Grand Prix de Singapour – Présentation par Toyota

LES CHEVALIERS DE LA NUIT

Pour ce week-end, l'écurie Panasonic Toyota Racing retrouve son continent d'origine avec la toute première course nocturne de Formule 1, dans les rues de Singapour. Avant de courir en Formule 1, Toyota a relevé le défi des 24 Heures du Mans, et de nombreux membres de l'équipe ont déjà l'expérience requise pour répondre aux exigences d'une course nocturne. Exploitant ses connaissances, l'équipe a préparé un panneau des stands spécial qui sera plus visible de nuit, est intervenue sur le rétroéclairage des volants des pilotes et a installé un éclairage supplémentaire dans le garage. Ce premier Grand Prix de Singapour se déroule sur le circuit de Marina Bay ; d'une longueur de 5,067 km, il comprend notamment un rétrécissement de piste sur le fameux pont Anderson Bridge ainsi qu'un tunnel courant sous les stands. Pour se préparer au double défi d'un nouveau circuit et d'une course nocturne, une équipe d'ingénieurs et de logisticiens s'est rendue sur place dès le mois de juillet, et des modélisations informatiques ont été réalisées pour évaluer les exigences en matière de réglages. Le circuit nécessitant des appuis aérodynamiques importants, la TF108 se présentera avec des spécifications différentes de celles utilisées à Monza (appuis faibles).

Jarno Trulli (monoplace n° 11)

« Singapour est un nouveau challenge pour tous car il s'agit de la première épreuve de ce circuit, ainsi que de la première course se déroulant de nuit. Nous ne savons pas exactement comment sera la piste, ni quels défis de course nous allons relever ; cela va donc être très intéressant. Comme pour chaque nouveau circuit, les essais du vendredi seront très importants car ils permettent d'appréhender la piste, et cela sera d'autant plus vrai à Singapour où nous allons tourner à des horaires différents de ce que nous connaissons. Ce sera un challenge pour chacun et je suis impatient d'y être. Cela devrait être un Grand Prix extraordinaire et j'ai hâte de découvrir la ville car j'y suis allé plusieurs fois mais toujours pour des courtes visites. En général, je m'adapte toujours très vite aux nouveaux tracés, grâce au temps passé en karting, et l'équipe a été formidable à Valence – qui est un nouveau circuit – ; je me sens donc plutôt bien pour le week-end. Les pistes avec des appuis importants réussissent très bien à nos voitures, et après la malchance de Spa et Monza, je suis impatient de retourner dans les points. »

Timo Glock (monoplace n° 12)

« Les courses en nocturne sont sympa et représentent beaucoup de spectacle pour les supporters. Lorsque je courrais aux États-Unis, j'ai participé à une course nocturne à Las Vegas en 2005 : c'est une expérience différente, d'autant plus que la course se déroulait sur un ovale. En général, les courses de nuit ne posent pas de problème car l'éclairage fait que y voyez presque comme en plein jour ; par contre, ce qui est plutôt bizarre, c'est de courir à une heure où normalement vous vous reposez. En fait, j'ai déjà piloté la TF108 de nuit, pour une démonstration à Valence en janvier, mais l'expérience va être totalement différente pour ce week-end. L'épreuve de Singapour semble fantastique et je suis vraiment impatient de courir car je pense être dans de bonnes conditions pour marquer d'autres points. Les choses ne se sont pas bien déroulées à Monza, avec les conditions de piste qui ont changé au plus mauvais moment pour notre stratégie ; du coup, la bataille pour la 4^ème place au Championnat du Monde des Constructeurs va être très serrée. Nous sommes très motivés pour avoir le dessus. »

Pascal Vasselon - Directeur technique du département châssis

« Depuis 2004, nous avons découvert plusieurs nouvelles épreuves et en général les choses se passent assez bien. Nous avons l'habitude de gérer la pression d'un nouveau circuit et cela ne nous effraie pas. Bien entendu, nous avons pu étudier la configuration de Singapour et trouver des similitudes avec d'autres tracés ; à partir de là, nous sommes arrivés à la conclusion qu'il s'agit d'un circuit exigeant un appui important. Nous savons donc dans quelle direction aller en terme de réglage aérodynamique. Nous avons fait une ou deux petites modifications à notre package aérodynamique et nous nous attendons à ce que la TF108 corresponde aux caractéristiques du tracé de Singapour. Le freinage est l'un des autres aspects auquel nous nous sommes très rapidement intéressés – c'est un domaine très important car les changements éventuels demandent beaucoup de temps. Il ne fait aucun doute que Singapour sera très exigeant pour les freins et nous nous attendons à des températures très élevées. Tout le monde attend la course avec impatience et nous avons très bon espoir de bien y figurer. »

Aperçu technique à la veille du Grand Prix de Singapour – Questions à Pascal Vasselon

23/09/2008

Comment préparez-vous la course sur un nouveau circuit ?
Pour nous, le gros de la préparation de Singapour est un travail comme un autre. Depuis 2004, nous avons découvert plusieurs nouvelles épreuves et en général les choses se passent assez bien. Nous avons l'habitude de gérer la pression d'un nouveau circuit et cela ne nous effraie pas. Pour une première édition à Valence, il y a trois semaines, nous avons connu un week-end très satisfaisant : pour Singapour, nous allons avoir la même approche. Bien entendu, nous avons pu étudier la configuration de Singapour et trouver des similitudes avec d'autres tracés ; à partir de là, nous sommes arrivés à la conclusion qu'il s'agit d'un circuit exigeant un appui important, et nous savons donc dans quelle direction aller en terme de réglage aérodynamique. Le freinage est l'un des autres aspects auquel nous nous sommes très rapidement intéressés – c'est un domaine très important car les changements éventuels demandent beaucoup de temps. Il ne fait aucun doute que Singapour sera très exigeant pour les freins et nous nous attendons à des températures très élevées.

Courir en nocturne peut-il compliquer les choses ?
Nous nous y sommes préparés. Notre équipe aura probablement un léger avantage dans la mesure où beaucoup de ses membres ont connu les 24 Heures du Mans et auront une petite idée d'une course nocturne, et de ce qu'il faut faire pour éviter les erreurs ; de plus, cela permet aussi de bien gérer l'éclairage du tableau de bord ou les arrêts au stand. Je suis excité à l'idée de courir de nuit et ce sera pour moi un grand moment.

Est-ce que le décalage horaire peut engendrer des problèmes de fatigue ?
Pour l'équipe, nous essayons de conserver des horaires calqués plus ou moins sur l'heure européenne afin d'éviter une fatigue excessive. Dans la mesure du possible, nous faisons en sorte d'éviter les doubles changements d'heure, sinon cela nous obligerait à nous habituer au fuseau horaire de Singapour, puis de nous réadapter pour travailler de nuit à partir de vendredi – physiquement, cela serait très dur. Nos logisticiens ont consacré beaucoup de temps à préparer cet événement et je suis convaincu que nous allons l'aborder avec très peu d'inconnues. Nous ne voulons certainement pas sous-estimer l'importance de disposer d'un personnel en forme, avec des horaires de sommeil normaux.

Et en ce qui concerne les risques de pluie ?
Pour chaque jour, nous partons du principe que la pluie peut tomber, et qu'il existe donc un risque très réel que les pilotes doivent affronter un pilotage de nuit avec des conditions pluvieuses. A cette saison, dans cette partie du monde, les averses peuvent être très fortes. Une des inconnues concerne la façon dont la qualité de la lumière fournie par le système d'éclairage peut être affectée par la pluie, ainsi que le niveau de visibilité. Tout bien considéré, je ne pense pas qu'il fera plus sombre qu'à Monza lors des essais du vendredi matin !

Après Monza, la préoccupation des pilotes au sujet de la pluie serait plus importante ?
Monza est un cas un peu spécial, avec des appuis faibles et des vitesses très élevées. Je ne connais pas beaucoup de pilotes qui aiment l'idée de courir à Monza sous la pluie. Avec la combinaison pluie/forêt, ils n'y voient rien du tout. Singapour ne représente pas tout à fait le même défi mais, bien sûr, il est toujours difficile de garder les voitures sur la piste et d'éviter les barrières. En termes de vitesses et de comportement des monoplaces, cela devrait être un degré plus facile qu'à Monza.

Quelles informations avez-vous au sujet du revêtement de la piste et des pneumatiques ?
Nous connaissons le profil de la piste en ce qui concerne les bordures et il n'y a rien de bien inhabituel. Bridgestone nous a indiqué qu'il s'agit d'une piste de qualité inégale et que nous allions courir avec des pneumatiques Bridgestone supertendres et tendres, comme à Monaco et Montréal. Cependant, alors que Montréal et Monaco bénéficient de surfaces très lisses qui peuvent poser des problèmes de montée en température et d'adhérence des pneumatiques, nous pensons que la piste de Singapour sera plus "normale" en raison de son revêtement plus agressif.

Le circuit de Singapour et les appuis importants qu'il requiert vont-ils permettre d'exploiter les points forts de la TF108 ?
Récemment, nous avons montré des faiblesses uniquement avec les appuis aérodynamiques très faibles. Nous ne savons pas avec certitude quelle en est la cause mais nous pensons que Singapour présente des caractéristiques qui nous seront favorables. Nous allons faire une ou deux petites modifications aux monoplaces, mais pas de remaniement profond, et je pense que chacun est très impatient de participer à la course.

La sanction d'Hamilton est confirmée

La Cour d'appel de la Fédération internationale de l'automobile (FIA) a confirmé mardi la sanction de 25 secondes infligée à Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) après le GP de Belgique de F1 le 7 septembre à Spa, qui l'avait fait reculer de la 1ère à la 3ème place.



Après avoir longuement entendu les arguments de McLaren-Mercedes lundi, la Cour d'appel a tout simplement décidé que l'appel de l'écurie britannique n'était pas recevable.

Les cinq juges de la FIA se sont basés sur l'article 152 du Code sportif international qui stipule que les pénalités de passage par la voie des stands ("drive through") ne sont pas susceptibles d'appel.

Le cas est en l'occurence assez complexe puisque en cas d'infraction commise dans les cinq derniers tours de course, les pilotes ne sont plus pénalisés d'un drive through, une pénalité qu'ils n'auraient plus le temps d'effectuer si proche de l'arrivée, mais ils écopent en remplacement de 25 secondes ajoutées à leur temps de course.

McLaren-Mercedes maintenait qu'en l'occurence il s'agissait d'une pénalité de temps, susceptible d'appel, alors que pour les juristes de la FIA et de Ferrari, la pénalité était un "drive through" transformé en 25 secondes, car infligé à moins de cinq tours de l'arrivée.

La Cour d'appel de la FIA aura entendu ce dernier argument. "Comme le drive through a été infligé à la fin de la course, 25 secondes ont été ajoutées au temps de course du pilote conformément à l'article 16.3 du règlement sportif 2008 de la Formule 1", a estimé la Cour d'appel. "L'article 152 du Code sportif international stipule que les pénalités de drive through ne sont pas susceptibles d'appel.

Hamilton avait court-circuité une chicane à trois tours de la fin du Grand Prix de Belgique alors qu'il était à la lutte avec Kimi Raikkonen. Il avait laissé repasser le Finlandais, comme l'y oblige le règlement, mais avait réussi à le dépasser de nouveau dès le virage suivant. Il avait ensuite remporté la course.

Les commissaires sportifs estimaient qu'il avait conservé un avantage de son infraction et ils lui avaient donc infligé 25 secondes de pénalité.

Lundi, les juges ont examiné les faits à la loupe, entendant notamment les explications d'un Lewis Hamilton sûr de lui. Mais au final ils s'en sont tenus à la seule question juridique et ne se sont pas prononcés sur les faits eux-mêmes. Ils n'ont pas résolu cette question qui partage le paddock : Hamilton a-t-il conservé un avantage en coupant la fameuse chicane de l'arrêt de bus ?

En tout cas les positions du Grand Prix de Belgique sont confirmées : la victoire revient à Felipe Massa (Ferrari) devant Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) et Hamilton. Avant le Grand Prix de Singapour ce week-end, les positions au Championnat du monde sont donc toujours aussi serrées en tête, avec Hamilton (78 points) une toute petite longueur devant Massa (77.)

D'après AFP

Ferrari a résolu ses problèmes de pneumatiques

Suite aux essais privés qui se sont déroulés sous la pluie, au Mugello, l’écurie Ferrari a pu trouver quelques
solutions aux problèmes d’adhérence qui affectent la F2008 lorsque les conditions sont humides.

Felipe Massa était en charge des tests vendredi, juste au moment où la pluie a fait son apparition. Dans une interview accordée à la Gazzetta dello Sport, le brésilien se dit satisfait des progrès réalisés et aborde la prochaine course avec sérénité.

"Rouler dans ces conditions a beaucoup aidé, la voiture a une meilleure adhérence et c’est important en vue des courses où il pourrait pleuvoir de nouveau. Clairement, je préfèrerais que ce soit sec à Singapour, mais nous pouvons également faire une bonne course sur une piste mouillée."

Après le Grand Prix d’Italie, Massa occupe la seconde place du championnat à un point seulement de Lewis Hamilton. Mais la Cour d’appel internationale, saisie par McLaren après la sanction infligée au britannique en Belgique, pourrait annuler cette pénalité et ainsi redonner sept points d’avance au vice-champion du monde 2007.

"J’y pense en permanence, bien évidemment, mais ce n’est pas à nous de décider," explique le pilote Ferrari.

Et se sent-il en mesure de remporter le titre ? "Evidemment, je l’espère. Nous devrons prendre les bonnes décisions, être rapides, compétitifs, choisir les bonnes stratégies et obligatoirement, être fiables."

Appel de McLaren : la FIA se réunit lundi

La Cour d'appel de la Fédération internationale de l'automobile (FIA) se réunit lundi à Paris pour examiner l'appel déposé par l'écurie McLaren-Mercedes suite au déclassement à la troisième place de son pilote Lewis Hamilton au Grand Prix de Belgique de Formule 1, le 7 septembre à Spa.


Hamilton, vainqueur de la course sur la piste après une belle bagarre et trois derniers tours d'anthologie, s'était vu infliger après coup une pénalité de 25 secondes pour avoir court-circuité une chicane et en avoir tiré avantage.

Le Britannique était alors à la lutte avec Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) et son infraction lui avait permis de prendre la tête de la course dans le virage suivant.

Les 25 secondes de pénalité avaient fait reculer Hamilton à la troisième place pendant que Felipe Massa (Ferrari) gagnait un rang et héritait de la victoire sur tapis vert.

McLaren-Mercedes a fait appel de cette décision des commissaires et semble disposer d'un solide argument en sa faveur : l'écurie britannique affirme avoir demandé à la direction de course juste après la manoeuvre litigieuse si Hamilton avait agi correctement. Par deux fois elle s'est entendue dire que tout était correct.

"J'ai coupé la chicane pour éviter la collision avec Raikkonen", a quant à lui répété Hamilton. "J'ai ensuite levé le pied, il est repassé mais j'ai quand même réussi à le doubler de nouveau. Je pense avoir suffisamment levé le pied pour ne pas que cela constitue un avantage."

Six points sont en jeu entre les deux leaders du championnat.En effet, Hamilton mène le classement avec 78 points mais il ne compte qu'une seule petite longueur d'avance sur Massa (77 pts).

Si sa pénalité de Spa-Francorchamps était annulée, il regagnerait quatre points (en passant de la 3ème place à la 1ère) pendant que Massa en perdrait deux (en reculant de la 1ère place à la 2ème). Le titre mondial s'était joué pour un seul point la saison dernière.

Interrogés sur l'infraction et la sanction qui en a résulté, la plupart des pilotes sont en tout cas du même avis : Hamilton a commis une faute mais la punition est trop sévère. La confrérie des hommes casqués aurait vu d'un meilleur oeil une rétrogradation de dix places sur la grille de départ de la course suivante.

La Cour d'appel de la FIA décidera de tout cela lundi. Elle est composée de 18 membres et d'un conseiller. Au moins trois membres doivent être présents pour qu'elle puisse siéger. Elle peut admettre ou rejeter l'appel et peut décider de confirmer, d'annuler, de réduire ou d'augmenter la pénalité prononcée.

La morale de cette histoire est en tout cas bien triste puisque tout ce qui restera de ce merveilleux Grand Prix de Belgique c'est une sombre histoire de chicane. Peu importe la décision de la Cour d'appel de la FIA, la Formule 1 est de toute façon perdante.

D'après AFP

Montezemolo : "Felipe et Kimi savent ce qu’ils ont à faire"

Dans une interview accordée au journal italien la Gazetta dello Sport, Luca di Montezemolo a expliqué que Ferrari avait eu raison de prolonger le contrat de Kimi Räikkönen, même si certaines critiques affirment le contraire.

"Je sais que certains n’ont pas été d’accord lorsque nous avons prolongé son contrat, mais nous parlons du champion du monde, qui a remporté le titre dès sa première saison chez Ferrari."

"Kimi est comme ces grands attaquants au football qui ne marquent pas pendant un moment mais, comme ils sont bons, tôt ou tard ils retrouvent le chemin des filets, ce qui est bien pour eux et pour les équipes."

Par ailleurs, le président de la marque italienne s’est réjoui que la Scuderia ait pu rouler sous la pluie lors des essais du Mugello, ce qui a permis à son équipe de chercher des solutions aux problèmes rencontrés avec les pneus dans ces conditions.

"Les tests ont été positifs et l’une des journées s’est déroulée sous la pluie. Nous en avions grandement besoin parce que nous disposons d’une voiture qui, dans des conditions similaires, a quelques difficultés à faire monter les pneumatiques en température."

En ce qui concerne le championnat, Di Montezemolo considère que Felipe Massa et Kimi Räikkönen n’ont pas de consignes à recevoir et que leur intérêt commun reste l’équipe.

"Felipe n’en a pas besoin, il a toujours fait son job. Il est très rapide et travaille en parfaite harmonie avec l’équipe. J’aime ses capacités à ne pas prendre de risques afin de ramener la voiture à l’arrivée, a t’il précisé.

"Felipe et Kimi savent très bien ce qu’ils ont à faire parce qu’ils courent tous les deux pour Ferrari. Les règles ont toujours été claires, nous travaillons tous pour l’équipe."

Enfin, l’italien s’est montré très confiant sur les capacités de la Scuderia Ferrari a remporté les deux couronnes mondiales.

"J’ai une grande confiance, évidemment. Pour la onzième année consécutive, Ferrari se bat pour le titre. Nous avons eu à faire tour à tour à Williams, McLaren et Renault, mais nous avons toujours été là."

"Les pilotes sont concentrés sur ce qui doit être amélioré et sur le prochain Grand Prix à Singapour. Mais j’ai l’impression que c’est encore un circuit où l’on ne peut pas dépasser, dans le genre de Valence. Continuer avec ces circuits augure un avenir dangereux pour la Formule 1."

Jerez : De la Rosa conclut les essais 2008 en tête

Les écuries ont bouclé leurs programmes d’essais 2008 ce vendredi à Jerez, où Pedro de la Rosa s’est emparé du meilleur temps de l’ultime journée.

Grâce à un tour couvert en 1:18.992, le pilote espagnol, dont le travail portait sur le développement aérodynamique et la mise en place du KERS, place sa McLaren devant la BMW de Nick Heidfeld et la Renault du jeune Lucas di Grassi.

Après avoir roulé pendant deux journées au volant d’une Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel a repris sa place dans le baquet de sa Toro Rosso, avec laquelle il a signé le quatrième temps.

Derrière, on retrouve Sébastien Buemi et Timo Glock. Avec 111 tours couverts, le pilote Toyota s’est d’ailleurs montré le plus assidu en piste. Alexander Wurz et Nico Rosberg ferment la marche, à près de quatre secondes du leader du jour.

,

Pos	Pilotes	Equipes	Temps	Tours
01	P. de la Rosa	McLaren	1:18.992	90
02	N. Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:19.250	98
03	L. Di Grassi	Renault	1:19.280	102
04	S. Vettel	Toro Rosso	1:19.470	93
05	S. Buemi	Red Bull	1:20.005	84
06	T. Glock	Toyota	1:20.482	111
07	A. Wurz	Honda	1:22.658	51
08	N. Rosberg	Williams	1:22.806	102

Ferrari boucle son programme sous la pluie

Pour la troisième journée consécutive, la Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro était en piste sur le circuit international du Mugello.

Après Luca Badoer et Kimi Räikkönen, c’était au tour de Felipe Massa de prendre les commandes de la F2008. La séance d’essais a été perturbée par la pluie, ce qui a permis au brésilien de chercher le meilleur set-up pour sa monoplace sur une piste mouillée. Il a bouclé 98 tours dont le plus rapide en 1:23.618.

"Cette séance a été très utile," a commenté Massa à l’issue de sa journée de travail. "Kimi et Luca ont pu rouler sur le sec alors que pour ma part, j’ai eu le droit à une piste mouillée. Etant donné qu’il y a une chance que nous rencontrions ces conditions dans les prochaines courses, ce n’est pas une mauvaise chose."

"Nous avons fait du bon travail et nous nous sentons prêts pour le prochain Grand Prix de Singapour. La fin du championnat sera très serrée et il sera capital de pas commettre la moindre erreur."

Jerez : Vettel place Red Bull au sommet de la hiérarchie

ettel prend la tête à Jerez
Sebastian devance Heidfeld et Di Grassi
C'est Sebastian Vettel qui a signé le meilleur chrono de la journée, aujourd'hui à Jerez. Comme hier, le jeune pilote allemand était au volant d'une Red Bull. Cette journée a été malheureusement perturbée par l'arrivée de la pluie à la mi-journée.


Vettel devance la BMW de Nick Heidfeld et la Renault de Lucas Di Grassi. Quant à la Toro Rosso habituellement confiée à Sebastian Vettel, c'est le Japonais Takuma Sato qui la pilotait aujourd'hui.

Cette séance d'essais privés se poursuivra encore demain, sous un temps que les équipes espèrent meilleur qu'aujourd'hui.

Jerez 18/09/08
1 . S. Vettel - Red Bull Renault RB4 - 1'18"001 - 37 tours
2 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.08 - 1'18"167 (+ 0"166 ) - 70 tours
3 . L. Di Grassi - Renault R28 - 1'18"999 (+ 0"998 ) - 36 tours
4 . P.de la Rosa - McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 - 1'19"281 (+ 1"280 ) - 39 tours
5 . A. Wurz - Honda RA108 - 1'19"499 (+ 1"498 ) - 79 tours
6 . T. Sato - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR3 - 1'19"574 (+ 1"573 ) - 49 tours
7 . K. Kobayashi - Toyota TF108 - 1'19"863 (+ 1"862 ) - 47 tours
8 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW30 - 1'21"892 (+ 3"891 ) - 60 tours

Dennis : "McLaren ne craint aucun circuit"

Alors qu’il ne reste que quatre courses à disputer, l’écurie McLaren est toujours en course pour remporter les deux couronnes mondiales, ce qui serait une revanche sur la saison 2008.

Côté pilotes, Lewis Hamilton compte un point d’avance sur Felipe Massa, tandis que chez les constructeurs, McLaren accuse cinq longueurs de retard sur Ferrari... à moins que la Cour d’appel internationale donne un avis favorable à la réclamation portée par l’équipe britannique au soir du Grand Prix de Belgique.

Quoi qu’il en soit, Ron Dennis aborde les dernières épreuves de la saison avec confiance, persuadé que les flèches d’argent ont le potentiel suffisant pour prendre l’ascendant sur Ferrari.

"Nous attendons ça (Singapour) avec impatience. Nous ne craignons aucun circuit. Monza était un circuit où nous savions que nous serions en forme en raison des essais privés, mais nous avons encore beaucoup de développements à venir. Nous allons travailler très dur pour gagner le championnat."

"Nous sommes encore en course pour les deux championnats. En Italie, nous avons perdu un point au championnat pilote et nous en avons récupéré beaucoup dans celui des constructeurs. Nous ne savons pas comment évoluera la situation à Paris, mais si nous avions ces points, nous serions désormais en tête des constructeurs. Nous verrons comment ça se passe."

Par ailleurs, Dennis s’est dit étonné du choix de l’écurie de Maranello de changer le moteur de Felipe Massa avant le départ du Grand Prix d’Italie. En cas de problème mécanique, le brésilien risque maintenant de rétrograder de dix places sur la grille.

"Nous étions un peu surpris que Massa utilise son moteur ’joker’. Désormais, une casse moteur en essais et ils seront lourdement pénalisés sur la grille, et il ne reste que quatre courses à disputer. C’est une décision assez courageuse."

Hallam quitte la F1 pour le NASCAR

Steve Hallam, le responsable des opérations de l’écurie McLaren, va quitter la Formule 1 en fin de saison afin de se diriger vers le NASCAR.

Hallam est une personne importante dans le milieu de la Formule 1. Après avoir été l’ingénieur de course d’Ayrton Senna et de Nelson Piquet, il a aidé Mika Hakkinen à décrocher ses deux titres mondiaux.

"Je comprends le plaisir de relever de nouveaux défis. Je lui souhaite beaucoup de chance et de réussite," a déclaré Martin Whitmarsh.

Räikkönen tourne au Mugello, Massa à Fiorano

La Scuderia Ferrari a poursuivi ses essais sur le tracé du Mugello, en Italie. Kimi Räikkönen a pris la relève de Luca Badoer, qui avait tourné mercredi.

Le travail du champion du monde en titre portait sur le développement de solutions aérodynamiques, puis il s’est attelé à chercher les bons réglages pour la F2008. Au total, Räikkönen a couvert 79 tours dont le plus rapide en 1:21.079.

Dans le même temps, Felipe Massa était à Fiorano pour effectuer le shakedown des monoplaces qui seront envoyées à Singapour, pour le prochain Grand Prix de la saison. Demain, le brésilien remplacer son équipier au Mugello.

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2008 : Technical News

Ferrari F2008 - Monza-specific rear wing

The F2008's aero package for the high-speed Monza circuit features a small rear wing, with a very narrow upper flap and a very low incidence angle (see inset). This configuration helps to reduce drag, enhancing the top- speed performance of the car on the long straights, whilst just about retaining enough downforce for the chicanes inbetween.

Ferrari F2008 - sculpted front wing pillars

On a fast track like Monza even the most minimal change can boost a car's efficiency. For the Italian event, the F2008's nosecone has been slightly modified to feature sculpted front wing pillars (see inset). Instead of their standard straight vertical edge, the pillars are now curved at the front (see orange arrow). This minimizes the impact of the airflow against the pillars, reducing turbulence and thus helping to achieve a good aero balance, despite the smaller-than-usual flap on the front wing.

Toyota TF108 - Monza-specific front wing

As with all the teams, Toyota have adopted a specific aero package for Monza, with narrower main wing profiles and lower incidence angles on the flaps. At the front the standard bridge wing has been replaced in favour of this simple, single-profile design. It features a minimal, almost flat spoon profile in the centre, while the flap is reduced in depth and has rounded exit edges to reduce drag on the long, high-speed straights.

Williams FW30 - Monza-specific rear wing

Like all their rivals, Williams brought a Monza-specific rear wing to Italy. The FW30's wing featured a single profile, the extremities of which were bent upwards (see red arrow and inset). This configuration helped to reduce drag on the track's straights, while also providing enough downforce for the corners.

BMW Sauber F1.08 - Monza-specific front wing

Both the nosecone and front wing on the BMW were modified for the high-speed Italian Grand Prix. The nosecone pillars had a new profile, the leading edge sloping forwards (inset) rather than backwards, and the height of the pillars was reduced, thanks to the front wing's central spoon profile all but disappearing in favour of a far less curved design. The flap was a single element, instead of the usual double assembly, providing less downforce and - more importantly - a huge reduction in drag.

Toyota TF108 - Monza-specific rear wing

In Monza the Toyota TF108 sported an interesting rear wing. Most striking was the revised main profile, which featured a pointed entry edge (see red arrow), similar to the delta-profiled wings, which were common in the late 1970s and early '80s. This feature was designed to make the car more efficient by reducing drag and turbulence, whilst still providing enough downforce under braking and under acceleration.

FIA post-race press conference - Italy

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA 1st Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso), 1h26m47.494s; 2nd Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren), 1h27m00.006s; 3rd Robert Kubic (BMW Sauber), 1h27m07.965s. Q: Sebastian, what were your emotions winning your first grand prix? Sebastian Vettel: Unbelievable. The whole race we had no problems, the car was working really fine. I had a fantastic race with a very good strategy but all that was gone when I got the chequered flag and crossed the finish line. The lap back to the pits and the whole podium ceremony was just unbelievable. I think for sure this is the best day of my life. These pictures, these emotions, I will never forget. It is unbelievable. It is so much greater than you might think it is. It is great. Again, I can just say a big, big thank you to all the guys working in the team. I think they did a fantastic job. Who might have thought about that at the beginning of the season. We had a poor start but then it got better and better and in these conditions we can make a bit of a gap by staying longer on full throttle. It is great, fantastic. I am speechless. Q: Talk us through your race and being so much quicker in the speed trap. SV: Well, for the speed trap I think there is an explanation. We didn't go for a more downforce configuration, thinking it might be dry today, so we stuck to the dry level and didn't touch it, so on the straight lines we were bloody fast compared to all the others. The safety car helped me and being first and having no visibility problems at all was the key and I could make quite a good solid gap of about six to seven seconds to Heikki straight away. Then I was pushing very hard and sometimes went a bit over the limit and nearly lost the car as it was so difficult at the start as there was a lot of water. I think it got trickier when we were in the middle of the race and there was no standing water anymore. I think all the people went left and right looking for some water to cool down the tyres. It was very, very slippery and then in the last stint I was in a very good position. I stayed a bit longer than Heikki and he put on the intermediate tyres, so I was on the radio with my team talking to my engineer and he said 'it is fine, let's go for inters.' I think it was the right choice. What a weekend. A perfect weekend. Pole position, race win, unbelievable. I don't know what to say really. Q: What was going through your mind in the closing stages? SV: Sometimes I was thinking there is still P1 on my board, how can it be. I am fuelled to finish, there is nothing, no pits stops, so just keep it together. Then I have to say I was extremely focussed every lap. I didn't lift and try to save the engine or the tyres or anything. Of course I was looking after my car but I was trying to keep attention because especially towards the end when there was kind of a dry line throughout some corners it was crucial to stay on that dry line. Just half a metre too wide and you can be off, so it was extremely difficult to keep up your concentration but in the end I was just trying to push and trying to increase the gap to the guys behind. Unbelievable. Q: Heikki, was there a win out there for you today? Heikki Kovalainen: Clearly not possible to win today. Sebastian and Toro Rosso have been strong all weekend. I had a little bit of a problem earlier on in the race, in the first couple of stints, especially with the extreme wet tyre and some problems also to warm up my brakes, so I was just struggling to find more time and trying to go faster. We kept pushing and towards the end it got a little bit better but I think it was the maximum we could do today. We picked up some good points and we can look forward to the next grand prix. Q: Did the brake and tyre problem relate to the ambient temperature conditions or was it a mechanical issue? HK: No, I think it is related to the ambient temperature and how to get them working and it was just a little bit difficult today but it wasn't easy for anyone out there and I am sure everybody had some problems. I felt that was where the performance was today and I couldn't find it earlier on in the race. Q: Did this problem materialise at all during the wet practice or qualifying sessions? HK: A little bit but to me it felt that it was a bit of a surprise to have that kind of problem in the race especially after a first few laps as normally in the first few laps it might be a bit of a problem but it should go away but it felt more difficult for longer, so that was a bit of a surprise. Q: Did the safety car start make that situation worse or help it? HK: No I think it helped it a little bit to get the temperatures up a little bit better for the first lap. But it is difficult to say whether it make a big difference or not. I think it was still going to be difficult whatever the start was going to be. Q: Robert, this is the circuit on which you got your first podium finish and now toy are celebrating another podium finish at Monza. Robert Kubica: I mean it was quite a good weekend after yesterday's qualifying which didn't go like we were we expecting. We were the first car out of Q3 so the only positive thing was that we could choose our strategy looking at how the weather would be in the race and the conditions on the track. I think we did the right choice and I stayed out as long as possible until my pit stop and then we were a bit lucky that the conditions allowed us to put on intermediate tyres so I made up quite good pace and closed the gap to Heikki but he was too far away. The last laps were just cruising, bringing the car home. The start of the race was very difficult. I overtook Nick without seeing him, suddenly I realised I was in front of him on the straight line but I didn't see him at all. It is not easy starting in the middle of the pack, especially in these conditions, but I kept the car on the track. We did face some problems with the tyre pressures. When the track was drying up, we were with Fernando struggling a lot and Lewis got by easily. He was much quicker but I think then we were a bit lucky that we stayed longer, so we were able to put inters on straight away. Q: Talk about that helmet design and what it means to you and what it means to be on the podium again in a country where you have done so much racing in your career. RK: There is no secret that I grew up as a driver and as a kid most of the time in Italy, from 13 to 18 years old. It is a special place for me, Monza after Hungarian Grand Prix where there are a lot of Polish fans who are coming to support me and I thank them. Here in Monza there are massive Polish fans but also Italians which are cheering for me, so I just want to thank them for their support and to thank all the people who have supported me in my career in Italy, all the teams and everybody who I met on my way to Formula One. That is why we divided the helmet into two pieces. One was Italian colours, one was Polish colours. That's all. Q: Sebastian, this is a poignant moment in terms of Toro Rosso being Italian and of Minardi, the team that started in 1985. This is the first non-Ferrari Italian team to win a grand prix since 1957. SV: I think that says it all. All the people might be used to hearing the Italian national anthem for Scuderia Ferrari. This is very special, very unique for all the team. I think they will never forget this day as well as I won't. Incredible. It has been so much fun working together with them. Obviously it was difficult last year. I did my debut for BMW Sauber and thanks to Franz Tost, Gerhard Berger and all the team and Red Bull. They gave me the trust and said we have a seat for you, take it. I have seen every possible angle of the grid now and it is difficult when you always start from the back and you have to fight your way. You might finish a race in P15 without anyone noticing, but you still might have done a very good job, so you still can be happy and you can walk out of the paddock and be proud of yourself and the team. Now we can be proud of ourselves, celebrating a victory. It is great. To put these words together it sounds unbelievable. From where we started last year the team, the mentality has changed so much. The atmosphere is fantastic. Everybody is extremely motivated. When I jumped in the car before the race everybody said 'ok, now destroy them or push like hell.' All the guys were joking and were happy and looking forward. In that sense you could say we had the balls to do it today. I had a trouble free race with perfect pit stops. Compared to BMW or McLaren Mercedes or Ferrari we haven't got that amount on manpower at home in the factory. Obviously we get a lot of help from Red Bull technology but still we have about 160 people working in Faenza and everyone today feels very special and can feel very special. I am one of them. We are a big team and I feel extremely happy. PRESS CONFERENCE Q: Sebastian, what a win. Tell us about your emotions in those closing stages? SV: It was difficult to realise what happened. I tried to focus all the time. Obviously I had quite a comfortable lead towards the end, so I could control it in the last couple of laps but I forgot all about being in the lead. When I crossed the chequered flag, I realised I had just won the race. It was unbelievable to see all the people going crazy around the circuit. It was the best lap I ever did in Monza. Obviously it was not the fastest but for sure it was the best one. Then stopping the car in parc ferme and coming up on that podium. It might sound stupid but just the shape of the podium and to have the crowd underneath you, this picture I will never forget in my life. Unbelievable. To see the people. my team, my family down there and they were going completely mad. From the first corner there was a huge crowd coming, so it was getting more and more packed and then obviously to listen to my anthem, the German national anthem, was fantastic and I nearly started to cry. And then the Italian national anthem again for my team and for all the people that have worked so hard in the past. I am a member now for a bit more than one season and I think what we have achieved so far is great. To win the race. I think everybody tonight can go to sleep earlier or later and will fall asleep with the feeling that we are winners. That is great, fantastic. I don't know what else to say. It was unbelievable. Q: Your feelings about your strategy, when you were looking at the race yesterday, your early pit stop as well. It seemed to work very well. SV: Yeah, I think we made the right choice yesterday. As I said yesterday, when you're a bit smarter and looking at the speed traps, we didn't set the car up for rain conditions. I was thinking that today was going to be a dry race. Obviously it was not, especially at the beginning. We were on a usual dry set-up to be honest. We had a lot of speed in a straight line, obviously. Being in pole position and starting behind the safety car I think was the right decision, and it helped a lot for visibility, so I was able to make a very comfortable gap straight away, which after my first stop, compared to other cars, was probably a bit early but nevertheless it was enough to stay in front of the one-stoppers which was crucial, so I came out three or four seconds in front of Nico. I think he was the leader of the one stop pack at that time. From there onwards, it was clear that we could overshoot him and at least stay in front of that group, but at one time Lewis was coming and my engineer always gave me the reference lap time and he said 'he's lapping in 1m34.5s' and at that time I was struggling a bit to find the grip and I did around 36s. I was pushing then, but obviously he then went to the pits and I was trouble free again. Overall, I think we did a fantastic race. We controlled it from the start: great pit stops, no mistakes, that is not usual. We lack a bit of manpower compared to other teams and we have made some crucial mistakes in the past, but I think we've got much stronger, our pit stops, especially, have become much more solid, consistent, quicker, better and that is due to hard work from every single person. Special thanks to Giorgio Ascanelli, I think I have to mention him. What he has done with that crew is unbelievable: everybody is now extremely motivated and as I said, it's just great to give back - like yesterday - a result like that. Obviously a race win is the best you can give to your team, so I'm a bit proud and very happy. Q: Heikki, what was the problem during those early stages; you didn't seem to be able to hang on to Sebastian's pace? HK: I didn't have enough grip to go any faster, it was as simple as that. It was quite difficult, to be honest, all the way through the race. It was not possible to find any more. Q: Were those pretty much the conditions that you were expecting, was the car set up for those conditions? HK: I think no one knew what to expect. It was changing… one hour before the race it looked like it might be dry when we went around the track on the drivers' parade. Then, just when we got into the car it started to rain heavier and it got wetter. It was always going to be difficult to predict the weather but I think at the end we made the right choice with the tyres but just didn't have enough pace. Q: You seem disappointed with second. HK: Yeah, I feel we should have won. But congratulations to Sebastian and Toro Rosso, they were very strong all the way through the weekend and by the way, people say I talk a lot but I think he talks a lot as well. Of course, he has a reason to talk, but I'm not the only chatty one. Q: Robert, up to third from eleventh place. What was it like during those early stages, how much could you see? RK: Well, nearly nothing. Approaching the first corner I overtook Nick without seeing him. I just realised, when I braked, that he was behind rather than in the front. It was really incredible, and I think we have to watch out. It's not a problem if you start in the first three or four positions but if you start in the middle or the back of the pack, you really have to watch out when we restart the race because it was extremely dangerous. Going through the Curva Grande to the second chicane I was on half throttle, just waiting for somebody to hit me. It was really extremely bad, at least for us. Then I made a big gap to those behind me and also in front of me. I had a Toyota and Fernando two or three seconds in front of me, so I was able to maintain my pace. Then we faced some problems with the tyres when the track was drying up; with the heavy car we started sliding quite a lot and we were always driving with Fernando at the same pace and once I made a mistake, once he made a mistake. We just fitted the intermediates at the right moment, as we planned to stop on this lap and it worked out. Q: What was the car like being heavier in those early stages? RK: There is no secret now. Everybody realises that some cars are performing better in the wet than some others. Toro Rosso and Red Bull have always been strong in the wet. If we look at last year or two years ago, even if they were far behind us in the dry, in the wet they were just right there, and now in the last few races Toro Rosso have even become the third team in the dry conditions, or fourth, whatever, but very close, even in front of us sometimes. As soon as it starts raining they become the fastest and I really feel happy for the guys at Toro Rosso. I know many of the people there and they really did a great job and they deserve it. QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR Q: (Matthias Brunner - Motorsport Aktuell) Sebastian, sooner or later, towards the end of the race, it must have dawned on you that 'I'm going to win this.' How difficult was it not to let the mind wander? SV: Yeah, I sometimes had these thoughts. P1 was still on the board, P1, P1 and a plus and I was leading by quite a bit, and I thought f***k, you know, if you finish the race you will be winning - I apologise - but you know, it was unbelievable, but then I tried to focus again, the conditions were difficult. In the end it was not so difficult to keep up concentration. As I said, sometimes I had these thoughts but then I was trying again, sometimes I lifted my hand out of the cockpit to feel if it was drizzling and how big the raindrops were, but in the end it was difficult. So you automatically had to keep up your concentration, because in some places there was a dry line and if you were just pushing a bit too much under braking you overshot by a bit, similar to yesterday when we struggled with a lot of water. Today, when there was this dry line, after that it was wet again, very slippery and obviously when you got there, there was a high chance of losing the car. In the end, I always try to push and obviously towards the last couple of laps I was controlling it but I was still enjoying it. I had a lot of fun from lap one to the last lap, so it was just a nice race. Q: (Juha Päätalo - Financial Times Deutschland) Sebastian, with your early pit stop, did you think the others would stay longer on the track and you might lose the lead in that phase of the race? SV: I didn't know. First of all we didn't know when the others were going to stop. We calculated Heikki longer than us. In the end, it might have been early but it worked out. Obviously it was very difficult for the guys behind me in terms of reliability as Robert described. I have been there a couple of times, also last year, and I remember how it feels, going down the straight without seeing anything. You're looking left, you're looking right. Then all of a sudden the first board appears, hopefully 200 meters so you can prepare yourself for braking, anything else but comfortable. So I was in the best position and obviously was able to pull out quite a gap and it was quite important to come out in front of the one-stoppers, so at that time I think the leader was Nico, so that worked out very, very well. To be honest, the last couple of races, especially in Formula One, were extremely busy, stuck in traffic and so on. The last races were a bit better, so I got clean air here and there but this race was probably the most trouble free race I ever did. Obviously I was in the lead, so I only had to call for blue flags and therefore I could concentrate on my car, on my tyres, taking care of them and focus just to push as hard as I could. Q: (Juha Päätalo - Financial Times Deutschland) Heikki, were the problems with the grip similar to Silverstone or anywhere else you have had big tyre wear, because at a certain phase Lewis was very much faster than you on the same tyres? HK: I think the problems were a lot less than at Silverstone, just in certain phases of the race, especially with the extreme tyre, when the circuit was drying out I had a little bit of tyre wear but it was a problem a little bit related to the brakes as well. I was struggling to keep the temperatures in the brakes and trying to maximise the braking performance, that was where I think most of the time was lost this time, and it got better towards the end when the pace was getting better, the circuit drying out. The braking was better and then the brakes also picked up some temperature and for me that was quite crucial in this race. It was more of a struggle earlier on and for longer than I was expecting. Q: (Linda Janson - Auto Euro) Sebastian, was the last lap at Monza the longest in your career and what did the team say to you during the last lap? SV: As I said before, it was probably the longest lap I did around Monza, the slowest one, but for sure it was the nicest one. When I took the chequered flag I didn't know what to say. I was communicating with my engineer throughout the race, towards the end about reference times with Heikki and other cars and what's going on. There was debris in the last corner, so I was forced to keep up the tension and then I didn't know what I should say, so I waited for them to make the first call. Then I was very calm, congratulating everybody, I was extremely happy, but at some point I started shouting. I was extremely happy. It's difficult to describe that moment, to see people left and right, a lot of people cheering, the marshals coming down from their posts and clapping their hands. This is something that for sure I will never forget. Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere della Sera) Sebastian, are you sure you are going to quit the team at the end of the season after this victory? And secondly, how are you going to face the pressure that will perhaps include comparisons with Schumacher? SV: First of all, about this comparison to Michael. I think first of all you have to realise what this guy achieved in the past. To compare anybody among us drivers - probably Fernando is the closest, he's a two time World Champion - but to compare anybody to Michael I think is a bit ridiculous. Obviously I'm very young and at a very early stage of my career and therefore I think there's no need to make a comparison. He's probably one of the best drivers we have ever seen. I'm proud, in a way, because I know him. He's a very nice guy and completely down-to-earth. For the future, no matter what happens, first of all next year I am going to race for Red Bull Racing, but I don't see that it's a step backwards. Obviously now we have probably been stronger in the last couple of races, we have been stronger than they were but there's no secret, I think the package is similar. We have been working very hard, I believe, because many people find the excuse in the engine. I believe that we have a strong engine in the back with the Ferrari package, but I don't think that's all. In the end, you still have to get the job done and for my future, regarding pressure and so on, I have been in similar situations in the past, obviously not in Formula One as we know, but I'm approaching the next race, and obviously a normal race is difficult for us to win and to repeat this kind of result: pole position and victory but we will fight. People have seen, now, and we have underlined in the last couple of races that we have a strong package, going towards the end of the season, so I hope that we can score some more points. Going into the top ten, last qualifying, I think is still a big success for us as well as scoring some points. I won't go to Singapore and feel like a hero and the superstar and expect another race win just like that. It's not going to be like that. Where I come from and how I grew up, I am down-to-earth enough to realise what happened today and to understand the approach for the next races.

Schumacher salue le ''génial'' Vettel

Zoom Michael Schumacher

ichael Schumacher salue le ''génial'' Vettel
La relève est en marche…
L'Allemand Michael Schumacher, septuple champion du monde de Formule 1 à la retraite, a salué le succès sous la pluie de son compatriote Sebastian Vettel lors du Grand Prix d'Italie dimanche à Monza, en le qualifiant « d'absolument génial. »

« Il n'a été perturbé par rien aujourd'hui, ni par les conditions météo, ni par les changements de stratégie. Il a été absolument génial » a souligné Michael Schumacher au micro de la chaîne de télévision allemande RTL.

Vettel est devenu à 21 ans au volant d'une modeste Toro Rosso, motorisé par Ferrari, le plus jeune pilote de l'histoire à remporter un Grand Prix. Il est le premier Allemand à s'imposer en F1 depuis Schumacher, dont la dernière victoire remonte au Grand Prix de Chine en octobre 2006.
« Cela m'a rappelé bien des choses, ne serait-ce que d'entendre les hymnes allemand et italien à la suite, c'est intéressant de voir les parallèles » a reconnu l'ancien pilote Ferrari, à propos de celui qui est régulièrement présenté en Allemagne comme le nouveau Schumacher.

Michael s'est toutefois bien gardé de faire de Vettel un futur champion du monde : « Il est encore bien trop tôt pour parler de cela, mais il a définitivement le potentiel pour aller dans cette direction et pour atteindre cet objectif. Mais d'ici là, le chemin est encore long. »

Auteur de la pole position samedi, Vettel avait révélé qu'il s'était longuement entraîné sur la piste de karting de Schumacher, qui le conseille régulièrement, à Kerpen pour se préparer à courir sous la pluie.

D’après AFP

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2008 : La course

Course : Exploit de Vettel au volant d’une Toro Rosso !

Le Grand Prix de Monza va démarrer avec la pluie et des basses températures. En effet, il fait 18°C sur le piste et 19°C dans l’air.

Le départ est lancé derrière la safety car. Sebastien Bourdais qui est quatrième sur la grille de départ rencontre un problème avec son moteur et reste immobilisé. Une grosse déception pour le pilote français de chez Toro Rosso qui arrive a reprendre la piste avec un tour de retard.

La voiture de sécurité fait deux tours devant les monoplaces et retourne aux stands. Le départ est donc lancé et c’est Sebastian Vettel qui est le premier à prendre le premier virage. Derrière, Kimi Räikkönen et Lewis Hamilton grappillent quelques places.

Après cinq tours, Sebastian Vettel est toujours tête et ne cesse de faire le meilleur tour en course. Déjà six secondes d’avance sur la McLaren de Heikki Kovalainen.

Au dixième tour, Lewis Hamilton prend l’avantage sur Kimi Räikkönen pour le gain de la onzième place. Deux tours plus tard, c’est Felipe Massa qui double Nico Rosberg, mais le pilote Williams reprend l’avantage. Le pilote Ferrari insiste dans le virage suivant et prend la quatrième place. Hamitlon continue et double la BMW de Nick Heidfeld.

Timo Glock se fait doubler par Hamilton, mais le pilote Toyota essaye de reprendre l’avantage. Le pilote McLaren pousse Glock hors de la piste et prend l’avantage. Un tour après, Hamilton double Kubica et prend la huitième place.

Au dix-huitième tour, le leader de la course fait son premier arrêt au stand. Kovalainen se retrouve en tête devant Webber et Massa. Pendant ce temps, Hamilton double Fernando Alonso.

Au vingt-deuxième tour, Webber, Massa et Kovalainen font tout les trois leur arrêt au stand. Lewis Hamilton se trouve en troisième position. Le pilote McLaren double Nico Rosberg et prend la deuxième place. Le finlandais signe le meilleur tour.

La mi-course est atteinte et Lewis Hamilton fait son premier arrêt. L’équipe McLaren met suffisamment d’essence pour que le britannique puisse finir la course. Un tour plus tard, c’est au tour de Nico Rosberg de faire un passage par la voie des stands.

Il reste vingt tours et Felipe Massa fait son deuxième ravitaillement. Le pilote brésilien repart en piste avec des pneumatiques intermédiaires. Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica, Mark Webber, Heikki Kovalainen font aussi leur arrêt et reprennent tous la piste avec des pneus intermédiaires.

Felipe Massa prend l’avantage sur Mark Webber. Le pilote Red Bull Racing part en tête-à-queue et reprend la piste très facilement. Le leader du Grand Prix fait aussi son ravitaillement. Lewis Hamilton fait aussi un passage au stand afin de chausser des pneus intermédiaires.

A quinze tours de la fin, le classement est Vettel, Kovalainen, Kubica, Alonso, Heidfeld, Massa, Hamilton et Webber. Felipe Massa essaye un dépassement sur Nick Heidfeld, mais le pilote Ferrari coupe la première chicane. Pendant que Massa essaye de doubler la BMW, Lewis Hamilton se rapproche des deux pilotes.

Le meilleur tour ne cesse de changer. Sebastian Vettel et Kimi Räikkönen sont les deux plus rapides en piste. Lewis Hamilton en difficulté. Mark Webber prend l’avantage sur le pilote McLaren et les deux voitures se touchent. Webber doit laisser repasser Hamilton.

Le drapeau à damiers est agité et c’est Sebastian Vettel qui remporte la course à Monza. Un week-end parfait pour le jeune allemand qui devient le plus jeune vainqueur en Formule 1. Le podium est complété par Kovalainen et Kubica. Felipe Massa termine sixième devant Lewis Hamilton, ce qui place le pilote brésilien à un point derrière le leader du championnat.

Pos	Pilotes	Equipes	Tours	Ecart	Points
01	S. Vettel	Toro Rosso	53		10
02	H. Kovalainen	McLaren	53	+ 12.5 secs	8
03	R. Kubica	BMW Sauber	53	+ 20.4 secs	6
04	F. Alonso	Renault	53	+ 23.9 secs	5
05	N. Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	53	+ 27.7 secs	4
06	F. Massa	Ferrari	53	+ 28.8 secs	3
07	L. Hamilton	McLaren	53	+ 29.9 secs	2
08	M. Webber	Red Bull	53	+ 32.0 secs	1
09	K. Räikkönen	Ferrari	53	+ 39.4 secs
10	N. Piquet	Renault	53	+ 54.4 secs
11	T. Glock	Toyota	53	+ 58.8 secs
12	K. Nakajima	Williams	53	+ 62.0 secs
13	J. Trulli	Toyota	53	+ 65.9 secs
14	N. Rosberg	Williams	53	+ 68.6 secs
15	J. Button	Honda	53	+ 73.3 secs
16	D. Coulthard	Red Bull	52	+ 1 Tour
17	R. Barrichello	Honda	52	+ 1 Tour
18	S. Bourdais	Toro Rosso	52	+ 1 Tour
19	A. Sutil	Force India	51	+ 2 Tours
Ret	G. Fisichella	Force India	11	+ 42 Tours

FIA post-qualifying press conference - Italy

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

Drivers: 1st Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso), 1m37.555s; 2nd Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren), 1m37.631s; 3rd Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1m38.117s.

Q: Sebastian, the youngest man in Formula One history to be on pole position at 21 years, 73 days. You were quick in all three qualifying sessions. What conditions out there and what a fabulous pole for you.
Sebastian Vettel: Unbelievable. This is our home Grand Prix. There are two Yeah, I mean unbelievable, incredible. I was joking with my engineers. We were saying if it is wet, then we have to go for pole position and unbelievable. The conditions were so difficult today, a lot of water. You never knew how much water to expect. The most difficult parts were the Ascari chicane, there was so much water. Sometimes you were lucky not to lose the car because of the aquaplaning. What can I say? I never dreamt of being on pole. Italian teams, the bigger one is Scuderia Ferrari but I think now the people know the small one, Scuderia Toro Rosso, so it is unbelievable.

Q: You looked as if you were having a lot of fun despite the conditions.
SV: Yeah, we had some wet practice on Friday and I didn't feel very comfortable. Overnight we did some changes. Obviously we didn't know what to expect, how wet or how much rain there would be. I think we found just the right thing. This morning after free practice I felt very comfortable. I was very happy with the car in the wet. Very good balance and very happy. When you feel confident in these conditions, it is a huge advantage. I think that is the key because if you don't know how your car is reacting, then obviously you are not trying. As I said, it was so difficult today, obviously with the traffic, especially in the first qualifying sequence where there were a lot of cars on the circuit. It was nearly impossible to see anything, so I think great respect for all drivers. They were behaving really well. I think they made all of our lives out there easier today, so incredible.

Q: Some big names like Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton did not make it through to Q3. Tell us about making the call when to go out and what tyres to use?
SV: Well, I think there was no real secret. We did more or less the best we could in running and simply getting used to the conditions out there. Obviously it was always depending on how much rain there was. In Q2 it was very difficult. I set the time quite early. I was lucky to get a clean lap and I put it all together in this lap and then towards the end of the session there was more and more rain, so the people waiting more and more to go out had a bit of bad luck. As I say, we never knew how the weather was going to be. The weather forecast changes every five to 10 minutes, so it is quite difficult. In the end, I think, it was smarter to go out and have some running and not focus maybe to get one lap on the lightest fuel level possible and take some more time and do a couple more laps.

Q: Heikki, quickest in Q1 and competitive throughout qualifying but not quite there for the pole.
Heikki Kovalainen: Yeah, tell me about it. It was very close with Sebastian and I just missed the beginning of the session. My first lap wasn't quite as good and then it started to rain a little bit towards the end of the session. In the last lap I tried to have another go but the grip level was fading away. Anyway I think we are in a good position for the race tomorrow and the car has felt good in any conditions this weekend to be honest, even yesterday in the dry it felt pretty strong and the test here was strong, so I think we can look forward to a good competitive race tomorrow.

Q: Your team mate looked like he went out on intermediates at the start of Q2 and that is effectively what cost him.
HK: Well, I honestly don't know exactly what was going on with Lewis and his engineer. But with my crew we decided to stay on the same set of tyres that we had at the first part of qualifying. It looked like it might start to rain later on, so it was important to do a lap at the beginning and obviously Lewis thought it would be dry enough for the intermediate tyres and then it just started to rain as we went out. Obviously that's unlucky for him but I am sure he will do a strong race tomorrow.

Q: Mark, a great result for Adrian Newey and the design team at Red Bull.
Mark Webber: Yeah, the main Red Bull team if you like, but obviously it is still a Red Bull team in Toro Rosso, so obviously congratulations to those guys. It is all the same family if you like, so congratulations to Sebastian on his first pole. As the guys said it was tricky. It was difficult to get the lap. At the start of Q3 I had a little bit too much spray to pick my braking points in the first two chicanes. I stuffed the second one up and the guys said it is going to rain heavier, so I thought I haven't done a great job here in Q3. But I managed, my last lap actually was my best which was a bit tricky to get the lap time out of the car. But I am pretty happy with how it went and we will see what happens with the weather tomorrow.

Q: Sébastien Bourdais was closing but you did deliver. Talk us through that last lap.
MW: Well, I obviously wanted to get both chicanes as best I could. Ascari was the trickiest part in the last session as there were just some small railway lines to make sure you got the right line. It was amazing how the water was moving around a little bit for the last bit and we saw a lot of guys make mistakes there and I did as well on my previous lap. I was really focussing to get it right as I knew if I drilled that, then the lap time would be better for me and that's how it turned out.

Q: Sebastian, is it beginning to sink in, being the youngest ever driver in the history of Formula One to be on pole?
SV: Well, as I said, what shall I say? It will take some time for sure. It was my dream one day to drive a Formula One car. My target is to fight for pole positions and race wins but obviously today I didn't expect it. It feels fantastic. It is incredible you know, being part of Formula One already, and then fighting among these drivers next to me is just fantastic.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Sebastian, do you regard yourself as a bit of a specialist on a wet track?
SV: No, I mean obviously I do not mind driving in the wet. It was very difficult today. To come back on that wet thing, in karting I always liked to do some wet practice and wet races and so on. Before the Grand Prix in Spa I went to Kerpen to do some karting and I haven't been driving for quite some time, I think last year was the last time. We were building the car up and I said 'let's stay with slick tyres for the wet conditions' as I had to run in the engine and they said 'no, you are mad' and I said 'I need some practice if it rains in Spa.' Obviously just one week later there is more rain in Monza against all expectations. But fantastic today. As I said, the conditions were very tricky and it was difficult to see anything. In the end great respect for everybody. It was not easy out there and everybody was behaving quite well. I was joking with my engineers, saying if it rains today we will have to go for pole position but I never expected it, so it's really a dream come true, already being one of the Formula One drivers, that is something I was always dreaming of. Obviously now being on pole position is fantastic.

Q: One more dream to go?
SV: Yeah, I think there are a couple more dreams to go. Obviously a great day today for us, for the team. You cannot forget that a couple of years ago it was the Minardi team but I think they have made huge progress really. Obviously with the package that we have from Red Bull technology it makes our life easier and I think we are doing a very good job. There are no secrets to our success, it is only hard work. I have now been part of the team for a bit more than one full season and if you see the guys in the beginning and the guys today... The atmosphere is great, everybody is extremely motivated. When we walk in the paddock it seems that everybody knows that he has a task. He is here to do his job. He is not just taking part and it is great to see everybody enjoying his job, his work. You can see the passion in his eyes which is great. With a result like this to give something back is just fantastic.

Q: There are so many things to consider before a session like this. How difficult was all that?
SV: It was quite difficult. Yesterday after the practice I didn't feel well in wet conditions. I was not happy with the car and I didn't feel confident. In these conditions when you don't feel confident you lose a lot of time. We made some adjustments and I think it was the right call. You can't say we were focussing on wet conditions, looking at the speeds here and there it is more or less the opposite. But still we managed to do a very good job today. This morning I felt very good in the car, very confident. Obviously in today's qualifying throughout all the sessions the key first of all was to keep the car on the circuit and then to get the lap time done quite quickly because towards the end of the second qualifying session and especially the third qualifying session it was starting to rain heavier. It was more difficult. One thing that was affecting the driving quite a lot was the spray from the car in front of you. Obviously in the first qualifying when all the cars were running it was very difficult. Still later on it was difficult and the last three laps I had in Q3 they were everything else but perfect. I had a lot of spray, cars slowing down, I had to pass two cars in the last two laps, so it was not ideal and I couldn't improve my lap time. It was good that I brought the lap to the finish line in the beginning. Towards the end I think the conditions were more difficult. I still had good confidence and I feel well in the car and we are prepared for tomorrow. We cannot expect to win the race. We are in the best position for tomorrow but I think it is a very long race and anything can happen. For the weather no-one really knows what it is going to be, so we will see.

Q: Heikki, what were the thoughts in McLaren with your race engineer? Are you thinking of a wet race tomorrow?
HK: I think no-one really knows. It is very unstable weather at the moment. It is the same as today. At some point it looked like it was going to be a bit drier and then the shower arrives and then it is a really wet track. We don't really know. I feel that we are in a strong position for any kind of conditions. We are in a good position to start the race tomorrow, so regardless of the conditions we will just have a good opportunity to make a strong race tomorrow.

Q: How did the conditions change?
HK: Yes, now looking back, I think the beginning of each session was crucial, especially the last two sessions. It was almost on the first two laps that you had to do the lap time otherwise the circuit was too wet as the water level was increasing and the lap times were getting slower. For myself the last part of qualifying I didn't quite get the best out of it and then it started to rain and there was a bit of traffic. There was quite a lot of water on the track and this was the maximum this time. It is interesting, I enjoy driving in the wet. It is a little bit more tricky than in the dry, especially when there are some rivers and you are aquaplaning a bit. It is a big challenge but everybody did a good job and my car felt good and strong throughout the day.

Q: Do you think inters were ever possible?
HK: I don't think so. I think perhaps at the start of the second session if it had not rained anymore. But when we went out I thought I had definitely made the right choice by taking the extreme wets.

Q: Mark, here you have to use the kerbs, and yet kerbs always seem to be very slippery in the wet. What does a driver do in this case?
MW: Well, you should ask the quick guy that one. Yeah, you've got to use the kerbs as best you can, but it's also very unsettling coming off the kerbs. Obviously the track doesn't give a huge amount of grip today, so it's part of our skills to get the balance right, of making sure we can cut the corner as best we can without upsetting the car too much. It is a little bit of a surprise how much we can run the kerbs in some places to be honest, but that's what happens.

Q: So you had some traffic but also you ended up doing your quickest lap at the end when it really was pretty wet.
MW: Yeah, I could have done a slightly better job at the start of Q3. I'm not sitting here making excuses that there was traffic, it's everyone's job to get the gap and everyone can make a shopping list of excuses why it didn't happen for them. We're happy with third, it's a great day for Red Bull. I want to congratulate Sebastian on his first pole. People have to realise that Red Bull have done an amazing amount for this sport in Formula One, so it's a fantastic day for them and Red Bull should really be proud of what they've achieved and people should recognise that. We're looking forward to the race tomorrow. Obviously I was looking for the front row, so I have a clear view but I've the third best view, depending on how the start goes. If it's dry, it's a totally different race obviously, but we're still in reasonable shape. To be honest, I didn't really expect to be where we are, but it turned out OK.

Q: But do you want a wet race tomorrow, would you prefer that?
MW: I don't think any of the guys want to race in those conditions. To race in that stuff is tricky. If you had a 53 lap time trial on your own it's a bit easier but if anyone has any aquaplaning on the straight… There are some safety concerns at this place obviously because of the high speed and it's so hard to know where the (other) guy is, you just can't see anything, so we can't really race when the visibility is that bad because if you can't see where you're going, then it's extremely difficult.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Seb, I remember that two or three years ago, you set fastest lap with the BMW here. Was that the first time that you saw Monza and what do you remember about that?
SV: It was two years ago, 2006, when I was a Friday driver for BMW Sauber. I had the test here the week before the race. That was my first Monza experience and straightaway I liked the circuit. It was the first time that I was driving here. I like to drive here with low downforce configuration. You feel the car much more, the car is lighter, you can play much more. Obviously the kerb riding is very special and I think it's part of Monza, the first and second chicanes, but then the other corners are just great. As I said, with low downforce you are playing with the car. A couple of years ago, Juan Pablo Montoya set pole position here and looking at that lap… nowadays you have the chance on the internet to look it up quite quickly, it's just great and you see how he's playing with the car and how light the car is, how light the rear of the car is and still he puts the hammer down and hammers the throttle and it's just great. To feel that, lap for lap, it's great. I like this circuit very much. Obviously, as Mark said, it's always limited for safety with these high speeds and so on. I know we are also limited for space here because there are a couple of trees, but I think this circuit is part of the racing calendar. Even though it's so small, so tiny and so narrow in some places, after one lap you still feel that the circuit has got a lot of soul and character and that's what makes it more enjoyable.

Q: (Matthias Brunner - Motorsport Aktuell) Sebastian, apparently you're the youngest pole man in Formula One ever. Does that mean anything special for you? Do records mean a lot to you?
SV: To be honest, not really. I think there was a youngest before, and at some point there will be a younger after me. I don't really care about statistics. It's more important to be on pole position and start the race from there tomorrow. It's a great result for us, great success. I'm very, very happy as you can imagine.

Q: (Michael Schmidt - Auto Motor und Sport) If it is dry tomorrow, do the guys in the good cars like Massa, Räikkönen and Hamilton really have a chance to come through the field, knowing how difficult it is to overtake here in the dry?
MW: I think they will have a chance to come through, but as usual, the further up you get, the harder it will become for them. The top ten that I saw before the start of the session was a little bit mixed in terms of it not being quite a normal top group, if you like, because some of those guys that you just mentioned weren't in there. There's going to be some differently paced cars in dry conditions lapping in the race for sure. But as you say, getting inside someone here in a few places is not easy. But turn one is the obvious place to get the passing done. If you get a good run out of Parabolica, those guys can do the damage in the first chicane.

Q: (Heikki Kulta - Turun Sanomat) Heikki, how good a chance do you have tomorrow to improve your position in the championship?
HK: To be honest, I don't know where the guys who are close (in the championship) like Nick and Robert are (on the grid) yet. I suppose they are behind me, so there is a chance but that's all I can say really. I will try to close the gap on anyone. That's the target and really, to try to do the maximum result for the team and I think we have a good opportunity tomorrow to do a strong race.

Q: (Tomas Richtr - TV Nova) Sebastian, I think you are pretty realistic about tomorrow's chances, but you have a Ferrari engine, probably the strongest engine. Is the podium realistic?
SV: First of all, as I said, we don't know how the weather is going to be, and if it's wet, how wet is it going to be, how much water? Obviously the guys at the front will have an advantage because they have a better view, mainly the guy who is first after the first chicane. I hope that's me. But you never know. I can't predict the future, like anyone else in this room, I think. So we will see. We will face it tomorrow. Obviously our target is to do the best job possible. If that means scoring some points, it's fantastic. If it means going on the podium, it would be incredible, unreal, so I think we have to keep our feet on the ground. Obviously the conditions today mixed up the top group a bit, as Mark said. I think it will be a very, very tough race, a long race here, so we will see, how the field is spread out after a couple of laps: who is leading, who is in front, who is struggling to pass another car or not, so I think it will be quite an interesting race tomorrow.

Q: (Panos Seitanidis - Drive Magazine) Sebastian, Mark said he doesn't want a wet race for tomorrow. What is your opinion? How would you feel? Would you feel anxious because there's nobody in front of you at the beginning?
SV: Obviously the guy who is first, after the first lap or the first chicane or going into turn one has the best view in the case of a wet race. I have done some other wet races and in formula racing it's pretty limited when it comes to your view. I would say the first two guys can maybe play around a bit but already from P5 onwards… I don't even want to imagine how it will be. If you are around P15, you actually can't see anything, so you are trying to look left and right and as Mark said, when you do a 53 lap time trial it's OK, you challenge yourself and the car. But obviously it's a race and that means someone has to follow another car and there will be a big group that will be a mess in terms of view, so that doesn't make it safe. I think race control has done a very good job in the past, for instance last year in Fuji, and will do a good job tomorrow, I have no doubt about it. First of all, we have to see how the conditions are going to be. There is some rain forecast but you don't know when and you don't know how much, what intensity.

Q: (Gerhard Kuntschik - Salzburger Nachrichten) This is for all three of you: do you remember when you won your last wet race and where it was?
SV: OK, I start first of all. I apologise to Mark because maybe his last wet race he would have won last year in Japan if I had kept my eyes open!
MW: It's OK mate, don't worry.
SV: I think it was in Formula Three in 2006, in Barcelona, there was a lot of rain, a lot of water, a lot of aquaplaning and I was first, obviously had the best view, and had a huge gap to the guys behind and my engineer came on the radio and said 'slow down, slow down' and I said to him 'I'm already slowing down.' It was quite an incredible race, a lot of water. It is not really funny anymore when you start to go slower even though you are in fifth or sixth gear and full throttle in a straight line. That's a strange feeling.
HK: I can't remember to be honest. Were there any wet races in GP2 when I raced? Ah yes, Istanbul in 2006. We started in wet conditions and I retired the day before. I can't remember exactly where I started but I think not very close to the front. It wasn't actually going that well in the rain and then a dry line started to appear, so I thought 'let's put slicks on and see what happens.' I think Pantano was the first one to actually put slicks on. I put them on a lap later and then three laps after that the others realised and by then I had a 20 second gap. That was pretty good. If we can do that tomorrow it would be cool.
MW: Formula 3000 at Silverstone. Yeah, it was very wet and slippery as usual.

Q: (Matthias Brunner - Motorsport Aktuell) To all three of you, if conditions tomorrow afternoon are the same, which is very possible, do you think the start behind the safety car is mandatory?
HK: No, it depends on the water level but I think it should be OK to start, as long as there isn't a lot of standing water. Now, there was a little bit of standing water but not the whole track. If that's the case tomorrow I think it's OK to start on the grid.
SV: As Heikki said, it depends on the level of water. I think race control will make the right decision. Obviously during qualifying today, sometimes there was quite a lot of water. We were struggling, all of us, with aquaplaning. Some cars spun off or some drivers made a mistake. It's very tricky. It would make my life easier going into the first corner but you never know what happens. In the end, we are preparing for a normal race start. We cannot calculate a start behind the safety car.
MW: Normally our starts aren't great, so I will take a rolling start, yeah.