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2005 German GP
Team Quotes - Sunday 24 July
Jean Todt: It was a very difficult race. Michael had to fight really hard for his fifth place, while Rubens finished outside the points. Up to the first pit stop Michael was comfortably able to maintain the third place he won at the start, but after the stop, he progressively and significantly began to lose grip. Losing third place, Michael then tried to fight off the attentions of his pursuers, but with two laps remaining, a sudden drop in fuel pressure saw him lose fourth place as well. Rubens, who had gone for a more conservative tyre choice than his team-mate, never had enough grip to attack and so he was unable to move on from the position he acquired during the hectic period after the start. This is a very tough year for us, the most difficult period we have experienced in a long time. We have to keep concentrating and try and extricate ourselves from this situation by working with our friends at Bridgestone.
Ross Brawn: It turned out to be a very frustrating race, after we had started well. But our performance faded as the race progressed. This got worse in the final stages and we were very vulnerable to attack from the cars behind us. Michael had a little problem with the car and had to let Fisichella pass, which is a shame.
Lucky Strike BAR Honda celebrated today when Jenson Button finished 3rd in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. After lining up on the front row of the grid, he recovered from a difficult start to get himself right back into the thick of the action, then set his sights on reining in Michael Schumacher in his own backyard to get himself back into podium contention.
After 10-laps close behind, Jenson chose his moment well and disposed of the current World Champion at the hairpin, quickly pulling away and with excellent work from the pit crew ensured that things remained that way for the duration of the race. Despite a valiant effort running at the speed of the two in front, he was unable to catch Juan Pablo Montoya for second but was delighted to deliver a further six points and the team's first trophy of 2005.
Takuma Sato was forced to pit for a new nose at the end of the first lap which prevented him from achieving a points-scoring position. He ended the race 12th.
Following today's result, BAR Honda leapfrogs two teams in the Constructors' Championship in one go, boosting its position to 7th with 15 points.
Gil de Ferran: "We are very happy with Jenson's podium. He drove a very strong race pushing hard throughout and perfectly executing an overtaking manoeuvre over Michael that turned out to be decisive for us to finish third. The Honda engine and Michelin tyres performed faultlessly throughout the race. Unfortunately Taku got caught in a traffic jam coming out of turn three and had to stop for a new nose, which delayed him a lot and made it difficult for him to score points. This result sets us up nicely for the qualifying order in Hungary, where we are again hoping to be fighting at the sharp end of the grid."
Shuhei Nakamoto: "Congratulations to Jenson for a fantastic drive - including a brilliant overtaking manoeuvre on Michael Schumacher - right in front of a group of over 1000 Honda dealer guests! He drove a great race from start to finish and fully deserved his podium finish. It was a shame that Takuma had another early race incident, but he again recovered well and must keep looking forward. I'm sure his luck will turn."
The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team took its seventh win of the season, and its second in Germany in 2005, at this afternoon's 2005 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. Fernando Alonso converted his third position on the grid into a comfortable victory after Kimi Raikkonen's retirement from the lead halfway through the race. The Spaniard's run to the chequered flag was uneventful, and he controlled his pace throughout the final stint.
Giancarlo Fisichella's fourth place finish disguised an eventful Grand Prix, and a magnificent display of controlled, aggressive driving. The Italian was hit by Sato on the exit of Turn 3 on the first lap, breaking his left rear wing endplate and depriving him of downforce, as well as costing track position. The Italian climbed through the field during the first round of pit-stops, but soon afterwards was asked by his engineers to slow his pace in order to preserve the rear brakes, which showed an unusually high level of wear. These were inspected at his final stop, and the Italian drove the last stint with the brake balance wound fully forward. Three laps from the end, he was given the all-clear on his brakes and was able to drive at his true pace. At this point, he neatly outbraked Michael Schumacher into Turn 6 to take a hard-fought fourth place.
The Renault F1 Team now leads the Constructors' Championship by 22 points from McLaren, with a total of 117 points. Fernando Alonso leads the drivers' championship by 36 points, with a total of 87, while Giancarlo Fisichella still lies seventh but within striking distance of his adversaries just ahead.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: You have to finish races to win them, and that is what we managed today. I am delighted with the result this weekend. Along with McLaren, we have been competitive since Friday afternoon and Fernando and Fisico both drove great races today especially Fisico at the end, when he was managing the brakes and still managed to overtake Michael. Fernando has strengthened his championship position, and Fisico brought home more good points for the Constructors' Championship. I want to congratulate the whole team for the win, and dedicate it to all our colleagues in the Renault group: we are proud to be racing for them.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: Fernando drove an outstanding race to take his sixth win of the season. As expected, our race pace was much closer to the McLarens than in qualifying, and Fernando was still pushing hard when Kimi was forced to retire. After that, it was a question of controlling his pace to the flag. Giancarlo put in an equally impressive drive to take fourth. He was hit by Sato on lap one, which damaged the rear wing and cost him downforce, before experiencing unusually severe rear brake wear from halfway through the race. He ended up driving with the balance all the way forward primarily using the front brakes which is far from ideal at this circuit. In those circumstances, to finish fourth and overtake Schumacher on the penultimate lap was quite an achievement.
In spite of their encouraging starting positions, neither of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team drivers collected any points today. Nick Heidfeld finished just outside the top ten whereas the race of team-mate Mark Webber was compromised right after the start due to another car hitting his FW27 at the first corner.
Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): Obviously Mark had a coming together with Takuma into the first corner. The right rear suspension was damaged so we spent some time in the pits repairing this then he continued with the view to the qualifying slot for the next Grand Prix. On Nick's car we did not manage to make enough progress towards the end of his first stint. Afterwards it was difficult to come back into the points positions. Compared to the last two races we have improved the cars, but it is clear that we still have a lot of work to do.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): In spite of our three-stop strategy, in qualifying we saw some improvement compared to Silverstone, which was not the case in the race. Nick was doing okay until his first pit-stop, but then the lap times never became the same again. This didn't depend on our strategy, as we were just not fast enough for some reason. Mark dropped back due to the collision at the first corner.
Team McLaren Mercedes driver Juan Pablo Montoya finished today's Mobil 1 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in second place, having started the race from last on the grid. Kimi Raikkonen was forced to retire on lap 36 whilst leading the 67-lap race with a hydraulic failure. Kimi came into the pits for fuel on lap 25 (9.0 seconds). Juan Pablo pitted on laps 27 (9.9 seconds) and 56 (6.2 seconds). Kimi remains second in the Drivers' World Championship with 51 points, whilst Juan Pablo is fourth with 34 points. In the Constructors' rankings Team McLaren Mercedes also remains second with 95 points. Kimi also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:14.873.
Ron Dennis: Clearly a weekend of what could have been. Juan Pablo's mistake on Saturday and Kimi's car's hydraulic problem during the course of dominating the race put paid to what could have been a great weekend. The speed and general performance of the cars were exceptional and clearly should have provided Juan Pablo and Kimi with the opportunity of a one-two finish. Juan Pablo's excellent drive from the back of the grid to second clearly demonstrates our capability. Of course the mountain is now a bit higher and steeper to climb, but our commitment to the challenge remains undiminished - it's more difficult but not impossible.
Norbert Haug: Kimi's performance was extraordinary until a hydraulic failure finished his race on lap 36. This is a bad blow to his chances in the title fight. Juan Pablo did a very good job fighting through the field from last to finish second. It's clear that our reliability must be improved to become as good as the speed of our technical package. We will work hard for it.
Sauber drivers Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve finished eighth and 15th respectively in today's German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.
Peter Sauber (Team Principal): "Considering where we started on the grid, a point for eighth place was the best we had any right to hope for. After making a fantastic start Felipe got to the position he would have liked to start from, and was always in a position then to fight for a point. He drove a strong and flawless race, passed Heidfeld in the pits and was able to keep Barrichello behind, and really deserved his result. Jacques seemed to be everybody's target today and ran from one problem to the next. For sure a painful race for him, and one he will want to forget."
Starting from eleventh position on the grid, David Coulthard made an impressive start aboard his RB1 and powered up through the field to sixth place. Making his first pit stop on lap 20, the Scot never dropped below ninth position, despite being consistently chased by Toyota driver, Ralf Schumacher. Prior to his second stop, David's engineer came over the in-car radio with some advice, "Pull away from Ralf Schumacher David, pull away from Ralf." Silence, then David's response, "Thanks, that's a good idea, I hadn't thought of that
". Pushing hard, David set a string of competitive lap times, before making a second pit stop on lap 47. He eventually crossed the finish in seventh place to take another two points in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.
Starting tenth on the grid, David's team-mate Christian Klien delivered a competitive drive and became locked in a battle with Rubens Barrichello. The pair jostled for position, but Klien had the edge and overtook the Ferrari driver to finish in ninth place overall.
Christian Horner, Sporting Director: Both drivers put in solid performances today. David had an aggressive first lap and came home with two points as a result of a competitive afternoon's work. Christian lost a few places at the start, which cost him some time, but he made two very good passing manoeuvres on Barrichello in the Ferrari. The result finishes off a very solid weekend for the team, which included yesterday's qualifying, a good strong race and a two-points finish to maintain sixth place in the Constructors' Championship.
Panasonic Toyota Racing secured three more points at today's action-packed German Grand Prix after Ralf Schumacher took a hard-earned 6th place. Under overcast skies, Ralf started 12th and drove well all day, benefiting from a good strategy to climb through the field. But it was a dramatic day for Jarno Trulli, who had to pit to replace a damaged front left tyre after a first lap collision. Jarno rejoined at the back and battled his way up before a late drive-through penalty for a blue flag infringement. A final, unplanned pitstop to refill his engine's pneumatic fluid led to his eventual retirement on the last lap. This result, in front of an audience that included German hip hop band Die Fantastische Vier, consolidates Toyota's 4th place in the constructors' championship with a total of 57 points.
Ralf Schumacher started with a heavy fuel load and pushed hard all day to take his third straight points finish at today's German Grand Prix. He moves up to 8th place in the drivers' championship on 26 points.
Jarno Trulli endured a dramatic German Grand Prix, pitting on the first lap after picking up a puncture. Later he earned a drive-through penalty before retiring after a problem with his engine's pneumatic pressure.
Ralf's three points consolidate Panasonic Toyota Racing's grip on 4th place in the constructors' championship.
Tsutomu Tomita - Team Principal: "That was a good race from Ralf, and we have to be encouraged by today. But given the race pace we had today we really could have hoped for more. Ralf's long first stint paid off and got him into a very good position. Unfortunately he lost a couple of places after his first stop, which we were able to get back at the end. Jarno's race was ruined in the first couple of corners when he got pushed off by a Williams, picked up a puncture on his front left tyre and had to pit. He drove a strong race until he picked up a drive-through penalty. That was unfortunate because he was trying to overtake Heidfeld, which obviously distracted him. Then we had a pneumatic problem on his engine, and he came in to refill it before we finally had to stop the car. It was a shame not to be able to come away with even more but we have to be very encouraged by the pace we showed here today."
Jordan Grand Prix had a very eventful German Grand Prix today. Karthikeyan had a hectic first lap, which resulted in him coming around in front of Monteiro. Tiago had a good start but then was forced off the track and lost a place to Narain. Shortly after Monteiro's first pit stop, he got involved in a racing incident with Jacques Villeneuve. Karthikeyan also had a lively race; he had a drive through penalty and a spin near the end of the race. However, both drivers were able to take the chequered flag in the 67-lap race.
Adrian Burgess: It was a fairly busy afternoon for everybody up and down the pit lane. Narain was doing a very good job again until he got caught in a blue flag incident; whether he deserves it or not, is open to debate. Tiago had a coming together with Villeneuve, which was considered as a racing incident by the stewards. The positive note is that both drivers managed to bring the cars home, which was 12 out of 12 finishes for Tiago.
The Minardi F1 Team this afternoon concluded a very positive weekend at the Hockenheimring, with Christijan Albers securing an excellent 13th place in the German Grand Prix and new team mate, Robert Doornbos, completing his first Formula One race in 18th. The event was not without incident for the Dutch duo, however, Albers' car losing one of its bargeboards in a first-lap skirmish and Doorbos being forced to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap four, after his car was in collision with Jacques Villeneuve's Sauber. While refuelling the car, the Team's mechanics detected a puncture, which necessitated a tyre change. Unfortunately, it also resulted in the assessment of a stop-and-go penalty. Despite the incidents, however, both drivers pressed on to the finish, running strongly and consistently. This was undoubtedly the Faenza squad's most competitive race weekend of the season so far, and will see the Team heading into next weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix with hopes for another competitive performance.
Paul Stoddart, Team Principal, Minardi Cosworth: Today, the Minardi F1 Team achieved one of its year-long goals, by putting in a solid performance all weekend to finish ahead of its nearest rivals. Both drivers, who had to deal with damaged cars as the result of separate first-lap incidents, put in truly gutsy performances this afternoon. That, combined with the continuing hard work by the race team and all the staff back at the factory, is paying off. Well done to everybody!
This afternoon's German Grand Prix proved a frustrating one after Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's Michael Schumacher missed out on a podium place after a strong start which saw him leap from fifth on the grid to third within the first lap. The reigning World Champion ran with the front runners for much of the 67-lap race before a combination of lack of grip and a car problem at the end of the race left him vulnerable to the chasing pack. After a nail biting final few laps, he finally crossed the line in fifth to add four points to his tally and edge closer to second placed Raikkonen in the standings. Teammate Rubens Barrichello finished tenth after starting from 15th, which sees him drop a place in the championship. Ferrari maintains its third place in the Constructors' Championship. There was also plenty of action further down the field for their fellow Bridgestone runners. Christijan Albers had a strong run to finish 13th, ahead of a Toyota and a Sauber, while his new fellow Dutch teammate, Robert Doornbos, will be pleased to have finished his first GP after contact with Sauber's Jacques Villeneuve. Jordan's Narain Karthikeyan finished 16th while Tiago Monteiro, will be relieved to have finished another race after he too made contact with Villeneuve.
Hisao Suganuma Technical Manager Bridgestone Motorsport: It became evident at the beginning of this afternoon's race that Michael's qualifying performance yesterday was very good as he did not come in for his first pit stop until lap 22. He was also able to get a good, strong start, jumping from fifth on the grid to third by the end of the first lap and he had pace. Unfortunately he was not able to maintain that position as his tyre wear was higher than we would want towards the end and he was losing grip. Rubens was on a different tyre and although he finished 10th from 15th on the grid, we would have preferred to see him higher up. Minardi's Christijan Albers had a good race and finished a positive 13th. While we have been pushing hard with our development recently and there are clearly some positive aspects from this weekend's results, especially in qualifying and the start of the race, there is still some work to do. We have the data from all our teams and we shall use it to develop the next step of improvements and regain some consistency.
Ross Brawn Technical Director Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: A frustrating race because we started well but the performance faded as we went through the race. At the end we had a problem holding any sort of pace making us vulnerable to the cars behind. Michael had a problem with the car at the end, which meant Fisichella got past, which was a shame but it was difficult and our performance was going the wrong way through the race.
Formula One world championship leader Fernando Alonso took another step closer to the title today with a dominant victory in the German Grand Prix. The Spaniard made a bold start from third on the grid and trailed pole position man Kimi Raikkonen in the early stages. A hydraulic problem brought the Finn's race to an end just after half-distance, however, and Alonso swept through to score his sixth win of the season and the seventh of his grand prix career. It was Michelin's 11th win of the year and the 86th in the company's illustrious F1 history.
Pat Symonds, executive engineering director for Renault F1: "This weekend's unexpectedly cool conditions provided an element of uncertainty. The temperature was 20 degrees below what everybody expected and that is an enormous gulf for a tyre manufacturer. It is a great credit to the quality of Michelin products that they can handle such a wide range of conditions. Today we had the ideal blend of grip and wear to suit racing conditions."
Raikkonen's team -mate Juan Pablo Montoya started last after crashing during the qualifying session but he was up to 12th within seconds of the start and gradually clawed his way up the leaderboard. He vaulted to second after the final round of stops to complete a spectacular recovery that moved him up to fourth in the world championship.
Although Jenson Button did not make a quick start from the front row of the grid, he recovered to finish third his first podium finish of the campaign.
Giancarlo Fisichella muscled past world champion Michael Schumacher on the penultimate lap to complete a Michelin clean sweep of the top four. Five of Bibendum's partners scored points, with Ralf Schumacher taking sixth place ahead of David Coulthard and Felipe Massa. Rising Red Bull star Christian Klien showed great spirit by twice battling past Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari, but the young Austrian had to settle for ninth just outside the points.
Of the other Michelin runners, Nick Heidfeld ran a strong fifth initially, but eventually finished 11th after adopting a three-stop strategy one more than his main rivals. Takuma Sato, Jarno Trulli and Mark Webber all suffered damage during a series of first-lap clashes. Sato recovered to finish 12th, Trulli was classified 14th after pulling off on the final lap and Webber missed 11 laps before rejoining too far in arrears to be classified.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve had an eventful afternoon. Hit by Barrichello on the opening lap, he was subsequently involved in separate collisions with newcomer Robert Doornbos and Tiago Monteiro en route to 15th place.
Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director: "From the moment we began running on Friday until the second the chequered flag dropped, our tyres performed impeccably in conditions that were much cooler than we anticipated when originally selecting the compounds. The only frustration, for me at least, was that despite predictions to the contrary we still haven't had a chance to demonstrate the effectiveness of our latest rain tyres, which I believe will be every bit as effective as those that have been so dominant in the dry so far this season. That apart, this has been a perfect weekend. Roll on Budapest."
Nick Shorrock, director of Michelin F1 activities: "This has been another brilliant result for Michelin and our partners who had all made the same tyre choice. We have also three different chassis on the podium and five of our partners bringing cars home in the points. Our tyres have delivered strong performance all weekend and their durability was a clear asset in the later stages of the race as Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella proved with some aggressive, effective passing manoeuvres."
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