Si algo funciona, no lo toques. Gran máxima que la gente se suele pasar por el forro, sobre todo en la Formula 1. Pero en este caso, el indio con el yate más guapo del paddock ha decidido seguirla y ha confirmado que Vitantonio Liuzzi y Adrian Sutil seguirán conduciendo l0s Force India.

Adrian Sutil cumplirá su tercera campaña en el equipo (quinta si contamos la etapa Midland y Spyker) intentando igualar alguno de los buenos resultados que obtuvo Fisichella en circuitos rápidos gracias al motor Mercedes, además debe estar altamente emocionado ante la expectativa de que Raikkonen no esté ahí para estrellarse con él cuando puede hacer algún buen resultado.

Para Tonio Liuzzi será su primera temporada completa (si no se lo petan antes) con los indios, aunque sus actuaciones fueron tirando a discretas han decidido mantenerlo en el equipo, e intentará incordiar en la zona de puntos ahora que ya está adaptado al coche.

Nueva puerta que se le cierra a Pedro Martínez de la Rosa, que probó con ellos en la pretemporada pasada y que tenía cierta fe en poder posar su culo en alguno de estos asientos. Desde aquí le deseo suerte a la pareja de pilotos más feos del Mundial y a este equipo al que le tengo cierta simpatía sólo por preservar algo del espíritu de Jordan.

Force India have announced that they have retained Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi for the 2010 season. The team believes that this will give consistency in their driver line-up.

2010 will be Sutil’s fourth season in F1. He started in 2006 with Force India’s predecessors, Midland, as a test/reserve driver. He then went to a race seat with Spyker for 2007.

“2010 will be my fourth consecutive year with the team,” said Sutil. “I feel good here, it feels like family, and when you feel at ease you can focus your energy 100 percent on getting it right on track. Next season I want to be in the points on a regular basis, maybe even challenging for the podium, and the team has exactly the same goals. We are going massively in the right direction so with our combined energies I’m confident we can achieve even more than last season.”

Tonio has kept his seat since his move up from test driver in Monza this year, when Giancarlo Fisichella moved to Ferrari. He had made his debut in 2005 for Red Bull, and moved to Toro Rosso for 2006 and 2007.  He then moved to being test driver for Force India for 2008.

Tonio said, “It was always my goal to be back racing in 2010 and I’ve finally achieved it. I feel the five races I did in 2009 were a bit of a warm-up; get back racing, learn the car, get the feeling back. Now I’ve done that I feel ready to really push next season. We were pretty strong in the last part of the 2009 season so if we pick up where we stopped I think we could be in for a good year. For sure points are the aim and showing everyone what we can do.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India, stated, “We are very pleased to retain the services of both Adrian and Tonio for another season. We have always maintained that consistency is key at this stage in the team’s development and for the first time in many years we will have the continuity of not only the same drivers, but also the same engine and senior management. With this stability now in place I truly believe we have an excellent platform to build on and move forward on our strong 2009 performance. I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.”

However, the role of third driver has not been announced yet. Next week, Force India will hold a young driver test, featuring Paul di Resta and current Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand. The test will be three days long, and will be held on the Jerez circuit starting next Tuesday.

A Ford India confirmou nesta sexta-feira (27) a manutenção de Adrian Sutil e Vitantonio Liuzzi como seus pilotos. A dupla, que correu junta nas últimas provas deste ano, fica na escuderia indiana na temporada 2010. Ao que tudo indica, equipe e fornecedores também devem ser mantidos, após os bons resultados obtidos nas últimas corridas.

A meta da equipe é pontuar novamente, ficando estre as primeiras. A empresa, no entanto, tem consciência de que é difícil conseguir chegar à ponta. “Quero figurar na zona de pontuação com frequência no ano que vem e, quem sabe, até lutar por pódios. E acho que esses também serão os objetivos de nossa equipe”, afirmou Adian Sutil. Liuzzi, antes reserva, assumiu de vez o posto de titular, após a ida de Giancarlo Fisichella para a Ferrari. “Finalmente consegui atingir meu objetivo de voltar às pistas em 2010″, comemorou.

A escuderia deve anunciar seu terceiro piloto nas próximas semanas.

Here’s last Friday’s playlist – I did a full hour from 8p-9p, then rushed over to Congress for our show with Toby Roberts, Damian Mntle, Early Black & Static Session. A packed and wonderful Friday night full of music.

// <!– –>

Who said that Formula One is the most boring sport? Every month (or so), Podium Pop will feature the top 3 events that revved-up everybody’s engines and kept the top flight rust-free.

Winner: Sutil and Trulli’s priceless catfight in a presscon. Team mates next year?

Runner-up: Webber vs. Button on the final lap buzzes up and saves F1 and Abu Dhabi’s million Dollar race.

Third: Alguersuari misses box and almost messes up Vettel’s race- about time Toro Rosso change its team colors?

Constructors Champion: (BOO!) Toyota gives up slot to Sauber.

Há muito tempo que não tínhamos uma coletiva de imprensa tão engraçada entre os pilotos (que saudades do Montoya!). Sutil e Trulli foram postos lado a lado e discutiram “seriamente” sobre o acidente protagonizado no Brasil. Não é preciso tradução para perceber que, como em qualquer discussão de trânsito em qualquer lugar do mundo, nenhum deles iria admitir a culpa (para mim o Trulli foi o culpado!).

Mas o mais engraçado mesmo é Alonso, que perguntado sobre se desejava dar o seu ponto de vista saiu-se com essa: “sim, eu mais ou menos vi tudo. [...] Mas como o Jarno disse, eu acho que amanhã na reunião dos pilotos nós vamos discutir o tema… profundamente.”

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:40.625 21
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:40.627 + 0.002 18
3. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:40.907 + 0.282 20
4. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:40.934 + 0.309 22
5. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:41.241 + 0.616 18
6. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:41.263 + 0.638 20
7. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:41.310 + 0.685 23
8. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:41.322 + 0.697 20
9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:41.372 + 0.747 22
10. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:41.373 + 0.748 23
11. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:41.403 + 0.778 19
12. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:41.478 + 0.853 22
13. Kobayashi Toyota (B) 1:41.499 + 0.874 24
14. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:41.675 + 1.050 20
15. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:41.682 + 1.057 15
16. Alonso Renault (B) 1:41.897 + 1.272 19
17. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:42.156 + 1.531 21
18. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:42.213 + 1.588 19
19. Fisichella Ferrari (B) 1:42.351 + 1.726 23

Reference: Autosport.com

GRAN PREMIO DE ABU DHABI 2009, DOMINGO 1 DE NOVIEMBRE

PREVIA A LAS 6:00 AM,

FOX SPORTS, SKY 525, CABLEVISION 506

LA CARRERA A LAS 7:00 AM,

FOX SPORTS, SKY525, CABLEVISION 506

Abu Dhabi, EAU, Yas Marina, Formula 1 management LTD

Hemos llegado al final de la temporada. Este 1ero de noviembre marca la última carrera del año 2009, una temporada en la que nos encontramos con varias sorpresas como la de Brawn GP y Red Bull F1, quienes tuvieron autos muy superiores a los demás equipos durante todo el año, por el tercer lugar tuvieron que luchar equipos comoRenault, Ferrari, McLaren, Toyota, Williams y BMW.  Ya más abajo, Force India y Toro Rosso, a pesar de tener algunas carrera importantes, no figuraron mucho en la temporada.

Al llegar a Yas Marina, nos encontramos con un cierre de lujo. A pesar de que ya sabemos que el campeonato es de Jenson Button como campeón de pilotos y que Brawn GP es campeón de constructores; todavía nos quedan muchas emociones para saber quien se queda con el segundo lugar y quien es el primer ganador en esta nueva carrera en Abu Dhabi, ciudad impresionante en los Emiratos Arabes Unidos. Otro punto interesante es que esta carrera iniciará en la tarde y acabará en la noche (Hora local Abu Dhabi).

Seguramente todos los pilotos querrán ganar esta carrera inaugural en el circuito de Yas Marina rodeado de lujosos yates, con la pista que pasa por debajo de un hotel, con la salida a pits desde un tunel y con una de las rectas más largas de todo el calendario. No podríamos pedir un mejor cierre para esta loca temporada en la que por momento parecía el mundo al revés, con los poderosos McLaren y Ferrari en los puestos más bajos y con equipos pequeños en las alturas.

La temporada 2010 viene cargada de muchas más emociones así que disfrutemos este lujoso cierre de temporada y a esperar el 2010, que ya está muy cerca.

1 . H. Kovalainen – McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
“The whole day was pretty good. We’d already done some good work in Woking preparing for this circuit, so we had a good balance right from the start this morning. However, we had a brake issue during first practice which we couldn’t sort out during the session. This afternoon, we got it sorted and were able to improve considerably, with both tyres working well. The circuit is cool – it’s very smooth with good grip and the kerbs are nice. Turns Two and Three are not easy-flat, but, with the good balance of the car, they’re fun. On the straight, KERS gives us an additional benefit. We can use it for maximum performance and it’s worth three-and-a-half to four tenths. The light is no problem with our slightly tinted tear-off visors, which we could remove once the sun had set.”

2 . L. Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
“It looks like we might be quite competitive here – our long runs appear to be good, the car feels great and the track is great – it’s quite interesting coming from daylight into nighttime, you don’t notice the difference through the twilight. They’ve done an incredible job here. It’s a really nice circuit to drive – there are a lot of technical corners, where braking stability is important. It’s a great track and I really enjoy driving it. The only bit I don’t like is the tunnel – but it’s a challenge. We’ll have to see what happens tomorrow, because the track conditions are always changing, but we feel quite comfortable with the pace we have. Our car seems to behave quite well over the kerbs, we’ve got the balance feeling quite good today. Our car is probably driving better than it has all year – it’s just been getting better and better. In a way, it’s been an excellent year: it’s a bit like a race when you start from the back of the field and fight back to the front – that’s what our season has been like.”

3 . J. Button – Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
“The Yas Marina circuit is certainly an interesting one. When you look at the layout, it doesn’t seem that exciting but when you actually drive it, it’s fantastic. The track has a bit of everything with high and low speed corners, positive and negative camber and the walls are pretty close to you most of the way round. We had a good first day of practice here with just a few balance issues to work on overnight.”

4 . S. Vettel – Red Bull Renault RB5
“So, that was the last Friday practice of this year. I’d like to say thanks to Renault – many people didn’t believe that we’d succeed without having to change an engine, but here we are having completed a lot of miles on another Friday without a single problem. Abu Dhabi is a new circuit, so new conditions – including starting driving in the daylight and finishing the session at night, which is quite exciting. Obviously, the circuit was very green and slippery to begin with, but overall it’s quite a thrill to drive, with some good corners. It’s also pretty special to go under a hotel! Performance wise, we’re looking quite good. We didn’t know what to expect around here, but it seems as though we’re quite competitive, although we will have to wait to see how competitive. Even though it’s a new track, it was a normal Friday practice and we were testing which tyre works best.”

5 . K. Kobayashi – Toyota TF109
“Today went well and it was interesting to drive on this track for the first time; it is a fantastic venue. This is the second time in two weeks I have had to learn a new circuit so it is becoming a familiar experience. I learnt a lot from the Brazil weekend which has already helped me here in Abu Dhabi. It will also be helpful to have a completely dry weekend so I can really become familiar with the car and tyres on this track; that didn’t happen in Brazil but I am confident it will this weekend. We have quite a lot of data from today and that will allow us to find areas to improve. I believe we can make another step in terms of performance before qualifying and then I will do my best to start as high as possible.”

6 . S. Buemi – Toro Rosso Ferrari STR4
“This new circuit has some interesting features which we are not used to, like the tunnel and it’s a nice feeling to start running in daylight and going into the dark. This morning was a bit difficult, but we improved the car quite a lot in the afternoon, so I am not unhappy. You have to consider that there is a huge difference in the track between the first session and the second, as it is a lot quicker in the evening when it’s cooler. It was a bit difficult to get the tyres working properly, especially the Option, but apart from that, the car is not too bad. Now we have to see what we can do for tomorrow, when it will be important to qualify well.”

7 . M. Webber – Red Bull Renault RB5
“A productive first day at a new track. We had an engine change between P1 and P2 – the guys did a brilliant job to get the car turned around in time. Other than that, we got on with the normal tyre comparisons and other tests we do on a Friday – so, although a new track, a normal Friday. The track’s pretty good – it’s not Spa, but it’s also not Bahrain! It’s not bad. There was a difference in clarity between driving in the afternoon for P1 and in the early evening during P2 – it’s a different atmosphere when the lights are on, but we’re used to that from Singapore.”

8 . R. Barrichello – Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
“First of all, I’m really pleased with the new track here in Abu Dhabi. The venue looks sensational and it’s quite challenging to drive which is makes it a lot more fun for the drivers. The car felt good here over the two sessions and we were able to make several improvements over the course of the day. I’m quite happy with the balance and looking forward to tomorrow.”

9 . N. Rosberg – Williams Toyota FW31
“I enjoyed driving the track for the first time today. It was dirty to begin with and then of course in the second session we were interested in the artificial lighting conditions in the dark and the effect on the tyres of the temperature dropping.
Visibility-wise it was fine in the second practice session and again, the temperature change didn’t seem to have too big an effect on us. The more unknown element is the choice of tyre and it is hard to say which is better. In terms of set-up, we have definitely found a direction especially on the mechanical side. All in all, a good day which has given me confidence that we can score some points here this weekend.”

10 . K. Raikkonen – Ferrari F60
“The car is not bad to drive, but it is simply slow and lacks grip, as in fact has been the case very often this year. It’s not as though there is a specific reason why it’s not going well, but most of all, its down to our choice to stop development of the F60, so our performance level compared to the others is going down race by race, given that so many teams are still working on this year’s cars. There are only a few corners where you can make a difference, near the start of the lap. Then there are so many heavy braking points and slow speed corners, where stability on entry and acceleration on exit are the important factors. Going from daylight to artificial light? After two races in Singapore, it doesn’t cause a problem. The pit lane exit? In terms of its layout it’s quite similar to Interlagos, except there’s a wall instead of a guardrail.”

12 . K. Nakajima – Williams Toyota FW31
“It was an interesting day, running P1 in the daylight and P2 in the evening. The track has improved a lot and we have spent a useful day finding a set-up direction. The tyre selection is quite tricky, which will be the key factor we will look at tomorrow.”

13 . N. Heidfeld – BMW Sauber F1.09
“The track offers everything you can ask for. The tarmac is good and the lay-out is quite good with the first sector having the fast corners, the second sector providing this endless straight and a possibility for overtaking, and the third one being rather narrow and windy, but flowing nicely. I’m not happy with the car’s set-up and balance yet. This is especially for a single quick lap as on the long runs the lap times were improving. The visibility during sunset and twilight wasn’t an issue today. I hope this doesn’t change if we get more dust in the air. In respect of the total darkness and floodlighting, I have the feeling it was brighter in Singapore.”

14 . J. Trulli – Toyota TF109
“I must say that was an enjoyable day for me and it was interesting to drive on the new track for the first time. It was good fun and I am looking forward to racing here. They have done a great job with the facilities and the track is really well built, so I am impressed. The first laps were difficult because there was just no grip, but that is normal for a new circuit like this and as the day went on the situation improved. Driving during twilight was a new experience for me and the view does change a little, with some shadows, but generally it is similar to Singapore so it’s not a problem. All in all, the car seemed competitive and well-balanced so if we can improve again tomorrow we can have another strong weekend.”

16 . F. Alonso – Renault R29
“Today we experienced Yas Marina for the first time so we had to learn the circuit and work out the best way to set the car up. We tried a lot of different things and made some good progress by concentrating on getting good grip and traction in the low-speed corners. As we expected, the track was a bit dirty to begin with, but when more rubber was laid down I started to get a good feeling for the circuit and the car. We have a lot of information to look over tonight so that we can make some changes in the morning to find some more performance from the car before qualifying.”

17 . G. Fisichella – Ferrari F60
“This will become a sort of second home Grand Prix for Ferrari, as rising above the back of the circuit, will be the first ever theme park dedicated to the Maranello company. As for the track, I can say the nicest part is the first section with the quick corners. I think there is some chance of overtaking on the long straights, while the pit lane exit is a bit dangerous, but there is nothing that can be done to change it. In the second session, when the temperature dropped, the track became less slippery. In the first session, I was struggling a bit to stay on track and I had a lot of graining. We have nothing new on the car and we must try and do our best, working on its set-up.”

18 . R. Grosjean – Renault R29
“The circuit is very nice and it feels like there are two different parts. The first part is like a ‘normal’ track and the second part, including the third sector, has a lot of 90-degree corners that are very challenging. I quite like sectors one and two, but not sector three as you cannot afford to make any mistakes there. These very different sectors are a challenge when it comes to setting up the car. Also, the temperature difference between the sessions played a relatively big role in today’s programme as we ran on the track during the day and the night, which allowed us to see what it will be like for the race. Now I’m look forward to tomorrow and building on today’s work.”

19 . J. Alguersuari – Toro Rosso Ferrari STR4
“I have enjoyed driving this new circuit. It has nothing particularly tricky about it and it reminds me in parts of Valencia. This morning I was learning the track and I also had to get used to an F1 car again, as last weekend, I was racing in the World Series. The first session went pretty well and so did the afternoon, apart from a small problem on the car towards the end. Degradation does not seem to be an issue with the tyres and they are lasting well. In FP2 the track of course had more grip and was generally faster, helped by the fact it was cooler in the dark.”

20 . R. Kubica – BMW Sauber F1.09
“The track is quite interesting, although there are not a lot of high speed corners and most are quite short. The final sector of the track reminds me of Singapore. We were just starting to work on the set-up and the tyre evaluation in the second free practice session when I had an engine failure. Now the track conditions are improving with each lap, this is a big loss and I lost nearly one hour of valuable track time.”

Adrian Sutil – 11th: The car was performing well today, although we still have some work to do to get the balance right. We are missing a little grip on the harder tyre but it’s going well with the softer compound, although we are struggling with warm up on both. We lost a little time with a brake problem in the morning but it didn’t affect our programme too much as the grip was not really there at the start. At the end of the first I was still able to do 25 mins and two runs and got a good position in FP1 and could follow it up in the second practice too. The circuit is OK, but I miss some of the high speed sections you find in other tracks. There are a lot of second gear slow sections and the flow is not really there, but it’s still a big challenge as it’s very slippery so you are always fighting with oversteer. There wasn’t a problem with the changing light as the lighting is very good: you still know it’s at night but you can really see clearly. Driving into the sunset was OK – I don’t think there will be a problem on Sunday.

Tonio Liuzzi – 15th: It’s a great facility here, still quite slippery with the dust but it was very interesting to drive in such different light conditions over the day. It went quite well today. I think we are very competitive and have a very strong car on higher fuel loads. We still need to work a lot on the low fuel conditions as we are not spot on but I think we are going in the right direction with the car and can be happy with the progress we made today. We knew it would be hard but it’s not easy for anybody with this high temperature to find a balance but I am positive for tomorrow.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer: Today’s objectives were to allow the drivers to familiarise themselves with the circuit in the real world rather than on the simulator, ensure our cooling and brake system fundamentals were suitable, validate our wing level selection and understand the tyre behaviour as usual. We completed these steps and will review the results overnight. Adrian lost a bit of track time in both sessions with some minor issues, but this hasn’t caused any setback. What is clear without needing to look at any data however, is that this is a world-class race track and will definitely deliver an excellent event this weekend.

Martin Whitmarsh – Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: “I think everybody in the Formula 1 paddock has been overwhelmed by the scale and ambition of the Yas Marina circuit – it sets standards within our sport that I think will be almost impossible to eclipse. It is a truly fantastic facility, and a fine testament to the incredible vision of our hosts here in Abu Dhabi, who have treated everyone in our team with enormous warmth and hospitality.

“To finish the second practice session in first and second positions on the timesheets is, of course, highly encouraging, but we are aware that there are a number of closely matched teams who will be working hard to win this race.

“Both Heikki and Lewis did a fantastic job today. Now, our efforts will shift towards maximising our performance and ensuring we are fully prepared for a thrilling qualifying session tomorrow.”

Norbert Haug – Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “An exceptional new racetrack with fantastic facilities. Sincere compliments to the hosts in Abu Dhabi for establishing the new benchmark of new grand prix racetracks. The atmosphere here – especially at night – is absolutely fascinating, and I am sure this will become even better during tomorrow’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

“Our performance on this new track was very good today. Both Lewis and Heikki posted very competitive lap times during their race simulation long runs on both tyre compounds.

“I guess this was our most competitive Friday performance of the whole season.”

Ross Brawn: “The Yas Marina Circuit is a stunning facility and a massive credit to Abu Dhabi, Bernie, Philippe Gurdjian and the team behind it. The track layout is very interesting with some good combinations and quite challenging for the drivers. They seem to be enjoying the experience. We are pleased with how our practice programme went today. The track was very dirty at the start of the first session with high track temperatures but it was a good opportunity for the drivers to familiarise themselves with the new track. The temperatures fell dramatically going into the second session which is consistent with what we expect to see in qualifying and into the race so we worked through our usual Friday programme with the tyres and aerodynamic set-up collecting some good data.”

Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering): “At the beginning of the first free practice we realized we had been quite accurate with what we expected from the track based on our simulations. However, it’s not easy to assess our own performance after day one. We have worked on race preparation, as usual. Obviously, the engine failure on Robert’s car cost us time working on the set-up. However, I believe we have enough data available to draw the right conclusions for the remainder of the weekend.”

Rod Nelson, Chief Operations Engineer: “As with any new circuit, it is very important to get out for maximum track time. The circuit is very professional and immaculately presented, however, being near the desert, it is sandy which possibly coloured the times we saw today. Looking at our tyre tests, we have plenty to think about overnight. It will be interesting to see what condition the track starts in tomorrow as it certainly improved significantly over the course of today.”
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test: “First of all, big congratulations to the organisers who have created a really extraordinary and exciting facility here at Yas Marina. It is a pleasure to see the cars running around this track. For us it was pretty much a trouble-free day during which we focused initially on getting all the necessary information on the new track and allowing the drivers to get used to it.

“Everything went well and we also did some aerodynamic comparisons, mainly in the first session. In the evening session we looked more at the tyres and the results were largely as we expected; both compounds seem to be in a workable range so we can expect a consistent race. In terms of performance, as usual it is difficult to evaluate on a Friday but that is particularly true here because the effect of carrying more or less fuel is quite pronounced.”

Bob Bell, Team Principal: “It was an interesting first day in Abu Dhabi. Coming here we thought we would struggle more with the track, but it was cleaner than we expected. For us the day was mainly about the tyres, and in both sessions our main issue was with drop-off in rear tyre performance, particularly in the low-speed corners, which caused the cars to oversteer. In the high-speed corners the cars had a better balance with a bit of understeer. By the end of the day we had made good progress and have a good idea of how to move forward tomorrow.”

References: Autosport.com and f1-live.com

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:41.307 35
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:41.504 + 0.197 34
3. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:41.541 + 0.234 39
4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:41.591 + 0.284 37
5. Kobayashi Toyota (B) 1:41.636 + 0.329 34
6. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:41.683 + 0.376 37
7. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:41.684 + 0.377 34
8. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:41.831 + 0.524 38
9. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:41.931 + 0.624 39
10. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:41.987 + 0.680 39
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:42.180 + 0.873 28
12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:42.245 + 0.938 36
13. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:42.278 + 0.971 36
14. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:42.409 + 1.102 30
15. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:42.530 + 1.223 33
16. Alonso Renault (B) 1:42.782 + 1.475 29
17. Fisichella Ferrari (B) 1:42.932 + 1.625 37
18. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:43.021 + 1.714 37
19. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:43.022 + 1.715 39
20. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:43.708 + 2.401 13

Reference: Autosport.com

Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Force India’s Adrian Sutil ensured today’s press conference at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was an amusing affair after they started squabbling over the first lap incident in Brazil which saw both of them instantly eliminated.

Here’s a copy of the exchange…

Jarno Trulli: I think we’re going to discuss it probably tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing and in the GPDA briefing. Obviously it was very disappointing to end the race like that, especially on the first lap. Obviously I think I had every reason to be extremely furious. I’ve got all the evidence to show that I was there, I was next to him, so I think tomorrow we are going to discuss it.

Adrian Sutil: I think there’s nothing to discuss. It was a quite obvious incident. In the end it was very disappointing for myself, even more, I think, because I was the one who was just driving and he lost control of his car and crashed in my back, so it was not my problem, it was his problem. I don’t know why he’s freaking out like that, to be honest.

JT: (Laughing) If you want, I can show you some pictures. I don’t know if you’re blind but they clearly show you that my front wing is next to your front wing, so…

AS: Yeah, but you’re trying to overtake me on the outside on the kerbing. There was not a problem…

JT: So you mean… you didn’t move there…

AS: No, you were just not going off the power. The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car. You just have to sometimes also…

JT: I just lost…

AS: …expect the limits of the car. If there’s no way to go, you have to back off, that’s how racing is, and I don’t know how long you want to learn it.

JT: In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he tapped the kerb, he completely cut the circuit and he didn’t slow down, so basically… Anyway, I think it’s better…

FA: (to KR) Shall we go?

AS: No, no. Watch the race in Barcelona. I didn’t hit you, you hit me. I don’t know what’s the problem, but maybe your eyes are a problem.

JT: I don’t have any feeling about him.

AS: I don’t understand, really, sorry.

I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this, especially if Jarno has pictures! Who knows what will happen if they line up next to each other in the race. Watch this space!

The list of F1 driver salaries in 2009 – happy news if your name is Kimi Raikkonen, but perhaps less pleasant reading for newly-crowned world champion Jenson Button…

Jenson Button è Campione del mondo!
Si conclude cosi la lotta per la conquista dell’iride 2009, con il “paracarro” (come lo aveva definito Briatore) che con una gara gagliarda conquista sul campo i punti necessari per porre fine alla cavalcata iniziata a Melbourne in primavera.
Mark Webber (Red Bull) vince invece il Gran Premio del Brasile, davanti a Robert Kubica (Bmw) e a Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) dopo una gara piena di colpi di scena, sia in ottica mondiale che non.
Ma andiamo con ordine.

Durante le qualifiche un temporale si abbatte sul circuito; dopo continue interruzioni finalmente la griglia di partenza viene definita, con Barrichello in pole davanti a Trulli, mentre gli altri protagonisti della lotta per il titolo arrancavano molto più indietro.
Vettel 16esimo, attardato da un assetto sbagliato (lui sotto la pioggia è un vero mago), mentre Button 14esimo faceva buon viso a cattivo gioco, conscio del fatto di poter decidere la strategia migliore visto che non partecipando alla Q3 (dove i carichi di benzina scelti non possono essere variati) avrebbe potuto riempire il serbatoio di carburante e sfruttare il primo stint di gara per recuperare posizioni.
Male Hamilton, 17esimo sempre per aver scelto un assetto da asciutto (che lo aiuterà molto in gara), mentre per la Ferrari l’unico in grado di poter salvare il salvabile si dimostrava ancora una volta Raikkonen con un buon quinto posto; ancora inguardabile Fisichella, ultimo dopo un errore da principiante durante la Q1.

Pronti-via e Raikkonen passa subito al terzo posto lottando con Sutil; nel rettilineo opposto cerca l’attacco a Webber ma l’australiano lo chiude verso l’erba cambiando traiettoria in maniera poco ortodossa rompendo l’ala anteriore del ferrarista; Kimi è costretto a rallentare mentre dietro di lui Sutil pasticcia un pò per evitarlo coinvolgendo Trulli in un incidente pericoloso che avrà come vittima anche Fernando Alonso.
Troppi detriti in pista ed esce la safety car; Raikkonen e Kovalainen rientrano ai box, il primo per sostituire l’ala danneggiata e per cambiare strategia, il secondo solo per rifornire.
Alla ripartenza dalla piazzola però Kovalainen si trascina il bocchettone della benzina rovesciando letteralmente decine di litri addosso al povero Kimi che lo segue a ruota; il calore degli scarichi della Ferrari fa il resto e per un attimo la rossa (con Kimi a bordo) si trasforma in una palla di fuoco.
Iceman (soprannome a pennello qui) dopo un attimo di smarrimento riprende subito la corsa nonostante un pò di benzina gli si sia infilata negli occhi, rientrando in pista addirittura dietro al compagno Fisichella.

Dopo il rientro della safety car si scatenano i contendenti per il titolo; Barrichello in testa impone il suo passo, mentre da dietro risalgono a suon di sorpassi Vettel e Button, nel frattempo avvantaggiati dagli incidenti capitati al primo giro.
Barrichello però è il più scarico di carburante e per avere chanches di vittoria dovrebbe scavare un solco ben più ampio di 2 secondi nei confronti di Webber; infatti Rubens è il primo a fermarsi e al suo rientro in pista la situazione inizia per lui a prendere una piega sfavorevole.
Vettel infatti lo sorpassa, e dopo la sosta di Webber, Rubens se lo ritrova davanti, con Button “lungo” nella strategia, in rimonta.
Jenson però si scontra con l’irruenza del rookie Kobayashi (Toyota) che senza timori reverenziali tiene dietro l’aspirante Campione a suon di staccate obbligando Button ad una manovra al limite per sbarazzarsene.

Kimi Raikkonen intanto imposta un ottimo passo col quale recupera tante posizioni, mentre Fisichella continua ad arrancare in fondo al gruppo; entrambi hanno una strategia molto conservativa che in teoria potrebbe garantire loro una gara in rimonta visto lo stop in meno da effettuare, ma soltanto Kimi riesce a interpretare al meglio questa macchina e prima della sua prima sosta (44esimo giro) il finlandese risale fino al quinto posto.
Nel secondo stint  di gara la classifiche vede Webber al comando davanti ad un ottimo Kubica, poi Barrichello in lotta con Hamilton (risalito grazie alla sua aggressività ed a un’assetto ottimale), poi Raikkonen, Button, Vettel e il sorprendente Buemi della Toro Rosso velocissimo per tutto il weekend.

Dopo la sosta di Kimi, anche Kubica si ferma ma Barrichello non riesce ad approfittarne causa problemi indefiniti alla sua monoposto; il pilota via radio si lamenta infatti della caduta di competitività della sua Brawn avvenuta dopo la prima sosta e, l’impossibilità di impostare un ritmo otimale, lo taglia di fatto fuori dalla possibile lotta per la vittoria.
Barrichello si ferma per la seconda ed ultima sosta al 50esimo giro, rientrando dietro Buemi che si fermerà di li a poco; al giro successivo tocca a Webber che mantiene la testa della corsa, mentre al 56esimo e al 57esimo si fermano Button e Vettel.
Dopo la girandola delle soste la classifica vede Webber, Kubica, Barrichello, Hamilton, Vettel, Button e Raikkonen con Jenson virtualmente Campione.
La speranza per Rubens è quella di andare a prendere Kubica e allo stesso tempo che Kimi sorpassi Button; purtroppo per lui però una foratura lo riporta sulla terra vanificando ogni suo sogno di giocarsi il titolo all’ultima gara ad Abu-Dahabi.
Barrichello è costretto a far passare Hamilton e mentre a pochissimo dal termine rientra mestamente ai box per cambiare la gomma forata, tutta la torcida brasiliana è in piedi ad applaudirlo, nonostante l’ennesima pesante sconfitta di Rubens.
Nel frattempo Raikkonen recupera su Button ma non abbastanza e cosi sotto la bandiera a scacchi (sventolata da Felipe Massa) finalmente Jenson può esultare; è Campione del Mondo.

Si realizza cosi il sogno di un pilota considerato fin dall’inizio della sua carriera un predestinato, ma mai in grado di dimostrare granchè soprattutto a causa di monoposto poco felici; quest’anno, alla prima vera occasione con una neonata Brawn GP (campione del mondo costruttori) al massimo della forma ha però zittito tutti.
Ora vedremo se nel 2010, con avversari ben più agguerriti riuscirà a fare il bis.
Per quanto riguarda la Ferrari, la Scuderia ha perso il terzo posto nel mondiale costruttori a vantaggio della McLaren; l’ultimo GP sarà quindi decisivo e il punto che divide i due team potrà essere recuperato solo se la rossa si dimostrerà a suo agio sul nuovo circuito medio-orientale.
Altrimenti per Maranello sarà un 2009 assolutamente da dimenticare.
Prossimo ed ultimo GP ad Abu Dahabi il 1 novembre.

Porque nem tudo foram flores…

.

Apesar de toda a torcida brasileira, o inglês Jenson Button conquistou neste domingo o título de campeão mundial da temporada 2009 da F1. Esta foi a quarta vez na história que o campeão saiu no GP do Brasil.

Homens ao volante, perigo constante

Na largada Barrichello manteve a ponta e deixou pra trás a confusão que se formou: no S do Senna Kovalainen  rodou e tocou em Fisichella, na reta oposta Webber fechou Raikkonen e quebrou o bico do carro do finlandês e na descida do lago Trulli perdeu o controle do carro atingiu Sutil que na escapada acertou a Renault de Fernando Alonso, que vinha em seguida, e tirou o espanhol da prova. O Italiano saiu do carro e partiu pra cima do Alemão, que não teve culpa de nada, protagonizando uma cena bastante hilária.

Jarno Trulli tira satisfações com Adrian Sutil após o choque entre eles

A confusão não parou por aí, Raikkonen e Kovalainen foram para os boxes concertar seus carros e na saída o piloto da McLaren levou a mangueira de combustível junto, com gasolina vazando, e deu um banho na Ferrari que vinha logo atrás. Houve uma pequena explosão quando o combustível espalhado entrou em contato com as partes quentes do carro, mas ficou apenas no susto, e os dois pilotos retornando à prova em seguida. Porém, após a corrida, Kovalainen foi punido em US$ 50 mil e 25s acrescidos em seu tempo final, caindo da nona para a 11ª posição.

Com tantos incidentes o safety car entrou na pista por 3 voltas e na relargada Rubinho manteve a posição com Webber em segundo, enquanto Button subia para sexto ultrapassando Grosjean e Nakajima ficando empacado no estreante Kobayashi.

Na primeira rodada de pit-stops Rubinho perdeu sua posição para Kubica e Webber, enquanto Rosberg e Heidfeld abandonaram. Neste momento o público pode se deliciar com uma bela manobra do estreante Kobayashi: ele deu o popular “X” (toma a ultrapassagem e da o troco em seguida) quando Button tentou passá-lo no S do Senna.

Já na segunda rodada Barrichello ganhou a posição de Lewis Hamilton em terceiro,  enquanto o líder Webber voltou na liderança e praticamente selou sua vitória. Button ganhou a posição de Kovalainen e estava em sexto, resultado com o qual já seria campeão.

Pouco depois Barrichello cedeu o terceiro lugar para Hamilton e foi para os boxes trocar um pneu furado, voltando em 8º com Button em 5º a oito voltas do fim. Ali o campeonato acabou.

Na dianteira, Webber recebeu a bandeirada, seguido de Kubica e Hamilton. Vettel completou em quarto e Button, em quinto, tornando-se campeão ao somar 89pts.

O pódio do GP Brasil de F1 2009: Kubica, Webber com o troféu e Hamilton

Vitória merecida

Button mereceu ganhar a disputa pelo brilhante início de temporada que teve, vencendo 6 das 7 primeiras corridas, e pela performance que apresentou em Interlagos. O inglês soube contar com a sorte e buscou as ultrapassagens que precisava com arrojo e determinação. Bem diferente da apatia vista nas últimas etapas.

Ele comemorou muito a vitória e pelo rádio entoou um verso de “We are the Champions”, da banda inglesa Queen, para a equipe:

Já Rubinho que levantou o público no sábado, durante o treino de classificação, soube reconhecer a derrota e foi o primeiro a cumprimentar o companheiro de equipe. Agora ele brigará pelo vice-campeonato com Sebastian Vettel na última etapa em Abu-Dhabi, no dia 1/11.

O cumprimento de Barrichello em Button e a comemoração do inglês junto à equipe Brawn, campeã do Mundial de Construtores da F1 2009

________________________________________________________________________________________

Obrigada a todos pela torcida e sigam acompanhando as atualizações do blog. Boa semana! =)

(Aug 29) In between Onam shopping, a short meeting with a builder and attending a friend’s house warming party, I managed to catch the last 15 minutes of the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session. And what prompted a tired me to stay awake (after the rest of the folks at home have gone to sleep) to write this blog entry is the exciting news that Giancarno Fisichella’s Force India is on pole position ! If I had come to know of this after reading the papers tomorrow morning I might not have believed it but I saw the final few minutes of qualifying live ! Obviuosly Fisichella’s car is lightly fuelled but am sure he is still in a good enough position for a points finish tommorrow and maybe even a podium. If miracles do happen (and they have as seen earlier in the season with the Brawns) who knows we might even the Indian national anthem being played after the race at Spa (if we have Force India race win)…..

Pra todo lugar que eu vá tem sempre aquele tipo de gente.. a cada dia essas pessoas me enojam mais.. toda a falsidade, toda inveja, toda futilidade e todo o veneno. Será que essas pessoas não sabem aproveitar a delicia de sorrir de um piada qualquer com pessoas que se querem bem?! Será tão dificil ser transparente, cuidar, tratar bem e se divertir com quem realmente se gosta?! Será tão dificil assim se preocupar em ser feliz mais do que com a infelicidade do proximo?! Porque algumas pessoas não conseguem perceber que a felicidade está em momentos singelos.. que os sorrisos mais simples são também os mais belos?.. Talvez elas até saibam, mas não consigam atingir tal proesa.. e somente o que lhes resta é plantar sua mudinha podre na grama verde do vizinho…

Logo eu que sempre vivi na complexidade, hoje enxergo como nunca a beleza da sultileza.

1st Session: Heikki Kovalainen set the best lap time; in Toyota, Kamui Kobayashi replaces Timo Glock at Free Practises

Heikki Kovalainen waited until the very last moment of the first free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix to go quickest around a wet-but-drying Suzuka circuit.

Until the Finn took the chequered flag, Kazuki Nakajima looked likely to enjoy a piece of home glory as the Williams driver took the top spot with just minutes to spare.

The 24-year-old Japanese appeared to time his final attempt on intermediate tyres to perfection as he set a fastest time of 1m40.648s. But the lap times were falling all around him as drivers found ever more grip on the drying track, and Kovalainen was one of them – his 1m40.356s lap settling the matter.

Wet-weather maestro Adrian Sutil was another to get bumped by the Finn, and the Force India driver ended up third, having been fastest himself earlier in the session.

While the session began with a great deal of standing water on the track, it quickly dispersed as several of F1’s Suzuka rookies got down to the business of learning the daunting track – Lewis Hamilton and Kovalainen among them.

In fact, the McLaren drivers were the early pace-setters, until Sebastian Vettel, then Fernando Alonso moved to the top.

Hamilton responded halfway through the 90-minute session only to find himself demoted again by Nakajima. With 20 minutes to go, Kovalainen moved to the top and though briefly deposed by Sutil, remained in control until all the antics of the final ten minutes.

When the order had shaken out, behind the top three, Giancarlo Fisichella looked to have garnered some confidence in the Ferrari F60 to go fourth fastest, ahead of a rapid Sebastien Buemi, while Hamilton was eventually sixth.

Alonso was seventh, despite a run across the gravel at the hairpin early on in the session. The man he replaces at Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen, was just behind him in eighth.

Rubens Barrichello and Nico Rosberg completed the top ten.

Despite the weather, there were surprisingly few incidents, with Fisichella replicating Alonso’s moment at the hairpin late on, and Vitantonio Liuzzi having a lurid moment as he ran wide across the kerbing at Spoon.

Kamui Kobayashi ended the session 19th on his debut, but impressed through the session and was only outpaced by Toyota team-mate Jarno Trulli in the final five minutes.

Here are the times of this practise:

Pos  Driver        Team                 Time               Laps
 1.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     1:40.356           24
 2.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      1:40.648 + 0.292   18
 3.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes 1:40.806 + 0.450   14
 4.  Fisichella    Ferrari              1:40.985 + 0.629   27
 5.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:41.421 + 1.065   26
 6.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes     1:41.443 + 1.087   15
 7.  Alonso        Renault              1:41.532 + 1.176   22
 8.  Raikkonen     Ferrari              1:41.577 + 1.221   25
 9.  Barrichello   Brawn GP-Mercedes    1:41.821 + 1.465   18
10.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      1:42.188 + 1.832   20
11.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault     1:42.332 + 1.976   10
12.  Liuzzi        Force India-Mercedes 1:42.475 + 2.119   15
13.  Trulli        Toyota               1:42.657 + 2.301   13
14.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:42.667 + 2.311   27
15.  Kubica        BMW Sauber           1:42.833 + 2.477   16
16.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber           1:42.977 + 2.621   14
17.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault     1:43.218 + 2.862   11
18.  Button        Brawn GP-Mercedes    1:43.318 + 2.962   17
19.  Kobayashi     Toyota               1:43.407 + 3.051   16
20.  Grosjean      Renault              1:43.572 + 3.216   22

in: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79110

2nd Session: Adrian Sutil and Force India return to top

Adrian Sutil set the fastest time in a largely pointless soaking wet second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

The German set a time of 1m47.261s in the final moments of the session, despite running wide at the notorious 130R corner. Second quickest was Sebastian Vettel ahead of the second Force India of Vitantonio Liuzzi.

But the heavy rain and a limited supply of tyres with which to tackle it contributed to an almost total washout of the second 90 minutes.

The bad weather hit the Suzuka area between the two free practice sessions on Friday, saturating the track and creating small rivers of water that formed at various points around of the circuit as the precipitation continued throughout the 90 minutes.

One of these streams gave Jaime Alguersuari a fright under braking into Degner 1, when the two Toro Rossos came out for an exploratory lap early on in the session. They soon ducked back into the pits.

It was an hour before anyone went out on track again.

And then it was the two Spaniards, Fernando Alonso and Alguersuari again, who came out for another look. The double world champion immediately pitted again, but the Toro Rosso driver gamely continued, posting a 1m56.848s lap. But then that same river convinced him to return to his pit

Romain Grosjean then went out for a look, but like his Renault team-mate, gave up without so much as completing a lap.

Finally with just over 10 minutes to go, Fernando Alonso led out a brave band of 17 drivers who gave it their best – Heikki Kovalainen, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello didn’t bother.

Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest ahead of Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi.

Here are the results of this 2nd Practise:

Pos  Driver       Team                  Time                Laps
 1.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  1:47.261            5
 2.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      1:47.923  + 0.662   6
 3.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  1:47.931  + 0.670   4
 4.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      1:47.983  + 0.722   5
 5.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       1:48.058  + 0.797   8
 6.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:48.691  + 1.430   9
 7.  Alonso       Renault               1:48.693  + 1.432   5
 8.  Trulli       Toyota                1:48.737  + 1.476   6
 9.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:48.802  + 1.541  11
10.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            1:48.861  + 1.600   6
11.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               1:48.886  + 1.625   4
12.  Kobayashi    Toyota                1:49.054  + 1.793   7
13.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      1:49.382  + 2.121   7
14.  Grosjean     Renault               1:49.405  + 2.144   6
15.  Fisichella   Ferrari               1:49.553  + 2.292   5
16.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       1:49.872  + 2.611   7
17.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            1:50.179  + 2.918   9
18.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes          No time
19.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes            No time
20.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes            No time

in: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79117

]]> http://motorsandworldnews.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/formula-1-gp-do-japao-treinos-livres-de-6%c2%aa-feira/ Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:00:58 +0000 cdmafra http://motorsandworldnews.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/formula-1-gp-do-japao-treinos-livres-de-6%c2%aa-feira/

1ª Sessão: Heikki Kovalainen faz o melhor tempo; na Toyota, Kamui Kobayashi substitui Timo Glock nos treinos

Heikki Kovalainen esperou até ao último momento da 1ª Sessão de Treinos Livres para o GP do Japão para ser o mais rápido da sessão num “semi-molhado” circuito de Suzuka.

Até ao finlandês receber a bandeira de xadrez, Kazuki Nakajima parecia desfrutar de um pouco de glória no seu GP “caseiro”, visto que o japonês obteu o melhor tempo quando faltavam alguns minutos para o fim da sessão.

O japonês de 24 anos fez a sua última tentativa com pneus intermédios para a perfeição, estabelecendo uma volta em 1:40.648s. Mas os tempos por volta foram melhorando à volta do dele, enquanto os pilotos encontravam mais aderência na pista seca, e Heikki Kovalainen foi um desses pilotos que encontrou aderência –  a sua volta em 1:40.356s resolveu logo a questão do melhor tempo da sessão.

O “mestre do piso molhado” Adrian Sutil, no seu Force India, foi o 3º, sendo o mais rápido de todos nos primeiros momentos da sessão.

Quando a sessão começou, a água depositada na pista dispersou-se rapidamente, com muitos estreantes em Suzuka a saírem à pista para aprendê-la, como por exemplo Lewis Hamilton e Heikki Kovalainen.

De facto, os pilotos da McLaren foram os primeiros a estabelecer tempos-padrão, até Sebastian Vettel e, em seguida, Fernando Alonso subirem ao topo da tabela.

Lewis Hamilton respondeu a meio da sessão de 90 minutos, aoenas para ser batido por Kazuki Nakajima. A 20 minutos do fim, Heikki Kovalainen passou ao topo da tabela e, embora brevemente deposto por Adrian Sutil, o finlandês recuperou o controlo até a todos os momentos dos 10 minutos finais.

Quando a tabela sofreu muitas alterações, atrás dos três primeiros, Giancarlo Fisichella mostrou ter ganho alguma confiança no seu Ferrari F60 para ser o 4º mais rápido, na frente do rápido Sébastien Buemi, enquanto que Lewis Hamilton foi 6º.

Fernando Alonso foi o 7º, apesar de ter ido à gravilha no gancho, nos primeiros momentos da sessão. Kimi Räikkönen, da Ferrari, foi 8º, atrás do seu substituto na Ferrari em 2010.

Rubens Barrichello e Nico Rosberg completaram o top-10.

Apesar do tempo, houveram alguns acidentes surpreendentes, com Giancarlo Fisichella a “reproduzir” o incidente de Fernando Alonso no gancho, e Vitantonio Liuzzi a protagonizar um momento espectacular quando o carro fugiu de traseira.

Kamui Kobayashi, que substituiu o adoentado Timo Glock na Toyota nas sessões de treinos livres, foi o 19º na sua estreia, mas impressionou durante a sessão e só foi ultrapassado pelo seu colega de equipa na Toyota, Jarno Trulli, nos 5 minutos finais.

Foram estes os tempos da 1ª Sessão:

Pos  Piloto        Equipa               Tempo              Voltas
 1.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     1:40.356           24
 2.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      1:40.648 + 0.292   18
 3.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes 1:40.806 + 0.450   14
 4.  Fisichella    Ferrari              1:40.985 + 0.629   27
 5.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:41.421 + 1.065   26
 6.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes     1:41.443 + 1.087   15
 7.  Alonso        Renault              1:41.532 + 1.176   22
 8.  Raikkonen     Ferrari              1:41.577 + 1.221   25
 9.  Barrichello   Brawn GP-Mercedes    1:41.821 + 1.465   18
10.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      1:42.188 + 1.832   20
11.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault     1:42.332 + 1.976   10
12.  Liuzzi        Force India-Mercedes 1:42.475 + 2.119   15
13.  Trulli        Toyota               1:42.657 + 2.301   13
14.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:42.667 + 2.311   27
15.  Kubica        BMW Sauber           1:42.833 + 2.477   16
16.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber           1:42.977 + 2.621   14
17.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault     1:43.218 + 2.862   11
18.  Button        Brawn GP-Mercedes    1:43.318 + 2.962   17
19.  Kobayashi     Toyota               1:43.407 + 3.051   16
20.  Grosjean      Renault              1:43.572 + 3.216   22

fonte: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79110

2ª Sessão: Adrian Sutil e Force India regressam ao topo numa sessão marcada pela chuva

Adrian Sutil foi o mais rápido numa 2ª Sessão de Treinos Livres para o GP do Japão que foi em grande parte inútil devido ao piso molhado.

O piloto alemão fez a sua melhor volta em 1:47.261s nos momentos finais da sessão, apesar de sair largo na famosa curva 130R. O segundo mais rápido foi o também alemão Sebastian Vettel, que ficou à frente do outro Force India, de Vitantonio Liuzzi.

A chuva forte e um fornecimento de pneus limitado contribuiram para um gasto quase total destes 90 minutos de treino.

O mau tempo atingiu a região de Suzuka entre os dois treinos livres de 6ª Feira, alagando a pista e criando pequenos lençóis de água por todo o circuito. A chuva continuou durante os 90 minutos de Treino.

Foi uma hora antes do final da sessão que alguém foi para a pista novamente.

Aí, os dois pilotos espanhóis, Fernando Alonso e Jaime Alguersuari foram para a pista. O bi-campeão Mundial de F1 regressou logo às boxes, mas o jovem piloto da Toro Rosso continuou na pista, fazendo uma volta em 1:56.848s. Mas também o espanhol voltou para as boxes.

Romain Grosjean saiu para a pista para a avaliar, mas tal como o seu colega de equipa na Renault, regressou às boxes sem completar uma única volta.

Já nos últimos 10 minutos, Fenando Alonso liderou um corajoso grupo de 17 pilotos que foram para a pista dar o seu melhor – Heikki Kovalainen, Jenson Button e Rubens Barrichello não chegaram a fazer qualquer tempo.

Lewis Hamilton foi o 4º, à frente de Kazuki Nakajima e Sébastien Buemi.

Eis os tempos da 2ª Sessão de Treinos:

Pos  Piloto       Equipa                Tempo               Voltas
 1.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  1:47.261            5
 2.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      1:47.923  + 0.662   6
 3.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  1:47.931  + 0.670   4
 4.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      1:47.983  + 0.722   5
 5.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       1:48.058  + 0.797   8
 6.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:48.691  + 1.430   9
 7.  Alonso       Renault               1:48.693  + 1.432   5
 8.  Trulli       Toyota                1:48.737  + 1.476   6
 9.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:48.802  + 1.541  11
10.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            1:48.861  + 1.600   6
11.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               1:48.886  + 1.625   4
12.  Kobayashi    Toyota                1:49.054  + 1.793   7
13.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      1:49.382  + 2.121   7
14.  Grosjean     Renault               1:49.405  + 2.144   6
15.  Fisichella   Ferrari               1:49.553  + 2.292   5
16.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       1:49.872  + 2.611   7
17.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            1:50.179  + 2.918   9
18.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes          Sem tempo
19.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes            Sem tempo
20.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes            Sem tempo

fonte: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79117

Agora ele tinha um ar diferente, difícil de explicar. Nada ostensivo – cumprimentou com o sorriso de sempre, o calor em cada palavra daquele “oi, tudo bem, como vão as coisas”. Apenas durante a fração de segundo em que a pergunta se atirou no ar, um lampejo faiscou nos cantos dos seus olhos. Como se, por trás daquele teatro da vida cotidiana, ele estivesse me questionando sobre algo muito diverso.

Domingo 27 sept, FOX SPORTS, La previa a las 6:00 AM, en Sky 525, Cable 506

La Carrera inicia a las 7:00 AM en vivo por Fox Sports

La única carrera de Formula 1 nocturna

Ontem participei de um jantar com amigos e tivemos o prazer de abrir uma garrafa de um vinho chileno que não me era familiar. Já tive a oportunidade de degustar um tinto da vinícola Viña Sutil, o Vina Sutil Malbec Reserve 2006, mas a qualidade do Acrux 2006 Vina Sutil é muito superior. É um magnífico vinho chileno ao estilo Bordeaux.

Suas uvas são colhidas manualmente de vinhedos com 14 anos de idade. Após serem vinificadas, elas estagiam por 20 meses em barrica de carvalho francês e mais 3 meses na garrafa, para depois serem comercializadas. Todo esse processo resulta em um vinho complexo, detentor de um inebriante aroma de cedro e menta, com agradáveis notas de especiarias e florais. Na boca é untuoso, encorpado, de taninos maduros e intensos. Um tinto saboroso e persistente. Finaliza com uma deliciosa sensação de frutas. Sua composição o torna um harmonizador ideal para cortes nobres de carne e queijos encorpados e suaves, como o Granapadano e Serra da Estrela. Para aqueles que ainda não conhecem esse tinto, tenho certeza que ele irá conquistar seu paladar. http://migre.me/7uyz