The Barrichello return that wasn’t

As much as we like Rubens, a return to Formula 1 with Sauber, given the team’s current situation, seemed like a non-story at the onset but AUTOSPORT says he had a wad of cash and that there was merit to the story. I believe them, they have a way of being right all the time. I also believed, yesterday, that Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborm was kind enough to take the high road when asked about Barrichello.

It seemed odd that a team in the financial situation that Sauber is in would opt for Barrichello even if head some cash with him. We didn’t run the story because, quite honestly, it didn’t’ seem like a feasible option for Sauber and Monisha’s comments seemed to be platitudes which some took as an open door. Today, she was a little more frank with her view:

“I am ruling out that he would drive for us. Maybe it is better if one is that clear about it,” Kaltenborn was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“I have a lot of respect for Rubens, and I didn’t think it was right that I just so abruptly say ‘No, we are not going to talk.’”

Rubens is a great guy but this story seemed to be weak-kneed to begin with and I appreciate Monisha trying to comment while not risking any damage to Barrichello’s reputation or possible marketability in the F1 paddock. If she would have said, “there’s no way in hell that’s going to happen”, it would not be good for the Barrichello brand in and outside of F1.

We like Rubens a lot but we also think F1 may not be the snake pit Rubens wants to get back into as things have changed over the two years he’s been away and the financial times are even more difficult. Then again, being in F1 during tough times is probably better than being in Brazilian stock car racing in tough times.

.

Kaltenborn Rules Out Barrichello

Rubens BarrichelloSauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has categorically “ruled out” the prospect of Rubens Barrichello driving for the Swiss team next season.
It had been hinted by Kaltenborn that the 41-year-old veteran of 322 grands prix starts was in the running for a seat on her team.
“I am ruling out he will drive for us,” said Kaltenborn. “Maybe it is better one is that clear about it.
“I just felt it would be a bit rude to do that. I was trying to be nice.”
There had also been speculation Brazilian Barrichello, who last raced in F1 in November 2011, could replace one of Sauber’s current drivers – Nico Hulkenberg or Esteban Gutierrez – for the final race this season at Interlagos.
But Kaltenborn also dismissed that possibility.
“I fully understand he wants to drive and he is trying his best,” she said.
“I talk a lot with him when he is here, we discuss young drivers and so on, but we have never discussed a seat. That’s reality.
“It’s a bit unfair towards him because it doesn’t look good for him. So, just to be very clear on it, we have not discussed a seat for next year and also no drive for Brazil.”
Barrichello competed in IndyCar in 2012 but this year has driven in Stock Car Brasil and the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Vettel Beats Hamilton to Korean Pole

Sebastian VettelRed Bull’s Sebastian Vettel beat Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to pole position at the Korean Grand Prix.
The German secured his fourth pole in a row to put himself in the best possible position to extend his 60-point championship lead over Fernando Alonso.
The Ferrari driver qualified sixth but starts fifth as a result of a 10-place penalty for Red Bull’s Mark Webber, who was third.
Lotus’s Romain Grosjean moves up to third ahead of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.
Webber drops back from third to 13th as automatic punishment for picking up his third reprimand of the season for accepting a lift back to the pits from Alonso in what stewards considered a dangerous manner at the last race in Singapore.
Vettel’s pole was his sixth of the season – more than anyone else – and had looked locked on after an impressive performance in Saturday’s final practice session.
The world champion’s margin over Hamilton, who was fastest in both Friday practice sessions, was 0.218secs.
Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Mark WebberVettel’s time came on his first run in the final part of qualifying. He went out again at the end of the session but aborted his lap when he was held up by Raikkonen in the last few corners.
“It was fairly close,” Vettel said. “As expected, Mercedes was pretty strong, so it was a tight battle.
Webber’s penalty also drops him back behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who qualified sixth fastest, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez, Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen, the McLarens of Sergio Perez and Jenson Button and Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso.
Webber said: “We had to take a bit of pace out of the car for qually. Not much, but just looking at how we would compromise the car for qually looking to the race. It was a good little battle. I’m well and truly out of position but we’ll fight and come back through.”
Scot Paul Di Resta starts 15th in his Force India, one place and 0.287secs behind team-mate Adrian Sutil.
Marussia’s Jules Bianchi was handed a three-place grid penalty and a reprimand for impeding Di Resta and will start last.

Korea Quali Recap: Vettel takes pole, Hamilton comes close

Sebastian Vettel (1:37.202) won pole for the 2013 Korean Grand Prix, despite a late charge from Lewis Hamilton. The Briton would only be able to qualify second fastest in the end, beating out Mark Webber after the Australian dipped back into the garage. Though he aborted his fast lap, Webber qualified third, but will drop down the order on a ten place grid penalty after a reprimand two weeks ago in Singapore. Romain Grosjean, Nico Rosberg, and Fernando Alonso completed the top five starters. Though all ten drivers went out in the final minutes during and after the flag for Q3, no one could touch Vettel.

Most drivers used up a set of the supersoft tyres in Q1, leaving Raikkonen fastest in that session. Neither Williams driver fared well, both dropping out in the first of the three qualifying sessions. McLaren did little better with both drivers out in Q2, and Sergio Perez continuing Jenson Button’s inability to out qualify a teammate at Mokpo. The Briton claimed impeding by a Lotus during the busy latter stages of Q2, after allowing Kimi Raikkonen ahead on his out lap.

Though drivers were quick to post installation laps, the first third of the first practice session at the rarely used Korean circuit seemed to pass slowly. Hamilton (1:39.630) would end the practice fastest, leading Vettel by a couple of hundredths. Webber, Rosberg, and Button completed the top five at the end of the ninety minute practice. Once regular season drivers began lapping (James Calado sat in for Paul di Resta at Force India and Rodolfo Gonzalez for Jules Binachi), Rosberg seemed set to lead. He traded fast laps with Alonso, then Vettel and Raikkonen joined in the fray.

Hamilton beat Rosberg and remained there with thirty minutes remaining in the session, as Vettel nearly pipped the Briton in the final minute of practice. Raikkonen spun and crashed heavily moments later, joining Calado as the only man with a damaged car though many spun fairly harmlessly throughout.

Hamilton (1:38.673) continued to lead at the end of the second Friday practice, remaining faster than Vettel by a slightly larger but still small tenth of a second. Rosberg, Webber, and Massa completed the fastest five. While Pic and Gutierrez spun, and Alonso slid along the grass, no one damaged their cars as in the morning practice. Lotus completed repairs quickly enough that Raikkonen lost no time for FP2.

As has become typical, no matter who leads on Friday, Vettel (1:37.881) went fastest in the final practice on Saturday. Webber was just under two tenths slower, locking out the top two for Red Bull. Rosberg, Hamilton, and Alonso rounded out the fastest five in the rush on soft tyres. Hamilton complained of traffic behind him on the radio, though there was little the team could do with the track so busy for the final hour of practice before qualifying.

Q1:
The sky varied between cloudy and the occasional shaft of sunshine at the start of the twenty minutes of Q1. Gutierrez left the garage on the medium tyre within the first thirty seconds of the session, quite early for a Q1 run. Gutierrez had the track to himself for a couple of minutes, setting the first lap of the afternoon. Six other drivers joined him by the time he completed his out lap. Soon, half the field lapped the circuit. Gutierrez set the early benchmark at 1:41.058, just over three seconds off Vettel’s time earlier in the day.

When five minutes had elapsed, Red Bull, Ferrari, Grosjean, Marussia, and Caterham remained in the garage. Alonso and Massa joined with fourteen minutes to go. Button and Perez soon led the timesheets, only to lose position to Rosberg, who stopped seven tenths off Button’s early time. Hamilton also joined his current teammate at the top, four tenths faster than his teammate from last year.

Times continued to flow as drivers set them as halfway approached. Alonso looked set to be quick, posting a fastest first sector of the session. That time stood for moments before Perez demolished it by two tenths. Alonso’s first lap put him second fastest. At halfway, Rosberg (1:39.415) led Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Button, Bottas, Perez, Ricciardo, Sutil, and Hulkenberg as the top ten. Drivers who had yet to set a time then populated the knockout zone, including Vettel, Webber, and Grosjean who had yet to leave their garages.

Vettel entered the track soon after halfway. Hamilton beat Rosberg’s time, as the German sat in the garage. With eight minutes to go, drivers began returning for fresh tyres and some adjustments. Vettel and Webber were on out laps, the former just beginning his first fast lap. Grosjean remained in the garage.

With six to go, Hamilton (1:38.574) led Gutierrez, Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Massa, Hulkenberg, di Resta, and Perez as the top ten. Grosjean had left the garage, and with the presumption that he and Webber would leap out of the relegation zone, Bottas, Vergne, Chilton, van der Garde, Pic, and Bianchi were in the knockout zone with five minutes remaining. Webber beat Vettel to third fastest on his first fast lap, while Grosjean went fifth on his. By that point, Gutierrez, Raikkonen, Button, and Rosberg had all switched to the supersoft tyres.

Vettel moved up the order to second fastest, but the focus remained on Bottas, Vergne, Chilton, van der Garde, Pic, and Bianchi in the knockout zone with six to go. However, Raikkonen leapt to fastest on his softer tyres, leaving Hamilton in the garage and dropping down the order. With seconds remaining before the flag, Alonso and Massa had gone down, sitting fifteenth, then sixteenth, and seventeenth, then nineteenth. Both Ferrari drivers moved up to fourth and tenth.

At the flag, Bottas, Maldonado, Pic, van der Garde, Chilton, and Bianchi were about to drop out. Di Resta did not look safe, pitting with an issue, but for Maldonado pitting his own final lap. di Resta got caught behind Bianchi on his hot lap, with the former and Force India quite upset by what they considered impeding.

In the end, only Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Perez, Webber and Grosjean did not set times on the supersoft tyres. Raikkonen (1:38.341) led Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Vettel , Gutierrez, Button, and Massa as the top ten.

Knocked Out in Q1:
17. Valtteri Bottas
18. Pastor Maldonado
19. Charles Pic
20. Giedo van der Garde
21.Jules Bianchi
22. Max Chilton

Q2:
No one was as eager as Gutierrez in Q1 to get the fifteen minutes of Q2 going, with all the drivers still in the garage with two minutes gone in the session. Ricciardo left the garage first, with thirteen minutes to go. Raikkonen and Vergne followed nearly immediately. Most of the rest of the field joined them, barring the Red Bull drivers and Grosjean with ten minutes remaining. Most drivers went out on used options, but for Hamilton who began his session on a fresh set of tyres. Though Alonso went fastest (1:38.504), he had a sloppy lap with the Ferrari stepping out on him.

Just after halfway, Hamilton (1:37.824) took the lead over Rosberg, Alonso, Gutierrez, Massa, Hulkenberg, di Resta, Perez, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, and Sutil. They were the eleven drivers then to have set a time. Button soon popped up to sixth fastest while the drivers who had been sitting in the garage left, and those on the track beginning to trickle back into the garage.

Vergne, Vettel, Webber, and Grosjean had not set times with five minutes remaining. They, Ricciardo, and Sutil were then in the relegation zone. They sky had well cleared to allow the sun through and glisten on the few cars on the track. Webber went second fastest with three minutes to go, only to have his teammate drop him a place by going fastest overall (1:37.569). Grosjean went fifth on his hot lap, leaving di Resta, Perez, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Sutil, and Vernge in the knockout zone. Both Ferraris left the garage on fresh supersofts for a final run as the track continued to evolve.

Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg, and Grosjean all pitted, all in the top five, in the final seconds before the flag. Raikkonen went sixth fastest on his penultimate lap. Hulkenberg in the knockout zone looked set to post the fastest first sector. Alonso moved up to fourth despite his recalcitrant Ferrari, only to have Hulkenberg best him by a few hundredths. Button looked most dismal, sitting well down the order and only able to go twelfth fastest. Massa moved up to ninth, leaving Raikkonen safe.

Vettel (1:37.569) led Hamilton (1:37.824), Webber, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Massa, and Gutierrez off to fight for pole in Q3.

Knocked Out in Q2:
11. Sergio Perez
12. Jenson Button
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Adrian Sutil
15. Paul di Resta
16.Jean-Eric Vergne

Q3:
Webber and Rosberg immediately left their garages for the ten minutes of Q3, with Rosberg and Hamilton following. Vettel started the final qualifying session uncharacteristically early. Webber allowed Rosberg ahead on their out laps, besting the latter’s first sector time by a tenth. Webber (1:37.840) set the fastest lap in the early stages, with neither Hamilton nor Rosberg able to best it. Vettel, though, went more than two tenths faster than his teammate for provisional pole. After the first laps, Vettel led Webber, Hamilton, Grosjean, and Rosberg. The other five drivers participating in Q3 had not left their garages with less than five minutes remaining.

As per usual, no one began his final run until less than three minutes were left. Gutierrez was first out in the second half of Q3, with Raikkonen and Vettel the only men lingering in the garage. Vettel left nearly precisely on the two minute mark. Webber set the early S1 benchmark, though Alonso bested it further back on the circuit. Hulkenberg went quicker yet, though Vettel could not beat Hulkenber’s sector one time. No one seemed horribly quick through the second sector, as Rosberg could not improve beyond fifth. Webber aborted his lap with a slowish middle sector. Alonso went sixth, but Hamilton was able to break in to the front row.

He could not top Vettel (1:37.202), who cruised to yet another pole on the 2013 season. Raikkonen, much like Webber, suffered a slow middle sector and qualified only tenth fastest. Though Webber qualified third fastest, he will drop down the order ten positions after his third reprimand of the season after the race at Singapore. That moved Grosjean to third, with Rosberg next to him. Alonso and Massa, Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, and Raikkonen completed the fastest ten, though Perez would join them in starting on the fifth row.

Final Qualifying Times for the 2013 Korean Grand Prix:

  Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:37.202 13
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:37.420 16
3. Mark Webber Red Bull 1:37.464 13
4. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:37.531 14
5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:37.679 16
6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:38.038 17
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:38.223 16
8. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1:38.237 17
9. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:38.405 15
10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:38.822 17
11. Sergio Perez McLaren 1:38.362 14
12. Jenson Button McLaren 1:38.365 14
13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:38.417 14
14. Adrian Sutil Fore India 1:38.431 15
15. Paul di Resta Fore India 1:38.718 15
16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:38.781 13
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:39.470 8
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:39.987 8
19. Charles Pic Caterham 1:40.864 6
20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1:40.871 6
21. Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:41.169 6
22. Max Chilton Marussia 1:41.322 6

*will suffer 10 place grid penalty after 3rd reprimand of the season at Singapore

.

Pirelli / McLaren test in Austin denied

Earlier this season, Pirelli experienced tire issues that culminated in the British Grand Prix with blowouts prompting a new tire construction for the following weekend in Hungary. The Pirelli storm rose to a crescendo when it was revealed in Monaco that Mercedes had a private test with Pirelli and it was postulated that this test gave Mercedes an unfair advantage.

At the time, Pirelli motor sport boss Paul Hembery cautioned the Formula 1 world that if they made the changes for Hungary, it would play directly into Red Bull’s hands. Pirelli also argued for more testing with current spec F1 cars in order to perfect their tire construction and Austin was to be a location for another test but according to AUTOSPORT’s Jonathan Noble, that isn’t going to happen and Hembery is nonplussed about the decision:

“It is not ideal obviously – that is a bit of an understatement,” Hembery said. “We understand that there were some objections from a couple of teams, and that is part of the process to make sure that you don’t cross over any boundaries after the Mercedes test.

“That is why you have the process of approval and the reasons given. So we have to accept them and find another solution.”

There is little doubt that next year’s regulation changes and new turbo engine format as well as a new Energy Recovery System (ERS), the torque to the tires will change dramatically. Pirelli would like to start testing those 2014 compound constructions and McLaren were the team to help in Austin but that has now been denied by the FIA.

On one side of the equation you can see how running a full tire test ahead of the USGP in Austin could be construed as an unfair advantage. Spending hours pounding out laps at a circuit you will soon race it may provide some key details.

On the other hand, Pirelli do need testing and with current kit. McLaren are far off the pace this year and out of the championship hunt for the title so what’s the harm? However, if you are Force India and less than 10 points behind McLaren in the championship standing, it starts to make sense.

On an ending note, all the talk this week about Red Bull’s alleged traction control or blown exhaust system may fall short of the simple fact that Paul Hembery was right all along…the tire construction change has played into the teams hands and perhaps the engine mapping, Coanda exhaust and aerodynamic work have now found a tire construction that will work with the RB9.

.