Tag Archives: Williams F1

Barcelona tests: Day 2

21/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment
Jolyon Palmer in the E23

Jolyon Palmer in the E23 (and below)

 

Jolyon Palmer had his first taste of the Lotus F1 E23 hybrid in his role as third and reserve driver. Over the course of 77 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Jolyon ran through a programme of tyre and aero assessments, setting a best lap of 1min 26.280secs.

Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, 4.7km
Chassis: E23-02
Weather: Cold and sunny. Ambient 4°C – 17°C Track 7°C – 27°C
Programme: Tyre and aero assessments
Laps Completed: 77
Classification: P8, 1:26.280
Interruptions: Aero evaluation equipment fitting and removal. Fluid replenishment.

Jolyon Palmer: “Today went well. We racked up a lot of laps and I got a good feel for the car. It was very slippery first thing with the cold track, it was certainly very difficult with the hard tyres combined with the low temperatures! Through the day there was a good mix of conditions and set-ups to work with. There was a lot to take on board with the different settings for the car and the different programmes we were running, so it’s been a pretty steep learning curve. It’s been a very positive start for me and I hope my work has benefited the team. I loved being in the car and I can’t wait to get back out on track!”

 

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 2 - Barcelona, Spain
Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 2 - Barcelona, Spain
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “Today was about data accumulation and Jolyon did a great job in his first time in the car, especially with particularly cold conditions to start the session here this morning. We’ve completed a number of aero runs with a variety of different data collection tools on the car as well as conducted a number of different tyre assessments to build a picture of what to expect from Pirelli’s latest tyres working on the E23. The car has run well again and overall we’re making good progress this week.”

 

Williams

Driver: Felipe Massa
Chassis/Engine: FW37-02/PU106B hybrid
Location: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 4.655km
Objectives: Systems, set-up and tyre work
Weather: Warm and Dry
Air and track temps: 4 – 15ºC / 9 – 27ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer: “It has been another productive day. Barcelona is a good representative circuit so the data we get here is very useful. We had a lot of work to do with Felipe which we covered. Our focus is moving from reliability and long runs to more performance based tests and I am pleased with how the car has run so far in Barcelona.”

Felipe Massa: “The car has a lot of potential and today we realised some of that but we still have a lot of work to do. We completed the programme for the day without any unexpected issues. The work on tyres this afternoon gave us a lot of good data which we now have to look at. Getting more laps in the FW37 is important for the continued development of the car.”

 

Sahara Force India made the most of the second day of testing in Barcelona, as Sergio Perez completed a total of 121 laps – the second highest tally in the field.

Sergio Perez #11
Chassis: VJM07-02
Laps: 121 laps
Mileage: 563 km
Fastest lap: 1:24.702
Classification: P4 of 10

Sergio Perez: “I am really happy with the way the day went and by the amount of laps we managed to complete. We worked on understanding the new tyres and I think we took a good step forward in that respect; of course, we are waiting for our ‘new baby’ to come and we’re really looking forward to put all the learning we did in the last two days into practice with the new car. On a personal level, these days have also been valuable to get to know my new race and performance engineers: we made good progress and I am looking forward to even more when working on the simulator this coming week.”

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 2 - Barcelona, Spain
Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer “It was a very productive day with a solid 121 laps and no technical issues. Our main objectives of the day were for Sergio to get to know his new engineering team better, in addition to lots of set-up and procedural work. We continued the evaluation of the 2015 Pirelli tyres we started yesterday, working through performance running in the morning and long runs in the afternoon. The data we gathered today will be really useful not just for the first few races, but also for the final test next week. We are looking forward to continuing our testing programme over the final two days.”

A rather thoughtful looking Perez

A rather thoughtful looking Perez

Barcelona tests: Day 1

21/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
Sergio Perez in the VJM07.

Sergio Perez in the VJM07

 

Sahara Force India opened its 2015 season with a positive day of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. 20-year-old German Pascal Wehrlein made his debut behind the wheel of the VJM07 in the morning, with race driver Sergio Perez taking over in the afternoon as the team completed 66 laps.

Pascal Wehrlein #34
Chassis: VJM07-02
Laps: 32 laps
Mileage: 149 km
Fastest lap: 1:28.329
Classification: P8 of 11

Pascal Wehrlein: “It was great to spend the morning with Force India and to have the opportunity to drive their car for the first time. It’s a good team and everyone was really welcoming. After a few laps I felt very comfortable and confident in the car. Then, of course, I had to move across one garage and drive the Mercedes for the afternoon which was a bit of a surprise. But I will have another day with Force India this week. Driving two Formula One cars in one day was amazing and I am really looking forward to getting back out there again.”

Sergio Perez #11
Chassis: VJM07-02
Laps: 34 laps
Mileage: 158 km
Fastest lap: 1:26.636
Classification: P4 of 11

Sergio Perez: “It’s a very nice feeling to be back on track after the break and to start getting back into a racing rhythm. When I got the call to come to the track, I was really excited about having an earlier start than planned. There is so much to do: I have to get to know my new race engineer, Tim, we have new tyres and new parts to try. I think it was a positive afternoon and a good head-start on the work we are planning to do tomorrow. We can be happy about our day’s work, it was a promising beginning and we can build on it in the remaining three days. 34 laps was a good number for half a day and tomorrow we will be aiming to add many more to the tally.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer: “It was a very positive start to our on-track season with no technical issues and lots of mileage. Even though we had to deal with an unplanned driver change, we managed to achieve all our main goals for the day. Pascal settled into the team straight away and was able to give good feedback on the test items he covered this morning; for Sergio, it was a matter of getting back to action and having his first experience with the 2015 tyres as he completed all the outstanding items on our test programme. In addition to the work on the new Pirellis, we completed a series of tests on development mechanical components on the VJM07. The aim is to have a similarly productive day tomorrow.”

 

Germany's Pascal Wehrlein

Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein

 

Lotus F1 topped the times on the first day of testing with Pastor Maldonado setting a fastest time of 1min 25.011secs during the course of completing 69 laps at the track.

Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, 4.7km
Chassis: E23-02
Weather: Cold and sunny. Ambient 5°C – 17°C Track 8°C – 27°C
Programme: Mileage accumulation and set-up evaluation
Laps Completed: 69
Classification: P1, 1:25.011
Interruptions: Software related shutdowns in the morning, clutch change in the afternoon.

Pastor Maldonado: “It is always good to see your name at the top of the timing monitors and my fastest lap was just in the course of our normal programme for the day. It feels good to drive the E23 in Barcelona. The car responded well to the changes we made and we were able to complete a good number of laps. The team has made strong progress since Jerez and we have a great starting point for the rest of the week. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a perfect track to assess a new car so we’re happy with progress today.”

 

Pastor Maldonado in the E23

Pastor Maldonado in the E23 (and below)

 

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 1 - Barcelona, Spain
Nick Chester, Technical Director: “It’s been a positive day. We had a couple of software niggles in the morning then we were able to work through a solid programme of setup work during which we racked up a good number of laps. The car did have an extended lunch break whilst we changed the clutch, then we were able to complete further work in the afternoon. We’re happy that we’ve made good steps forward since Jerez and we’re working steadily through our evaluations whilst confirming directions for improvement.”

 

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 1 - Barcelona, Spain

 

 

Williams

Driver: Susie Wolff
Chassis/Engine: FW37-02/PU106B hybrid
Location: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 4.655km
Objectives: Race simulation, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Warm and Dry
Air and track temps: 4 – 17ºC / 12 – 27ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer: “We have had a reasonably successful day adding mileage to the FW37. The morning’s focus was on completing a race distance and further set-up work with the car. This afternoon we had some system checks planned, but unfortunately lost a lot of time which affected the programme. We will be able to add these back in later in the week, it’s just a shame for Susie to lose the time in the car when we were having a productive day.”

Susie Wolff: “We learnt a lot today. Carrying out some longer runs in the morning gave me experience of tyre management and it was good to get time in the FW37. The car has a lot of potential and the number of laps we completed today gave the team a lot of data. It’s just a shame I didn’t get the chance to drive the faster tyre. I got a good feeling of the car and as a driver, have learnt a lot.”

 

 

Jerez tests: Day 4

07/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 4 - Jerez, Spain Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 4 - Jerez, Spain

 

Lotus concluded its first pre-season test at the Circuito de Jerez with Romain Grosjean getting his first taste of the E23 hybrid. Over the course of 53 laps, Romain set a best lap of 1min 23.802secs. The team continued with its installation and functionality checks as well as initial performance assessments. The team stopped running early after power unit running data showed that a problem was developing.

Track: Circuito de Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E23-02
Weather: Cold and sunny. Ambient 10°C – 14°C Track 10°C – 16°C
Programme: Installation and functionality checks, initial performance assessment
Laps Completed: 53
Classification: P6, 1:23.802
Interruptions: Shutdown of power unit due to data showing developing problem.

The team will next appear in test action at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya on February 19-22.

Romain Grosjean:
“My first impressions of the E23 hybrid are good. Both the power unit and the chassis are going in the right direction. I completed over fifty laps today and I can honestly say that all of them were enjoyable to drive. The team has made very good progress if you consider where we were this time last year. It’s a very good start and I’m a happy driver.”

Nick Chester, Technical Director:
“Even though it’s been an early end to our final day of running in Jerez, we’ve made fantastic progress over the past few days. We fired up the E23 hybrid for the first time at Enstone last Saturday night, ran it for the first time on Monday, then completed a very useful haul of laps over the course of the test. Both Romain and Pastor have declared themselves happy with the car and we have a clear direction for future developments. Today we finished early as analysis of power unit running data suggested a problem was developing. The power unit will now return to Brixworth for a full investigation. We have a busy week ahead of us at Enstone to make further progress with the E23 and we’re particularly looking forward to the next test in Barcelona.”

 

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 4 - Jerez, Spain Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 4 - Jerez, Spain

 

Williams

Driver: Felipe Massa
Chassis/Engine: FW37-01/PU106B hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: Aero work, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Mild and dry
Air and track temps: 9 – 14ºC / 8 – 16ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer:

“Today was another trouble-free day and so we completed our programme for the week. Today’s focus was on aero and mechanical set-up, as well as working through systems reliability. We have highlighted areas we need to improve before Barcelona and leave here with a reliable package that is straightforward to work with. I think we are all very happy.”

Felipe Massa:

“The FW37 once again proved how reliable it was with an error free day. The car has been consistent over the last four days and we have made good progress. We have highlighted certain areas that need work and so will make sure the car is improving every time we take to the track. We have our feet on the ground and are focused on making this car quicker when testing continues in Barcelona.”

Jerez tests: Day 3

07/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 3 - Jerez, Spain Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 3 - Jerez, Spain

 

Lotus enjoyed a productive day of testing at the Circuito de Jerez with Pastor Maldonado completing 96 laps, setting a best time of 1min 22.713secs. The team continued with installation and functionality checks with the E23 hybrid as well as initial performance assessments. Romain Grosjean got his first taste of the E23 on day 4.

Track: Circuito de Jerez, Spain, 4.4km
Chassis: E23-02
Weather: Cold and cloudy. Ambient 11°C – 15°C Track 12°C – 16°C
Programme: Installation and functionality checks, initial performance assessment
Laps Completed: 96
Classification: P5, 1:22.713
Interruptions: Telemetry power issue delayed first run in the morning.

What’s next?

Pastor Maldonado:
“It was a good day and we’ve learnt a lot more about the E23. The car feels strong and we know there’s more to come. We’re still checking all the systems and learning how everything works, but I’m very happy with progress over the last two days. We were able to run with different tyre compounds today so there’s a good basis for knowing where we need to look in terms of set-up. I’m really looking forward to getting back into the car in Barcelona.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director:
“We’ve completed a solid programme today and been able to log a lot of data as we begin our initial understanding of the E23. Yesterday’s issues were quickly diagnosed and rectified and today we’ve run very reliably with only a connection issue to delay our first run this morning. Pastor’s jumped straight back into the car after the winter break and has given us everything we’ve needed over the last two days, now we’re looking forward to Romain getting his first taste of the car tomorrow.”

 

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Day 3 - Jerez, Spain

 

Williams

Driver: Felipe Massa

Chassis/Engine: FW37-01/PU106B hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: Aero work, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Damp in the morning, overcast and mild
Air and track temps: 11 – 15ºC / 11 – 16ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer:

“It’s been another good day and good to have Felipe get his first drive of the FW37 today. We have started to do a little more chassis work as we continue to work through our plan. Felipe gave us very much the same feedback as Valtteri did, so it’s pleasing that they share the same views and characteristics as each other on the FW37. Overall it’s been a positive day.”

Felipe Massa:

“I am happy after a good first day in the car. The FW37 is another step forward from where we left the FW36, which is promising. I am also confident in the car set-up. The feeling in the car was good even for a first impression and it’s well balanced. We lost a bit of time in the morning due to the wet weather so hopefully tomorrow we can continue to get the miles in and head to Barcelona well prepared.”

 

Jerez test – Day 2: Williams

02/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , Leave a comment

_W2Q7306

 

At work… today

Driver: Valtteri Bottas

Chassis/Engine: FW37-01/PU106B hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: Aero work, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Cold and dry, rain at the end of the session
Air and track temps: 4 – 14ºC / 5 – 15ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer:

“We learnt a lot yesterday and have continued to build on that today. We started aero performance based work today, continuing to move through the test schedule we have set ourselves. We have had no issues with the car today, so have made good progress.”

Valtteri Bottas:

“We have had another good day. We managed to get through all of our programme and it was only the final run that we were compromised due to the rain. The morning was dedicated to obtaining aero data, then this afternoon we focused on the longer runs, making set-up changes and analysing the results. We are learning all the time and at the moment I am really pleased with what I have felt when in the car.”

 

And at play… earlier

_MG_7417 _MG_7589_BW _MG_7613_BW _MG_7765_BW

Jerez tests: Lotus and Williams

01/02/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , Leave a comment

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Lotus F1’s 2015 challenger, the E23 hybrid (new image above), arrived in Jerez today after firing-up for the first time at the team’s Enstone base on Saturday 31 January. The car is now undergoing its build programme overnight and throughout Monday, with the first significant running expected for Tuesday 3 February.

Here’s a little piece of info the team came up with in an idle moment and felt it had to share – what it calls its ‘E23 numbers’:

0 – the time taken in seconds for the gearbox of the E23 to change gear (drive is never lost during the gearshift)
0.04 – how much faster in seconds the E23 goes each lap due to the reducing weight as the car burns fuel (not accounting for tyre degradation)
1.6 – the time in seconds for the E23 to decelerate from 100 km/h to a standstill
4 – the number of power units allocated to each driver in 2015
4.9 – how many seconds it takes for the E23 to reach 200 km/h from a standstill
6 – the number of consecutive races each gearbox must survive before it can be changed without suffering a five-place grid penalty
8 forward and 1 reverse – the number of gears in the E23’s gearbox
15 – how many hours it takes for a complete rebuild of the car at the track with 12 mechanics
87.75 – the impact energy in kilojoules that must be withstood by the nose of the car when it is crash tested by the FIA; the same amount of energy as would be required to stop a 4 tonne elephant moving towards you at 24km/h
102 – the weight in Kg subjected to the end of the front wing by the FIA; it cannot move more than 10mm
220 – the pressure in Bar the cars hydraulic system works at; a road car tyre is about 1.8 Bar
702 – the minimum dry weight of the car in kilograms
1,100 – the temperature in degrees Celsius of the exhaust gases when the car is at full throttle
1,200 – in degrees Celsius, this is the temperature a brake disc can reach during the race
2,500 – the number of gear changes the drivers have to make during an average Grand Prix
12,500 – the number of technical drawings produced by the time of the E23 car build (more than any other car from Enstone)
30,000 – the number of individual parts that make up each E23
125,000 – the max rotational speed in RPM of the MGU-H
250,000 – the amount of man hours that have gone into the design of the E23.

Meanwhile, the other teams have been hard at it on track, with Vettel (now at Ferrari) and Ericsson (Sauber) topping the lap times, although these are pretty meaningless.

 

Here are Williams’ results from day one:

Driver: Valtteri Bottas
Chassis / Engine: FW37-01/PU106B Hybrid
Location: Jerez de la Frontera 4.428km
Objectives: New component, systems and reliability checks
Weather: Dry and sunny
Air and track temps: 7 – 14ºC / 9 – 20ºC

Rod Nelson, Chief Test and Support Engineer:

“We have gone through our normal winter test programmes today and have solved any issues that have arisen. We lost a bit of time this morning but once on track, Valtteri clocked up 73 laps. We have new hardware on the car and there is a new power unit, and all of these have to be checked and tested whilst we are running before we can start looking at performance. Jerez isn’t too representative as a circuit as the surface is so abrasive, this limits the amount of useful performance work we can carry out. We are very satisfied with the first day and are looking forward to tomorrow.”

And driver, Valtteri Bottas:

“The day started off a bit slow, but it turned out to be a really good one. After that initial set-back we didn’t have a single issue with the FW37, which is impressive for the first day with a new car. We started off on shorter runs before longer runs later this afternoon, including one run that was significant considering again that it’s only the first day. The car was consistent, so it’s a really good start to the week and we are pleased that it’s still a step up from the car we had at the end of last season. We know we have a lot to learn and improve, but we also know where these gains can come from, and have work to do with the car performance and the power unit. There are a lot of strengths in this car and we’ve made good progress in just one day, so I am very pleased.”

_79P9237 _79P9414 _R6T3298 _R6T4257 _W2Q7674 _W2Q8579

Frank’s FW36

31/01/2015 By in Formula One Tags: , , , Leave a comment

_L5R8262-lr

 

Following on from its successful 2014 season, Williams’ Chief Technical Officer, Pat Symonds takes up the story behind the development of this year’s car:

“We went about recognising what had worked well with the FW36 and identifying and resolving the areas that we felt needed to be improved. Although the aerodynamics of the car were impressive there is always room for improvement particularly as we handle the new 2015 nose regulations.

“The first conceptual stage of the FW37 came before the FW36 had turned a wheel. The main element to this is understanding the rule changes and how they will affect the design of the car. From here we can start to see if our ideas will fit within the regulations.

‘The desire to beat Ferrari to third place in the Constructors’ in 2014 meant we pushed our development through to late autumn, but the size of the team is now at a point where it was able to sustain this development whilst still working on the FW37.”

With the regulations relatively stable from 2014 the team went about developing the FW36 with the additional changes necessary to meet the 2015 rules. Adds Symonds:

“We felt we came up against design barriers in the FW36 and so took the opportunity to remove these for the benefit of performance. The FW36 carried a reasonable amount of ballast, so we were able to make alterations to the design for added performance without the fear of adding excessive mass.”

The layout phase of the car was completed by the summer break in August, with work on the new front bulkhead a main priority for the designers and aerodynamicists as the changes to the regulations had their effects on the car.

Says Symonds:

‘The change in regulations offered us a slight headache. The new front bulkhead and nose geometry had much more of an impact than we had initially anticipated and the effect on the aero was profound. The team has worked hard on pulling back the deficit these regulations have made for us.

“‘The more rule stability there is, the closer the field gets. I hope as a team we are more capable of maintaining the forward momentum to catch Mercedes, than the teams behind us are of catching us. It’s not just about stable regulations but also about the team and every individual that works here moving forward and improving.”

The new Williams

25/01/2014 By in Formula One Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

WF1_FW36_ISO-gallerywide

WF1_FW36_SIDE-gallerywide

 

Williams has released the first images of its 2014 challenger: the Williams Mercedes FW36.

It’s the culmination of two-plus years research and development by the team’s technical departments in Grove and it incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz.

Says Chief Technical Officer, Pat Symonds:

“There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year. We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system.

“We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised, normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.”

To meet the challenges of the new power unit, Williams signed the deal with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains midway through last season. The team received the first CAD (computer-aided design) data for the power unit at the end of May, at which point the detailed design of the FW36 could begin to be finalised.

This is the first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1.

The design phase of the FW36 was completed by mid-September, by which time the team had found solutions to the major challenges presented by the regulations. (Cooling, weight, a new gearbox and aerodynamic changes are just some of the areas of focus.)

Continues Symonds:

“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year. The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

The FW36’s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.

Says Symonds:

“We finished the gearbox relatively early. It’s completed a lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new box and it has to cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”

The weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent crash tests, has been another challenge of the 2014 rules. But the FW36 was one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.

“The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” says Symonds. “But it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier than the outgoing V8.”

The launch-spec aerodynamic package was finalised in the first week of December, with an upgrade package for Melbourne’s season-opener signed off in early January.

Adds Symonds:

“F1 is still going to be an aerodynamic formula in 2014. There are some significant changes: the nose is lower than last year and the front wing is narrower, which means the end plates are now more shrouded by the front tyre.

“The rear wing isn’t as deep as last year and the beam wing below it is no longer permitted, and we’ve also lost the ability to use the exhaust to enhance aero performance.”

Until the car begins testing the team won’t know how its design solutions will translate on to the track, but Symonds is confident that Williams has done enough to move up the grid after a disappointing 2013 season.

“I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” he says. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

Patrick Head answers lots of silly questions

25/08/2013 By in Business, Formula One Tags: , , Leave a comment

As co-founder and Technical Director of Williams F1 Patrick Head was responsible for nine World Championship-winning cars.

Patrick Head fashion shot

Patrick Head fashion shot

In the process he has worked with some of the world’s most talented drivers including Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg to name but a few. Patrick is also an intrepid traveller using all forms of transport from motorbike to sailing yacht.

Here Dom Reilly talks to Patrick about his adventures in F1.

Q What’s the one luxury you always travel with?

My Macbook Air.

Q When you used to travel to places like Melbourne and Shanghai, how did you deal with jet lag? After all it’s a long way to go for a weekend!

I tried to ignore the time change and adjust immediately to the local time.  Sometimes it worked, but not always.

Q Outside F1 venues, which is your favourite destination and why? 

I normally keep my sailing boat in Calgiari, Sardinia, where my wife’s family live.  My sailboat is my greatest relaxation.  It’s usually very warm, which helps.

Q What is your preferred mode of transport?

Motorbike, but only if it’s warm.  Helicopters I enjoy but they are a bit on the pricey side.

Q What would your top tip be for international travel?

Plan in advance and find out what is available locally before you travel.

Q What would you have been if not an F1 engineer?

Unemployable.

Q Although there are now 20 races a year, things are comparatively easy in F1 these days. I remember you telling me once about how (in 1986) you did every race, every test session and travelled to Japan several times in one year to manage relations with Honda. That must have been very tough. What sticks in your mind particularly about that year?

Patrick as we usually see him. Eye to eye...

Patrick as we usually see him. Eye to eye…

Exhaustion.

Q Who’s been the most interesting person you’ve met during your career?

Placido Domingo, a big F1 fan.

Q If you could go to one place on holiday… where would it be?

Tanganyika, I would like to see wild Africa, or as close as is still there….

Honestly Patrick. What were you thinking, associating yourself with such PR drivel.

Williams back on top for Frank’s birthday

12/05/2012 By in Formula One Tags: Leave a comment

Of course with Lewis Hamilton being docked five places for stopping on track, Pastor Maldonado has now claimed his first front row grid position in qualifying for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Pastor Maldonado

After topping the times in Q2, Pastor drove a great lap on soft tyres to post a time of 1:22.285 putting him second overall behind Hamilton’s McLaren. After being hampered by traffic on earlier runs a frustrated Bruno Senna ended Q1 in the gravel and will therefore start 18th in tomorrow’s race but with extra sets of tyres available.

Williams’ Chief Operations Engineer, Mark Gillan says:

“Pastor’s qualifying performance was stunning today with a collection of very strong laps throughout the session which allowed us to save a set of soft tyres to fight for a decent qualifying position in Q3. To finish P2 is a great boost for the whole team and gives us a very good position from which to push hard in the race for decent points and hopefully a further belated 70th birthday present for Frank. It is obviously disappointing for Bruno to have crashed out of Q1 but we expect the race pace to be strong so points are still possible from P18.”