Kubica Fed Up With BMW?

Kubica at Valencia

BMW-Sauber’s Polish driver, Robert Kubica, has admitted that he is frustrated with the Hinwil-based squad’s inability to challenge Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes at the top of the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Kubica is feeling disillusioned with his team’s lack of progress from their strong early-season form.

The Pole, fourteen points behind Lewis Hamilton in the race for Formula One’s top prize, the Drivers’ Championship, is considering his future with the team. Reports suggest that Kubica held clear-the-air talks with team boss Mario Theissen at the last Grand Prix, in Monza, but has not had his doubts removed in the run-up to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

“My view has not changed a lot. We did sit down but I think there was no top secret and no miracles in the talks. It was good to talk. But the situation was not really changed.

“Of course as a driver you always want the maximum, and you always want a better car and to be a bit quicker.

“Even if you win, you can always find things to improve and to get stronger. There is no secret that we did not develop as was predicted.

“Lately, we don’t have big steps forward in performance but still we are managing good results. If we hadn’t had the problem in Spa with the second pitstop most probably I would have finished three races in a row on the podium – even though there have been some strange circumstances.

“But still, maybe lap time wise we are not the strongest but reliability is very good and we are able to do strong results.”

Neal’s View: Many were surprised by BMW’s early decision to focus on their 2009 car, but Kubica should take heart from two areas. Firstly, there is an old adage cited around the paddock: to finish first, first you must finish. BMW’s reliability is second-to-none in 2008, and this bodes well for the future. Secondly, we just have to look at Honda and Toyota. It is possible to go from a quick car to an awful one in a short space of time (Isn’t that right Jenson?) But to get to the front of the grid takes time. BMW are almost there, and I would expect a stronger challenge next season.

La Source-gate: Drivers Have Their Say

Felipe Massa:

“What happened is that he took an advantage by cutting the chicane.

“You can ask drivers how many overtaking moves you see there.

“None between the last corner and the first corner, because there is such a small straight there. That is my opinion and it doesn’t change.”

Sebastian Bourdais:

“I think it is very clear, the rules are clear. Maybe the penalty is very hard but he has made the same mistake twice, he did in Magny-Cours and he did it in Spa.

“I don’t really understand why there is such a mess around it, there is a rule book and everyone has to obey the same thing. The penalty is rough but it is up to you to give the position back.”

Nico Rosberg:

“He did have an advantage because he would not be so close if he had not cut the chicane but the penalty was a bit harsh as it did not have a big result in the end result. But it won’t stop us from trying to attack definitely.”

Jarno Trulli:

“I agree the penalty was quite big but I am not a steward. But it is also clear he got an advantage.

“The rules are very clear, if you cut the chicane you get the advantage you have to drop it and lose advantage, in Lewis’ case he should not attack in the first corner that is it.

“This last chicane, they have a lot of run off area they give you more chance to attack because in case of mistake you won’t end up in wall or gravel. We have more chance to overtake.”

Giancarlo Fisichella:

“I just seen pictures so difficult for me to say if it is right or not what happened. For sure maybe he took a small advantage that is why he had the possibility to overtake him again in braking for Turn One, but obviously 25 seconds penalty was quite a strong penalty.”

La Source-gate: McLaren Appeal to be Heard this Month

Hamilton's penalty

The FIA, Formula One’s governing body, announced on Wednesday that the appeal against McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s demotion at Spa-Francorchamps, from first to third, is likely to be heard before the end of this month.

She said the Paris-based governing body is hopeful the International Court of Appeal can deal with the matter before the teams head out to Singapore, for the first-ever night grand prix late in September, thus enabling the title fight to continue with both contenders clear of their positions.

23-year-old Briton Hamilton gave his first press interview since the Belgian grand prix.

He said he still feels he did nothing wrong during his fight for the lead with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, in what has become known as La Source-gate.

“If I had done something wrong, I would be the first to admit it. As a sportsman, this is something that is very important for me.”

He said it did not take long to reflect on the news that the three-man panel of stewards had annuled his race win.

“I do not feel guilty so there is nothing that I have to digest. It would be another matter if I had let my team down, but I did not.

“I feel like I deserve ten points instead of six. On the other hand it could have been zero if I had damaged my car in the difficult conditions.”

Neal’s View: Does anyone, seriously, expected the FIA to make a correct decision? The organisation has lost much credibility over its continued bias towards Ferrari.

Ferrari To Confirm Alonso At Monza? Or Is Alonso Off To BMW?

Renault's Fernando Alonso

Formula One fans will be waiting with baited breath ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It is when Ferrari traditionally reveal their lineup for the following season. Fans of the sport are waiting to find out whether world champion Kimi Raikkonen will retire, making way for former double world champion Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso insists he is not part of those plans.

The Spaniard has said that he does not expect the Finn to retire this year.

“Ferrari tend to confirm their drivers at Monza. I don’t think there is going to be a surprise.”

Alonso also revealed that he thought his Renault team was lacking half a second per lap, purely because of the weaker engine.

He also took the time to dismiss team boss Flavio Briatore’s claims that “at least two more podium finishes” will be coming from the final five grands prix of the season.

When asked how he feels about his teammate Nelson Piquet Jnr. being the only Renault driver standing on the podium this year, Alonso said:

“It is going to be really difficult to be on the podium in the rest of the year, but I do not see it as a failure.

“In comparison with my teammate, this has been my best season ever. I have always been in front of him. He got a podium after a great race and with lots of luck.”

Meanwhile, BMW-Sauber boss Mario Thiessen refused to deny growing speculation Alonso has signed a three-year contract to drive for the Hinwil-based squad from 2009.

The chequered flag had barely fallen at Spa-Francorchamps before it was reported that the Spaniard would replace German Nick Heidfeld.

Thiessen told German newspaper Bild:

“I do not take part in speculation.

“Our driver decision has been postponed. At the latest we will announce our drivers at the end of the season.”

BMW spokespeople were also not available for comment.

However, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca believes BMW-Sauber will confirm the Alonso signing on Monday, after this weekend’s Italian grand prix at Monza.

Neal’s View: Many thought he was Ferrari-bound, but the BMW rumours refuse to go away. I would rule out Honda, but it could be any of BMW-Sauber, Ferrari, or staying with Renault.

Williams Focusing on 2009’s FW31

One of the first Frank Williams F1 cars, the FW06

Williams-Toyota part-owner Frank Williams says his team will focus the majority of their efforts on their 2009 car after another disappointing performance at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend.

The Grove-based team were tipped as one of the favourites to fight behind the top squads during pre-season testing, and they lived up to that when Nico Rosberg finished on the podium in the opening race in Australia.

Williams’s performances, however, have become worse as the season progressed, as non-privateer teams progress more rapidly than independents like Williams, and the team have scored just two points in the last seven races. They are currently tied with Toro Rosso-Ferrari in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Williams said during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that his team are not planning any more significant developments for the last five races of the 2008 calendar, and instead will focus on 2009.

“We recognise that we are right at the back of the grid effectively, too often though not every time. We recognise that this year’s car is almost as developed as we can successfully do it, short of a major revamp of all the aerodynamics and next year’s car [with the drastic rule changes for 2009] is the one where we pin our hopes.

“We’re not saying ‘watch out for our next race’ because it isn’t going to be like that. We just have to soldier on and get more out of what we’ve got.

“There are one or two little bits for the remaining races but essentially our main focus is on next year’s car because it is almost a fresh start for everybody with the aero rules. We started on that quite a long time ago and we will see how it works for us.”

Several new rules will come into play next season in order to improve the spectacle by reducing speeds and increasing overtaking, in a revamp that could see any team make a significant jump in performance.

Williams is confident his team will do a good job with the KERS system to be introduced next season, although he believes that building it themselves will not mean they will have an advantage over their rivals.

“It is not as though it will give us a particular advantage. We think, as most manufacturers, we will do a good job with KERS. Patrick [Head] has his own group in the company and we have been working on it for a number of months. It is much more affordable if you do it yourself providing you are successful with it.

“We are doing it because we have to do it. I imagine most people will come out with roughly similar horsepower.”

Neal’s View: The sweeping rule changes for 2009 meant that many teams switched focus to 2009 once they realised they were not going to be competitive in 2008. The 2009 cars will see an end to the evolutionary development (because of the rule changes) and any car could be winning races next season. Although the top three should still be at the front, there is no reason why Honda, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, and even Williams cannot close the gap.

Belgian Grand Prix: BMW ‘Gamble’ Paid Off

Nick Heidfeld at Malaysian GP, 2008

BMW-Sauber motorsport director Mario Theissen has admitted that he thought Nick Heidfeld had left it too late to switch to wet tyres when he the gamble was taken in the closing stages of last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

When the rain came towards the end it was torrential, leading teams to choose between staying out on the wrong tyres or pitting. The rain was so heavy at one point, ITV commentator James Allen reported a thirty-second difference in lap-times between cars on intermediate tyres, and those staying on the wrong, dry tyre.

Heidfeld pitted for intermediate tyres two laps from the end of the Spa-Francorchamps when a deluge swamped the track, and staged a dramatic last-lap climb through the field from seventh to grab what eventually became second.

Despite the result delivering another podium finish for BMW-Sauber, team principal Theissen confessed that his team was unsure at the time whether or not Heidfeld had done the right thing in coming in for the tyres.

“I thought it was too late already, but it was worth it to take the risk because it would have been two points only, so you can take some risk in this position. And it turned out to be the perfect move.

“I didn’t watch the TV screen on the last lap, just the positioning screen as he overtook one car after another.”

Theissen said that the decision to change tyres was left entirely up to Heidfeld and his race engineer.

“You need two guys. You need the driver who has to tell what he is feeling and what he thinks is better, and in the end he has to decide.

“But then the race engineer has an overview of what the others do, how much they are struggling and only the race engineer can then judge whether it is possible to make up for 25 seconds in two laps.”

Neal’s View: It was a hard decision to be made, but that is why these people are lucratively paid. Had the rain come a lap earlier, everyone would have had to pit; a lap later no one would have. It is these spur-of-the-moment tactical decisions that make Formula One great!

STR Extend Ferrari Engine Deal

STR3: Ferrari Powered

Italian Scuderia Toro Rosso’s team chief announced that the Faenza-based team will continue to use Ferrari’s customer engines. With the team’s STR3 chassis performing so well at present, and the senior Red Bull team comparatively struggling with their inferior Renault power, despite using a nearly identical car, it had been rumoured that Renault-powered Red Bull Racing might attempt to take over STR’s Ferrari contract. Ferrari handed the engine deal to STR at the start of 2007 in order to take the Renault deal.

Japanese driver Takuma Sato’s forthcoming test, meanwhile, stirred speculation that Toro Rosso might be considering using Honda engines.

In a statement, Franz Tost confirmed that Ferrari’s 2.4 litre V8 is the main reason behind the team’s strong showings of late.

“We are very happy with our arrangement with Maranello, which indeed is why we have recently extended our supply agreement with them.”

Tost also said the team is happy with its current driver lineup, including Sebastien Bourdais, whose future on the grid is in doubt, despite a strong showing in the Belgian Grand Prix.

“We are happy with both  of them.”

“As for Bourdais, after a difficult period, he too has stepped up a gear in the past few weeks, as could be seen from the fact that, until the very last lap in Belgium, he had out-performed his teammate.”

Neal’s View: Ferrari push the limitations of the regulations to the absolute limit, so the Ferrari engine will always be strong.

Kubica Has More Harsh Words For BMW

Kubica at Valencia

After an disappointing Belgian grand prix, BMW-Sauber driver Robert Kubica continued to voice his discontent as the Formula One circus makes the short dash to Monza this week.

The Pole struggled to capture the same attention as his BMW-Sauber teammate Nick Heidfeld at Spa-Francorchamps, and on Friday we reported that he used “harsh words” upon discovering incorrect settings on his car.

“The team has helped Nick a lot.”

Kubica has won just 12 points from the last 5 grands prix, and while he finished sixth at Spa-Francorchamps, under-pressure teammate Heidfeld was on the podium.

“I hope that they will start to work a little for me, because these last four races, I think we have been asleep.”

Neal’s View: The BMW car has not been keeping up with the pace of the McLarens and the Ferraris, and is being caught by the midfield pack. The pressures on the drivers, especially Heidfeld (who could be out of a job at the end of the season), are mounting.

Force India To Dump Ferrari?

Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya, team owner of Force India, has suggested today that his team may ditch the Ferrari engine that powers his cars for the 2009 season. It was reported earlier this season that they were in talks with Honda about a combined engine-Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) deal.

Mallya told reports at the Belgian Grand Prix that top of his shopping list is a bundled drivetrain and KERS package for next season.

“There’s no way we can develop KERS. It would be stupid even to attempt it.

“I have asked Ferrari because they are my partner. Hopefully they will give it to me at a sensible price. If they don’t, then I have a problem and may have to look elsewhere.

“But there’s no dearth of potential suppliers.”

Neal’s View: Honda are clearly looking to supply another team, having also held talks with Scuderia Toro Rosso, as it increases their competitive budget. However, the Ferrari engine is one of the more powerful, so if Mallya can get a bundled deal, then that is the option to go with.

Belgian Grand Prix: Steward denies conspiracy

Hamilton's Spa Penalty

One of the stewards at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Kenyan Surinder Thathi, came out in the face of growing public discontent and said that there was no conspiracy against the McLaren team.

“There was no conspiracy against anybody, McLaren included. We acted professionally and within the FIA rules. Hamilton took a short cut inside of the corner while off the track.”

Formula One legends, from Jackie Stewert to Nikki Lauda have claimed Hamilton was a victim of a conspiracy against McLaren after the stewards took the view he had cut the chicane and gained an unfair advantage over Ferrari’s world champion Kimi Raikkonen. This is depite the large amount of video evidence, telemetry, and independent FIA voices, such as Race Director Charlie Whiting supporting McLaren’s view.

“We had a choice to mete out a time penalty or 10 grid places in the next Grand Prix race. We opted for the former and handed a time penalty of 25 seconds.”

“I know I am a very unpopular person in the United Kingdom now, but then I was doing my job and I know I acted professionally.”

Neal’s View: You know somethings seriously unpopular when a steward publically comes out to defend the decision. Alan Donnelly’s position as FIA representative amongst the stewards is questionable, bearing in mind he has no motorsports experience and has a substantial private business, which lists amongst it’s clients, the FIA and Ferrari. Of course he has no bias! And the fact that only the Ferrari drivers (but not their boss), McLaren-hating Fernando Alonso, and the stewards see the penalty as wrong.