Latest F1 news in brief
06/17/07
- Alonso vows to try to pass Hamilton
- Errors won't cost Sutil his seat
- Albers – 'no excuse' for lagging Sutil
- Ralf avoids Magny Cours axe New
- Dennis insists no team orders at Indy New
Alonso vows to try to pass Hamilton
(GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will try to overtake fellow McLaren driver and championship Lewis Hamilton at Indianapolis' tricky first corner on Sunday.
The Spaniard tried a similar move on the first lap in Montreal one week ago, after also qualifying behind his rookie teammate, but ran wide and fell down the order.
Alonso, 25, hit the gravel in Barcelona last month too, when attempting to pass Felipe Massa at turn one.
He told Spanish reporters at Indianapolis: "I am going to try it; especially as the track is so wide."
Alonso denied that his team boss Ron Dennis will instruct him to play it safe, even though one year ago at Indianapolis both McLarens – then driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya – crashed out after a clash.
"No, we have the freedom to fight," Alonso insisted, adding that his starting fuel load is "very similar" to pole sitter Hamilton's.
Alonso also explained that he opted to sweep the unused inside part of the US GP grid on Saturday after realizing that his last qualifying lap would not be quick enough to beat Hamilton.
Errors won't cost Sutil his seat
(GMM) Adrian Sutil said in Indianapolis that he is not worried about losing his seat at Spyker.
The Dutch team's officials have been openly critical of the rookie German's errors in the past few races, despite his usually outshining more experienced teammate Christijan Albers in 2007.
But Sutil on Sunday said he was "absolutely sure" that he will still be on the grid next year.
He told RTL: "I have a long term contract with Spyker and I also feel very comfortable with them."
Sutil suggested that errors should not be a surprise to his team chiefs after he tested for only seven days prior to his grand prix debut in Australia in March.
But he admitted: "I still have a lot to learn, and I can get better in every respect with more experience.
"There have been a few accidents, which can happen, but I am still in a learning phase. And I am not the only rookie who has made mistakes in their first season!"
Albers – 'no excuse' for lagging Sutil
Jun.17 (GMM) Spyker driver Christijan Albers says he does not want to make excuses for why he is usually slower than his rookie teammate Adrian Sutil in 2007.
The Dutchman, last on the grid, qualified half a second behind Germany's Sutil at Indianapolis, thus continuing the trend of the year despite having two seasons more experience than his teammate.
"I am not going to make excuses," Albers is quoted as saying by Formule 1 Race Report.
"It hasn't gone too bad here, even though I am slower than Sutil. But I don't want everyone to think that I make excuses."
Nonetheless, he explained that on his first qualifying run on Saturday, he was ten kilometres per hour slower on the start-finish speed trap than Sutil.
Albers said: "There could be several reasons for that, but what sense does it make to start going into it?"
He prefers to look ahead to today's US grand prix, after observing that in Canada he was more competitive in racing conditions than in qualifying.
"I hope that is also the case here," said Albers.
Ralf avoids Magny Cours axe
(GMM) Ralf Schumacher on Sunday scotched rumors that his formula one career has come to an early end by confirming his participation at the upcoming French grand prix.
The beleaguered Toyota driver, who according to speculation was racing under a two-race ultimatum to up his game during the North American double header, retired from the US grand prix in a first corner clash with David Coulthard.
German-born Schumacher's teammate Jarno Trulli, meanwhile, raced strongly to sixth place.
But Ralf, who is 31, insisted after returning to the Indianapolis pitlane that he will now fly directly to England for the pre-Magny Cours test at Silverstone.
"I hope for a better result at the French grand prix," he said, before telling reporters that he will "try next year" at Indianapolis for a better result.
Team president John Howett, meanwhile, told the German broadcaster Premiere: "Ralf will race in Magny Cours, and we have until August or September to decide whether or not we take the option on his contract and continue with him next year as well."
Toyota's new team principal Tadashi Yamashina added: "What happened to Ralf (in the race) can't be helped but we expect he will have a better result in the next race."
Dennis insists no team orders at Indy
(GMM) Ron Dennis was quick to insist on Sunday afternoon that he did not issue controversial 'team orders' to protect Lewis Hamilton's US grand prix victory.
The McLaren boss did admit to the German broadcaster RTL, however, that both back-to-back race winner Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were asked to drop their engine revs in the closing laps.
World champion Alonso, now ten points behind his rookie teammate in the title standings, seemed to air his frustration with team management shortly before his second pit stop by swerving at the pit wall, just a lap after a failed attempt to overtake Hamilton into turn one.
Some TV angles reveal that the 25-year-old even shook his fist at his McLaren chiefs.
Dennis said: "Everyone wants us to let our cars race, and without question that was the case today.
"But not everyone can always be happy, because only one of them can win. We are however very pleased to have another one-two."
Unlike at Monaco, whereafter the FIA launched an investigation, Dennis denied that he asked Hamilton and Alonso to "hold position" at Indy.
"We only asked them to turn down the revs for the last 15 laps or so. Other than that it was a race from the beginning until the end."