23/01/2009
NEWS STORY
Australia
Having an Aussie learn a Kiwi tradition or more important, a Traditional Maori Haka proved worthwhile today as John Martin delivered Team Australia third place in the official practice 2 session here in Taupo, New Zealand.
On Thursday A1's regular PR Activity day brought thirteen A1 drivers to the Wairakei Terraces in Taupo to learn the Haka and then take to the water with the Hukafalls Jet boats. Speed on the water is different to that of a race car though your body gets a shakedown the same way a driver does taking fast sharp corners or late-braking. "Our driver was good" said John Martin, "he really knew his stuff and turned the boat around in a split second, it was an awesome experience". And the Haka John how was that? "Well I couldn't get the routine perfect but had a good go at it anyway. It was different to what you see with the All Blacks but they meant every bit of it you could see and hear that for sure"
Friday's rookie session for Ash Walsh didn't go well at all, no fault of his doing with an engine failure after one lap. Rob Arnott the Chief Engineer called Ash back to the garage to find out from their investigation, it was an 'engine replacement' option only.
The Ferrari technicians delivered the fresh engine to the garage for the mechanics to remove the old and replace it with a new one. By the time the engine arrived, the Aussie crew were a third of the way to removing parts that would later need to be bolted back on to the new engine. An average timeline for this job would be twelve hours, this Australian crew, starting at 11.30 am were starting the new engine at 2.10 pm. John Martin was released to do one lap for the Ferrari technicians to check the data, with this all looking good to go, Martin was given another 5 laps, again 'thumbs up from Ferrari' so it was all his to do in the remaining 35 minutes of the second session.
The dust left on the track caused a few drivers to spin, and Martin was one of them doing it twice as he pushed hard to return a decent time after the team's dismal start to day one. After 25 laps, his times coming down and the time left shortening, John Martin set a third overall fastest time of 1:16.294, only 0.323 of a second away from Neel Jani of A1 Team Switzerland.
The buzz in the Australian team with new partners from MGL Global Communications present, after a long break from Sepang, was electric and the best we have seen for sometime. When you look back at Taupo in 2008, John Martin came here as the rookie and lead driver for his first ever full event. He carried the hopes of his country on his shoulders, did us all proud, and today has ramped up the hopes of the team that it is possible to finish on the podium sooner than later.
John Martin: "It was hard work today so many times coming up fast behind other drivers, then moving around them to try and get a quick time in. The crew are the best by far in doing what they do so well, working as a team. Rob, Ash, Adam, Lofty, Roy, Jules, Cheyne, Graham and Docko went running for bits, the MGL guys watching on wanting to help, everyone was on deck and in two and a half hours I was back in the car, it started, ran it in and made the day with a quick time. Third was great and a few more laps I believe second or third were possible for us here today. I would also like to send my thoughts out to Grumps who has been sick and hope we see him back here tomorrow"
Alan Jones: "John and the Crew were sensational today, and with Ferrari being so well managed, we had the new fresh engine delivered in its case and fired up in two and half hours. Rob is very cool on the approach to a situation like this, as is Adam in the way he oversaw the checklist to make sure nothing was missed during this time. We are very happy with the car and are all looking forward to Saturday's qualifying"
Rob Arnott: "John pushed hard once he was given the all clear by Ferrari, Ash and I. He made some great moves on the track and managed that time at the end, it was great to see. Tomorrow we are looking for an improved qualifying position if all goes well for us on track"
Brazil
A1 Team Brazil was back on track today as the fourth round of the 2008/09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport got underway at Taupo Motor Park on New Zealand's North Island. Felipe Guimarães drove in both the morning's rookie practice sessions and the afternoon's one-hour practice as he began preparations for Sunday's races.
This morning Felipe took part in the two 30-minute rookie practice sessions, the last time he will be eligible to do so as after this weekend he will have competed in more than six A1GP races. The first objective was for Felipe to re-acclimatise to the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car after a two-month break in the calendar and to acquaint himself to the 3.32km circuit. The times were very encouraging, with the young Brazilian running in the top three for the majority of the two sessions.
Second practice was a disjointed affair with red flags shown frequently throughout the hour. This made it difficult for Felipe to get a clean lap and the times at the end of the session did not reflect the team's true performance. However, there is still a lot of work to do tonight and in tomorrow's final practice session before the team embark on the afternoon's all-important qualifying for Sunday's Sprint and Feature races.
Felipe Guimarães: "I think we made a pretty good start this morning. It could have been better but I think P5 in the first session was good and I felt comfortable in the car. The track is fairly difficult and has a lot of interesting corners. It's very physical but I really like it. We have better grip here than the other races so far this season. Unfortunately this afternoon I did not have the opportunity to set a clean lap due to the red flags, but I think the car is basically good. We have a little bit of oversteer but we are going to work on improving for tomorrow."
Dan Walmsley, Race Engineer: "This morning went quite well although I think we were a little disappointed to be fifth and seventh after consistently being in the top three until the last minute. However, some of the other teams had new tyres left from previous races and they set the times on those late on in the session and were able to jump us. Other than that we were fairly happy. The car seemed good and a lot of the problems that we've been chasing over previous races have been resolved. This afternoon we found some good pace but we moved forward 5% and our opposition moved 10%. We need to catch up that difference and a bit more. The red flags break your rhythm a bit and in the last three runs we didn't have a clear lap so the times don't really reflect what we can do. However, we still wouldn't have challenged for the top three so there is still some work to do ready for tomorrow's final practice and qualifying."
France
Today, A1 Team France began practice on the Taupo circuit in New Zealand for the fourth round of the 2008-09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. Nicolas Prost kicked off the team's technical program on a twisty and very dirty track and began refining the car's set-up. He set the sixth-quickest time in the first part of the session after a minor gearbox sensor problem, and in the second part the A1 Team France test driver finished the morning with the second-best time. As always his input was very precious for the engineers.
Loïc Duval then got in the car and took over for the afternoon's free practice. He had to wait for 20 minutes before going out as the team had to repair the sensor that had caused problems in the morning. The mechanics, who were obliged to open the gearbox on several occasions, did a great job in terms of both precision and speed. Loïc, who has finished on the rostrum 4 times in his 4 outings on the Taupo circuit, ran into problems in the braking zones and went off on several occasions. After studying the data it seemed that the braking system was not working properly. The team, which finished the afternoon in ninth place, is currently working on the solution.
Olivier Panis, sporting director: "Overall, we're satisfied with our day even if the technical problems we ran into upset our programme slightly. Nicolas did a couple of perfect sessions allowing our engineers to make the first set-up choices. Loïc didn't have a very relaxed practice! He had to go out late and then he had to cope with an ill-handling car. We tried to modify a few parameters to improve its overall balance, but it looks like the brakes are at the root of the problem. It should be fixed for tomorrow."
Loïc Duval, driver: "I'm not used to going off and the two or three frights I gave myself today, show that something's not right in the car's balance. It gets away from me under braking. This problem didn't allow me to go for out-and-out performance but it's not a big handicap. I know Taupo like the back of my hand and I'll be back up among the front-runners tomorrow!"
Nicolas Prost: "I'm satisfied with my contribution to the team's technical programme. The track was pretty dirty this morning with a lot of dust. That led to a lot of yellow flags and interruptions but I got through without too many problems. As we expected, the car's much happier in the quick sections than in the twisty ones. We have to do a bit more work to make it more reactive in the tight corners."
Ireland
A1 Team Ireland began preparation for round 4 of the A1 World Cup of Motorsport with a solid fifth fastest time at the conclusion of the first day of practice in Taupo, New Zealand. In an incident packed session Adam Carroll overcame three harmless spins to eventually record third quickest time on his final run which was bettered by two other cars before the chequered flag.
Yellow flags and stoppages characterised the day's running at the picturesque lakeside circuit and piecing together a complete lap was a problem for both Irish team drivers.
Earlier Niall Quinn had begun the preparation work for tomorrow's qualifying session and Sunday's races but his session was truncated by a fuel pressure problem which necessitated a lengthy visit to pit lane where the fuel system was repaired in double quick time by the Irish crew.
Niall got out right at the end of the session and his split times indicated that he would have been amongst the quicker drivers but for the delays.
Adam Carroll: "Today was good, the car was fine and the boys had solved the earlier fuel pressure problem. I feel sorry for Niall - again he did not get a clear run, but then it shows just how worthwhile the rookie session is in terms of helping the team find its feet and ironing out any problems and Niall does a good job.
"The track was dusty, so it's going to improve, and I had a few spins while trying to find the limits - but nothing serious. Having looked at the data, and seen what Neel (Jani, Team Switzerland) is doing, it's clear we have some work to do in terms of braking, but nothing too major. Tomorrow morning we'll continue the set-up work, then bolt the new tyres on for qualifying and go for it."
Niall Quinn: "The fuel pressure problem really affected my session as I'd spent the first part of it getting back into the groove and working the track which was very dusty and slow to begin with. In the second part I was going quicker and quicker, but I just cant catch a break! I did feel much better in the car though, and when I did the 1.20.4 the pace was at 1.19.4, so I was definitely pulling in the gap. It’s all experience though, and better that it happened in the Rookie session and not later!"
Team Technical Director Gerry Hughes was satisfied with the progress that the team made given the restrictions placed by the various stoppages.
"We steadily worked our way through the programme today although both sessions were plagued with yellow and red flags. Adam adapted well to the circuit despite a couple of spins which were the order of the day on the dusty track surface. We're fairly confident of putting it all together for tomorrow and we'll be focusing on qualifying and race preparation throughout final practice.
"Unfortunately, Niall's run in the second session was thwarted by fuel pressure issues which we have now rectified but it's a shame that he has once again encountered mechanical issues. He was improving all the time and at the time he was running properly in the session he was clearly well in tune with the performance of the car."
Lebanon
Daniel Morad and A1 Team Lebanon didn't just blow the cobwebs off their A1GP car, they blew away all but one other nation in today's practice session in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, Taupo, New Zealand. And this brilliant performance was achieved by a team of mechanics that had no sleep. Morad was definitely wide awake today as he stormed his way to a top spot in the practice sessions.
The team were forced to work through the night on Thursday as a new engine needed to be fitted. Morad showed his appreciation for their efforts in the best way possible, topping the morning time sheets. Morad led the way in the opening session of the weekend, heading the timesheets for most of the rookie session, and in the second part of the rookie session, he continued to be one of the top three drivers. In the afternoon it was the main race drivers behind the wheel and once again Morad showed he had lost none of his determination during the long break since the last event. He was the leading driver for much of the session, just being pipped to the top spot by Switzerland, only 0.135 seconds quicker than the Lebanese driver.
When he stepped out of the car in the afternoon Morad said of his day, "Awesome! It's great to be back in the A1GP car and fantastic to have put in second quickest lap, I'm very, very happy! My thanks go to the crew for making sure that I had a car to drive today by working all night. And it's not as if they get the day off after that, there's a full weekend ahead without any down time. I'm just pleased that I could produce a good performance to reward all their efforts."
A1 Team Lebanon ambassador, Billy Karam, said of the team's best opening day performance, "Daniel is really taking the team to another level and showing that he has the talent that is needed to compete in A1GP. We saw this at Sepang in qualifying. Although we weren't able to translate this into a points finishing result, I'm sure it is only a matter of time. We couldn't have had a better start to 2009, we now need to continue the momentum through the rest of the weekend."
Malaysia
A1 Team Malaysia was out on track for the first day of practice at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, New Zealand, today. Clear blue skies and bright sunshine greeted the grid of nations competing this weekend in Taupo. Aaron Lim was the first of the two Malaysian drivers to sample the track in the new A1GP car, putting in top ten lap times in the morning sessions and finishing sixth quickest of the rookies. Fairuz Fauzy completed the first afternoon practice session with 15th quickest lap.
The Taupo circuit is a challenging 3.5km of long corners, sweeping curves and undulations. It is a test of driver skill and fitness, running in an anticlockwise direction, unlike most circuits. Lim coped well with the high temperatures and demands of the scenic venue, but struggled with braking. Fauzy took over the wheel in the afternoon, but the brake issues persisted and left him struggling to put in the lap times that the team expected to achieve.
Lim said of his time behind the wheel, "It was good to get back in the car after a long break and to get in the rhythm again. The circuit is quite demanding. It's tight and twisty, and because it is fairly narrow, there's only a small margin of error. Each time I'm out on track I'm able to gain experience and work with my engineers to understand what is needed to improve my performance. I'm taking it step by step and focusing on doing the best job I can for the team."
Fauzy enjoyed his return to the cockpit after over six week's break from racing, saying, "I had problems with the brakes today and that affected just how much we could get done today. We focused on getting the right balance on the car, but it was a bit frustrating as we couldn't do as much as we wanted because of the issue with the brakes. I think if we can resolve the problem, we can move up the grid."
Jack Cunningham, Chief Executive of the team, added, "It seems that we have carried over an issue with the brakes from Sepang and it's one that will need to be addressed this evening. The engineers are also reviewing the setup as Fairuz is struggling with the handling of the car. We're confident we can sort the problems out and will be able to make up ground for qualifying tomorrow."
Monaco
Eight weeks since competing in the searing heat of Sepang, the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has travelled to its furthest location on the 2008/9 calendar, and a country of outstanding natural beauty, for round four of the championship - New Zealand.
For the first time since joining the series Team Monaco participated in the Friday morning 'rookie' free practice sessions with Hubertus Bahlsen, co-seatholder of the team, having his first run in an A1GP powered by Ferrari car. Hubertus, one of 17 'rookies' who took to the track for the first 30-minutes running, enjoyed his time in the car, however his running was restricted due to problems with fitting inside the cockpit. The team has already constructed a plan to implement for the South Africa event. Hubertus handed over the Friday practice programme to regular driver Clivio Piccione for the afternoon session.
Clivio took to the track for the second practice session (14:00 local time) and focused on familiarising himself and the car with the 3.32 kilometres long track, one of the narrowest on the A1GP calendar. A number of spins by other teams and Red flag situations caused intermittent running throughout the session, however Clivio's pace remained constant and Team Monaco was running in P10 with only 15 minutes of free practice 2 remaining. For its final outing the team concentrated on car set-up in the short amount of track time it had left and on his final lap, Clivio set a fastest time of 1:16:458 to cross the finish line in an encouraging 4th position, with only an 0.487 second gap between teams Monaco and Switzerland who topped the timesheet in P1.
Clivio Piccione, Driver and Seat-Holder: "Our programme this afternoon was for us to start getting used to the track on our first and second runs, but unfortunately the red flags meant that we were unable to try the set-up for a while. I enjoyed the track, however; it was quite 'green' and slippery, but many people were coming off at the corners. Toward the end of the session we were able to run through our full programme and at end of our final run I had some clear laps and was able to push the car. I am very happy that we were able to improve our time and move up the grid. To finish overall in 4th position is one of our best positions in a free practice session so far in the championship, so we have made a good start to the new year and I am looking forward to tomorrow."
Graham Taylor, Team Principal: "We are very pleased to have been able to take part in the rookie practice session this morning, with Hubertus in the car for the first time. It was a difficult practice session this afternoon as it was interrupted by so many red flags. However, we did finally receive the opportunity to evaluate a number of options and we put in a great final run. The team did a good job today and it feels good to finish a session in the top six."
South Africa
South Africa made a solid if unspectacular start to the fourth round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Taupo, New Zealand today. Cristiano Morgado, making his debut in A1 Team South Africa's Vulindlela, was a creditable seventh fastest in the opening practice session for rookie and developing nation drivers.
The Formula Volkswagen star completed 36 laps in the two-part session on Friday morning with a best lap time of 1 min 20,447 sec, which was 1,195 sec off the best time posted by Switzerland's Alexandre Imperatori.
Race engineer Humphrey Corbett commented: "I was very impressed with Cristiano's performance this morning - he did a great job first time out. As you would expect from a 29-year-old, he displayed a very mature approach."
Morgado expressed himself satisfied with his performance, "but I would have liked some more time in the car. It is great to drive, but I needed more laps around the Taupo circuit. This has been an all-new experience for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Ferrari-powered A1GP car is awesome. The circuit conditions, apart from being new to me, were very dry and dusty. There are a lot of corners and it's quite technical."
Adrian Zaugg: "We were quickest in the final sector, but we need a bit more time in the first two sectors, particularly the first sector. We have made some changes to the car to stabilise the rear end on entry to the turns and hopefully we will make more progress in this direction tomorrow. This will see us gain time by being able to brake later and carry more speed into the turn. We are also looking for a bit on the exit. Overall I'm very positive for tomorrow."
Mike Carroll, team manager: "Adrian picked up a bit of fever on his long trip to New Zealand and unfortunately has not been sleeping very well. Nevertheless he has set the quickest final sector time in today's first practice, which is no mean feat. He has the pace, as we all know; with just a little more, primarily in the transient areas from the driver/car combination, we should be in good shape this weekend."