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Issue No 128 MONDAY August 08, 2011

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ISSUE 128
EDITOR: ADAM HAY-NICHOLLS adam@hay-nicholls.com Assistant Editors Naoise Holohan, Kate Walker MotoGP Editor: Michael Scott michael@gpweek.com Rally Editor: Martin Holmes martin@gpweek.com Production Artist (Australia): Cedric Dufour, Asstistant: Callum Branagan Photography Sutton Motorsport Images www.sutton-images.com Keith Sutton keith@gpweek.com Publisher Chris Lambden publisher@gpweek.com
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Barrichello hints he may leave Williams

FOLLOWING the toughest start to a season in the teams illustrious history, Williams are at risk of losing their lead driver. Speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Brazilian racer Rubens Barrichello gave his clearest hint yet that he might not be with the British team once his current contract expires in 2012. Its an incredible situation, Barrichello told the newspaper. I dont know if I will continue next year in these conditions. In recent months we have brought too many aerodynamic parts, we could not test them completely and honestly you cant use a race for testing. We are confused; the team is shrouded in uncertainty. The Williams drivers comments were then underlined by an interview with Germanys Auto Motor und Sport, in which he complained of being more test driver than racer. I never once wanted to be a test driver, Barrichello said. Our car is cooking the rear tyres. The driveability of the engine is bad and in slippery conditions its critical. No matter what we do, we cant get the tyre problem to go away. We are bringing too many new parts to the car and are only confusing ourselves as the front end no longer fits to the rear.

>> F1 NEWS

Trulli critical of Hungary stewards

FOLLOWING an incident with Sauber driver Sergio Perez at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Team Lotus Jarno Trulli has used his column for Italian newspaper La Repubblica to launch an attack on the FIA. Trullis ire was directed at the stewards in Budapest, who failed to penalise Perez when the rookie driver jumped the chicane to reclaim track position. This time around its my turn to complain and tell the FIA off, despite my race ending almost immediately, Trulli wrote. At the start I already had to deal with three incidents ahead of me that pushed me to the back, then Perez arrived with his absurd behaviour and everything was over. He was strangely slow, more than my Lotus: I overtook him twice and to regain his position he cut the chicane. The rulebook is crystal clear, he had to move over and give the position back to me; instead he didnt care, he stayed ahead of me. He showed a rare kind of rudeness and a unique ignorance of the rules, but I wonder why the FIA did not take any measure. What is it there for? What was it looking at? I understand why a boy would shrug, but the stewards had to intervene. I could overtake him only in the slow sector but didnt manage

to anymore, he slowed me down and ruined my race before my engine threw a tantrum like at Silverstone and forced me to retire. My message is clear: there is only one rulebook and its the same for everyone: not just for the guys ahead, but also for the people at the back of the grid.

Short Straights
In an unusual cross-discipline pairing, McLaren will be helping the England rugby team with its pre-World Cup training regime. While the F1 team has limited rugby expertise (save FIA courtroom rucks), the focus of the joint endeavour will be on using McLarens data analysts to improve the teams training efforts. The physical and conditioning guys are working with McLaren and trying everything they can to get that little bit more data and feedback, said England rugby centre Mike Tindall. If we can continue to do that hopefully we will steal those half per cents. Were making sure we hit the ground running and a lot of the training has been more rugby based. In 2003 it was just hit the line - run, run, run. It has been a lot different. They are looking at all the data from the GPS and heart rate monitors, trying to predict when people are in a zone to get injuries. They also see when people are working to an optimum level and making sure they dont go over the edge of that.
n n Following a disappointing start to the season, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has taken heart from the Scuderias recent podiums and Silverstone victory. I can see the right spirit in the team after a very difficult start to the season, Montezemolo told the Ferrari website. [ Team principal Stefano] Domenicali and his crew seem very determined, concentrating fully on their tasks for the second part of the year which I am sure will feature Ferrari in the role of a key player. I expect we will pick up wins to add to the important and historically very significant victory achieved at Silverstone. n In a week that saw him widely criticized for his comments on the BBC-Sky F1 deal, Williams chairman Adam Parr has called for the 20-race Formula One calendar to be extended. I think the number of races can increase a little bit. We might have to look at the format of the weekend but we could do a couple more races, Parr told the media. There are ways of increasing revenues. Parrs unpopular UK broadcast comments called on fans to bear more of the financial burden of putting on F1s expensive show. We understand they will still be doing a full [highlights] broadcast at 6pm which actually for a lot of people is a better time than it is now, he said. The fundamental challenge is that Formula One is a very, very expensive show. It is not two blokes with a couple of tennis rackets and a pair of plimsolls, all of which was provided free. If you go to Cirque de Soleil and you see cutting edge performers in an amazing facility constantly updating the show it costs you 100 pounds for a good ticket, or you can go to your local circus with a couple of mangy elephants and a rather droopy clown and it costs you 10. People are capable of distinguishing.

Success of BBC/ Sky F1 deal in fans hands

Virgin CEO Graeme Lowdon

LoWdon:

AFTERSHOCKS from last weeks announcement that BBC and Sky would share F1 broadcasting rights from 2012 onwards continue to be felt. Many British fans are unwilling to pay a subscription fee to Rupert Murdochs satellite TV service, while others are simply unable to shoulder the burden of an extra 50 a month to follow the full Formula One season on Sky. In an interview with Autosport, Virgin Racing CEO Graeme Lowdon said the success of the deal was in the hands of the British fan, and that Skys own statements that the experience would be fabulous were somewhat premature. I think we are yet to see quite a lot of the detail and the detail is important, Lowdon told Autosport. I read in the Sky report that they are planning a fabulous experience for the fans and you have to welcome that kind of thing. But I think they also said thats good news for the fans, and I think,

with the greatest respect, that is up to the fans to determine. We wouldnt say whether is great for the fans. We have to wait for the fans to respond on that, and Im sure they will in this day and age. Lowdon was also concerned about the impact of the Sky deal on the coffers of Formula Ones less established teams. While some paddock sponsorship deals are older than your average driver, F1s three new teams all rely heavily on recently sourced external funding. We are yet to see what it will actually mean, but the vast majority of our revenue some 90 percent of our revenue comes from sponsors and partners, and they are very interested in ensuring that the fans enjoy the sport and are watching in maximum numbers. So its really quite clear. Other teams dont have that kind of split, but everything develops in Formula One and I think its pretty key to listen to what the fans want to see. We really have to see how it pans out.

>> F1 NEWS

Pirelli announce next tyre compounds

F1 tyre supplier Pirelli has announced the selection of tyre compounds available for the next three races on the calendar. In Spa and Monza, the Italian tyre manufacturer will be bringing the medium and soft compounds, while the Singapore Grand Prix will see softs and supersofts in use on track.

According to Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery, the choice of compounds was made to suit the individual characteristics of each circuit while providing fans with a variation in strategy. Were learning more and more with every race in our first year of Formula One, and fine-tuning our compound choices to benefit from the valuable information that we are accumulating, Hembery said. Weve got three of the most thrilling races on the entire calendar coming up, and we believe that weve arrived at some tyre nominations that are very well-suited to the characteristics of these very different but equally exciting circuits. Of course there will always be some unknown factors such as the weather but the choices we have made are designed to help teams maximise both their performance and their race strategy. The medium-soft combination has proved to be popular in Europe between Valencia and Monza, it has been used four times in six races.

Ecclestone denies Briatore linked to Gribkowsky affair

Below: Bernie Ecclestone (GBR) F1 Supremo, Dr Gerhard Gribkowsky (GER) the majority shareholder of SLEC Holdings and Flavio Briatore (ITA) Renault Team Principal. Formula One World Championship, Rd15, Italian Grand Prix, Race Day, Monza, Italy, 4 September 2005.

FORMER Renault F1 chief and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore has nothing to do with the Gribkowsky bribe case despite making a payment on Bernie Ecclestones behalf, the Formula One boss insists. The Gribkowsky bribe scandal centres on the assertion that German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky was paid 27 million by Ecclestone during the 2005 sale of Formula Ones commercial rights. Ecclestone admits to making the payment,

but has implied he was being extorted. Speaking to British tabloid the Daily Express, Ecclestone acknowledged that he had asked the Italian to make a payment to Gribkowsky on his behalf, but said that Briatore had absolutely nothing to do with the Gribkowsky affair. In no shape or form is Briatore involved in this, Ecclestone told the paper. He did make a payment for me but only because I asked him after this man Gribkowsky threatened to make trouble for me and

said he did not want the money paid direct from the UK. Briatore did me a favour and, far from being dragged into this, I told the German prosecutor about it. That is how his name has appeared. Ecclestone and Briatore have long been friends and business partners; the two men currently own the Queens Park Rangers Football Club and are rumoured to be interested in selling it to Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes.

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>> F1 NEWS

More rumours of a new Jersey Grand Prix

THE 2012 Austin Grand Prix will see Formula One return to the United States for the first time since 2007, but it is generally accepted that while one American Grand Prix is good, two would be infinitely better. Bernie Ecclestones dream location is somewhere within easy reach of New York City, preferably with the iconic Manhattan skyline looming over the cars. But Manhattan has no need for a race, and recent proposals in Staten Island and New Jersey have come to naught. Two New Jersey mayors hope to change that. The latest proposal is for a street track near the Hudson River, with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, and has been created by the mayors of Weehawken and West New York. Backing the proposal is a group of private investors led by 63-year-old former Le Mans and ALMS racer Leo Hindery Jr. According to a statement issued by Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner and West New York Mayor Felix Roque, In these uncertain economic times when every direct and indirect revenue source is vital, our own Formula One race could be a very positive boost to our citizens. This said, we need to ensure that the financial benefits from the privilege of having these races in our towns are equitably shared and that no tax dollars are used. The investor group has already told us that our towns would be substantially compensated annually. If this advances, we will make every effort to ensure that these events will be highly enjoyable for the people of our towns. The bid has no state funding currently associated with it. 63-year-old former Le Mans and ALMS racer Leo Hindery Jr. leads a group of private investors backing the proposal.

For your daily dose of Formula 1 news ...

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Bernie bashes electric pitlane safety

IF Bernie Ecclestone gets his way, the 2014 engine regulations published by the FIA last week will undergo some revision before they are finalized. The F1 supremo has safety concerns over former FIA President Max Mosleys proposal that F1 cars will run on electric power in the pitlane from 2014 onwards. According to Ecclestone, the silent cars mean people could be killed. Speaking to British tabloid the Daily Express, Ecclestone said Formula One is absolutely not the right place to have electric engines. Its like having ballet dancers with sneakers, he continued. More comfortable, but it doesnt work... Theres no way that it will be electric in the pit lane. People could be killed because they wont hear the cars coming. We cant blame Jean Todt because this was started by Max [Mosley], Ecclestone concluded. It was Maxs original idea. His idea is what is being promoted now.

Vits 30th birthday bash

VITANTONIO Liuzzi turned 30 on Friday and joined some fans in an on-track celebration in an Avezzano shopping centre.. Organized by Luca Dominici, Liuzzis personal sponsor, the event involved some indoor karting, cake and afterwards some spumante ...

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>> F1 NEWS

Pollock refers Simon criticism to FIA

ONE of the bigger stories in the Hungarian paddock last weekend was the news that former FIA director of power train and electronics Gilles Simon had joined engine manufacturers PURE as technical director. Because Simon was moving directly from his role with the FIA to a job at PURE, there were concerns among engine manufacturers that their rival would benefit from their new hires access to their business and technical plans. In an interview with Autosport, PURE boss Craig Pollock said he understood his rivals concerns, but directed all complaints to the FIA. They have not given business plans and they have not given all technical plans. I think that is a slight exaggeration, Pollock said. They have all been part of meetings that have been open discussions, and in the open discussions every manufacturer knows what the other manufacturer is doing. But I can understand them. If I was a chassis manufacturer, and I signed up Adrian Newey from Red Bull Racing, then I am sure there would be others who would not be very happy. I think the situation is a little bit like that. I had a long chat with Rob White [at a meeting with manufacturers in Hungary], and I purposefully pulled him out because he had made a statement in the FIA press conference. I can understand what he is saying, and I suggested Rob also discusses that directly with Gilles Simon. Rob has made it clear, however, that the problem does not lie with myself and PURE, the problem actually lies within the system and the FIA. If somebody wants to leave a position, then there are certain ways they can do that and it depends on the contract, Pollock concluded. Gilles was free to leave the FIA without any blockages, without any gardening leave and it was done all above board.

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Technical Update: Hungarian GP

Some teams brought refinements to Hungary; Ferrari turned up with a major development, as GPWEEK Technical Editor Paolo Filisetti explains
F1 arrived in Hungary with a technical situation, in terms of competitiveness of the top team cars, that inevitably would carry interesting developments. This was mainly because, as is pretty clear, even though Red Bull still lead both the drivers and constructors championships with an huge margin, McLaren and Ferrari are now in a technical position to match the Red Bulls for victories. This is clear to us but even more so to the Red Bull technical staff, who are not sleeping on their laurels, but instead are trying to speed up the development of the RB7, even with small refinements. Even if we cant consider it a major change, Red Bull tested, on Friday and then adopted a front wing configuration that partially is a refinement of the layout seen at Nurburgring. In particular it sports the same main profile, featuring a deeply curved inward profile, plus a double flap, which widely extends towards the centre of the wing. This solution is particularly effective in terms of downforce, paramount in Hungary, but as well is a solution that reduces the pitch sensitivity of the car in recent races, it was noticed by the teams engineer that a too high rate of pitch sensitivity could generate a higher rate of tyre wear with certain suspensions set ups. FerrarI and Mclaren put an huge effort in terms of development of their cars in the last month. Ferrari has kept pushing in terms of development, being able to bring a new aero package, both front and rear. On Friday the team tested a new front wing, sporting the double-decker winglets, similar to Red Bull ones. These new elements were adopted here, due to the high downforce demands of this track. The solution in fact was theoretically capable of increasing downforce at the front end, but on the other side it was clear this solution would make the front end of the car too sensitive and sharp at corner entrance, so for the race it was decided to adopt a more standard solution with a single additional winglet connected to the endplates. At the rear, instead, both Alonso and Massa tested a new rear wing in a back-to-back test with the configuration used previously for qualifying and the race in Germany. It has a curved main plane, where the previous one was straight, with only three gills in the endplate, and different positioning of the planes relative to the endplate . These elements, were adopted in a medium to high-downforce configuration, optimized for this track. This whole new wing assembly was originally conceived for Spa, where the new position of the profiles helps in terms of reducing the drag in the long straights of the Belgian track, even adopting medium high angles for the flap. All these small refinements, may appear just tiny things, but in reality, together with all the other changes, were capable of gaining more than one second in lap times. The car now is extremely reactive and, even more importanly, is sensitive to each change. The adoption of this wing demonstrates the acceleration in terms of development by Ferrari and its wish to keep pushing as hard as possible in the title fight.

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1

Dovi the fall-guy in Honda reshuffle

THE factory Repsol Honda team will revert to the normal two riders for next year and unsurprisingly the one to go will be current third wheel Andrea Dovizioso. In spite of improving performances, there simply isnt the room. But the Italian former 125 champion hopes to keep his career on track, with a new deal in the privateer LCR team, but with a factory-spec machine. This is the same semi-works status currently enjoyed by Marco Simoncelli in the San Carlo team. Team owner Lucio Cecchinello, whose patchwork-sponsored team is currently struggling with the troubled Toni Elias, has had talks with HRC vice-president Shuhei Nakamoto about the possibility of the machine upgrade. In turn this would save face for Honda, in disposing of a rider who hasnt done much wrong Dovi currently lies third overall. In an interview last week, Dovizioso summed up his progress: I have never been so strong in all races

as this year. So I am very happy with the job of the team and of the feeling of the bike, he said. But he accepted he was not a title contender. The level is very high. Lorenzo is having a great season, Casey is very strong and Dani, when he is in good form. It is really very difficult to try and beat them. I mean, beating all of them at the same time, because sometimes one and sometimes the other is in front, he said. In the same series of official interviews, HRC vice president and Repsol team boss Shuhei Nakamoto gave some rare criticism, albeit fairly mild, of his third rider, underlining his spare-part status in the team. Asked to comment on Dovis US GP race performance (he was narrowly beaten for fourth by Spies), Nakamoto described it as a bit of a disappointment. In the first half, Andrea used up all his energy keeping up with the lead group, and that cost him in the later laps, he said. His average time was within one or two tenths of the lead group, but he never managed to improve on it.

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>> Moto GP news

Stoner: Ive been riding hurt since Le Mans

CASEY Stoner has spoken out about how sundry problems have spoiled the first half of the season making it impossible to train to full fitness, and threatening to come back even stronger for the second part of the year. Since Le Mans [round four] Ive been sick or injured, and it was very difficult to find time to train, he said. Week after week, I did not improve too much. Its something we have suffered, but we had to compete and not think too much about it. His plans for the break had been just try to recover from my injuries and start training again, he said. It would be good to get back to the track in full form. The injuries began at round seven at Assen, with a huge high-side crash on cold tyres in free practice. Nothing was broken, but he was badly knocked about, aggravating an old shoulder injury and he made it worse with a highspeed high-sider in practice at the Sachsenring two races later. He wasnt expecting an easy second part of the season: The three of us Jorge, Dani and myself had the bad luck to coincide in a very difficult time, one of the toughest in history, in which it is most difficult to achieve victory, and it is certainly a great feeling, a deep emotion when you win, he said.

Yamaha Superbike pull-out will not have domino effect

IN the wake of Yamahas unexpected withdrawal from World Superbikes, Suzuki is expected to follow suit. But the Suzuki MotoGP effort is likely to survive the cull, according to Rizla Suzuki team manager Paul Denning though in a form not yet decided. The deadline for the factory decision on the future of the MotoGP team was the end of July but the date passed with no verdict: We expected to hear then, but things are still in process, said Denning this week. No news was good news, he believed; adding he was reluctant to push too hard for fear of triggering a negative response: Were treading that line, he said. One way or another, I believe Suzuki will remain involved in MotoGP next season, although what it entails is not clear yet. One possible (even likely) solution is that Suzuki will continue to run their current 800cc machine, as permitted by the rules, in the interests of maintaining a foothold at the highest level of racing. Suzuki has done a reasonable job with this motorbike, said Denning, adding it was important to keep a presence in MotoGP. The reality of coming back after leaving for a couple of years is very difficult. The future of the factory-backed Superbike team was not so certain, however. Suzuki is expected to follow Yamaha and last year Ducati in withdrawing direct support. Honda already has a similar hands-off policy, operating through Netherlands dealer Ten Kate. But Denning did not fear a domino effect in MotoGP: Thats been the manufacturers view of World Superbikes for some time: that it should be operated through importer or dealer rather than factory teams. Yamaha announced its decision last week, citing falling bike sales as the reason for a full strategic review of marketing operations in Europe. The axe fell on the team that took Ben Spies to the championship in 2009, leaving riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty as well as team personnel looking for jobs for next year. Racing kit parts will still be available for Superbike and Supersport class Yamahas. Ironically, the pull-out comes as the company is celebrating 50 years of World Championship racing.

Suzuki stay of execution

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HIGH SIDES
n Total GP numbers could be back well over 100 next year, if Dornas plans go right. CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta hopes to cut Moto2 from 40 to 36 next year, with the new Moto3 also having a 36-strong grid. Ezpeleta hopes for a 24-strong MotoGP grid next year, if the proposed Claiming Rule Teams all show up. IRTA is hoping for a 26-strong grid. n John Hopkins is a busy man, with six races in three different classes in the space of three weekends. Hopkins had two races in World Superbikes at Silverstone (fifth and seventh), and the next weekend a triple-header at Brands Hatch in the British Superbike series (fourth, third and second). Next weekend he is back on the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP bike for the Czech Republic GP. n The marketing of a superstar: the first dedicated VR46 shop selling only Rossi merchandise opened last week in his home town in Tavullia. Look for an outlet in an international airport near you one day soon. n Nicky Hayden got a preview of the fully resurfaced Indy track last week, riding a Ducati 1198 street bike. It was enough to give thumbs up to the formerly bump-ridden infield repave (The riders are gonna be happy with it.), but (he insisted) not to gain any advantage. I did maybe 25 laps, some with an onboard camera. It was more for show really. Indy is his home circuit, a few hours drive from Owensboro, Kentucky. n An extensive spill of diesel and oil over the circuit forced cancellation of last weekends Antrim 150, penultimate round of the Irish Road Racing Championship. It proved impossible to clean in time, and the meeting was called off. It looks like it was malicious, said the Clerk of the Course, but Ive no evidence to prove that.

rumours of rossi bail-out sweep Italy

Ducati denies chasing Simoncelli as replacement
IT may be the silly season, with racing on holiday but rumours emanating from well-placed sources in Italy are gathering strength: that Rossi is set to abandon his ill-fated attempt at winning on the Ducati, and has approached Honda for an independent entry for 2012. The scenario sees a job swap for Rossi and Simoncelli, with the multiple champion on a factory Honda in the Gresini team, and the younger rider seen in Italy as their next MotoGP megastar switching to the Marlboro Ducati red. The quoted source for the Rossi rumours in the Italian magazine Motociclismo was Carlo Pernat, Simoncellis almost equally colourful manager. Since then, confirmation has come from another source close to the Gresini team. This assumes Honda would welcome Rossi back, after he left them with some bad feeling at the end of 2003; and also that Ducati would release Rossi from his two-year contract, although there would be little advantage to the company to enforce it. It seems unlikely, but so too did rumours that Eddie Lawson was to leave Yamaha for Honda in 1989. He did so, and won his fourth title on a Honda. Ducati has denied approaching Simoncelli, pointing out that Rossi and Hayden are already contracted for 2012. But another report said that Simoncelli had been approached, and that he had asked Honda for a counter-offer by the next weekend, at the Czech Republic GP at Brno.

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>> Moto GP news

The death of a Legend

Vale: Gary nixon

INTERNATIONAL racing is mourning the death last week of Gary Nixon, one of its most colourful characters, and a pioneer of the US invasion of grand prix racing. Nixons career spanned US dirt track and the cross-over years, when road racing became a more important part of American National Championship racing. In 1967, riding for Triumph, he not only won the Daytona 200 road race but also the Grand National dirt-track title. Six year later he rode a Kawasaki to win the US Road Racing title; and in 1976 was claimant to the FIM F750 title, though a scoring muddle in Venezuela and subsequent FIM judgement gave the crown to Spaniard Victor Palomo. Nixon was earmarked to join Barry Sheene in the GP Suzuki squad, but was ruled out after he was injured in a crash while testing the grand prix machine. The two were firm friends. Sheene called him Knickers, and always raced with a Gary Nixon T-shirt under his leathers. Joining with lots of fond tributes was the last US World Champion Nicky Hayden, who recalled good advice, early in his dirt-track career. He was always somebody you looked up to. One time when I

bumped someone at a dirt-track, he told me: Make sure you hit him in front of the footrest. Dont hit their swing-arm, because youre the one probably gonna crash. If you got to move him out the way get in front of that footpeg and give him a nudge if you have to. Nixon, still an occasional MotoGP visitor, was 70. He suffered a heart attack on July 29, and succumbed to complications on August 5.

Motegi could be key to the title

WHEN the paddock circus reassembles at Brno on Thursday, it is to embark on the second run of eight races. And with the title battle still poised and a lot of hard miles to cover, it could still go either way. Stoner started the season with a clear advantage, and still holds the high ground technically. But the margin has shrunk, and his Repsol Honda is just 20 points clear of his deadly consistent rival Lorenzos Yamaha. A single non-finish could tip the balance in the Spaniards favour. Stoner has a slight advantage also in engines. He has only taken three out of his allocation of six, and one of them has yet to be used in a race. Lorenzo lost one in a crash

Stoner or Lorenzo: the second-half is the decider

at Le Mans, and has only two fresh engines remaining to complete the season. It should be enough, but any further mishaps could cost him dearly. Most interesting is that both riders have publicly pledged not to race at the rescheduled Japanese GP, at Motegi on October 2. Will one or both change his mind? The season runs on through three races in Europe: Czech Republic, San Marino and Aragon, with a quick trip to Indianapolis after the first of them. Then serious travelling beings: Japan, Australia and Malaysia, before the final round at Valencia on November 6.
The world of MoTorsporT direcTly To your deskTo p

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5 MINUTES WITH ...

Daniel Ricciardo
Three races into his surprise F1 debut, with HRT, 22 year-old Aussie Daniel Ricciardo is aiming high as he heads into the second half of the season
What did you know about HRT before you joined the team? Not much. I didnt really know any of the personnel, everybody was new to me. I spent last year with Red Bull and a bit of this year with Toro Rosso so I was quite enclosed with them and therefore didnt really know many other people in F1. Coming here was a new experience and my knowledge of the team was very limited. How has the team welcomed you? They were really nice and helpful. Silverstone wasnt going to be easy but they made it as easy as they could for me. There was no tension and they let me build into it, everybody was welcoming. I noticed that last year there were a few driver changes so I guess they were used to having a new driver in the car. They made it easy for me which was very nice. What advice have Colin Kolles and Geoff Willis given you? I have spoken with Colin a bit but havent had the chance to spend too much time with Geoff yet. They have been pretty helpful, straightforward but also realistic on what is expected. For the first few races they have just let me build into it and not put too much pressure on me. They have said it will come. Ive had some good results in junior categories and I guess they have faith in me that, sooner or later, I will be on the pace and where they expect me to be: getting some good results for the team. They havent put any real pressure on for now which I think is nice. But I also think the team expects some improvement now for the second half of the season. It is a good level of pressure, nothing I cant handle, but I also ask a lot of myself. How would you describe your driving style and what are your first impressions of the F111? I like high-speed corners but with the F111 it is taking a little time to build up to that. Tonio has been quicker in the high-speed sectors in the first few races. That is a part that normally I am strong at so I expect to get better. As for the rest, I am quite a smooth driver and not too erratic; I think I drive with quite a lot of finesse. I guess that is what has got me here. Now I have to find a little bit more and be different from the others and, hopefully, better than them. Tonio Liuzzi achieved the teams best ever result in Canada. Will he be tough to beat? I think the result in Canada was really good, Tonio has proved he is a very capable driver and I think he will be tough to beat. In Silverstone I was quite off his pace. I knew it would take a bit of time but you always want a bit more. But it was very clear to me that I have a strong teammate. It is going to take my best efforts to really try and get in front of him and to push for a personal best result for the team. I dont think it is going to come through luck; its just going to be hard work for now. I really have to soak in as much information as I can to try and become the driver I want to be and, hopefully, the one who maybe gets a personal best result for HRT one day. This year you have driven in World Series by Renault, been test driver at Toro Rosso and now racing with HRT, quite an impressive CV for a 22 year old. What are the difficulties in adapting to each category and which are the differences between one car and another? It has been a very busy year for me racing in World Series, spending some Fridays with Toro Rosso, testing the Red Bull at the end of last year and now HRT. I actually see it as quite a privilege to have driven so many cars already at the age of 22! It is not easy to adapt to a new car, but having jumped around in them quite a bit this year has helped me out a lot. In World Series everything is a bit slower than F1. But each time I sit in the car, whether it is World Series or F1, once I am in the cockpit I am mentally prepared for what the car is. I dont have to physically drive it to remember what it is doing. What did your friends and family say when they found out you would be racing in F1 with HRT? I had lots of calls, messages and emails. I answered about five percent of them; I was quite overwhelmed. In one day I had about 200 messages! I managed to read them all but I havent got around yet to replying to all of them. It was awesome. For my family it was quite emotional because it has always been a dream of mine to be in Formula 1. For them, to see it come true was quite a special feeling. I called my sister in Australia and she flew over for the race, so it was all very emotional. What is your main objective for the second half of the season? The target is to continue learning. I think that will come with time in the car. If I could manage to sneak out a personal best result or edge out Tonio and the Virgins in a few races that would be a strong result. I have to aim high because it is only going to help me for the future. I think that for the last few races of the year I can really start to push and aim for it. What are your plans for the summer break? I have a few PR events in Austria and Italy that I have to attend to. Maybe I will just have five days off and, honestly, I will probably spend those days training. With all the travelling it is quite hard getting in the gym and doing what is required. So I think it wont be much of a holiday.

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F1 CHAT

21

Something to say? Email us at mail@gpweek.com

Email us

The Sky's the limit 2 ... Re Adam Hay-Nicholls opinion: If you're a committed F1 fan you're not going to give up watching every race live, are you? I'm sorry Adam but I've been a committed F1 fan for over 20 years and have rarely missed a race in that time but I simply cannot afford 40 per month to get Sky Sports. I think you got that point wrong and assumed commitment is the same as actually being able. I earn 17,000 a year and am starting a family and F1 is the only sport I follow with considerable interest. I simply don't have the money to buy a sports package or spend 600 per year so I can watch 10 races live. I feel the BBC and FOM have let the British fans down hugely here with offering highlights to an event which only maintains excitement if its watched live. We'll have to wait and see what affect this has on the viewing figures and with estimations at this point of only up to 2 million viewers tuning in from Sky, I think we could see F1 returning to the BBC full time sooner than we think. Henry Street, UK henry.street@gmail.com I've never paid for tv apart from my license fee and I never will. Goodbye to half the GP season. I may well not bother to watch the 1/2 season that will be available. It will be like picking up the knife & fork, only to find I have to pay extra for the food. Gordon Hick, Pen-Pedair-Heol. furryspyder@talktalk.net I can't see how the move to Sky will increase viewers, given that everyone with Sky already has BBC1. The casual viewer, who likes F1 enough to watch when they are in the house at the same time as a race, will not take out a Sky or Sky Sports subscription, and those with the sports subscription already will have likely have bought it for the premiership football; a sport which will clash with many of the circuits. Is Sky really going to win over these, if BBC couldn't? Thanks again for a great (FREE!) mag.. Steve Hopkins shufton@gmail.com I wish the British public would stop whining. The only way we can watch F1 here in New Zealand is by way of Sky (pay)TV. Not only that, we have to stay up till way after midnight and often end up going to bed at 2:00am only to then get up 4 hours later to go to work on Monday morning. And this we do regularly every fortnight. Get over yourselves and stop moaning. Your making yourselves look bad. Dave Crook, Hamilton, New Zealand David.Crook@hcc.govt.nz 

F1s Summer pi
opinion

ADAM HAYNICHOLLS
GPWeek Editor

Thank goodness for the MotoGP in Brno next weekend and the Rally Deutschland the following week because otherwise GPWEEK would be clutching at editorial straws. Formula One is, of course, in hibernation and little news of note will emerge before the crews arrive in Belgium at the end of the month. Most of the paddock is lying on a beach somewhere. I, on the other hand, have chosen to spend my holiday at home with some improving books and a fridge full of beer. We spend so little time at home it staggers me that my fellow F1 gang would volunteer to get on yet another plane and stay in yet another hotel, but there you go. Yesterday I cleared out my mailbox for the first time since March. Havent opened the mail, you understand

thats Decembers job. I also vacuumed for the first time in six months. The rugs in Tutankhamuns tomb were dust free in comparison. Still, this time off is wholly necessary to recharge the batteries and stare down the remaining eight races of this very long year. The F1 circus is rather like a boarding school, where we work at adjacent desks, share bedrooms, mealtimes, and incur regular punishments. We live on top of each other, and by the end of July people start to crack. Colleagues begin to rub each other up the wrong way. In Budapest at least two fights broke out between usually civilized chaps; in one instance crew members of a top team and in the other photographers although you expect that from those monkeys (and I say that affectionately!). Time apart is time well served. It gives us the chance to pause and look back on the season so far and where it might be heading. The last three races have been absolutely fascinating because it is clear

Is the Factory er
MICHAEL SCOtt
MotoGP Editor
It is probably possible to overestimate the importance of the news that Yamaha is to pull out of World Superbikes at the end of this year. The company cites poor trading conditions and tumbling sales. To which the only comment can be: And how. But it is worth bearing in mind it is not the first time factory support has been pulled from the second series. Indeed, it is not the first time this year: Ducati withdrew their factory support for 2011 and Ducatimounted Carlos Checa is running away with the prizes. In Superbikes, factory support has always been a bit variable, coming and going over the years at least in terms of official factory teams, although factory race department support has tended to stay on, under the counter. At one stage in the 1990s, all the Japanese factories withdrew en masse in protest

opinion

>> GPWEEK OPINION

it-stop
that Red Bulls advantage has disappeared. In qualifying they are still the standard, but in race trim theyve looked compromised all season and now McLaren and Ferrari have, if anything, edged ahead. Its odd to think that Sebastian Vettel has been winless since Valencia. McLaren were exceptional in the last two rounds. Show Ferrari some warmer tarmac than it found in Germany and Hungary and we will see Alonso on the top step again as he was at Silverstone. But Red Bull can relax because the opposition is sharing the spoils. The fact that two teams and three drivers have emerged as rivals simply dissipates the pressure. They all take points off each other and, in the end probably before actually Red Bull and Vettel will seal the double. The championship has been reinvigorated with stiffer competition but the conclusion seems as decided as ever. It is telling that Vettels poor races still yield podiums, which is why we could be just a handful of races away before the coronation. I feel shattered just thinking of eight more race weekends. I say cut the calendar short once the titles are won. My postman would appreciate it.

ra over?
against technical regulation changes. Only for all to filter back again. But nor should the significance of this unexpected withdrawal be underestimated. Suzuki is also on the brink of doing the same thing, decision expected imminently. And in Suzukis case, they are equally as likely to pull out of grand prix racing as well. You have to ask: will the same domino effect take out Yamahas factory MotoGP team? And you have to wonder also about Ducati. Currently they are catching cold, and the virus is their unique chassisless chassis. But the factory uses this same design for its latest road bikes. Is this proof that the lessons of racing are no longer relevant to real-world engineering? Would this be enough for Ducati to drop GP racing? Kawasaki and Aprilia having already departed, this would leave just Honda. And a grid-full of much slower CRT privateer bikes. It would be a bit like the 1970s, when MV Agusta won everything, and the rest of the privateers thudded around on their singles and twins, racing amongst themselves, up to a lap behind. Some think that would be no bad thing. Harking back also to a time when grids were swelled to bursting by 351 private Yamahas. Trouble is, times have changed both technically and sportingly. Modern GP bikes are no longer suitable for back-ofthe-van preparation; riders nowadays need to have started racing before they turned 11. You cant just jump on and have a go any more, relying on talent alone. Dorna sought co-operation from the factories in cutting costs, and failed to find it. Since then, the CRT policy has brought them into direct opposition with the factories, and with a clear idea of being able to survive without them. The way things are going, they might have to do that thing.

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THE HUNGARIAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

Ferenc Szisz, a locksmith and railway engineer, left his homeland to take a factory job with Renault. Six years later he made history by becoming the first grand prix winner. Adam HayNicholls reflects upon the life and times of a Hungarian hero.



>> FEATURE >> F1 FEATURE

Far Left: Portrait of the Hungarian hero, Feremc Szisz. Left: Statue of the great man outside of the Hungaroring. Above: Szisz racing his Renault at the 1906 Grand Prix.

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he lead drivers eyes were on fire. With an ambient temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius, the freshly laid tarmac of the Circuit de la Sarthe was melting, and the hot gooey black surface was being flicked from the front wheels of Ferenc Szisz Renault onto the exposed skin and into the eyes of Szisz and his onboard mechanic, Marteau. The date was June 26, 1906 and 32 cars were fighting the conditions to become the glorious victor of the worlds first grand prix race. The stinging would worsen every time Szisz and Marteau lapped a fellow competitor, which occurred at least 30 times during the race. The narrow wheels of the car in front compounded what was already a serious and potentially raceending vision problem. With our short wheelbase we had the front wheels virtually in front of our eyes and suffered awfully, wrote Szisz. My hour of desperation came late on

the first day. At five that evening my eyes were so inflamed I couldnt see anything. A thick fog seemed to have descended before me. It was like a plague for the eyes. Team principal, Louis Renault, was himself distressed and rummaging through his pit garage finding the necessary implements two sets of new safety glasses and a sewing kit. He cut face masks to fit around the goggles, and presented them to Szisz and his mechanic when car number 3A next swung into the pits. Tears were streaming from his eyes as Ferenc gratefully took the impromptu equipment. He was four hours into the race and there was a long way to go. But the 32-year-old from Szeghalom was leading and nothing was going to stop him, no matter the agony: To have been the victor on the first day and then perhaps on the second to have to watch another winning? Inconceivable! The triangular course along 103km

of public roads took place to the east of Le Mans. The 12-lap race was split over two days and would total 1236km of bone-rattling racing. A crowd of 180,000 had flocked to the event, many of the spectators belonging to Parisian high society. Because of the extreme heat, it was decided that the race would commence at 6am under cooler conditions. The cars were started at 90-second intervals, and by lap 3 Szisz Renault AK90CV, which had started third, had seized a lead it would never surrender. The 1000kg Renault, propelled by a 105hp 13-litre engine, was clocked at a top speed of 149km/h as it charged across the start/finish line and after two grueling days of competition had set an average speed of 101.20km/h. Ferenc Szisz was not only Renaults top driver, he was also their chief test and development engineer. He had taken a job at the Renault brothers BoulogneBillancourt workshop in Paris in 1900,



>> F1 FEATURE
starting out as an unknown mechanic. Ferenc was fascinated by the motorcar, having originally worked as a railway engineer in his native Austro-Hungary and also as a coppersmith and locksmith. The second youngest of seven children, he was drafted into military service and left the Theiss lowlands to join a cavalry regiment stationed on the Russian-Galizian border. After service he returned to Budapest to work as a tyre fitter but was, by his own admission, erratic and restless. He took jobs in the wagon and automotive factories in Prague, Brunn, Graz and Munich before finally arriving in Paris on June 22, 1899, an epicenter of car production at that time. Or so he thought. I admit that my first impression wasnt exactly one of splendour. Hitherto Id only worked in large establishments and the Renault factory in those days was a simple wooden shack. I just couldnt take the company seriously. Szisz was certain he would quit within a week, but that was before he met Louis Renault. Monsieur Renault was impressed by the proactive nature of this particular employee. Szisz was found to be capable of complex tasks and responsibilities, and was invited to work on the cars competing in the Paris-Bordeaux and Paris-Berlin races of 1901. Renault recognized the marketing value of motor racing and the marque became dominant in these early city-tocity races. For the Paris-Vienna race of 1902 Louis Renault entered, and there was room for a riding mechanic. Szisz was selected. I could speak German and, as the route took in my homeland, he brought me with him. Thus I emerged from the workshop onto the race track. Victory wasnt theirs. It was Louis brother, Marcel, who tasted champagne that day. But Ferenc had impressed Louis when, following a collision, he repaired a broken wheel by carving rough spokes from lumps of wood at the roadside, and the pair were able to continue. Tragedy occurred in the 1903 ParisMadrid race with the death of Marcel Renault. The company shut down its motor racing campaign for two years, concentrating solely on road car production. In 1905 the decision was taken to return to competition, and Louis appointed Ferenc to drive. Entered under the name Franois Szisz, his car overheated during qualifying for the Gordon Bennett Trophy of 1905, but later that summer he finished fifth in New Yorks Vanderbilt Cup. The inaugural Grand Prix was his third ever race. I was full of confidence. I knew that I wouldnt find worse roads in the Sarthe than those in the Auvergne or in the race from Paris to Vienna. But despite his bravado, Szisz had problems from the start. A spark plug needed replacing and, by the end of the first lap, one tyre had split. Szisz suffered 19 punctures in the course of the race, but this was where Renault had an advantage, thanks to Michelin and their detachable rim. The rims were heavy, but allowed new wheels with pre-inflated tyres to be fitted within two minutes, against the five to 15 minutes it took to replace and inflate standard wheels. At the end of the first day, each car was impounded in parc ferme and then dragged to the start line by horses at sunrise. Britains Motor magazine wrote at the time: We have all come to regard today as being devoted to the weeding-out process, whilst the morrow is to find the winner. The 17 cars still in the grand prix left the line at precisely the same intervals that they had finished the day before. Such was Szisz advantage that by the time he finished his first lap, taking 53 minutes, 11 cars were still waiting to set off. The heat was, again, taking casualties. Medical staff had to deal with 300 cases of sunstroke in the grandstands, and one of the other Renault works drivers, known only by the name Edmond, had severe problems down in 13th place. With the tarmac crumbing due to the temperature, his goggles were shattered by a stone and glass pierced his eye. He tried to continue, the pain almost unbearable as dust and fresh tar blew into his torn cornea. When he pitted the team rubbed lotion into his eyes and even administered a shot of cocaine to overcome his discomfort, but he was forced to retire. Only 11 cars finished the grand prix, and Ferenc was the first to do so in 12 hours, 14 minutes and seven seconds, 32 minutes ahead of Fiats Felice Nazzaro. A bugle call was sounded as the red Renault came into view over the crest a mile away, as team members and spectators rushed to the edge of the track in celebration. The Hungarian was granted French citizenship for his services to racing, along with an enormous cash prize of 45,000 Francs. It was 80 years before Hungary would host its very own grand prix, but when Formula One came to the country, the Hungaroring was dedicated in Ferenc Szisz honour, and its first corner bares the name of grand prix racings first victor.

THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION

n 1873 Ferenc Szisz is born on September 20, in Szeghalom, Hungary. n1898 Louis, Fernand and Marcel Renault establish their motor company. n 1899 Szisz arrives in Paris on June 22, initially working for a manufacturer of timepieces. n 1900 Szisz becomes a Renault technician on May 1. n 1902 Szisz is selected as riding mechanic to Louis Renault. n 1903 Marcel Renault dies during the Paris-Madrid race. Renault pull out of motorsport. n 1905 Renault return to racing. Szisz is promoted to driver, and competes in the Gordon Bennett Trophy at the Circuit dAuvergne in Clermont-Ferrand, and the Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island, New York. n 1906 Szisz makes history by winning the inaugural French Grand Prix. n 1907 Szisz comes second to Nazzaro in the second French Grand Prix. n 1908 Szisz retires from the French Grand Prix. n 1909 Szisz leaves Renault to open his own garage in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. n 1914 Szisz comes out of retirement to race an Alda in the French Grand Prix at Lyon. He is honoured with the number one designation on his vehicle, but is clipped by another car changing a wheel and suffers a broken arm. The Great War is declared and Szisz joins the French army, serving as head of the transport troops in Algeria until being hospitalized with typhoid fever. n 1918 Discharged from the army, Szisz goes to work for the aircraft manufacturer, Breugeot. n 1944 Szisz dies at home in Auffargis, 40km south-west of Paris, and is buried in the village cemetery.

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ROSSIS HISTORY LESSON ...

... brings cold comfort to ducati

The history of rider switches from brand to brand is peppered with success and failure. Can Valentino Rossi gain some confidence from those who succeeded? Michael Scott provides the background
ALENTINO Rossis struggles on the Ducati have highlighted the difficulties for a rider changing machines. Suddenly things you take for granted dont work the same way anymore. It seems particularly so with the Ducati. Last year Stoner could win races on it. This year, with no big changes to the technical landscape, Rossis natural position is at the lower end of the top six. Its clear he is minimising his short-term risks while looking at the long term. How Ducati will respond to his requirements is a fascinating story for the near future. All racing is agog to see if the traditionally independent-minded company will swallow its pride and embrace a safer and more conventional approach to chassis design. Or will chief designer and Ducati director Filippo Preziosi continue to developing his future-friendly stressed-engine/carbon air-box approach. One can only imagine the pressure on the engineer from the rider. Now Rossi can take comfort by looking back (he is a great fan of racing history) at the turncoats of the past, who have conquered the problems and won championships on two different makes of motorcycle. And point out the lessons to be learned from history. He needs something to change, if he is to succeed with Ducati, and become the first ever to win on three different makes. Less comforting is the knowledge that not even the legendary Mike Hailwood could succeed when he switched from MV Agusta to Honda, in the 500 class. Hailwoods undefeatable rival was Giacomo Agostini, on the MV that



>> MOTOGP FEATURE

2

Mike the Bike had left behind. Today, Jorge Lorenzo fills the same role in Valentinos world. Stoner and Pedrosa on the Hondas are an added complication, making the task still harder. Not to mention Ben Spies. The first rider to win the title on different bikes was the first household name in motorbike racing, long before the term superstar had been dreamed up. Geoff Duke was debonair and personable. And a very serious racer. It was Duke who introduced skin-tight one-piece leathers: an aerodynamic advantage over the flapping belted garb worn by his rivals. Duke had humbled the multi-cylinder Italian opposition with a series of stylish onthe-limit rides on the slow but lithe singlecylinder Manx Norton in 1951. In 1952 though the four-cylinder Gileras and MV Agustas plus two AJS twins were ahead of him. Norton werent developing anything to improve the situation, he told me. He switched to the four-cylinder Gilera, and

managed to persuade them to adopt the Norton Featherbed twin-loop chassis style a factor Ducati engineers might like to remember. He was pretty much invincible from 1953 to 1955. The feat proved unrepeatable for two decades, in spite of Hailwoods best efforts on the Honda in the late 1960s. Funnily enough, he also had to prevail over that companys engineers for a very similar chassis redesign: he had his twin-loop chassis built in Britain for the factory four-cylinder. The next one was Giacomo Agostini. Dominant on the MV Agusta 500 for seven straight years, he too had seen the writing on the wall. Two-strokes were going to take over. They already had in the smaller classes, and when Jarno Saarinen joined the 500 class on the new factory Yamaha stroker in 1973, he was unbeatable. Tragically, he was killed in a Monza 250 horror crash early in the season, and Yamaha withdrew, giving

MV Agusta one more chance. So Ago quit MV, whose corporate affections were now shared with 1972/3 champion Phil Read, and moved to Yamaha ... and in 1974 became the first two-stroke World Champion, as well as the second to succeed on two different makes. Fast forward to the 1980s. Since 1984 Eddie Lawson had exchanged the title year by year, the Californian on a Yamaha, Hondas ridden first by Freddie Spencer and then Wayne Gardner, Australias first 500cc champion. Then, for 1989 the defending champion made a sensational switch ... to Honda. In a year of prolonged tension, Eddie managed to prevail over new Yamaha rival Wayne Rainey. To do so, working independently from the factory with Spencers old tech-guru Erv Kanemoto, Lawson and his crew ... modified the chassis. The technology was cruder in those days, and chassis flex still a development for the

30

>> MOTOGP FEATURE

future. Kanemoto simply welded another section on top of the existing extruded twinbeam chassis, and made a bike that could beat the official factory machines. Lawson was the first to do it back-toback on different bikes. There has been only one other two-makes champion, and he achieved the same feat. It was of course Valentino Rossi, when he switched from Honda to Yamaha in 2004. He will not repeat it with Ducati: his eyes must now be on next year. He will surely not be unaware of the similarities of his current situation to those of his predecessors in this elite category. The response was common: to change the chassis. Which is just what he wants to do with the Ducati. Either that, or do what Lawson did: to acquire a full factory Honda along with the independence to develop it on his own. Which is exactly what the rumour mill is grinding out back home in Italy right now.

Left and above: Rossis Ducati time has yet to provide a victory but there has beena podium. Right: Ago and Vale Below: Its Yamaha versus Honda so far in 2011 ...

1

T J

o win a rally is quite an occasion, to win more than one a distinction, to be a serial winner marks you down as a major achiever. We will pass over Mr Loeb, however brilliant have been his performances this year in running first car on dry gravel rallies, because his record is slipping. Three WRC wins out of eight this year makes only a 37% success rate, falling below his overall career record of 45 percent! ... Three rally drivers you may not know so much about have put themselves into the serial winning category in the first part of the 2011 international calendar. Lets meet the people who. In our view, are the three top serial winners this year uho Hanninen is impressive not only as a serial winner but also as a cross-over winner in different scenarios. Currently leading both the IRC and also the FIAs world championship of the SWRC series, he has won three individual IRC events (Canarias, Ukraine and Azores) and the last two rounds of the SWRC (Acropolis and Finland). 2011 is Juhos 12th season in rallying and reliability is his hallmark. After a series of successes at home in Finland he

Serial Achievers
H
ayden Paddon has won the last three rounds of the PCWRC held so far in 2011 and is handsomely leading the series, with 50 percent more points than his nearest challenger who has entered four rounds.

entered the wider world in 2006 and a dramatic story unfolded. Juho in fact is a specialist in special stories. He was excluded from a world championship rally three times within a 12 month period, painful experiences, one of which happened on his home event. In 2008, he and his co-driver had an extraordinary accident when they escaped unharmed in a mighty off-road crash, when sitting in the cab of a rescue breakdown vehicle which was bringing their stricken rally car back to service! Skoda people tell the story how they first met Juho. Their executive was travelling to Finland to enquire about possible Finnish drivers who might like to drive their cars. Juho was recommended by a fellow passenger who turned out to be close friend of Juhos sister! Just a little larger than life that is an important ingredient in an achiever!

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>> WRC FEATURE

Okay, we all know about Sebastien Loeb but there are others around the world of rallying achieving on a regular basis. Martin Holmes looks at three of them
Paddon is one of the most successful New Zealand drivers yet seen in the WRC, and he does not simply jump on a plane in Auckland whenever he travels. His home is Geraldine, one of the most southerly towns in the country, 900km from Auckland, far further south than any WRC driver, ever. 24 year-old Paddon started young. He had his first go-kart, fitted with a chainsaw engine, at the age of eight, his first car at 13, his first rally and his first high speed crash at the age of 15 in a Mini without a rollcage. He was NZs youngest rally champion at 21, an FIA Asia-Pacific Cup title holder, at 22. The Pirelli Star Driver scheme gave him an insight into world championship rallying in 2010 when he was 23, and the move to driving a Subaru in 2011 has marked him as a major player in the sport today. A never-ending stream of excellence, with many others waiting to show their true potential. Kaur started his motorsport career at the age of 15, in an ice truck race, and the following year he won his first event, a SuperKross race. In 2004 he made his rally debut in a Lada Samara, the same type of car as Markko Martin started his career. In 2007 Kaur was invited by Martin to join his Junior rally team and move from his two-wheel-drive Renault Clio to a four-wheel-drive Subaru. Estonian national championship rallying had by now achieved competitive levels. In 2009 Kaur was only beaten on the final round by Tanak, and in 2010 Kaur won the Group N title. What followed then was the most defining step in his career. Not only was he accepted as one of the sponsored drivers in the WRC Academy category for 2011 but he was chosen as a student in the multi-sport FIA Academy itself. It has shown me my strengths and weaknesses and where I have to work. The smooth driving on asphalt needs to be worked on, but I think the chance to sit next to somebody who is really fast is going to help me to learn a lot. Three victories have been an immediate consequence. The dominant men line up left to right. First Left: Juho Hanninen decimates his brethren in both the IRC and SWRC. Second Left: Egon Kaur hopes to follow in the rallying tracks of his countryman and ex-works Ford runner, Markko Martin. Left: New Zealander Hayden Paddon has left his rural home to shine on the big stage in the PWRC.

inally, Egon Kaur. It seems extraordinary that such a small country as Estonia (less than two million people which has never hosted a major championship rally) has produced such a wealth of driving talent. This started with Markko Martin in the early 2000s through Urmo Aava, Ott Tanak, Karl Kruuda and now Kaur.



his week we had hoped to tell you about the IRCs midseason event in Madeira, but it didnt work out like that. The event, which is still a major round of the FIAs European rally series, withdrew from the IRC series, leaving IRC competitors with a six week gap between the Azores Rally and the Barum Rally time to prepare for the final five events and the accelerated rush to the end of the season. Even though the IRC championship is gradually changing in character every year, its sixth season is maintaining its reputation of springing surprises. The biggest surprise is that the championship leader is Juho Hanninen, the reigning champion, whose team was never planning for him to make a challenge to retain his title! He was expected instead to concentrate on the FIAs SWRC series but at mid season point he is leading both championships. Skoda is currently the top IRC team, but Peugeot, whose drivers have been champions in the previous three years, is still chasing hard while learning all the time is the Proton team.

run on asphalt with only three of the 11 events on gravel. So far there has been only one gravel round in the series, but now only Zlin and Sanremo remain on the hard stuff. But as a safeguard against the possibility of a reduction in competitive interest later in the season, and also to create a more equal balance for the gravel events, the final two gravel events have been given higher championship points coefficients - hence the acceleration factor as the end of the season draws close.

he IRC continues to set its agenda in quite a different way from its bigger brother, the WRC. Its rules, its teams, its characters are its own. IRC events have their own style, enjoying a greater flexibility of event format than the WRC, and continue to bring high-class competitors to events in new places. Much of the secret of the IRC success is the support received from Eurosport. This year for the first time the series stays within Europe, but for the first time travels to the Ukraine and to Hungary while the two great European tarmac rallies, Monte Carlo and Corsica, ran this year in the IRC. Most of the IRC events

he IRC has always banned World Rally Cars and this year also the new generation S2000 cars (1.6 litre turbo) from their series, which means that the old generation S2000 cars are the main contenders. Skoda and Proton enter their own official drivers in the series, while both Peugeot and also Skoda are also represented by strong entries from dealer teams. While there is a fast changing car formula situation in the sport, the IRC keeps an eye on the developing FIAs international trends. Subarus R4 cars have however already started to appear on IRC events. This year the IRC has given the turbocharged four-wheeldrive N4 cars their own category, the Production Cup, rather than force them to compete head-to-head with old generation S2000 cars, with which they have proved to be uncompetitive. And in the case of the IRC, the N4 cars are still grouped together with the lighter and more agile R4 cars, while the relative performance of these cars is considered. hat chance is there that one of their drivers will bring Skoda their second successive IRC title? For 2011 the declared plan was that while Hanninen

championship IRC hots up

3

>> IRC INSIGHT

concentrated on the SWRC, he would only appear in the IRC on occasion. Skodas main IRC challenger would be Jan Kopecky. Kopeckys plan outside the SWRC is being decided on an event-toevent basis. In mid-season and following the post-Ypres exclusion of Peugeot driver Bryan Bouffier, Skoda drivers hold the top three IRC places, with second place Kopecky on equal points with Freddy Loix. Loix has a part-season programme, sponsored by Belgian interests. Supporting the official team is the British Skoda team entry for the Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen. There are two main Peugeot teams. Kronos runs the car for the Belgian Thierry Neuville and the car for the British driver Guy Wilks, but which is paid for by the British importers team, while PH Sport runs cars under the official guise of Peugeots competition department for drivers individually, centring largely on Bouffier. Finding their way into the championship is Proton, using the IRC as a way to gain hands-on experience of European rallying while majoring on a parallel programme in Asia-Pacific competition. cars (three times), a Suzuki Swift, a Renault Megane and a Citroen C2. The only time so far this year when a highly-placed driver has been denied points for lack of registration was when Patrick Snijers finished fourth in the Ypres Rally in a Mini John Cooper Works S2000.

he IRC system is to allow drivers to score championship points if the manufacturers of their car have registered with the promoters, and this extends to the subsidiary categories as well. Each category offers a different manufacturer exposure. In the Production Cup, the Swiss Subaru driver Florian Genon is ahead while in the 2WD Cup the leader is the Renault Clio R3 driver JeanMichel Raoux. Eight manufacturers are currently registered for points-scoring purposes. Subaru cars finished the top Production Car entries on the first three events the next three events a Mitsubishi driver was in front. In the 2WD Cup there have been victories for Renault Clio R3

he IRC surprises keep on coming. Very impressive was the victory of 22 year-old Thierry Neuville on the Tour de Corse, a newcomer suddenly excelling in one of the most specialised events in the sport. It is this provision of alternative opportunities for teams, events, drivers, fans which makes the series so strong, together with its adhoc opportunity to adjust to prevailing sporting circumstances. Watch this space as the series heads for the rush of autumn events, each of which will have its own individual character. For 40 years the Barum Rally at Zlin in the Czech Republics Moravia region has been a major player in international asphalt rallying. This comes at the end of August. Two weeks later comes the Mecsek Rally in Hungary, a country which has never hosted a qualifying event in a major rally championship before, beyond the FIAs European series. This is another all-asphalt event run in a very intense form with only four different venues for stages, each run many times in both directions. The base is the city of Pecs close to the border with Croatia and Serbia, another very long established event better known in earlier times as the Allianz Rally. Another two weeks later comes Sanremo, perhaps the definitive mountainous asphalt rally of the sport, the former venue for Italys world championship rally, before the two final events, the Rally of Scotland and the Cyprus Rally.

An enforced mid-season break in the IRC allows Martin Holmes to look at a series which is delivering a great spectacle



WRC SNIPPETS
n Mads again what an incredible season he has enjoyed so far. Out of his first eight WRC events this year, five times he has finished in the top six places and the other three times he has been thwarted twice with a broken gearbox casing (a design fault which has now been corrected) and once it seems by a broken sub-frame which caused an apparent steering failure. He is easily the best of the Fords after the two official Abu Dhabi drivers. His first rally in a Fiesta (the old S2000 version) was Deutschland Rally last year. n Vauhdin Maailma magazine once again carried out their performance calculations of the Finnish event and unearthed surprising facts about the Mitsubishis Lancer Evo Xs on the NORF. Fastest car this year, as recorded on the Laukaa stage, was the Mitsubishi Lancer R4 of Juha Salo at 196kph but well short of the all time record top speed achieved by Sebastian Lindholms 211kph in a Peugeot 307 World Rally Car. This was the first notable achievement for a R4car in the WRC. The other major Finnish Olympic gold medal, the unofficial long jump award, went to the Peruvian PCWRC driver Nicholas Fuchs who jumped a distance of 53 metres in the Leustu stage. n Better noted at the time was that the non-championship Latvian Evo X driver Andis Nieksans was the best placed of the N4 cars including all the PCWRC competitors, using old BF Goodrich instead of current official Michelin or DMack tyres. n Eleven years after the French motorsport federation kick-started the then 26 year-old Sebastien Loeb on his remarkable WRC career by entering him in a World Rally Car on the 2000 Tour de Corse, another potential champion is in course of grooming. 26 year old Pierre Campana is being entered by the FFSA on the forthcoming Rally Deutschland in one of six Mini John Cooper Works WRC cars on this event, and also on the WRC Rallye de France six weeks later. This will be Campanas first appearance in a World Rally Car, and also his debut on a world rally outside the Tour de Corse.

ROSSETTIS THE MAN IN THE MADEIRA RALLY T

hird place in the all-asphalt Madeira Rally strengthened Luca Rossettis lead in the 2011 FIA European Championship. The hopes of the private Fiat driver of fighting for the overall lead were dashed on Stage 5 by a puncture, allowing the Madeiran driver Vitor Sa to rise to second place behind Bruno Magalhaes. Fellow Italian Luca Betti struggled with power steering troubles and finished sixth overall, second ERC qualifying driver. Fourth and fifth were taken by the local Nunes brothers. Miguel suffered an early 90-second penalty for a fireproof underclothing offence, but his chase to catch up was helped when Antonio suffered intercooler pipe problem. ERC challenger Fiesta S2000 driver Maciej Oleksowicz retired with alternator belt failure. The event was originally scheduled to count for the IRC series but finally the international element centred on the European championship contenders.

>> WRC NEWS

Late results show not enough Finns E

motions were profound at the end of the Neste Oil Rally Finland. Tiredness was everywhere, not helped by the official results not being published until 00.40 the following morning, 3h40m after the provisional results were issued, and after the headquarters complex was locked up for the night! The almost predictable delays in publication of results because of the new end-of-rally Power Stage on WRC rallies is creating considerable irritation in the media world. More emotion was the despair felt by the Finnish fans, seeing how badly their heroes fared. Ford driver Mikko Hirvonens chances expired on Stage 1, while team-mate JariMatti Latvalaa car was never in a driverhappy set-up spec. The cars of their two local hopes, Matti Rantanen (best private entry in 2008) and Jari Ketomaa (which

led after Stage 1) ended up in the bushes. There was widespread surprise that Ketomaa chose to slow on Stage 2, in the mistaken belief that it might improve his Day 2 running order chances when an overnight lead for a privateer would have provided immensely positive publicity. There were only two Finns in the top eight, and three Norwegians in the top seven! The third best Finn was Kimi Raikkonen in ninth place.

>> GPWEEK PArting Shot