Fernando Alonso - Ferrari 2010

Fernando Alonso won the Singapore Grand Prix yesterday after dominating the race from pole position in the Ferrari.

As the race got underway it was Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull that took to the front but he was quickly knocked off the front spot as he was forced out by Alonso.

The safety car was deployed on lap 3 of the race after Nick Heidfeld hit Tonio Liuzzi from behind leaving the Force India car stranded on the circuit in a dangerous place.  The usual scramble for the pit lane began although the top four drivers remained on track staying on soft tyres.

The safety car was deployed for the second time when Kamui Kobayashi slammed his BMW Sauber into the barrier at the exit of turn 18.

As the safety car left the track, Lewis Hamilton attempted to make a move on Mark Webber in the Red Bull going into turn 7.  It looked as if Hamilton would make it through but cut across the front of Webber who had nowhere to go and the two touched.  Hamilton was out of the running and the incident was investigated by the stewards who decided it was a racing incident and no further action would be taken.

A similar incident then took place between Nick Heidfeld and Michael Schumacher, resulting in the retirement of the Sauber driver and once again although the accident was investigated no action was taken.

With just two laps of the race remaining Sebastien Buemi hit the back of the Lotus driven by Heikki Kovalainen causing it to spin.  As the Lotus limped around the final sector of the lap it burst into flames and after crossing the start/finish line, Kovalainen jumped out of his stricken Lotus, grabbed a fire extinguisher and doused the flames himself as he waited for the marshalls.

Alonso crossed the line to take the chequered flag just 0.2 seconds ahead of Vettel with Mark Webber in the second Red Bull in third.

Jenson Button finished in fourth place ahead of Nico Rosberg in fifth, Rubens Barrichello in sixth, Robert Kubica in seventh, Felipe Massa in eighth, Adrian Sutil in ninth and Nico Hulkenberg in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Ferrari-Ferrari 61 laps 1hr 57m 53.579s
2. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault +00.2s
3. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault +29.1s
4. Jenson Button Britain McLaren-Mercedes +30.3s
5. Nico Rosberg Germany Mercedes-Mercedes +49.3s
6. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Williams-Cosworth +56.1s
7. Robert Kubica Poland Renault-Renault +1m 26.5s
8. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +1m 53.2s
9. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes +2m 12.4s*
10. Nico Hulkenberg Germany Williams-Cosworth +2m 12.7s**

all results unofficial

He will be looking for nothing less than a win in Singapore which would put him back at the front of the pack of drivers vying for the championship title.

In this interview Hamilton reveals Singapore as being his favourite track on the 2010 calendar, and also lets on about which F1 rules he would change, given the chance.

He also looks forward to racing at the new track in India which will be added to the racing calendar in 2011 and gets to take some fans around the new track in a promotion for next seasons Indian Grand Prix.

Nick Heidfeld 2008

The Sauber F1 team have confirmed that former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld will be in the cockpit of their car from the Singapore Grand Prix race for the rest of the season.

The rumours of Pedro de la Rosa being replaced began at the Monza Grand Prix following his disappointing results this season.

De la Rosa said in a team statement;

“I am surprised by the team’s decision but I respect it and would like to wish everyone good luck for the remainder of the season. I still intend to be in Formula One for 2011.”

Heidfeld said;

“I’m looking forward like crazy to having the opportunity to go racing again in a good car in Formula One from the Singapore Grand Prix onward.  After the last few months I’m even more motivated than ever. For me it is like coming home, as I raced for seven years in total for the team. Without doubt I will feel at home straight away and this should help me to familiarise myself as soon as possible with the car. I want to thank Peter Sauber for the faith he has put in me.”

Lewis Hamilton's Second Win Of 2009

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, crossed the line to take the chequered flag yesterday at the Singapore Grand Prix after dominating the race.

Timo Glock in the Toyota took the second step of the podium almost ten-seconds behind the McLaren followed by Fernando Alonso in the Renault for third.

As the race got underway, Hamilton kept his place from pole position as he led the drivers into the first corner, with Nico Rosberg in the Williams slotting into second ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull, while Timo Glock moved up to fourth place from sixth on the grid.

Rosberg stayed on the tail of Hamilton until his first pit stop on lap 19 but was given a penalty for his actions on exiting the pits when he slid across the white line.  A harsh decision by race control left the Williams driver with a drive-through-penalty for crossing the line, losing his chance of finishing in the top three.

Vettel then began to chase down the McLaren driver, however, as the Red Bull driver took his second scheduled stop he was found guilty of speeding in the pit lane and was also given a drive-through-penalty but still managed to finish the race in fourth position.

The two Brawn GP drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, finished in fifth and sixth place after a terrible qualifying session left Barrichello in fifth and Button down in twelfth.  Button managed to jump ahead of his team-mate in his final stop, despite suffering from a brake problem until the end of the race, which leaves him 15 points ahead in the championship standings as they head to the Japan round.

Romain Grosjean retired his Renault on lap 4 after suffering from brake problems since the qualifying session, and on lap 21  it was Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber who was out of the race after being clipped by a spinning Force India driven by Adrian Sutil.  The safety car was deployed as Sutil managed to rejoin the race and the marshalls attempted to clear the track of debris.

As the drivers headed to the pits while the safety car was on track, Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso, went to leave his pit garage with the fuel hose still attached, pulling over a couple of his team which were fortunately uninjured, but later retired from the race with gearbox failure.

Not a good day for Mark Webber in the second Red Bull after running wide and going off circuit on lap 1 and then later spinning across the track before retiring with front right brake failure.  A similar problem also put the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi out of race.

Here are the results;

1. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 61 laps 1hr 56m 06.337s
2. Timo Glock Germany Toyota-Toyota +00m 09.6s
3. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault +00m 16.6s
4. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault +00m 20.2s
5. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes +00m 30.0s
6. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes +00m 31.8s
7. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +00m 36.1s
8. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber +00m 55.0s

all results unofficial

Australia has now been chosen as the second round, allowing the race to begin at 5pm to fit in with the television broadcasters who favour racing in ‘twilight’ rather than the dark.  However, the Singapore round will still be under full floodlights when it takes place in late September.

Although as yet no contract has been signed, the Canadian Grand Prix has been pencilled in for the 13 June, if the contract fails again this year the Turkey Grand Prix will be held later to compensate.

South Korea is a new circuit on the calendar, set to take place in mid-October with the final round being held in Brazil as usual but it will be held in November.

Here is the calendar;

Australia          March 28
Malaysia           April 4
China              April 18
Spain              May 9
Monaco             May 23
Turkey             May 30
Canada*            June 13
Europe (Valencia)  June 27
Great Britain      July 11
Germany            July 25
Hungary            August 1
Belgium            August 29
Italy              September 12
Singapore          September 26
Japan              October 3
Korea              October 17
Abu Dhabi          October 31
Brazil             November 14

*Subject to the completion of contract negotiations with Formula One Management. If these are not completed then the Turkish Grand Prix will be moved to 6 June.

Note: The race in Australia will start at 1700 local time, in Malaysia at 1600 local time, in Singapore at 2000 local time, and in Abu Dhabi at 1700 local time.

Flavio Briatore

Today the Renault F1 team appeared at the FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris to face charges concerning the deliberate crash of Nelson Piquet at the Singapore Grand Prix 2008.

The Renault team were given a two-year ban, suspended until 2011 with the statement from the FIA stating;

“The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity.  Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself.  The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship.  However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.

In addition the World Motor Sport Council notes Renault F1’s apology and agrees that the team should pay the costs of the investigation. It also accepts the offer of a significant contribution to the FIA’s safety work”.

Flavio Briatore has been banned from the sport for an indefinite period;

“As regards Mr. Briatore, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever. It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction.  Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicence granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr. Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr. Briatore. In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence”.

Pat Symonds, was given a five-year ban;

As regards Mr. Symonds, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for a period of five years, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever. It hereby instructs, for a period of five years, all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Symonds access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds’ acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his “eternal regret and shame” that he participated in the conspiracy.

Fernando Alonso attended the meeting today and was thanked for his cooperation in the enquiries by the World Motor Sport Council, who stated that the Spaniard was in no way involved in the Renault breach of regulations.

Nelson Piquet Jr. had been given immunity in relation to the incident for volunteering his evidence in the case.

Flavio Briatore Congratulating Fernando Alonso In Monaco 2009

It has been confirmed that both Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have both left the Renault F1 Team today and have said that they will not be contesting the charges of the fixed crash at the Singapore race, where they are accused of ordering driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash.

In a statement issued the team said;

“The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix,” the team said in a statement;

“It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore, and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team.

Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris (on September 21), the team will not make any further comment.”

Both of the accused are due to face the Governing body’s World Motor Sport Council on Monday 21st September, to answer charges of bringing the F1 sport into disrepute, which if found guilty could force the Renault team out of the series.

Nelson Piquet Jr.

Nelson Piquet is adamant that he was instructed to crash his Renault Formula One car at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, in order to help his team-mate Fernando Alonso’s race strategy.

Piquet allegedly claims that he agreed to the crash at a pre-race meeting between himself, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, as he believed it was within his interests to do so.

Today a copy of the statement sent to the FIA back in July , said to be from Nelson Piquet Jr. appeared on a website.  The statement claims that Briatore even told the Brazilian driver, which corner to crash on to cause the safety car deployment.

The hearing for the case is set to take place on September 21st in Paris, with Bernie Ecclestone already warning that if found guilty, there would be serious consequences for both Piquet and the Renault team.

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa in the Ferrari will start in pole position tomorrow for the first ever floodlit grand prix in Singapore followed by the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton in second place.

Hamilton had more than his share of trouble in the second qualifying session, aborting his first run due to running wide at the first corner and could only manage tenth on his second run.

The second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen will start from third on the grid followed by Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber in fourth.

Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren is in fifth and should have been followed by Nick Heidfeld in sixth but he has since been penalised by stewards for impeding Rubens Barrichello in the Honda.  It happened in the first qualifying session when Barrichello caught up with Heidfeld as the BMW Sauber driver was entering the pits.  Barrichello was also fined €10,000 for not using the declaration zone when driving into the pits after being slowed down by Heidfeld.  Heidfeld will lose three grid places as a penalty and will start in ninth place.

Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso will now start in sixth place ahead of Timo Glock in the Toyota and Williams driver Nico Rosberg in eighth.

The second Williams of Kazuki Nakajima will start in tenth place followed by Jarno Trulli in the second Toyota and Jenson Button for Honda.

Trulli, who had missed most of the first qualifying session after his big accident in practice went out and hit the barrier on his first flying lap and lost the nose cone.

Both Williams drivers got their cars into Q3 for the first time this season with Nakajima scoring his best qualifying result of his career so far.

Mark Webber in the Red Bull is in thirteenth place ahead of team-mate David Coulthard and the two Renault drivers, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet in fifteenth and sixteenth places respectively.

Alonso’s Renault developed a fuel problem and stopped out on track before he could even set a time in Q2 leaving him way down the grid after an impressive weekend on track.

Sebastien Bourdais in the second Toro Rosso will start in seventeenth place followed by Rubens Barrichello in the Honda and the two Force India drivers, Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Here are the results;

Pos  Driver       Team                 Q1        Q2        Q3       Laps
 1.  Massa        Ferrari              1:44.519  1:44.014  1:44.801  16
 2.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes     1:44.501  1:44.932  1:45.465  14
 3.  Raikkonen    Ferrari              1:44.282  1:44.232  1:45.617  16
 4.  Kubica       BMW Sauber           1:44.740  1:44.519  1:45.779  18
 5.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes     1:44.311  1:44.207  1:45.873  19
 6.  Heidfeld     BMW Sauber           1:45.548  1:44.520  1:45.964  19
 7.  Vettel       Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:45.042  1:44.261  1:46.244  15
 8.  Glock        Toyota               1:45.184  1:44.441  1:46.328  21
 9.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota      1:45.103  1:44.429  1:46.611  17
10.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota      1:45.127  1:44.826  1:47.547  20
11.  Trulli       Toyota               1:45.642  1:45.038            12
12.  Button       Honda                1:45.660  1:45.133            14
13.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault     1:45.493  1:45.212            12
14.  Coulthard    Red Bull-Renault     1:46.028  1:45.298            16
15.  Alonso       Renault              1:44.971                       6
16.  Piquet       Renault              1:46.037                       6
17.  Bourdais     Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1:46.389                       6
18.  Barrichello  Honda                1:46.583                       7
19.  Sutil        Force India-Ferrari  1:47.940                      10
20.  Fisichella   Force India-Ferrari  No time                        2