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2007 French GP
Team Quotes - Sunday 1 July
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished third in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours and took his eighth podium finish in the eighth race of the season. After 70 laps, Lewis came home 32.1 seconds behind winner Kimi Raikkonen. Fernando who had started 10th on the grid following a gearbox problem in qualifying, ended up seventh. Lewis was on a three-stop strategy and came in on laps 16 (7.4 seconds), 37 (6.3 seconds) and 51 (6.5 seconds). Fernando was on a two-stop-strategy and came in on laps 16 (7.9 seconds) and 37 (9.9 seconds). Lewis maintained the lead in the Drivers' Championship with 64 points followed by Fernando in second position with 50 points. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is the only team to finish the first eight Grands Prix of the year in the points with both drivers and goes into its home Grand Prix at Silverstone next week also leading the Constructors' table with 114 points ahead of Ferrari on 89.
Ron Dennis: A difficult race. Both drivers put in solid performances, and particularly Fernando, who for me was the man of the race with his various battles against Heidfeld and Fisichella. We had the option of switching between a two or three-stop strategy for Lewis, and we opted for the latter to ensure that he had minimal traffic and maintained his strong and safe third position. Fernando's race was always going to be challenging starting from 10th, but our aim was to score points, which he did. However it is clear that we were not as competitive as we hoped, but coming to our home Grand Prix in Silverstone next weekend, we are still leading both World Championships and we will be strong there.
Norbert Haug: Lewis put in a good race finishing third and taking his eighth consecutive podium position in as many races this season. Fernando had some quite spectacular battles with Nick Heidfeld, which the fans surely enjoyed. He finally came home seventh. Ferrari was better today which means that we have to further improve. Halfway though the season Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is leading both World Championships, with Lewis and Fernando heading up the Driver's ranking. We all will work extremely hard to keep it that way in the second half until after Sao Paulo. Now we are looking forward to the next two races, our home Grands Prix at Silverstone and at the Nürburgring.
The ING Renault F1 Team endured a frustrating afternoon at Magny-Cours during the 2007 French Grand Prix. The team was unable to deliver on the promise of its best qualifying result of the season yesterday afternoon, with drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen finishing 6th and 15th respectively. Heikki's afternoon ended almost as soon as it had begun: as the Finn was turning through the hairpin at turn 5, his car was hit by Jarno Trulli who had out-braked himself on the entry to the corner. Heikki's right-rear tyre was punctured and his car slightly damaged. He pitted immediately, but was almost a lap down as he rejoined. The subsequent blue flags disrupted his race but when running in clean air, his times were competitive.
As for Giancarlo Fisichella, he ran a competitive first stint in his starting slot of fifth position, and at the first of his two stops, the team took a strategic gamble to extend the length of his second stint – hoping to gain position around the second stop, when other competitors put on the softer compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, which were suffering from a performance deficit today owing to graining in the early laps. However, the resulting high fuel load provoked severe understeer throughout this stint. Giancarlo lost time relative to Heidfeld and although he almost beat him out of the pits even so, it was not enough. He subsequently defended his position robustly against Fernando Alonso's McLaren to retain sixth place. The result leaves the team 20 points behind championship rivals BMW in the Constructors' Championship.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: Things looked good after qualifying, but the race showed us that we still have some way to go. Heikki had his race spoiled on lap one through no fault of his own. Giancarlo drove well but the car seemed too heavy in the middle stint, and it cost too much time. He showed good aggression to keep Fernando behind, but the story of the afternoon is that we still have work to do. The gap with BMW is almost nothing, but we need to convert the promise of Saturday afternoon into hard points on Sunday.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: This afternoon's race failed to fulfil the promise of qualifying. In Heikki's case, he was pushed off by Trulli on lap one and from then on, it was bound to be difficult as we tried to shift his stops around to get him out of the inevitable traffic. Giancarlo's first stint was competitive, and on the softer tyres at the end he was also quick. But the middle stint did us a lot of damage relative to BMW. Looking forward, we have another race in seven days' time – and the chance to repair the damage from this afternoon. Our Silverstone test went very well ten days ago, and we will be looking to fight back strongly.
Fourth win of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the second courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen. For Kimi, this was win number eleven from 113 Grand Prix participations in his career. For Ferrari it is victory number 196 from 749 races, the sixteenth in the French Grand Prix.
Jean Todt: What a great one-two! I could not have a nicer present to celebrate the fourteenth anniversary of my arrival at the helm of the Scuderia. Today, everything went perfectly, which is what is needed to get a result like this. Both drivers got great starts, then they drove exceptionally well and fought it out between themselves for the win. Only traffic and strategy finally decided which one got the upper hand. In any case, what matters is that two red Ferrari cars finished ahead of the rest. The team did an impeccable job and the F2007s were up to the job in hand. We fought a very strong opponent and this one-two is crucial for the rest of both championships. There are still nine races to go and everything is still possible. We should try and repeat this result already next week in Silverstone, at the home of our main rivals.
Luca Baldisserri: A really great victory! After a strong showing in qualifying, today we had further confirmation that we are competitive in race trim, with the F2007 running completely trouble free. Both drivers fought it out on equal terms, only the traffic making the difference. We have worked so hard these past few weeks, both in the factory and on track. This one-two shows how much Formula 1 is a sport where every detail is important if one is to be the best. We did not die in Indianapolis, so it is not a miracle that we are back today. We worked on all areas and we managed to put together all the pieces of the jigsaw to produce a perfect weekend.
Jenson Button opened the Honda Racing F1 Team's world championship points account in Magny Cours today. He came home in eighth place after maximising the performance of his RA107 throughout the 70-lap French Grand Prix.
His team-mate Rubens Barrichello drove an equally committed race to finish in 11th place.
Both Honda Racing F1 Team drivers had good starts and went on to make up three places each on the opening lap. Jenson, who started on the dirty side of the grid in 12th place, jumped to ninth place, while Rubens improved from 13th to 10th.
Both drivers used the harder of Bridgestone's two tyre compounds for the opening two stints of the race and Jenson drove a very strong middle stint in which he set personal best times lap-after-lap. As a result he was able to leapfrog Rosberg at his second pitstop on lap 50, emerging 3.7 sec ahead of the Williams driver in eighth place.
For the final stint, both drivers switched to the softer compound tyres, on which Jenson lapped faster than both Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella ahead of him. At the chequered flag, he was just 2.3 sec behind the double world champion.
Rubens fought hard to fend off the attentions of Mark Webber, who was just 2.1 sec behind at the chequered flag.
Jacky Eeckelaert, Engineering Director: Jenson drove a very good race which proves that the recent car developments have helped us to improve our race pace. Rubens was not so happy with his brakes and had to drive defensively as for much of the race he had lighter cars behind him. All in all one point is a small reward but well-deserved nonetheless.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team leaves the French Grand Prix in Magny-Cours with the greatest number of points scored in a single race in its history thanks to Robert Kubica finishing fourth and Nick Heidfeld fifth. These nine points have strengthened the team's third place in the constructors' championship, and Nick Heidfeld's total of 30 points is two more than he scored in his best ever season (2005).
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): After mixed emotions at the overseas races, today our team was a hundred per cent back where it should be. Robert put in a very good performance on his comeback and took fourth place, which this year seems to belong to us! Nick improved from seventh on the grid to fifth overall and had some exciting fights with Fernando Alonso. We didn't only score nine points, which was our best team result so far, but we also strengthened our third place in the constructors' championship. Congratulations to the drivers, the team here at the track and those in Hinwil and Munich, as we had no technical problems during the race.
Willy Rampf (Technical Director): This was a fantastic race for our team. The pit stops were perfect, everything went according to plan and we had no problems at all. Both drivers in their races used the cars to their full potential and didn't make the smallest mistakes. Nick drove a very good race, although he was under pressure all the time. Robert's performance at his return to racing was excellent. With this result we can now go to Silverstone feeling optimistic.
Panasonic Toyota Racing left Magny-Cours frustrated after a disappointing French Grand Prix saw Ralf Schumacher finish 10th while Jarno Trulli retired. Showers were threatened during the afternoon but the race started in cloudy and dry conditions, with track temperatures at 37°C. Jarno lined up 8th but as the field bunched up approaching the hairpin, he hit the rear of Heikki Kovalainen's car, damaging his front wing and forcing him to limp back to the pits. Unfortunately the car's suspension was also damaged and he was forced to retire immediately. Ralf made a clean start from 11th but lost two positions in the aftermath of Jarno's accident, although he quickly began to put pressure on the cars ahead. When he made his first pit stop on lap 28 he returned to a clear track in front of him, giving him the chance to show his true pace. Some quick laps meant he made up a position at the first round of stops and he steadily closed the gap on the cars ahead. However, despite a spirited drive before and after his final stop on lap 53, he missed out on points and the team now aim to add to its tally in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next Sunday.
Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal: Today this result is not actually that good but there are two or three better things. One would be the competitive performance from Ralf, especially over long runs when he was not held up in traffic. His performance was very good and you could see from his lap times that we had the pace to finish much higher. Unfortunately he lost places after Jarno's accident and that cost him 20 seconds on his first stint. Without that he would have scored points today. I am sure Jarno would also have scored points. Another positive was that our launch at the start was good. Clearly Jarno hit Kovalainen but he was challenging for a top six place and I am very glad to see him racing at that end of the grid. Finally, we had no reliability issues, the cars ran without major trouble all weekend and the team did a very good job. I am proud of them.
Christian Horner: Unfortunately this was our least competitive race of the season so far, the only positive being that both cars ran reliably from start to finish.
Fabrice Lom, Renault Principal Engineer, Track Support: Today's result shows once again how important it is to start from the front of the grid, and that it's still very difficult to overtake other drivers because the competition is so tight this season. The engine suffered a little bit today following other cars but there is nothing to be worried about for the next race in Silverstone. The only thing we can be positive about is the fact that our direct rivals did not score any points either today, but we have to bounce back next week at the British Grand Prix!
Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz had a fruitless race in Magny-Cours today. Nico finished where he started in ninth, just outside of a points-scoring position, while Alex moved up the field by four places and concluded his Grand Prix in 14th place. A chapter closes in Formula One's history today as this afternoon's race was the last to be held in France after a 16 year stint at the Circuit de Nevers in rural Magny-Cours. On a track that has witnessed so much of the team's success, it was disappointing not to have concluded the weekend with a healthier result.
Sam Michael, Technical Director: It was a shame not to get more from the French Grand Prix. The times were so close and, ultimately, we weren't quick enough. Unfortunately, Nico missed out on scoring a point because he was a tenth or so slower than Button. From Alex's position, it was pretty hard to do anything. There were no problems on the car; we just need to work on our pace.
Franz Tost: A disappointing result for us. Tonio went out shortly after the start, having been hit from behind by Davidson. As for Scott, he was forced to pull over towards the end, with what we think is a gearbox problem. We will have to investigate the exact cause of the failure. In general, we have made a step forward, but so have all the others. Currently, I think we are about 1 to 1.5 seconds behind the quickest cars. We cannot be satisfied with today's result.
Spyker's disappointing French Grand Prix weekend came to a similarly frustrating conclusion today in Magny-Cours. Adrian Sutil finished in 17th position, two laps down from winner Kimi Raikkonen, while Christijan retired on lap 28 when he pulled away from a pit stop with the fuel hose still attached to his car.
Despite starting in the T-car following an electrical problem on the grid, Adrian Sutil provided the one highlight for the team when he set lap times close to those of the top six early on in the race. A drivethrough penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit however put him back to the end of the field and out of contention.
A radio problem just before Adrian's first pit stop meant both he and Christijan pitted on the same lap. The Spyker crew did an outstanding job to refuel and change Adrian's tyres before Christijan arrived, but the Dutchman exited the box while the lollipop was still down and the hose still connected to the car. Fortunately no one was injured in the incident.
With the British Grand Prix just one week away, the team now returns to its base just across from Silverstone Circuit to focus on bettering this weekend's performance.
Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer: First of all well done to everyone in the pit crew who did a fabulous job. Obviously this was a very difficult race. We had an electrical problem at the start of the race on Adrian's car and he had to start in the spare. During the first stint the pace was not too bad, especially with Adrian who managed to pass his team-mate and set some very competitive lap times. Unfortunately we had a radio problem on Adrian's car, which meant we couldn't get in contact with him and he came in a lap early on the lap we had called Christijan in. The crew did a tremendous job to service both cars and Christijan would have lost very little time as a result, but he made a mistake and drove off when the lollipop was still down and the fuel hose was still attached. It was obviously a very dangerous situation and this sort of thing shouldn't have happened. Unfortunately Adrian then got a drivethrough penalty, but when in clean air our pace was much better than we showed in Qualifying yesterday. As a team we now have to make sure we eliminate mistakes and perform at a much higher level.
Colin Kolles, team principal and managing director: I am not happy and we have to learn from the mistakes that were made today.
It was a difficult day for Super Aguri. Anthony Davidson was involved in the first lap incident, receiving irreparable damage which ended his race. Takuma Sato encountered a number of issues, however he drove a solid race to bring his SA07 home in 16th position.
Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal: It was a very tough race. The times set during Qualifying yesterday were very close and it was difficult for us to achieve good positions. Other teams have also made considerable improvements, so we need to improve our performance. After Anthony's retirement today we also encountered some problems with Takuma's first pitstop, so all in all it has not been a great weekend for us.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen benefited from strong consistent runs on both compounds of Bridgestone Potenza tyres to score his eleventh Grand Prix victory and his second using Bridgestones in a thrilling French Grand Prix. A diversity of pit stop strategies and length of stints was played out under the ever-present threat of rain. This provided excitement as well as a real challenge to the team strategists.
The forecast rain held off for the duration of the 70 laps, meaning that neither Bridgestone's wet or extreme wet Potenzas were employed today. Nevertheless, the strategy of when and how to use the theoretically faster but less consistent soft tyre and the slower starting but more consistent medium Bridgestone Potenza provided interest throughout the race.
Raikkonen opted for a longer second stint to move him ahead of pole-sitting team-mate Felipe Massa who finished in second place. Ferrari showed a real upturn in form as the winner of the last two races, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), finished over half a minute adrift of Raikkonen.
Contrary to the majority of the field, reigning world champion Fernando Alonso (McLaren Mercedes) made his start on the soft compound Potenza and was able to take advantage of this in the early laps. Alonso pushed on both compounds of Bridgestone and was able to make three places in the race. Twelfth starting Jenson Button (Honda Racing) also maximised his strategy to finish in eighth and take the final championship point.
The French Grand Prix was just one piece in the jigsaw of international motorsport with a Bridgestone involvement this weekend. Giorgio Pantano and Javier Villa won races in the Bridgestone supported GP2 Series here at Magny Cours. On Saturday Bridgestone runner Casey Stoner took second place in the MotoGP race at Assen after starting from pole and leading for 23 laps of the 26 lap race. The IndyCar Series race this weekend at Richmond on Bridgestone's Firestone brand of tyres was won by Dario Franchitti. Yet to take place this weekend is the Champ Car World Series race at St Jovite exclusively on Bridgestone tyres.
Next weekend will see the ninth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone where Bridgestone's hard and medium Potenzas will be used. Ferrari ran well when testing the Bridgestone compounds for this race two weeks ago so another strong battle could be in prospect.
Kees van de Grint, Bridgestone Motorsport Head of Track Engineering Operations: I apologise for being brief today but my thoughts were with those who were involved in last night's helicopter accident and it was difficult to concentrate on the race. We brought two strong performing tyres to Magny Cours. They provided good grip in qualifying and good durability in the race. This meant that any strategy or length of stint was possible, indeed one driver went for two stints using the same front tyres. Both the medium and the soft compound Potenza were worthy of the name Bridgestone here today.
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