Quotes of the week
"He's [Felipe Massa] always the first to stand up in a drivers' meeting and complain about what people like me are doing when we get lapped. That's what you get, mate. There's a bit of blue flag action for you. You're rubbish. You are useless at it." Anthony Davidson, former Formula 1 driver, dissolved F1 Super Aguri team, commenting on Massa's performance in the British GP.
07/07/08
"It's a dream come true. American kid winning with ethanol on the side of the car. It’s an American team – Bobby Rahal gave me the job and now we’re in victory circle. I can’t tell you how happy I am. This is amazing. I just got a good run on Darren, stuffed it down in there, and said I’ll deal with it when it happens. Then I got to the top of the hill, Darren popped to the outside so I stuck to the inside and we held on to it from there. Dixon was warming the tires really hard. And I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to see if I can do it that hard.’ But I thought, ‘You know what, I might loop this thing doing it.’ Low and behold, a lap later there he goes. It was amazing. It was like the seas were parting. For all the bad luck that’s gone our way, for it to finally go our way a little bit, that’s huge. Great timing too." Ryan Hunter-Reay, IndyCar driver, Rahal Letterman Racing, commenting on winning the Watkins Glen race
"This is pretty big for us because we've never won this specific race in Daytona. Memo did a great job and the crew did a great job. Lexus gave us a good engine package and we got the most out of it. I really didn't think we'd see green after that crash – and it was a horrific crash. I really have to applaud Grand-Am because we, as a group I think, owe it to the fans to see it finish under green. Every restart, that's the only move I had. The No. 99 was certainly quicker in the infield. After about 2 or 3 laps, my rear tires just wouldn't hold on. I pulled a Hail Mary through the bus stop and tried to carry a lot of speed to get them before the start/finish line." Scott Pruett, Grand-Am driver, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, commenting on winning the Daytona race
"This was the toughest race, but also one of the best ones I have ever driven. It was so extreme and slippery out there, very similar to the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji last year. I had troubles with my visor and tried to clean it a couple of times. I thank my team for a great job; they did fantastic work and we always made the right decisions with the tires in the difficult conditions. When I came round the last time, I saw the crowd standing up and I prayed: 'Just finish, just finish.' It was a very emotional moment to win my home Grand Prix and I want to dedicate this victory to my family. As everybody knows I had some troubles over the past few weeks and they have been always there for me and supported me. To pull on another Vodafone McLaren Mercedes rocket red victory T-shirt feels awesome." Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 driver, McLaren Mercedes, commenting on winning the British GP
"I'm in a unique position. The only person I really take advice from is my dad. Whenever I speak to Damon [Hill] or Jackie [Stewart] I do take what they say on board, but I'm not going to go searching them out and ask how I can be world champion. I want to do it on my own. I got to where I am on my own, with my family. I'm not criticizing you [the media]. You guys have a job to do and so do I. That's why I'm always totally open with you. You were very supportive last year. You know me — I don't bullsh*t. You help me get my message across. You help me shine as a normal person to the public. That's why these people are standing outside waiting to see me." Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 driver, McLaren Mercedes
"A monkey could drive that car." Jack Roush, CEO and co-owner, Roush Fenway Racing, referring to the fast Toyota of Kyle Busch and the big HP it makes
"Anyone who actually believes that it will be 'business as usual' for the Detroit manufacturers and their NASCAR programs going forward from this juncture on are not only dreaming, they're displaying a level of naïveté and flat-out ignorance that defies all rationally reasoned thought. The Detroit manufacturers are on the brink of disaster, to the point that their very existence is in question. Everything, and I mean everything is subject to change – up to and including budget cuts and even elimination of programs altogether – even sacred cow programs such as NASCAR." Peter M. DeLorenzo, Motorsports Journalist, Autoextremist.
"I've had a long career and many good opportunities. I'll come out of this knowing I had world championship-winning cars. I'm not going to think, 'Damn, I never had that chance.' I did get that chance, but I never quite delivered the ultimate result." David Coulthard, F1 driver, Red Bull Racing, commenting on his final season in Formula One
"A season of karting costs more. Maybe he will use lawnmower engines, but would that really be a feeder series for formula one? We take the money from racing events and media rights. We have contracts with all the teams, which lay down what percentage they receive. If the FIA wants to hand out more money, then they are going to have to find it themselves." (Ecclestone has ridiculed Max Mosley after the FIA announced plans to establish an ultra low cost Formula 2 feeder series.) Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Association.
"Our view is that Max [Mosley], sometimes with our resistance, has done a number of things in recent years which have been good for this company. It is not in our interest to undermine Max, especially in the light of threats of him being replaced by Jean Todt. We have been to many meetings at which (Todt) has been present representing the interests of Ferrari 100 percent. He is confrontational, argumentative, and not impartial, everything that the President of the FIA should not be." Patrick Head, Director of Engineering, Williams F1 team
"There's always been the question of the FOM fee, and ultimately that is the deciding factor. To quote Bernie, he once said: 'You can have anything you like, as long as you pay too much for it,' but we can't pay too much for something. We're in it because we want to be there, but we can't go beyond the balance, the tipping point, and Bernie knows that. So it's a huge disappointment, a real blow to our efforts and desire to see the grand prix retained. The problem is money goes out and away. There's a question whether that money even returns to Formula One. No one should stand in the way of someone's ability to make a profit, and that's not what this is about. But the money from the people (the fans) who come here goes to Formula One, and that money doesn't come back to develop the infrastructure of F1. This (Silverstone) is part of the infrastructure of Formula One. The FIA have suggested there are protected events. But there are also circuits that are part of the fabric of motor sport – the very first grand prix took place at Silverstone. But none of that money has been re-invested with regard to the infrastructure of the circuits. It goes out, and it seems to me to be absurd that that money is constantly being sucked out and not re-invested. We could have had a fantastic venue. It would have been great for everyone. Everyone would have won." Damon Hill, President of the British Racing Drivers' Club who own Silverstone, 1996 World Champion
"Obviously if you start looking at this then you can get worried, so there are two attitudes to this. You can completely disregard it, which is pretty much the approach I choose to adopt — after all, we've only had eight races so we're not even mid-season yet. I can't really say I feel that I've shown what I wanted to show this year so far. What happen will happen. If I get fired because of this or because of that then so be it. What's really important for me is that I give my best. And I am giving my best, even if it's not paying off right now. But you can only influence so many parameters, so I will have no regrets, that's for sure. I'm doing the very best I can, and if it's not enough in some people's opinion then fine. Right now I'm focused on 2008. I can only hope I'll be able to show what I can do with a car that has slick tires." Sebastien Bourdais, Formula 1 driver, Toro Rosso
"Drivers shouldn't go over the top, and I think that has probably taken the world championship lead away from Lewis. If you think about coaching and communication, that's where I think there is a gap (in Formula One). Bring in strategy, but bring in strategy where the communication works, where understanding is clear and then the type of things that have happened can be avoided." Sir Jackie Stewart, 3 times Formula 1 World Champion commenting on Lewis Hamilton's need for a professional coach
“I was just too tight coming off the corner. The 42 had a run on the outside of me, there was nothing I could do. I tried to keep the car down, but it just kept sliding up there. But, you know, it happens. It’s racing. He was up beside me and I just pushed up there. There was nothing I could do. I figured he’d give me a little break there, but we’re racing for last position back there, and he wants to go like heck every lap." Greg Biffle, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Roush Fenway Racing