 AM
#21
Race Director
Lewis Hamilton P1....Y E A H..........B A B Y!!!!!! 
07-07-2007, 01:03 PM
#22
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Hamilton grabs last-gasp British GP pole
By Matt Beer Saturday, July 7th 2007, 13:06 GMT
Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position for his first ever home Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The McLaren driver beat practice pace-setter Kimi Raikkonen, with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa sharing the second row.
Alonso had looked set for pole until the final seconds, having been fastest in both the preliminary sessions, and then quickest on the first flying laps of Q3.
The world champion then improved further on his second run, but his 1: 20.147 lap was quickly beaten by Raikkonen's 1:20.099.
Then Hamilton, who had only been fourth on his first Q3 run, improved by six tenths of a second - lapping in 1:19.997 to take the third pole of his career.
Behind the McLaren and Ferrari battle, Robert Kubica took fifth for BMW, ahead of a surprise performance by Ralf Schumacher. The Toyota earned his best starting position of the season so far by taking sixth.
The two Renaults occupied the fourth row, with Heikki Kovalainen out-qualifying Giancarlo Fisichella.
The final top ten places went to BMW's Nick Heidfeld, and Schumacher's teammate Jarno Trulli.
The Red Bulls will share the sixth row, with Mark Webber ahead of David Coulthard.
Their stablemates at Scuderia Toro Rosso easily reached Q2, but could not progress above row eight. Scott Speed beat teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi to 15th.
Jenson Button had a disastrous qualifying session for his home Grand Prix. He only managed 18th on the grid after encountering traffic on his first Q1 lap, then slowing on his second run after being informed of yellow flags in the complex, only to find they had been withdrawn by the time he arrived there.
His teammate Rubens Barrichello will start 14th.
Alex Wurz ended his string of poor qualifying performances by comfortably reaching Q2, and then came close to breaking into the top ten for the first time in his comeback season. He held eighth as Q2 came to an end, but late improvements by others pushed him down to 13th.
His teammate Nico Rosberg - who had been in the top five in two of the practice sessions - struggled to 17th after a mechanical problem in Q1 limited his straight-line speed.
The Super Aguris and Spykers will share the back two rows of the grid. with Anthony Davidson at the head of the quartet in 19th despite going off the road between Brooklands and Luffield and ending Q1 stuck in the gravel.
Adrian Sutil beat Takuma Sato and Christijan Albers to 20th.
Britain qualifying breakdown Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Pos Driver Team Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap
1. Hamilton McLaren 4. 1:19.885 4 3. 1:19.400 3 1. 1:19.997 12
2. Raikkonen Ferrari 2. 1:19.753 4 2. 1:19.252 3 2. 1:20.099 11
3. Alonso McLaren 1. 1:19.330 3 1. 1:19.152 3 3. 1:20.147 12
4. Massa Ferrari 3. 1:19.790 3 4. 1:19.421 3 4. 1:20.265 12
5. Kubica BMW Sauber 5. 1:20.294 8 7. 1:20.054 3 5. 1:20.401 11
6. R.Schumacher Toyota 6. 1:20.513 6 5. 1:19.860 6 6. 1:20.516 11
7. Kovalainen Renault 8. 1:20.570 7 8. 1:20.077 6 7. 1:20.721 11
8. Fisichella Renault 12. 1:20.842 7 6. 1:20.042 6 8. 1:20.775 11
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber 7. 1:20.534 3 10. 1:20.178 3 9. 1:20.894 11
10. Trulli Toyota 13. 1:21.150 7 9. 1:20.133 6 10. 1:21.240 11
11. Webber Red Bull 9. 1:20.583 6 11. 1:20.235 6
12. Coulthard Red Bull 14. 1:21.154 7 12. 1:20.329 7
13. Wurz Williams 10. 1:20.830 9 13. 1:20.350 6
14. Barrichello Honda 16. 1:21.169 6 14. 1:20.364 6
15. Speed Toro Rosso 11. 1:20.834 6 15. 1:20.515 6
16. Liuzzi Toro Rosso 15. 1:21.160 7 16. 1:20.823 8
17. Rosberg Williams 17. 1:21.219 6
18. Button Honda 18. 1:21.335 6
19. Davidson Super Aguri 19. 1:21.448 5
20. Sutil Spyker 20. 1:22.019 8
21. Sato Super Aguri 21. 1:22.045 6
22. Albers Spyker 22. 1:22.589 6
Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position for his first ever home Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The McLaren driver beat practice pace-setter Kimi Raikkonen, with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa sharing the second row.
Alonso had looked set for pole until the final seconds, having been fastest in both the preliminary sessions, and then quickest on the first flying laps of Q3.
The world champion then improved further on his second run, but his 1: 20.147 lap was quickly beaten by Raikkonen's 1:20.099.
Then Hamilton, who had only been fourth on his first Q3 run, improved by six tenths of a second - lapping in 1:19.997 to take the third pole of his career.
Behind the McLaren and Ferrari battle, Robert Kubica took fifth for BMW, ahead of a surprise performance by Ralf Schumacher. The Toyota earned his best starting position of the season so far by taking sixth.
The two Renaults occupied the fourth row, with Heikki Kovalainen out-qualifying Giancarlo Fisichella.
The final top ten places went to BMW's Nick Heidfeld, and Schumacher's teammate Jarno Trulli.
The Red Bulls will share the sixth row, with Mark Webber ahead of David Coulthard.
Their stablemates at Scuderia Toro Rosso easily reached Q2, but could not progress above row eight. Scott Speed beat teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi to 15th.
Jenson Button had a disastrous qualifying session for his home Grand Prix. He only managed 18th on the grid after encountering traffic on his first Q1 lap, then slowing on his second run after being informed of yellow flags in the complex, only to find they had been withdrawn by the time he arrived there.
His teammate Rubens Barrichello will start 14th.
Alex Wurz ended his string of poor qualifying performances by comfortably reaching Q2, and then came close to breaking into the top ten for the first time in his comeback season. He held eighth as Q2 came to an end, but late improvements by others pushed him down to 13th.
His teammate Nico Rosberg - who had been in the top five in two of the practice sessions - struggled to 17th after a mechanical problem in Q1 limited his straight-line speed.
The Super Aguris and Spykers will share the back two rows of the grid. with Anthony Davidson at the head of the quartet in 19th despite going off the road between Brooklands and Luffield and ending Q1 stuck in the gravel.
Adrian Sutil beat Takuma Sato and Christijan Albers to 20th.
Britain qualifying breakdown Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Pos Driver Team Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap Pos Time Lap
1. Hamilton McLaren 4. 1:19.885 4 3. 1:19.400 3 1. 1:19.997 12
2. Raikkonen Ferrari 2. 1:19.753 4 2. 1:19.252 3 2. 1:20.099 11
3. Alonso McLaren 1. 1:19.330 3 1. 1:19.152 3 3. 1:20.147 12
4. Massa Ferrari 3. 1:19.790 3 4. 1:19.421 3 4. 1:20.265 12
5. Kubica BMW Sauber 5. 1:20.294 8 7. 1:20.054 3 5. 1:20.401 11
6. R.Schumacher Toyota 6. 1:20.513 6 5. 1:19.860 6 6. 1:20.516 11
7. Kovalainen Renault 8. 1:20.570 7 8. 1:20.077 6 7. 1:20.721 11
8. Fisichella Renault 12. 1:20.842 7 6. 1:20.042 6 8. 1:20.775 11
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber 7. 1:20.534 3 10. 1:20.178 3 9. 1:20.894 11
10. Trulli Toyota 13. 1:21.150 7 9. 1:20.133 6 10. 1:21.240 11
11. Webber Red Bull 9. 1:20.583 6 11. 1:20.235 6
12. Coulthard Red Bull 14. 1:21.154 7 12. 1:20.329 7
13. Wurz Williams 10. 1:20.830 9 13. 1:20.350 6
14. Barrichello Honda 16. 1:21.169 6 14. 1:20.364 6
15. Speed Toro Rosso 11. 1:20.834 6 15. 1:20.515 6
16. Liuzzi Toro Rosso 15. 1:21.160 7 16. 1:20.823 8
17. Rosberg Williams 17. 1:21.219 6
18. Button Honda 18. 1:21.335 6
19. Davidson Super Aguri 19. 1:21.448 5
20. Sutil Spyker 20. 1:22.019 8
21. Sato Super Aguri 21. 1:22.045 6
22. Albers Spyker 22. 1:22.589 6
07-07-2007, 01:05 PM
#23
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Post-qualifying press conference - Britain
Saturday, July 7th 2007, 15:18 GMT
Q. Lewis, you've scored the fiftieth pole for the McLaren Mercedes partnership, your third pole of the season, and the first British driver to be on pole for his home Grand Prix since 1996. A fantastic qualifying session, the last to come in for new tyres, you timed it perfectly.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, I can hear everyone outside... No, it was an extremely intensive qualifying session. Obviously, the Ferraris are extremely quick and so was Fernando and it was all down to the last lap, making sure… The first timed lap on new tyres in Q3 wasn't very good. I lost a bit of time in turn one, and really I just had to pull it all out.
I think I really did quite a sweet job of putting the lap together and I'm very very fortunate to have done it, but I couldn't have done it without the team changing the tyres quickly and getting me out on time. So thank you to them but I'm very excited about tomorrow now.
Q. You were fourth fastest after that first new set, and as you've been saying all weekend, very difficult conditions; talk us through the lap.
LH: Well, I've been struggling in sector one. It's where I've been losing two tenths of a second, especially to Fernando, so this time I came across the line and going up to the first corner flat out, trying to hold it flat. I didn't do it flat out but I nearly did and so I knew that I had already gained a tenth and a half, nearly two tenths. Then trying to maintain it for the rest of the lap was obviously extremely difficult, but I was able to do it at the last couple of corners.
I knew I was up, about three tenths or something. When you've got that sort of pressure on you - I could see so many fans out there, it's been fantastic today and really to see the support that I've got, it's unreal. I pulled out the lap, I was really really happy when I came across the line and saw the reaction of the fans. It's great to be home and I get an extra buzz.
Q. What was your slow in-lap like with the crowd?
LH: I nearly lost my voice! I came across the line and I could hear the crowd – I don't know if they could hear me but I was screaming just as loud as them.
Q. Kimi, it looked as if the pole was in your hands as well. We saw you running just a little bit wide coming out of the last corner but what was the rest of the lap like?
Kimi Raikkonen: Yeah, it was good, but unfortunately I ran off the circuit exiting the last corner, so we lost a lot of time but that's not something we can change any more so there was definitely speed enough for pole position.
Q. You've been looking very fast since Friday morning, your first front row start since the Australian Grand Prix at the start of the season; you look to be in confident mood.
KR: Yeah, but a bit disappointed really now, but hopefully we can get a good start and then it's a long race so we will see how we can do.
Q. And the conditions here at Silverstone? It seems pretty bumpy and also very gusty.
KR: Yeah, I think the wind has been quite difficult all weekend. It wasn't as bad today as it was yesterday so for me it's not too bumpy but it's the wind which makes it more difficult and tricky.
Q. Fernando, fastest qualifying time of the three sessions but going into Q3, what were your aspirations and how was that last lap for you?
Fernando Alonso: It was quite good, no big problems with the lap. I'm quite happy with the car, how we performed all today: P3, Q1, Q2 and Q3. Obviously we want to be on pole position but third place is the best we could do today and hopefully tomorrow a good set-up on the car for the race will pay off and hopefully we can overtake people in the race.
Q. And we'll see, of course, what strategy you're on tomorrow, but you have looked very quick from the start of practice on Friday.
FA: Yeah, on Friday we tried to work a little bit with the set-up in terms of race pace and things like that, tried to understand the tyres as well, how they performed. Yesterday I was not completely happy with the car and our pace, maybe, didn't seem too good but overnight we did some changes to the set-up, the team did a fantastic job, and today I found a completely different car, much quicker and I was able to be quickest in nearly all the sessions so no reason not to be optimistic for tomorrow.
Q. Lewis, I'm sure you've felt the pressure here. Tell us what it's like for you this weekend, and also, just to add to the pressure that every time you've won the pole, you've also won the race.
LH: Yeah. I feel quite relaxed coming into this weekend. I don't know about other drivers but I've been someone – I don't know if it's part of my personality – but I like to make people happy and when I'm out there and I sign extra autographs, to see the amount of support you have, to see the flags waving, and when I drive round, I do see the Hamilton flags and all that.
So I get a big buzz from that and a lot of energy, so I'm finding this weekend quite a positive weekend for me and for sure, there's pressure but the most pressure comes from myself. So going into tomorrow I'm going to do the best job I can and we'll see what happens.
Press Conference
Q. Lewis, you should have seen your father in the pit lane, or maybe you did, on the big screen!
LH: I was too busy celebrating myself in the cockpit. I nearly lost my voice.
Q. Were you digging deeper than ever for that lap?
LH: Yeah, I was, because unfortunately I wasn't quick enough in the previous runs and throughout the whole weekend, we've been struggling to… well, I've been struggling to a certain point to really fine-tune the car and also my driving because each time I'm improving, I'm finding something new and a lot of it's to do with the experience and experience on this circuit…
It's so quick through the first sector, you really need to slowly build up to the limit and I've been building and building and building. So for that lap, I knew that I was fourth or something and it was all down to that lap. I came into the first corner and I tried to do it quicker than ever, and it was the same for the rest of the lap. I just had to maintain the pace that I already had from turn one and really, that's as deep as I've had to dig for a long long time.
Q. You also thought it was a bit tight on time; in actual fact you had thirty seconds.
LH: I was quite relaxed. I know that the team – they're very very good at calculating how much time we had and I came in and I knew I had plenty of time. I wasn't actually asking how much time we had left, I wanted to know the gap, how much quicker I was. But I think the team did a fantastic job to get us out, in and out as quick as possible, for me and Fernando, but just through the whole weekend there's been a lot of pressure not only on me but also the team.
Q. What do you think the crowd is worth per lap, how many tenths is the support worth?
LH: I wouldn't be able to say just how much time you gain but you definitely get a confidence boost and to see the support, it's just not one group of people in the stands like it often is in certain areas, certain places. But here it's just the whole grandstand and I can't believe how many people are here today. It's been fantastic and I really do appreciate the support.
Q. Kimi, obviously you feel disappointed not to be on pole.
KR: Yeah, because I made a mistake in the last corner, or exiting the last corner. It's basically straight already but I was on the grass so it didn't help. I didn't lift, but I just lost all the traction. The sand was flying everywhere, so it's a bit disappointing really.
Q. How difficult do you feel it's going to be to make up that place?
KR: First of all, they're on the good side at the start, and I think that's the biggest issue. In the race, it depends a lot on how much fuel we have against the others, but I think we have a fast race car, so we wait until tomorrow.
Q. And you've been so quick over the last couple of days.
KR: Yeah, we definitely have good speed in the car, good set-up, so we haven't lost anything yet, but it makes life much more difficult, starting from the second place than from the first. But it's still not impossible, definitely not.
Q. Fernando, fastest in Q2 which is the ultimate speed. That must have been very satisfying.
FA: Yeah, all day in P3, Q1, Q2 being fastest. Also I was quite happy with the car. Regarding yesterday, we had a couple of problems with the balance of the car. I was not totally happy and overnight we made some changes and today I felt much more confident. For the race, it's looking good, it's looking quite good for us and hopefully I can make up some places immediately after the start of the race and around the pit stop area.
Q. What areas did you improve on the car?
FA: The rear end of the car. Yesterday it was a little bit loose and (I was) finding oversteer a little bit everywhere and that was costing us a lot of time. With some changes, with some new ideas from the engineers, they did a fantastic job and today the car felt completely different and I was able to really enjoy the lap.
Q. And just one and a half tenths difference between yourself and Lewis.
FA: Yes, enough to be third, so at the end of the day, I think in qualifying it doesn't matter how much time you are in front or behind. The important thing is the positions and I'm third, so hopefully tomorrow I can change this position.
Questions From The Floor
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, every week people keep asking you: 'Can you believe this?' And I'm sure you kind of get used to what's happened to you this season. But you are pole at your first British Grand Prix. Are you still pinching yourself that all this is happening to you?
LH: Yeah definitely. I don't believe I have got used to it. It has been eight races and they've all been fantastic. But it's still been very difficult experience to get used to. I think it is a good thing that it is always fresh, always new and always exciting for me and I hope that continues. It's been really tough. I hoped to come here and win pole position, it wasn't looking that good at one point in qualifying but it turned out quite good.
Q. (Mike Doodson – Auto Action) Lewis you've said you like to make people happy. The last two British champions were Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Damon Hill in 1996. Can you remember being excited by them doing well at Silverstone or would you be supporting other people?
LH: Back then Ayrton Senna was around and he was always my hero. For sure I supported the British drivers and Nigel Mansell… I was only six at the time so I didn't really understand everything. When Damon won, I won my first British championship and I met him that year. To have been watching him all that year and see him do so well… obviously I got a big boost of confidence when I did meet him. But I was watching Ayrton the whole time.
Q. (Sean McGreevy – Motoring and Leisure) Congratulations Lewis.
LH: Thank you.
Q. (Sean McGreevy – Motoring and Leisure) There is obviously fantastic support for you this weekend. You've talked a lot about this but how are you dealing with going from relative anonymity to globally recognised sportsman and how does it feel to receive so many plaudits from people in F1? People like Sir Frank Williams who described you as superhuman.
LH: Well, it's overwhelming to hear such good things from people like Sir Frank Williams and a lot of people in the Formula One world. Obviously I came here to do a solid job, there has been a lot of pressure on from day one and there has not been that many negative comments made so I have been able to keep all this positive energy and it's definitely comforting to hear such nice things.
But having my world turned upside-down is… I'm very lucky I have very god balance and sense of awareness so even though it's turned upside-down I can still get on with my life. But it's been really tough obviously walking on the streets and people coming up to you. It is strange.
Taken from my past experience when I used to go up to Formula One drivers I wanted to be slightly different. I wanted for people to be able to approach me and to try and give them as much time as possible. That's what some Formula One drivers didn't do when I was younger.
Q. (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, the feelings you are experiencing right now… How does it compare to your first win in Canada? And secondly you were disappointed with your start in France last week with Kimi behind you there. Are you confident that you are going to nail it tomorrow?
LH: Yes, I feel confident. We have worked hard this weekend to improve our starts and I think being on the clean side definitely helps. And my feelings? It definitely feels… I think qualifying is always exciting. Even for you to watch but when you are in the car and you know you are on the last lap, the slightest mistake and you lose it… and you put it all together while you are sitting on a knife edge all the way round. You come round and you see that you did the time… it's a phenomenal feeling, it really is.
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, I just wanted to ask what were you saying when you were shouting into the radio to almost lose your voice? And what will you do if you win tomorrow celebration wise?
LH: I wasn't shouting in the radio. I made sure it was switched off. I was just shouting to myself, you know, "Yes". But I did that in Canada too, the whole way round and it's a long, long lap when you are just sitting in top gear and cruising round.
Q. (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Germany) Kimi, can you just describe what happened in the last corner exit? Why did you slip onto the grass?
KR: I just ran wide on the exit and that's what happens, you lose time.
Q. (Carlos Miquel – Diario AS) Fernando, you are only a human driver, but in this English party do you think it is possible to fight with your teammate until the end of the race?
FA: A difficult question. We will see what happens tomorrow. Today I did not have an easy day in P3 but tomorrow I will try to win the race that is for sure.
Q. (Andrew Frankl – Forza) Lewis we were talking about sponsors pulling you from pillar to post. Are you getting any rest? Are you getting any sleep?
LH: That's definitely been one of the toughest challenges - trying to manage your time and maximise the time you have off. We haven't had much time off, at least I haven't. Obviously the marketing department work extremely hard to make sure we don't have too many days but especially here, coming after a race in Magny-Cours, we didn't get many days off and we were straight back into appearances and everything.
So to be able to divide out your energy, and it's mostly mental energy that you are losing, to try not to empty that bottle that you need the whole weekend and keep everyone happy, keep a smile on and make sure you say the right things is really, really tough. It is probably one of the trickiest parts of the job.
Q. (Anne Giuntini – L'Equipe) I just wanted to ask Kimi and Fernando if you will shout in the radio tomorrow if you win?
KR: Probably not. (Laughter)
FA: Probably not.
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, if you can just tell us what happens between now and when the green light comes on tomorrow. What are you going to get up to? Are you going to chill? Watch DVD's? What's the plan?
LH: After this we have to go back and sit in our room and analyse the data and find out where I could have found more time. Always got to improve and try to anticipate how the car is going to be tomorrow. We can't make too many changes to the car, or any changes. But there are certain changes you can make to the GIF and traction control so we will go and analyse that and try to find some more time.
For me this evening it is just about refilling the fuel tank, the energy tank. I'll just make sure I get back in, relax, spend some time with my family, chill with my brother, play some Playstation, whatever it is to take my mind and my focus off racing. Then I'll be back here tomorrow morning as fresh as can be.
Q. (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Germany) Fernando on your fastest lap in Q2 I didn't see the white stripe on your tyres so I suppose you didn't have soft tyres. So how much confidence does that give you for tomorrow's race?
FA: I think I was the opposite to the other drivers. I think I was using the soft in Q1 and the prime in Q2. For me it was very close for tyres in terms of timed laps so it was just a check for which tyres we use in Q3 and I'm not sure about which tyre was best for me.
So I'm very confident because with both tyres I can do exactly as quick timed laps. I was quickest in P1 and quickest in P2 so for tomorrow's race, given that we have to use both sets of tyres at some point, I am very confident that in my case both tyres work exactly the same.
Q. Lewis, you've scored the fiftieth pole for the McLaren Mercedes partnership, your third pole of the season, and the first British driver to be on pole for his home Grand Prix since 1996. A fantastic qualifying session, the last to come in for new tyres, you timed it perfectly.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, I can hear everyone outside... No, it was an extremely intensive qualifying session. Obviously, the Ferraris are extremely quick and so was Fernando and it was all down to the last lap, making sure… The first timed lap on new tyres in Q3 wasn't very good. I lost a bit of time in turn one, and really I just had to pull it all out.
I think I really did quite a sweet job of putting the lap together and I'm very very fortunate to have done it, but I couldn't have done it without the team changing the tyres quickly and getting me out on time. So thank you to them but I'm very excited about tomorrow now.
Q. You were fourth fastest after that first new set, and as you've been saying all weekend, very difficult conditions; talk us through the lap.
LH: Well, I've been struggling in sector one. It's where I've been losing two tenths of a second, especially to Fernando, so this time I came across the line and going up to the first corner flat out, trying to hold it flat. I didn't do it flat out but I nearly did and so I knew that I had already gained a tenth and a half, nearly two tenths. Then trying to maintain it for the rest of the lap was obviously extremely difficult, but I was able to do it at the last couple of corners.
I knew I was up, about three tenths or something. When you've got that sort of pressure on you - I could see so many fans out there, it's been fantastic today and really to see the support that I've got, it's unreal. I pulled out the lap, I was really really happy when I came across the line and saw the reaction of the fans. It's great to be home and I get an extra buzz.
Q. What was your slow in-lap like with the crowd?
LH: I nearly lost my voice! I came across the line and I could hear the crowd – I don't know if they could hear me but I was screaming just as loud as them.
Q. Kimi, it looked as if the pole was in your hands as well. We saw you running just a little bit wide coming out of the last corner but what was the rest of the lap like?
Kimi Raikkonen: Yeah, it was good, but unfortunately I ran off the circuit exiting the last corner, so we lost a lot of time but that's not something we can change any more so there was definitely speed enough for pole position.
Q. You've been looking very fast since Friday morning, your first front row start since the Australian Grand Prix at the start of the season; you look to be in confident mood.
KR: Yeah, but a bit disappointed really now, but hopefully we can get a good start and then it's a long race so we will see how we can do.
Q. And the conditions here at Silverstone? It seems pretty bumpy and also very gusty.
KR: Yeah, I think the wind has been quite difficult all weekend. It wasn't as bad today as it was yesterday so for me it's not too bumpy but it's the wind which makes it more difficult and tricky.
Q. Fernando, fastest qualifying time of the three sessions but going into Q3, what were your aspirations and how was that last lap for you?
Fernando Alonso: It was quite good, no big problems with the lap. I'm quite happy with the car, how we performed all today: P3, Q1, Q2 and Q3. Obviously we want to be on pole position but third place is the best we could do today and hopefully tomorrow a good set-up on the car for the race will pay off and hopefully we can overtake people in the race.
Q. And we'll see, of course, what strategy you're on tomorrow, but you have looked very quick from the start of practice on Friday.
FA: Yeah, on Friday we tried to work a little bit with the set-up in terms of race pace and things like that, tried to understand the tyres as well, how they performed. Yesterday I was not completely happy with the car and our pace, maybe, didn't seem too good but overnight we did some changes to the set-up, the team did a fantastic job, and today I found a completely different car, much quicker and I was able to be quickest in nearly all the sessions so no reason not to be optimistic for tomorrow.
Q. Lewis, I'm sure you've felt the pressure here. Tell us what it's like for you this weekend, and also, just to add to the pressure that every time you've won the pole, you've also won the race.
LH: Yeah. I feel quite relaxed coming into this weekend. I don't know about other drivers but I've been someone – I don't know if it's part of my personality – but I like to make people happy and when I'm out there and I sign extra autographs, to see the amount of support you have, to see the flags waving, and when I drive round, I do see the Hamilton flags and all that.
So I get a big buzz from that and a lot of energy, so I'm finding this weekend quite a positive weekend for me and for sure, there's pressure but the most pressure comes from myself. So going into tomorrow I'm going to do the best job I can and we'll see what happens.
Press Conference
Q. Lewis, you should have seen your father in the pit lane, or maybe you did, on the big screen!
LH: I was too busy celebrating myself in the cockpit. I nearly lost my voice.
Q. Were you digging deeper than ever for that lap?
LH: Yeah, I was, because unfortunately I wasn't quick enough in the previous runs and throughout the whole weekend, we've been struggling to… well, I've been struggling to a certain point to really fine-tune the car and also my driving because each time I'm improving, I'm finding something new and a lot of it's to do with the experience and experience on this circuit…
It's so quick through the first sector, you really need to slowly build up to the limit and I've been building and building and building. So for that lap, I knew that I was fourth or something and it was all down to that lap. I came into the first corner and I tried to do it quicker than ever, and it was the same for the rest of the lap. I just had to maintain the pace that I already had from turn one and really, that's as deep as I've had to dig for a long long time.
Q. You also thought it was a bit tight on time; in actual fact you had thirty seconds.
LH: I was quite relaxed. I know that the team – they're very very good at calculating how much time we had and I came in and I knew I had plenty of time. I wasn't actually asking how much time we had left, I wanted to know the gap, how much quicker I was. But I think the team did a fantastic job to get us out, in and out as quick as possible, for me and Fernando, but just through the whole weekend there's been a lot of pressure not only on me but also the team.
Q. What do you think the crowd is worth per lap, how many tenths is the support worth?
LH: I wouldn't be able to say just how much time you gain but you definitely get a confidence boost and to see the support, it's just not one group of people in the stands like it often is in certain areas, certain places. But here it's just the whole grandstand and I can't believe how many people are here today. It's been fantastic and I really do appreciate the support.
Q. Kimi, obviously you feel disappointed not to be on pole.
KR: Yeah, because I made a mistake in the last corner, or exiting the last corner. It's basically straight already but I was on the grass so it didn't help. I didn't lift, but I just lost all the traction. The sand was flying everywhere, so it's a bit disappointing really.
Q. How difficult do you feel it's going to be to make up that place?
KR: First of all, they're on the good side at the start, and I think that's the biggest issue. In the race, it depends a lot on how much fuel we have against the others, but I think we have a fast race car, so we wait until tomorrow.
Q. And you've been so quick over the last couple of days.
KR: Yeah, we definitely have good speed in the car, good set-up, so we haven't lost anything yet, but it makes life much more difficult, starting from the second place than from the first. But it's still not impossible, definitely not.
Q. Fernando, fastest in Q2 which is the ultimate speed. That must have been very satisfying.
FA: Yeah, all day in P3, Q1, Q2 being fastest. Also I was quite happy with the car. Regarding yesterday, we had a couple of problems with the balance of the car. I was not totally happy and overnight we made some changes and today I felt much more confident. For the race, it's looking good, it's looking quite good for us and hopefully I can make up some places immediately after the start of the race and around the pit stop area.
Q. What areas did you improve on the car?
FA: The rear end of the car. Yesterday it was a little bit loose and (I was) finding oversteer a little bit everywhere and that was costing us a lot of time. With some changes, with some new ideas from the engineers, they did a fantastic job and today the car felt completely different and I was able to really enjoy the lap.
Q. And just one and a half tenths difference between yourself and Lewis.
FA: Yes, enough to be third, so at the end of the day, I think in qualifying it doesn't matter how much time you are in front or behind. The important thing is the positions and I'm third, so hopefully tomorrow I can change this position.
Questions From The Floor
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, every week people keep asking you: 'Can you believe this?' And I'm sure you kind of get used to what's happened to you this season. But you are pole at your first British Grand Prix. Are you still pinching yourself that all this is happening to you?
LH: Yeah definitely. I don't believe I have got used to it. It has been eight races and they've all been fantastic. But it's still been very difficult experience to get used to. I think it is a good thing that it is always fresh, always new and always exciting for me and I hope that continues. It's been really tough. I hoped to come here and win pole position, it wasn't looking that good at one point in qualifying but it turned out quite good.
Q. (Mike Doodson – Auto Action) Lewis you've said you like to make people happy. The last two British champions were Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Damon Hill in 1996. Can you remember being excited by them doing well at Silverstone or would you be supporting other people?
LH: Back then Ayrton Senna was around and he was always my hero. For sure I supported the British drivers and Nigel Mansell… I was only six at the time so I didn't really understand everything. When Damon won, I won my first British championship and I met him that year. To have been watching him all that year and see him do so well… obviously I got a big boost of confidence when I did meet him. But I was watching Ayrton the whole time.
Q. (Sean McGreevy – Motoring and Leisure) Congratulations Lewis.
LH: Thank you.
Q. (Sean McGreevy – Motoring and Leisure) There is obviously fantastic support for you this weekend. You've talked a lot about this but how are you dealing with going from relative anonymity to globally recognised sportsman and how does it feel to receive so many plaudits from people in F1? People like Sir Frank Williams who described you as superhuman.
LH: Well, it's overwhelming to hear such good things from people like Sir Frank Williams and a lot of people in the Formula One world. Obviously I came here to do a solid job, there has been a lot of pressure on from day one and there has not been that many negative comments made so I have been able to keep all this positive energy and it's definitely comforting to hear such nice things.
But having my world turned upside-down is… I'm very lucky I have very god balance and sense of awareness so even though it's turned upside-down I can still get on with my life. But it's been really tough obviously walking on the streets and people coming up to you. It is strange.
Taken from my past experience when I used to go up to Formula One drivers I wanted to be slightly different. I wanted for people to be able to approach me and to try and give them as much time as possible. That's what some Formula One drivers didn't do when I was younger.
Q. (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, the feelings you are experiencing right now… How does it compare to your first win in Canada? And secondly you were disappointed with your start in France last week with Kimi behind you there. Are you confident that you are going to nail it tomorrow?
LH: Yes, I feel confident. We have worked hard this weekend to improve our starts and I think being on the clean side definitely helps. And my feelings? It definitely feels… I think qualifying is always exciting. Even for you to watch but when you are in the car and you know you are on the last lap, the slightest mistake and you lose it… and you put it all together while you are sitting on a knife edge all the way round. You come round and you see that you did the time… it's a phenomenal feeling, it really is.
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, I just wanted to ask what were you saying when you were shouting into the radio to almost lose your voice? And what will you do if you win tomorrow celebration wise?
LH: I wasn't shouting in the radio. I made sure it was switched off. I was just shouting to myself, you know, "Yes". But I did that in Canada too, the whole way round and it's a long, long lap when you are just sitting in top gear and cruising round.
Q. (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Germany) Kimi, can you just describe what happened in the last corner exit? Why did you slip onto the grass?
KR: I just ran wide on the exit and that's what happens, you lose time.
Q. (Carlos Miquel – Diario AS) Fernando, you are only a human driver, but in this English party do you think it is possible to fight with your teammate until the end of the race?
FA: A difficult question. We will see what happens tomorrow. Today I did not have an easy day in P3 but tomorrow I will try to win the race that is for sure.
Q. (Andrew Frankl – Forza) Lewis we were talking about sponsors pulling you from pillar to post. Are you getting any rest? Are you getting any sleep?
LH: That's definitely been one of the toughest challenges - trying to manage your time and maximise the time you have off. We haven't had much time off, at least I haven't. Obviously the marketing department work extremely hard to make sure we don't have too many days but especially here, coming after a race in Magny-Cours, we didn't get many days off and we were straight back into appearances and everything.
So to be able to divide out your energy, and it's mostly mental energy that you are losing, to try not to empty that bottle that you need the whole weekend and keep everyone happy, keep a smile on and make sure you say the right things is really, really tough. It is probably one of the trickiest parts of the job.
Q. (Anne Giuntini – L'Equipe) I just wanted to ask Kimi and Fernando if you will shout in the radio tomorrow if you win?
KR: Probably not. (Laughter)
FA: Probably not.
Q. (Ian Stafford – The Mail on Sunday) Lewis, if you can just tell us what happens between now and when the green light comes on tomorrow. What are you going to get up to? Are you going to chill? Watch DVD's? What's the plan?
LH: After this we have to go back and sit in our room and analyse the data and find out where I could have found more time. Always got to improve and try to anticipate how the car is going to be tomorrow. We can't make too many changes to the car, or any changes. But there are certain changes you can make to the GIF and traction control so we will go and analyse that and try to find some more time.
For me this evening it is just about refilling the fuel tank, the energy tank. I'll just make sure I get back in, relax, spend some time with my family, chill with my brother, play some Playstation, whatever it is to take my mind and my focus off racing. Then I'll be back here tomorrow morning as fresh as can be.
Q. (Juha Paatalo – Financial Times Germany) Fernando on your fastest lap in Q2 I didn't see the white stripe on your tyres so I suppose you didn't have soft tyres. So how much confidence does that give you for tomorrow's race?
FA: I think I was the opposite to the other drivers. I think I was using the soft in Q1 and the prime in Q2. For me it was very close for tyres in terms of timed laps so it was just a check for which tyres we use in Q3 and I'm not sure about which tyre was best for me.
So I'm very confident because with both tyres I can do exactly as quick timed laps. I was quickest in P1 and quickest in P2 so for tomorrow's race, given that we have to use both sets of tyres at some point, I am very confident that in my case both tyres work exactly the same.
07-08-2007, 01:44 AM
#25
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I think the Ferraris are running heavy... Kimi with possibly more than Massa
07-08-2007, 06:40 AM
#26
Formula One Spin Doctor
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Thread Starter
It looked to me that Alonso and Massa has more fuel on board than there respective teammates , Kimi would have had pole for sure if not for the last corner bobble.
I'm starting to like Kimi's approach , the more of it you get to understand , it is obvious he did not take too well to Schumacher ( i would guess because he does not drink rum) telling him anything , So he has more or less done his own thing and seem's to be on track with improving his performance.. When the pressure was on he kept his mouth shut, did his thing , got the job done , Alonso and Massa mean while has a lot to say , Alonso less now , but you can see on his face he is not happy at all and Lewis is turning out to be more powerful out of the car than in , very political , Lewis is strong every where so Alonso cannot even tackle this guy mentally , it seems to be his biggest strenght and he is positively pushing Alonso buttons as Mr Nice guy , verey A political
I'm starting to like Kimi's approach , the more of it you get to understand , it is obvious he did not take too well to Schumacher ( i would guess because he does not drink rum) telling him anything , So he has more or less done his own thing and seem's to be on track with improving his performance.. When the pressure was on he kept his mouth shut, did his thing , got the job done , Alonso and Massa mean while has a lot to say , Alonso less now , but you can see on his face he is not happy at all and Lewis is turning out to be more powerful out of the car than in , very political , Lewis is strong every where so Alonso cannot even tackle this guy mentally , it seems to be his biggest strenght and he is positively pushing Alonso buttons as Mr Nice guy , verey A political
Last edited by A.Wayne; 07-08-2007 at 04:07 PM.
07-08-2007, 06:40 AM
#27
Formula One Spin Doctor
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Thread Starter
Toyota form surprises Kovalainen
By Pablo Elizalde Saturday, July 7th 2007, 15:36 GMT
Heikki Kovalainen at SilverstoneRenault's Heikki Kovalainen admitted he was surprised by Toyota drivers' pace in qualifying for the British Grand Prix.
German Ralf Schumacher qualified in a season-best sixth position, with teammate Jarno Trulli down in 10th.
Kovalainen wound up seventh behind Schumacher, and he reckons it will not be easy to beat the German in tomorrow's race.
"When you come out of qualifying, you always think you could have done a little better on the last timed lap - and for me, I felt I made a small mistake that cost me some time," said Kovalainen.
"But once again, our result this afternoon shows we are heading in the right direction, as I got into Q3 for the third consecutive time.
"Toyota were the surprise for us this afternoon, as they have been much stronger than they were in France - and we will need a good strategy to beat them. For me, the first target for tomorrow is to get round the first lap without any problems, unlike in Magny-Cours.
"Then we need a consistent performance from the car all through the stints, and a good strategy. I'm confident we will have that, and that we can make up positions in the race."
Kovalainen's teammate Giancarlo Fisichella will start from eighth position after problems with his brakes hindered him during his final flying lap.
"It was a very tight session all the way through the field, but it was very clean for us, with no problems and the car working well," he said.
"My only problem came on the most important lap, the last timed one, when a small problem with the brakes meant I missed the line through turns four and five - which probably cost me a couple of tenths.
"Looking ahead to the race, the car performed consistently on the long runs yesterday, so I think we can feel positive for tomorrow afternoon. After that, we will have to race hard, and try to take points away from BMW."
Heikki Kovalainen at SilverstoneRenault's Heikki Kovalainen admitted he was surprised by Toyota drivers' pace in qualifying for the British Grand Prix.
German Ralf Schumacher qualified in a season-best sixth position, with teammate Jarno Trulli down in 10th.
Kovalainen wound up seventh behind Schumacher, and he reckons it will not be easy to beat the German in tomorrow's race.
"When you come out of qualifying, you always think you could have done a little better on the last timed lap - and for me, I felt I made a small mistake that cost me some time," said Kovalainen.
"But once again, our result this afternoon shows we are heading in the right direction, as I got into Q3 for the third consecutive time.
"Toyota were the surprise for us this afternoon, as they have been much stronger than they were in France - and we will need a good strategy to beat them. For me, the first target for tomorrow is to get round the first lap without any problems, unlike in Magny-Cours.
"Then we need a consistent performance from the car all through the stints, and a good strategy. I'm confident we will have that, and that we can make up positions in the race."
Kovalainen's teammate Giancarlo Fisichella will start from eighth position after problems with his brakes hindered him during his final flying lap.
"It was a very tight session all the way through the field, but it was very clean for us, with no problems and the car working well," he said.
"My only problem came on the most important lap, the last timed one, when a small problem with the brakes meant I missed the line through turns four and five - which probably cost me a couple of tenths.
"Looking ahead to the race, the car performed consistently on the long runs yesterday, so I think we can feel positive for tomorrow afternoon. After that, we will have to race hard, and try to take points away from BMW."
07-08-2007, 04:08 PM
#28
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Raikkonen storms to British GP win
By Matt Beer Sunday, July 8th 2007, 13:30 GMT
Kimi Raikkonen wins the British GPKimi Raikkonen secured his second consecutive Grand Prix victory by overcoming the McLarens at Silverstone.
Fernando Alonso led the middle stint of the race but ultimately had to settle for second behind the Ferrari.
However he still trimmed his teammate Lewis Hamilton's championship lead by two points, as the home crowd favourite could only manage third place, despite leading the early laps from pole position.
Raikkonen had shadowed Hamilton throughout the opening laps - the Briton having resisted the Ferrari driver's attempt to grab the lead off the startline. Alonso remained firmly in contention too, staying within two seconds of the leaders and matching their laptimes.
Towards the end of Hamilton's first stint the pressure from Raikkonen increased, with the Ferrari slipstreaming the McLaren down the Hangar Straight, and getting right alongside at Brooklands on lap 14. Hamilton calmly turned in and claimed the corner, but it was clear that Raikkonen had the faster package.
Hamilton was the lightest of the lead cars and pitted on lap 16. The stop nearly went wrong as Hamilton lurched forward prematurely, but there was no repeat of Christijan Albers' dramatic Magny-Cours incident, and the McLaren crew completed refuelling with minimal drama or delay.
Once Hamilton was out of the way, Raikkonen unleashed a series of new fastest laps, emerging comfortably ahead of Hamilton after he stopped two laps longer.
But Alonso went two laps further still, and although there were no astounding times on his in-laps, he was still circulating a second quicker than the now-heavy Ferrari. Coupled with McLaren's decision to short-fuel and go for a mid-race sprint, it was enough for Alonso to emerge from the pits two seconds clear of Raikkonen.
Now on the softer tyres, Alonso began a charge and rapidly extended his lead to five seconds. But Raikkonen was soon matching the McLaren's times and preventing the champion from escaping further.
Alonso made his final stop on lap 37, while Raikkonen had enough fuel to go six laps further.
Once again, his in-laps were extremely rapid, and the Ferrari was 28 seconds clear of the McLaren before it pitted, allowing Raikkonen to rejoin a secure four seconds ahead. He proceeded to extend that lead throughout the stint and confirm his third victory for Ferrari.
Hamilton was significantly slower than the lead duo during his middle stint, losing as much as two seconds per lap and falling half a minute behind. But despite the disappointment, the rookie driver still took his ninth consecutive podium and continues to lead the standings by 12 points over Alonso.
Felipe Massa lost his opportunity to join the lead battle when he stalled on the grid. He took the start from the pitlane and made extremely rapid progress through the midfield in the opening laps, before jumping several more cars by running longer before his first stop.
He rejoined seventh and spent the middle stint trapped behind Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella. But Massa successfully passed both the Renault and BMW's Nick Heidfeld during the final stops, putting him behind Robert Kubica in fifth.
The Ferrari tried a variety of moves on Kubica in the remaining laps but had to be content with fifth place, as Kubica earned his second consecutive fourth position.
Heidfeld used long stints to come from ninth on the grid to sixth, with Heikki Kovalainen passing Renault teammate Fisichella for seventh in the final stops.
The Hondas made a one-stop strategy work well, allowing Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button to come from the midfield to ninth and tenth, Button fending off countryman David Coulthard at the end of the race.
Williams had a difficult race. Nico Rosberg made assertive progress on a short opening stint, then fell back in the traffic and ended up 12th. Alex Wurz survived a collision with Toro Rosso's Scott Speed at Club - which left the American out of the race with broken suspension - to take 13th.
Toyota's promising practice and qualifying form evaporated in the race. Ralf Schumacher lost ground at the start and retired early with a suspension problem, while Jarno Trulli eventually pulled out after struggling with extreme tyre wear and poor handling all afternoon.
Other notable retirements included Red Bull's Mark Webber with an early hydraulic failure, and Briton Anthony Davidson, whose extreme handling problems could not be solved.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The British Grand Prix
Silverstone, Britain;
60 laps; 308.355km;
Weather: Sunny.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1h21:43.074
2. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 2.459
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 39.373
4. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 53.319
5. Massa Ferrari (B) + 54.063
6. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 56.336
7. Kovalainen Renault (B) + 1 lap
8. Fisichella Renault (B) + 1 lap
9. Barrichello Honda (B) + 1 lap
10. Button Honda (B) + 1 lap
11. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) + 1 lap
12. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
13. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
14. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) + 2 laps
15. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) + 2 laps
16. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 4 laps
Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:20.638
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Trulli Toyota (B) 45
Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 37
Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 31
R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 24
Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 19
Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 10
World Championship standings, round 9:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Hamilton 70 1. McLaren-Mercedes 128
2. Alonso 58 2. Ferrari 103
3. Raikkonen 52 3. BMW Sauber 56
4. Massa 51 4. Renault 31
5. Heidfeld 33 5. Williams-Toyota 13
6. Kubica 22 6. Toyota 9
7. Fisichella 17 7. Red Bull-Renault 6
8. Kovalainen 14 8. Super Aguri-Honda 4
9. Wurz 8 9. Honda 1
10. Trulli 7
11. Rosberg 5
12. Coulthard 4
13. Sato 4
14. R.Schumacher 2
15. Webber 2
16. Vettel 1
17. Button 1
All timing unofficial
Kimi Raikkonen wins the British GPKimi Raikkonen secured his second consecutive Grand Prix victory by overcoming the McLarens at Silverstone.
Fernando Alonso led the middle stint of the race but ultimately had to settle for second behind the Ferrari.
However he still trimmed his teammate Lewis Hamilton's championship lead by two points, as the home crowd favourite could only manage third place, despite leading the early laps from pole position.
Raikkonen had shadowed Hamilton throughout the opening laps - the Briton having resisted the Ferrari driver's attempt to grab the lead off the startline. Alonso remained firmly in contention too, staying within two seconds of the leaders and matching their laptimes.
Towards the end of Hamilton's first stint the pressure from Raikkonen increased, with the Ferrari slipstreaming the McLaren down the Hangar Straight, and getting right alongside at Brooklands on lap 14. Hamilton calmly turned in and claimed the corner, but it was clear that Raikkonen had the faster package.
Hamilton was the lightest of the lead cars and pitted on lap 16. The stop nearly went wrong as Hamilton lurched forward prematurely, but there was no repeat of Christijan Albers' dramatic Magny-Cours incident, and the McLaren crew completed refuelling with minimal drama or delay.
Once Hamilton was out of the way, Raikkonen unleashed a series of new fastest laps, emerging comfortably ahead of Hamilton after he stopped two laps longer.
But Alonso went two laps further still, and although there were no astounding times on his in-laps, he was still circulating a second quicker than the now-heavy Ferrari. Coupled with McLaren's decision to short-fuel and go for a mid-race sprint, it was enough for Alonso to emerge from the pits two seconds clear of Raikkonen.
Now on the softer tyres, Alonso began a charge and rapidly extended his lead to five seconds. But Raikkonen was soon matching the McLaren's times and preventing the champion from escaping further.
Alonso made his final stop on lap 37, while Raikkonen had enough fuel to go six laps further.
Once again, his in-laps were extremely rapid, and the Ferrari was 28 seconds clear of the McLaren before it pitted, allowing Raikkonen to rejoin a secure four seconds ahead. He proceeded to extend that lead throughout the stint and confirm his third victory for Ferrari.
Hamilton was significantly slower than the lead duo during his middle stint, losing as much as two seconds per lap and falling half a minute behind. But despite the disappointment, the rookie driver still took his ninth consecutive podium and continues to lead the standings by 12 points over Alonso.
Felipe Massa lost his opportunity to join the lead battle when he stalled on the grid. He took the start from the pitlane and made extremely rapid progress through the midfield in the opening laps, before jumping several more cars by running longer before his first stop.
He rejoined seventh and spent the middle stint trapped behind Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella. But Massa successfully passed both the Renault and BMW's Nick Heidfeld during the final stops, putting him behind Robert Kubica in fifth.
The Ferrari tried a variety of moves on Kubica in the remaining laps but had to be content with fifth place, as Kubica earned his second consecutive fourth position.
Heidfeld used long stints to come from ninth on the grid to sixth, with Heikki Kovalainen passing Renault teammate Fisichella for seventh in the final stops.
The Hondas made a one-stop strategy work well, allowing Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button to come from the midfield to ninth and tenth, Button fending off countryman David Coulthard at the end of the race.
Williams had a difficult race. Nico Rosberg made assertive progress on a short opening stint, then fell back in the traffic and ended up 12th. Alex Wurz survived a collision with Toro Rosso's Scott Speed at Club - which left the American out of the race with broken suspension - to take 13th.
Toyota's promising practice and qualifying form evaporated in the race. Ralf Schumacher lost ground at the start and retired early with a suspension problem, while Jarno Trulli eventually pulled out after struggling with extreme tyre wear and poor handling all afternoon.
Other notable retirements included Red Bull's Mark Webber with an early hydraulic failure, and Briton Anthony Davidson, whose extreme handling problems could not be solved.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The British Grand Prix
Silverstone, Britain;
60 laps; 308.355km;
Weather: Sunny.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1h21:43.074
2. Alonso McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 2.459
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 39.373
4. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 53.319
5. Massa Ferrari (B) + 54.063
6. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 56.336
7. Kovalainen Renault (B) + 1 lap
8. Fisichella Renault (B) + 1 lap
9. Barrichello Honda (B) + 1 lap
10. Button Honda (B) + 1 lap
11. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) + 1 lap
12. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
13. Wurz Williams-Toyota (B) + 1 lap
14. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) + 2 laps
15. Albers Spyker-Ferrari (B) + 2 laps
16. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 4 laps
Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:20.638
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Trulli Toyota (B) 45
Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (B) 37
Speed Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 31
R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 24
Sutil Spyker-Ferrari (B) 19
Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 10
World Championship standings, round 9:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Hamilton 70 1. McLaren-Mercedes 128
2. Alonso 58 2. Ferrari 103
3. Raikkonen 52 3. BMW Sauber 56
4. Massa 51 4. Renault 31
5. Heidfeld 33 5. Williams-Toyota 13
6. Kubica 22 6. Toyota 9
7. Fisichella 17 7. Red Bull-Renault 6
8. Kovalainen 14 8. Super Aguri-Honda 4
9. Wurz 8 9. Honda 1
10. Trulli 7
11. Rosberg 5
12. Coulthard 4
13. Sato 4
14. R.Schumacher 2
15. Webber 2
16. Vettel 1
17. Button 1
All timing unofficial
07-08-2007, 07:29 PM
#29
Formula One Spin Doctor
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Williams agree to release Bigois early
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, July 8th 2007, 15:23 GMT
Williams' former chief aerodynamicist Loic Bigois will start working with the Honda team tomorrow after the British squad agreed to release him early from his contract, autosport.com can reveal.
Bigois, who had worked at Minardi, Prost and Sauber before joining Williams in 2003, was scheduled to join Honda Racing later this year after signing a deal with the Japanese team.
Williams, however, have agreed to release the Frenchman early, which will come as a boost to Honda as he will start work already on Monday.
Williams' former chief aerodynamicist Loic Bigois will start working with the Honda team tomorrow after the British squad agreed to release him early from his contract, autosport.com can reveal.
Bigois, who had worked at Minardi, Prost and Sauber before joining Williams in 2003, was scheduled to join Honda Racing later this year after signing a deal with the Japanese team.
Williams, however, have agreed to release the Frenchman early, which will come as a boost to Honda as he will start work already on Monday.
07-08-2007, 07:30 PM
#30
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Albers could be replaced by Nurburgring
By Jonathan Noble Sunday, July 8th 2007, 20:11 GMT
Christijan AlbersChristijan Albers' immediate future with Spyker is in doubt, autosport.com has learned, with sources claiming that he is set to be replaced by the European Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
The Dutchman has had a frustrating season and has been overshadowed by rookie teammate Adrian Sutil. Matters have also not been helped by a split with his management team.
On the back of those performances, and the pitstop blunder at the French Grand Prix when he lefts the pits with the refuelling hose still attached to his car, speculation about his future has been increasing.
It is now understood that Spyker's management are actively considering replacing the Dutchman for the European Grand Prix, although it is not clear how far advanced the plans are.
There are believed to be several drivers in frame for the second Spyker seat, with Christian Klien, Marc Gene and Narain Karthikeyan all being linked with the seat.
There are even suggestions that any possible replacement could test for the team at Spa-Francorchamps this week.
Spyker boss Colin Kolles would not speak about the matter when asked by autosport.com. "I've got no comment," he said.
Christijan AlbersChristijan Albers' immediate future with Spyker is in doubt, autosport.com has learned, with sources claiming that he is set to be replaced by the European Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
The Dutchman has had a frustrating season and has been overshadowed by rookie teammate Adrian Sutil. Matters have also not been helped by a split with his management team.
On the back of those performances, and the pitstop blunder at the French Grand Prix when he lefts the pits with the refuelling hose still attached to his car, speculation about his future has been increasing.
It is now understood that Spyker's management are actively considering replacing the Dutchman for the European Grand Prix, although it is not clear how far advanced the plans are.
There are believed to be several drivers in frame for the second Spyker seat, with Christian Klien, Marc Gene and Narain Karthikeyan all being linked with the seat.
There are even suggestions that any possible replacement could test for the team at Spa-Francorchamps this week.
Spyker boss Colin Kolles would not speak about the matter when asked by autosport.com. "I've got no comment," he said.