2006 Malaysian Grand Prix - Race 2/18

Actually, at the end of the day, the power comes from the amount of fuel you burn, yes you can make things more efficient, less friction etc but at the end of the day its fuel burn per second that gives you the power, or pur another way swept volume per second so although the f1 engine is a 2.4 v8 its swept volume per second is getting on for twice that of a 2.4 running at 10000 rpm ie equivelent to a 4.8 :eek: running at 9500 rpm for arguements sake.

imho the engineering is not that stunning, it comes down to stresses in the rotating load bearing components ie conrods and crank shafts, this is helped by exotic materials and basicly a pc to do a bit of finite element analysis which any old numpty can do these days.

The slightly clever bit in my opinion is valve timing and engine mapping, but truth be told its probably nowhere near as clever as they would have you believe.

At the end of the day its just air and fuel, its just that the whole thing is taken to rather pointless extremes, apart from that its entertaining to watch.

The same sort of principles applied to the 1.5 litre turbo erra, 1200bhp in qualifying and 800 in the race is also quite impressive and that was nearly 20 years ago, again it wasnt that clever really, just brute force only in this case you use extra pressure as well, as i said the energy is in the fuel and the amount of fuel you can burn is dependent on the amount of air, in this case tts the mass of air so if you run a 1.5litre at 100psi and a 3 litre at 50 psi, and the same revs, you will get roughly the same power (although its a really complicated equation really)

So you can see that if you had a 3 litre turbo you could get 2000bhp, bring back ground force and side skirts and maybe the brabham fan car which used a fan to suck air from under the car and you have cars travelling around the track at 250 mph and the crowd half a mile away from the track. Its all very possible but completely pointless.

regards everybody ;)
 
Slam62 said:
bring back ground force

I can't quite see Tommy Walsh levering his backside into an F1 cockpit ;)

Anyhoo, apologies for taking the mick, it's just an image I can't quite get out of my head now. What you described is indeed quite possible - in fact it's almost exactly what Gordon Murray predicted when Motorsport magazine asked him for a clean slate, no regulations design for a 21st century F1 car for their millenium issue.

On a related note, ground effect isn't the be all and end all of aero development - the best ground effect cars of the early 80s actually generated less downforce than last year's F1 cars. Mind you let the current designers loose with GE in today's wind tunnels and you'd be able to generate some serious grip
 
'Maybe' Montoya, says Red Bull

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has threatened to declare the 2007 silly season open, by answering 'maybe' when asked if Juan Pablo Montoya was on his driver wish list.

'Our goal is to be among the best in Formula One. We are not here just to say that we are here,' the billionaire told Sport Bild.

Coulthard and Montoya? Although more likely to be Klien and Montoya
 
Malaysia preview: Renault

Fernando Alonso

Q. Fernando, that was a great start to the season in Bahrain

FA: Yes, it was the perfect way to begin the year I think. We had a very exciting race for the spectators, and I think we can expect a very interesting start to the season. As we thought from testing, there are four teams fighting to win at any type of circuit - Honda, McLaren, Ferrari and Renault. We can all win races, so it will be a fun time in the coming weeks.

Q. What about the circuit in Sepang? It has always been a special place for you.

FA: Sepang has always been one of my favourite driver's circuits, and I seem to have important moments of my career there too – my first pole and podium in 2003, and the first win of my championship in 2005. I am arriving on the back of a win, at a super circuit, so I am very happy and hopefully we can win again. Traditionally, this is a strong track for Renault.

Q. Finally, let's talk tyre performance. Michelin seemed to narrowly have the edge in Bahrain.

FA: I think the tyres should be ready. Michelin have done a fantastic job with the new rules, and the high temperatures are not a problem at all. I think they have the tyres to win again in Malaysia.



Giancarlo Fisichella

Q. Giancarlo, what are the physical demands of the race in Malaysia?

GF: I think this is the toughest track physically, but also mentally because we need to maintain our concentration on a very demanding circuit in terms of driving, and in the heat. I am prepared, and in good physical condition, so it won't be a problem but for sure, we will see who is fit during this race. Malaysia is one of the best circuits I think, the atmosphere is good, and I really enjoy it.

Q. What are the demands of the circuit in terms of the car?

GF: I call it a complete circuit. You have everything to make a very challenging circuit in Malaysia. There are many different types of corners. You have high-speed, low-speed hairpins, and it is all good fun to drive.

Q. How are you feeling after the disappointment of retirement in Bahrain?

GF: I am very positive. Last year, I won the first race then had a difficult season. This year, I hope it will be the other way round – a bad race then a lot of good results! I will have a fresh engine in Malaysia, and we know that it was not a problem with the V8 itself. My approach will be the same: to try and go for the win. I think the Sepang circuit will suit our strong points with the R26, maybe more than Bahrain. It has all the characteristics we believe suit our package.



Denis Chevrier, Head of Trackside Engine Operations

Q. Denis, we are one race into the season. Can you begin drawing any conclusions about the relative performance of Renault and the competition?

DC: We saw the first demonstration of the teams' true performance last Sunday, and it was immediately clear that the situation is highly competitive. A number of teams are quick on a single lap, able to maintain that speed in race conditions and, as we saw from Raikkonen, capable of running a different strategy and making it work. At Renault, we are pleased to be within that group, but the performance differentials are very small.

Q. What was your impression of the state of play with the new V8 engines?

DC: Before the season, there were some thoughts that the new regulations might be the opportunity for one manufacturer to take a decisive advantage, and that does not seem to have happened. It is a little early to judge reliability with any certainty, but it was initially very good. The changes have seen the cards shuffled a little, with Ferrari jumping back to the front, Honda very quick and Renault and McLaren maintaining their performance. There are four potential favourites, so we can expect an exciting battle in Malaysia.

Q. You seem excited at the prospect of the next race.

DC: Well, if Formula One was a wine, you could say we were in for a good vintage! I think we will see the points being shared widely this year, and in that environment, any weakness will be punished severely. We will need to have two cars performing at the highest level, and to maintain our levels of quality. In modern F1, quality means the combination of reliability and the ability to develop performance throughout the year. We did it in 2005. In 2006, we have a sound basis from which to work.

Q. What happened to Fisico last weekend?

DC: We do not yet know the exact cause of the problem but with a power deficit of around 50 bhp, he drove a very impressive race. It is important to say the problem was not with the engine itself, rather with a peripheral component that led to a problem with how the engine was operating. In order to make a proper diagnosis in the best conditions, we have sent the engine back to Viry to be dyno tested this week with some very high performance diagnostic tools. As the rules allow following retirement, Giancarlo will use a fresh engine in Bahrain.

Q. What about Fernando's engine? After one hot race, is the prospect of another in quick succession a worry?

DC: In actual fact, Bahrain was not as hot as expected, with ambient temperatures around 25°C. We will see higher values than that during the European summer. From that perspective, the hot race is still to come. However, Fernando ran a normal weekend and stayed within the engine's allocated performance potential throughout the Bahrain weekend.

Q. What about the challenges of Sepang for the engine?

DC: They have increased in severity relative to last year. The nature of the circuit layout, with the high speed corners, means the drivers will spend 15% more time at full throttle than last year. It will be a demanding weekend for the V8, and at its conclusion, we will have a much better idea of how things stand for the first iteration of the V8 engines in terms of performance and reliability.
 
Thursday's press conference - Malaysia

Participating: Jenson Button (Honda), David Coulthard (Red Bull), Ralf Schumacher (Toyota), Jacques Villeneuve (BMW Sauber).

Q. Jacques, how much difference do you see in the team compared to last year?

Jacques Villeneuve: Well, quite a bit. Everybody's excited, it's the feeling of a new team, with the budget of a big team. We've built on the people we had there last year, added people, added budget and everybody's just excited. The workload that can be achieved is a lot more because of that.

Q. What did you think of the new qualifying at Bahrain? You were bumped out of it at the end by your team mate, but otherwise what did you think of it?

JV: I guess it can be seen of as exciting. It's quite stressful, it doesn't feel like qualifying because you never sit in the car, figuring out how you are going to get the perfect lap. You just keep doing laps, new tyres laps and it doesn't feel like qualifying, but the fans like it and why not? It's the same for everyone.

Q. Quite busy then?

JV: Very busy. It's funny because it's the time of the weekend, before the race, when we do the most laps but we're not even allowed to set the car up. It's all a bit strange.

Q. Would you prefer more opportunity to change more things?

JV: It would be nice to work on the car a little bit.

Q. And in the race itself, what were your feelings of the car's performance up to retirement?

JV: It was quite good. The car was going well, getting better with the laps and the car was easy to drive, easy to push. Compared to last year it's a big improvement.

Q. So you'll have a new engine here, in this heat.

JV: Yeah, which is good for here definitely. The only problem is, having been bumped out of qualifying I'd saved 12 laps which I was hoping to use this weekend, so we lose those 12 laps with the new engine, but at least the heat shouldn't affect us too much.

Q. Ralf, you had a good battle with your team mate, but there wasn't much else to get excited about, was there?

Ralf Schumacher: It was certainly a difficult race, but nevertheless we used it as a race to learn a lot from, which is why we had two different strategies. I favoured my way even if you didn't see it from the outside until the end, just to find out what we were able to do. I think it's pretty simple to see that we have a lot of work to do. Having said that, everything is possible: it's a different track, different weekend, so let's see how it works out here.

Q. And what was the basic problem. I understand lack of grip...

RS: General lack of grip. The car was a bit difficult to drive but that had to do with a combination of car and tyres, certainly. The tyres were capable of doing better things, that was easy to see. It's just down to us to find a way to do that.

Q. Can that be solved for this weekend, with a different tyre choice?

RS: We have a different tyre choice here. The track conditions should be a bit better for us so in general, yes, it should be a lot better here.

Q. So it is possible that there could be a quick fix.

RS: For this race, there definitely is. At the same time we have to admit that we still have to understand the reasons for Bahrain, and it still hasn't happened yet.

Q. Again, you suffered a bit in qualifying but otherwise do you think it's a good format?

RS: Well, that was due to the red flag and the chaos we had and since we had the warm-up problem I couldn't really warm up my tyres and stuff like that, so it was just a disaster for me. Still, I think it's a good format, we still have to get used to it and get the most out of it. Let's hope we get a bit further this weekend.

Q. David, your feelings about Red Bull Racing's performance after qualifying, after the race?

David Coulthard: Well, pace-wise at various points, Christian and I were reasonably competitive but obviously you've got to do that consistently throughout the race so they can understand the drop-off after both our pit stops, or his last stint and my last stint. So otherwise we are in the group behind the top three teams and battling in among the next few cars.

Q. Top three teams, not top four?

DC: You know, it's based on one race so obviously we will need to review it as we go through the coming races. I think by the time we get to Europe we will have a pretty good understanding as to what we can expect for the majority of the year.

Q. What about your battle with Nick Heidfeld? How did you see that?

DC: It was a bit of racing and the stewards obviously felt that it was… It's interesting, actually, because it is one of the things we've been asking for a number years in the GPDA: to have a steward that represents all the Grands Prix, to try and have some consistency, and if you remember three years ago, or rather two years ago, Sato took Ralf off at turn two and for me it was quite clear that Sato was in the wrong.

And because at that time everyone was going through the 'it's great to have a Japanese in a quick car' phase, they were all praising him for being a racer but he effectively drove Ralf off the track and you couldn't do that in somewhere like Monaco, for instance, where you don't have the run-off. It's quite clearly a non-contact sport and if you look at what happened in Bahrain, Nick didn't touch with me, but I ran off the circuit because I could, to maintain my position, and the stewards felt he was in the wrong because he was not alongside me and therefore I had the line for the corner.

So, what I'm saying is: same incident, a couple of years apart, and a different view. But I think what we're going to see now is that there's a permanent steward and we will see a lot more consistency and clearly the stewards were a lot harder on Nick, potentially, than we would have seen in previous years, which is good if it's consistent from race to race, because we just need to know how far we can push it.

Q. What about this race?

DC: Well, a fresh engine. Obviously we had the engine problem after the chequered flag in Bahrain, which is disappointing.

Q. What happened there?

DC: I don't know whether Ferrari have put out a statement or not to be honest as to what failed, so I won't say what failed but clearly there was a drop-off in performance from the engine in the last few laps and it would have been nice to have known that and stopped the car before the chequered flag, which meant I wouldn't have got the penalty here in terms of the ten places, but because I crossed the line, tenth place, no points, I get a penalty.

I know those are the same rules for everyone, but it just seems a bit strange that that can't be reviewed, so I keep my penalty and we see how the performance of the car is here. But I like the track, and obviously I'm not particularly looking forward to the heat, like everyone but looking forward to getting out there and seeing where the performance is.

Q. Jenson, there was a slight tinge of disappointment with third on the grid in Bahrain; what about fourth in the race?

Jenson Button: Well, if you look at the end result, you would say that fourth place isn't great, looking at our performance in testing, but if you take the start into account, I think it was a reasonable race for us. And also our lap times were very comparable to the front cars but I lost a lot of places off the line.

I actually went back to ninth place from third so yes, it was very disappointing. If you have any sort of issue these days, with how competitive the field is, you have no chance of getting on the podium, let alone winning a race.

Q. On the other hand, Raikkonen came up from last…

JB: Yeah, but he was on a one-stop strategy, whereas our strategy was to be qualified in the front and because we dropped back to ninth at the start, we lost a lot of circuit positions. But also, when I came out after my first stop I was in traffic whereas if I was up at the front where I should have been, I wouldn't have been stuck in that traffic and our strategy would have worked very very well.

Fair enough, Raikkonen came from last and finished third, but he did a one stop strategy and that's what works from where he was on the grid and you have to take all of that into account.

Q. Do you think this will be a more level playing field given that nobody has tested here whereas some had tested at Bahrain?

JB: We'll have to wait and see. I think we're going to see the same cars that were competitive in Bahrain competitive here and it's going to be a great time. There are a lot of quick cars out there but we have just got to do a faultless weekend and then we will see what our results are but I'm happy with the feeling of the car and the confidence I have in the car and also the confidence within the team, so I'm in a good position at the moment.

Q. And looking back, did you basically enjoy the new qualifying format?

JB: Yeah I did. I think having Kimi's problem in the first qualifying made everyone a bit nervous that they weren't going to get a lap in but I think the system is good and I think the view is fine but my mum was a bit nervous at home. Apart from that I think everyone enjoyed the new format, so I think it's a step forward.


Questions From The Floor

Q. (Dan Knutson - National Speedsport News) Talking about the heat, David said you are not looking forward to it. I know it is the same for all, but could you explain a little what it is like out there in the car and when you come into the pits?

DC: It's like having to do some physical exercise in a sauna effectively and unless it was having sex I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do anything in a sauna.

Q. (MC) Are there any other analogies that anyone else can give us?

JB: It is very tough because even on the straights it is difficult to breathe and because it is so humid here and when you are trying to get some proper air into your lungs it is difficult. It is really, really hot air.

Q. (MC) Yes, drivers often say that if they are feeling unwell, or have a bruise, that they can forget all that, but you actually do feel the heat more than anything else. Is that true, Ralf?

RS: I don't know. It really depends. There are years when I have had a difficult car to race here and it was tough. There were other years when it was totally easy and so it depends on the whole package. If you have a nice running car then it is not a real problem. But if you have a lot of work to do in the car, then it is a problem usually.

JV: The other thing is that you sweat a lot here which means that you get dehydrated so the second half of the race you start losing a lot of your capacities because of that.

Q. (MC) Have you planned for drinks in the car?

JV: We usually have a big half a litre drinks bottle in the car.

JB: We've got more than theirs. We've got a litre.

RS: We've got less…

DC: 400 mill.

Q. (Dan Knutson - National Speedsport News) Just to follow up on that, last year Alonso and I believe Heidfeld went the whole race without drinking anything so it is possible, but how hard would it be to do a race without liquids?

JB: I know he won the race, but he didn't do too good, did he, after the race? You definitely need liquids in the race and before the race, too. I normally drink about five litres in the morning before the race. It makes a massive difference. I didn't have a drink here a couple of years ago and I was so dehydrated that I was shivering and getting cold in the car and then you start to lose your eyesight. It is much better to be hydrated.

DC: Yeah, and I think that what Jacques said is (right) and any of the physios should be able to give you figures on what the percentage drop-off in a human is once you start to lose a certain amount of body fluid. So you definitely lose performance. You are not going to be as sharp in your reactions, your mental capabilities drop off as your body dehydrates.

And you just cannot battle against that. You just get on with it because you are focussed, but in any circumstance in normal life you would be admitted to hospital with severe dehydration. And you know we just get a cold towel and a glass of water and you guys think ‘ah, you don't do anything for your money.'

Q. (David Croft - BBC Radio) You touched on this David, having been demoted 10 places on the grid and through no fault of your own, isn't it about time that these rules were reviewed by the FIA?

DC: Yes and not just because I get a penalty this week. I have consistently said that (we should) take away this handicap formula as much as possible. This should be about the fastest cars, the guys who have done the best job during an individual Grand Prix weekend.

Clearly the penalty is not the same for the mid-grid runners as it is for the guys at the front. Naturally, they don't suffer as badly and if I had stopped just before the chequered flag, then obviously I wouldn't have had a penalty here, which is one of the things they didn't want cars and teams to do, also. So I think there are definitely improvements in the qualifying systems and we can continue to improve the overall weekend on the whole to give the best show possible.

Q (Ian de Cotta - Today) This is for Button. Six years in F1. No wins yet. You got a great car this year and after the first race what do you think of your chances for this year in terms of the championship?

JB: The same as I thought going into Bahrain. We have got a car that is capable of winning and a team that is capable of winning. So the same. It wasn't a perfect race for us for the reasons I have given already and there is a lot of competition as always in Formula One, but we are in a good position here because we have got a great car, a reliable car - most of the time – and so, yeah, we are looking forward to this race and the rest of the season. We know it is not going to be easy, but it never is.

Q (Ian de Cotta - Today) Do you think you will break your duck this year?

JB: That's my aim. Yes, as I just said. I think we have got a winning car and if I can't win in it then that's an issue obviously.

Q. (Dan Knutson – National Speedsport News) Jacques, could you tell us how you think this weekend is going to go from a chassis point of view?

JV: Well, we are very miles-limited with the rules, so it is difficult. If you start with the wrong set-up, usually you keep the wrong set-up for the rest of the weekend. So, a lot will depend on how we start the first few laps and it was a lot cooler than expected in Bahrain and for myself at least we had a hard time warming the tyres up which was a problem in qualifying and definitely won't be a problem here so I think we should go quite well.

Q. (MC) Jacques, we saw that Robert Kubica was competitive on Friday and was up there all the time. Was it a false impression to think the rest of the team was going to be up there as well?

JV: Well most of the teams that were in front of us didn't have a third car on Friday morning.

DC: I think the thing that is confusing with the third car thing is that they run seven sets of tyres and they can run maximum rpm so they don't have the same restrictions. I think Jacques touched on that there. Our restriction on engine mileage was that we had 11 laps available on Friday and 17 on Saturday before going into qualifying. It is a consequence of the regulations of having to use an engine for two race weekends and where Ferrari are with their reliability.

Now I accept that if they did a better job then we could run more miles, but what I am trying to highlight is that the regulations, as they stand, restrict track time and the whole point of somebody coming to a Grand Prix weekend is to obviously see the cars out there and to give us the time to set up the cars. I think within the regulation changes that are there, there are others that can be done to further enhance the show and make it better for everyone rather than giving away an advantage.

Q. (MC) Maybe that is only at the beginning of the season with the new regulations and if you look at last year the reliability of the V10 was phenomenal.

DC: Yes, absolutely. But again various teams will have their set kilometres for the two Grand Prix weekends and I am sure someone.

JV: Also with the new qualifying, we do a lot more laps – and they are laps that we don't do on Friday. So I think that last race we had six or eight laps on Friday and 14 on Saturday. That's not much to get ready for the race and at the end of the day if you can get more horsepower or more laps, you'll go for more horsepower.

So you want to get more laps during the season, you'll probably get more horsepower and you'll get used to doing less and less laps and relying on the third driver and I don't think that's the right direction for Formula One. I think if people wanted to come and see third drivers, then we wouldn't even show up on Friday.

Q. (David Croft – BBC Radio) Well on that point, would the drivers prefer not to see a Friday driver being employed and for themselves to be given the chance to go out on the track and do without that third car?

DC: Well, I certainly wouldn't want to take away the opportunity for a driver to show himself and I understand the reasons. Initially, it was brought in to help the small teams raise extra funds because it could sell the car on a Friday. And clearly the reason it was brought in has been lost. You had BAR last year weren't able to use a third car because it finished second in the championship and this year they can.

But with McLaren last year having a third car, it was outside the spirit of the rules so for me I think the regulations should be flexible enough to adapt to the spirit of the original rule rather than saying that's the way it is because it will change eventually. It confuses the whole thing – who is going quick and who is not, our preparations.

I totally accept the people who say that if you as a team do a better job then you will have a more reliable package and you will be able to do more laps. But everyone is definitely restricted and has been since the two engine rules and the amount of laps they run out on the track and if we weren't restricted – to answer your question in a long-winded way – I would definitely be on the track and the other drivers would be so as well.

Q. (MC) Ralf, your feelings on that?

RS: Honestly, I haven't thought about it. I have different things to do at the moment than to think about rules.

Q. (MC) It's just that obviously at the moment, you don't have a third car set-up.

RS: It is clearly and advantage and for the reasons David mentioned to give young drivers a chance to step into Formula One in a good way and to get some experience is good and it has a lot of good reasons.

Q. (Thierry Wilmotte - Le Soir) Jenson, last year it was no question for you to go to the Williams team. Did you revise a little bit your opinion after the winter testing and their first Grand Prix?

JB: I am with Honda this year. They have done a good job and seemed to go well last weekend. But that is one race. We have to see what happens the rest of the season.

Q. (Heinz Prüller – Kronen Zeitung) David, which was the best form of qualifying of the last 10 or 12 years in your long experience?

DC: You are being kind to yourself. You were there at the very beginning were you not? Well, I think there is a lot of excitement in this new one, it was really quite busy. I didn't have time to practice the format before the first race, for various reliability issues, so it was quite a surprise how quickly the session unfolded.

And then as Ralf mentioned, at the end of that first stint, when you are going out and there are 10 cars in front of you and you know the red light is going to come on, it is very difficult to get your lap so it does create an excitement and some cars will get knocked out from time to time because they didn't get a clear track. I didn't compete in the last part, but I think people will quickly become bored with watching cars run round doing 10 laps.

Ok, it uses up mileage that they can't use at the next race, but I don't see how that adds to the show. For me qualifying should be about seeing the quickest car, driver, tyre, engine combination on that given day. I'd love to be able to come out of Monaco this year and to see the quickest lap that can be done and, as you have at the moment, pole position is slower than the guy who qualified 11th because 11th is low fuel and pole position is with 30 kilogrammes or whatever fuel they choose to run.

Again, if you ask a thousand people you will get a thousand opinions. I still like the old four-laps format because you've got that sort of building to the last run, you tended most weekends to see what the quickest car could be, but I accept that you would always typically see the fastest package at the front and the slowest at the back and then you didn't see much racing.
 
I'l be up at 6am to watch qualifying and the race, doesnt bother me. Wouldnt be going out the night before anyways.

I hope this race is as good as the last one. I very much enjoyed the last one and hope that they are all action packed and well worth watching...

The days of, "Oh Schummy is first again and nobody will catch, the telly is going off!" are over :D
 
rpstewart said:
For IRL it's to limit technical advances. The series is deliberately cheap and low tech.

In Champ Car it's probably to reduce cost, it's also easy to acheive because it's a one engine formula these days.

Removing the limits on Champ Cars would be scary though, those things have full underbody aerodynamics which generate more downforce than an F1 car. They're capable of lapping super speedways at 230mph+ and have already stopped racing at Nazereth because the cars generate so much g-force round the oval that the drivers were blacking out :eek:

Now think what would happen with a 1000bhp block....

Didn't the Ilmor Indy 500 pushrod special generate that kind of power.
 
Q. (Dan Knutson - National Speedsport News) Talking about the heat, David said you are not looking forward to it. I know it is the same for all, but could you explain a little what it is like out there in the car and when you come into the pits?

DC: It's like having to do some physical exercise in a sauna effectively and unless it was having sex I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do anything in a sauna.
:D
 
No engine change for Montoya

McLaren will not replace Juan Pablo Montoya's engine for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the team has confirmed.

Montoya was unhappy with his car and engine performance at Bahrain last week, complaining about lack of power as well as problems with car set-up.

There had been suggestions that the Colombian could get a new Mercedes unit for the hot Sepang race, which would cost him ten grid places as penalty.

However, the Woking-based team said Montoya's engine will remain the same. Team boss Ron Dennis was also quoted as saying Montoya's problems at Sakhir were due to wrong tyre selection.

Montoya finished the Bahrain Grand Prix in fifth place, more than half a minute behind race winner Fernando Alonso.
 
Friday Free Practice 1.
Code:
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Team			Time[/b]
1	35	Alexander Wurz		Williams-Cosworth	1:34.946		
2	38	Robert Kubica		Sauber-BMW		1:35.733		
3	36	Anthony Davidson	Honda			1:35.997		
4	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	1:36.709		
5	14	David Coulthard		RBR-Ferrari		1:37.042		
6	5	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari			1:37.043		
7	6	Felipe Massa		Ferrari			1:37.557		
8	37	Robert Doornbos		RBR-Ferrari		1:37.604		
9	7	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			1:37.826		
10	15	Christian Klien		RBR-Ferrari		1:38.448		
11	40	Neel Jani		STR-Cosworth		1:38.668		
12	8	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			1:38.837		
13	21	Scott Speed		STR-Cosworth		1:39.599		
14	18	Tiago Monteiro		MF1-Toyota		1:39.899		
15	39	Giorgio Mondini		MF1-Toyota		1:40.092		
16	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	STR-Cosworth		1:40.123		
17	19	Christijan Albers	MF1-Toyota		1:40.608		
18	22	Takuma Sato		Super Aguri-Honda	1:41.072		
19	23	Yuji Ide		Super Aguri-Honda	1:43.449		
20	3	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes
21	1	Fernando Alonso		Renault
22	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault
23	17	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-BMW
24	16	Nick Heidfeld		Sauber-BMW
25	9	Mark Webber		Williams-Cosworth
26	10	Nico Rosberg		Williams-Cosworth
27	11	Rubens Barrichello	Honda
28	12	Jenson Button		Honda

Sector Times - Free Practice 1

Code:
[b]Sector 1[/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	35	Alexander Wurz		24.783	
2	36	Anthony Davidson	24.978	
3	38	Robert Kubica		25.041	
4	5	Michael Schumacher	25.224	
5	14	David Coulthard		25.230	
6	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	25.293	
7	37	Robert Doornbos		25.306	
8	15	Christian Klien		25.341	
9	6	Felipe Massa		25.437	
10	40	Neel Jani		25.534	
11	7	Ralf Schumacher		25.535	
12	8	Jarno Trulli		25.729	
13	18	Tiago Monteiro		25.834	
14	21	Scott Speed		25.885	
15	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	25.902	
16	22	Takuma Sato		26.039	
17	19	Christijan Albers	26.064	
18	39	Giorgio Mondini		26.142	
19	23	Yuji Ide		26.194	
20	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	1127.350	
21	1	Fernando Alonso		1471.348

Code:
[b]Sector 2 [/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	5	Michael Schumacher	31.429	
2	38	Robert Kubica		31.481	
3	36	Anthony Davidson	31.546	
4	35	Alexander Wurz		31.598	
5	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	31.904	
6	37	Robert Doornbos		32.093	
7	7	Ralf Schumacher		32.165	
8	14	David Coulthard		32.218	
9	6	Felipe Massa		32.247	
10	8	Jarno Trulli		32.677	
11	40	Neel Jani		32.712	
12	15	Christian Klien		32.791	
13	21	Scott Speed		32.880	
14	39	Giorgio Mondini		33.051	
15	18	Tiago Monteiro		33.107	
16	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	33.109	
17	19	Christijan Albers	33.340	
18	22	Takuma Sato		33.783	
19	23	Yuji Ide		34.695	
20	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	37.780	
21	16	Nick Heidfeld		38.117	
22	1	Fernando Alonso		42.004	
23	3	Kimi Räikkönen		43.348	
24	17	Jacques Villeneuve	46.694

Code:
[b]Sector 3 [/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	35	Alexander Wurz		38.500	
2	38	Robert Kubica		39.211	
3	36	Anthony Davidson	39.267	
4	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	39.467	
5	14	David Coulthard		39.488	
6	6	Felipe Massa		39.555	
7	5	Michael Schumacher	39.764	
8	37	Robert Doornbos		39.843	
9	7	Ralf Schumacher		39.909	
10	15	Christian Klien		40.045	
11	40	Neel Jani		40.248	
12	8	Jarno Trulli		40.431	
13	21	Scott Speed		40.524	
14	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	40.721	
15	19	Christijan Albers	40.735	
16	39	Giorgio Mondini		40.774	
17	18	Tiago Monteiro		40.958	
18	22	Takuma Sato		41.246	
19	23	Yuji Ide		41.913	
20	3	Kimi Räikkönen		52.842	
21	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	54.949	
22	16	Nick Heidfeld		55.559	
23	1	Fernando Alonso		59.625	
24	17	Jacques Villeneuve	67.390

Speed Trap

Code:
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time		Speed[/b]
1	38	Robert Kubica		11:38:54	291.4	
2	6	Felipe Massa		11:56:48	291.1	
3	35	Alexander Wurz		11:57:46	291.1	
4	36	Anthony Davidson	11:53:43	289.7	
5	5	Michael Schumacher	12:00:59	287.6	
6	37	Robert Doornbos		11:16:36	287.4	
7	14	David Coulthard		11:58:29	286.5	
8	22	Takuma Sato		11:18:21	285.8	
9	40	Neel Jani		11:24:19	285.1	
10	23	Yuji Ide		11:59:05	285.1	
11	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	11:58:22	282.4	
12	15	Christian Klien		11:56:11	282.2	
13	8	Jarno Trulli		11:53:40	279.7	
14	7	Ralf Schumacher		11:56:36	279.4	
15	19	Christijan Albers	11:56:59	279.1	
16	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	11:53:57	278.5	
17	21	Scott Speed		11:52:12	275.6	
18	18	Tiago Monteiro		11:32:06	275.5	
19	39	Giorgio Mondini		11:37:57	274.8	
20	3	Kimi Räikkönen		11:08:29	271.7	
21	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	11:52:55	269.9	
22	16	Nick Heidfeld		11:51:48	268.3	
23	17	Jacques Villeneuve	11:51:51	251.4	
24	1	Fernando Alonso		11:54:39	217.7
 
Friday Free Practice 2.
Code:
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Team			Time[/b]
1	36	Anthony Davidson	Honda			1:35.041		
2	35	Alexander Wurz		Williams-Cosworth	1:35.388		
3	1	Fernando Alonso		Renault			1:35.806		
4	6	Felipe Massa		Ferrari			1:35.924		
5	3	Kimi Räikkönen		McLaren-Mercedes	1:36.132		
6	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault			1:36.182		
7	5	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari			1:36.617		
8	12	Jenson Button		Honda			1:36.661		
9	17	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-BMW		1:37.045		
10	11	Rubens Barrichello	Honda			1:37.270		
11	8	Jarno Trulli		Toyota			1:37.317		
12	16	Nick Heidfeld		Sauber-BMW		1:37.418		
13	38	Robert Kubica		Sauber-BMW		1:37.457		
14	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	1:37.463		
15	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	STR-Cosworth		1:37.590		
16	14	David Coulthard		RBR-Ferrari		1:37.603		
17	7	Ralf Schumacher		Toyota			1:37.695		
18	40	Neel Jani		STR-Cosworth		1:37.831		
19	21	Scott Speed		STR-Cosworth		1:37.926		
20	9	Mark Webber		Williams-Cosworth	1:38.081		
21	10	Nico Rosberg		Williams-Cosworth	1:38.205		
22	39	Giorgio Mondini		MF1-Toyota		1:38.256		
23	15	Christian Klien		RBR-Ferrari		1:38.644		
24	19	Christijan Albers	MF1-Toyota		1:38.918		
25	37	Robert Doornbos		RBR-Ferrari		1:39.105		
26	18	Tiago Monteiro		MF1-Toyota		1:39.416		
27	22	Takuma Sato		Super Aguri-Honda	1:41.549		
28	23	Yuji Ide		Super Aguri-Honda	1:43.164

Sector Times - Free Practice 2

Code:
[b]Sector 1[/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	36	Anthony Davidson	24.914	
2	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	24.978	
3	35	Alexander Wurz		24.992	
4	1	Fernando Alonso		25.050	
5	6	Felipe Massa		25.139	
6	3	Kimi Räikkönen		25.176	
7	12	Jenson Button		25.230	
8	5	Michael Schumacher	25.261	
9	38	Robert Kubica		25.343	
10	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	25.387	
11	16	Nick Heidfeld		25.442	
12	17	Jacques Villeneuve	25.471	
13	11	Rubens Barrichello	25.503	
14	14	David Coulthard		25.539	
15	10	Nico Rosberg		25.611	
16	9	Mark Webber		25.645	
17	37	Robert Doornbos		25.665	
18	40	Neel Jani		25.674	
19	21	Scott Speed		25.677	
20	15	Christian Klien		25.686	
21	8	Jarno Trulli		25.700	
22	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	25.738	
23	39	Giorgio Mondini		25.765	
24	7	Ralf Schumacher		25.775	
25	19	Christijan Albers	25.860	
26	18	Tiago Monteiro		25.962	
27	22	Takuma Sato		26.056	
28	23	Yuji Ide		26.240

Code:
[b]Sector 2 [/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	36	Anthony Davidson	31.278	
2	1	Fernando Alonso		31.387	
3	6	Felipe Massa		31.464	
4	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	31.487	
5	3	Kimi Räikkönen		31.669	
6	35	Alexander Wurz		31.682	
7	8	Jarno Trulli		31.744	
8	5	Michael Schumacher	31.794	
9	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	31.835	
10	12	Jenson Button		31.847	
11	38	Robert Kubica		31.894	
12	17	Jacques Villeneuve	31.897	
13	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	31.911	
14	7	Ralf Schumacher		31.957	
15	16	Nick Heidfeld		32.060	
16	11	Rubens Barrichello	32.074	
17	21	Scott Speed		32.115	
18	40	Neel Jani		32.193	
19	39	Giorgio Mondini		32.193	
20	14	David Coulthard		32.302	
21	9	Mark Webber		32.456	
22	10	Nico Rosberg		32.516	
23	19	Christijan Albers	32.573	
24	15	Christian Klien		32.579	
25	18	Tiago Monteiro		32.605	
26	37	Robert Doornbos		32.776	
27	22	Takuma Sato		34.104	
28	23	Yuji Ide		34.947

Code:
[b]Sector 3 [/b]
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time[/b]
1	35	Alexander Wurz		38.611	
2	36	Anthony Davidson	38.849	
3	1	Fernando Alonso		39.230	
4	5	Michael Schumacher	39.252	
5	6	Felipe Massa		39.253	
6	3	Kimi Räikkönen		39.287	
7	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	39.332	
8	12	Jenson Button		39.333	
9	11	Rubens Barrichello	39.532	
10	14	David Coulthard		39.636	
11	17	Jacques Villeneuve	39.677	
12	16	Nick Heidfeld		39.726	
13	38	Robert Kubica		39.782	
14	8	Jarno Trulli		39.785	
15	40	Neel Jani		39.937	
16	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	39.941	
17	7	Ralf Schumacher		39.963	
18	9	Mark Webber		39.980	
19	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	39.983	
20	10	Nico Rosberg		40.020	
21	21	Scott Speed		40.028	
22	37	Robert Doornbos		40.091	
23	15	Christian Klien		40.164	
24	39	Giorgio Mondini		40.210	
25	19	Christijan Albers	40.300	
26	18	Tiago Monteiro		40.671	
27	22	Takuma Sato		41.378	
28	23	Yuji Ide		41.731

Speed Trap

Code:
[b]Pos	No	Driver			Time		Speed[/b]
1	35	Alexander Wurz		14:55:28	295.6	
2	36	Anthony Davidson	14:56:30	293.8	
3	6	Felipe Massa		14:56:20	293.6	
4	11	Rubens Barrichello	14:52:13	292.9	
5	5	Michael Schumacher	14:54:11	292.8	
6	2	Giancarlo Fisichella	14:30:34	292.6	
7	22	Takuma Sato		14:55:38	290.5	
8	12	Jenson Button		14:53:59	290.3	
9	37	Robert Doornbos		14:31:39	290.0	
10	1	Fernando Alonso		14:59:57	289.6	
11	14	David Coulthard		14:56:09	289.5	
12	16	Nick Heidfeld		14:51:05	289.2	
13	3	Kimi Räikkönen		14:58:15	288.8	
14	38	Robert Kubica		14:12:08	288.5	
15	17	Jacques Villeneuve	14:52:27	288.0	
16	4	Juan Pablo Montoya	14:53:44	286.1	
17	15	Christian Klien		14:53:48	285.9	
18	40	Neel Jani		14:55:42	283.3	
19	9	Mark Webber		14:56:30	282.9	
20	19	Christijan Albers	14:53:02	282.7	
21	23	Yuji Ide		14:55:59	282.6	
22	8	Jarno Trulli		14:54:12	282.5	
23	7	Ralf Schumacher		14:10:22	281.5	
24	18	Tiago Monteiro		14:54:46	280.6	
25	10	Nico Rosberg		14:41:43	280.0	
26	20	Vitantonio Liuzzi	14:51:15	279.3	
27	21	Scott Speed		14:10:20	279.1	
28	39	Giorgio Mondini		14:53:10	275.8
 
Court upholds temporary Monza ban
An Italian civil court magistrate confirmed yesterday a temporary ban on testing and racing at Monza for cars lacking a suitable noise-reduction system.

The ruling reiterates a similar decision taken last November, which followed a formal complaint filed in 2001 by a group of local residents over the track's noise levels.

Last week's hearing came after an out-of-court settlement between the autodrome and the Monza residents could not be reached.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Monza residents were willing to accept a reduction of noisy activity at the track from the current 75 days per year to 60, but the managers of the circuit deemed the restriction too severe and rejected the arrangement.

Monza autodrome director Enrico Ferrari, however, remains cautiously confident. "The main competitions will take place, but a rethinking over the future of Monza will be necessary."

The Formula One Italian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place at Monza on September 10th.

Uh-oh, Houston we still have a BIIIIG problem....
 
Friday notes - Toro Rosso

In the early stages of the first day of practice our drivers, all new to the delights of the Sepang circuit, seemed to be complaining of a loose rear end. The team has yet to find out if this is down to a technical matter or simply a lack of familiarity with the spicy Malaysian cuisine.

Tonio Liuzzi: "I am very happy with today's work. This morning we did not do too many laps, just enough to get the hang of the track. Until today, I had only done one day's running last year, as Red Bull Racing's third driver and I like the track. This afternoon, we established quite a good car set-up with which to run in tomorrow's qualifying. The car is responding well. The heat does not bother me too much, but I tell you, it's like getting a sauna free of charge out there today!"

Neel Jani: "Today was the first time I have driven a Formula 1 car at this track, having raced here in A1. But it still took some getting used to, as you brake much later in the F1 car. I tried the different tyre compounds and I think we have decided on the right one for the race. I am feeling more at home in the car here than I did in Bahrain, because, even without doing too many laps, I think I have got a better understanding of the tyres. My lap time was quite good at the end, so I'm happy with today."

Scott Speed: "It's my first time here and I like the flowing nature of the track: a bit like Spa was, which means you can experiment with various different lines through the corners and a lot of high speed corners that feed into each other. I now feel I know the track, but I reckon it must be difficult to pass here. I had some problems at the back of the car, but we definitely made progress through the day and I am quite happy with our race pace. I'm not worried about the heat and I'm sure I'm one of the fitter guys in the paddock."

Laurent Mekies (Chief Engineer): "Today's work focussed on things like tyre evaluation and fuel loads. Fortunately, Neel managed to do a proper tyre comparison and that data will be useful for the two race cars and both race drivers also got to try both types of Michelin tyre. Sunday's conditions should be similar to this afternoon's so I think we have the right data. So far, cooling seems fine, coming from Bahrain which is much tougher on brakes."
 
Friday notes - WilliamsF1

Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "Today was very productive in terms of set-up on Alex's car and generating data to help with the selection of the right tyre compound for the race. All of the cooling in respect of the engine, gearbox and brakes looks fine and we are encouraged by the lap times. Mark completed a short run and checked the balance was okay and Nico's car, we scheduled to do two runs, but we had a problem with a fuel pipe which restricted him to one run. Now we will prepare the car for tomorrow's qualifying when we expect to be competing as a front runner.

Alex Wurz: "We had two very interesting sessions and I choose the word interesting because they were not easy, nor straightforward. We will have to analyse our data as well as the information from Bridgestone. But it will note be straightforward for the competition on tyre choice either and as a consequence, not straightforward on chassis balance. For us, at the end of the day, I think my long runs looked good and I hope I have prepared a good car for the team for Saturday and Sunday."

Mark Webber: "I only did three fast laps today, but we have collected a plenty of data with Alex's car. His programme went well which is good for the team. Now we'll go through the data this afternoon and we'll take it from there. The car isn't quite perfect, but addressing this is our job for now."

Nico Rosberg: "Even though I have never driven on this circuit before, it was easier to learn this track than it was in Bahrain. It's my second race weekend in Formula One, but already I feel adapting to the tracks is easier. The car felt quite good and it has been a positive day in general. We just need to make some changes in the car's balance for tomorrow."

Bernard Ferguson, Cosworth: "Most of today's running was focused on the T-car with Alex Wurz. Engine temperatures are always a concern at this circuit, so it was good to get some long runs in to get an idea of stabilised values. There were no major engine problems"
 
Friday notes - Super Aguri

Following a successful debut race in Bahrain for the Super Aguri team, Takuma Sato and team-mate Yuji Ide were able to complete their planned practice programmes in the heat of the Malaysian sun today.

Takuma Sato: "It was another solid day for the team and we did not encounter any problems. We completed our planned programme, which included an intensive tyre test, and so we have been able to collect some very valuable data to help us decide our set up for tomorrow. It has been a very good start to the weekend and I am pleased with what we have been able to accomplish today."

Yuji Ide: "I am pleased to have completed more running today however during both practice sessions the car suffered from understeer. We tested two different Bridgestone tyres as part of our programme and our choice during this afternoon only increased the balance problem I had, so we need to find out the cause and solve it as soon as possible. I want to qualify as well as I can tomorrow and be able to finish the race on Sunday."

Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal: "I am quite happy with today's practice sessions as both cars ran with relatively few problems. We completed our programme for both cars and for the first time we tried a new construction Bridgestone tyre which both drivers were quite satisfied with. Yuji still has a big understeer problem, but we shall run a new front wing on his car tomorrow and hope that this will be rectified. The team will now study our data from today and work on our set up for tomorrow - but on the whole it has been a successful day. "
 
Friday notes - Red Bull

Watching today's practices in an air-conditioned office wearing cotton shirts while many complained about the heat, there was full respect for our drivers out on track who, wearing the regulation four layers, faced huge physical exertion and constant high level g-forces. In air temperatures of around 35°C, David, Christian and Robert each wore a layer of Nomex fireproof underwear (with mandatory long trousers, sleeves and collar), a Nomex balaclava, a lined racing helmet, gloves, socks, boots and a three-layer Alpinestars racing suit (one layer of ventilated felt between two layers of ventilated Nomex).

Try walking the length of the paddock in all that kit, let alone driving an F1 car round a circuit! On track, the extreme heat can cause the car's cockpit temperature to rise to 55°C and, as the heat gets trapped there, for the drivers it's a bit like sitting in an oven.

David Coulthard: "A normal Friday really. Restrictions apply to the overall mileage, even though it's a fresh engine so we didn't do so many laps today. It's much harder on tyres here than in Bahrain and, as we were trying to save tyres for tomorrow's qualifying and the race, we only used one set today. Therefore it was really just a balance evaluation day. The balance seems a little bit better than it was at the last race, so I'm optimistic as to what tomorrow can bring."

Christian Klien: "I only used one set of tyres today. They were graining a lot which caused a lot of understeer. It wasn't really such a good day for me. We have to look at the data tonight and see what we can improve for tomorrow. One thing I can say - it's bloody hot in the car! We only did a few laps today and then the heat's not so bad. It's during the race that you start to get really hot, it begins in your body and then moves up to your head. Last year during the race, I had to open the visor of my racing helmet a little to try and get some air in!"

Robert Doornbos: "We had a busy programme this morning, which was when we did all our tyre testing. It's really important here to chose the right ones. This morning we were gathering data and doing long runs, which was different to the programme I followed in Bahrain last week. It's all good experience and I'm loving it."
 
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