Robert Kubica: “It’s very difficult to predict what will happen in Korea”
Robert, the dust has now settled following the race weekend in Suzuka. What was your verdict on the weekend in Japan? I was positively surprised with our level of performance. I was hoping that we would be more competitive than in Singapore, because Suzuka is a circuit more like Spa, but I didn’t expect to be as quick as we were. It was a big effort in qualifying, and I was surprised to be so far up the grid, but ultimately it didn’t pay off. But that’s how racing is: problems can happen, and I haven’t thought about it since.
Korea will be a new challenge for everybody. What do you know about it? I have seen the videos on You Tube and collected as much information as I can with the team. I will do some virtual laps to learn the layout before we walk the track with the engineers on Thursday. To be honest, though, the first installation lap gives you more information than most of the preparation you can do.
What do you think of the circuit? The track looks pretty interesting. There’s a bit of everything: long corners, high-speed and low-speed sections, and the final sector seems quite challenging. A lot will depend on the level of grip that the asphalt has. If the grip is high, then some of the corners will be easy flat; if it’s low, they will be a big challenge. We have seen already this year, at races like Hockenheim and Canada, that the grip varies a lot with new tarmac. And that makes it very difficult to predict what will happen this weekend in Korea, and how competitive we can be relative to our rivals.
Vitaly Petrov: “The top ten must be my target this weekend”
What have you done to prepare for the next race in Korea? It’s hard to do any special preparation because it’s a brand new circuit and there have not been any races there yet. This means there is very little information available. All I have done is some simulator work to help me learn the track. Because it’s a new circuit, I think this makes life a little bit easier for me because everybody will be in the same situation and will have to learn the track.
Talk us through your usual approach for learning a new circuit? The best thing is to walk the track and see it for yourself. Then, I like to do some laps on my bike to understand as much as I can. You have to look at things like the kerbs and the run-off areas. All this is helpful, but you obviously learn the most during the first free practice session. It’s important that you know the lap by the end of this first session.
What are your initial thoughts on the layout of the track? It looks like a tricky circuit. The third sector looks quite a challenge because it’s low-speed with most corners probably taken in second or third gear. Turns seven and eight will be quick corners and there are three long straights where it’s important to use the f-duct. Overall I think it will be quite a good circuit for our car. There should also be some opportunities for overtaking.
With just three races remaining, what targets are you setting yourself? I always try to be in the top ten and that must be the target this weekend. I think we had the potential to do this in Suzuka, but I need to make sure I don’t make any mistakes. Scoring points is important and that will be my aim in Korea.
How excited were you to hear news of a Russian Grand Prix in Sochi from 2014? I’m very proud that my country has made this decision, which will make F1 even more popular in Russia. Almost all the drivers already have a home race so I hope that I can experience the same special feeling of racing at home in a few years’ time.
Eric Boullier: “We can expect an enthusiastic welcome in Korea”
What was the team’s mood after the Japanese GP? The first feelings were obviously of immense frustration and disappointment. When you start third on the grid, and your race lasts fewer than three laps, then it cannot be any other way – all the more so when a genuine chance of a podium finish slips away. But there were positives to take from the weekend, too. Robert did an exceptional job in qualifying – probably one of his best laps this year – to put the car fourth; and our general level of competitiveness was much better than in Singapore. Our challenge now will be to try and repeat that level of performance again before the end of the season.
What are your thoughts ahead of the first race in Korea? It’s always exciting to visit a new venue and, following our Roadshow in Seoul earlier this month, we know that Formula 1 can expect a very warm and enthusiastic welcome from the country’s fans. Any new track brings with it plenty of unknowns, and the potential for surprises up and down the grid. The circuit presents a variety of challenges, some well-suited to our car and others less so. As always, our aim will be to extract the maximum from the car and to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself to us.
The team is now 43 points behind MercedesGP in the Constructors’ Championship. Is fourth place still a realistic goal? With three races to go, it’s now very much an uphill struggle – but this is F1, and anything can still happen. We have a huge amount of respect for Mercedes as competitors, they are the reigning world champion team, and they have had a strong second half of the season where they made the most of their opportunities. Even if we don’t overhaul them in the standings, we can be very proud of our achievements this year. From a low point twelve months ago, we are the most improved team of 2010 and, in the second half of the season, we have been taking the fight to the teams at the front of the grid. That’s a real tribute to the quality of the people we have at Enstone – and a very promising sign for the future.
What to expect in Yeongam
The addition of a brand new circuit to the F1 calendar is always exciting prospect and this weekend’s inaugural Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam certainly has all the ingredients for an entertaining race. It’s an anti-clockwise circuit with a diverse mix of corners, long straights, and genuine overtaking opportunities. But what are the challenges faced by the team when getting to grips with a new circuit and how does the team prepare for the unknown?
“Our initial preparations began many months ago when the FIA provided all the teams with a detailed circuit map,” explains Chief Race Engineer Alan Permane. “From this we were able to create a digital representation of the track and then asked our drivers to add what they believe to be the correct racing line.”
With a virtual lap in place, the team has spent the last month running virtual simulations to get a head start on the set-up required for Yeongam. “The simulations allow us to assess the best aero levels, suspension settings, ride heights and even sensitivity to fuel load,” confirms Alan. “There are lots of unknowns, such as the grip level of the tarmac, surface bumps, or the camber of the road, but we still have a fairly good idea of the set-up we will need before we arrive at the track.”
So what have the simulations revealed so far? Well, the projected lap time is 1min 44 seconds and the cars will be on full throttle for 55% of the lap and on the brakes for 20%. The average speed will be 195 km/h, with a top speed of 315 km/h on the 1.15 km straight between turns two and three. As for the corners, turn eight is probably the quickest of the lap with an apex speed of 235 km/h, while turn three is the slowest corner, expected to be taken at just 65 km/h.
This level of preparation means that the engineering approach to Friday practice won’t need to change massively from the norm, although the drivers may run more laps in FP1 to learn the track. For the engineers, one of the main priorities will be determining the gear ratios, especially for second, third and fourth gears. Although the ratios for FP1 have already been selected, it will make for a busy lunch hour in the garage if changes are needed for FP2.
In terms of the aero set-up, it won’t be far off the settings used at Suzuka: “The downforce needed will be on the high side and we plan to run with the same wing package we used in Suzuka,” confirms Alan. “There are a couple of high-speed corners, such as turns seven and eight, which remind me of turns five and six at Sepang. They involve a quick change of direction and we expect turn seven will be flat, while turn eight will be almost flat. It will also be important to maximise the f-duct for the long straights because there are a couple of good overtaking opportunities into turns one and three.”
Another significant characteristic of the lap is the number of low-speed, technical corners, such as the sequence from turns four to six or turns 15 and 16 towards the end of the lap. Getting the right balance through these corners will be critical for a quick lap.
“For these corners you need a nimble car with a good turn-in and good traction,” says Alan. “It’s important the car works well in these sorts of corner because it’s where the most significant lap time gains can be found.”
