Singapore preview quotes - McLaren, Lotus, Sauber & more 13 Sep 2013
Paul
di Resta (GBR) Force India VJM05. Formula One World Championship, Rd14,
Singapore Grand Prix, Race, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore,
Sunday, 23 September 2012 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren. Formula One World
Championship, Rd2, Malaysian Grand Prix, Practice, Sepang, Malaysia,
Friday, 22 March 2013 Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren. Formula One World
Championship, Rd3, Chinese Grand Prix, Race Day, Shanghai, China,
Sunday, 14 April 2013 Martin Whitmarsh (GBR) McLaren Chief Executive
Officer. Formula One World Championship, Rd1, Australian Grand Prix,
Practice, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, 15 March 2013 Kimi
Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus F1 on the grid. Formula One World Championship,
Rd8, British Grand Prix, Race Day, Silverstone, England, Sunday, 30 June
2013 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus F1. Formula One World Championship,
Rd1, Australian Grand Prix, Qualifying, Albert Park, Melbourne,
Australia, Saturday, 16 March 2013 Eric Boullier (FRA) Lotus F1 Team
Principal. Formula One Testing, Day 1, Jerez, Spain, Tuesday, 5 February
2013 Alan Permane (GBR) Lotus F1 Race Engineer. Formula One World
Championship, Rd2, Malaysian Grand Prix, Practice, Sepang, Malaysia,
Friday, 22 March 2013 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber. Formula One World
Championship, Rd4, Bahrain Grand Prix, Practice, Bahrain International
Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain, Friday, 19 April 2013 Esteban Gutierrez (MEX)
Sauber. Formula One World Championship, Rd4, Bahrain Grand Prix, Race
Day, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, 21 April
2013 Tom McCullough (GBR) Sauber Head of Track Engineering. Formula One
Testing, Day 4, Barcelona, Spain, Friday, 22 February 2013 Charles Pic
(FRA) Caterham F1 Team. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco
Grand Prix, Practice, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Thursday, 23 May 2013 Giedo
van der Garde (NDL) Caterham F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd2,
Malaysian Grand Prix, Preparations, Sepang, Malaysia, Thursday, 21 March
2013 Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia F1 Team. Formula One World
Championship, Rd8, British Grand Prix, Practice, Silverstone, England,
Friday, 28 June 2013 Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia F1 Team. Formula One
World Championship, Rd1, Australian Grand Prix, Preparations, Albert
Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, 14 March 2013 John Booth (GBR)
Marussia Racing Team Principal in the Press Conference. Formula One
World Championship, Rd10, German Grand Prix, Practice, Hockenheim,
Germany, Friday, 20 July 2012
Round 13 of the 2013 FIA
Formula One World Championship sees the paddock leave Europe behind for
the floodlights of Singapore’s spectacular Marina Bay Street Circuit and
the first of seven flyaway races that will culminate in the season
finale in Brazil in late November. Those involved in the 2013 Formula 1
Singtel Singapore Grand Prix discuss their prospects for the coming
weekend…
Jenson Button, McLaren
2012 Qualifying - 4th, 2012 Race - 2nd
“Just
as it’s exciting to return to Europe after the opening races of the
year, it’s always cool to pack your bags for a long-haul flight, knowing
that you’re heading off for the flyaways that bring the curtain down on
a long season.
“I remember the first time we raced at
Singapore [in 2008]; it seemed incredible to think that we could hold a
Formula One race at night. I must say, the thrill and novelty of racing
through spot-lit streets is just as intense for me today as it was when
we first raced there - it’s a unique spectacle, and one that I think is
brilliant for F1. In fact, the Singapore Grand Prix is one of the
wonders of modern sport.
“I enjoy racing around the
Marina Bay circuit. Although I’ve finished second there for the past two
years, this year it’ll be interesting to see how our car behaves on a
bumpy, high-downforce circuit. This is also a race where good fitness
preparation really pays off: the race is usually close to the two-hour
limit, so it’s the longest physical challenge on the calendar. I’m
really looking forward to it.”
Sergio Perez, McLaren
2012 Qualifying - 14th, 2012 Race - 10th
“I’ve
finished in the points in my two previous visits to Singapore, so,
after the disappointment of just failing to get home in the top 10 at
Monza, a points finish next weekend will clearly be my aim.
“Obviously,
the fight at the sharp end of the championship means that the top three
or four teams are still pushing hard to develop their current cars,
whereas some of the others are looking more towards 2014. That means
that it’s getting slightly harder to score good points in the remaining
races. However, we’ve still got developments coming through - most with
an eye to next year - and I hope that we can maximise our package for
one of the toughest races of the year.
“Singapore is an
unpredictable race - it’s tough on drivers and machinery, so we’ll be
looking to get the best from our high-downforce set-up and see if we
have a car that can ride the circuit’s many bumps. I like street
circuits - you can really attack the corners - so I’m really looking
forward to the whole weekend.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“It
was around 10 years ago that the idea of a Formula One night race was
first floated. At the time, I remember thinking it was an incredibly
imaginative and ambitious idea, but, given the scope and scale of such
an endeavour, I also thought it an unlikely possibility.
“However,
the organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix have shown huge
determination and ambition to bring the idea to fruition, and, as we
approach the sixth edition of the race, I think everybody in Formula One
now regards the event as one of the cornerstones of the Grand Prix
calendar. Indeed, it’s one of the miracles of televised sport.
“As
well as the spectacle, this is also a very hard motor race: in hot and
humid conditions, and on a circuit where there’s little opportunity to
relax, the drivers will race for nearly two hours on Sunday night.
“Our
focus next weekend will be to continue refining and improving the
MP4-28. After a run of fast low-downforce circuits, this will be an
opportunity for us to measure our car’s performance on a significantly
different kind of track. As ever, to achieve points finishes with both
cars is our priority.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2012 Qualifying - 12th, 2012 Race - 6th
“I
really like going to Singapore. It’s a great place to be, I love the
local food, and I don’t mind the unusual times we run in the car as it
means I don’t have to get up so early. I have some unfinished business
after my three Grands Prix there so far, as I enjoy the circuit but have
not yet had a podium. That doesn’t mean I’m not quick there as I’ve
been told I still hold the lap record from 2008. I crashed while
fighting for fifth place that year, finished down in tenth in 2009, and
took sixth last season, so I want more this time.
“In
the first years of the race being held I was a little bit surprised by
how people were talking so much about the different timing. Obviously
when they switched on the lights it was exactly the same as racing in
the day time. I think everybody in Formula One enjoys the night race.
It’s worked out really well as Singapore is a buzzing city and lots of
people turn up. Apart from one or two dark spots in the run-off areas
the circuit is very well lit, so there is not a big difference to racing
in the day.
“Monaco was not that good for us but there
is no reason why Singapore should be difficult. Like at every street
circuit it’s very difficult to pass other cars there, so starting the
race as high as possible on the grid is very an important factor in
getting a good result on Sunday. After these two weekends with zero
points it’s nice to get back to a circuit we expect to be more suited to
our car. We seem to go better at high downforce circuits, that’s for
sure. Obviously, the podium is a target again. We’ve had two races
without scoring any points so we need to score as many as we can in the
remaining races this season.”
Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2012 Qualifying - 8th, 2012 Race - 7th
“Singapore
is a pretty fantastic place and the race is always a challenge. I love
street races; there’s something about racing in the middle of a city. We
race at night which means it looks amazing for the fans, but in the car
there’s not so much of a difference for us as drivers as the lights
make it seem like it’s daylight on track. Another thing I look forward
to when visiting Singapore is the noodles!
“It’s a fun
layout to drive, with the last section being my favourite part of the
track. It’s certainly a physical race, with lots of kerbs, some bumps on
the track and frequent use of the brakes. It’s certainly not a circuit
with a long straight where you can take a rest! The layout and the fact
it’s a street course don’t make it easy for a driver or the engineers.
It can be difficult to find the amount of grip you want so we have to
work hard to get the set-up working well. There isn’t much margin for
mistakes as the walls are very close, but this does mean that there’s a
great feeling when you get a good lap as it’s very special to be driving
at the limit around a street course.
“It’s a very
high-downforce track and that seems to suit us best as we saw in
Budapest. In terms of the tyres I think we should be looking good too.
Certainly, we should be able to perform stronger than at the last two
races which haven’t always suited our car.”
Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
“There's
no reason to think that a podium will be out of reach. We've been quite
competitive on twisty circuits this year and Singapore shares a lot of
Monaco's characteristics. Romain loves that type of circuit, while Kimi
has always been quick in Singapore. It will be an interesting weekend.
“It’s
probably best we don’t mention the wall, but it’s true that we probably
have a better car on high-downforce circuits like Singapore than
medium-downforce tracks like Spa where we struggled a bit. We have a
good reliability record, a durable car, and the Singapore Grand Prix is
likely to be one of the longest of the year in terms of running time.”
Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“We
return to a high-downforce configuration, with some of the front wing
developments brought to the car for the recent low-downforce races being
carried over. Aside from that it’s business as usual with a package
which we know works well from our performances in Germany and Hungary.
We didn’t have the greatest of weekends in Spa or Monza, so we’re
looking forward to a return to the higher downforce tracks that arise in
the next few races where the aim is to get back on the podium.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
2012 Qualifying -11th, 2012 Race - 14th
“The
Singapore Grand Prix is one of the toughest races of the year, with the
high temperatures, humidity and the race almost always reaching the
two-hour mark. It’s a challenging circuit with a lot of corners. I
particularly like sector one and the first bit of sector two. Because
it’s a night race, we stay on European time for the whole weekend, so
it’s important to get into the right rhythm with your sleep from the
beginning. Being in the paddock when it’s dark is something quite
special. It’s the only total night race on the calendar and racing in a
mega city like Singapore is unique. It’s a huge hub in many respects,
financially and also with the airport being such a vital link between
Asia and the rest of the world. To have a track like that is pretty
spectacular. A mega event this large needs a lot of logistics, effort
from the organisers and everybody involved to make this happen.”
Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“The
Singapore Grand Prix is a unique event. The atmosphere and excitement
is special, because it’s a night race, it’s right in the middle of the
city and the crowd is great. Singapore is a tough circuit in terms of
how it affects the driver physically. The humidity is very high, so
there is less oxygen in the air, and that’s challenging. However, I’m
quite used to racing in hot conditions, especially at the beginning of
my career competing in Mexico at 45 degrees, but the difference in
Singapore is the humidity. It impacts on concentration, so that means
preparation is very important. There is nothing that you can do or train
specifically for that, but I tend to arrive early to get used to the
conditions. I like the track, it has a lot of corners and it’s quite
long, which makes it fun. My favourite part used to be the Singapore
Sling, a left-right-left combination, but that has been changed to a
long medium-speed corner for this year.”
Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“Singapore
requires a totally different set-up philosophy compared to Monza. The
circuit efficiency sees a return to our maximum downforce level similar
to Monaco. The track is dominated by tight, low-speed corners and this
is the area that the mechanical and aero set-up is optimised around.
Like Monza, the track is pretty bumpy in some areas, so placing an
importance on ride quality. The stop-start nature of the circuit gives
the brakes a hard time as there are not many opportunities per lap for
them to cool down. It is imperative to qualify strongly on Saturday
evening, as overtaking on this track is difficult. The race tends to
cross the two-hour mark and there is a high chance of a safety car at
any time, which means this will keep the strategy engineers’ attention
throughout the whole race. The ambient conditions make it tough for the
drivers and crew throughout the weekend. As in previous years, Pirelli
has selected the supersoft compound as the option tyre, but the prime
will be the medium compound, unlike last year when it was the soft
compound. We will bring a further update package to Singapore that
should help us to continue fighting for championship points.”
Charles Pic, Caterham
2012 Qualifying - 22nd, 2012 Race - 16th
“The
European season’s now over for 2013 and we’re back to the flyaway
races, starting with Singapore. For me this is one of the best races of
the year. It’s an amazing city and the fact we race at night obviously
makes the whole event unique. Last year was my first time racing in
Singapore and I had a good race, finishing 16th - this time I’d
obviously like to finish higher, but I’m sure it’ll be another good
week, whatever happens!
“One thing I know for sure is
it’s going to be busy! Tony Fernandes is going to be in town and we have
lots of sponsor and team partner activities taking place on and off
track, so one of the challenges throughout the week is finding the time
to step back from everything going on around us and focus on the main
priority which is having as strong a weekend as we can on track.
“Everyone
will be talking about how hot and humid it’s going to be, but for me
that’s not really an issue. I like the heat - it gets very hot in France
as well, even though it’s never really as humid as it is in Singapore,
but we start preparing for races like Singapore way back in winter with
the hours put in training, and then fine tuning the physical and mental
preparation in the week leading up to the race. I’ll arrive earlier than
I would for a European race so I can start acclimatising to the heat,
and my fluid intake over the week will increase each day to the point
where I’ll take on up to five or six litres of liquid before the race
starts. That’s one of the keys to performing to the maximum - being
properly hydrated means you can focus 100 percent in the car, and that’s
vital around a circuit as technical as Singapore.”
Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“I
have really happy memories of Singapore as the last time I crossed the
finish line there in 2012 I won the GP2 sprint race and finished
Caterham Racing’s season on a real high. That was all part of my
preparation for F1 and with that experience of the Singapore circuit
under my belt I’m really excited about getting back out there in an F1
car!
“The team have already warned me it’s going to be a
very busy week! We’re doing a load of sponsor events and Tony’s going
to be unveiling a new Caterham car over the race weekend, and whenever
he’s on track, especially in South East Asia, there’s always a real
buzz, so I think the whole week we’re there will be one of the best
weeks of the year.
“On track it’s a great challenge,
both for me in the car and the whole team. I obviously train and prepare
for the heat, but the team makes sure everyone’s drinking enough water
and that sleep patterns stick to European time so we avoid any issues
with jetlag. Once in the car I think this could be one of the circuits
that suits us, a bit like Monaco. You need to have the confidence to be
able to push around what are usually normal city streets, and I think we
showed in Monaco that that sort of challenge is exactly what we like!”
Jules Bianchi, Marussia
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“The
Singapore Grand Prix will be a totally new experience for me as my
first night race. In my debut season, where everything is new, it is
certainly one of the highlights of the calendar for me and I can’t wait
for next weekend. Having been to the race previously I know that there
are so many different aspects to the weekend - staying on European
hours, going to bed when I should be getting up and eating breakfast in
the middle of the afternoon. I’ve driven the track on the simulator and
it looks like a lot of fun, although it will be pretty hot in the
cockpit. The next part of the season is going to be quite a challenge
for everyone, but the Team is pushing so hard to maintain 10th place in
the championship and I really hope that is going to be possible for us.”
Max Chilton, Marussia
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
“Singapore
is a great city and I can’t wait for my first Formula One night race
experience there next weekend, although it’s not a new circuit for me
and I have great memories of winning there last year in GP2. The track
is quite reminiscent of one of my favourite circuits, Monaco, and I
would be happy to achieve the same sort of result as I did that weekend
in Monte Carlo. Working to European hours is always interesting but I’ve
seen the floodlights first-hand, so I know that while it feels like
night-time in the paddock, it’s like daylight on the track. We’ve done a
lot of work behind the scenes to try to optimise our current package
and for my part I’m quite pleased with how my pace is really building,
so my first objective for Singapore is to maintain that momentum.”
John Booth, Marussia team principal
“We
always feel a little sad putting Europe behind us, along with some of
the classic motor racing venues. Having said that, we’re never sorry to
head to be heading to Singapore, for one of the team’s favourite races.
The atmosphere and spectacle are quite unique and this year it will be
nice to share our experience with two drivers who are very excited to be
competing in their first night race. The conditions are quite tough for
the race team and drivers, with the fierce heat and humidity, but the
unique racing environment soon overshadows those factors and I’m sure
we’ll look forward to enjoy every second of the Singapore Grand Prix.”
