Timo Glock

Brands Hatch (GB), 19. Mai 2013. Nach dem erfolgreichen Saisonauftakt in Hockenheim (DE) war auch beim zweiten DTM-Rennen des Jahres ein BMW Fahrer auf dem Podium vertreten: Auf dem 1,929 Kilometer langen „Brands Hatch Circuit“ (GB) sah BMW Team Schnitzer Fahrer Bruno Spengler (CA) im BMW Bank M3 DTM als Zweiter die Zielflagge und wiederholte damit sein Ergebnis aus dem Vorjahr. Nach 98 Runden hatte der amtierende DTM-Champion einen Rückstand von 7,641 Sekunden auf den siegreichen Audi-Piloten Mike Rockenfeller (DE). Robert Wickens (CA) im Mercedes komplettierte als Dritter das Podium.

Zweitbester BMW Pilot war in seinem erst zweiten DTM-Rennen Marco Wittmann (DE) vom BMW Team MTEK. Der 23-Jährige belegte im Ice-Watch BMW M3 DTM den vierten Rang vor BMW Team RBM Pilot Joey Hand (US) auf Position fünf. Für beide war es das bisher beste Ergebnis ihrer DTM-Karrieren. Großes Pech hatte Augusto Farfus (BR). Auf Platz zwei liegend musste der Sieger vom Saisonauftakt in Hockenheim (DE) seinen Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM nach 65 Runden mit einem technischen Defekt abstellen.

Dirk Werner (DE), Timo Glock (DE) und Martin Tomczyk (DE) kamen auf den Plätzen zwölf, 13 und 14 ins Ziel. Tomczyk kämpfte sich nach dem Verlust seiner Poleposition vom letzten Startplatz zwischenzeitlich in die Top-Ten zurück, wurde in einem Zweikampf aber von der Strecke gedrängt und büßte dadurch alle Chancen auf einen Punkterang ein. Andy Priaulx (GB) war genauso wie Tomczyk und Glock in einen Zwischenfall verwickelt und kam als 19. ins Ziel.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Mit dem zweiten Saisonrennen können wir insgesamt zufrieden sein. Wenn man im Rennen drei Fahrer unter die ersten fünf bringt, dann ist dies ein sehr gutes Ergebnis. Wenn man aber mit sechs Fahrern unter den ersten zehn der Startaufstellung ins Rennen geht, wäre durchaus noch mehr drin gewesen. Bruno Spengler als Zweiter und sein Team haben einen exzellenten Job gemacht. Ebenso freut es mich für Marco Wittmann, der in seinem erst zweiten DTM-Rennen als Vierter bereits gezeigt hat, welch großes Potenzial er besitzt. Auch Joey Hand als Fünfter hat über das gesamte Wochenende eine starke Leistung gezeigt. Pech hingegen hatte Augusto Farfus, der wie schon in Hockenheim klar auf Podiumskurs lag, ehe er wegen eines technischen Defekts ausscheiden musste. Einige Aktionen auf der Strecke waren grenzwertig, die Leidtragenden waren nicht zuletzt unsere Fahrer. Glückwunsch an Audi und Mike Rockenfeller zu diesem Sieg.“

Mit viel Schwung auf die Insel: DTM-Saison geht für BMW Motorsport in Brands Hatch in die nächste Runde.

München (DE), 13. Mai 2013. Nach dem Doppelsieg durch Augusto Farfus (BR) und Dirk Werner (DE) beim DTM-Auftakt in Hockenheim (DE) reisen die BMW Teams mit viel Selbstvertrauen zum zweiten Saisonrennen. Am 19. Mai macht die populäre Tourenwagenserie auf dem traditionsreichen „Brands Hatch Circuit“ in Großbritannien Station. Im vergangenen Jahr gelang Bruno Spengler (CA) vom BMW Team Schnitzer dort als Zweiter der Sprung auf das Podium. Martin Tomczyk (DE) sammelte als Vierter für das BMW Team RMG Punkte und fuhr in 42,138 Sekunden die schnellste Rennrunde.

Das Gastspiel in Brands Hatch ist der erste von insgesamt vier Auslandsauftritten der DTM in dieser Saison. Die südöstlich von London (GB) gelegene Strecke ist mit 1,929 Kilometern die kürzeste im Rennkalender. 98 Mal werden die acht BMW Piloten in ihren BMW M3 DTM Rennwagen den Kurs umrunden, ehe sie die Zielflagge sehen. Eine Runde in Brands Hatch gleicht einer Berg- und Talfahrt. Besonders spektakulär: die Paddock-Hill-Kurve, das Prunkstück der Strecke.

Am 18. Mai überträgt der TV-Sender ARD das Qualifying, das um 13.40 Uhr Ortszeit (14.40 Uhr MESZ) beginnt, live. Das Rennen am Sonntag startet um 12.30 Uhr (13.30 Uhr MESZ). Bereits am Freitag lädt BMW Motorsport Medienvertreter zu einer Interviewrunde der besonderen Art ein: An Bord eines typischen Doppeldecker-Buses stehen die acht Piloten für Gespräche zur Verfügung. Treffpunkt für die einstündige „One Hour on the Bus“-Tour durch die Grafschaft Kent ist um 13.25 Uhr an der BMW Motorsport Hospitality.

Stimmen vor dem Rennen in Hockenheim:

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Mit solch einem Ergebnis, wie wir es beim Saisonstart in Hockenheim erreicht haben, kann man bei keinem Rennen vorher rechnen. Das wäre absolut vermessen. Aber man kann sehr hart dafür arbeiten, damit ein solches Resultat prinzipiell möglich ist. Das haben die drei Hersteller über den Winter getan. Und wenn es dann wie am vergangenen Wochenende zu einem Doppelsieg für uns kommt, ist die Freude in der Mannschaft natürlich umso größer. Das Qualifying wird in Brands Hatch extrem wichtig. Trotz DRS und Optionsreifen wird es auf dem engen Kurs sehr schwierig zu überholen. Wie schon 2012 werden wir uns nicht dazu hinreißen lassen, vor den Rennen vollmundige Ankündigungen zu machen, sondern erst einmal unsere Hausaufgaben machen und uns akribisch vorbereiten. Dann werden wir sehen, wo wir in Großbritannien nach den 98 Runden stehen.“

Ernest Knoors (Teamchef, BMW Team MTEK):
„Licht und Schatten lagen bei unserem DTM-Debüt in Hockenheim dicht beieinander. Im Qualifying hatten wir Pech, konnten am Ende im Rennen aber trotzdem noch wertvolle Punkte holen. Marco Wittmann, Timo Glock und das gesamte Team haben angedeutet, wie viel Potenzial in ihnen steckt. Das ist ein enormer Ansporn. Auch beim nächsten Rennen in Brands Hatch wollen wir wieder einen Schritt nach vorne machen, weitere Erfahrungen sammeln und lernen. Wir werden in der Saison immer mal wieder Rückschläge erleben. Aber das ist völlig normal. Wichtig ist, dass wir uns dadurch nicht aus der Ruhe bringen lassen, sondern hart an uns arbeiten.“

Timo Glock (Startnummer 22, BMW Team MTEK):
„In Brands Hatch betrete ich absolutes Neuland, denn auf dieser Strecke bin ich bisher noch kein Rennen gefahren. Deshalb wird es für das BMW Team MTEK und mich darauf ankommen, im freien Training so viele Kilometer wie möglich abzuspulen, um entsprechende Erfahrungswerte zu sammeln. Denn nur ein paar Stunden nach der Trainingssession geht es im Qualifying bereits um die Startplätze. Auch wenn beim Auftakt in Hockenheim nicht alles nach Plan lief, habe ich viel Positives aus meinem ersten DTM-Wochenende mitgenommen. Die DTM ist eine fantastische Rennserie. Ich

DTM
Rennen 1, Hockenheim (DE), Rennen

Reaktionen auf den DTM-Saisonauftakt in Hockenheim.

Hockenheim (DE), 5. Mai 2013. Es war ein Auftakt nach Maß: Angeführt von Augusto Farfus (BR) und Dirk Werner (DE), die für einen Doppelsieg sorgten, erlebte BMW Motorsport in Hockenheim (DE) das erfolgreichste DTM-Rennen seit dem Comeback in der populären Tourenwagenserie im vergangenen Jahr. Fünf BMW Fahrer konnten Punkte sammeln, zudem gelang Farfus in 1:34,504 Minuten die schnellste Runde des Rennens. Lesen Sie hier, was BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt, die vier Teamchefs und die acht Fahrer nach dem erfolgreichen Saisonstart zu sagen hatten.7

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Dieser Saisonauftakt war der reine Wahnsinn. Ich muss der ganzen Mannschaft ein riesiges Kompliment aussprechen – und vor allem natürlich Augusto Farfus und Dirk Werner, die uns den ersten Doppelsieg nach unserem DTM-Comeback beschert haben. Augusto hat keinen einzigen Fehler gemacht, zudem war die Strategie vom BMW Team RBM perfekt. Dasselbe gilt für das BMW Team Schnitzer, das Dirk vom 20. auf den zweiten Platz nach vorn gebracht hat. Seine Aufholjagd war einfach fantastisch. Ich hoffe, für die Fans war das erste Rennen des Jahres genauso aufregend und spannend wie für uns. Für Timo Glock tut es mir leid. Am Anfang war er sehr gut unterwegs und konnte sich klasse nach vorn arbeiten. Aber ein neues Team hat eben eine Lernkurve, da gehören Rückschläge einfach dazu. Umso mehr freut es mich, dass sein Teamkollege Marco Wittmann in seinem ersten Rennen von ganz hinten auf Anhieb in die Punkte fahren konnte.“

Ernest Knoors (BMW Team MTEK):
„An diesem Wochenende war für uns alles dabei. Gestern hatten wir mit Marco Wittmanns Auto ein paar Probleme, heute hatten wir mit Timo Glock Pech. Aber das ist eben die Lernkurve, die wir 2013 erleben werden. Wir können auch viel Positives aus Hockenheim mitnehmen. Ich bin sehr glücklich darüber, dass Marco ohne technische Probleme durchgefahren ist und unsere ersten Punkte ermöglicht hat. Das ist ein tolles Ergebnis. Timo hätte ebenfalls ein gutes Resultat holen können, aber leider ist uns da ein technischer Fehler unterlaufen. Daraus werden wir lernen und hart weiterarbeiten.“

Timo Glock (Startnummer 22, BMW Team MTEK, Ausfall):
Reifen: Option-Standard
„Insgesamt nehme ich viel Positives von meinem ersten DTM-Wochenende mit. Mein Start war gut, bereits nach der ersten Runde lag ich auf dem zehnten Platz. Danach habe ich mich weiter vorgekämpft und versucht, unsere Strategie so gut wie möglich umzusetzen. Allerdings bin ich in der Sachs-Kurve von der Strecke abgekommen und musste durch den Kies. Danach haben wir direkt unseren Boxenstopp absolviert. Leider saß danach ein Rad nicht so fest, wie es sollte. Ich habe heute einen Fehler gemacht und die Boxencrew auch – so ist es eben im Motorsport. Glückwunsch natürlich an BMW, Augusto und Dirk. Die Jungs haben einen tollen Job gemacht.“

BMW DTM-Fahrer Spengler und Glock schlagen bei den BMW Open auf

München (DE), 29. April 2013. Wenige Tage vor Beginn der neuen DTM-Saison in Hockenheim (DE) haben Champion Bruno Spengler (CA) und Timo Glock (DE) die Helme gegen Tennisschläger getauscht und sind bei den BMW Open in München gegeneinander angetreten. In einem Showmatch sorgten die beiden im Doppel mit den deutschen Tennisstars Philipp Kohlschreiber (DE) und Tommy Haas (DE) für beste Stimmung bei den Fans.

Spengler bildete mit Haas ein Team. Das Duo lieferte sich ein 40-minütiges Match mit Glock und Kohlschreiber, der im vergangenen Jahr die BMW Open gewinnen konnte. Nach drei Tie-Breaks sicherte sich das deutsche Doppel den Sieg. „Ich bin ein großer Tennis-Fan und habe mir am Wochenende hier in München bereits Spiele in der Qualifikation angeschaut“, sagte Glock nach der für alle vier Top-Sportler unterhaltsamen Partie. „Für mich als Hobby-Spieler ist es interessant zu sehen, was Profis wie Philipp und Tommy alles mit dem Ball anstellen können. Ich drücke beiden für die BMW Open die Daumen.“

Haas lobte die beiden BMW Piloten für ihr Können auf dem Tennisplatz: „Ich war schon überrascht, aber es macht natürlich auch mehr Spaß für Philipp und mich, wenn wir auch richtig spielen können und Ballwechsel zustande kommen.“

Bereit für das zweite Jahr: BMW Motorsport geht auf dem Hockenheimring als Titelverteidiger in die DTM-Saison 2013.

München (DE), 26. April 2013. Das Warten hat ein Ende: Am 5. Mai startet in Hockenheim (DE) die neue DTM-Saison. Für BMW Motorsport beginnt damit das zweite Jahr in der populären Tourenwagen-Serie nach dem erfolgreichen Comeback 2012, das die BMW Teams und Fahrer nach 20-jähriger Abwesenheit der Marke gegen die hochklassige und erfahrene Konkurrenz mit dem Gewinn aller Titel krönen konnte.

In der Saison 2013 erwarten die vier BMW Teams – BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM, BMW Team RMG und die DTM-Debütanten vom BMW Team MTEK – zahlreiche neue Herausforderungen. Für noch mehr Spannung und mehr Überholmöglichkeiten in der DTM sollen die Options-Reifen und das Drag Reduction System (DRS) sorgen. Außerdem wurde das Rennwochenende gestrafft. Künftig gibt es nur noch ein Training am Samstag, ehe es im Qualifying um jede Tausendstelsekunde und die Startpositionen für das Rennen am Sonntag geht.

Auf keiner anderen Strecke hat BMW im Rahmen der DTM so viele Siege errungen wie auf dem Hockenheimring. Insgesamt elf Mal überquerte ein BMW Fahrer dort bis dato als Sieger die Ziellinie. Zuletzt gelang dies Bruno Spengler (CA) beim Saisonfinale 2012. Mit seinem Triumph sicherte er sich damals Platz eins in der Fahrerwertung. Bei seiner Rückkehr nach Hockenheim wird der Kanadier erstmals mit der Startnummer 1 auf seinem BMW Bank M3 DTM in ein DTM-Rennen gehen.

Die ARD überträgt auch in dieser Saison wieder alle Qualifyings und Rennen der DTM live. Am 4. Mai beginnt die Übertragung des Zeittrainings um 14.30 Uhr. Der Countdown für das Rennen am Sonntag startet um 13.15 Uhr.

Stimmen vor dem Rennen in Hockenheim:

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Wir sind der Titelverteidiger in der DTM und befinden uns damit in der schönsten Situation, die man sich wünschen kann. Diese Rolle nehmen wir deshalb sehr gerne an. Bei zwei derartig starken Konkurrenten wie Audi und Mercedes-Benz darf man sich jedoch nie zurücklehnen, sondern muss hart daran arbeiten, um dauerhaft konkurrenzfähig zu bleiben. Das haben wir in der Winterpause getan. Klar ist, dass sich ein derartig historischer Erfolg – ein Titelgewinn im Jahr des Comebacks – in dieser Form nicht wiederholen lässt. Gerade deshalb werden die Momente beim Finale in Hockenheim 2012 nach der Zieldurchfahrt unvergessen bleiben. Jetzt stehen wir vor unserem zweiten Jahr in der DTM, vieles ist anders. Gerade die technischen Neuerungen wie DRS und Options-Reifen sowie das verkürzte Rennwochenende werden für die Teams und Fahrer eine Herausforderung sein. Außerdem treten wir erstmals mit einem vierten Team und insgesamt acht Fahrern an. Die Saison wird für alle Beteiligten und die Fans mit Sicherheit extrem spannend. Ich freue mich riesig, dass es jetzt endlich losgeht.“

Ernest Knoors (Teamchef, BMW Team MTEK):
„Die vergangenen Monate waren sehr intensiv für uns. Im Oktober haben wir mit dem Aufbau unseres komplett neuen Teams begonnen. Ich bin stolz auf das, was wir seither geschafft haben und freue mich unheimlich auf unsere erste DTM-Saison. Es gibt nicht viele Rennserien, die derart professionell und gut organisiert sind. Die DTM bietet richtig tollen Motorsport. Tolle Autos, eine großartige Struktur, fantastische Hersteller. In solch eine Serie mit einem Unternehmen wie BMW einsteigen zu können, ist eine einmalige Gelegenheit. Natürlich kann niemand von uns erwarten, dass wir im ersten Jahr ganz vorne mitfahren. Aber dafür, dass wir dieses Ziel so schnell wie möglich erreichen können, möchten wir 2013 den Grundstein legen.“

Timo Glock (Startnummer 22, BMW Team MTEK):
„Jeder im BMW Team MTEK und bei BMW Motorsport hat im Winter unglaublich hart gearbeitet. Die Mannschaft hat sich enorm ins Zeug gelegt, damit wir beim ersten Rennen konkurrenzfähig sind. Ich selbst habe von Test zu Test einen Aufwärtstrend gespürt und fühle mich im DTM-Auto immer wohler. Ich hoffe, dieser Trend hält auch nun in Hockenheim an. Das erste Rennen in der DTM für BMW vor vollen Tribünen wird sicher ein absolutes Highlight in meiner Karriere. Für mich beginnt ein neuer Abschnitt. Unser Ziel lautet: Erfahrung sammeln und lernen. Und darauf freue ich mich sehr.“

Auf der Zielgerade: BMW Motorsport schließt DTM-Saisonvorbereitung mit Vier-Tages-Test in Hockenheim ab.

Hockenheim (DE), 12. April 2013. Die Bühne ist bereitet für den von Fahrern, Teams und Fans sehnlichst erwarteten DTM-Saisonstart in Hockenheim (DE) am 5. Mai. Mit vier Testtagen schlossen die vier BMW Teams und ihre Konkurrenten an gleicher Stelle das Vorbereitungsprogramm für das erste von zehn Rennen 2013 ab. Die wechselhaften Bedingungen – mit zum Teil kühlen Temperaturen und heftigen Regengüssen – stellten die acht BMW DTM-Piloten vor eine Herausforderung. Dennoch absolvierten die Teams ein stattliches Programm, legten weit mehr als 8.000 Testkilometer zurück und sammelten noch einmal wertvolle Daten und Erfahrungen mit dem BMW M3 DTM.

Wie schon beim vorangegangenen Test in Barcelona (ES) gingen die Fahrer auch in Hockenheim mit dem neuen Drag Reduction System (DRS) und den Optionsreifen von Hankook auf die Strecke. Beide Neuerungen werden auch im Saisonverlauf zum Einsatz kommen, wie im Rahmen des Presstages am Dienstag bekanntgegeben wurde.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Wir haben zum Abschluss der Vorbereitungsphase auf die neue DTM-Saison in Hockenheim noch einmal über 8.000 Kilometer absolviert. Obwohl die wechselhaften und meist nassen Wetterbedingungen natürlich nicht gerade ideal waren, konnten wir im Verlauf der letzten vier Testtage vor dem ersten Rennen ein straffes Programm durchziehen. Im Blickpunkt standen unter anderem das DRS und die Optionsreifen. Die Fahrer sind auch auf dem Hockenheimring gut damit zurechtgekommen. Und trotz der schwierigen Verhältnisse haben wir noch einmal eine Menge gelernt. Auf Basis der Zeiten lassen sich ganz sicher keine Prognosen über das Kräfteverhältnis beim Saisonauftakt treffen. Sicher ist nur, dass wir uns akribisch vorbereitet haben und nun dem ersten Aufeinandertreffen mit der Konkurrenz unter Rennbedingungen entgegenfiebern. Es wird in Hockenheim ganz sicher eng zugehen. Die Fans können sich auf einen packenden Saisonstart freuen.“

Timo Glock (Startnummer 22, BMW Team MTEK):
„Grundsätzlich ist der Test in Hockenheim für uns sehr positiv verlaufen. Wir haben viele Runden abgespult und aufschlussreiche Daten und Erfahrungswerte sammeln können. Natürlich hat es viel geregnet. Aber da wir sicher auch im Verlauf der Saison das eine oder andere Regenrennen bestreiten werden, dürften wir darauf nun bestens vorbereitet sein. Auch im Trockenen kamen wir gut zurecht. Wir verbessern uns mit jeder Runde, und auch bei den Boxenstopps werden wir immer schneller. Mittlerweile fühle ich mich in meinem Auto richtig wohl. Wir haben einen großen Schritt nach vorn gemacht. Ich hoffe, dieser Trend hält auch in Hockenheim beim ersten Rennwochenende an. Ich freue mich sehr auf den ersten Renneinsatz. Dann beginnt für mich ein völlig neuer Abschnitt.“

München (DE), 6. April 2013. Auf dem Weg zum Start in die DTM-Saison 2013 hat BMW Motorsport einen weiteren Meilenstein absolviert: Die BMW Welt in München (DE), in unmittelbarer Nähe zum BMW Unternehmenssitz, bot am Samstag die Bühne für die spektakuläre Vorstellung aller acht BMW M3 DTM, mit denen die Marke in diesem Jahr als Titelverteidiger in der populären Tourenwagenrennserie an den Start geht.

Für gewöhnlich ist die „Premiere“ der BMW Welt jenen BMW Kunden vorbehalten, die ihre neuen Fahrzeuge in Empfang nehmen. Gut vier Wochen vor dem Saisonauftakt spielten dort jedoch die BMW DTM-Fahrer Bruno Spengler (CA), Dirk Werner (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Joey Hand (US), Martin Tomczyk (DE), Andy Priaulx (GB), Marco Wittmann (DE) und Timo Glock (DE) sowie ihre Einsatzfahrzeuge die Hauptrolle.

Nachdem zunächst Leopold „Poldi“ Prinz von Bayern (DE) den historischen BMW M3 DTM Rennwagen der ersten Generation auf die Auslieferungsfläche gefahren hatte, folgten BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt sowie Test- und Entwicklungsfahrer Maxime Martin (BE) kurz darauf im aktuellen BMW M3 DTM Safety-Car. Anschließend öffnete sich acht Mal die Tür des Fahrstuhls, der sonst die brandneuen BMW Serienmodelle zur Auslieferung auf die „Premiere“ befördert. Acht Mal begeisterten die Piloten in den BMW M3 DTM mit ihrer rasanten Fahrt auf die Bühne die 13.000 Zuschauer in der BMW Welt. Aufgrund des großen Andrangs wurde die Präsentation auf Bildschirme im Untergeschoss der meistbesuchten Attraktion Bayerns übertragen.

„Es war uns eine Herzensangelegenheit, unsere treue Fangemeinde am BMW DTM-Projekt teilhaben zu lassen. Eine Präsentation in dieser Form hat sicherlich noch keiner der Beteiligten heute schon einmal vorher erlebt“, sagte Marquardt im Anschluss. „Alle acht BMW M3 DTM mit ihren individuellen Designs nebeneinander zu sehen, noch dazu vor der beeindruckenden Kulisse in der BMW Welt, das ist etwas ganz Spezielles. Der Countdown für die zweite DTM-Saison nach unserem Comeback läuft. Man merkt jedem einzelnen unserer Fahrer deutlich an, wie groß die Vorfreude auf das erste Kräftemessen in diesem Jahr ist. Mit unserer Vorbereitung sind wir bisher zufrieden. Bei den Testfahrten in der kommenden Woche erfolgt der Feinschliff. Und dann stellen wir uns als Titelverteidiger wieder mit Freude der starken Konkurrenz in dieser hart umkämpften Serie. Ich erwarte eine enge und für die Zuschauer hoch spannende Saison. Diese Präsentation bot heute die perfekte Einstimmung dafür.“

Bereits am Freitag hatten die Fahrer das BMW Werk München besucht, zahlreichen Mitarbeitern Autogramme gegeben und einen exklusiven Blick hinter die Kulissen erhalten. Von München geht es für die acht BMW Fahrer direkt weiter zum letzten Test nach Hockenheim (DE). Dort werden BMW Motorsport und seine Teams von Dienstag bis Freitag

Über 7.000 Kilometer in Barcelona: BMW Motorsport läutet heiße Phase der DTM-Vorbereitung mit viertägigen Testfahrten ein.

Barcelona (ES), 29. März 2013. Die vier BMW Teams haben einen weiteren wichtigen Schritt auf dem Weg zum DTM-Saisonstart am 5. Mai 2013 gemacht: Auf dem „Circuit de Catalunya“ nahe Barcelona (ES) standen insgesamt vier Testtage auf dem Programm, in deren Verlauf die BMW Piloten mehr als 7.000 Kilometer zurücklegten. Auch die weiteren in der DTM vertretenen Hersteller waren auf der 2,977 Kilometer lange Variante der Strecke im Einsatz.

Im Verlauf des Tests setzten die acht BMW Einsatzpiloten sowie Test- und Entwicklungsfahrer Maxime Martin (BE) die Vorbereitungen auf das erste Rennen des Jahres fort und arbeiteten ein umfangreiches Programm ab. DTM-Champion Bruno Spengler (CA) saß am Dienstag am Steuer des BMW Bank M3 DTM, ehe er am Mittwoch an Martin übergab. Augusto Farfus (BR), Martin Tomczyk (DE) und Timo Glock (DE) bestritten jeweils die ersten beiden Testtage. Donnerstag und Freitag gingen Dirk Werner (DE), Joey Hand (US), Andy Priaulx (GB) und Marco Wittmann (DE) an den Start. Die schnellste Zeit aller BMW Piloten Farfus am Mittwoch. Er erreichte eine persönliche Bestzeit von 1:06,177 Minuten.

Neben der Abstimmungsarbeit an den vier BMW M3 DTM Rennwagen erprobten die BMW Fahrer zwei potenzielle Neuerungen für die DTM-Saison 2013: die von Hankook neu entwickelten ‚Option‘-Reifen sowie das Drag Reduction System (DRS). Die BMW Piloten nutzten die Gelegenheit, um sich mit den neuen Reifen-Spezifkationen und dem verstellbaren Heckflügel vertraut zu machen. Der nächste wichtige Termin vor dem Saisonauftakt ist die Präsentation aller BMW M3 DTM Fahrzeuge in der Münchener BMW Welt am 6. April 2013. Nur drei Tage später beginnt in Hockenheim (DE) der letzte gemeinsame Test.

Timo Glock (Startnummer 22, BMW Team MTEK):
„Wir konnten viele Runden fahren, was natürlich für uns als neues Team und mich als DTM-Neuling wertvoll ist. Ich tue mich noch immer etwas schwer, den Standard-Reifen zu verstehen. Mit unseren Long-Runs bin ich allerdings schon recht zufrieden. Insbesondere auf den ‚Option‘-Reifen hatte ich Spaß. Wir werden in Hockenheim weiterarbeiten und versuchen, die kurze Vorbereitung auf den Saisonstart bestmöglich zu nutzen.“

BMW DTM-Fahrer stellen ihre Fahrzeuge in der BMW Welt vor.
Kurz vor Beginn des viertägigen Tests in Hockenheim legt die DTM-Mannschaft von BMW Motorsport einen Zwischenstopp in der Heimat ein: Am 6. April präsentieren die acht Fahrer in der Münchener BMW Welt ihre acht BMW M3 DTM. Sie werden ihre Fahrzeuge spektakulär auf die Ausstellungsfläche, die so genannte „Premiere“, bewegen und sich anschließend den Besuchern der BMW Welt neben ihren Autos zeigen. Nach der Präsentation sind auf dem BMW Welt Plaza zwei Autogrammstunden vorgesehen, bei denen die Fans den Piloten ganz nah kommen können. Auch die Teamchefs Charly Lamm (DE), Ernest Knoors (NL), Bart Mampaey (BE) und Stefan Reinhold (DE) sowie BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt werden anwesend sein.

DTM-Testfahrten in Barcelona: Alle acht BMW Fahrer im Einsatz.
Die Vorbereitungen auf den Saisonstart in der DTM am 5. Mai 2013 in Hockenheim (DE) biegen auf die Zielgerade ein. In der kommenden Woche testen alle drei in der Serie vertretenen Hersteller gemeinsam in Barcelona (ES). Von Dienstag bis Freitag werden alle BMW Piloten im Einsatz sein. An den ersten beiden Tagen nehmen Augusto Farfus (BR), Timo Glock (DE), Bruno Spengler (CA) und Martin Tomczyk (DE) in den Cockpits ihrer BMW M3 DTM Rennwagen Platz. Danach werden sie von Joey Hand (US), Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Werner (DE) und Marco Wittmann (DE) abgelöst. Vom 9. bis zum 12. April 2013 steht in Hockenheim (DE) ein weiterer gemeinsamer Test auf dem Programm.

Gemeinsames Training als Grundstein für den Erfolg: BMW DTM-Fahrer bereiten sich in Italien auf die neue Saison vor.

Viareggio (IT), 8. März 2013. Wie schon vor der erfolgreichen Saison 2012 haben die BMW DTM-Piloten mit einer Fitnesswoche in Viareggio (IT) die heiße Phase der Vorbereitung auf den diesjährigen DTM-Auftakt eingeläutet. Unter der Anleitung von Riccardo Ceccarelli (IT) und seinem Team von Formula Medicine absolvierten Augusto Farfus (BR), Timo Glock (DE), Joey Hand (US), Andy Priaulx (GB), DTM-Champion Bruno Spengler (CA), Martin Tomczyk (DE), Dirk Werner (DE), Marco Wittmann (DE) und Test- und Entwicklungsfahrer Maxime Martin (BE) ein umfangreiches Programm, arbeiteten an ihrer mentalen Stärke und holten sich wertvolle Tipps für ihre Ernährung. Auch BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt war zwei Tage lang vor Ort und nahm aktiv am Trainingsgeschehen teil.

„Die Stimmung innerhalb unseres Fahreraufgebots war wie schon im vergangenen Jahr richtig klasse“, meinte Marquardt. „Leider hat das Wetter nicht immer perfekt mitgespielt, aber auch im Fitness-Studio und bei zahlreichen Indoor-Aktivitäten, etwa beim Tennis, Volleyball oder Basketball, hat man den besonderen Teamgeist in unserer Mannschat gesehen. Die medizinischen Untersuchungen, der sportliche Wettkampf und nicht zuletzt der Spaß sind eine gute Voraussetzung dafür, die vor uns liegenden Aufgaben zu meisten. Um in der DTM Erfolg zu haben, sind viele einzelne Bausteine von Bedeutung. Und der Teamgedanke gehört definitiv dazu.“

Insbesondere für die Neulinge im DTM-Aufgebot bot die abwechslungsreiche Woche in Italien die Gelegenheit, ihre neuen Teamkollegen noch besser kennenzulernen. „Es war schön, alle Fahrer an einem Ort zu haben und Zeit miteinander zu verbringen“, sagte Glock, der 2013 für das BMW Team MTEK antritt. „Jeder von uns hat ein sehr genaues Feedback dazu bekommen, in welchen Bereichen wir uns noch im Detail verbessern können. Wir haben hart trainiert, aber trotzdem auch eine ganze Menge Spaß gehabt und viel gelacht. In den vergangenen Jahren hatte ich immer nur einen Teamkollegen, jetzt sind es ein paar mehr. Jeder ist auf seine Art speziell, aber gleichzeitig sehr fokussiert. Wir sind bereit, an einem Strang zu ziehen und eine hoffentlich erfolgreiche Saison hinzulegen.“

Glock als Glücksfee bei DFB-Pokalauslosung.
Timo Glock (DE), der 2013 für das BMW Team MTEK in der DTM starten wird, interessiert sich nicht nur für Motorsport. Auch Fußball hat es dem 30-Jährigen angetan. Am Sonntag wurde ihm in dieser Sportart eine besondere Ehre zuteil: Als Gast der ARD-Sportschau durfte Glock die beiden Halbfinalpartien im DFB-Pokal auslosen. Bereits Anfang der Woche hatte er in der Sportsendung „heimspiel!“ des Hessischen Rundfunks Auskunft über seinen Abschied aus der Formel 1 und die Rückkehr in die BMW Familie gegeben.

Drei Fragen an… Timo Glock.

Timo, Sie haben die Partien FC Bayern München – VfL Wolfsburg und VfB Stuttgart – SC Freiburg für das DFB-Pokal-Halbfinale ausgelost. Sind Sie mit Ihrem Händchen zufrieden?

Timo Glock: „Ich bin zufrieden, das werden ganz sicher spannende Partien. Wichtige Spiele schaue ich mir generell immer an, wenn ich Zeit habe. Dazu zählt natürlich auch das DFB-Pokalfinale. Das findet in diesem Jahr allerdings an dem Wochenende statt, an dem wir mit der DTM in Spielberg sind. Es wird also wohl kaum Zeit sein, das Spiel intensiv zu verfolgen.“

Spielen Sie selbst Fußball, und haben Sie einen Lieblingsverein?

Glock: „Selbst spiele ich nicht. Ich bin Profi-Rennfahrer und kann mich nicht der Gefahr aussetzen, mich auf dem Platz zu verletzen. Ich weiß, dass das meine Ex-Kollegen Sebastian Vettel und Michael Schumacher anders gesehen haben, aber die beiden waren zugegebener Maßen beim Fußball auch talentierter als ich. Ansonsten schlägt mein Herz als Hesse natürlich für Eintracht Frankfurt. Diese Leidenschaft habe ich mit Sebastian gemeinsam.“

Wie haben Sie sich in der BMW Familie eingelebt?

Glock: „Sehr gut. Ich bin vom ersten Tag an von allen sehr gut aufgenommen worden. Sowohl von den Verantwortlichen als auch von meinen Fahrerkollegen. Sie sind alle bei den Testfahrten sehr offen auf mich zugekommen. Das Highlight war natürlich die Vorstellung meines DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM. Seitdem ich ein Auto in meinen eigenen Farben habe und weiß, dass ich gemeinsam mit Marco Wittmann beim BMW Team MTEK fahren werde, bin ich endgültig bei BMW angekommen. Jetzt freue ich mich auf die anstehende Fitnesswoche in Viareggio. Zum einen, um zu sehen, wo ich im Vergleich zu meinen Kollegen stehe, zum anderen, um die anderen Fahrer auch privat ein bisschen besser kennen zu lernen.“

Deutsche Post auch 2013 Premium Partner von BMW Motorsport in der DTM – Timo Glock startet im DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM.

München (DE), 13. Februar 2013. Auch in der Saison 2013 wird es wieder einen leuchtend gelben BMW M3 DTM im Starterfeld geben. Die Deutsche Post setzt ihr Engagement als Premium Partner von BMW Motorsport fort. Timo Glock (DE) wird den DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM fahren, der vom BMW Team MTEK eingesetzt wird.

„Ich freue mich sehr, dass die Partnerschaft mit der Deutschen Post nach einer überaus erfolgreichen gemeinsamen Debütsaison in der DTM in die nächste Runde geht“, sagt BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt. „2012 konnten wir uns gemeinsam mit unserem Premium Partner über gute Ergebnisse und am Saisonende sogar über den Gewinn des Teamtitels für das BMW Team Schnitzer freuen. Ich bin sicher, dass auch unsere DTM-Neulinge vom BMW Team MTEK mit Timo Glock am Steuer für die eine oder andere Überraschung gut sein werden.“

Ingo Bohlken, CEO Dialogmarketing Deutsche Post, meint: „Für die Deutsche Post ist es aus zwei Gründen sehr erfreulich, weiterhin Premium Partner von BMW Motorsport in der DTM zu sein. Zum einen passen die Unternehmen von ihrer Philosophie her gut zueinander. Für beide Seiten spielen Geschwindigkeit, Dynamik, Innovation und Teamwork eine große Rolle. Zum anderen freuen wir uns sehr, mit unserem langjährigen Partner Timo Glock nun auch in der DTM zusammenarbeiten zu können. Wir kennen Timo sehr gut und sind davon überzeugt, dass er ein hervorragender Botschafter für die Deutsche Post, BMW Motorsport und die gesamte DTM sein wird.“

Glock und die Deutsche Post können bereits auf eine lange Partnerschaft zurückblicken. Seit 2004 ist der BMW Werksfahrer Mitglied in der Jury der „Deutsche Post Speed Academy“, in der deutsche Motorsporttalente unter der Förderung der Deutschen Post von Experten aus Rennsport und Medien zu professionellen Rennfahrern ausgebildet werden.

„Die Tatsache, dass ich in meiner Debütsaison in der DTM den DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM fahren werde, ist für mich etwas ganz Spezielles“, sagt Glock. „Ich arbeite seit vielen Jahren eng und sehr gut mit meinem Partner Deutsche Post zusammen. Dass ich in der DTM jetzt auch noch im charakteristischen Gelb des Unternehmens antreten kann, macht mich stolz.“

Die Konzernmarken Deutsche Post und DHL verfügen über ein einzigartiges Portfolio rund um Logistik und Kommunikation. Sie bieten den Kunden sowohl einfach zu handhabende Standardprodukte als auch maßgeschneiderte, innovative Lösungen - vom Dialogmarketing bis zur industriellen Versorgungskette. Dabei bilden die etwa 470.000 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter in über 220 Ländern und Territorien ein globales Netzwerk, das auf Service, Qualität und Nachhaltigkeit ausgerichtet ist. Mit Programmen in den Bereichen Klimaschutz, Katastrophenhilfe und Bildung übernimmt die Deutsche Post gesellschaftliche Verantwortung.

BMW Motorsport verpflichtet Timo Glock als achten Fahrer für die DTM-Saison 2013.

München (DE), 25. Januar 2013. Timo Glock (DE) kehrt in die BMW Familie zurück und geht 2013 für BMW Motorsport in der DTM an den Start. Damit ist das Fahreraufgebot für die neue Saison komplett. Neben Glock besetzen DTM-Champion Bruno Spengler (CA), Augusto Farfus (BR), Joey Hand (US), Andy Priaulx (GB), Martin Tomczyk (DE), Dirk Werner (DE) und Marco Wittmann (DE) die Cockpits der BMW M3 DTM.

„Wir freuen uns sehr, Timo Glock wieder bei BMW Motorsport zu haben“, sagt BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt. „Im Verlauf seiner Karriere hat Timo mehr als einmal bewiesen, wie wertvoll er mit seinem fahrerischen Können und seiner offenen Art für jedes Team ist. Dass er nun sechs Jahre nach seinem Engagement als Testfahrer für das BMW Sauber F1 Team in die BMW Familie zurückkehrt, macht seine Verpflichtung umso erfreulicher. Ich bin überzeugt, dass sich Timo rasch an die DTM gewöhnen und den Fans viel Freude bereiten wird.“

Glock startete seine Rennfahrer-Karriere im Rahmen der Formel BMW Nachwuchsförderung. 2000 gewann er den BMW ADAC Formel Junior Cup, ein Jahr später errang er in der Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft den Titel. 2004 gab er im Alter von 22 Jahren beim Großen Preis von Kanada sein Formel-1-Debüt. 2005 wechselte Glock in die nordamerikanische ChampCar World Series. Dort belegte er den achten Platz im Gesamtklassement und wurde als bester Neuling der Saison ausgezeichnet. Nach seiner Rückkehr nach Europa trat Glock in der GP2-Serie an – und gewann 2007 im zweiten Anlauf den Meistertitel.

Im selben Jahr feierte er nach seinen Lehrjahren in der Formel BMW sein Comeback bei BMW. Neben dem dreimaligen Formel-1-Weltmeister Sebastian Vettel (DE) ging Glock als Testfahrer für das BMW Sauber F1 Team auf die Strecke. Dieses Sprungbrett nutzte er, um sich 2008 einen Stammplatz im Toyota F1 Team zu sichern. Drei Mal stand er für das japanische Team auf dem Podium, ehe er 2010 zu Virgin Racing, dem heutigen Marussia F1 Team, wechselte. Insgesamt absolvierte Glock 91 Formel-1-Rennen.

„Es ist sehr aufregend für mich, nach all den Jahren wieder für BMW zu fahren –noch dazu in einer solchen Top-Rennserie wie der DTM“, sagt Glock. „Ich hatte in der Formel 1 eine großartige Zeit, freue mich jetzt aber darauf, mit meinen alten Weggefährten von BMW Motorsport wieder um Siege zu kämpfen. Das ist der Anspruch, mit dem ich die Herausforderung DTM angehe. Natürlich weiß ich, dass ich mich in einigen Bereichen werde umgewöhnen müssen. Nicht jeder ehemalige Formel-1-Pilot hat sich auf Anhieb in der DTM zurechtgefunden. Aber gerade das motiviert mich. Dass der BMW M3 DTM alles mitbringt, damit wir auch 2013 vorne mitmischen können, steht nach dem beeindruckenden Titelgewinn im vergangenen Jahr außer Frage.“

Im Rahmen von Testfahrten in Valencia (ES) konnte Glock am Mittwoch und Donnerstag erste Erfahrungen am Steuer des BMW M3 DTM sammeln und wusste auf Anhieb zu überzeugen. In den kommenden Wochen und Monaten wird er sich gemeinsam mit seinen sieben Fahrerkollegen intensiv auf die DTM-Saison 2013 vorbereiten, die am 5. Mai 2013 traditionell in Hockenheim (DE) beginnt.

Valencia (ES), 24. Januar 2013. BMW Motorsport hat die erste DTM-Testwoche des Jahres in Valencia (ES) erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Von Dienstag bis Donnerstag waren die BMW Werksfahrer Bruno Spengler (CA), Augusto Farfus (BR), Andy Priaulx (GB), Martin Tomczyk (DE) und Marco Wittmann (DE) im BMW M3 DTM unterwegs. Lediglich am Donnerstagmorgen sorgte Starkregen kurzzeitig für eine Unterbrechung des Testprogramms.

Der 91-malige Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock (DE) und BMW Sports Trophy Gewinner Thomas Biagi (IT) feierten ihre Premieren im DTM-Auto. Biagi hatte die Fahrt als Belohnung für Platz eins in der BMW Privatfahrerwertung 2012 erhalten. Das neue BMW Team MTEK ging in Valencia ebenfalls zum ersten Mal auf die Strecke.

Die Testfahrten auf dem 4,005 Kilometer langen „Circuit de la Comunitat“ markierten den Auftakt zur heißen Phase der Vorbereitungen auf die neue DTM-Saison, die BMW Motorsport als Titelverteidiger bei Fahrern, Teams und Herstellern in Angriff nimmt. Das erste Rennen findet am 5. Mai 2013 in Hockenheim (DE) statt.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Die gesamte Mannschaft bei BMW Motorsport und unsere Teams haben dem ersten Test des Jahres entgegengefiebert. Das neue BMW Team MTEK hatte seinen ersten Einsatz, Marco Wittmann ging erstmals als DTM-Stammfahrer auf die Strecke. Außerdem feierten Timo Glock und BMW Sports Trophy Gewinner Thomas Biagi ihr Debüt am Steuer des BMW M3 DTM. Das war ein gelungener Start in unser Vorbereitungsprogramm. Allerdings liegt bis zum DTM-Auftakt am 5. Mai auch noch eine Menge Arbeit vor uns. In jedem Fall ist es schön, dass die neue Saison Fahrt aufnimmt.“

Timo Glock:
„Meine ersten Eindrücke vom BMW M3 DTM waren sehr positiv. Ich habe mich schnell an das Auto gewöhnt und mit jeder Runde besser gelernt, es zu verstehen. Dass wir alle Bedingungen von nass bis trocken erleben konnten, war perfekt. Ich bin vom gesamten BMW Motorsport Team sensationell aufgenommen worden und kannte sogar noch den einen oder anderen aus meiner Zeit als Testfahrer beim BMW Sauber F1 Team.“

Timo Glock testet BMW M3 DTM in Valencia.

München (DE), 22. Januar 2013. Timo Glock (DE) geht in dieser Woche am Steuer des BMW M3 DTM auf die Strecke. Der Formel-1-Pilot reist zu den ersten DTM-Testfahrten von BMW Motorsport in diesem Jahr nach Valencia (ES). Dort wird er sich am Mittwoch und Donnerstag mit dem Fahrzeug vertraut machen und auf dem „Circuit de la Comunitat“ testen.

„Wir freuen uns, Timo Glock die Chance bieten zu können, unseren BMW M3 DTM in Valencia kennenzulernen“, sagt BMW Motorsport Direktor Jens Marquardt. „Timo hat seine fahrerische Klasse insbesondere in der Formel 1 über viele Jahre bewiesen. Umso schöner ist es, dass er im Rahmen dieses Tests für BMW Motorsport gewissermaßen zu seinen Wurzeln zurückkehrt.“

„Ich habe gute Erinnerungen an meine Zeit bei BMW Motorsport und bin sehr gespannt darauf, den BMW M3 DTM zu testen“, sagt Glock. „Außerdem werde ich in Valencia ganz sicher einige bekannte Gesichter aus vergangenen Tagen bei BMW wiedersehen. Darauf freue ich mich sehr.“

Glock erhielt in den Jahren 2000 und 2001 im Rahmen der Formel BMW das nötige Rüstzeug für seine erfolgreiche Karriere im Formelsport. 2001 gewann er in der Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft den Titel. Drei Jahre später führte ihn sein Weg zum ersten Mal in die Formel 1, als er für das Jordan-Team beim Großen Preis von Kanada debütierte.

In der Saison 2007 gab Glock sein Comeback in Diensten von BMW Motorsport. Gemeinsam mit dem dreimaligen Formel-1-Weltmeister Sebastian Vettel (DE) war Glock Testfahrer für das BMW Sauber F1 Team. Im selben Jahr feierte er den Titelgewinn in der GP2-Meisterschaft. Ab 2008 ging er in der Formel 1 für verschiedene Teams als Stammpilot an den Start und hat bis heute 91 Rennen absolviert.

A JOINT STATEMENT from the Marussia F1 Team and Timo Glock

The Marussia F1 Team and its race driver Timo Glock have, by mutual consent, agreed to part company with immediate effect. The 30 year old German has been with the Team since its inception in 2009, completing three full seasons of competition and playing a significant role in its development.

Timo Glock: "I have had three excellent years with the Marussia F1 Team, during which I had the chance to actively participate in building and developing the Team in its endeavours to succeed within the Formula 1 World Championship. I would like to wish the Team good luck in navigating this next period and thank everyone for the great times we shared and the support I have received. Although it is not the path I expected to be taking, I am in fact very excited about what the future holds in terms of my own career and I hope to comment on that very soon."

John Booth (Team Principal of the Marussia F1 Team): "Timo has made a very significant contribution to our Team over the past three seasons, helping us to develop our package to the point where, for a large proportion of the 2012 season, we were holding 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship. Timo is a fantastic driver and he has been a very popular member of the Team. Our Team was founded on the principle of benefiting from proven experience whilst also providing opportunities for young emerging talent to progress to the pinnacle of motorsport. Thus far, this philosophy has also been reflected in our commercial model. The ongoing challenges facing the industry mean that we have had to take steps to secure our long-term future. Tough economic conditions prevail and the commercial landscape is difficult for everyone, Formula 1 teams included. We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract, and also for the contribution he has made to our Team. We wish him all the best for his future and I would like to congratulate the next team acquiring the services of such a competitive, professional and experienced racer. We will provide an update regarding the completion of our driver line-up in due course."

Heute habe ich meine Weihnachtskarten verschickt. Das Team von www.schickegruesse.de hat sich wieder etwas ganz Besonderes einfallen lassen. Vielen Dank dafür! Die Karten sehen wieder toll aus. Was meint ihr?

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat gekämpft, gezaubert und Gas gegeben, aber am Ende der diesjährigen Saison steht eine herbe Enttäuschung. Der 30-jährige Deutsche und sein Team Marussia F1 haben den wichtigen zehnten Platz in der Konstrukteurs-WM im allerletzten Grand Prix des Jahres verloren. Nach einer bärenstarken Fahrt in der ersten Phase des Rennens in Brasilien hatte Timo Glock die Konkurrenz von Caterham souverän unter Kontrolle gehabt, bis ihn eine unverschuldete Kollision mit dem Toro Rosso von Jean-Eric Vergne weit zurückwarf und den Traum von der besten WM-Platzierung seines noch jungen Teams platzen ließ. Der Franzose war dem schnellen Deutschen, der in jener Phase sensationell auf Punktekurs gelegen hatte, innerhalb einer Safety-Car-Phase in das Heck gefahren. Am Ende stand für den gebürtigen Hessen Rang 16 zu Buche. Bei schwierigen Bedingungen in Interlagos (Brasilien) konnte Timo Glock seine besonderen Fähigkeiten mit einer fehlerlosen Fahrt auf teils nasser Strecke einmal mehr eindrucksvoll darstellen.

Timo Glock: "Das enttäuschende Ergebnis sagt eigentlich alles. Wir hatten heute einfach nicht das nötige Glück. Das ist so unfassbar schade für alle Kollegen, die so unglaublich hart gearbeitet haben. Wir haben in den vergangenen Wochen wirklich alles dafür getan, diesen zehnten Platz in der Weltmeisterschaft halten zu können. Es ist traurig, dass wir ihn unter solchen Umständen im allerletzten Saisonrennen verloren haben. Im Rennen lief zunächst alles nach Plan. Ich konnte mich bestens vor den Caterhams halten, es bestand kein Grund zur Sorge. Dann krachte mir aber Jean-Eric Vergne am Ende der Safety-Car-Phase ins Heck. Ein Reifen wurde dabei beschädigt, und ich musste zum denkbar schlechtesten Zeitpunkt zum Boxenstopp. Mein Rennen war damit gelaufen, die Chancen dahin, denn ich war Letzter. Ich habe anschließend alles gegeben, aber es war nichts mehr zu machen. Für unser Team ist dies zwar ein herber Rückschlag, aber wir sind fest entschlossen, im kommenden Jahr zurückzuschlagen. Ich danke meinen Jungs für die extrem gute Arbeit, die sie geleistet haben. Herzlich gratulieren möchte ich Sebastian Vettel, der seinen dritten Titel errungen hat. Michael Schumacher wünsche ich alles Gute im Ruhestand."

Timo Glock und sein Team Marussia F1 machen nach dem Ende der diesjährigen Formel-1-Saison nur eine kurze Pause. Die Entwicklung des Autos für das Jahr 2013 steht im Zentrum der Arbeit in den kommenden Wochen. Die nächste Saison beginnt am 17. März 2013 mit dem Grand Prix von Australien in Melbourne.

The Marussia F1 Team delivered another outstanding performance in São Paulo today to finish in 12th and 16th positions, but with the many twists and turns of a generally fascinating season finale conspiring against them, they lost 10th place in the 2012 FIA Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship at the eleventh hour.

The Team were in excited but apprehensive mood as race day got underway at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at Interlagos. In drying conditions after an early morning shower, they performed one final pitstop practice to maximise their focus on what was likely to be a challenging race ahead and the engineering team continued to work through a variety of possible strategic scenarios.

Heading into the race, the heavens opened, as was forecast, and every second of the careful preparation was brought to bear. Timo Glock got an excellent start and was running as high as 7th at one point, but he was hit from behind by Vergne and his advantage was lost. All hopes were riding on Charles Pic, who fought hard from the front of that pack, but he lost position with just seven laps remaining.

Timo Glock #24
"There isn’t much we can say really; the result speaks for itself and we were just not lucky today. It is a crying shame for everyone associated with the Team as we have all worked so hard together to come this far. It's so sad to lose 10th like this because we were right on it and we had everything lined up to stay ahead of the other guys. Unfortunately, Vergne crashed into the back of my car and destroyed the race for me because it was right at the restart and I had to pit under the green flag. I went straight to the back of the field and worked hard from there, but there was very little we could do. Further up of course, it just shows how it can all turn on a knife-edge in these conditions. I think it is important to look back at the whole picture because 10th place is lost but no one can take away from us what we have built at this team. We have to stay as strong and motivated as possible and get over this quickly because we have shown everyone what we can achieve when luck is not a factor. Next year with KERS we will be even better. My thanks to my car crew and the whole team, who are all feeling so very disappointed right now. We will be back for sure. Finally, congratulations to Sebastian (Vettel) for winning the Championship and my best wishes to Michael (Schumacher) for the future."

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today is an emotional day for everyone involved with the Marussia F1 Team. 10th place has eluded us after such a long fight and, naturally, ‘disappointed’ doesn’t even come close. We made all the right calls and our strategy worked out perfectly, but in the end we lost out due to factors beyond our control.

“As everyone knows, we had a tough start to the year and we were unable to complete very much at all in the way of pre-season testing. Notwithstanding a difficult debut for the MR01, we were able to hold on to 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship for the first five races, before it slipped from our grasp in Monaco. By the mid-point of the season, we had caught up with ourselves in terms of our development strategy and the upgrades we introduced at Silverstone were the first iteration of wind tunnel-tested components with the MR01. We never really looked back from that point and with each new race we were making steps forward - large and small.

“Much has been made of closing the gap to Caterham, but at the same time we have reduced the delta to the mid-field and the front of the field. For example, in Australia the gap between our own fastest lap and the winner’s fastest lap was 4.5%, whilst in the closing stages of the season we have reduced that to 2.5% - again, without KERS. So if we reflect on our big picture, it is even more encouraging than may have been apparent.

“I would like to thank the whole team back at base and trackside, including our engine supplier Cosworth, for a huge push. The same must be said of our drivers Timo and Charles; Charles of course we say goodbye to today. Our sincere appreciation also to our Partners, Investors and Suppliers for sharing the journey this season. Here’s to 2013, the advantage of KERS and some very encouraging signs that things can only get better for us.”

São Paulo’s notoriously fickle weather intervened in what was already destined to be a thriller of a qualifying session at Interlagos today. After an improved performance in qualifying trim during Free Practice 3 this morning, the Marussia F1 Team were on tenterhooks as the heavens open just 15 minutes ahead of the crucial shoot-out then dried in time for pit lane to go Green.

Timo Glock and Charles Pic were amongst the first to venture out on track; the unsettled weather conditions meant a ‘banker’ lap early on was a wise safety measure. With their first runs completed, the turnaround became a race against time as the track continued to dry and the field were posting rapidly improving lap times.

Timo and Charles enjoyed another fascinating battle with Caterham on their second runs on the Pirelli PZero White Medium tyre, trading places in the timesheets throughout the dying minutes of Q1. In the end, they simply ran out of time to keep demonstrating the comfortable balance they have found with the MR01 ahead of tomorrow’s ‘Last Samba’, which looks set to provide a rather tantalising 2012 season finale.

Timo Glock #24
“It was quite an unusual qualifying today, but very good fun. In the first couple of laps, when it was very slippery out on track in a couple of corners, I simply made the most of it and was quicker than the guys around me. We came in for a fresh set of tyres, by which time the track was drying out quite a lot. On my second run I struggled with the first couple of laps but my third was good and I got a reasonable lap together. There was only so much we could do versus the cars we are fighting with as their KERS advantage up the hill was obvious, so with that in mind we have to be pleased with how well we performed relative to them. Unfortunately we ran out of time to complete one more lap, which I’m sure would have seen us keep improving. As for tomorrow, bit of an unknown because of the weather and how the car will perform in those conditions. It should be a very exciting day for the fans though.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Both cars progressed well in FP3 this morning and it was pleasing to see that the balance had improved on both cars relative to the rather more difficult handling we experienced yesterday. It was clear that track temperature played a part in this, with the more overcast conditions, and in general both drivers ended FP3 in reasonable shape. The rain 30 minutes before qualifying obviously meant that the team really had to think on their feet and we’re happy with the run profile we did in qualifying. Unfortunately, with Timo we missed being able to achieve another lap by a matter of seconds. That said, our positions today are in line with our expectations. The weather forecast for tomorrow is clearly for more rain. Whilst this will make for an interesting and challenging race for the team, I believe that both drivers will very much be in a position to fight for whatever opportunity presents itself.”

The Marussia F1 Team spent the last Friday of the 2012 season limbering up for Sunday’s ‘Last Samba’, the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, São Paulo.

The Team had a very busy morning session running though the usual aero evaluations and some specific data collection using the Pirelli 2013 development tyre. To effect back to back analysis, Timo focused more on this programme while Charles conducted acclimatisation running at a circuit which, once again, is new for him. They ended the morning in 20th and 22nd positions respectively.

This afternoon, the drivers resumed their normal FP2 programme of set-up work and longer runs to enable them to better understand the tyre behaviour at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, sections of which have been resurfaced for this year. Timo was able to achieve his full programme but Charles was forced to pull over with 20 minutes of the session remaining after an alternator problem cut the engine. They ended the day in 22nd and 23rd positions respectively.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been a difficult start to the weekend to be honest. As usual it’s all about the tyres and we are experiencing a bit of a different behaviour here again. We had quite a bit of oversteer in the car this morning, which was slightly better for FP2. However, at the end of the day we were still struggling with the balance of the car. Overall we concentrated more on race pace and didn’t do much for qualifying yet, so we have some work to do tonight when we will try to improve the car and, I hope, make it a bit quicker!”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A very interesting first day of running at the final race weekend of the season. The work we were able to do this morning with the Pirelli PZero prototype tyre was extremely useful and the information we gathered from that will be fed straight into the development cycle so that we can work on the set-up for winter testing. Timo did a great job with carrying out most of the evaluation work, while we tried to give Charles the opportunity to learn what is another new circuit for him. This afternoon we opted to stay with running the programme which evaluated the tyres in the eventuality of a dry race. Although this seems slightly at odds with the weather forecast, since there were no wet conditions today this is the only thing we could prepare for. We are reasonably happy with the performance of the car on high fuel, although we do seem to be experiencing some quite specific tyre issues at this event. We need to look a little more at our low fuel pace and that’s what we will be focusing on this evening.”

All you need to know >>> It’s the 2012 Season swansong where the Drivers’ Championship will be decided…Race date 25 November…Laps 71…Circuit length 4.309 km...Race distance 305.909 km...15 corners, 10 left-handers, 5 right…Run in an anticlockwise direction in common with Singapore, Korea, Abu Dhabi and Austin…Present design of the track dates back to 1990, when the length was reduced from 7,829m to 4,397m…Much like Austin, the circuit is not built on flat terrain and features many steep inclines and bumpy sections, which makes it a real challenge to drive…the low ambient pressure due to the altitude affects the engine power output…Turn 13, a left-hand up-hill kink, marks the start of the long and exhilarating top-speed section of track which demands a lot of power from the cars…The series of left turns from the exit of Junção all the way to Turn 1 into Senna's S is typically taken at full throttle and treated as a long straight - one of the longest full-throttle stretches on the Formula 1 calendar…Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero Silver Hard and White Medium, same as Austin…

The Marussia F1 Team have hotfooted it from Texas to South America for the ‘Last Samba’ of the season - the Brazilian Grand Prix. The race takes place at one of the sport’s favourite destinations, São Paulo, and the much-loved Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at Interlagos, where Championship battles up and down the field will be decided come Sunday.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“As we head into the final race of season, it’s quite unbelievable that it’s almost over once again. Having said that, Brazil is always quite an eventful race where anything can happen, so at the front of the field the championship could be quite exciting yet. For us, our usual objective since the last few races, which is to try to hold position and finish the year by getting the very best from the whole package. Should be an exciting weekend.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“As reluctant as we were to leave Austin after a very enjoyable debut race weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, we head to Brazil with a lot of eager anticipation. It is a favoured race destination for the team and there is a lot riding on the weekend across the whole sport. We are obviously fighting our own battle for 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, but while we still need a strong weekend, where we are today and what we have achieved thus far should not be overlooked. We held 10th for the first five races of the season, and the steady progression we have made since the mid-season enabled us to not only get it back but also hang on to it for the last six races. There is a feel-good factor about the whole team at present because of that and although this race marks the end of the season, it feels like this is just the start of some very positive times ahead for the Marussia F1 Team.”

The return of the United States Grand Prix delivered on all its promise today at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where the Marussia F1 Team achieved another two-car finish in 19th and 20th positions, maintaining its current 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship.

After lining up ahead of the Caterham team, having outqualified both of their cars yesterday, all eyes were on Turn 1 as the race got underway. For Timo Glock and Charles Pic it was a ‘bucking bronco’ of an opening lap. Charles had contact on entry into the opening corner, which affected his whole race, while Timo had a tumultuous ride which nearly ‘unseated’ him twice and allowed Vitaly Petrov to sneak by in the process. Despite slipping behind the KERS-advantaged competition, he kept pace with Heikki Kovalainen throughout the whole race, which yet again underpinned the positive strides the Team continues to make even at this late stage of the season. Charles was unable to recover pace due to damage affecting the balance of his car.

Timo Glock #24
“Overall it was a strong race for us, even though we had been hoping for something more. The first lap was a bit all over the place; I lost the car twice. Vitaly was able to overtake me because of that and at first it was a struggle to stay with him because of the KERS advantage. Then Heikki got past and it was the same story; struggling at first, but then closing back up to him. I stayed with him from there and we decided to pit a little early to see if we could find a way past, but they pitted at the same time unfortunately. Late in the race I was able to get past Heikki in Turn 12 but in Turn 15 he dived in again and retook position, pushing me off the track a bit. Our race pace was very strong and this is just one of a few positives we take away from here, where we have made big steps again and of course we leave holding onto 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship. Our big picture remains very positive for us and we look forward to continuing to push hard in Brazil next weekend. Finally I have to say we have had a great week here in Austin and the race team’s efforts have matched those back at the factory in enabling us to keep improving at this late stage of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Although this was not necessarily the result we had hoped for today, ultimately we do have to be realistic in that, although our pace particularly towards the end of the race was good, the disadvantage that the lack of KERS brings meant that we were not in a position to make the most of our overtaking opportunities. Timo drove a race worthy of his experience; he really piled the pressure on Kovalainan particularly during the last third of the race, overtaking him at one point in a good move in Turn 12, only to be pushed wide when Heikki tried to claim the position back in Turn 15. Charles struggled a little on the Hard tyre, mainly because of the unfortunate position he was in with blue flags in his second stint. However, once free at the end, he was able to demonstrate good pace. Onto Brazil now, where we will aim to maintain the momentum with our qualifying pace. Hopefully with a little more race pace we can keep ourselves ahead of the competition next time. On behalf of the whole team, our congratulations to everyone who played a part in producing such a superb event here this weekend. We have received an exceptionally warm welcome from the Texans, the track has produced some fascinating racing and the on- and off-track organisation has been second to none. We are already looking forward to returning next season.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat gemeinsam mit seinem Team Marussia F1 die vorletzte Hürde der Saison 2012 genommen. Der 30-jährige Deutsche zeigte am Rennwochenende in Austin/Texas einen sehr guten Speed und trug somit dazu bei, dass seine Mannschaft den wichtigen zehnten Platz in der Konstrukteurs-Meisterschaft verteidigen konnte. Vor allem im Qualifying am Samstag konnte Timo Glock sein Talent einmal mehr deutlich zeigen. In der Zeitenjagd ließ er die Konkurrenz von Caterham deutlich hinter sich. Denn Renntag auf der neuen Strecke in den USA beendete der gebürtige Hesse auf Rang 19.
Timo Glock: "Das Rennen war okay, immerhin haben wir Platz zehn in der Gesamtwertung verteidigen können. Das ist für uns das Wichtigste. In der ersten Runde ging es drunter und drüber, ich bin arg herumgerutscht. Leider konnte Caterham-Pilot Petrov an mir vorbeikommen. Ich habe anschließend versucht, ihm dicht zu folgen, aber das war aufgrund von deren KERS nicht richtig möglich. Auch sein Teamkollege Kovalainen kam an mir vorbei. In den ersten 15 bis 20 Runden konnte ich das Tempo nicht ganz mitgehen, aber danach habe ich wieder aufgeholt. Wir haben uns zu einem frühen Stopp entschieden, leider zog die Konkurrenz zeitgleich mit. Ich konnte somit nicht profitieren, aber zumindest anschließend an seinem Heck bleiben. Kurz vor Schluss habe ich Heikki in Kurve zwölf überholt, aber er konterte eine Ecke später. Dabei hat er mich von der Strecke gedrängt. So etwas passiert im Rennen manchmal, es ist abgehakt. Unser Tempo war gut, aber auf den langen Geraden konnten die Konkurrenten einfach auf den KERS-Knopf drücken. Trotz DRS hatte ich keine Chance -schade. Insgesamt war unser Speed am Wochenende in Austin gut."

Timo Glock hat seine Rückkehr in die USA, wo er 2005 eine erfolgreiche Saison in der ChampCar-Serie absolvierte, rundherum genossen. Der Deutsche war von der Anlage in Austin ebenso beeindruckt wie von der lebhaften Hauptstadt des US-Bundesstaates Texas. Gemeinsam mit Freunden und Betreuern hatte Timo Glock unter anderem auch abseits der Strecke beim Bowling viel Spaß. Der nächste "Strike" soll schon am kommenden Wochenende beim Saisonfinale der Formel 1 in Brasilien gelingen.

Timo Glock: "Jetzt geht es in Interlagos ins das letzte Rennen des Jahres. Kaum zu glauben, dass die Saison dann vorbei ist. Beim Grand Prix in Brasilien haben wir schon oft viel Action erlebt. Dort kann immer alles passieren. Unser klares Ziel ist es, den zehnten Rang in der Weltmeisterschaft zu verteidigen. Dieses eine Mal muss es noch klappen. Wenn uns dies gelingt, dann haben wir das Beste aus den Möglichkeiten im Jahr 2012 gemacht."

In a good, straight fight on the level playing field of a brand new track, the Marussia F1 Team today achieved its objective of outqualifying not just one, but two Caterham cars at the Circuit of The Americas, setting the scene for a thrilling race tomorrow as the United States Grand Prix makes its big comeback.

The day got off to an interesting start once again, with the air temperature at just 10˚C as FP3 got underway; the track temperature only marginally higher at 12˚C. As such, getting temperature into the tyres should have been the main challenge, but 20 minutes into the session, Charles Pic was speared by Perez as he led the pair into Turn 7. He limped back to the garage with a damaged front wing and floor. The wing assembly was changed swiftly, however a floor change would have been a more time-consuming affair. The damage was such that Charles would be able to safely complete the session, but the overall aerodynamic performance of his car would be affected. Heading into the relatively ‘unknown quantity’ of a first qualifying shoot-out here with limited running was not an option, so the Team chose to gather as much mileage as possible with a compromised car. Timo had a very positive time of it in the FP3 session and led the Team home in P19, ahead of both Caterhams, and Charles in P22.

This was a good omen of things to come in qualifying, when Timo and Charles were in impressive form from the get-go. The session was a tough one to call, so the Team decided to roll the dice by fuelling the cars for the session and using pit stops to change tyres, in order to maximise track time. This played out to perfection and Timo and Charles continued improving, finishing ahead of both Kovalainen and Petrov in P19 and P20.

Timo Glock #24
“Another good day today. I think we concentrated on the right things, although it was a challenge through FP3 to get to that point as it is hard to put a good single lap together here. In qualifying I thought I had a strong lap and the tyres were really coming in, but towards the end I had a bit of wheel lift and the rear felt a bit strange. I think we could have gone quicker because the tyres were improving so much lap by lap, but because of the yellow flags there was no chance for more improvement. However, we are almost 0.8s ahead of the Caterhams and we have to be very pleased with that. This is great development from the team and although it seems like we remind everyone every race just now, we’ve managed all that without the advantage of KERS and that is a significant point. I’m very excited for the race and I hope we can continue the good work.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today is an important day for the whole team as it represents the culmination of the aggressive development programme we have undertaken since the mid-season. We have demonstrated that we are now faster than the Caterhams after both cars achieved the objective of outqualifying them.

“The day got off to a less than positive start for Charles. As a consequence of the incident with Perez in FP3, he missed a significant amount of track time and had to use a compromised car for the last 30 minutes of the session, which for sure hurt his qualifying performance due to the lack of running on what has proved to be a track where mileage is essential. Nevertheless, he did a fantastic job in qualifying and I’m sure the race tomorrow will provide him with the opportunity to demonstrate even more of his maturing talent. Timo has had a fantastic day from the off. He and his engineers had a very productive morning in ensuring that the car was making optimal use of its tyres and also giving him good position on track. Into qualifying we knew it would be tricky to judge the run length required, which is why we opted to fuel the cars for the session and use the pit crew to change tyres in order to achieve the optimal second run length. This worked out perfectly and today’s performance has been a real credit to the whole race team, who have worked together both to solve the problems with Charles’ damaged car and also to play out qualifying to maximum effect.

“We are looking forward to the race tomorrow now. Tyres will be the hot topic and we must ensure we maintain this momentum and execute our strategy perfectly to enjoy another fantastic fight with the cars around us.”

The Marussia F1 Team got its first taste of the Circuit of The Americas today, where Formula 1 has been Re-‘Born in the USA’. After falling in love with downtown Austin, the first foray onto the brand new asphalt at this purpose-built facility only cemented the sport’s latest destination in the Team’s affections. “Pretty cool” is the conclusion - the new ‘Cool, TX’!

The weather was also “pretty cool”, with the air temperature at just 12˚C as Free Practice 1 got underway. The track temperature was a similarly cool 18˚C. This conspired with a very ‘green’ track to make for a rollercoaster ride of installation laps throughout the field, and the universal conclusion was that the surface was incredibly slippery with very little grip.

Whereas the normal Friday morning programme would be for both drivers to work through a series of comprehensive aero evaluations, the Team switched focus rather more to familiarisation runs in order to build confidence in the track.

Charles had a very strong morning, finishing the session ahead of both Caterhams in P18, whilst Timo was in P21. This afternoon, despite a difficult start to Free Practice 2, it was Timo who went on to take the advantage. He ended the session in 20th position, behind Kovalainen but ahead of Petrov. Charles ended the day in P22.

Timo Glock #24
“A very difficult start to the weekend - for everyone I think! The track was very dirty this morning and in FP1 we just had to wait until it got into reasonable shape. In the end the car was quite okay but there was traffic in the last few laps and when you lose the temperature in the tyres because of that, with it being so cold at the start of the day it’s difficult to recover the time. FP2 was a little confusing as the car was just very difficult to drive in the first 15 minutes and then at the end we got a reasonable balance into the car. It’s quite difficult to get the lap together here and find the grip though; we saw a few cars going off track because of this. We ended the day with quite a bit more confidence in the car, but we need to look at the data and the new developments and see how we can move things forward for tomorrow. In light of the challenges we experienced, I’m quite happy with where we ended the session.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“An unusually early start for the Team this morning led into a particularly cold FP1 session, when we got our first taste of the Circuit of The Americas. We realised fairly early on that the grip level was extremely low to start off with - a combination of the low temperature at that time of day and a brand new surface - which led us to quickly modify our programme and allow the drivers more time to get used to the rather difficult track conditions. Unfortunately, this made things a little more difficult since we had some rear suspension developments which required a substantial amount of running to facilitate as much data-gathering as possible. This afternoon, in FP2, our attempts to knuckle down to that evaluation work were thwarted once again by the requirement to complete much longer runs in order to get the tyres to work in the conditions, preventing us from completing the full programme with the new suspension. However, we have collected some good data on both cars, with lighter and heavier fuel levels, and tonight we will evaluate how we implement the new developments during the rest of the weekend. Whilst the track has proved rather difficult to get to grips with, experiencing its characteristics for the first time has been quite fascinating. It offers up a good mix of high speed corners and elevation changes which certainly mark it out from the crowd amongst the newer circuits on the calendar.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock blickt dem kommenden Grand Prix in den USA mit großer Vorfreude entgegen. Die Königsklasse gastiert am kommenden Wochenende erstmals auf der neuen Rennstrecke nahe der texanischen Hauptstadt Austin. Timo Glock und sein Team Marussia F1 wollen den zehnten Rang in der Gesamtwertung auch beim vorletzten Lauf der diesjährigen Formel-1-Saison verteidigen. Über die voraussichtliche Stärke des Marussia-Cosworth MR01 lässt sich noch keine Aussage treffen, da von der neuen Anlage in de USA bislang nur sehr wenige relevante Daten vorliegen. Am Freitag im ersten Freien Training wird man die ersten wichtigen Erkenntnisse gewinnen können.

Timo Glock: "Das kommende Rennen in Austin ist für alle im Formel-1-Zirkus eine ganz große Nummer. Endlich fahren wir wieder in den USA. Die Rennstrecke ist brandneu und sieht auf den ersten Bildern, die wir davon sehen konnten, wirklich erstklassig aus. Ich freue mich sehr auf das Gastspiel in Texas. Ich hoffe, dass wir dort einen guten Auftakt bieten können. Ich denke, dass viele Amerikaner froh sind, dass die Formel 1 wieder einmal ins Land zurückkehrt. Ebenso geht es uns, denn auch wir haben uns nach einem Rennen dort gesehnt. Ich bin wirklich gespannt auf die neue Anlage. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, meinen ersten Spaziergang über die Strecke zu machen und sie genauestens zu erkunden."

Für Timo Glock wird die Reise über den "großen Teich" auch eine Art Flug in die Vergangenheit. Der 30-jährige Deutsche verbrachte 2005 eine Saison in den USA. Damals etablierte sich Timo Glock als bester Rookie des Jahres im Eiltempo in der damaligen ChampCar-Serie. Nach seinem erfolgreichen Jahr in Amerika wechselte der gebürtige Hesse 2006 in die GP2, wo er im Folgejahr den Titel gewinnen konnte.

All you need to know >>> Race date 18 November…Laps 56…Circuit length 5.516 km...Race distance 308.896 km...20 corners, 11 left-handers, 9 right…Promises to be a real gem of a circuit…Run in an anticlockwise direction in common with Singapore, Korea, Abu Dhabi and Brazil…The steep, uphill run into the hairpin Turn One is set to become one of the stand-out features of the track…Team simulations show Turns Three to Six to be reminiscent of Suzuka…There is a familiar stadium feel to Turns 12-15…Turns 16-18 reflect the much-loved multi-apex Turn 8 in Turkey…The challenge for Pirelli - their most complex track of the year as the asphalt has never been raced on before…Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero Silver Hard and White Medium… Last time F1 raced in the US - 2007. How good does it feel to be back? - Awesome!

F1 has been Re-‘born in the USA’ as Round 19 of the FIA Formula One World Championship next weekend sees the sport return ‘stateside’ for the first time since 2007. A brand new racetrack - ‘The Circuit of The Americas’ - has been constructed in Austin, Texas, which is familiar territory for many of F1’s elder statesmen, who will have interesting memories of going racing at the Dallas Grand Prix of 1984, won by Keke Rosberg.

The circuit is the first purpose-built F1 facility in the US; the last time the sport raced here the host venue was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. The 5.5km (3.4 mile) track was designed, naturally, by architect Hermann Tilke and, much like the Buddh International Circuit, it draws inspiration from a collection of the best circuits around the world. Another strong parallel can be found in the dramatic elevation changes resulting from the site’s natural topography; at some points those changes differ by as much as 40 metres.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Going to Austin is a really big thing for the sport and everyone involved. The first race back in the US will be quite something for us. It’s a new track for all of the teams, and already it looks awesome on the simulations we have experienced and the images we’ve seen. I’m really looking forward to it a lot and I hope the organisers and fans have a great first race bringing F1 back again; I know we will enjoy being back in the US. I can’t wait to arrive early next week and have my first real view and walk of the track. Should be an amazing weekend.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“The whole team is looking forward to what, for us, will be our very first US GP. It’s a landmark race and we’ll embrace every minute of the experience, hopefully finding a little bit of time along the way to soak up some of the Texan sights and sounds. The Circuit of The Americas promises to provide a fantastic racing experience for the drivers and the fans. The attention to detail with the preparation of the track is evident and the organisation has so far looked second to none. From our simulation work we can see the parallels with some of the features of other great tracks on the calendar, so we are confident that it’s a circuit the drivers will enjoy racing at and the engineers will find a pleasing challenge. The ‘unknown quantity’ factor will be very exciting for us, as no one will have the advantage at the start of FP1 on Friday, so it will be all about how good a job we all do from there onwards. This track represents a significant challenge for Pirelli, as they have had only asphalt samples and simulations with which to calculate wear rates and the effects of likely ambient temperatures. Last weekend’s race in Abu Dhabi had us on the edge of our pitwall seats at various points, as it reminded us that to hold on to 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, we cannot control what happens further up the field, ahead of our own private duel with Caterham. We have to continue closing that gap and find the momentum to get ahead of them on track. We’ve come very close in recent races, despite their KERS-advantage, and we’ll remain in dogged pursuit of this objective right up until the chequered flag in Brazil.”

In a generally spectacular Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit today, the Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock achieved 14th position after an incredible drive from P21 on the grid.

Timo fought hard throughout the 55 lap race, contending with a damaged front wing for the first stint after contact on the opening lap. At the pitstop, where he switched from the Pirelli PZero Soft tyre to the Medium, the pit crew were able to ‘correct’ the aero balance with a wing flap adjustment and he fought back in the second stint.

The start did not pan out as Charles Pic had hoped, having lined up on the grid in 19th place. He traded places with Timo, who shot ahead to take up position between the two Caterhams where Charles had been sitting before dropping behind Petrov. He too drove a hard race, on a couple of occasions demonstrating his speed with flashes of purple in the S1 speed trap. On lap 41 Charles was forced to retire with an engine problem, bringing an otherwise very positive weekend to a frustrating conclusion.

The Marussia F1 Team leave Abu Dhabi for the two final rounds in The Americas still holding station at P10 in the Constructors’ Championship.

Timo Glock #24
“After a difficult qualifying yesterday, today went much better for us and we had good pace in the race. Unfortunately on the first lap I was behind Charles and clipped the back of his car, which lost me a bit of aero performance in the opening stint. I tried to stay with Heikki but he was a bit quicker in S1 because of the understeer I was suffering with, but at least I could open up the gap to Petrov behind me and keep him there for the whole race. We had a mega pitstop and very good top speed compared to the others; we had some of the midfield guys behind for a while and although they were able to get past, we were able to have a brief race with them. A nice fight at the end with Sergio Perez on the last lap and even with the DRS they couldn’t get by. A good end to the weekend and we look forward to the next two races now.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A nail-biting race pretty much from start to finish, although it was in the final 10 laps that we really felt the pressure. We could do little about the retirements ahead of us, so we had to simply concentrate on our own very hard-fought race with Caterham. To see Timo pulling away from Petrov, and Charles pushing him hard, gives us further encouragement for the remaining two races. It was disappointing that Timo lost his left-hand front wing end-plate on the opening lap, as I really feel we could have been much closer to Heikki had this not been the case. Our S1 performance has been good all weekend and clearly the loss of this part hurt us there and allowed Heikki to build the gap. The engineers were in quite a dilemma as to whether to change the wing, but ultimately the loss of track position that the longer pitstop would have brought meant that we just had to rely on Timo to manage the problem, which of course he did beautifully. For Charles, again an unfortunate retirement due to an engine air system problem. We are sorry he has borne the brunt of these failures this year, however the engine we will fit for the remaining two races has not shown any signs of these problems. Today has reminded us that P10 is far from ‘a given’ - we have to keep fighting to keep it. However, all the way through the weekend we have shown just how hard we are fighting and given the very small pace difference that exists between us and Caterham now, I’m sure we can enjoy some great racing right up until the end of the season.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Charles Pic stormed to his best qualifying result of the season in Abu Dhabi today - P20 - having been pipped from P19 in the dying seconds of Q1 by just 0.1s. It was a measure not only of how far he has come in his rookie season, but just how quickly the Team is hunting down its direct competitor and taking the fight to them in qualifying as well as the race.

Timo Glock had a more difficult end to an otherwise promising Q1 as he too was jockeying for position with the team ahead in the early part of the session. On his final lap he was battling for grip and ended up losing his earlier advantage over Vitaly Petrov.

Charles completed two runs of 5 laps on the Pirelli PZero Yellow Soft tyre. Timo was on course to do the same but abandoned his final lap after experiencing the grip problem in the first two sectors.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a bad day overall but a disappointing end when it counted unfortunately. This morning, at the start of FP3, we struggled a little, but at the end we arrived at a good set-up. We carried this through to qualifying and seemed to have good momentum all the way through until the last, most important, lap when his car had no grip. Until then we were fighting hard with the Caterhams, so it’s a little disappointing. So now we will have to go through the usual analysis tonight and see what we can find for tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today was another important step towards achieving our goals for this season and a fantastic achievement for Charles, which underlines his impressive development this season. His lap time represents the smallest gap we have had to Caterham in qualifying so far, at just 0.1s. Today’s result is a credit to the excellent teamwork we have demonstrated here in Abu Dhabi, as the weekend has been less than straightforward - for the mechanics in particular. Today is an excellent reward for all their efforts. As for Timo, we have seen many times that the tyres are extremely sensitive and this evening our main focus will be to understand the sudden lack of grip he encountered on his final lap. He had some good high fuel runs in FP2, so I’m sure he will take heart in the fact that he should be able to make good progress tomorrow. With both Charles and Timo lining up alongside our direct competitors on the grid, this will be our best chance of potentially out-racing at least one of them, given that we have already shown in recent weeks that our race pace is significantly better than our qualifying pace. We’re looking forward to it!”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend got off to a positive start today as the team commenced preparations for the only day-into-night ‘twilight’ race on the calendar. FP1 also marked the occasion of Max Chilton’s first taste of race weekend running. The team’s 21 year old Reserve Driver was elevated to the seat of car number #25 for the FP1 session, to provide him with the opportunity to demonstrate his potential and to ensure his preparedness for his reserve role in the remaining three races.

Max’s programme consisted of engine mapping runs early on to ‘get into’ a circuit he knows reasonably well, together with some data collection for some new developments for 2013. The team predicted that the tyre life would be limited, so they planned two main eight lap runs.

Timo’s programme focused on in-depth aero data collection, also for next year’s car.

Charles Pic returned to the cockpit for the FP2 session, when the team reverted to the more typical set-up work, involving low fuel qualifying runs and long run tyre evaluation.

Timo Glock #24
“A typical Friday really, although in FP1 I ran some developments for next year. There were a lot of sensors on the car, so while the work was good, the running was a little less straightforward. In FP2 I had some trouble with traffic on the Soft option tyre run; every time, I caught up to Petrov in the last sector which lost me time. We also tried some different set-up options and we have to look at the information we gathered to ensure we have the right one for the rest of the weekend.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A reasonable start to our race weekend here in Abu Dhabi, with three drivers contributing to the overall free practice programme. A word about Max to begin with, as he was making his race weekend running debut. We already had a significant level of confidence in his ability, as we tested him in the summer, but he put in an exemplary performance this morning. We were happy for him as he’s come a long way this year. We were also a little relieved as we wanted him to get a good clean session and everything went very smoothly for him in the end. He coped with all the procedures well and although he was capable of more in terms of overall lap time on that second run, the potential is clearly there.

“Timo’s morning session was much more focused towards 2013 development however this afternoon with his engineers he has tried some quite different set-ups in order to try and correct some of the problems he has had in the last few races. We will need to study these overnight and decide on which direction to go in. Charles got up to speed quickly in FP2 and has spent the session mostly focusing on preparing himself for qualifying and race, which will be run at this same later time of day. We are perhaps not as well placed in the timesheet as we would like, in terms of the gap to the cars ahead and behind, however I’m sure we can make some progress overnight and perhaps improve our position for tomorrow.”

All you need to know >>> Race date 4 November…Laps 55…Circuit length 5.554 km...Race distance 305.355 km...21 corners, 12 left-handers, 9 right...Lap record 1:40.279 (S. Vettel - 2009)…First race 2009, also first F1 twilight race with powerful lighting ensuring seamless transition from day to night…One of two ‘Jewel in the Crown’ races on the calendar thanks to its majestic blend of super-circuit, waterfront setting and luxury experiences aplenty…One of the most striking features - the magnificent ‘light-show’ that is the Yas Viceroy Hotel, with a connecting bridge which runs over the track…Circuit hallmarks - one of the few anti-clockwise tracks on the calendar…boasts top speeds of 320 km/h and average speeds of 195 km/h…aside from the impressive waterside marina area, there are high-speed sections (including one of the longest straights on the calendar), tight corners for overtaking, and even a twisty street circuit-style sector…one of the longest and most demanding tracks in the world…always delivers close and competitive racing. Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero White Medium and Yellow Soft - the last time the Soft will be used this season…

The sport has made the journey from New Delhi to the Middle East and one of its favourite racing destinations - Abu Dhabi. There are hardly words to describe the magnificent Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island and the incredible showpiece that is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It’s a track that both Timo Glock and Charles Pic are familiar with, Timo having raced here on two occasions previously and Charles having secured his 2012 race seat here at the Young Driver Test last season. It is partly due to that circuit familiarity that the Marussia F1 Team have chosen this venue to put its Reserve Driver Max Chilton through his paces on Friday morning during Free Practice 1, in order to ensure preparedness for his current role. With effect from FP2, Charles will be back in car #25 and hoping to pick up where he left off in India after a storming race at the Buddh International Circuit. The whole team effort will be focused on consolidating 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship and continuing to put mileage on the team’s most recent car developments.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Abu Dhabi is a special race. It’s like a night race but with the added factor of starting the race in full daylight, but being dark by the time we finish. So it’s something different and very impressive to be out on the track when the light is changing and the track is fully lit at the end. Technically it’s a nice track. We have some good experience here across the whole team, but of course things change from year to year, so we still have to do our homework to get up to speed. Naturally I’m hoping for a better race so we can all really enjoy the experience and set ourselves up for the last few races of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Abu Dhabi is a race we all enjoy, so despite it being another tough back-to-back for the team, we arrived here full of enthusiasm after a very positive race in India. Everyone is well-rested - the team having enjoyed a bit of relaxation time with the drivers - so we now turn our attentions to the hard work ahead this weekend. It’s a very demanding and technically interesting track and of course there is the added factor of the fierce heat. Our first priority will be to ensure a better start to the weekend than we experienced at New Delhi; it all came good on race day for Charles but we need to do a better job on Friday and in qualifying to put us in the best possible position on Sunday. We welcome Max Chilton to the car for FP1 and we will be interested to see how he performs at a track he knows well. Thereafter, Charles will be back in the car and helping us towards our overall objective, which is now a familiar story - competing with Caterham and maintaining our current advantage over them in the Constructors’ Championship.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Charles Pic leaves the Buddh International Circuit this evening ‘delh-ighted’ with what turned out to be a very strong Indian Grand Prix for the Frenchman. He put a frustrating qualifying result to one side and set his sights firmly on the race, putting down his first marker in Turn 1 when he displaced no fewer than five cars in the first corner melée, including the Caterham of Vitaly Petrov.

Unable to hold off the advancing KERS-powered competition, he was forced to acquiesce, but he kept in touch with them for the whole race, notwithstanding the fact that the Team, like many others today, experienced very high fuel consumption which prevented both drivers from pushing to the max. Charles delivered some impressive sector and lap times throughout the race. In S2 he was consistently quicker than the cars ahead and competitive in S3, further demonstrating how adept the Team have become at improving overall lap time to compensate for the KERS deficit presented by the long straights of the last two races.

Timo had a tough race, which was compromised with effect from the first corner incident. He struggled with the tyres later in the first stint because of this and had to contend with too many blue flags to be able to recover.

Timo Glock #24
“It was a very strange race for me today. I was in the wrong place at Turn 1 and lost a couple of positions to HRT. Then I was stuck behind Petrov for quite a lot of laps and by that time the other guys were all gone. Generally though I struggled with the pace today; on Friday the car felt much better on the long runs. I also suffered quite a lot of vibration on my front right tyre, especially in S2, and from 25 laps in I had too many blue flags to contend with. The same at the end. Because of this you just lose more and more time and it is impossible to recover. I’m looking forward to Abu Dhabi though and what I hope will be a better race for us.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A fantastic job by Charles today to reverse his fortunes following a frustrating qualifying result. He had the measure of all the cars affected by the first corner incident and he was able to get ahead of Petrov and hold a gap to him for quite some time. Unfortunately we were ‘out-KERS’d’ and Charles was unable to hold station for long. Nonetheless, once Petrov got past, Charles kept pace with the Caterhams and were it not for the last few blue flags he would have finished within 5.0s of Heikki. As was the case with a few other cars today, we were caught out by increased fuel consumption in the race and this did limit our ability to push.

“Timo had a less than optimum day sadly. The first corner incident hurt his race significantly and as a consequence he was stuck behind the HRTs for quite a while. He did a good job to clear them as soon as possible, however the time spent trying to pass them didn’t help his first stint tyres as the race progressed, given that we were running to a one-stop strategy. We also had an issue with the rear jack in his pitstop and unfortunately this compromised him further; when he rejoined the track he went straight into a significant blue flag spell. We haven’t had a perfect weekend by any means and yet we take some comfort from the fact that we have still been able to achieve our objective of staying in touch with the competition. It’s another back-to-back situation now and as we head to the Middle East our focus will be firmly on achieving a more typically slick weekend so we can reveal more of our true potential versus the cars ahead.”

The Marussia F1 Team achieved its objective of competing with Caterham in qualifying today, with Timo Glock posting a time just a 0.1s of Heikki Kovalainen during the Q1 session. Notwithstanding being disadvantaged by the lack of KERS versus the team ahead, Timo’s performance was all the more impressive considering the balance problems hampering his efforts, which meant he had difficulty getting temperature into the front right tyre and left him battling for grip on the Pirelli PZero Hard and Soft tyre runs. He ended the day in P21.

Charles Pic also ended the day feeling there had been a lot more to come, after an anomalous second run whilst using the Soft option tyre left him struggling for pace versus his first run on the Hard tyre. He will start tomorrow’s Indian Grand Prix from the back of the field.

Timo Glock #24
“Free Practice 3 this morning was okay but in qualifying we again experienced a more general problem with the overall balance. Even though the track is dirty, the grip level on the racing line is high, but we were unable to make the most of that because I was unable to get temperature into the front right. On my first run, using the Hard prime tyre, I got a reasonable time. On the second run, the Soft option felt okay and I had a really good first sector. I got a good slipstream from Perez and I was already 0.4s up on my lap. Due to the low temperature I strayed off track, got a massive flat-spot and effectively took the corner on three wheels. I also had a problem with the DRS activation in turn 10 and had to abort the first flying lap on the Soft tyre. Overall I am pleased that we have managed to close the gap to Caterham in qualifying now as well as the race; given that we don’t have KERS, this is very pleasing for everyone in the Team. It is a shame though that the problems we did encounter today prevented us from splitting Petrov and Kovalainen because that was easily within our grasp. Looking to tomorrow, we have a good strategy and have given ourselves a couple of options to play with, so the aim now is to have a good race with the cars ahead and try to get the best result we can. My thanks to my car crew for their efforts here and the quick turnaround between runs, but also to the factory for continuing to push right to the end of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“In much the same vein as Korea, we approached qualifying very much with one eye on the race tomorrow. Whilst we are still pushing to close the gap to the cars in front in qualifying, in some respects we have to be realistic about how much progress we can make on low fuel. Clearly our car is performing much better on higher fuel, particularly this weekend, and so the decision to have only one Soft tyre run was entirely logical. Timo has been suffering with a handling trait in the car, which does appear to be inherent, however he has done a good job to string the best laps he can together in qualifying. What we do know is that he is much happier with the car in race trim. Charles did not quite get the best out of the Soft tyres today and so we will need to spend some time understanding why that was. Overall our position today was as good as we could hope for and we look forward to having a much more exciting race tomorrow.”

It was a challenging start to the day for the Marussia F1 Team in India, as Charles Pic sampled the track for the very first time and both Charles and Timo Glock struggled to balance their cars at the Buddh International Circuit.

This morning Timo worked through the evaluation of a new front wing, while Charles focused on learning the circuit and an engine mapping programme.

This afternoon, they progressed to a normal mix of set-up work, qualifying runs and longer runs to evaluate the tyre compounds being used here in light of the expected higher track temperatures.

On paper this is not a track that favours the Team’s MR01, as the long straight from turns 3-4 is better suited to the KERS-powered cars. The challenge will be to try and find the overall lap performance to mitigate the sector 1 challenge, so the Team will be working with the engineers this evening to make good progress ahead of FP3.

Timo Glock #24
“Today was a pretty normal Friday. The track was very dirty to begin with and FP1 didn’t work that well for us because we struggled a bit with traffic and I never got a clear lap. In FP2 we worked on the set-up programme and it went pretty well with the tyres. The start of the session was okay and the long run was good, so that’s important for the race on Sunday.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A fairly routine Friday for us, aside from a few small upgrades around the front wing which we evaluated in FP1. At the minute these look like they represent a small gain, although we will confirm this with more data analysis this evening. Both drivers have completed their intended programmes, running the normal combination of low and high fuel. The track seems to be quite dirty and both drivers have been struggling for overall grip which, at present, does seem to be hurting our pace. However, I’m sure that with more running in FP3 and into the first part of qualifying, we will see the effects of this problem starting to dissipate.”

All you need to know >>> Race date 28 October…Laps 60…Circuit length 5.125 km...Race distance 307.249 km...11 corners, 7 left-handers, 9 right...Circuit direction clockwise…Lap record 1:27.249 (S. Vettel - 2009)…The circuit was brand new for 2011 when New Delhi hosted the inaugural Indian Grand Prix…One of its most striking features is the undulation, for which over 4m3 tons of earth was moved to achieve the spectacular rise and fall through the lap, 14 metres between Turns 1 and 3 alone…Circuit hallmarks - likened by some to Spa thanks to its series of fast, rolling curves, which allow the drivers to put the car on the absolute limit…a mixture of slow speed turns and high-speed straights, drivers pick up speed on the straights but will need to be hard on the brakes at the end of each straight…Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero Silver Hard and PZero Yellow Soft - softer than last year’s debut race, which should lead to closer racing…

This week the sport returns to New Delhi for the second occasion of the Indian Grand Prix, where the Marussia F1 Team will be looking to consolidate 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship and continue to put mileage on its most recent car developments. Once again, Timo Glock has the upper hand in terms of experience of the circuit, while Charles Pic will no doubt relish the challenge of yet another new track in his debut season.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“India, in my opinion, is a fantastic track. As soon as we did our first practice runs at the Buddh International Circuit last year, I enjoyed it straight away. There are so many special sections to the track, especially Turn 3, which is a very extreme corner. You have to completely turn into the steering wheel, followed by a very long straight. I’m excited to see what we will achieve there this year there, however with the long straight the KERS factor will again play an important role. Of course, we will try to get the best out of our package and achieve a two-car finish.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We were all pleasantly surprised by the Buddh International Circuit last season, when we raced there for the very first time. It’s a fascinating blend of some of the very best features from circuits across the whole calendar, most notably Spa. The track is quite a technical challenge in terms of setting the car up and, from a driver’s perspective Timo had nothing but praise for it last year. Charles of course faces another Friday of acclimatisation, but he is really enjoying the challenge and is pushing himself hard. So we head to New Delhi this week hoping to benefit from the experience gained in 2011 and optimistic that we can keep delivering strong two-car finishes in the remaining races, to reflect our development progress and help us to keep a firm grip on 10th position in the Constructors’ Championship.”

After a fantastic performance in Japan last week saw Timo Glock close the gap to Caterham to just 4.0s, the Marussia F1 Team had envisaged that today’s Korean Grand Prix would be a much tougher challenge. The long straights in sector 1 should have left the team at a distinct disadvantage versus the KERS-powered competition, however today Timo narrowed that gap still further and down to a mere 0.6s for several laps in the race.

Having started P20 on the grid, Timo drove a very determined race to ensure he stayed in touch with the competition ahead throughout. He started the race on the Pirelli PZero Red Supersoft tyre and stopped twice to take on the Yellow Soft prime tyre for the middle stint and the Supersoft for the last. His pace was strong until the final few laps when the blue flags left him struggling for clear air. He crossed the line in 18th position.

Charles Pic had a difficult race, having started from the back of the grid. He lost a significant amount of time trying to get past the slower HRT cars, causing him to lose touch with his team-mate and the competition, despite demonstrating good pace later on. He ran to an identical tyre strategy and ended the race in 19th place.

Timo Glock #24
“I was very excited at the start of the race as I could see that we could really challenge the Caterhams. I had a big chance in the middle stint and managed to close the gap like in Suzuka. Then we took the risk to go on to the Supersoft option tyre and I was just waiting for Heikki to make a mistake. Unfortunately there was no opportunity and on the long straight he had the KERS, so I couldn’t attack him. I was the first car with the blue flags which dropped me back in the final phase of the race. Also our last stint was quite long and the front right tyre really started to go away. I had a lot of front wheel locking and in the last eight laps I just decided to focus on bringing the car home; I took it very easy and gentle. Our strategy was a good one and it was great to be racing and really threatening the Caterhams again. It was very motivating and my lap times were very consistent, so I’m really happy with the progress. Well done also to the pit crew, who did a solid job again. I hope there are tracks coming where the KERS effect may be slightly less and we can continue to keep fighting hard like this.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We enjoyed a great ‘race’ today - in the true sense of the word. As we said yesterday, we had taken a conscious decision to slightly compromise our qualifying lap time in order to give ourselves the best chance today of fighting with the Caterham cars. Timo drove to his own exceptionally high performance standards and we were particularly - and pleasantly - surprised at his pace in the first stint; we had expected to be slightly further away than we were. We knew that our best opportunity was to save our second set of Supersoft tyres for the final stint, however the second stint was also pleasantly surprising. In effect, we effectively held pace with both the cars in front and a perfectly timed pitstop onto the Supersoft tyre forced Caterham into a pitstop which ultimately resulted left us able to race Kovalainen hard for several laps whilst attempting to pass in the DRS zone. It was always going to be a tough race for Charles starting from the back with the engine penalty and once again we are sorry for him that this had to happen, particularly given his strong performance in qualifying yesterday. Ultimately, being stuck behind the HRTs and unable to get the tyre temperature, compounded by the low track temperature we saw in the race, cost him dearly. That said, amongst the traffic of the final stint, he did manage to demonstrate very good pace. It has been said many times already, but today really was a demonstration of how much our lack of KERS has compromised us. Having said that, we are still happy in our overall development strategy, which was to concentrate on improving the aerodynamics this year. Given our performance in the second and third sectors, this has proved to be a very sensible route for us.”

A testing weekend for the Marussia F1 Team continued on Saturday at Yeongam in the build-up to qualifying for tomorrow’s Korean Grand Prix.

Free Practice 3 was a fast-paced session with continual set-up changes being made to cars to effect a gradual improvement. Clear progress was made but the team ran out of time at the end of the session, losing a lap of the plan for the Pirelli PZero Red Supersoft tyre to prepare for qualifying.

This afternoon Timo Glock and Charles Pic posted their first qualifying runs on the PZero Yellow Soft prime tyre before switching to the Supersoft for the second run. Both drivers were improving and both made small mistakes - Charles in Sector 1 and Timo in Sector 2 - but it was Charles who fared slightly better, edging into P21 from Timo by just 0.06s.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been quite a difficult weekend for us so far. We’ve struggled with the car balance all the way up until qualifying. Things looked slightly better this afternoon and the car was certainly easier to drive. My run on the prime Soft tyre was okay but then when we switched to the Supersoft I made a mistake out of turn 10, went a little wide and lost traction. A bit of a shame as I lost a couple of tenths there, but at least the car is slightly better and I think we can have a better race tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Overnight the drivers and engineers spent a significant amount of time analysing the balance problems in the car from FP2 and this morning the objective of the programmes for both cars was to evaluate some of the overnight set-up changes to see if they could solve the rather specific problems we were having. In the end, Timo didn’t have the best session and settled for a slight compromise, which was a little bit of an unknown going into qualifying. Charles was much happier with his steering in FP3, which had caused him significant issues yesterday, and his improved confidence was clear in qualifying. We decided on a departure from the more traditional two Supersoft runs, for the simple reason that we felt we couldn’t compete sufficiently with the cars ahead today, however, as we have so often seen, we fare much better in the race. This track is a challenge for us because of the long straights in sector 1, which leave us at a disadvantage as we don’t have KERS. It is a long lap though, so we will aim to make up the deficit in sectors 2 and 3 and by saving two new prime and two new option tyre sets, we can definitely optimise the strategy tomorrow.”

The opening sessions of the 2012 Korean Grand Prix got underway at the Korea International Circuit at Yeongam today, where the day proved a little challenging for the Marussia F1 Team as it worked towards balancing the car to the peculiarities of this racetrack.

Timo Glock #24
“Not an easy first day for us in Korea. I think we had reasonable pace in FP1 but the car behaviour was already a bit difficult this morning. In FP2 we weren’t really able to improve. The rest of the cars in the field made a step forward I think and unfortunately we did not, so we need to find out why we could not get rid of the strange car behaviour that we have experienced here so far. We need to have a close look into the data and see what we can find there because this is limiting the pace of our car at the moment. Finding the problem overnight won’t be an easy job, but the car has to be better for tomorrow so that is the challenge for us.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“In FP1 this morning we completed the installation laps with both cars and Timo was uncomfortable with the steering. We opted to revert to a specification of steering rack that we ran with in Japan and, as we hadn’t planned to do much running in the first session anyway to allow the track to improve, we were hopeful that this wouldn’t affect our programme too much. Once the change had been actioned, Timo got up to speed quite quickly. With Charles, we focused more on his acclimatisation to this new circuit and at the same time did some comparison work with the new floor following its debut in Japan. This afternoon, once Charles was a little more attuned to the circuit, he experienced the same lack of confidence with the steering and once again, we opted to trade running time for the opportunity to improve by reverting to the prior specification of steering rack. Again the change was beneficial. This seems to be an issue relating more to the characteristics of this specific circuit, as opposed to a ‘problem’. Neither driver is fully happy with the balance, although we end FP2 feeling happier as a result of the changes made. It is also appropriate at this stage to say that we plan to fit a new engine to Charles’ car this evening in the knowledge that, as his ninth engine of the season, we will incur a 10-place grid penalty on Sunday.”

Korea International Circuit, Yeongam
12-14 October 2012

All you need to know >>> Race date 14 October…Laps 55…Circuit length 5.615 km...Race distance 308.630 km...18 corners, 11 left-handers, 7 right...Circuit direction anti-clockwise…Lap record 1:39.605 (Sebastian Vettel - 2011)…First hosted a Formula 1 race in 2010, track located in South Jeolla region, in southwestern part of Korean peninsula and 370 km from the Korean capital of Seoul, a rural location with magnificent mountain ranges…Tyre nomination - Pirelli PZero Yellow Soft and Red Supersoft same as Monaco, Canada and Singapore, and this track will test every aspect of the tyres’ performance…

It’s another short hop in the space of a week as the Marussia F1 Team embarks on its fifth back to back race of the 2012 season - this time from Japan to Korea. Suzuka was a strong weekend for the team as the car continued to yield all the signs of a positive development trajectory, even at this late stage of the season. The team has performed well at the Korea International Circuit over the last two seasons and the objective here is to continue snapping at the heels of its immediate competitors and returning to its normal commendable record of reliability and two-car finishes.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Every year this is a bit of a strange race weekend because the track is not used very often outside of Formula 1. This makes it difficult on a Friday in particular as the track is always quite dirty and takes a while to come up to grip level. The weather can also be unpredictable, so the track condition can be a bit changeable also. It’s quite a technical track with a lot of corners where you have to take quite a strange line. I had a good race here last year though, and also in 2010 until my race was cut short when I was taken out whilst on track for what would have been 12th place. I like the circuit so I’m looking forward to the weekend and I hope we can get back to our usual two-car finish again.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Timo had a very good race in Japan last week and has a good record here in Korea also, so let’s hope that bodes well for our chances this weekend. In 2010 he was looking good for P12, mastering the treacherous conditions to put us in a vital position for the Championship. It would have been the team’s highest finishing position that season, and indeed all the way up to Singapore this year, but unfortunately he was taken out. This just goes to show how important Championship position is for the newer teams, and how hard it is to get there. Continuing - and indeed building on - our current positive performance level is our absolute focus now to give us a greater degree of comfort as we count down the last five races. Also important is getting back to our normal record of two-car finishes. Charles was doing a very solid job in the race last weekend, so it was a shame that he had to retire. His track position ahead of Vitaly shows how much he has developed in line with the performance of the car and we are fortunate to have two highly competitive drivers to continue to help us achieve our team objectives.”

Timo Glock: Starkes Tempo in Suzuka
Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat den Aufschwung seines Teams Marussia F1 beim Grand Prix in Japan bestätigen können. Der 30-jährige Deutsche kam beim Rennen am Sonntag auf Platz 16 ins Ziel. Der Marussia-Cosworth MR01 ließ beim Auftritt in Suzuka viele konstant schnelle Runden zu, das Reifenmanagement gestaltete sich positiv und das Team fertigte den Piloten beim Boxenstopp in Topzeit ab.

Timo Glock: "Das war ein guter Renntag. Beim Start war ich etwas in Sorge, weil sich vorne so viele Autos wegdrehten, aber ich kam gut hindurch. Ich konnte in der ersten Runde an Heikki Kovalainen vorbeiziehen, aber er war auf Dauer nicht zu halten. Ich hatte Probleme mit der Traktion am Ausgang der letzten Kurve, sodass er mit Hilfe von KERS auf der Geraden an mir vorbeikam. An der gleichen Stelle konnte ich mich leider auch gegen andere Konkurrenten nicht wehren. Das Auto war ansonsten sehr gut, auch sehr schonend bezüglich der Reifen. Wir haben offenbar die Probleme der ersten Saisonhälfte hinter uns gelassen und können nun ein viel besseres, konstanteres Tempo fahren. Unser erster Boxenstopp ging im Turbotempo ab. Wir haben den viertschnellsten Stopp des gesamten Rennens geschafft - Kompliment an meine Jungs! Heikki Kovalainen konnte ich am Ende nicht mehr ganz packen, aber trotzdem bin ich zufrieden. Es war eine Freude, das Auto zu fahren."

Für Timo Glock und seine Mannschaft geht es nun im Eiltempo in Richtung Südkorea weiter. Dort steht bereits am kommenden Wochenende das nächste Saisonrennen der Formel 1 auf dem Programm. Der gebürtige Odenwälder wird die kurze Pause zwischen den Grands Prix gemeinsam mit seinem Physoptherapeuten nutzen, um auf einer koreanischen Insel ein Fitnesstraining auf dem Rennrad zu absolvieren.

Timo Glock: "In Südkorea ist es immer etwas ungewöhnlich. Die Anlage wird offenbar nur einmal im Jahr von der Formel 1 befahren, sonst passiert dort nichts. Das bedeutet, dass die Strecke vor allem am Freitag immer sehr schmutzig ist und kaum Grip bietet. Das Layout ist recht anspruchsvoll. Es gibt dort einige Kurven, wo man eine etwas seltsame Linie wählen muss. Im vergangenen Jahr war ich dort gut unterwegs. Ich mag die Strecke und freue mich auf das kommende Rennwochenende. Ich hoffe, dass wir mit beiden Autos ein gutes Ergebnis einfahren können."

Timo Glock delivered a gritty drive for the Marussia F1 Team in today’s Japanese Grand Prix, which enabled him to reduce the race margin to the KERS-advantaged competition to as little as four seconds - another important step in the team’s steady progression. Blue flags for the advancing race leaders were the only mitigating factor preventing Timo from further narrowing the gap in the closing stages of what was a very strong race for both driver and team. He finished in 16th place and, as was the case in qualifying, displaced Vitaly Petrov.

Charles was recovering well from a difficult opening stint but an engine problem led to his retirement on lap 37.

Timo Glock #24
“I’m very happy to say it was a good race for us today. The start was quite a shock when I saw all the cars flying across the track. Heikki came through it quite well but I was right behind him and I was able to overtake him in the Esses. I was up to P11 but I knew that would be short-lived because we were struggling a bit with traction out of the last corner and obviously they have KERS and we don’t. Heikki got past and I continued to lose quite a lot of time in that corner afterwards - three or four tenths each lap into turn 1 and the Esses - which allowed the other guys - who also have KERS - to pass me. In general though we had good pace and were quite consistent. The behaviour of the tyre to the car was very good and we were able to stay out quite long. The first pitstop was very strong - the fourth quickest team of the race - so a great job by the crew as they work so hard on that every day. I had good pace on the prime tyre and was going well, but at last pit stop I was a little long in the box having misjudged the grip, so my mistake and sorry for that. I was then able to close the gap to Heikki so our strategy was spot-on. We were as close as four seconds at one stage but the blue flags opened the gap again. Still, eight seconds away at the end was pretty good! We have to be happy I think. We fought well, the car was a lot of fun to drive and it’s great to have a consistent car again. We continue to have better pace in the race, so we will keep working hard on our overall performance and enjoying this very positive final phase of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We had a bit of a scare on the way to the grid, with Timo rightly stopping the car in the pit lane when he felt what he thought must be a problem with his left front wheel. Once we had the car safely back in the garage it was clear that he had actually struck a wheel nut lost from another team’s car when he drove down the pit lane. This could have been catastrophic for us as it could have caused a lot of damage, but when we got to the grid we gave the car a thorough inspection and were very lucky to get away with it. Timo delivered an excellent performance in the race. As has seemingly been the case for several races, we lost time in the opening stint where not having the benefit of KERS makes it difficult to maintain track position. The remaining two stints were perfect and we managed to eat into Kovalainen to be within four seconds which, by the time we had taken a final blue flag for Hamilton three laps from the end, had opened up to eight seconds, although we can still regard this as an improvement. Charles seemed to struggle for grip on the opening stint with the Hard prime tyre and we opted to stop him early and get him onto the Soft option, which allowed him to recover some time. Unfortunately, at his final pit stop, Charles got caught out by the lack of grip in the pit lane and overshot the box, which required the crew to manhandle the car back into position and he lost a lot of time. Up to this point we had been managing relatively high air consumption on the engine, which then became terminal and Charles had to retire. Overall, we have achieved our objectives of staying in touch with the competition in front. We of course need to keep going that extra mile to try get ahead of them in the race, as this will leave us in a more comfortable position in respect of the Constructors’ Championship.”

Marussia F1 Team drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic put a challenging FP3 to one side to hook it all up for an improved qualifying session this afternoon at Suzuka. The objective was to displace at least one of the Caterhams with at least one car and, as it turned out, both drivers were able to tick that box.

This morning Timo was hamstrung by an oil pressure problem and the restricted running this necessitated, while Charles continued to come to terms with the circuit.

This afternoon, Timo kept in touch with Heikki Kovalainen throughout Q1, trading sector times with his closest rival, but a couple of tenths ahead of his team-mate, and Vitaly Petrov behind him.

Timo Glock #24
“All well that ends well, but FP3 was a difficult start to the day, a bit like Singapore. Here, we had an oil pressure problem with the engine and I couldn’t run very much, which was a bit of a shame as we needed to do some fine-tuning due to the track temperature change; our car was quite sensitive to it. So I was a little bit worried going into qualifying blind again and as we seemed to have dropped a bit in pace. We had a good think between me and my engineers on what to do and I think the changes all worked out well for us. I had only one flying lap on my second run and there was a little mistake in sector 1, but the car was good. To be ahead of one of the Caterhams despite the challenges we have had makes me quite happy and now we will see if we can find some more in the race.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“I think we can feel pleased with how today has panned out, after a challenging morning for Timo in particular, which has surely affected his ability to give 100% in qualifying. Having performed well in races of late, we still needed to carry that performance through in qualifying and today we have done just that, with both Timo and Charles finishing ahead of Vitaly Petrov. We’re not quite as close to the car ahead as we would have liked, and Pedro delivered a good lap to just squeeze Charles out from behind Timo. Nonetheless, we are confident in our usual tendency to shine a little more in race trim and we are all looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how the various strategies play out.”

The opening sessions of the Japanese Grand Prix got underway at Suzuka today in bright and sunny conditions, perfect for the Marussia F1 Team to evaluate some important aerodynamic developments to the MR01.

Timo got this programme underway in FP1, being an old hand at this circuit, running exclusively with the new floor for today only. Charles, meanwhile, spent the session focusing on familiarisation at a track he has never raced at previously.

The drivers completed their assigned programmes, but it wasn’t an entirely straightforward day. Nonetheless, plenty of data was gathered which will enable the team to pool findings across both sides of the garage and make further progress tomorrow.

Timo Glock #24
“It has not been any easy session for us. FP1 and FP2 were not straightforward because the car felt a bit difficult on the hard tyre. The balance wasn’t good at all in FP1, but we have found a better solution in FP2. But still, all is not quite as good as it could be and we need to work a bit on our car set-up. We are a little further behind our competitors because of the KERS effect. I had the chance to follow some cars but when they deploy the KERS it has such a big effect here in Japan. We need to see what we can do tomorrow and try to close the gap to them by finding a way to improve the car for both long runs and qualifying. Let’s see what we can do overnight.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Overall, we’ve achieved our programme objectives for the day and it’s good to see that the new floor fitted to Timo’s car for today appears to be performing as expected. FP1 was taken up mainly with aero evaluation work centred around the new floor. Although the results of these tests were not 100% clear this morning, extra data gathered in FP2 has given us some more conclusive findings. We are in reasonable shape at this early stage of the weekend and have completed good low and high fuel runs. The tyre degradation is a little higher than first thought, which should make for another action-packed race.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock und sein Team Marussia F1 treten am kommenden Wochenende beim Grand Prix von Japan in Suzuka an. Nach dem großen Erfolg im vergangenen Rennen in Singapur wollen der 30-jährige Deutsche und seine Mannschaft den deutlichen Aufwärtstrend bei den weiteren Asien-Gastspielen fortsetzen. Die Ziele sind klar definiert: Caterham und HRT schlagen, dem Formel-1-Mittelfeld näher kommen. Auf diesem Weg will man den hart erkämpften zehnten Rang in der Konstrukteursmeisterschaft bis zum Jahresende verteidigen.

Timo Glock: "Der Erfolg von Singapur hat dem gesamten Team einen Schub gegeben. Ich hoffe, dass wir diesen Trend in Japan fortsetzen und unseren zehnten Platz in der Meisterschaft verteidigen können. Die Strecke in Suzuka ist komplett anders als jene zuletzt in Singapur. In Japan geht es um Highspeed und es gibt viele schnelle Kurven. Wir müssen mal abwarten, wie sich unser Auto auf einer solchen Strecke verhält. Wir werden zum kommenden Rennen erneut neue Teile an unserem Marussia-Cosworth MR01 haben, die uns hoffentlich einen weiteren Schritt voranbringen. Ich bin schon gespannt, wie wir im Vergleich zur direkten Konkurrenz aussehen werden. Es kommen arbeitsreiche Wochen auf uns zu. In Japan und Südkorea fahren wir zwei Grands Prix innerhalb von acht Tagen. Das wird anstrengend und ist mit viel Reisen verbunden."

Timo Glock hat auf der schnellen Traditionsstrecke in Suzuka unterschiedliche Erfahrungen gemacht. 2010 fuhr er dort nach seinem Wechsel in das neue Team Virgin Racing (heute Marussia F1) auf einen starken 14. Platz. Im Jahr zuvor verletzte sich der Wahlschweizer bei einem Unfall mit seinem damaligen Toyota im Qualifying und musste das Rennen in Japan 2009 auslassen.

All you need to know >>> Race date 7 October…Laps 53…Circuit length 5.807 km...Race distance 307.471 km...18 corners, 10 right-handers, 8 left...Circuit direction clockwise…Lap record 1:31.540 (Kimi Raikkonen - 2005)…First hosted a Formula 1 race in 1987, but this will only be the 24th Japanese Grand Prix hosted at Suzuka as the race moved to Fuji for two years in 2007 and 2008…Remains one of the great traditional circuits on the calendar - a real test of driver ability and technical package…Comprises some of the most challenging corners too - the flat-out 130R and Spoon Curve are amongst the drivers’ favourites…Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero Silver Hard and PZero Yellow Soft same as Silverstone, delivering both performance and durability at the fast and challenging Suzuka circuit…

The weather conditions awaiting the Formula 1 fraternity in Japan are suggestive of a maelstrom befitting the last few weeks in the sport - turbulent but very interesting - with many team members currently waiting in neighbouring countries for a typhoon to pass. For the Marussia F1 Team however, spirits remain suitably lifted after a very positive race for both Timo Glock and Charles Pic in Singapore, which put the team back into the all-important 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship it relinquished temporarily from Monaco onwards.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Suzuka is quite a different circuit to the last race in Singapore and with a lot of high-speed corners. Now we just need to wait and see how the car performs there. For this race we again have a couple of new developments on the car suited to this track, and I am hoping we will see another step forward and an even better chance of fighting with our immediate competitors and further closing the gap to the front of the field. Another tough and demanding race for the team, being a back to back with Korea. Although Singapore was a tough challenge logistically and operationally, the result there gave everyone a boost, which was very nice to see and share in after all the hard work that has gone on this year in particular. I hope we can be strong again at Suzuka and do everything we can to defend our 10th position in the Championship.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We take the trip back to the Far East after a week back at base, feeling very positive about the way the last third of our season has started out. We are in a much stronger position in development terms at this stage of the year than ever before and that is really exciting for us as an ambitious team looking to make significant strides for next season and beyond. It was fantastic for us to earn back 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship, but we have to keep pushing all the way to Brazil now. Fortunately we have two highly competitive challengers in Timo and Charles - and continual developments coming through from the technical team - to be able to do just that. We enjoy the Suzuka experience immensely, although the weather conditions as we all embark on the trip seem quite interesting! It’s still a little early to see how that will affect us over the race weekend, but we’ll approach it as a potential opportunity. We also look forward to having Max Chilton alongside us in his new capacity as Reserve Driver, up to the Brazilian Grand Prix. He is extremely motivated to be working alongside the team so closely and to see what he can learn during this period.”

The Marussia F1 Team came into the Singapore Grand Prix weekend with high expectations for its drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic. Timo simply loves to race here, while Charles Pic - racing in night-time conditions for the very first time - was relishing the prospect of doing battle at one of his most challenging new tracks yet.

Throughout the weekend, Timo has been lapping up the Marina Bay Street Circuit and Charles really got to grips with the unique racing conditions it presents, but not even the team expected the race outcome it enjoyed today. Timo finished in 12th position, an achievement in itself, but crucially this earns back for the team that all-important 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship which is so crucial for the three newer teams.

Charles brought his MR01 home in P15 to help the team to another crucial two-car finish. He dropped to P16 in the results after his 20 second penalty was applied.

Today’s race cements the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the affections of the team and, with the confirmation this weekend that the circuit has renewed its contract until at least 2017, leaves them wanting much more of Singapore.

Timo Glock #24
“An incredible race for us. In general I knew that, with our strategy, we could really do something if we stayed close to Kovalainen in the first stint and that’s what I tried to do - to get everything out of the car. Unfortunately, the rear tyre pressures came up a bit too much and I overshot the car in turn 19 and hit the wall. In the first moment I thought the race was over and I realised that the toe was really out; I had to change my driving style and, actually, changed everything that I could do to keep the car on track. I had to get used to the behaviour of the car, so I was saving the right-rear tyre in all the left-hand corners and squeezing everything out in the right corners to get the lap time. When the safety cars came out I knew that mixing us in the pack gave us a chance to fight again. After the first safety car I could go quicker than Heikki and in the end, when he turned into the pits, I knew I needed to push everything out of the car before he came back at me with fresh tyres. In terms of the pit stops, the team made a really good job and that is getting very consistent now. We do of course need to hold on to 10th place until the end of the season still and I hope we can. Over the last four months we have really closed that gap to Caterham and this is a very nice reward to everyone in the team because it has not been easy. We’ll enjoy the moment but keep pushing now for the next race and beyond.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“That was an extremely complicated race with many different variables, ranging from high tyre degradation to numerous safety car periods and, also in the mix, a scrape along the wall on lap 7 that could have changed everything completely. In terms of the result, we’re extremely pleased with Timo’s 12th place, but Charles’ performance in the race, prior to the addition of his penalty, also demonstrated that even with the two drivers on different strategies today, the team had the measure of the race for 10th place in the championship. That is an important race for the three newest teams.

“With regard to the detail, Timo’s overall race was executed perfectly. Unfortunately he hit the right rear on the wall at turn 19 very early on, which put us off-strategy as we brought him in earlier to check the right-rear suspension. All looked fine and he carried on, however we decided to revert to what would have been a three-stop race. In the end the safety cars reduced us to a two-stop race, although this required us to hold our nerve as ultimately the final stint was 34 laps long. Charles delivered another solid performance in tough conditions. His strategy, using the safety cars, was good. Overall, this has been a day where, with everything thrown at them, the engineers and mechanics executed everything perfectly. Really though, the improvement in the raw pace of the car has come from all the hard work that has been undertaken in Banbury and by our engine partner Cosworth in Northampton.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock and Charles Pic qualified in 21st and 22nd positions for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit after a more challenging second day of track action for the team.

Encouraged by a positive performance in yesterday’s practice sessions, Timo was looking forward to further improvement in the third session earlier today. Mid-way through the 60-minute practice he suffered a problem relating to a throttle sensor issue and was stuck out on track until the car could be returned to the garage when the session concluded. There was never an issue in getting the car turned around for qualifying, but Timo’s track time was cut in half, losing him valuable experience of the car with the front wing developments made since yesterday. Charles had a strong Free Practice 3 and was 19th at the end of the session.

Both drivers had strong qualifying sessions and Timo ended his final run within 0.2s of the team’s immediate competitor ahead, with Charles directly behind him.

Timo Glock #24
“A disappointing start to the day in FP3 and then in terms of the knock-on effect this had on qualifying. To not have a proper run this morning cost us quite a bit, which is a shame as I had a good feeling in the car but not the confidence in terms of the tyres. Obviously the tyres are pretty critical here, especially the Supersofts - getting them to warm up and in the right window for the flying lap. It was a bit of a struggle with the brakes also, which were not great. We had a good start yesterday and into the weekend, and we were actually looking quite strong. At least we were only a couple of tenths behind in qualifying and now we need to try and race Caterham hard tomorrow. In general the team did a good job with the challenges we faced and also the heat and humidity, which is a struggle. I hope we can do something better for them tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today has been less straightforward for us and we’ve had to contend with a couple of challenges, which did not set us up well for qualifying. Overall though we are very pleased with the improvements we have seen with the car generally and, specifically, some small tweaks that we’ve made aerodynamically today, which have helped us further. With Timo we are left wondering how much better he may have performed in qualifying with the benefit of the extra track time that he lost in FP3. Nonetheless, I am confident that the pace he has shown at all other times throughout the weekend, coupled with his enthusiasm for this track, means that he should be able to have a cracking race tomorrow. Charles has done well to learn what is a difficult circuit for any driver and his focus for tomorrow will be to race as hard as he can to make as much progress as possible, bearing in mind the penalty incurred during FP3, to be added at the end of the race. Naturally he is very disappointed with himself over that mistake.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock simply loves the Singapore Grand Prix - and it shows! On the opening day of Free Practice at the Marina Bay Circuit today, the German - who has a 2nd and a 4th position to his credit at this circuit - led the race at the back of the pack throughout both sessions, ending the day 0.35s clear of the team’s nearest competitors.

Charles Pic was not fazed by yet another all-new circuit, nor by his first experience of night-race conditions to boot. He quickly found his rhythm and gradually set about bringing his lap time into line with that of his team-mate.

The day (night) began in wet conditions after a downpour left the track damp and drying in the 30˚C ambient temperature and fierce 70%+ humidity. Consequently the drivers began Free Practice 1 on the Pirelli Cinturato Intermediate tyre before progressing through the evaluation of the P-Zero Yellow Soft and Red Supersoft when the conditions became more favourable.

The team’s objectives for today were initially for Charles to acclimatise to a new circuit while Timo stepped through a number of aero evaluations. Both drivers used new development drum and duct brake parts designed to effect the required degree of cooling for this track, and some new rear suspension components were also brought into play to further benefit the handling issues which Timo experienced mid-season.

Timo Glock #24
“A sweaty start, not to put too fine a point on it. That’s normal for Singapore though and the hot conditions are very tough for everyone. It’s just great to be back again and huge fun to drive here. I love every lap. We got through the programme quite well today. In FP2 we did quite an important test which we still have to analyse and have a think about where we go with it, because we seem to have made good progress with the car. Other than that we did some long runs with the tyres and I think that will be the key point over the weekend - to just keep the tyres alive as long as possible. It’s not easy to get the lap together in qualifying but I’ll do my best and also I think there is still a little more to come from the car. We’ll see what we can do.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A very positive start to our Singapore Grand Prix weekend. As expected Timo seems to be in his element here and the car is working very well with the new components introduced for this weekend. Charles seems to acclimatise so well to the tracks he’s facing for the first time and this one is not easy, with the night-time schedule, the lights and the extreme heat and humidity. The rain this morning didn’t make life easy as it hampered the start of our programme. Having said that, rain is good preparation for more rain and if we do encounter the wet conditions that have been mooted for later in the weekend, we will at least have had some preparation. Timo displacing all of our immediate competitors today has demonstrated another step forward and it was good to see Charles sitting between Kovalainen and Petrov after such a short amount of familiarisation with this track.”

Für Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock steht am kommenden Wochenende das Nachtrennen in Singapur auf dem Programm. Der 30-jährige Deutsche fiebert dem Auftritt in der asiatischen Metropole entgegen. Auf dem anspruchsvollen Stadtkurs feierte der gebürtige Hesse 2009 seinen bislang größten Erfolg in der Formel 1. Nach einer bravourösen Leistung war Timo Glock damals als Zweiter auf das Podest geklettert. Die Aussichten sind in diesem Jahr am Steuer des Marussia-Cosworth MR01 zwar etwas bescheidener, aber die Vorfreude auf den Nacht-Grand-Prix schmälert dies nicht.

Timo Glock: "Singapur ist eine einzigartige Strecke, außerdem fahren wir dort das einzige Nachtrennen des Jahres. Ich habe allerbeste Erinnerungen an meine Rennen auf dem Stadtkurs. Ich stand dort immerhin schon auf dem Podium, daher ist es immer schön, wieder dorthin zurückzukehren. Ich freue mich schon auf das Wochenende. In den vergangenen Rennen hatten wir mit unserem Marussia-Cosworth MR01 ein besseres Potenzial als zuvor. Hoffentlich können wir in Singapur ein gutes Ergebnis einfahren. Das Nachtrennen bildet den Auftakt zu einer ganzen Serie von Überseerennen, die teilweise im Wochenrhythmus bewältigt werden müssen. Das ist vor allem für die Teammitglieder sehr hart. Ich hoffe, wir können uns alle gemeinsam in den verbleibenden Rennen des Jahres mit guten Ergebnissen belohnen."
Eine große Herausforderung bei den Überseerennen zum Jahresende stellt immer wieder der Jetlag dar. Die noch sieben ausstehenden Rennen der aktuellen Formel-1-Saison finden in sechs unterschiedlichen Zeitzonen statt, sodass sich die Piloten und Teams immer wieder auf neue Bedingungen einstellen müssen. Beim Grand Prix in Singapur fällt diese Umstellung jedoch leicht. Timo Glock wird am kommenden Wochenende im "europäischen Zeitrhythmus" bleiben, weil die dortigen Sessions in den Abendstunden (Ortszeit) ausgetragen werden.

The Marussia F1 Team said “Arriverderci” to Europe in Italy last weekend and will embark on the first of no fewer than seven long-haul rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship next weekend in Singapore. The sport’s only night-race is Timo Glock’s favourite Grand Prix on the calendar, while Charles Pic will race at the flood-lit street circuit for the very first time.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Singapore is a very special circuit, as the only night race on the calendar. I have great memories from this race as I finished on the points in the first year and on the podium in 2009. Every year it’s great to come back and without doubt it is my favourite race on the calendar. Over the last races we had some real potential in our package, so I’m looking forward to showing more of that and hopefully we can have a good result there. The next part of the season will be a tough challenge for the team, so I hope we can continue to make good progress to reward all the hard work throughout the team.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It is sad to leave the European venues behind for another season, however we are embarking on a very exciting and challenging period in the calendar. Never before has the sport had so many races in so many continents in such a short space of time and there are even three more back to back races amongst them. Singapore is a very special race and the atmosphere and spectacle are truly unique. The whole team looks forward to going there, even though the conditions are quite challenging for the race team and drivers with the fierce heat and humidity. Timo loves this race and it will be Charles first experience of it, so it will be quite interesting to see what they each bring to it after our recent steps forward, which will be aided by further developments for this race. Far from running out of time in this final phase, we are encouraged by our current level of progress at this stage of the season and optimistic about what we can go on to achieve from here in terms of our targets.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Italian Grand Prix weekend continued to exceed expectation in today’s 53-lap race, with Charles Pic and Timo Glock finishing in 16th and 17th positions respectively.

Both drivers had strong cars beneath them today and all the indications were that they were looking good for achieving the team’s target of displacing one of the cars of its immediate competitors. Unfortunately for Timo, having lost his front wing end plate in the first lap melée, he started to lose aero performance and had to pit earlier than planned, which put him off-strategy for the balance of the race. Charles also had to switch strategy, from a planned one-stop race to two stops.

Timo Glock #24
“A bitter shame on my side really. The start itself was not great although I got through Turn 1 okay, but into Turn 2 there was a bit of a queue in front of me and Petrov moved to the outside, where I was. I couldn’t avoid him and he just clipped my front wing, which was damaged as a result. From there I couldn’t really do much as we had lost a bit of performance and the car was just ‘okay’ to drive. Worse than that, as I stopped so early I was out of sequence. I had to stay out longer and had more degradation at the end as the stints were quite long for me. Then blue flags cost us at the end. Overall I think we have to be quite pleased as we weren’t really running with the traditional Monza downforce specification. I’m now looking forward to Singapore - my favourite race.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Overall, we’ve seen even further improvement today, however the race was not without its disappointments, as we were unable to finish in the positions that we had hoped for. Neither driver got the best of starts, however by the end of lap one we were in a position to challenge the cars directly ahead. The pace of both cars was good initially, but unfortunately Timo had broken his front wing end plate during the first lap melée and had to pit for a new wing, which effectively ruined his race as he was well off the optimum strategy. Charles did a fantastic job to keep pace with our immediate competitors and our plan for him was to run a one stop race. Unfortunately, we were limited by front tyre wear, despite having a good rate of rear degradation, and this resulted in us having to complete a two-stop race and lose what would have been track position to a Caterham. Despite our steady progress, experiences such as this do still disappoint us, but we take great comfort and encouragement from seeing how well we have fared here, despite not running an optimum Monza downforce package. We have achieved our target of ending the European section of the calendar on a positive note and we look forward to a very busy but exciting final phase of the season. As we say goodbye to Monza I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the team, both trackside and back at base, for all their hard work and dedication to the task of improving both car and team performance. We really are coming into our own now and we can all take tremendous pride in what we are achieving at this stage in the season.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock ist beim großen Preis von Italien in Monza auf den 17. Rang gefahren. Der gebürtige Hesse musste nach einem Zwischenfall in der ersten Runde über 300 Kilometer lang mit stumpfen Waffen kämpfen, aber er absolvierte die Renndistanz im Marussia-Cosworth MR01 dennoch mit zahlreichen konkurrenzfähigen Rundenzeiten. Timo Glock war als 19. gestartet. Er hat somit im Rennen zwei Ränge gewonnen und darf sich über eine runde Zahl in der Statistik freuen. Seit seinem Formel-1-Debüt im Juni 2004 hat der Deutsche in 84 Grands Prix insgesamt genau 200 Positionen gutgemacht.

Timo Glock: "Es ist schade, was direkt nach dem Start passiert ist. Ich kam nicht sonderlich gut vom Fleck, aber immerhin ordentlich durch die erste Schikane. Vor der zweiten gab es einen Stau, alle verzögerten vor mir. Petrov zog in dem Gewirr nach außen, ich konnte ihm nicht mehr ausweichen. Dabei wurde mein Frontflügel beschädigt. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt war für mich nicht mehr viel zu holen, denn der Abtrieb war nicht mehr komplett vorhanden. Ich musste ein wenig früher stoppen und anschließend mit meinem Reifensätzen länger fahren. Am Ende dieser langen Stints waren die Pneus ziemlich abgefahren. Auch die vielen blauen Flaggen haben einiges an Zeit gekostet. Letztlich dürfen wir aber zufrieden sein. Wir hatten kein spezielles Monza-Paket für unser Auto. Unter diesen Voraussetzungen war unsere Leistung okay."

Mit dem Rennen auf der Hochgeschwindigkeits-Strecke im königlichen Park zu Monza ist die Europa-Saison der Formel 1 2012 nun beendet. Die noch ausstehenden sieben Grands Prix des Jahres finden allesamt auf Strecken in Übersee statt. Die nächste Station im Kalender ist Singapur. Das dortige Nachtrennen auf dem spektakulären Straßenkurs ist eines der Lieblingsrennen von Timo Glock. An jenem Schauplatz konnte der 30-Jährige vor drei Jahren als Zweiter auf das Podest fahren - sein bislang bestes Ergebnis in der Formel 1.

The Marussia F1 Team drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic continued their steady progression towards tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with a solid performance in this afternoon’s qualifying session.

Once again, their respective positions of P21 and P22 were a further illustration of the way the team is closing the gap to their immediate competitors and pulling away from the cars behind. Timo’s time of 1:27.039 was 0.1s away from the team ahead, while Charles ended the session within 0.034s of his team-mate.

Timo Glock #24
“In the morning we struggled a bit more than yesterday. The car balance was a little bit out and not the same as yesterday, but we tried some new stuff for qualifying and I was happy with the changes. In the first run I got a good tow because our downforce package is pretty efficient, but if you get a tow you gain quite a lot of top speed as well. On the second run, straight away I felt that the tyres were completely different in terms of traction and I wasn’t able to get a tow. We were quite close to Petrov, so there is good reason to be positive, but the second set of tyres is normally quicker and the track is faster, so on that side it’s a little frustrating. We need to analyse the data now and see what the problem is, so we can get the best out of the car tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today has provided another positive step towards tomorrow’s race and this has seen us closing in on our objective of taking the fight to our immediate competitors in qualifying as well as in the race; we’re closer again. Both drivers did a good job but they didn’t have a straightforward time of it. Timo experienced problems with his second set of tyres and with Charles we have had to make a set-up change specifically to help the overall race performance. Nonetheless we’re encouraged that things have gone better for us so far and that our usual trend of faring better in the race comes to fruition again tomorrow.”

It was a busy first day of running for the Marussia F1 Team in Monza today as the first of the free practice sessions got underway. In contrast to the last Friday, the weather remained perfectly dry and sunny which in turn enabled the team to maximise the full three hours of running. This was crucial, as the low downforce characteristics of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza do not lend themselves so well to the MR01 and there was a great deal of back to back evaluation work to be conducted before the drivers were able to arrive at a good direction for the remainder of the weekend.

The team and drivers worked calmly and methodically through their set-up and tyre programme and ultimately made good progress towards Sunday’s race. Timo Glock ended the session in 21st position and Charles Pic in 22nd .

Timo Glock #24
“First of all it’s good to have stable weather conditions in Monza because this track is quite unique and we needed to do a lot of preparation work. We got through the programme quite well and evaluated the aero level of our rear wing options for here. We did a lot of back to back work with our Canada specification and our latest components seem the clear way to go, which again proves out our development direction. Overall the car felt okay and no problems with the long runs so far; the times were quite consistent. I’m happy with FP1 and FP2. A bit of fine-tuning perhaps but, in general, a good start and we will see what we can do from here now.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A very different Friday to the last one, as the weather has remained consistently hot and sunny and we have forged our way through quite a comprehensive programme designed to give us as many answers as possible to the numerous set-up questions posed by this track. It’s a little bit of a conundrum for us, bearing in mind that we have struggled in low downforce trim before. Nonetheless, we are pleased with the start we have made and cautiously optimistic that we have ended Friday here in a more favourable position than we perhaps envisaged. That is down to the steps we have taken to try to overcome our low downforce woes since Montreal and also the very calm and disciplined approach of our engineers and their drivers. Fingers crossed we can continue this positive start.”

Just a few short days after a very positive return to the racetrack for the Marussia F1 Team after the break, the team are up and running again in Monza for Round 13 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander D’Italia. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza situated close to Milan is another majestic circuit from a bygone era, so the last two European races on the calendar really are designed to spoil deserving fans, as well as teams and drivers alike.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Monza is quite a high speed circuit and also a very traditional circuit, with some very special characteristics such as the long straights and high speed corners. Here it is very important that a car is quick on the straights as well as good under braking. Every time it is an eventful race, so I’m looking forward to it, although it is the last race of the European section of the season. We do need to keep our expectations in check though as Monza is a completely different challenge due to the low downforce set-up required and realistically we did not look too strong in Canada, which calls for the same type of set-up. We have moved forward in a number of ways as a team and, for example, the fantastic pitstops in Spa also contributed to our strong showing there, so there are some things we can do this weekend to try to make the race work better for us. We need to see what the weather will do; normally it is hot which is good for the running we need to achieve, but it can also be quite demanding for the brakes. We will work hard to make the best possible result and enjoy a very nice track to go racing at.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been another tight turnaround as we head into the Italian Grand Prix weekend, but we’d better get used to that as it’s only the first of four back-to-backs in this second half of the season! This is also the last of the European races, so the remaining seven rounds will quite literally be a ‘long haul’. We’re in a good place right now and last weekend’s performance in Spa boosted everyone’s spirits. We do need to temper that, however, with the realistic expectations we have for this race, because we aren’t simply picking up where we left off. Monza is quite a different challenge as its high speed characteristics call for a low downforce set-up and we know from Canada that our car does not work as well at this type of track. We had so many areas to focus our attentions on this season and although we have seen good progress in most areas, Montreal and Monza were always going to be two races where we may not fare so favourably. Much like Spa, this is a race we always look forward to and many of us will take a bit of time out to enjoy some of the special things it has to offer, such as the old banking, which is always worth a visit.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock ist nach Abschluss der Sommerpause mit positiven Erkenntnissen vom Grand Prix in Belgien abgereist. Der 30-Jährige fühlte sich im verbesserten Marussia-Cosworth MR01 deutlich wohler als zuvor und konnte entsprechend beherzt angreifen. Der Abstand zur direkten Konkurrenz von Caterham konnte verringert werden. Nur eine unverschuldete Kollision mit Williams-Pilot Pastor Maldonado warf den gebürtigen Hessen zurück. Dennoch konnte Timo Glock nach dem Zwischenfall schnelle Rundenzeiten markieren, seinen Teamkollegen überholen, ihm innerhalb weniger Runden um 16 Sekunden enteilen und auf Platz 15 fahren.

Timo Glock: "Es war nicht nur schön, dass wir nach der Sommerpause endlich wieder die Arbeit aufgenommen haben, sondern es war noch viel schöner, dass wir endlich wieder richtig Rennen fahren konnten. Das Team hat gute Fortschritte gemacht. Wir haben das Problem, das ich in den Rennen zuvor an meinem Auto hatte, verstanden. Jetzt ist es deutlich besser. Im Rennen lief es gut, aber es hätte noch besser sein können. Der Zwischenfall mit Maldonado hat den Abstand zu Petrov größer werden lassen als er eigentlich hätte sein sollen. Ich bin stolz darauf, welch gute Arbeit das Team an der Strecke und in Großbritannien in der Fabrik geleistet hat. Ich habe in Belgien ein tolles Rennen genossen."

Der sympathische Wahlschweizer hatte am Wochenende in Spa-Francorchamps unter anderem Besuch von Nachwuchs-Stars des Fußball-Bundesligisten FC Schalke 04. Timo Glock ließ die Kicker hinter die Kulissen schauen. Nach dem Grand Prix von Belgien reiste der Formel-1-Pilot schnell weiter, denn schon in wenigen Tagen steht bereits das nächste Rennen auf dem Programm: der Große Preis von Italien in Monza.

Timo Glock: "Monza ist einer der traditionellen Highspeed-Kurse mit einer ganz besonderen Charakteristik. Es gibt enorm lange Geraden, einen hohen Vollgasanteil. In Monza passiert in den Rennen oft viel. Dort ist es wichtig, dass das Auto einen hohen Topspeed hat und auf der Bremse stabil liegt. Unsere Erwartungen sind vor dem Hintergrund der bisherigen Erfahrungen nicht allzu hoch. In Kanada waren wir mit unserem Paket für wenig Abtrieb nicht besonders stark. Nun müssen wir versuchen, aus diesem Paket das Maximale herauszuholen. Auf der anderen Seite war unsere Leistung in Spa gut. Das Team hat tolle Boxenstopps absolviert. Ich hoffe, dass wir die Form auch in Monza halten können. Ich freue mich sehr auf das Wochenende."

Timo Glock and Charles Pic provided some great racing spectacle in today’s Belgian Grand Prix, which demonstrated that the latest round of developments from the Marussia F1 Team have moved the team forward again.

Despite running to different strategies -Timo switched to a two-stop early in the race, while Charles remained on one - they ended the race neck and neck, notwithstanding Charles’ tyre degradation. Timo eventually got the upper hand and led the team home in P15 from Charles in P16 but the great display of two natural born racers which seemed to capture the imagination of the viewing audience served to further underline the progress that will be borne out by today’s timesheets.

Timo Glock #24
“Not only was it great to be back racing here after the break, but it was great to be really ‘racing’ again after some very positive steps forward for the team. Not only have we brought some strong updates to the car, the team have worked really hard to get on top of the problem I experienced in the last few races and here it looked positive. This is in itself another demonstration of how we are working together to bring the right results. We didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts on Friday, but by Saturday morning we were showing our potential. We knew we could be stronger in the race and we were; we could have been stronger still but for the problem with Maldonado which lost me time earlier in the race and created a bigger gap to Petrov at the end than might otherwise have been the case. I am very proud that we have worked so hard together as a team to see the benefits we are now seeing and my thanks to everyone trackside and back at base. We are really taking the fight to the competition now and I enjoyed a great race today. Things can only get better for us and today I am very happy to be P15.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We predicted we would be stronger in the race versus qualifying and that was indeed the case today. For large portions of the race, the substantial upgrade we introduced here allowed our drivers to match the pace of our immediate competitors, so we can be pleased overall that the margins are reducing and also we only saw a few blue flags and quite late on in the race. These incremental upgrades will bring the additional pace that will significantly aid our ability to race on the lead lap and minimise our blue flag time loss towards the end of the race.

“The extremely eventful opening lap made life a little difficult for us with both of our cars having to pick their way through the huge amount of debris in turn one, which had brought out the safety car. Then, the incident between Maldonado and Timo left him right at the back of the field behind the HRTs, which was less than ideal in terms of our objective of taking the fight to Caterham after the safety car restart. We opted to switch Timo to a two-stop strategy to allow him the free air he needed to achieve our pace potential in the middle stint in order to close the gap. This worked well and Timo did a great job to respond to the switch. We put Charles on a more conservative one-stop strategy and this led to the two drivers being particularly close at the end of the race. Charles was on older tyres and Timo was able to get past in the final few laps but by this stage, despite his pace, the gap created as a consequence of earlier incidents meant there was no hope of him catching up to Petrov. We have shown another legitimate step with our upgrades, thanks to the hard work by the team back in Banbury and also our partners at Cosworth. I’m sure this will give everyone a huge boost going into Monza and with a full Friday of practice running to fine-tune our package I’m sure we can continue to see more of this steady progression forward.”

The Marussia F1 Team drivers, along with the rest of the field, enjoyed a much more fruitful day of preparation today in the countdown to Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Conditions were bright and sunny all day, which meant that this morning’s FP3 session took on a slightly frenzied pace, as the teams sought to cram in the work for all three practice sessions after Friday’s wash-out.

Timo and Charles made good progress in preparation for qualifying, demonstrating an impressive uplift in pace versus the team’s immediate competitors and also relative to the front of the field. The latest round of developments have clearly yielded a good step. Unfortunately, they had a more challenging time of it in qualifying when Timo was less happy with his car towards the end of the lap and traffic compromised Charles’ shot at his second flying lap. All hopes rest on tomorrow’s 44 lap race to demonstrate more of the benefit of the new components.

Timo Glock #24
“After a difficult Friday for everyone, which meant we didn’t get any dry running, it was quite a jam-packed Saturday. FP3 this morning was my first opportunity to get a feeling for the updates and, as important, for the little change we made to correct the rear end instability problem I’ve had in the last couple of races. The team put a lot of work into that, so I want to thank them as I think we have improved the situation, although we have to see what transpires during the race. Qualy was okay; the first run was not great, but I could feel that I could maybe gain a bit more time because I made some mistakes in the first lap. In the second lap I lost quite a bit of time down the straight, due to the wind I guess. Things picked up from there and I was able to keep pushing from corner to corner, but then towards the end of the lap for some reason I lost the rear end again on turn in and lost some time, so we’ll have to look into that. It’s a real shame as we were looking good versus the next team today, but let’s hope we can get it back in the race tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Despite a challenging start to the weekend due to Friday’s weather, we have plenty to feel positive about this weekend. Due to the lack of running, it was obvious from FP3 onwards that we hadn’t quite struck the correct balance between qualifying and race set-up and there were some obvious deficiencies that would hurt our pace in qualifying. That said, the flip side of this is that these areas will actually be a positive for the race, on top of the normal pace improvement that we typically see on Sunday. Both drivers did a good job, but traffic cost Charles, and we have not made life easy for ourselves for tomorrow. I have no doubt that when it comes to the race we’ll be stronger again, as we have shown that we have made another step in terms of our overall pace. The updates are clearly an improvement, so although we’ve had a challenging start to the weekend, we need to extract the maximum from them tomorrow.”

The 2012 FIA Formula 1 World Championship resumed today as the cars ran for the first time since the sport’s summer sojourn in the opening free practice for Sunday’s Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix.

The weather conditions were typical Spa specification, with both free practice sessions dominated by a wet track, constant downpours and the Pirelli P-Zero Wet tyres. The air temperature was a very cool 11˚C at its lowest and the track never rose above 14˚C.

The team’s objectives for today were to put a variety of updated components through their paces ‘in the field’ to gather important data. These included a modified rear and front wing as well as new exhausts. Some of that work was completed, although the conditions proved a real headache for the engineers. Nonetheless, as both Timo and Charles took to the track in the dying minutes of this afternoon’s session in still very wet conditions, Charles was able to improve such that he took the top spot on the timesheet.

The experience in the wet here will be useful; although the forecast is for dry weather over the next two days, Spa has its own microclimate that has provided notoriously unpredictable before.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been so wet today that we have been able to do very little in the way of meaningful running. We have some experience of the wet tyres and some data for our new parts, but that is about it. We just have to hope that the forecast is correct and we really can look forward to some dry running for the next two days as it is very important for our new developments. It is good to be back on track though after the summer break.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Whilst there is nothing unusual about rain at Spa, it is a little more frustrating today as we have brought our latest round of developments here and were desperate for a dry interlude to put them through their paces. This has not transpired and it has been raining pretty constantly all day, and actually rather cold. We have achieved a small amount of relevant data, but in some respects we’ll be starting from scratch in FP3 tomorrow on what is forecast to be a dry day. We ended the first part of the season having made some really positive strides and we are hoping that our latest updates provide us with a continuation of that progress. It’s just a shame that we have to wait until tomorrow to see the first signs of that.”

All you need to know >>> Race date 2 September…Laps 44…Circuit length 7.004 km...Race distance 308.052 km...19 corners, 9 right-handers, 10 left...Circuit direction clockwise…Lap record 1:45.108 (Kimi Raikkonen - 2004)…The other ‘jewel in the crown’ for the racer’s racer…among the most historic venues on the F1 calendar having first hosted a non-championship Grand Prix back in 1924…Remains the longest circuit on the calendar…Circuit hallmarks - the legendary Eau Rouge with its high speed and change of elevation, an unpredictable microclimate thanks to the Eifel Mountains, a blend of long straights and challenging fast corners that many drivers simply love…Tyre nomination Pirelli PZero Silver Hard and PZero White Medium…A cause for celebration - the 50th Grand Prix of the Marussia F1 Team…

Formula 1 is back, for Part 2 of the 2012 season. Round 12 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship sees the Marussia F1 Team heading back out on the road after the long summer break and to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix. Spa is a diamond of a Grand Prix venue, so what better place for the team to celebrate its 50th Grand Prix.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“After such a long summer break, everyone in the team seems revitalised and ready to embark on the next important phase of the season. I myself had a nice mix of relaxation and training and now I’m looking forward to getting back to racing. Over the next nine races we will be working hard to optimise our current package, at the same time as doing some important work towards next year. Those races will take place over just 14 weeks though, so with the long haul phase it will be non-stop action. To come back racing in Spa is a perfect way to pick up the rest of the season. It’s one of my favourite races, with a historic circuit that has a fascinating layout. The track is very fast and long with some very tricky corners, so any small mistake ruins the lap. The weather is often a factor, especially due to its changeability. Rain can come very quickly, but this is part of the thrill of racing here. I’m really excited and looking forward to the weekend ahead.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Across the whole team there’s a real sense that we can’t wait to get back to racing. The break has been good for us and we’re ready to get on the road again. Timo and Charles seem invigorated, so we look forward to positive things from the second half of the season. Spa is a great place to get things started. Not only do we all love this circuit, but this year we mark the occasion of our 50th Grand Prix there, which is an important milestone within the team. A lot has happened in the short space of two and half seasons of racing but we’re a stronger team as a result and equipped now to go on to bigger and better things. It has been quite nice to note how many of the team have been with us since the very beginning - Timo included of course. In young teams a lot can change - especially its people - so it’s very encouraging that we keep building on our original strong core. As for the race itself, we hope to get the remaining Grands Prix off to a strong start in Spa and keep closing the gap to the front of the field.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock erlebte vor dem Beginn der vierwöchigen Sommerpause einen weiteren ernüchternden Grand Prix. Beim Rennen in Ungarn kämpfte der 30-jährige Deutsche weniger mit der Konkurrenz als mit seinem eigenen Auto. Der Marussia-Cosworth MR01 war erneut zu langsam, das Fahrzeug schlecht ausbalanciert. Auf seinen insgesamt 653 Kilometern auf dem ungarischen Hungaroring musste Timo Glock äußerst vorsichtig agieren, denn das Heck seines Wagens lag zu instabil. Das Team wird einige Tage der nun beginnenden Formel-1-Sommerpause zur Vorbereitung der weiteren Grands Prix des Jahres nutzen. Das nächste Rennen findet am 2. September im belgischen Spa-Francorchamps statt.

Timo Glock: "Es war ein Abziehbild des Hockenheim-Wochenendes. Uns fehlte der nötige Speed, das Auto war erneut sehr instabil auf der Hinterachse. Im Rennen war ich in den ersten zwei Runden schneller als der Teamkollege, aber es war sofort spürbar, dass der Wagen nicht gut liegt. So kam es, dass das Heck des Autos beim Anbremsen urplötzlich ausbrach. Da war nichts mehr zu machen, ich drehte mich. Anschließend lag ich aussichtslos hinten und kämpfte mich nur noch über die Runden bis ins Ziel. Es war ein Wochenende zum Vergessen. Die Sommerpause kommt genau zur rechten Zeit. Ich wünsche meinen Jungs vom Team eine erholsame Zeit. Sie haben es sich wirklich verdient. Ich bin guter Dinge, dass wir nach den vierwöchigen Ferien gestärkt in den Rennbetrieb zurückkehren werden."

Abseits des sportlichen Geschehens auf dem Hungaroring erlebte Timo Glock viele schöne Momente mit den treuen und emotionalen Fans in Budapest. Jederzeit warteten vor dem Hotel des in Ungarn sehr beliebten Hessen unzählige Anhänger, um sich mit dem Formel-1-Fahrer fotografieren zu lassen. Die Sommerpause nutzt Timo Glock für eine kurze Urlaubsreise, anschließend wird er sich in seiner Wahlheimat Schweiz auf die noch ausstehenden Rennen der Saison 2012 vorbereiten.

The Marussia F1 Team’s Charles Pic was pleased to achieve all his objectives for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend today as he ended the race as the team’s lead driver, not only closing the gap to Caterham but enjoying a legitimate battle with Vitaly Petrov for much of the race.

After bogging down at the start, Charles made a swift recovery and was soon in touch with the Caterham ahead, trading lap times with the Russian driver. He ran for 20 laps on the Pirelli P-Zero Medium tyre, then on the Soft option tyre, he was able to outpace the Caterham. He switched back to the Medium tyre on lap 39 and remaining on a two-stop strategy rather than the three-stopping car ahead, he was still matching lap times but unable to reduce the gap as he contended with advancing traffic.

Timo had a torrid race. A spin on lap 3 at turn 3 left him behind the HRT cars and some way adrift. He fought back but was stuck behind for a large chunk of the race. When he was able to get by - passing Karthikeyan on track and De La Rosa in the pits - he was at least able to reveal more of his true pace.

Timo Glock #24
“Another race to forget for me, a bit like Hockenheim. I had no pace and no balance in the car from the beginning on. Despite this I was still quicker in the first two laps but then experienced the rear end instability again. I lost the car suddenly under braking and couldn’t catch it. I spun and then I was behind the HRTs and struggled massively again with the balance. I don’t know what the problem is at the moment, but I think it is a good time for the break. My thanks to the team for the hard work in trying to resolve my problems with the car and I wish them a good holiday. I hope that we can all come back and enjoy a stronger second half of the season together.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“First of all I would like to congratulate the whole team on the clear strides we have made so far this season which, based on today’s performance, are clearly evident. Whilst we have occupied similar race placings for much of the season, we have slowly but surely been eating into the gap to Caterham, pulled further away from HRT behind and, bigger picture, reduced the margin to the front running teams. With another very impressive drive today, Charles has shown just how far we have come, as he was in touch with - and occasionally quicker - than Petrov for a large part of the race. By contrast, Timo had another tough time and has not yet been able to benefit from the clear progress we are making with the package. A long break is just what the sport needs right now and we’ll go back to the UK, spend the week preparing for the long haul races in the not too distant future and then literally down tools for a couple of weeks to enjoy a well-earned holiday. It has been a challenging first seven months of the year and the whole team are to be congratulated for responding so well. I have every confidence that when we return to Spa in one month’s time, both drivers will be able to reap even more from the current package and the developments we will bring for Monza.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Charles Pic had it all under control in Budapest today, where he delivered another impressive qualifying performance to lead the team’s challenge in tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix. He will start from 21st position on the grid, directly in front of his team-mate Timo Glock, who had a less happy qualifying as he was unable to achieve a clean lap.

After having to play catch-up in this morning’s Free Practice 3 session due to not running the Pirelli P-Zero Soft option tyre yesterday, both drivers were much happier with the set-up of their cars going into qualifying. Timo’s runs had looked promising but he hit traffic on the first and a couple of mistakes in the second run cost him dearly.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a great qualifying for my side. The Free Practice 3 session was quite good but for some reason we didn’t make the right changes between the two sessions. In qualifying the car was more nervous again under braking and turning in, so it was definitely not the right direction to take. On my best lap on the first run I hit traffic. On the second run my lap was not so good; I made a couple of mistakes due to the front wheel locking and I lost the rear end, so all in all it’s not great today.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“FP3 was quite a productive session on both sides of the garage. We’d identified overnight that tyre temperatures were key to achieving performance today and some changes we made overnight appeared to work as we experienced improved warm-up on the Medium tyre. Our experience on the Soft tyre was limited due to yesterday’s weather conditions and perhaps this has hurt us slightly with the balance, particularly on Timo’s car going into qualifying. Consequently we are disappointed with where we stand relative to the cars immediately ahead of us, but we are clearly moving away from the team behind. Operationally, we need to look at where we placed the cars on the track in the first run of qualifying and learn from it, to resolve the issue seen in Timo’s first run. We know we’re much stronger in the race and tomorrow will hopefully present the opportunity to keep moving forward.”

Opening free practice for Sunday’s Formula 1 Eni Hungarian Grand Prix was tricky business for the Marussia F1 Team today after a glorious start in FP1 gave way to a series of showers during the afternoon.

In ambient temperatures of 27˚C and with the track peaking at a sizzling 39˚C, Timo Glock and Charles Pic worked through a varied programme. Timo has swapped chassis for this weekend to eradicate the balance issue he experienced in Germany. While he focused more on achieving a good baseline set-up for his car, Charles helped the team to evaluate a new front wing modification and new front suspension components. Those developments would then be carried over to Timo’s car in the break, once the baseline work was completed. The morning went well and the full programme was completed on both sides of the garage.

This afternoon the opening laps were dry and Timo was running well, whilst Charles perhaps felt that some changes made to the car after FP1 were not proving beneficial. For this reason the team focused on improving his set-up and remained on the prime Pirelli P-Zero Medium tyre. Light rain had been forecast but the ensuing shower was heavier than most in the pit lane had envisaged and it arrived ahead of the team’s planned Soft tyre run with both cars. The drivers made the best of the tricky conditions to evaluate the intermediate wet tyre, given the varying forecasts for the remainder of the weekend.

Timo Glock #24

“The first practice was quite okay. With all the changes made since Hockenheim, my car seems more ‘back to normal’, I would say. There’s still some work to do on the set-up and to make the car a little quicker, but I was quite happy at the end of the morning. On the cautious side we will take a good look at the data and make sure it is as positive as it felt so far. Then the weather hit and it was very difficult out on track on the intermediate. The consistency of the wet patches was quite varied; it was very strange. Some corners were impossible to drive and I almost lost my car at the same point as Michael (Schumacher), but luckily I caught it. Now, we’ll have a good look at everything and see what we can come back with for tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal

“I think the whole pit lane was surprised by the intensity of the rain we experienced this afternoon, relative to the forecast of a much lighter shower. As such, it had a bigger impact on the course of the FP2 session and we were unable to continue what was a very positive start to the day this morning. Charles was looking strong, finishing the FP1 session between the two Caterhams. We were also pleased to hear more positive feedback from Timo in light of his recent balance woes. So we went into the afternoon feeling optimistic, but the weather rather dominated and left us with a race against time and track condition but we were unable to achieve our Soft tyre run at the end of the session. We are therefore out of kilter with the cars around us on the timesheet. We’ll come back at things afresh tomorrow and hope to pick up where we left off this morning in terms of the promise indicated for the rest of the weekend.”

Round 11 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship sees the Marussia F1 Team heading deeper into Europe to Hungary for the last race before the sport’s summer break. The venue for the Hungarian Grand Prix is the Hungaroring, located just outside the lively and seriously stylish capital city of Budapest.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“I’ve always had a bit of a special feeling about the Hungarian Grand Prix, to the point where it almost feels like a second home race. I have quite a lot of fans, particularly since I got the first podium finish of my F1 career there in 2008. Every time, I look forward to going there because for some reason I always seem to come to terms with the track very quickly and I’ve always enjoyed good races because of that. I think the weather will be a lot hotter – and drier – than in Hockenheim; sometimes the heat can be quite fierce, a little like Valencia. Physically it can be quite exhausting because of this, especially if it continues all weekend. It’s a back to back with Germany, so a tight turnaround for the team who have to cope with the heat as well. We all have the summer break to look forward to though; we all love to race but it has been a very demanding season so far and we need to get ourselves ready for ‘2012 - Part Two’.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Whilst we aim to get to the bottom of the problems Timo has experienced with his car, we shouldn’t let that overshadow the otherwise positive route we appear to be taking with our development overall. We have had two races with the new aerodynamic package and the signs are that it is performing consistently and in line with the targets we set for ourselves relative to the other teams around us. Let’s hope we can make it three out of three in Budapest, to provide further confirmation. This week provides a challenging turnaround for the team with just a few days to transport our trackside operation across Europe and be up and running for Thursday. It’s a track and city that we’ve come to enjoy over the past couple of years though. In terms of the racing challenge, the circuit is always very dusty due to lack of use throughout the rest of the year, so it will take a little time to clean up. Timo enjoys the tight and twisty nature of the track and Charles is also reasonably familiar with it from previous formulae. We’re looking forward to the final race before the summer break, after which we will turn our minds to the second half of the season.”

Der Heim-Grand-Prix in Hockenheim brachte für Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock keinen sportlichen Erfolg. Der Deutsche aus dem Team Marussia F1 kämpfte von Freitag bis Sonntag mit mangelnder Stabilität am Heck seines Marussia-Cosworth MR01, im Qualifying kamen taktische, im Rennen weitere technische Probleme hinzu. Nach seiner kämpferischen Fahrt auf Platz 22 blickt Timo Glock auf die positiven Aspekte des Heimrennens zurück: Viel Unterstützung von den Tribünen, nette Begegnungen mit Freunden und Familie sowie spektaktuläre Renntaxifahrten unter anderem mit den Verantwortlichen seines Teams auf dem Beifahrersitz. Bereits am kommenden Wochenende findet der Grand Prix von Ungarn statt - ein Rennen, dem Timo Glock mit großer Vorfreude entgegen blickt.

Timo Glock: "Das war bestimmt kein traumhaftes Wochenende für mich. Am Samstag im Qualifying wäre mehr drin gewesen. Am Sonntag war es ab der zehnten Runde wirklich ein Rennen zum Vergessen. Es traten zusätzlich zur ohnehin nicht ganz optimalen Balance noch weitere Probleme auf: Fahrzeug nur schwierig zu lenken, Topspeed viel zu gering, am Ende noch ein Defekt am Differenzial. Ich mache jetzt ganz schnell einen Haken an dieses Wochenende - zumindest was das Sportliche anbelangt. In positiver Erinnerung bleiben mir die tollen Fans, die mich beeindruckend unterstützt haben und die nette Organisation am Hockenheimring. Vor allem die Fahrten mit dem Renntaxi haben viel Freude gemacht. Den Blick meines Teamchefs John Booth auf dem Beifahrersitz des schnellen und gut vorbereiteten BMW M5 werde ich nicht so schnell vergessen. Solche Taxifahrten würde ich am liebsten an jedem Rennwochenende machen."

"Jetzt geht es zum Glück gleich weiter im Programm. Der Grand Prix von Ungarn steht an. Ich persönlich sehe dieses Rennen in Budapest als eine Art Heimrennen an, daher freue ich mich sehr darauf. Ich habe sehr viele Fans in Ungarn, die mich jedes Jahr mit tollen Aktionen und Geschenken überraschen. Zum Hungaroring habe ich außerdem eine besondere Beziehung, weil ich 2008 dort erstmals auf dem Formel-1-Podest stand. Ich komme in Ungarn immer bestens zurecht und hatte dort schon viele gute Rennen. Vermutlich wird es auch in diesem Jahr wieder sehr heiß am Rennwochenende in Budapest, es wird dann sehr anstrengend. Nicht schlimm, denn danach geht es in die Sommerpause. Mit einem guten Rennen möchte ich dafür sorgen, dass ich gut gelaunt in die Ferien starten kann."

It was a day of mixed emotions for the Marussia F1 Team at the Hockenheimring. On the one hand, Charles Pic continued the excellent form he has demonstrated throughout the weekend and drove an industrious race to reveal more of the promise from the team’s recent aerodynamic upgrades. Less fortunate was Timo Glock’s race long battle with balance issues on home asphalt.

The finishing positions have a certain familiarity but belie the diminishing gap in lap time to the team’s immediate competitor Caterham and a clear margin to the HRT cars behind.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a great weekend for me. Even though it was my home race, quite early on it became one to put behind me and that was quite difficult I have to say. Since lap 10 the balance of the car did not feel right and it became very difficult to drive. We struggled for top speed on the straights and then towards the end of the race there was a problem with the differential and the last few laps were so tough. I couldn‘t do anything with the car and was dropping back quite quickly. A race I won‘t think about for very long.“

John Booth, Team Principal
“A tough weekend on Timo’s side of the garage did not improve today and it is frustrating for us that we were unable to conquer the problems for him ahead of his home race. The package generally is performing well and without the specific issues that Timo has been experiencing with his car, we know we are making good progress. Charles drove a very impressive race and the lap times show clear progress in line with our objectives for this batch of races following the introduction of the new package at Silverstone. That will provide little comfort for Timo, we know. There isn’t much time before the next round in Hungary, but enough to undertake a thorough analysis of all the information available to us and work hard at resolving the problems to try to give him a better weekend there.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s wet weekend in Hockenheim got even wetter today in the build-up to a lively German Grand Prix qualifying session.

In this morning’s mostly dry FP3 session, Timo clocked up 22 miles as he worked through his qualifying set-up programme. Charles, meanwhile, had a frustrating wait in the garage as the team fought to change his engine, a problem having surfaced before the start of the session. After an impressively swift engine change, Charles’ car crew were able to get him out on track with 15 minutes of the session remaining, affording him some crucial time on the Pirelli P-Zero Yellow Soft tyre before qualifying. Those laps were short-lived - he had only three - when rain started to fall in the dying minutes of the session. Timo ended the morning in P21 ahead of Charles in P22.

In Q1 this afternoon, the tide turned for Charles and he was at one with the car from the green light. He improved throughout his two runs and his final lap was his quickest, despite a small mistake in sector 1. Good for P21, he pipped his team-mate on home turf after Timo continued to struggle with the balance of his car.

Timo Glock #24
“A difficult weekend on my side since the first lap on Friday. I have just struggled a bit with the car because there is rear end instability that means I can’t push with confidence right now. We have tried a few different things since yesterday to fix it, but we have run out of time a little to understand the problem. We still have the race of course and whatever possibilities that may bring. If the race is dry, then we just have to push very hard to get the maximum out of the package and bring the car home. My thanks to all the fans who have been so supportive, despite a tough weekend so far. I hope it can go better tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Things haven’t gone at all well for Timo so far at his home track and we have spent a lot of time - and will continue to do so - trying to understand the problems he is experiencing with the car. It is frustrating for him, because it is clear that there is more performance in the new package. Despite Charles’ track time being impacted significantly during the Free Practice sessions, when he has been in the car he has managed to get it working well for him. Even more encouraging are the signs that there is still a lot more to come. A great job by Charles today and all credit to his car crew, who gave it everything they had to change the engine in enough time to get him out on track for the end of FP3. Those few laps ended up playing a big part in his qualifying performance. We’ll have a good look at everything across the two cars this evening and see what we can do to give us the best chance for the race tomorrow. It looks to be a more straightforward forecast, which should bring some much-welcomed equilibrium in itself.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock got his home Grand Prix underway at the Hockenheimring today, but his own sunny disposition was not reflected in the weather conditions here.

The track was wet-dry as the day’s running got underway during FP1 this morning. The engineering programme focused on ride set-up evaluations for Timo and some aerodynamic items for team-mate Charles Pic. The rain fell intermittently during the 90-minute session, with the section of track between the hairpin and the stadium proving the most problematic. Both drivers were at least able to utilise the Pirelli P-Zero dry development tyre early on. In the closing minutes of the session, Timo stopped with an alternator problem which cut the power just short of the team garage.

During the lunch break the heavens opened rather more and the track was fully wet for the start of FP2, when the Pirelli Cinturato Blue Full Wet tyre was deployed for an exploratory installation lap and subsequent opening runs. Towards the end of the session both drivers stepped up to the Intermediate tyre, but it was difficult to choose the best tyre for the changing conditions.

Timo Glock #24
“Unfortunately today did not pan out in the way we had expected in respect of the weather. I thought we would have more stable conditions. In general it was difficult again in terms of it being a mixed day. In FP1 I struggled quite a bit with the car for the same reasons as the early part of the Silverstone weekend, so fighting with instability, and unfortunately at the end we had a problem which cut the morning slightly short; not enough to make a difference thankfully. FP2 was wet again and we started out on full wets. The car was still very nervous and oversteering. I think we could have been quite a bit quicker but the instability issues make it a bit difficult at the moment. We have to look into that and I hope we find the problem overnight and see what we can do to improve tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Whilst the rain came as no surprise to us today, what was a little more frustrating was the frequency with which the conditions changed from wet to drying to wet. Having said that, conditions like this on Sunday would make for a seriously interesting and eventful race for the fans and really test race engineers up and down the pit lane. In the slightly more favourable conditions this morning we achieved quite a lot of good work, whereas this afternoon has been more about evaluating the wet tyres at this circuit. All of this is useful however because none of the teams have any experience of the Pirelli tyres - wet or dry - at this circuit. We experienced an alternator problem for Timo at the end of FP1 this morning, but this was clearly attributable to parts mileage and readily addressed to ensure he is equipped for the rest of what is an important weekend for him in front of his home crowd. A good start to the day for Charles also on the other side of the garage.”

Round 10 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship sees the Marussia F1 Team heading back to continental Europe and to Hockenheim for Timo’s home race, the German Grand Prix.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Every time this race is great for me. We saw the support the team had two weeks ago at the British Grand Prix and also the British drivers like Lewis and Jenson. With five different German drivers there is plenty for the fans back home to support. It will be a very special weekend for me, taking place just 30 minutes from my family home. I have achieved some good results in this race in the past and it is always good to have some friends and family around me to share the experience. I hope the weather will be good for us and, basically, I’m just counting the days now until the weekend can begin. I think we made a good start with our new package in Silverstone two weeks ago and I hope we will see a further small step with it.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We are all looking forward to heading back to the Hockenheimring for the first time since our debut season of F1 competition in 2010. This is our third ‘home’ event in succession, coming off the back of the British Grand Prix on our factory doorstep and then last weekend’s demonstration event in Russia. Next, it’s Timo’s home race, and we can expect to see a lot of support for him, and for the team. That will provide a big boost for him I’m sure, as it’s always a special feeling to have your home crowd rooting for you.

“This weekend we’re looking forward to exploring more of the potential of the significant aerodynamic upgrade package we debuted at Silverstone two weeks ago. We had a solid race but there were some flashes of even greater promise during the course of the weekend that we were unable to bring to fruition due to the weather.

“It’s hard to believe that we have arrived at the midpoint of the season; the first six months have passed by so quickly. This is the first of two back to back races that take us to the summer break, when everyone in the team will be able to enjoy a well-deserved break, so it would be nice to see some really positive steps over these two races and end this leg of the season on a high note.”

Für wahre Timo Glock-Fans: Anlässlich unseres Formel 1-Specials versteigert Timo Glock ein einzigartiges Fan-Paket. Darin enthalten sind ein signiertes Cap seines Teams Marussia F1, eine Autogrammkarte des Piloten und ein unterschriebenes T-Shirt des Hockenheim-Events „Meet & Beat Timo Glock“. Das Highlight der kleinen Schatzkiste ist das original Helm-Visier des Vorgänger-Rennstalls Virgin Racing, auf dem Timo selbstverständlich auch unterschrieben hat. Starten Sie durch mit diesen einmaligen Glock-Andenken!

Hier der Link zur Auktion:
http://unitedcharity.de/Home/Hilfsprojekte/ZWERG-NASE-Haus-in-Wiesbaden/Timo-Glock-F1-Fan-Paket

Sie bieten für etwas, das Sie nicht kaufen können: Ein einmaliges Timo Glock-Paket bestehend aus einem signierten Marussia F1-Cap, einer Autogrammkarte von Timo Glock, einem signierten T-Shirt des Meet & Beat-Events auf dem Hockenheimring und einem original Helm-Visier des Formel 1-Fahrers. Den Erlös der Auktion „Das ultimative Fan-Paket von Formel 1-Pilot Timo Glock“ leiten wir direkt, ohne einen Cent Abzug, an das ZWERG Nase-Haus in Wiesbaden weiter.

The Marussia F1 Team drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic delivered a strong two-car finish at Silverstone today in the team’s home race, the British Grand Prix. Timo ended the race in P18 and Charles in P19, ahead of the HRT cars.

The team’s objective was to unlock the potential of the package to close the gap to Caterham, whilst achieving plenty of data with which to fuel the development cycle for the races ahead. From that perspective, today’s result provided a positive conclusion to a challenging weekend for the team.

Timo Glock #24
“In general a tough week for us. It was difficult for everyone in the team to get into the weekend, but we had to do our job here, and as professionally as possible, and that is what we have done, so I think everyone can feel very proud of that. The running started out a little chaotic with the weather conditions being so up and down and our qualifying result was disappointing because we could have been in Q2. Then, having prepared for a wet race, it ended up being a completely dry race, so it has been a very changeable and, at times, frustrating weekend. I think we can be pleased with a solid P18 and with two cars home we can learn some important things about our package. It felt good from the first lap, so as we understand it more I hope we can improve it. Next, we will see what we can do in Hockenheim where, it goes without saying, I am hoping we can have a strong race in front of my home crowd to thank them for their unrelenting support.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We came into race day having experienced a fairly frustrating qualifying session when we felt a bit short-changed by our result. We are chipping away at the gap to Caterham and the midfield pack ahead, but we are not yet in a position to get to Q2 on merit and so we need to be quick to seize every opportunity that comes our way. Opportunity knocked yesterday, but at the last minute the weather worked against us. Today, both Timo and Charles drove a very solid race to bring both cars home and the team performed with the highest degree of professionalism. We have finished in our usual position in the pecking order, but the underlying result is that we have clearly moved away from HRT and closer to Caterham. The strategy for Timo worked particularly well and with Charles we worked well to adjust his strategy in order to make it work. The pit crew executed four good pitstops to ensure we could make the engineering calls stick.

“It has been a tough weekend for everyone in the team, but we can be pleased with the job we have done here at Silverstone and also encouraged by the positive signs we are seeing with Maria.”

The second day of running for the British Grand Prix weekend got off to a difficult start for the Marussia F1 Team at Silverstone today. This morning, drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic were exploring a wet-dry compromise for the changeable conditions likely to stick around at Silverstone, when Charles suffered first a fuel pick-up issue and then an electrical problem, both of which forced him to stop out on track. He completed 14 laps to end the morning in P22, just behind his team-mate Timo Glock in P21.

The team then opted to change the engine and gearbox on Charles’ car, which made for a pressured turnaround in the lunch break, but the work was completed in time for qualifying.

This afternoon, the rain showers built steadily through the Q1 session but Timo was improving to the point where it looked like a more positive end to a difficult week might have been on the cards. Unfortunately he spun on the exit of the final corner where the worsening track conditions caught him out. Charles too was pinning everything on the last lap of his second run and in the first two sectors his pace was quick, but he hit the rain at its hardest in the final sector where he was also forced to back off due to the yellow flags.

Timo Glock #24
“A very frustrating end to a qualifying session that held so much promise for us, and which could have really lifted the team after such a difficult week. The last lap of my second run was very strong and I thought ‘Wow, we have a chance at Q2 here’. Then I came up to the Hangar Straight and I just saw this massive rain front ahead of me. The last sector was massively wet, whereas before it was very dry, and I thought ‘I can’t believe it. We’re going to lose everything.’ In the last two corners there was no grip and I just couldn’t continue the pace to keep on pulling out the gap, so in the end we ended up where we normally are position-wise. I’m disappointed for the team, but to look at the positive, we could have had a surprise result today as the car seems to be working well. We have to accept it and carry the promise through to tomorrow and see what the weather will do for us.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“All in all, a very frustrating day for us and it seemed to all turn on the knife-edge that the weather produces here. After a tough morning we seemed to get our rhythm back for qualifying and both Timo and Charles were looking strong in their final runs. Timo in particular seemed to be enjoying a well-balanced car with the benefit of our new upgrades and was going great guns in the early part of his final lap. We could see the weather closing into the last sector and in the end it just got the better of both drivers, with Timo unfortunately spinning, but thankfully collecting it well to avoid any damage. Charles hit the same wall of rain and lost out on the chance to improve also. Disappointment aside, we do at least have some positives signs from our upgrade today, so we hope for better things tomorrow and all the fantastic support of our home crowd.”

The Marussia F1 Team received plenty of home comfort on the first day of running at Silverstone today, where the team dug deep to deliver a promising start to its British Grand Prix weekend.

The team were touched by the camaraderie in the Paddock as Free Practice 1 got underway, with drivers up and down the pitlane demonstrating support for Maria De Villota by including a specially-produced ‘Orange Star’ - Maria’s emblem - within their helmet liveries.

On track, the team debuted a substantial new upgrade package, comprising new exhausts, floor, front wing and side pods, and the early signs from today - albeit running was compromised by the wet weather - are positive.

Timo Glock ended the day P16 and Charles P19.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been a bit of an unusual Friday for everyone today due to the weather conditions. The day started very wet, so we didn’t get much running in FP1. It rained again during FP2 but we squeezed a longer run in towards the end when it stopped. However, it was very difficult to drive with the track condition and there was a lot of aquaplaning. I think we still have a bit of pace to find in the wet and tomorrow is likely to be quite unpredictable, so it will be difficult to find the right set-up choice.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Coming into the weekend with both cars carrying the full upgrade package, we were obviously looking for dry weather to allow us to optimise the set-up to the new aero developments. The weather has made it difficult to get any meaningful comparison data and because of the wet weather we have also had to be quite prudent with the number of laps we attempted. Both drivers have done an excellent job in difficult circumstances, as have the team, and the day was approached with their usual display of calm professionalism. It is obviously very difficult to judge the full potential of the upgrade, however the early signs are that we do not appear to have any reliability or performance issues.”

Round 9 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship sees the Marussia F1 Team making its shortest journey of the season, to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, which takes place right on the team’s doorstep.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Silverstone is a very important weekend for the whole team, so I’m looking forward to it and happy that the problems of Valencia are behind me. We have some substantial upgrade developments which I hope will give us a little step forward and ensure we can have a good showing. Silverstone is a track I really enjoy; one of my favourites. It still has a lot of high speed corners and it is a completely different challenge to the last two tracks we have raced at. Normally it can be very interesting with the weather; not just the sunshine or rain, but it can often be quite windy, which can upset the car quite a lot from day to day and from session to session. Overall, I can’t wait to get back in the car and work with the team towards a smooth home race for the fantastic British fans, the partners and all our guests on what will be a very busy weekend.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“There’s no place like home when it comes to racing. We visit some fantastic venues all over the world, but the opportunity to race on home asphalt is a special one and we’ll be grabbing it with both hands next weekend when we compete at Silverstone. Although this will be our third home race, it is the first since we moved our day to day operations to Banbury from South Yorkshire. We are now based just a little over 17 miles from Silverstone, which means we really are racing in our own backyard.

“We have a fairly significant upgrade for this race, comprising a new rear wing, exhausts, floor and side pods. I would have to describe this as our ‘first proper wind-tunnel generated upgrade of the season’; we’ve had some smaller parts in Malaysia and China, and a few small iterations recently, but this is the first fully developed package that is not just a modification of existing elements. That is a big result in itself, aside from the performance step we hope it will bring us, as it means we have caught up with ourselves in terms of the diligent way in which we have approached and developed our Technical Partnership. We look forward to seeing what this brings, both at Silverstone and at Duxford Airfield beforehand, when we will be integrating the developments into our correlation programme. Duxford is also the first of our Test Driver Maria De Villota’s scheduled track days. She has been waiting patiently all year for this date to come around, so we look forward to seeing her in the car for the first time.

“There’s so much to say about the whole Silverstone experience; the fans are incredibly knowledgable and enthusiastic and it is a real delight to have their support. We will also be putting on a big show for our Partners, who also turn out in force for this event. In turn, we hope to reward them, and our whole team, with a great weekend on the race track. With Timo back to strength and Charles looking to build on a great performance in Valencia, we have good reason to be excited about what our home race can bring.”

Young Frenchman Charles Pic had the full weight of his team’s expectations on his shoulders today as he lined up on the grid as the only Marussia F1 Team driver to compete in the race. He didn’t disappoint.

His team-mate Timo Glock was flying home to Switzerland as the European Grand Prix got underway, after he was deemed too unwell to take part in today’s race. The combined efforts of the team’s race engineering resources were thrown behind Charles to ensure he could pull off the team’s objective of displacing the HRTs and finishing with the Caterhams. After such a challenging weekend for the Marussia F1 Team, due to Timo’s illness and the consequential loss of track time, this would be no easy task.

In what turned out to be an epic race all round for the spectators and the TV audience, Charles and the team worked in perfect harmony to make the strategy pay off and ensure he took De La Rosa on the track rather than in the pits. Not only that, he went on to achieve his best finish of his rookie season so far and crossed the line in 15th position.

John Booth, Team Principal
“Charles did everything we could have asked of him today after carrying the weight of our expectations on his shoulders. He drove a very determined race to ensure we are back in a more comfortable position between the Caterham and HRT teams. That’s not the ‘end game’ of course, but it’s good to know we have turned the corner after Canada and we are heading back in the right direction. It was not an entirely straightforward race as we had the setback of Charles having to pit early for his first stop for a nose change after his front wing end plate was damaged. Nevertheless, we achieved the right outcome and that is the positive we will take away from here and use to motivate us for our home race, the British Grand Prix, in two weeks’ time. We now have some work to do with our new aero package for Silverstone, where we look forward to having Timo back to full strength. He will have been bitterly disappointed to miss out on what was a more positive race performance for us today and also a great show across the field; we saw some fantastic racing here in Valencia this year.”

Charles Pic was the Marussia F1 Team’s lone star in today’s European Grand Prix qualifying session after Timo Glock was unable to take part for medical reasons.

Shortly after this morning’s Free Practice 3, Timo complained of feeling unwell, despite seeming back on the road to recovery following a stomach bug earlier in the weekend. It was clear that he was unable to take part in a demanding qualifying session.

Charles embarked on qualifying with his engineering programme this weekend having shouldered much of the team’s car preparation for Sunday’s race. He achieved a solid and tidy lap out of his two runs on the Pirelli P-Zero Yellow Soft tyre and got the most from today’s package. It is clear however that the team has not had the most straightforward of weekends and as a consequence were unable to improve the overall performance from yesterday.

John Booth, Team Principal
“Unfortunately the weekend continues to run less than smoothly for us and this was certainly the case for qualifying today. Charles drove a very solid lap, but it is clear that we have not yet got all of the areas of the car at optimum performance over a lap and we’ll look to improve that for tomorrow’s race. After FP3 this morning it was clear that Timo was not sufficiently recovered to take part in qualifying and we felt the best course of action was for him to sit out the session and seek further medical advice. We won’t be able to reach any conclusions regarding the race until tomorrow morning, so we wish Timo well and for now we will be working very closely with Charles this afternoon and evening to download as much information as possible. Our objective for tomorrow’s race, whatever it may hold, will simply be to do the best job possible in the circumstances.”

The European Grand Prix weekend got off to a positive start for the Marussia F1 Team today, despite some unforeseen challenges which took the engineering programme slightly off-piste.

Timo Glock has been fighting a stomach bug since yesterday, but he felt well enough to take part in FP1 this morning to help with the gathering of vital data for the rest of the weekend. The team were keen to ensure he didn’t rush his recovery, so the programme for today was reworked to give Charles Pic the lion’s share of the race preparation work and Timo concentrated on honing car set-up. In turn, this provided Charles with a challenging but interesting day’s running and he was pleased with the progress made with the balance of his car, despite a slightly more comprehensive job list.

Timo ended the day in P21 after completing rather more running than he might have envisaged last night. Charles was P22 after the FP2 session.

Timo Glock #24
“I have to be quite pleased with the work I have done today, as it has not been an easy day of Free Practice for me. I seem to have picked up a stomach bug over the last couple of days and for a time I have to say I was feeling quite unwell. Back in the car today I have felt a little better and I am hopeful that I am on the mend. With the programme I worked through, the car was performing well for me, so a good start in that respect. My plan now is to work through the data so I have plenty to sleep on while I concentrate on recovering for a new day tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“This morning, prior to FP1, we obviously had some work to do to reshape our programme in order to ease the pressure on Timo. Although he was feeling better than he had been, we felt it best not to overload him and cause any setbacks in his recovery. He did a fantastic job in difficult circumstances and seemed to feel okay when he was driving the car. All credit to him for completing 21 laps this afternoon and being able to demonstrate good pace at this stage. Similar credit to Charles however, as he picked up the reins, broke the back of the race preparation programme and has made good progress on set-up. Across the board there is more to come, we feel, and a night spent poring over the data, coupled with a good night’s rest for Timo, should see us back in our normal stride tomorrow. The track conditions should also have improved by then as the circuit was very dirty this morning and took a while to clean up. The early indications, despite a less than straightforward day, are that our pace here is closer to what we expect following our low downforce blip in Canada.”

All you need to know >>> Race date 24 June…Laps 57…Circuit length 5.419km...Race distance 308.883km...25 corners, 14 right-handers, 11 left...Circuit direction clockwise…Lap record 1:38.683 - our very own Timo Glock (2009)…second of two Spanish races currently on the calendar…Circuit hallmarks - a semi-permanent street circuit; uniquely, the track winds its way through the city’s old industrial port which was renovated into the prestigious Juan Carlos I Marina when it hosted the 2007 America’s Cup; medium downforce circuit; good straight-line speed and stability under braking paramount; demanding on the brakes so brake cooling also a major focus; the mix of straights, low speed chicanes and hairpins mean the engine is used in a very start-stop fashion…Tyre nomination Pirelli P-Zero White Medium and P-Zero Yellow Soft, same as Australia, China & Bahrain, due to high temperatures and faster speeds…
Round 8 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship sees the Marussia F1 Team making its second Spanish pitstop in the space of a month, this time for the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
This race also marks the start of the second phase of the European season, which sees a return to relative close proximity to the factory and the home from home provided by the team’s fleet of race trucks.

The past few races have brought their fair share of challenge and frustration, but following a detailed review of the problems posed by Canada in particular, the team are hopeful of better fortunes in the forthcoming races.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“Valencia is another street circuit, one that is different to Monaco but which is still very special in its own way in my view. It’s been a great track for me; I think I’m still the lap record holder and it would be nice if it could stay that way a bit longer. Canada was not the best weekend for us and we have to start to get on top of things and have a better weekend. This is normally a very hot race so it’s a tough one for the drivers, but we should all have the fitness level to cope with that aspect of the challenge. I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead and hopeful of a better outcome.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It’s good to be back in Europe and to be embarking on the next batch of important races. Two of these are ‘home’ Grands Prix - Silverstone for the team and Hockenheim for Timo - and generally we are working hard to improve our performance level before the official summer break creates a natural hiatus for all of the teams. We took a step back in Canada, where our low downforce package was not working well for us. Having spent a great deal of time poring over the data from Montreal, we are hopeful that we can regain some of that ground in Valencia this weekend, starting with an improvement in our qualifying performance in respect to our race pace, in order to improve our prospects on race day. This is by no means a straightforward race. The combination of the requirement for good braking stability and traction, coupled with the higher temperatures we typically experience and the significant level of track evolution over the course of the weekend all present an interesting but tough challenge. Both drivers have performed well in Valencia in the past and seem to have the measure of the track, so we hope they will be able to reap some of the benefits of that experience this weekend.”

A tough weekend for the Marussia F1 Team came to a close in today’s Canadian Grand Prix where Charles experienced better luck than in recent races, bringing his car home in 20th place. Timo, on the other hand, was forced to retire after 47 laps with brake issues.
With Timo starting from P22 and Charles from P23, the team executed a 1-stop strategy, with both cars switching from the Pirelli P-Zero Red Supersoft they started with to the Yellow Soft prime tyre on laps 24 and 28 respectively.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a great race for me. In general the first stint was quite okay I think until I suddenly lost power for some reason; I think the engine temperature went quite high. After 14 laps I was suffering quite badly with rear tyre degradation and the combination of the two issues was quite difficult to manage. We had to come in quite early for the pitstop and then I came out in blue flags and was unable to use the new tyre effectively. I could at least recover the ground I lost to Charles and close the gap, but at the end I suffered so much with the brakes; they were getting longer and longer on pressure and it was too dangerous to continue, so I had to retire. This was my first DNF and in general Canada has not been that great for us this year, which is a shame because it’s a track I love. Now though I’m looking forward to Valencia and to seeing what we can do to improve there.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Our car and the Montreal circuit have been at odds for much of the weekend and it is frustrating that we were unable to improve that situation for the race today. Nonetheless, we’ve learned a great deal about the package and where we need to focus our efforts to get us back where we were versus our immediate competitors. We were pleased to bring Charles home after a difficult period for him, but obviously the luck ran out on Timo’s side, whom we retired with brake issues for precautionary reasons. We now head back home and on to what we hope will be a better second phase of the European season, where we have a couple of ‘home’ races coming up for Timo and the team.”

The weather in Montreal took a turn for the better today, but qualifying for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix did not yield the hoped-for reversal in fortunes for the Marussia F1 Team.

Overnight the team had worked on improving the balance of the cars and further analysis of the lower downforce package, before confirming the base settings for today. These were challenged in FP3 this morning, which confirmed that the engineers had opted for the best direction and that the remaining time would be best spent improving the balance shift that goes hand in hand with a reduction in downforce.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a great qualifying for us in the end. We have to understand why we didn’t gain any time with the second set of tyres, which felt a little strange straight out of the box. They did not have the same grip as the first set and I wasn’t able to push in the same way for the first flying lap. The second flying lap was only quicker because on the first, in the last chicane, I made a little mistake when I had to slow down at the chicane because of the car in front of me. A bit of a shame because the gap was closer than that, but now we have to focus on what we can do to reverse that tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“There is no doubt that it was a disappointing qualifying session for us today. However, whilst the timesheet reflects the fact that our pace to our nearest competitors seems weaker at this event, we know from the last few weeks that our race pace has been significantly better than our qualifying pace. We are beginning to get a better understanding of why this is, but it will take some time and our planned upgrades to the car to improve the overall package. For now though, we will at least have the opportunity to improve our form in the race tomorrow and that is our focus overnight whilst honing our race strategy.”

Free Practice 1 and 2 for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix got underway in cool and overcast conditions in Montreal today, making the Marussia F1 Team’s start to the weekend somewhat heated by comparison.

As rain clouds loomed ominously overhead this morning, the aero programme designed to evaluate the Canada specification front and rear wing package was condensed into a fast-paced series of in and out laps to facilitate flap adjustments and nose changes in order to gather as much data as possible whilst the track remained dry. A red flag midway through the session hampered the team’s efforts thereafter and when running finally resumed, it was all about dodging the intermittent rain. This the engineers managed well and the full programme was completed, with only the Soft compound Pirelli P-Zero tyres being utilised during the morning - the Supersoft being deferred to the afternoon session.

This afternoon, with the benefit of the data collected in FP1, the team were able to get to work on a more typical set-up programme of qualifying simulations and long run work to gather tyre degradation data with which to hone the strategy. Timo achieved 40 laps of running using the two dry tyre compounds. Charles had a more frustrating time of it when he experienced braking issues and was forced to sit out a large part of the session while the brakes were changed.

Timo Glock #24
“It has been a difficult start in Montreal for us today. The performance of the car was not perfect. We tried to evaluate some downforce levels in P1, but in general it was a bit difficult as the track was very green this morning to start. In FP2 we tried some set-up changes again. I made a little mistake in turn 1, when I had a bit of a spin. In general I think it is not our strongest track here, but we have to try to get on the top of the problems. Brake instability is still a problem here. The other teams are looking quite strong so I think we have a difficult weekend in front of us. Now we have to work hard overnight to get the car in better shape and see what we can do tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been a very interesting start to the weekend, with the weather and related incidents keeping the drivers and the engineers on their toes. We obviously have a new lower downforce aero package for this race, so the pressure was on this morning to get those evaluations completed before the weather hampered our efforts. We gathered all the data we needed though and that was more important than the story reflected by the timesheets and we are now equipped to make the right decisions for the rest of the weekend, including how best to operate the tyres. This afternoon the weather brightened up at first and we were able to start putting the data to work in getting a better picture of how we are looking. Somewhat frustratingly for Charles the brakes on his car had a loss of performance. This is not uncommon at this track but we felt the best option was to change the brakes and he lost track time as a result. In the dry conditions forecast for the rest of the weekend we hope to see some improvement.”

It’s always good to be in North America and Canada is only the start this year. Formula One will make two pitstops to the continent in 2012 as Austin will join the calendar this November. While the teams have yet to experience what Texas has to offer, F1 has been racing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for 35 years, so not only is it one of the oldest destinations on the calendar, it is also a firm favourite due in no small part to the popularity of its host city, the intoxicatingly cosmopolitan Montreal.

Timo Glock, Driver #24
“I’m really looking forward to this race as it’s the scene of my first Grand Prix, where I scored two points. Every time since, Canada has been very good to me. It’s another quite special track. Once again it is a street circuit, although maybe not in the same way as Monaco. There are a lot of straights here, so you need a compromise between low downforce and high downforce. It’s also a place where you never know what might happen. We’ve had a lot of rain in the past and also the ‘Wall of Champions’ often plays its part in determining the race outcome, or the build-up to it. It should be an exciting weekend and let’s hope we continue the excellent work we demonstrated in Monaco.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We’re hoping that Canada will represent a bit of a turning point that puts us back on the right track again. The disappointment has centred less around car performance and pace, and more around a few set-up niggles and reliability issues that have crept in, particularly for Charles. We need to have both cars qualifying consistently and reaching the chequered flag. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a temporary street circuit, yet it is very different to Monaco. The track can be very demanding of the car and requires a careful compromise between the varying low and high-downforce elements. Operating the tyres and brakes can also be a challenge. In common with Monaco though, the barriers are very close and the drivers need to be careful of ‘that wall’. In the past, Montreal has not been short on surprises; we’ve had everything from small animals to torrential rain intervening in the course of events. According to the early forecasts, the weather is likely to range from very hot to very wet through the weekend. It is however a trip we all love to make, as Montreal is such a fantastic Grand Prix destination and the fans are very warm and welcoming.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat seine besonderen Fähigkeiten auf schwierigen Stadtkursen erneut unter Beweis gestellt. Der 30-jährige vom Marussia F1 Team zeigte beim Grand Prix von Monaco eine starke Leistung, hatte aber in der Endphase des Rennens Pech. In Runde 53 der langen Jagd durch die Straßen des Fürstentums brach beim Überfahren eines Randsteins am Marussia-Cosworth MR01 ein Teil des Frontflügels ab. Durch einen zusätzlichen Boxenstopp fiel Timo Glock anschließend drei Plätze zurück. Der Deutsche kämpfte sich im letzten Renndrittel allerdings noch einmal bis auf Rang 14 nach vorne.
Timo Glock: "Es war ein schönes Rennen mit einem etwas weniger schönen Ende. Unser Tempo in der ersten Phase war richtig gut, ich konnte zehn Runden lang an Jenson Button dranbleiben - und der hat mit seinem McLaren in diesem Jahr immerhin schon gewonnen. Ich konnte den Speed bis zum letzten Viertel des Rennens hoch halten, aber dann brach ein Teil vom Frontflügel ab. Ich weiß nicht, wie das passieren konnte. Das müssen wir nun analysieren. Generell bin ich mit dem Wochenende zufrieden, aber mit einem intakten Frontflügel hätte mehr drin sein können. Leider sind wir in der Gesamtwertung einen Platz zurückgerutscht. Hoffentlich haben wir in Montréal mehr Glück."

Timo Glock hielt sich von den nächtlichen Parties im Fürstentum fern, um eine optimale Rennvorbereitung zu gewährleisten. Dennoch traf der deutsche Formel-1-Pilot mit viel Prominenz zusammen. Am Freitag vor dem Grand Prix besuchte Timo Glock gemeinsam mit Marussia-Teilhaber Andrey Cheglakow die Vorstellung eines neuen Marussia-Sportwagens und traf dort unter anderem Fürst Albert von Monaco. Viel Freude hatte der gebürtige Odenwälder zudem bei einem Meeting mit Fußball-Nationalspieler Philipp Lahm, der sogar Geld auf einen Rennsieg von Timo Glock gesetzt hatte. Für inoffizelle Bestzeiten auf der Strecke zwischen Bett und Bolide diente ein Motorroller, mit dem sich der dichte Verkehr in den Gassen des Fürstentums bestens meistern ließ.

The Marussia F1 Team’s Monaco Grand Prix got off to a flying start and continued that way for much of a race that saw Timo Glock equal his highest finish of the season, P14. However, in a more disappointing conclusion, a broken front wing end plate necessitated one more stop than his planned strategy and dropped Timo back in the race and the team down in the Constructors’ Standings.

The race also ended frustratingly for his team-mate Charles Pic, who suffered an electrical problem on lap 65. Prior to that he had been enjoying improved pace in race trim after a more challenging early part of the weekend.

Timo Glock #24
“A bit of a disappointing end to a race that started so well. We had good speed at the beginning and for the first 10 laps I could stick with Jenson quite well. We had good pace all the way until maybe the last quarter when the front wing end plate broke. We don’t know for sure why; maybe because of the touch with Perez early in the race. We will have to see what caused it. Generally happy with my performance and that of the team, but disappointing to hold on to 10th place for so long and now drop back. That’s racing though and not for long we have to hope. Now we focus on Canada and look forward to some better luck.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“This has been a disappointing race all round for us in terms of how it concluded. Unfortunately, given the way the race played out at the end, despite Kovalainen’s front wing change the problems on both our cars meant that he was able to retain 13th position, which means we have slipped back from 10th place in the Championship. However, looking at the positives, the race pace on both our cars was good and Timo was in line to finish without being lapped. It was therefore very frustrating that he lost his right front wing end plate in the Swimming Pool section. We have yet to determine how this happened, although a likely scenario is damage incurred at some other point in the race that weakened the end plate and it eventually came off. For Charles, unfortunately he retired on lap 65 due to a chassis related electrical issue which caused the engine to stop. We will take the lessons we’ve learned from this weekend and apply them positively as we prepare for the next race and beyond.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock and Charles Pic will start tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix from P20 and P22 respectively after experiencing different fortunes in this afternoon’s qualifying session.

Timo had a better time of it today, after improving his car in this morning’s Free Practice session and making some further changes in the break, which also went his way.

Charles has been less happy with the pace of his car versus the previous race in Spain and had a disappointing run in qualifying, hampered by the red flag and traffic.

Timo Glock #24
“I think another good day for me. FP3 this morning was quite a solid session and we worked our way through the programme. As a crew we’ve worked well together all weekend - my engineers, mechanics and myself - and together we got the car in good shape for qualifying. We made some slight adjustments between the two sessions and I felt happy with the car. After Perez’s incident and the red flag, the job was harder as we could only have one shot on the Super Soft tyres and with all the traffic. So I’m quite happy with my lap and thanks to my engineers for putting me in the best possible spot for my quick lap. Now I look forward to tomorrow and what I’m sure will be an exciting race. It was nice of DTM’s Mike Rockenfeller to pop by before qualifying for a surprise visit. Very good to see him.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Unfortunately we find ourselves having experienced mixed fortunes between the two cars in qualifying. The objective going into this race was to improve Timo’s balance and continue to see Charles improving his form, but it seems that we’ve managed to achieve the former, but not helped Charles with the latter. For his car, we need to spend some time understanding the decisions we’ve made between FP2 and qualifying. As a team we need to get to the point where both drivers perform at their best in qualifying and this will be our goal going forward. For tomorrow they are still placed where we expected and I’m sure both drivers will make good progress and be ready to take advantage of any situations that arise in this typically eventful race.”

The much-anticipated first free practice sessions for this weekend’s 70th Monaco Grand Prix got underway today, where the Marussia F1 Team made the best of the changeable conditions to complete as much of the planned programme as possible.

Hot and sunny weather prevailed for the morning session and the team were making good progress before a mechanical problem with Timo’s car reduced his running time, which was further compounded by a red flag towards the end of the session. Conversely, it was a good start to the day for Charles Pic.

This afternoon, the objective was for Timo to make up for lost time, but the clouds moved in, producing several rain showers, which made life difficult for both drivers in the increasingly slippery conditions on a track that is typically ‘green’ anyway on the Thursday.

Timo Glock #24
“In general, the mixed conditions today made it very difficult to work on the car in the way we had planned. We got a good start to the day this morning, but later in FP1 I had a problem with the front end and then a red flag cut short the session. In FP2 it was important to go out early and get a good run, but then it started raining. As it looks like this will not be the only time this weekend, we made use of the track time and switched to the Inters, but the track was very slippery - particularly the white lines - so, to be honest, the main focus was keeping the car on the track!”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We’ve had a good introduction today to what is often a challenging circuit. The mixed weather conditions were not only good practice for the drivers, at a track that rewards their skill more than any other, but they also kept the engineers on their toes as they fought to get the best out of the available track time. We haven’t achieved quite as much data gathering as perhaps we would have liked and once again it seems that the preparation of the tyres will be critical to good performance here. Having said that, of the data we have collected, we are confident that we will be able to work on set-ups during tomorrow in preparation for Saturday morning, which will enable us to work towards extracting the best from the tyres for the balance of the weekend.”

Timo Glock, Driver #24

“Monaco is every time a very special weekend. It’s the first real street circuit and always a big event; a big show. It is also a possibility for smaller teams as there are so many different factors which can come into play and situations which are out of your control more than any other circuit. If we have a trouble-free lead up to the weekend, then things can go well on race day with what are normally quite a few opportunities presenting themselves. For my side I hope we will show that we have got on top of the car balance issues which have affected my car in the last two races. I love Monaco so it will be fantastic to have a good car and really attack the race weekend. I can’t wait to arrive there and get going.”

John Booth, Team Principal

“I think everyone is excited to see what surprises the Monaco Grand Prix will bring this weekend. We’ve had a bit of everything in the first five races, including five different winners, and Monaco always throws up something different. It is turning into quite a season for the fans and long may this continue. This race is all about the drivers because it is such a uniquely demanding track that calls for absolute precision and commitment. As such, it is down to us to give Timo and Charles a car they can be absolutely confident with and, whilst Charles has had a relatively trouble-free time with his car balance thus far, Timo’s car has been a little more troublesome in recent races. We hope we will find that we have conquered those issues when running gets underway on Thursday so they can both enjoy what is always an incredible experience for the drivers. Having said that, it is also a very enjoyable experience for the team and our partners, and we have many of those accompanying us this year. It will be great to share the occasion with them. The weather could be quite interesting; the early part of the week certainly presents rather less pleasant weather than one expects for the south of France, nor are improved conditions guaranteed for the balance of the weekend. It promises to be a very interesting race all round.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat den fünften Grand Prix der Saison 2012 auf Rang 18 abgeschlossen. Der deutsche Fahrer des Teams Marussia F1 kämpfte am gesamten Wochenende mit einer wenig optimalen Balance seines Fahrzeuges. Dennoch konnte Timo Glock den Marussia-Cosworth MR01 mit einer konzentrierten Fahrt ins Ziel bringen. Kleiner Lichtblick: Glocks persönlich schnellste Rennrunde in 1:29.599 Minuten war nur 0,681 Sekunden langsamer als die beste Runde von Lewis Hamilton (McLaren).

Timo Glock: "Der Start und die erste Runden waren gut, aber der Rest eher durchschnittlich. Nach wie vor haben wir das Problem, dass unser Auto sehr nervös auf der Bremse ist. Sobald ich mal richtig Gas geben will, erreiche ich ganz schnell eine Grenze, wo der Wagen einfach viel zu instabil wird. Im Moment kann ich immer nur 80 Prozent des Potenzials nutzen. Die restlichen 20 Prozent schlummern noch im Auto, aber ich kann sie aufgrund der Balanceprobleme nicht abrufen. Wir müssen noch genauer analysieren, woran das liegt. Hoffentlich bekommen wir das bis zum nächsten Rennen in den Griff."

"Ich möchte Pastor Maldonado und dem Williams F1-Team herzlich zum Sieg am Sonntag gratulieren. Sie haben in Barcelona alles richtig gemacht. Es freut mich ganz besonders für Sir Frank Williams. Am Samstag war ich auf seinem 70. Geburtstag. Ich gönne ihm den Rennsieg seines Teams aus vollem Herzen."

Sir Frank Williams hatte am Samstagabend zu einer Geburtstagsfeier in das Williams-Motorhome eingeladen. Timo Glock nutzte die Gelegenheit, um dem renommierten britischen Teamchef persönlich zu gratulieren. Die Wege im Fahrerlager von Barcelona waren kurz. Der gebürtige Odenwälder reiste zum Grand Prix von Spanien mit dem Wohnmobil an und übernachtete an der Strecke. So konnte Timo Glock an den Abenden noch längere Datenanalysen mit seinen Ingenieuren betreiben. Randnotiz: Beim Formel-1-Rennen in Spanien durchbrach Timo Glock die Schallmauer von 20.000 Rennkilometern (2004-2012).

This weekend has confirmed that the performance is in the package, but the package did not quite perform for the Marussia F1 Team in today’s Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Timo Glock finished in 18th place after a long battle of a race, in which he struggled to get the most from the car due to further balance issues that will require more detailed investigation.

Charles Pic retired on lap 26 with a drive shaft failure, which accounted for his brush with the blue flags earlier in the lap.

Timo Glock #24
“I had a pretty good start. The first lap was good and I had a bit of a fight with Lewis for that lap. In general after that when positions were settled I just tried to keep the tyres alive as long as possible and we struggled with rear end instability again. From my side I can only push around 80% at the moment. It’s still not perfect and we’re missing pace, so we have to analyse and get on top of the problem before Monaco. On a lighter note, congratulations to Pastor Maldonado and the Williams F1 Team. They’ve done a great race result today.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It is obviously very disappointing that we were unable to bring both cars home today. We have suffered two drive shaft issues this weekend - one of those was in the race - so we’re sorry for Charles to suffer a DNF after his efforts all weekend. With Timo’s car we have not made the progress with the car balance that we wanted to and this is preventing him from being as quick as he can be. There have been times when we have got on top of the problem and we are good, and times when we are not quite getting what we need to out of the car, as was the case in today’s race. A disappointing result for us but a brilliant win for Pastor and our congratulations to the Williams F1 Team on that. A busy week ahead for us now, but we look forward to the next race in Monaco.”

The Marussia F1 Team has confirmed that it has improved its MR01 package this weekend, but a positive qualifying performance for Charles Pic in particular is tinged with a little disappointment that the team were unable to extract more from the car today.

A long night of data evaluation for the engineers gave way to a more positive morning in Free Practice 3 and the team were optimistic of carrying this progress through to qualifying. Hot and sunny conditions prevailed throughout the day’s running.

This afternoon, things didn’t quite come together for Timo, who encountered traffic and yellow flags on his flying runs and lost his rhythm as a result. Charles, on the other hand, had a more straightforward time of it and will line up in 21st place for the start of tomorrow’s race, ahead of Timo in the 22nd grid slot.

Timo Glock #24
“A much better day today than yesterday. I think we got on top of the problems a little bit and in Free Practice 3 this morning I had a good feeling. Unfortunately qualifying wasn’t great for me. I made a mistake on my first flying lap, which was then not quick enough, and on the second flying lap on the first set of tyres I ran into yellow flags at turn 3 where one of the HRTs spun, so I couldn’t do much on first set of tyres. On the second set of tyres I just couldn’t get the lap together. The first sector was good; in the second sector I got a bit of traffic; and for some reason I dropped tyre performance in the last sector. It just didn’t come together today and I will have to sit and analyse it and hope for better things in the race tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We approached Free Practice 3 this morning somewhat hesitantly. For the last two race weekends we have found, on Timo’s car in particular, that a good balance on Friday has somehow translated into a car that is not behaving as it should have done for the rest of the weekend. A lot of analysis has taken place over the past week - and at the Mugello test prior to that - and some new parts that we brought to both cars seem to have solved these problems. Timo reported a much improved balance on the car today, even with respect to Friday. Given this, our confidence built in FP3 but was then knocked slightly by a mechanical issue on Timo’s car at the end of the session. We quickly diagnosed the fault on what was a new part and were able to apply a fix to both cars in readiness for qualifying. Unfortunately for Timo, he never really found his rhythm in the qualifying session, so I’m sure there’s a lot more to come from him tomorrow. Charles on the other hand performed brilliantly, as was the case last week, and he is certainly exceeding all the expectations that we had of him for this stage of his debut season. The guys in front still have a little margin on us if we put our best laps together, so tomorrow we will perhaps not be able to enjoy the fight we had hoped for. However, by setting the clear goal of trying to be as close to them as we possibly can, we will at least be able to learn more about where our car development needs to go from here.”

The Marussia F1 Team spent an industrious day on track at the Circuit de Catalunya today, steadily working their way through a busy programme of aerodynamic evaluations and set-up work with Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix in their sights.
In hot and sunny conditions, the day began with Timo Glock and Charles Pic working to distinct run plans in order to determine a good direction forward. Between them they completed plenty of laps and aside from the requirement to improve the balance, the morning session ran smoothly.
In the lunch break they pooled the data in order to commence work on qualifying set-up at the start of FP2 and then later in the afternoon, some long run work to evaluate the tyre degradation level for the race.

Timo Glock #24
“To be honest we’ve had two pretty difficult sessions today as we’ve struggled with the balance of the car. It’s been very nervous on both sets of tyres so a little disappointing that we seem to still have this problem. We’ll just have to take a good look at the data and see what we can find to improve the situation for tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We always said that whilst we were pleased with our test in Mugello, a better barometer of how much our updates would improve our car’s performance would be once we got to a more representative circuit such as this one. We don’t feel that we have made the best start today and there is a slight air of disappointment as a result, however we must stay focused as it will only be after qualifying tomorrow that we will be able to make a full assessment of our the step. Overall we can be pleased that the reliability of the car has been good and allowed us to complete our set-up and aero programmes today. The results of our aerodynamic tests in FP1 can now be applied across both cars for FP3 tomorrow. Neither driver is 100% happy with the balance so far, however I’m sure that time spent looking at the data tonight will allow for improved set-ups in the morning.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat sich gemeinsam mit seinem Team Marussia F1 auf die kommenden Rennen in der Königsklasse vorbereitet. Bei den offiziellen Testfahrten im italienischen Mugello absolvierte der Deutsche am Mittwoch (nur am Nachmittag) und Donnerstag insgesamt 147 Runden. Vor allem der abschließende Tag der Probefahrten brachte Glock und sein Team erheblich voran. Bei 110 problemlosen Umläufen gewann man wichtige Erkenntnisse über den Marussia-Cosworth MR01. Die Rundenzeiten am sonnigen Donnerstag in Mugello waren ermutigend.

Timo Glock: "Der abschließende Testtag war richtig gut. Wir konnten viele Runden drehen und einige Dinge ausprobieren. Wir haben nahezu das gesamte geplante Programm abspulen können. Auf der Tagesordnung standen wichtige Vergleichsfahrten und auch Arbeiten am Setup. Wir haben nun viele Daten gesammelt, die wir im Hinblick auf das kommende Rennen in Barcelona möglichst positiv nutzen möchten. Ich bin schon gespannt, welche Updates demnächst an unser Auto kommen. Mal schauen, was wir in Barcelona ausrichten können."

Nahezu alle Formel-1-Piloten sammelten im Verlauf dieser Woche ihre ersten Erfahrungen auf der traditionsreichen Strecke von Mugello. Timo Glock nutzte den Dienstag, um gemeinsam mit seinem Renningenieur Michael Harre über den italienischen Kurs zu joggen und die Schlüsselstellen zu besprechen. Der deutsche Formel-1-Pilot zeigte sich von der Landschaft und der Rennanlage nördlich von Florenz begeistert.

________________________________

INFOBOX TIMO GLOCK

Starts in Barcelona: 4

2011: 19. (Rennen) / 20. (Qualifying)

2010: 18. (Rennen) / 22. (Qualifying)

2011: 10. (Rennen) / 06. (Qualifying)

2011: 11. (Rennen) / 14. (Qualifying)

The weather and reliability of the MR01 conspired to ensure that today was a day of ‘two’ halves for the Marussia F1 Team in Mugello as Timo Glock attacked his testing programme with gusto.

Timo achieved 110 laps in the MR01-01 as he worked his way through a wide-ranging programme exploring the various tyre compounds, some engine calibration work, as well as an evaluation of the team’s new aerodynamic upgrades for the start of the European season.

After losing a less than desirable amount of track time over the past two afternoons, the team needed a clear run at the final day’s somewhat intensive programme. Bar a couple of red flags early on in the day, they got just that and leave Tuscany this evening happy with their achievements and with a mountain of data to feed back into the programme.

Timo ended the day in 12th position with a fastest lap of 1:23.466.

The team’s trackside operation now heads west to Barcelona to prepare for next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The engineers return to the Marussia Technical Centre to continue their evaluation work.

Timo Glock #24
“A pretty good day I have to say. We got a lot of laps - 110 - and worked our way through many different things with the car. We were able to do a lot of comparisons and a lot of set-up work also, so in the end, I think it was a good last day and we have some important data to look through for Barcelona. Now we focus on the implementation for the Spanish Grand Prix and with some new components see what we can do there to continue the progress.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been a challenging week for the team as we have been working to a not insubstantial programme of tyre evaluation, set-up work and the proving of our new aerodynamic package for the start of the European season.
“At the same time as working through these items we have been making directional calls in each area, based on our findings, and effecting production back at base to ensure we have the parts ready for next weekend’s race, all in pretty rapid succession. So it has been a real ‘team’ effort and I’d like to congratulate everyone on a job very well done. It’s fair to say we feel we have made good progress this week with our package, but we are quite certain that our competitors will have been busy too! For that reason I’m not going to make any predictions beyond saying that if closing the gap was our target, this week’s results would suggest that we have made another positive step forward.”

The second day of testing at Mugello began as positively as the first for the Marussia F1 Team today. Charles Pic achieved a further 46 productive laps in chassis MR01-01 during this morning’s session, but a sweet start to the day turned slightly more sour in the afternoon when it was time for Timo Glock to take over the car.

Just as the weather intervened during yesterday’s pm session, the team’s afternoon on Wednesday suffered a downturn in fortune when the start of Timo’s programme was abbreviated by a power steering issue. This confined him to the garage until the final hour of running.

This morning the team were conducting set-up evaluations with Charles, comprising race-oriented work and some detailed exploration of the front suspension, which is not possible during race weekend Fridays. He also began an evaluation of some brand new rear suspension components, with a continuation of this work having been scheduled for this afternoon with Timo, along with the track debut of a new front wing as part of the wider aerodynamic upgrade for the European season.

Some planned changes were made to the car in the lunch break and the opening hour of the afternoon session to accommodate the change of driver and programme. Timo completed an installation run but it was clear on that lap that a power steering problem had surfaced. The team opted to change the steering rack which took two hours and Timo was finally able to start work on his programme at 17.00hrs (local).

Timo will be back in the car for the final day of testing tomorrow.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a great second part of the day as our problems cost us half of the afternoon session. I had to get used to the track quickly, which was not easy as there are a lot of blind corners. We did some basic set-up work for the last hour and a half which I was happy with, but we have a big programme for tomorrow now and I hope it will be a trouble-free day for me.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“On a positive note we have seen very clear signs that we have made a good step with our upgrade package, so it is a shame that our progress has been hampered again this afternoon. Yesterday was similarly frustrating - for all of the teams actually - but Charles has at least been able to attack most of his programme elements. We will therefore be hoping for a more consistent day tomorrow so we can even up the balance in terms of mileage and feedback to ensure we are as prepared as possible for when we field the full upgrade package in Barcelona.”

Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock hat in der Wüste von Bahrain Schwerstarbeit verrichtet. Der 30-jährige Fahrer von Marussia F1 brachte sein Fahrzeug beim dritten Grand Prix des Jahres ins Ziel. Auf dem Weg dorthin kämpfte Glock 55 Runden lang mit nicht optimaler Fahrzeugbalance und stark abbauenden Reifen an seinem Marussia-Cosworth MR01. Der erfahrene Pilot rückt nach dem Grand Prix von Bahrain jedoch die positiven Aspekte in den Vordergrund. In allen vier Rennen der laufenden Saison erreichte Timo Glock das Ziel. Die Zuverlässigkeit des Autos ist solide. Mit bislang 2.214 Rennkilometern in der Saison 2012 liegt Marussia F1 im guten Mittelfeld der Formel 1. Bezüglich des Tempos peilt man in den kommenden Wochen weitere Fortschritte an.
Timo Glock: "Es war insgesamt ein schwieriges Wochenende in Bahrain. Die Balance des Autos passte ebenso wenig wie unser Speed. Nach zwei oder drei Runden war ich absolut chancenlos, weil die hinteren Reifen viel zu stark abbauten. Bei jedem Versuch, mal auf Angriff zu fahren, blockierten die Hinterreifen in der Bremszone. Wenn die Stabilität des Autos nicht stimmt, dann kannst du nichts machen. Es waren mir schlichtweg die Hände gebunden."
"Wir werden das Bahrain-Wochenende in den kommenden Tagen genau analysieren. Wir müssen herausfinden, welche Auswirkungen unsere Änderungen beim Setup hatten und wie wir die Probleme in Zukunft in den Griff bekommen. Wir schauen uns genau an, warum wir die positiven Ansätze aus den Freitagstrainings nicht in den Samstag transferieren konnten. Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass wir schon beim nächsten Rennwochenende besser aussehen werden."
Timo Glock und das Marussia F1 Team erlebten das Bahrain-Rennwochenende ohne jegliche Zwischenfälle. Man nutzte die Zeit im Hotel unter anderem für ein gemeinsames Abendessen mit allen Teammitlgiedern. In der ersten Maiwoche wird der deutsche Pilot bei den Formel-1-Testfahrten in Mugello neue Entwicklungen testen. Timo Glock kommt am 2. und 3. Mai auf der italienischen Strecke zum Einsatz.

A tough race was predicted in Sakhir today and a tough race it was, as the Bahrain International Circuit dealt the Marussia F1 Team a tough battle with the tyres and, disappointingly, its first retirement in eight race starts.
Charles Pic started the race from P19 on the grid, with Timo displaced to P23 by penalties for drivers further up the field. True to form, Timo fought hard on the opening lap to make up the deficit and the two drivers were running in P19 and P20 respectively at that stage before settling into P20 and 21.
The opening stint of the race was the most critical, as with a heavy fuel load the tyre degradation was always going to be at its most severe. It was clear that from lap three onwards Timo was struggling with the balance of his car, whilst Charles was managing the tyres well and was able to stay out longer ahead of his first pitstop.
Charles’ second stint was progressing equally well until lap 24 of the race when his car suffered a drop in pressure with the AVS (Air Valve System) and he was forced to retire, unable to make it back to the garage for his second pitstop.
Timo took the chequered flag to P19, securing further valuable mileage and data in challenging circumstances for the Pirelli P-Zero rubber, but it was far from an easy ride. He too experienced the AVS consumption issue and his car was off-balance for much of the race.

Timo Glock #24
“It was a very difficult race today. I had no balance in the car, no speed and no chance to push after the second or third la. The rear tyres dropped off massively and every time I did try to push, the rears locked under braking and I had no braking stability. Unfortunately this is a weekend to learn from then put behind us quite quickly. We have had a complex journey from Friday to Sunday and we need to retrace our steps and look at the set-up decisions we made in order to understand how we can improve and apply the updated package from Spain.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“On a positive note, in today’s race we saw a continuation of Charles’ increasingly strong form and consolidation of his good work from yesterday. It’s a real shame that the as yet undiagnosed AVS problem on the engine forced an early retirement during a period of the race where Charles was very competitive with respect to the cars that he was racing. Timo was also beset by the same engine issue and we’ll work hard with Cosworth in the next few days to understand the causes of these problems. Unfortunately, our slightly bigger issue has been with the handling characteristics of Timo’s car, which came into play from Saturday morning onwards. We have to identify and properly understand the problems that he has been experiencing with the car. Fortunately the Mugello test in one week’s time will provide us with some opportunity to iron out these issues away from the pressures of a race weekend. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the team on a job very well done throughout the first four races, which have each brought their own unique challenges. We leave the opening long haul leg behind as a much stronger team and with plenty of cause for optimism for the start of the European season.”

Track evolution and tyre degradation were the primary engineering challenges in Bahrain today, where the fortunes of the Marussia F1 Team were divided in this afternoon’s qualifying session.
Charles Pic ended the day 21st on the timesheets after a solid progression through FP3 this morning, followed by a tidy Q1 performance. Changes made during the break between sessions appear to have paid dividends and as he is well-acquainted with this track from his GP2 days, familiarity is certainly breeding confidence here.
The day has not been without its challenges for both drivers, however, and the track evolution with the expected temperature hike caused a balance shift which hampered Timo Glock’s efforts in particular. Having banked a set of Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyres for tomorrow’s race in view of the degradation rate here, everything rested on the hot lap of his second run. As he battled for grip, he went off track at unlucky turn 13 and the opportunity was lost, leaving him P23 at the end of the Q1 session.

Timo Glock #24
“Not a very good Saturday for us. We struggled massively in terms of the car balance again this morning and also in qualifying because of too much instability at the rear under braking. The lap itself was not too bad until Turn 13, where I made a massive mistake and I think I lost everything in that corner. I tried to do a cool-down on the second lap, but the rear tyres were off already and we only had one set of the Soft tyres as we were trying to save them for the race tomorrow. So not the best at all and it is a shame that a fuel pick-up problem meant that we also dropped behind one of the HRTs as well. We’ll have to see what we can do in the race now. We’ve saved tyres, which is good, but I have my concerns about the rears again for tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A very good job from Charles today in somewhat challenging conditions, given the quite severe tyre degradation issues we have been seeing. His solid progress in the four race weekends so far has not gone unnoticed and rightly so, as he has been applying himself fantastically well. The track evolution here has been posing a few problems, but Charles seems to have had the measure of them all weekend and his experience of racing here previously in GP2 is obviously a contributing factor. During Timo’s first run in qualifying we unfortunately experienced a fuel pick-up problem, which left him saddled with a significantly higher fuel load for his second run to overcome this. Timo then made a mistake at Turn 13, which was a real shame because he was going well before that. Unfortunately, a consequence of that has been that we will now have to start behind one of the HRT cars tomorrow, so Timo’s first mission will be to displace them before he sets about the onerous task that both drivers will face in managing the tyres through the race. They each have an extra set of the Soft tyre in hand and we know our race pace is strong against the cars around us. It will be a tough race tomorrow, but certainly an interesting one.”

GLOCK FP1 P22 1:37.467 18 laps FP2 P19 1:36.587 33 laps

The heat was rising at the Bahrain International Circuit today, where the Marussia F1 Team was greeted by air temperatures peaking at 32˚C and a track high of 40˚C for the opening two free practice sessions of the weekend.
The team began its day in the now usual fashion with a comprehensive aerodynamic and controls programme aimed at evaluating package revisions for this race and the longer-term and beginning basic set-up work, which continued into the afternoon session. In FP2 Charles Pic focused more on race pace, evaluating the set-up options at race fuel loads. Timo Glock, meanwhile, completed a more general set-up programme including race tyre runs on the option rubber.

Timo Glock #24
“A very difficult day today, especially in FP2. This morning we had a fairly normal programme developing and monitoring the new parts to help move the car forward. We completed a lot of aero work so we were getting good data and numbers out of the car, but it was looking ahead rather than specific to this weekend. FP2 was difficult with the tyres. They were dropping quickly and affecting the rear stability on the long run. The car is still a bit too difficult to drive at the moment, so we have to find a way to make it better. In general not the best start so far; in the last few races we have had better Fridays. There’s still a lot of work to do overnight to make improvements on the car for tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been an interesting start to the weekend and it is already clear that the race, and the preparation for it, is going to pose an interesting challenge. As always here we are trying to manage brake wear and tyre degradation caused by the combination of the circuit characteristics, the track temperature and the track surface. Things are less than straightforward and the rest of the weekend will be about assessing the track evolution and tyre improvement between now and Sunday’s race. Our focus so far has not been on the people around us as we’ve been concentrating very much on our programme, so our true performance level here will only become clear tomorrow.”

Things continue to go the way of the Marussia F1 Team as Timo Glock and Charles Pic delivered another impressive performance in today’s Formula 1™ UBS Chinese Grand Prix. They took the chequered flag in Shanghai in 19th and 20th places respectively, delivering the team’s third two-car finish in as many races and confirming its 10th place position in the 2012 Constructors’ Championship.
Most significantly, the team underlined its rapidly evolving form over the past three race weekends by lapping at the same pace as its immediate competitors for most of the second half of the race, with Timo and Charles finishing close behind the Caterham of Vitaly Petrov, and well ahead of the HRT cars and Heikki Kovalainen.
The team executed a mature and polished performance on the track and in the pits, with two seamless stops for each driver and the pitwall electing to bring Charles through the pitlane for a drive-through in order to manage the traffic in the closing stages of the race. With so many ‘marbles’ on the track, continuous manoeuvring out of the way of the advancing race leaders would have been dangerous and costly to Charles’ lap time. Timo stopped on race laps 18 and 36 and Charles pitted on laps 19 and 37, with his drive-through taking place on lap 48.
The Marussia F1 Team now head straight to Bahrain for the second back-to-back of the season next weekend, where they will be looking to make a further impression on the competition before the next round of developments are implemented in time for the start of the European season.

Timo Glock #24
“It wasn’t a straightforward race for me. The start was good and I could get in front of a couple of other cars, but they got by again with the DRS and KERS. Then I was racing with my team-mate and I was able to pull out a bit of a gap from him. For some reason though, my front left tyre just dropped away too early each time. Charles seemed to have the better car over the race and he was able to close the gap. I had to come in early, but I had some good in and out laps and could use the tyre well. In the second stint I just managed the gap to him and helped the tyre over the distance, but it dropped again and I had a lot of understeer. From the second stop I had good pace and could open the gap again until the blue flags started to come out. Suddenly the engine dropped as I was low on fuel, so I had to cruise in 6th and 7th gears and my focus then was getting the car home. Some things to look at and learn from the race because they held us back quite a bit. On the positive side, this means there is a lot more to come from the car. Well done to the team. A good job again, especially in the pits today.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We are naturally very pleased with how the weekend has gone for us again here in Shanghai. To bring both cars home in their third consecutive race is very encouraging, as is the pace of the cars, which is improving with every race. We are also delighted to still hold 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship after the third Grand Prix, which provides a further boost to the team, the drivers and our Partners. There’s so much to be pleased about at the moment but we have to remain focused because there is a lot of work to do, some real potential in the package and a few areas where we can continue to improve as a team. All credit to everyone trackside and back at the factory though. It has been very rewarding watching the race performances in particular unfold and we can feel proud of how far we’ve come in such a short space of time. The races ahead look very exciting too as Timo now has a car he can work with and we wait with eager anticipation to see how Charles will perform at circuits he is better acquainted with.”

The Marussia F1 Team enjoyed a strong qualifying session in Shanghai today, which provided further confirmation of the positive development direction it has taken since the start of the season.
Whilst the results in terms of position are somewhat familiar, the delta to the team’s closest competitor has reduced once again - with this week’s 0.8s improvement coming hot on the heels of the 0.6s gain achieved between Australia and Malaysia.
The performance in qualifying lifted the team’s spirits from this morning’s Free Practice 3 when things were not looking quite so optimistic. There was real determination within the team to conquer the balance shift issues experienced by Timo in particular in the third session and recover the promise that had been so evident on Friday.

Timo Glock #24
“A very difficult Saturday for me today. The car was quite a lot better yesterday when I had a very good feeling with it. For some reason, this morning I picked up massive oversteer and we struggled with the balance. We couldn’t get rid of the oversteer in FP3 so we had to make some changes for qualifying and I lost a bit of confidence in the car. I had to get used to the car again - and during qualifying - but at least we made the right improvements. It wasn’t perfect; we perhaps had a bit too much fuel in the car. I have to be happy though that the balance is back again but I was still not able to push with it like yesterday, so we have to look at why. Yes, the track temperature has increased so this will be a big factor, but we have to properly understand the problem for the future so we can continue to develop well and find a good solution.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Today has been relentless as we have fought hard to recover the positive form which we saw in FP2 yesterday. As appears to have been the case with a lot of drivers throughout the field during FP3, we also suffered a large shift in balance overnight with the increased track temperatures we have experienced today. Whilst this didn’t seem to be as severe on Charles’ car, it was certainly a worrying factor for Timo. All credit to Timo and his crew for working through these issues in FP3, and particularly in the break between sessions, to allow him to come back with a better balanced car in qualifying. Charles continues to impress us at this early stage in his F1 career. His best sector times from today strung together would have significantly reduced his deficit to Timo and this will be his focus going into the race tomorrow. I think we’re all looking forward to what should be a straightforward day tomorrow - without the threat of rain - which will allow us to evaluate our progress further.”

An otherwise very constructive day of solid progress for the Marussia F1 Team unfortunately ended on a slightly less positive note this afternoon when Timo Glock’s MR01 ended up in the tyre wall.

Timo had been running exceptionally well and his pace was confirming a positive result with the new developments brought to the car for this weekend in Shanghai. Around 45 minutes into the session a problem with the nose box occurred on the entry into turn 1 and the MR01 was forced into the gravel before an impact with the tyre wall brought it to a halt. Initial concern at Timo’s slow response and comments on the radio regarding pain in his hand gave way to relief that he has suffered no significant injury beyond the expected energy released from the steering wheel on impact.

The team conducted an immediate and comprehensive check of the nose-wing assembly fitted to Charles’ car before returning him to the track. Once Timo’s car was brought to the garage at the end of the session the investigation continued and the team was able to establish that there was no failure of a mechanical nature.

With Timo thankfully declared fit and well and the problem clearly isolated, the focus now returns to the resumption of the running plan and reaping the clear dividends from a very positive set of upgrades to the car.

Timo Glock #24

“In general a positive day of progress with the car and I was happy with my pace and the way the car was working. Unfortunately we have experienced a problem which points towards an operational issue. While this is disappointing, we can at least be sure that this was not a car issue of any kind. In fact, the package, including the new developments, seems quite promising and I was happy with the good balance. There is damage to the car, as you might expect from the impact, but it is mainly cosmetic and the chassis is fine. A long night for the mechanics I think, so a frustrating outcome all round to an otherwise trouble-free day. Personally I am fine. Initially I had some pain in my hand from the steering wheel when I hit the wall but no lasting damage.”

John Booth, Team Principal

“First and foremost we are obviously relieved that Timo seems to be fine. The next significant point is that we have clearly identified that the cause of the incident was not of a mechanical nature. This clarity enables us to push forward with our programme with confidence and continue to explore what, based on this morning’s performance, seems to be a very positive step forward in aerodynamic terms. We have brought developments for the front wing, the rear brake drums and the floor here and the results shown in today’s running leave us very optimistic about the direction we are moving in. It’s frustrating therefore that we have found ourselves with the problem we encountered today but we can at least turn our thoughts to the rest of the weekend now. Charles has played his part in an otherwise strong performance by the team today and he has once again come up to speed very quickly on his third consecutive unknown circuit. It will be a late night for sure but we look forward to a better end to tomorrow’s programme.”

Despite the relative luxury of a three-week break so early in the season, the Marussia F1 Team are ready to go racing again as the first members of the team begin the long journey back east, this time to the People’s Republic of China.
The frankly enormous city of Shanghai, with its estimated population of around 23 million, plays host to Round 3 of the FIA Formula 1™ World Championship. The Marussia F1 Team will be looking to consolidate a very positive start to the season at the architecturally impressive Shanghai International Circuit, which was designed to be the race circuit for the new millennium and which, eight years on, continues to set the standard.

Where we’ve been to…
The three week break between Malaysia and China could not have been more welcome for the Marussia F1 Team. After a frenetic pre-season had rolled straight into the season, it was good for everyone to stop and draw breath as John Booth, Team Principal, comments:
“After such a busy but positive start to the season with the opening two races, it has been good to have some time to take stock and gather ourselves, ready for the challenge of the next important phase. Our objective now is to maintain the momentum, so it has been full steam ahead in terms of our development programme. The starting point for that was the significant amount of data we had been able to gather in Melbourne and Sepang and while the race team have had the chance for some rest during the break, it has been quite the opposite for the technical team back in Banbury, who have been evaluating our findings and feeding them back into the cycle, including the continuation of our wind tunnel programme. We have some aerodynamic and systems refinements for the MR01 in China, ahead of a more substantial upgrade for the start of the European season next month.”

Where we’re heading…
The Shanghai International Circuit is one of Timo Glock’s favourites, as he tells us here:
“Shanghai is a really special circuit. It has a very long straight and a very difficult turn one which is very quick on entry and tight through the whole corner. It’s very long and demanding for the front left tyre, so a real challenge for Pirelli in determining the tyre choice. It’s difficult to make predictions for this race because I’ve known it to be pretty cold and sometimes very wet, so you never quite know what is going to happen and so much depends on the weather here. It’s nice to have had a break as it gave us some time to go through the vast amount of data we got in quite a short space of time with the new car. This gives us the opportunity to try some new things for China and, hopefully, continue to take positive steps forward. I like this race so I’m looking forward to it and to seeing where we stand next weekend.”

Timo Glock: "Freue mich auf weitere Fortschritte"
Mit großer Vorfreude blickt Timo Glock auf das dritte Saisonrennen der Formel 1 in China (15. April). Beim zweiten Asien-Auftritt des Jahres wollen der deutsche Pilot und sein Team Marussia F1 den deutlichen Aufwärtstrend der vergangenen Wochen fortsetzen. Die Erkenntnisse aus den Grands Prix in Australien und Malaysia wurden in den vergangenen Tagen am Teamsitz in Banbury analysiert. Als Konsequenz wird das Team am Rennwochenende in Schanghai weitere technische Neuentwicklungen am Marussia-Cosworth MR01 ausprobieren. Timo Glock rechnet fest mit weiteren Fortschritten und blickt optimistisch auf das kommende Rennprogramm. Nur eine Woche nach dem Auftritt in China folgt der Grand Prix von Bahrain in Manama.

Timo Glock: "China ist immer ein etwas spezielles Rennen, weil man nie weiß, wie sich das Wetter entwickelt. Wir haben es dort schon oft kalt und nass erlebt. So etwas kann ein entscheidender Faktor sein. Die Strecke in Schanghai ist sehr schön. Es gibt eine extrem lange Gerade. Die entsprechenden Überholmöglichkeiten machen die Rennen oft spannend. Besonders interessant ist die erste Kurve, die am Eingang sehr schnell ist und sich dann wie eine Schnecke immer enger zusammenzieht. In dieser ewig langen Ecke wird der linke Vorderreifen enorm belastet. Ich bin gespannt, wie alle damit zurechtkommen werden. Ich hoffe, dass wir unsere zahlreichen Erkenntnisse aus den ersten beiden Saisonrennen gut umsetzen und unseren Marussia-Cosworth MR01 noch schneller machen können. Ich freue mich auf weitere Fortschritte. In China werden wir Rennfahrer im öffentlichen Straßenverkehr immer auf eine harte Geduldsprobe gestellt. Die Fahrt vom Hotel zur Rennstrecke dauert jeweils so lang wie eine Trainingssession im Rennwagen. Das ist arg gewöhnungsbedürftig."

Am vergangenen Dienstag (03. April) stattete Timo Glock seinem Partner adidas einen Besuch an dessen Stammsitz in Herzogenaurach ab. Der Formel-1-Pilot durfte in Begleitung hochrangiger adidas-Führungskräfte hinter die Kulissen des erfolgreichen Sportartikel-Herstellers blicken. Nach einem Rundgang durch die Produktion deckte sich Timo Glock im angeschlossenen adidas Shop mit neuer Kleidung ein. Die erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem sympathischen Rennfahrer und der sportlichen Marke wird auch in Zukunft fortgesetzt.

A rain-soaked and dramatic Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix today provided the Marussia F1 Team with further confirmation, if it were required, of the significant strides the team has made with the development of its 2012 race car, the MR01.

The team enjoyed its second double finish in two season-opening races, with Timo Glock crossing the line at Sepang in 17th place and Charles Pic in 20th, and the Caterham of Heikki Kovalainen providing the meat in the Marussia F1 Team sandwich. The legitimate battle that both of the team’s drivers enjoyed with its immediate competitor today underlined that it is back on course and can start pushing ahead in earnest with its development programme.

Timo Glock #24
“A great weekend again for us. We finished with both cars once more, which is a great achievement for the team and we have to be very happy with that. It was a difficult race but I think we made the right tyre choice and changed at the right time, going from the intermediate to the extreme wets and then after the restart changing back from the extreme wets to the intermediates. Coming in straight away was the right thing to do and I just managed to keep the ‘inters’ on for as long as possible and keep them alive. Again, we were one of the first to switch to slicks and we were able to keep pushing to keep ahead of Kovalainen, so really well done to the team. Everyone kept cool and calm when the red flag came out. Proper job by the team and specifically my car crew, who’ve done a great job in the first two races. Now we concentrate on improving again for China.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A fantastic end to what has been an important weekend for the team. It is extremely encouraging that we are seeing progress in every area, the most significant of which is in terms of performance. The small upgrade that we brought on Friday was the result of some very hard work in the factory over the last few weeks by the aerodynamics department and we have certainly seen the benefit of that here this weekend. However, we can’t rest on our laurels and this is now the start of what is going to be a very intensive and exciting development programme for us. It was an interesting race today, with plenty of twists and turns to keep us on our toes, which the race team handled admirably. We were particularly impressed with the way Charles held off Kovalainen for so long, losing out only at the pitstop. Equally worthy of note was Timo’s performance in the drying conditions, which was superb. We now look forward to evaluating the findings from these two races so we can come back stronger again in China in three weeks’ time.”

The Marussia F1 Team enjoyed another positive showing at Sepang today, culminating in the qualifying session for the Malaysia Grand Prix, which underlined a clear progression since last weekend’s season-opener in Melbourne.

In this morning’s final free practice session the team put to work the findings of yesterday’s busy and diverse programme and Charles was able to commence running with the same aero developments that Timo had tested in the first two free practice sessions. He confirmed the positive gains highlighted by Timo.

While Charles made steady progress throughout the day, Timo had a more frustrating time getting his car to work on the Pirelli P-Zero Medium tyre but he pulled enough back in the final qualifying run to demonstrate more of the car’s clear potential.

Timo Glock #24
“It was quite a tough, difficult day for me today. The car was very good this morning on prime tyres and I had a good feeling for it, so I was quite confident for us on our option tyre run - the medium - in FP3 to see how much that would bring us forward. For some reason though I struggled massively with the tyre, just like yesterday, and I completely lost the balance of the car. I went slower on the Medium, compared to anyone else, so that was a bit of a shocker. I managed to do two good laps but didn’t really have the confidence with the tyre. I made two little mistakes and this cost me a tenth or two. The team has done a great job again and another weekend without any technical problems so far, so we will see for the race now.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been another encouraging day for us as we take the positives from what we have seen so far and motivation from the signs of even better things to come. Although the placings in qualifying haven’t changed, the developments that we added to the car yesterday have meant our overall gap to the leaders and our closest competitors ahead has reduced. Touch wood, we haven’t yet experienced a single car-stopping issue and this has enabled us to crack through our programme and make the same steady progression towards the race as we did in Melbourne. Qualifying revealed a real mix bag of strategies as far as the tyres are concerned and the race is likely to throw up just as many surprises. It’s not yet clear as to the starting strategy and tonight we’ll take some time to evaluate all the options for tomorrow.”

The Marussia F1 Team steadily worked their way through a diverse, interesting and ultimately very productive programme in Kuala Lumpur today as the opening day of running for the 2012 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix got underway in typically hot and sticky conditions at the Sepang International Circuit.

The Friday free practice sessions for the first few races will naturally resemble a pre-season testing checklist as the team continues to understand more about its 2012 package. In FP1 this morning the focus was on aerodynamic and set-up evaluations, which saw a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in the garage - particularly for Charles - but this was all part of the programme. The team gathered a great deal of data during the session and the positive findings were put into effect for this afternoon’s FP2, when both drivers continued to make steady progress with the MR01. Reliability prevailed once again, with no issues stopping the car throughout the whole day.

Conditions were difficult for the team on such an action-packed day, as the track temperature soared to 47˚C and the air temperature peaked at 31˚C, but the mechanics coped admirably with the relentless set-up programme.

Timo Glock #24

“Today has been a pretty good day for us I have to say. This is one of the toughest Fridays of the season for the whole team and they did a great job. Our programme meant we had to do a lot of work on the car and the guys were constantly on the ‘go’. We still have some way to go; the car is not perfect yet by any means. We have however made a lot of progress so we need to keep this up for tomorrow. The tyres look quite difficult over a race distance, so that could be a gamble. As for the heat, my fitness work over the winter has paid off for sure. It’s been a good start and good reliability again.”

John Booth, Team Principal

“We’ve had another very positive day with the MR01 and this is exactly the start we were looking for from the weekend. We’ve been able to maximise our programme, which means the engineers have plenty of positive homework to do this evening to ensure we keep moving in the right direction. We also evaluated some new rear floor parts this morning with Timo, which he carried through into the afternoon to good effect. Both drivers will now have the benefit of these parts tomorrow. It’s good to see us maintaining the reliability as we can now be confident that the basis of the car is good and turn our minds more towards developing it. It has been a very tough day for the team. The positives of completing a challenging programme with good reliability means the mechanics have been pushed to the max in very trying conditions, but as ever it’s a challenge they have coped with admirably.”

The Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock and Charles Pic rounded off a momentous weekend in Melbourne today by ending the season-opening 2012 Qantas Australian Grand Prix in 14th and 15th positions. For a car that has had no pre-season testing, the MR01 has behaved impeccably throughout its racing debut and rewarded all the hard work and determination that has brought the team through the tough winter months.

Both drivers delivered calm and assured performances in today’s race, at the conclusion of the most pressured of weekends. Timo was rewarded with the best birthday present he has had in several F1 seasons – he celebrates his 30th birthday in Melbourne today - and Charles’ Grand Prix debut really could not have been any more positive.

The pair lined up 20th and 21st on the grid for the 58-lap race at Albert Park and navigated their way through the first corner melée to elevate themselves to 13th and 18th respectively. The Safety Car brought out to clear Petrov’s stranded Caterham from the start-finish straight allowed them to pit for a second time and unlap themselves, before driving a relatively conservative final stint to ensure both cars got to the finish. Pic was forced to come into the garage just two laps before the end of the race after an oil pressure concern forced the team to be cautious with the car. He completed enough of the race to be classified 15th and the combined result of both drivers means the Marussia F1 Team leave the opening race in 10th place in the 12-team Constructors’ Championship.

Timo Glock #24

“A great race for the team and a huge reward for all the hard work and pressure over the last few months. It’s important to remember that we came here with no real running with the new car. Add the potential for reliability problems – because they always happen with every team in pre-season testing – and it has been quite a special weekend to get the car home in the first race with no issues. I chose a good line into turn one and was able to avoid the problems we saw there, moving up to 13th position. I had a bit of a fight with Caterham for a while but I knew I needed to concentrate on my own race. The car was very consistent and in the end, to finish 14th, I have to be happy with that and so do the team, as it is an important start for position in the Constructors’ Championship. The car gave me a birthday present for sure and I will enjoy that for now but tomorrow the hard work starts again as we have a lot to do to improve the car. I’ve said it before but my thanks again to the team. A great start.”

John Booth, Team Principal

“I know I speak for the whole team when I say I am absolutely delighted with the new car’s racing debut this weekend in Melbourne. I said on Friday that, despite P12 for Timo in FP2, I didn’t want us to get carried away with ourselves because qualifying could be a different story and the race was highly likely to expose some of the reliability aspects of the car that we have not yet had the chance to explore due to our lack of testing. It really is quite something to have come so far in such a short space of time and in such challenging circumstances. Coming into the weekend the car had just 200kms of promotional running on demonstration tyres and since we started here on Friday we have completed 215 near faultless laps – that’s 1120kms. All credit to both drivers, who have been fantastic throughout. Timo talked all the way through the race, giving us vital feedback to add to the mountain of data we’ve been able to gather thanks to the good mileage. Charles’ debut has been very impressive indeed and made very clear to us that he means business in his debut year. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our Partners – those who have been with us throughout and all the new names who joined us in the weeks leading up to the race - for their faith in the Marussia F1 Team, which I am pleased has been rewarded this weekend at Albert Park. We should be under no illusions that plenty of work lies ahead but 10th in the Constructors’’ Championship is not a bad place to start.”

Today was a day where the Marussia F1 Team can rightly consider P21 for Timo Glock and P22 for Charles Pic a qualified success. Their positions belie a monumental effort by the whole team to get an untested car through its pivotal first qualifying session, and to finish well inside the 107% qualifying time, with no reliability issues whatsoever.

It was a positive, if fast-moving, start to the day. The weather was clear, dry and sunny, providing vastly improved track conditions, so the team needed to take full advantage of its first opportunity for some dry running. Equipped with an extra set of tyres thanks to yesterday’s rain-affected practice, the team seared through a programme of set-up work and tyre evaluations in FP3, which provided a fair degree of engineering homework for the lunch break.

The qualifying session came around all too quickly and the scale of the task was not lost on a single team member, least of all Marussia F1 Team’s new rookie Charles Pic, who has certainly been thrown in at the deep end in his debut season. Both drivers made changes during their two runs, improving the car and their lap times to end the day very respectably indeed.

Timo Glock #24
“Free Practice 3 was my first chance to drive the car in stable conditions and it was clear that we had a lot of work to do on set-up. We had a big programme for practice, and qualifying actually, and we made a lot of changes, all of which were the right ones and made us a little step better each time. I am very pleased with what we have achieved so far. Mechanically I’m very happy with the car and everything is working well. We’ve all had a great lift but we have a long way to go and plenty of hard work to do to make the car quicker. The baseline is right but we have a lot of catching up to do. I have to say though that I am looking forward to the future and it feels great to have fun driving a Formula 1 car again!”

John Booth, Team Principal
“After Timo’s 12th place in yesterday’s FP2 session, we can’t be disheartened by our positions in today’s qualifying. We’ve had a massive mountain to climb and we’re still a long way from the top, but we are all aware that things could easily have gone in a far less positive direction for us so far this weekend. With an untested car, people might well have forgiven us for that as well. But even at this early stage we are a long way ahead of where we were. We’ve made huge progress and we haven’t even started the job of unlocking the obvious potential of the MR01. I have to pay enormous credit to our two drivers. Despite the fact that we have barely scratched the surface, Timo is obviously enjoying himself again at the wheel, and rightly so. He’s working hard to give us the right feedback and his positivity is a very good barometer for us. Charles has faced an enormous challenge and should feel very proud of what he has achieved so far. He is very ‘hungry’ and will be exciting to watch, for sure. As for tomorrow, we need to keep our feet on the ground and our minds focused because the race may well expose some of the frailties of the package that we have not yet had the chance to explore.”

Im australischen Melbourne geht es für die Piloten der Formel 1 in die neue Saison. Beim Auftaktrennen möchten Timo Glock und sein Team Marussia F1 das Potenzial des neuen Marussia-Cosworth MR01 ausloten und die Leistungen in den folgenden Rennen konstant steigern. Das neue Auto konnte vor dem Start nur bei Filmaufnahmen getestet werden, daher haben Glock und sein Team in den kommenden Tagen viel Grundlagenarbeit zu erledigen. Anbei finden Sie interessante Fakten zur Person Timo Glock und zum Team Marussia F1.

TIMO GLOCK...
… wurde am 18. März 1982 in Lindenfels (D) geboren. Er feiert somit am Rennsonntag in Melbourne seinen 30. Geburtstag!
… ist 1,69 Meter groß
… 66 Kilogramm leicht
… liebt schnelle Autos, gutes Essen und Radsport
… hört vor den Rennen meist Rockmusik von AC/DC oder Guns N'Roses
… feierte sein Grand-Prix-Debüt am 13.06.2004 in Kanada (Team Jordan)
… holte in seinem ersten Formel-1-Rennen als Siebter sofort Punkte
… hat bisher 72 Grands Prix für drei Teams bestritten (2004 Jordan F1; 2008-2009 Toyota Racing; seit 2010 Marussia F1)
… stand bislang dreimal auf dem Podest (GP Ungarn 2008; GP Malaysia 2009; GP Singapur 2009)
… fuhr eine schnellste Rennrunde (GP Europa 2009)
… erreichte bislang insgesamt 51 WM-Punkte

MARUSSIA F1...
… heißt seit Saisonstart 2012 Marussia F1 (vorher Virgin F1, Marussia-Virgin F1)
… ist zu 70,6 Prozent im Besitz des russischen Sportwagenherstellers Marussia
… hat seinen Sitz in Banbury (GB)
… hat rund 170 Mitarbeiter
… hat seit 2012 eine technische Kooperation mit McLaren Applied Technologies (ausschließlich Nutzung von Windkanal und Simulator)

Timo Glock:
"Mit über 70 Grands Prix gehöre ich mittlerweile zu den 'Alten Hasen' in der Szene. Diese Erfahrung möchte ich 2012 in möglichst vielen Bereichen einbringen: beim Fahren auf der Strecke natürlich ebenso wie bei der weiteren Entwicklung des neuen Autos gemeinsam mit meinem Team Marussia F1. Einige sind der Meinung, wir würden neuerdings einen zweiten McLaren fahren, aber dies ist natürlich nicht der Fall. Ganz davon abgesehen, dass so etwas per Reglement verboten ist: Wir haben unseren Stolz! Das Auto ist unter Leitung von Pat Symonds mit eigenen Ideen und Entwürfen am Computer entstanden. Wir nutzen lediglich einige Tools von McLaren, um unseren Marussia-Cosworth MR01 schneller zu machen. 2012 starte ich in meine fünfte volle Formel-1-Saison. Ich habe in der Vergangenheit viel gelernt und habe für die Zukunft noch viel vor. Ich freue mich auf das erste Rennen in Melbourne."

The opening free practice sessions for Sunday’s curtain-raising 2012 Qantas Australian Grand Prix were always going to be about the Marussia F1 Team getting their feet wet, as the team fielded its as yet untested MR01 race cars for the first time in competitive conditions. In that respect the team were not disappointed, as the Albert Park circuit witnessed warm, cold, wet and dry conditions during today’s three hours of running.
It was pretty much a case of ‘straight out of the box’ and onto the race track for Timo Glock and his new team-mate, rookie Frenchman Charles Pic, who made his own debut today when he drove for the first time in a Formula One Grand Prix weekend. As if the prospect were not already daunting enough, the changeable weather conditions made it difficult for him and every other driver to get into the groove of the usual Friday set-up and tyre evaluation programme.
It is “only Friday” as the saying goes in F1 circles, but everyone at the Marussia F1 Team couldn’t help but feel rather positive as Timo ended his first day with a brand new car in 12th position and the team’s young rookie had a very respectable first showing.
The heavens opened just in time for the start of this both of today’s sessions and the drivers were forced to gingerly tiptoe around the 5.303km circuit with the new car, desperate for more forgiving conditions with which to evaluate the package. They did manage some dry running which allowed both drivers to get a more representative feeling for the car.

Timo Glock #24
“I think it has been a difficult start to the weekend due to the weather conditions and we had to be a bit careful. For everyone it has been great to see the car out there and performing well at the moment. P1 I had already quite a good feeling but we were a bit unlucky at the end because we could only do one timed lap. In P2 difficult again at the start but in dry conditions I was feeling very positive and it was good to be able to follow Red Bull for more than three laps! When I got back to the garage I was a bit surprised to see myself in P12, which doesn’t mean anything at this stage, but equally it means a lot to everyone who has worked so hard through the winter and had a difficult time. There are a few smiles in the garage, which is nice to see. Let’s see what the rest of the weekend brings now.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It’s a little early to be getting carried away with ourselves but equally we couldn’t have wished for a better start to our 2012 campaign. On a day when everything could have gone wrong for us - and the weather certainly did - we managed to give everyone in the team something to smile about after a pretty challenging few months back at base. P2 was a very changeable session, and so is the order, but we were all pleased to see us posting a time that was in the midfield and it will provide a great boost to the team. Considering where he started the day, with very little experience of the car and some hair-raising track conditions, Charles conducted himself perfectly. It has been a tough test of his mettle and there is obviously plenty more in the tank, which we look forward to nurturing. We are obviously mindful of the fact that the conditions have been as they have today and we have only managed one set-up change, so we are desperately hoping for a dry FP3 tomorrow to give us the best possible run at qualifying and the race.”

Hot on the heels of a successful track debut with its new 2012 contender at Silverstone yesterday, the Marussia F1 Team is pleased to confirm that the MR01 has now passed the final FIA-observed crash test.

Pat Symonds, Technical Consultant to the Marussia F1 Team, commented:
“After a challenging few weeks for the team, we are pleased to have overcome the last hurdle of the final FIA-observed crash test, which we passed today. The component in question actually passed an ‘unobserved’ crash test but has been performing inconsistently in the observed tests. The previous fail was only marginal so we needed to have a slightly more robust solution in place. A few minor adjustments to the original concept of the component was all that was required. We were all thrilled to see the new car out on track over the past two days and whilst we have a lot of catching up to do, we take heart from the fact that everything is back on a more positive trajectory. We now look forward to the challenge of the season-opener in Melbourne next weekend.”

The MR01, the Marussia F1 Team’s contender for the 2012 season, has made its on-track debut. The Anglo-Russian team is running its new car for the first time today at Silverstone in the UK for a promotional event ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne next weekend.

The MR01 is the product of a ground-up re-evaluation of the way the team designs its racing cars. As such, the car is almost entirely ‘new’ with very few carryover components from last year’s MVR-02. This presented the design team, led by Technical Consultant Pat Symonds, with the challenge of going back to basics to produce a solid mechanical package, whilst maintaining an eye towards achieving the incremental performance steps required to move the team forward.

People and Resources
The starting point for the MR01 design programme was a consideration of the Marussia F1 Team’s people and resources. The former three-base operation has been consolidated into one site, the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury, bringing the various elements of the business together to form ‘one team’. In particular, the design department and practices now benefit from far greater integration and collaboration. Furthermore, the aerodynamic department has been completely restructured and the aero methodology reinforced, blurring the boundaries between CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and experimental work in the wind tunnel, as well as enhancing the fidelity of the team’s aero approach.

The technical partnership forged with McLaren Applied Technologies in July of last year has been influential in the process and the relationship is starting to yield benefit as the advanced facilities that the Marussia F1 Team has access to have been used to prove the correlation process with the MVR-02. It is however early in the relationship and the MR01 will become a beneficiary of the relationship in due course.

Design Philosophy
The key design priorities were to address previous aerodynamic deficiencies and, mechanically, achieve greater weight saving. At the same time a lot of the detail of the car has been refined and the design team have been a little more adventurous than before, stepping closer to the engineering boundaries. The car can best be described as a significant evolution of its predecessors.

Driver Line-Up
Timo Glock commences his third season with the team, providing the all-important element of continuity required to keep moving the package forward. Timo is joined by Frenchman Charles Pic, who embarks on his rookie year in Formula One, having made the step up from GP2. Despite his 22 years of age, Charles has been racing in single-seater formulae for six years and has won races at every level.

John Booth, Team Principal, Marussia F1 Team, commented:
“We are very pleased to be running the new MR01 for the first time this morning. It has been a long and frustrating wait for everyone in the team but we can now get back on track – literally – and start working towards the first race of the season in Australia next weekend. Today is the first of two promotional events, so while the drivers will be able to get a feel for the car, they won’t be able to draw any real conclusions until we start running in anger in Melbourne. Nevertheless, this is an important day for us and we’ll enjoy every minute on track with the new car.”

Marussia F1 Team drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic will each enjoy some track time with the car over the next two days, albeit with the car running on demonstration tyres as opposed to the Pirelli P-Zero 2012 season performance tyres.

The Marussia F1 Team is disappointed to confirm that the planned first test of its 2012 race car - the MR01 - has been delayed as a consequence of not passing the final FIA crash test.

All cars are required to pass 18 FIA-observed tests for homologation to be granted. Despite the fact that the MR01 has passed all 17 of the preceding tests, the regulations require the car to have completed all of the tests before running commences.

The team will now not take part in the final pre-season test in Barcelona later this week (1-4 March) and will instead focus its efforts on repeating the crash test at the end of the week.

Best Lap Time 1.26.173
Number of Laps 108
Total Kms 512

Marussia F1 Team’s Timo Glock was in the hot seat at the Circuit de Catalunya today to begin his on-track preparations for the 2012 season.

Taking over the 2011 MVR-02 from Charles Pic for the day, he ran through a detailed programme of tyre evaluation work, putting the full spectrum of Pirelli P-Zero compounds through their paces over short and long runs.

The car’s excellent reliability was underlined for a third consecutive day as Timo completed 108 laps in total to end the day 9th out of the 10 runners, maximising his one-day programme here this week.

Timo Glock
“It’s good to be back on track again after the long winter break and to start our preparations for the new season. Although we are still using the old car it has been really useful to work through the tyre evaluation programme and have the team working together again trackside. I’m looking forward to driving the new car now.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It’s great to see Timo back in the car and in such fine form. It is clear he has been working very hard over the extended winter break and I don’t think I’ve seen him quite as prepared as this. We’ve achieved some good results today evaluating all the specifications of tyres, which will give us good background information going into the season. Timo also completed some tyre-specific set-up work which will feed into the new car programme. Overall another rewarding day of testing.”

Während sein Team Marussia F1 das neue Auto für die Formel-1-Saison 2012 fertigstellt, arbeitet der erfahrene Rennpilot Timo Glock an seiner Fitness. Der schnelle Hesse nutzt die optimalen Bedingungen an der spanischen Mittelmeerküste, um sich im Rahmen einer weiteren intensiven Trainingswoche in Valencia auf den anstehenden Start der neuen Saison vorzubereiten. Gemeinsam mit seinem Physiotherapeuten Axel Thielmann absolviert Timo Glock weit über 500 Kilometer auf dem Rennrad sowie viele Trainingseinheiten im Kraftraum. Der Trainingsplan war von den Fachleuten der Sportklinik Bad Nauheim erstellt worden, mit denen Timo Glock bereits seit vier Jahren erfolgreich zusammenarbeitet. An jedem Trainingstag stehen drei- bis vierstündige Touren auf dem Rennrad an. Mit Pulsuhr und regelmäßigen Blutuntersuchungen wird der Trainingseffekt genaustens dokumentiert. Timo Glock: "Die Saisonvorbereitung ist anstrengend, aber sie macht auch Laune. Beim Krafttraining geht es hauptsächlich um den Oberkörper. Der Nacken muss den enormen Fliehkräften standhalten, die Oberarme die Lenkung jederzeit im Griff halten und der Rücken die heftigen Bodenwellen wegstecken. 20 Formel-1-Rennen stehen in diesem Jahr an. Vor allem die Grands Prix, die bei großer Hitze und hoher Luftfeuchtigkeit ausgetragen werden, gehen an die Substanz. Der Grand Prix in Singapur einer der anstrengendsten des gesamten Jahres: harte Schläge von den Buckeln, höchste Konzentration und schweißtreibende Temperaturen - eine Tortur. Ein solches Rennen ist etwa mit vier Stunden
Rennradfahren am Anschlag vergleichbar. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Sportklinik Bad Nauheim haben wir zum neuen Jahr einen veränderten Ernährungsplan aufgestellt. Ich bin seither leichter und fitter, also ein genialer Zug. Mein Ernährungsplan ist streng, aber ohne Tabus. Ein Burger pro Monat geht."

Timo Glock wird am Donnerstag und Freitag dieser Woche beim Marussia F1 Team in Großbritanien sein.
Dort findet die Sitzanpassung im künftigen Einsatzfahrzeug statt. Der 29-Jährige wird in der vierten
Februarwoche wieder im Formel-1-Boliden sitzen. Sein Team Marussia F1 wird in diesem Monat noch
einmal mit einem Vorjahresauto in Barcelona testen, bevor man in der ersten Märzwoche an gleicher
Stelle erstmals mit dem neuen Marussia MR01 ausrückt. Timo Glock startet 2012 in seine dritte Formel-1-
Saison mit dem Team Marussia F1.

The Marussia F1 Team is pleased to announce its second new partnership of 2012, teaming with Monster.com®, the worldwide leader in connecting people to job opportunities and the flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW). With its global reach and unique job matching technology, Monster helps employers from all sectors fulfil their recruitment needs, and provides job seekers with exciting professional career opportunities.

As its global online recruitment partner, Monster will work with the Marussia F1 Team to fill four highly specialised roles as part of a bespoke ‘Cool Jobs’ programme, sourcing qualified candidates from all over the world. In addition, the Marussia F1 Team will use Monster to fill up to 40 roles, drawing from talent throughout the EU, via a dynamic and industry-leading recruitment-marketing campaign. All of these jobs will help influence the technical and commercial success of the team.

The Marussia F1 Team will utilise a range of Monster’s products as part of the partnership including Monster’s Talent Management Suite, which will help the team optimise all aspects of the talent management lifecycle. In addition, the Marussia F1 Team’s use of Monster’s Career Ad Network(R) will ensure the greatest visibility for job posts among relevant seekers, and Monster’s Power CV Search tool will let the team quickly pinpoint the best-qualified candidates from the anticipated thousands of applicants.

As a Marussia F1 Team Official Partner, the Monster brand will be introduced into the team’s trackside environment, including visibility on driver suits, beginning with Marussia’s first pre-season test later this month and throughout the 20 Grand Prix races of the 2012 season. The team will work with Monster to activate the relationship ‘glocally’ in each of those Grand Prix destinations.

Andy Webb, CEO, Marussia F1 Team
“Monster is an exciting and much-welcomed addition to our portfolio of Marussia F1 Team Official Partners. Formula One is a technology-driven sport, but you need the right people with the right talents to drive these processes. At this time, when we are looking to augment our expertise in key areas of the team, this partnership will enable us to reach a much wider scope of qualified candidates, leveraging Monster’s global reach and its job matching technology.”

Katie Allen, Head of HR, Marussia F1 Team
“The partnership with Monster will enable us to significantly increase our talent reach quickly and cost-effectively, which is vital in the F1 recruitment arena. As a small F1 team, we also look forward to using the Talent Management Suite to help us better manage our recruitment and resourcing plans in the most professional and efficient way, whilst ensuring that more of our HR focus can be directed at development activities for the business and our people.”

Ted Gilvar, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Monster
“We’re thrilled to be working with the Marussia F1 Team. We’re confident that our global reach, combined with our unparalleled job matching technology, will help the team find the unique talent they need to succeed.”

John Booth, Team Principal
"We have taken the decision today that we will not attend the first test in Jerez, taking place from 7-10 February."

"We had been looking to take part in that test with the 2011 MVR-02 for the purpose of providing Charles with some valuable running to assist with the preparation for his debut season. This was with a view to introducing the new car, the MR01, at Barcelona two weeks later.

"As our Technical Consultant Pat Symonds has stated publicly, the MR01 will be almost entirely 'new', with very little carryover from 2011. The new car also has some interesting and complex mechanical concepts and it is taking time for us to get to grips with these.

"Unfortunately our programme has slipped and there seems little point in fielding the new car before we can optimise the run plan for it.

"For that reason we have decided to commence our on-track testing by attending the second test in Barcelona with the MVR-02. We then aim to introduce the MR01 at the third test in Barcelona on 1 March.

"Whilst this is not ideal, and not the timescale we had intended to work to, we will at least get some important running with the new car ahead of Australia and hopefully gain more constructive track time than we might otherwise have achieved had we rushed the car out for the second test."

Marussia Racing consultant Pat Symonds believes that the team's 2011 car had very good potential in some areas but was badly hamstrung by poor aerodynamics.

After relying solely on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for its first two designs, the ex-Virgin team is embracing windtunnel technology as part of its design restructuring, which has also seen the exit of former partner Wirth Research and the announcement of a new collaboration with McLaren.

Former Renault technical chief Symonds said it was only poor aero that was holding the 2011 Virgin back.

"I think it's true to say we do a lot of competitor analysis, a lot of analysis of where we are, and I think mechanically the car was much better than a back-of-the-grid car," he told AUTOSPORT.

"The performance in the slow corners was much closer to the norm than it was in the fast corners. The car responded to changes pretty well, it used its tyres pretty well, it wasn't a difficult car to drive, so I think our low-speed performance was reasonable. The high-speed performance wasn't good - and then of course you look at aerodynamics.

"Let's face it, most of the performance from an F1 car now comes from aerodynamics, that's where we were lacking and that's where it put us back."

Symonds added that Marussia also had a fine asset in lead driver Timo Glock, who has stayed on for a third season.

"He's good. He's very communicative, and he pushes hard," said Symonds of Glock. "He's a good yardstick for the team. I am very, very pleased we have got him.

"I think when you are trying to develop a car and develop a team, if you don't have a yardstick, some continuity, it can get pretty difficult. Timo is a very important part of our progress forward."

Quelle:www.autosport.com

Timo Glock:
„Hello everyone!
Done any good deeds this year? From Wednesday on (28.12.2011), you can buy yourself a Meet & Greet at auction, for the Formula One tests with me in Barcelona! Get to meet me personally and experience an unforgettable day of motorsports. I’ve been the proud patron of the Zwerg Nase Foundation since 2011, so all the proceeds will go to it.
Don’t miss out on this unique auction opportunity: http://www.unitedcharity.de/Home/Alle-Auktionen/Rennfahrer-Timo-Glock-in-Barcelona-treffen
Good luck!
Yours, Timo“

Timo Glock:
„Hallo zusammen,
habt ihr dieses Jahr schon was Gutes getan? Ab Mittwoch, 28.12.2011 könnt ihr ein Meet & Greet bei Testfahrten der Formel 1 mit mir in Barcelona ersteigern! Lernt mich persönlich kennen und erlebt einen unvergesslichen Motorsport-Tag. Da ich seit 2011 stolzer Schirmherr und Mitglied im Kuratorium der Zwerg Nase-Stiftung bin, geht der komplette Erlös an die Stiftung.
Verpasst es nicht, mitzusteigern: http://www.unitedcharity.de/Home/Alle-Auktionen/Rennfahrer-Timo-Glock-in-Barcelona-treffen
Viel Erfolg!
Euer, Timo“

Unfortunately Timo had to retire after a problem with the left rear wheel during his first pit-stop on lap 22.
Clouds were threatening before the start of the race, but the showers kept away from the track, allowing Jérôme and Timo to start the race on the Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyres. They both got off to a good start, running 21st and 23rd respectively.
Jérôme pitted for the first time on lap 20.
Timo followed him in one lap later, but his left rear tyre wasn’t properly fitted and he was forced to retire.
Jérôme’s second pit-stop was on lap 41. He drove a strong race to maintain and increase the gap to the HRTs until the end of the race.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“A very disappointing way to end the season. It’s a real shame to have had to retire after losing the left-rear tyre after my first pit-stop but unfortunately these things happen. So it wasn’t the way I would have liked to end the season but, anyway, I want to thank the team for all the effort they have put in during the whole year. It has been great to work together.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Both drivers had excellent starts and were it not for Timo being over to the left into Turn 1 I’m sure they would both have emerged n front of the HRTs. Jérôme drove another strong race and really proved that yesterday’s qualifying positions were an anomaly for us this season.

We apologise to Timo for the incident in his pit-stop which cost him the chance to end his season on the high note that would have been reflective of his commitment all year.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our team on their hard work and dedication right through to the end of what has been a long and challenging season. We may have suffered one final disappointment here today, but ultimately we have achieved a great deal in terms of laying important foundations for a more successful future.

I would also like to thank our Partners for their unfailing support and we look forward to rewarding their faith in the steps we are taking to ensure we can all look forward to some very positive times ahead.

Our thanks also to Cosworth and Pirelli for the positive working relationship we have shared this season.”

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Timo Glock will start tomorrow’s final Grand Prix of the season in Brazil from 23rd and 24th positions respectively. As soon as the lights went green for the start of the qualifying session Timo and Jérôme went out on track for an initial five lap run. It looked like the rain was getting closer so they both went out on track for their second and final run a bit earlier than planned. They each completed a total of 10 laps. Previously, in this morning’s final Free Practice session, Timo and Jérôme continued their race preparation work for tomorrow’s race and completed 23 and 26 laps respectively.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“A bit of a disappointing Saturday I would say. The car was bad to drive this morning - suddenly from one run to another it had no stability any more. So it was difficult to go into qualifying with confidence, even though in the first run the car felt okay. I got a safe lap in then I tried to push on the second set of tyres.
I had a very good first three corners but then one of the Toro Rosso’s came out of the pits right in front of me and just stayed there during his out lap, so I couldn’t go quicker and lost some time. It’s a shame as I had to cool the tyres down before doing another lap, but the tyres are never as good as they are in the first lap, at least for me this weekend. So we have to start last, which is very disappointing, but we have to see what we can do tomorrow. Maybe the weather helps us a bit but in general it’s a shame.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A disappointing afternoon for the team and not what we hoped for going into this weekend. Timo had struggled with the balance of his car this morning and so needed to do some significant changes for qualifying, which is far from desirable although his balance did improve as a result. Unfortunately Timo’s second run was disturbed by Buemi on what would have been his quickest lap and this was unfortunate. At some points today the weather did look like it would play a part in the proceedings, however this was not the case. Looking to tomorrow again, the threat of rain is there and we will be looking to gain back the places on the grid to finish the season as strongly as we can.”

Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio got Marussia Virgin Racing’s last race weekend of the 2011 season underway today with the first two Free Practice sessions for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
With an air temperature of 26°C and a track temperature of 39°C, both Timo and Jérôme got straight down to their respective programmes, with both of them completing their first 29 laps of the weekend.
In the afternoon the team continued to prepare for the race ahead. With the track temperature at 47°C, Timo and Jérôme continued to fine-tune their respective set-ups as well as understanding the behaviour of the Pirelli PZero tyres. Timo added a further 45 laps to his tally and Jérôme completed 39.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“I had quite a normal FP1 and FP2 today.
I struggled a bit with the tyres; their behaviour was a bit difficult and in terms of managing them right for a qualifying lap it is not easy. But in general today was okay, we were able to work through our programme. Now we have to keep an eye on the weather and decide what direction we want to take.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Both sides of the garage have had a good opening day in Brazil with the drivers and engineers completing the intended programmes with no issues. The prototype hard tyres which we ran at the start of each session appear to be a step forward from the current hard tyre and enabled the drivers to ease into the circuit and track conditions before using the intended compounds for this race. Both cars have tried various different set-ups today with some focused towards how a wet set-up would perform in the dry, since we are expecting changeable conditions for the remainder of the event. The long run pace on the soft tyre appeared to be pretty consistent and the degradation much lower than we predicted coming into this circuit. As with most other runners we seem to be experiencing instability at the rear and both cars need to dial in the balance overnight. Overall we are happy with the day and look forward to what the weather brings us for tomorrow and Sunday.”

“It’s a unique track: the anti-clockwise layout, the bumpy surface and the famous Senna S make it a true test of driver skill and a real challenge for the drivers.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“I always look forward to the Brazilian Grand Prix. It has provided some excellent racing in both wet and dry conditions in the last few years. It’s a unique track: the anti-clockwise layout, the bumpy surface and the famous Senna S make it a true test of driver skill and a real challenge for the drivers.

“This is of course the final race in what has been a tough but eventful year for the team. We’ve put an awful lot in place for the future however and whilst it’s always sad to end one season, I’m already looking forward to the next.

“Reliability has been the watchword of our 2011 campaign but, disappointingly, we have experienced a couple of problems in the last two races which have prevented us achieving the two car finish that we have been consistently racking up through the year. I hope we can reverse that situation and end 2011 on a high by getting both cars to the finish next weekend.”

“It’s a really fun track to drive and I would say it’s one of the best circuits of the year in terms of the atmosphere. The Brazilian spectators are passionate about racing and it really is amazing to drive here.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“I really enjoy racing at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo. Even though it’s not a very long lap, it is one of the most demanding challenges on the F1 calendar, with some great corners - for example turn 6, an uphill double right hander, which is fast and blind. The car has to be stable through the twisty middle section as well as being quick on the straights, so a good balance will be key.

“It’s a really fun track to drive and I would say it’s one of the best circuits of the year in terms of the atmosphere. The Brazilian spectators are passionate about racing and it really is amazing to drive here. I can’t believe it’s already the last race of the season - the year has raced by and I hope to end the season with a positive result.”

Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock finished today’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 19th position at the Yas Marina Circuit. Jérôme didn’t have the same luck and was forced to retire on lap 18.

Timo got off to a fantastic start, climbing up to 16th position during the first lap and maintaining good pace. Jérôme also managed to gain positions but unfortunately his race was cut short when he suffered a problem with the front brakes and he was forced to retire.

Timo followed a two-stop strategy, pitting on laps 22 and 44, before bring car number 24 home.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“Overall it was quite a good race today. I had a strong start, the speed was not too bad and I was in front of a couple of quicker guys, even though in the end they caught us up. I just drove my race and my engineer kept me updated about the gap to the guys behind, which was quite easy to manage. In the second pit-stop I think Ricciardo pushed a bit more, but I still managed to stay in front of him as well as keeping an eye on the rear tyres. In the end I got the best out of the car even though I have to say it was a bit difficult with the last set of tyres because the Medium compound combined with all the blue flags made it difficult to get them up to temperature. But it was a good race and the team did a good job.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A good start to the race saw Timo running as high as 16th in the opening laps. Unfortunately, Jérôme was left behind both of the HRTs, however he was pushing them hard during the early laps. Then on lap 17, Jérôme reported some difficulty with the brakes and also that there was some debris coming out of the left front wheel. We immediately pitted him, instigating a pit stop with inspection of the front braking system. It was clear though that it was not possible to continue and we retired him. Meanwhile on track, Timo was having a good opening stint, pulling a comfortable gap out over Liuzzi and Ricciardo, who had stopped very early. A small issue at his first stop lost him a bit of time, however he still came out in front of Ricciardo. For the second stint Timo managed his tyres to ensure that he could get as far as possible. It was a little like India in that by staying on the Soft tyre, he would be quicker than the HRTs, which again had stopped early for the Medium tyre. However, we came up against Trulli - again on the Medium tyre - so we had to stop earlier than we would have liked. At this point with the HRTs clearly behind, we opted to save gearbox and engine, turning everything down for the last five laps. Given our record of reliability it is disappointing that we haven’t achieved a two-car finish in the last two races, however this will be our strong focus for Brazil.”

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio qualified in 20th and 22nd positions respectively in Abu Dhabi today, but will start the only twilight race on the Formula One calendar - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - from 19th and 21st after the grid shakes out with penalties.

Another hot and sunny day greeted the teams for the final 60-minute free practice session, with an air temperature of 27°C and a track temperature that climbed to 42°C. After an early installation lap, both Timo and Jérôme were out on track again 12 minutes later, continuing to fine-tune their set-ups as well as practising qualifying runs. Timo completed 23 laps and Jérôme, 22.

The track temperature fell to 31°C as the sun went down during qualifying. Both Timo and Jérôme were out at the start of the session for their first run, before returning to the garage for another set of Pirelli P-Zero soft tyres. Timo was first back out for his final three lap run. He completed nine laps. Jérôme went for a single timed lap and completed eight laps.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“Today the car was a bit more difficult to drive than yesterday. We already struggled this morning with the braking - I just didn’t have the confidence to go to the maximum and push. Depending on the corner, the rear end behaved differently, making it quite difficult for me to judge. But my qualifying lap was a good one and I am happy to be in front of HRT and pleased with the lap. It was good and no mistakes. But I’m sure that if we have more confidence in the car we can push more, so we have to look into this and understand why it changed overnight.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A good result for the team in qualifying today. Jérôme progressed well over the course of this morning and it was pleasing to see him opting for the bold strategy of a single hot lap right at the end of the session. Timo was less happy with the car on his first run in qualifying and this forced him to be slightly more conservative with a final three-lap run. Looking at his time, and correcting it to a more optimal single timed lap, I think we can be pleased with where we are relative to our competitors. We spent a lot of time before coming here analysing our performance in recent races in order to make the most of the last two rounds of the season. As a consequence, we took the decision yesterday to focus our set-up towards the race rather than qualifying, so we’re optimistic that we can enjoy a strong two-car finish tomorrow. As always here in Abu Dhabi, the track and its spectacular backdrop will add an extra special dimension for ourselves and the fans.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place today at the Yas Marina Circuit, where Marussia Virgin Racing Reserve Driver Robert Wickens got the chance to take part in the morning session as a reward for winning the 2011 World Series by Renault FR 3.5 Championship.

Robert made his Formula One weekend debut, becoming the first Canadian since Jacques Villeneuve to do so. Alongside Timo Glock, Robert was out for an early installation lap before returning to the garage for the usual systems checks. 32 minutes into the session he set his first timed lap and from then on continued to get to grips with the MVR-02 and the track. Due to a driveshaft problem, Timo wasn’t out on track again until the last 35 minutes of the session, completing a total of 20 laps. Robert completed 23 laps.

In the afternoon Jérôme D’Ambrosio was back at the wheel of car number 25 and joined Timo for the second Free Practice session of the day. The sun went down and the floodlights illuminated the Yas Marina Circuit, with the track temperature cooling down to 28°C. Timo continued to prepare for the race ahead, completing a further 34 laps, while Jérôme, who was initially struggling with lack of grip, completed his first 32 laps of the weekend.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“This morning I had a bit of trouble. I had a technical problem so I had to wait a bit longer to go out on track. So it was a bit of a difficult first practice, the car wasn’t that great and it needs a different set-up here to what we were running in the past. So it was a little difficult to get anything out of the car. At the end I also had to do some system checks which made it hard for me to improve my lap time. So it wasn’t the best of starts to the day. FP2 was a more standard programme. We made some set-up changes that proved to be a better direction and made the car more driveable. It was good to see Robert in the car today. I think it is well-deserved after winning the World Series Championship. So it was a great day for him I’m sure.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Robert acquitted himself very well this morning. He made good progress throughout the session and worked well with his engineers to get a good basic understanding of the car. I’m sure he will be pleased to have a good grounding before his full day of testing next week. With Timo in FP1, we found an issue on the right hand side driveshaft after the installation lap. This involved a fair amount of strip and rebuild during the session, which was completed relatively quickly and lost him little time. He continues to be developing the set-up in new directions, which may seem quite odd at this time in the season, but this is just a demonstration of his tenacity. Obviously Jérôme needed to hit the ground running in FP2 and he struggled initially, particularly with one set of the development tyres. However, by the final Soft tyre run, he seems to be happier with the car, although there are a few key corners which need looking at overnight. Overall, a positive busy day for the team. I’m sure with a clean FP3 session tomorrow, we will continue to improve.

Der deutsche Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock und der zweifache DTM-Champion Timo Scheider gehen beim Race of Champions im Nations Cup an den Start.
Die Teilnehmerliste für das Race of Champions am 3. und 4. Dezember in der Düsseldorfer ESPRIT Arena wird immer interessanter.
In den Fight der besten Rennfahrer der Welt werden zwei weitere deutsche piloten eingreifen, die als "SAT.1 Team Deutschland 2" im Kampf um den Nations Cup (3. Dezember) antreten werden.
Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock und der zweifache DTM-Champion Timo Scheider wollen, wie ihre internationalen Kollegen, einen weiteren Sieg der beiden Titelverteidiger verhindern: Michael Schumacher und Sebastian Vettel gewannen vier Mal in Folge und setzten damit eine neue ROC-Rekordmarke.
Im Kampf um den Titel des "Champions der Champions" werden beide nicht eingreifen. Scheider wird dann vom amtierenden DTM-Champion Martin Tomczyk abgelöst. Tickets für beide Tage sind ab 19 Euro im Vorverkauf erhältlich.

Mit Timo Glock und Timo Scheider geht ein überaus stark besetztes "SAT.1 Team Deutschland 2" an den Start, das sich auf dem winkligen Indoor-Kurs in der Multifunktionsarena in Düsseldorf durchaus Chancen ausrechnen darf.
"Ich freue mich auf den Start gemeinsam als zweites Deutsches Team", blickt Audi-Werkspilot Timo Scheider voraus.
Der gebürtige Lahnsteiner ist dabei insbesondere auf die motorsportliche Herausforderung gespannt und zollt Michael Schumacher und Sebastian Vettel grinsend Respekt: "Klar, dass wir den beiden Formel-1-Weltmeistern im Nations Cup die Teamnummer "1" gerne überlassen - das heißt aber nicht, dass wir uns hinten anstellen."
Der DTM-Champion von 2008 und 2009 wird in der Landeshauptstadt von NRW sein Debüt beim Race of Champions geben, an das er allerdings selbstbewusst herangeht. "Ich glaube, mit Timo habe ich einen irre schnellen Teamkollegen, mit dem ich nicht nur viel Spaß haben, sondern auch sportlich eine gute Figur abgeben werde. Jedenfalls werde ich sicher bei meinem ersten Start im Rahmen des ROC alles daran setzen, schnell und erfolgreich zu sein."

Auch Virgin-Formel-1-Pilot Timo Glock musste nicht lange nachdenken, als ihn die Anfrage der ROC-Organisatoren erreichte.
"Zum Race of Champions werden traditionell die besten Rennfahrer der Welt eingeladen - es ist eine große Freude, zu diesem Kreis zu gehören", freut sich der Odenwälder.
Er wird in der ESPRIT Arena mit Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Witali Petrow und Sebsatian Vettel gleich vier Piloten begegnen, gegen die er in der aktuellen Formel-1-Saison auch auf der Strecke kämpfte.
Glock: "Mit einigen der Piloten habe ich auf der Formel-1-Rennstrecke ebenfalls zu tun und ich bin sehr gespannt darauf, wie der Vergleich ausgeht, wenn wir in identischen Fahrzeugen an den Start gehen. Abgesehen davon freue ich mich darauf, die Kollegen in entspannter Atmosphäre abseits des Grand-Prix-Zirkus zu sehen. Wir werden deshalb sicherlich nicht nur sportlich auf unsere Kosten kommen."

“It’s going to be an interesting and busy couple of weeks ahead as straight after the race we will remain at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Young Driver Test before heading to Brazil for the season final.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“We head to Abu Dhabi looking forward to the last two races of the 2011 calendar. It’s going to be an interesting and busy couple of weeks ahead as straight after the race we will remain at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Young Driver Test before heading to Brazil for the season final."
“One of the most demanding aspects of the weekend is that the race and qualifying are held at sundown so the track is cooling rapidly. This means that the car balance and tyre grip levels are changing throughout the stints and one of the challenges of the weekend will be to keep adjusting wing angles and tyre pressures to keep everything consistent. As with Turkey, Singapore, Korea and Brazil, the Yas Marina Circuit also runs in an anticlockwise direction, giving the drivers the additional physical challenge to their neck muscles, even though they do extra training to compensate for that."
“Having not had the best of luck in India, we hope to get back to our usual two-car finish again in Abu Dhabi as
every little bit counts in terms of carrying information through to the 2012 car development programme.”

“I have to say that this circuit reminds me of different F1 tracks: the temperature is very similar to Bahrain, the track surface is like Hungary or Korea and in terms of lateral forces it is very close to Valencia.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“The season is coming to an end but there are still two quite spectacular races ahead of us. We now head to another Hermann Tilke designed track, the Yas Marina Circuit, which I enjoy a lot. I have to say that this circuit reminds me of different F1 tracks: the temperature is very similar to Bahrain, the track surface is like Hungary or Korea and in terms of lateral forces it is very close to Valencia. It features a very long straight between turns 7 and 8. The only fast corners are turns 2 and 3, which are taken at full throttle, so given the fact that many of the turns are low speed, the set-up is similar to how we would run at another medium-downforce track like Interlagos. I hope we can seal the season with two positive results.”

Marussia Virgin Racing’s Jérôme D’Ambrosio crossed the line in 16th position today in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi. It was a less fortunate outcome for Timo Glock however, who was forced to retire after Kamui Kobayashi drove into him. Timo got caught up in the melée that took place at the start of the race into Turn 1. He pitted straight away as his front wing was damaged, but had to make a second visit to the pits one lap later and retired.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“An unlucky day again today after a disappointing qualifying yesterday.
I just came down into Turn 1 on the outside and all of a sudden I saw bits flying around. I braked a bit earlier than normal and when I turned, suddenly Kamui Kobayashi drove straight into me and I couldn’t avoid the crash. My front wing was damaged so I came back in to change it, and we realised that we also had quite a lot of damage on the left side of the car, so we decided to stop.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“After a challenging start to the weekend, it all came good in the last few laps of this incredible circuit, where our strategy came to fruition for Jérôme. In most of our pre-event work, we had identified that only a handful of laps on the Hard tyre would be the way to go, however, in a racing situation, sometimes it is difficult to hold your nerve. Nonetheless, the engineers selected and executed the best direction and having trailed Karthikeyan in the mid part of the race, we certainly made the right call to stop on the penultimate lap in order to get ahead of him.
“On the flip side, the weekend has continued to be frustrating for Timo. He showed a great deal of promise on Friday but since then he simply hasn’t had the opportunity to demonstrate what he could do. I have no doubt that he will put these difficulties behind him and come back fighting again in Abu Dhabi.

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Timo Glock will start tomorrow’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix from 21st and 22nd positions respectively after today’s qualifying session at the brand new Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi. During the third and final Free Practice session the team continued to work on the set-up of the cars before the qualifying session and tomorrow’s race. With the installation lap completed both Timo and Jérôme reported over the radio that the track was dirtier than expected and that it felt different to yesterday. They continued to work with the evolving conditions, putting both the Pirelli P-Zero Hard and Soft tyres through their paces at the same time. Timo completed 23 laps. Timo was only able to complete one flying lap before having to head back to the garage and end his session prematurely due to a loss of fifth gear on his first run. Jérôme was able to complete 14 laps but struggled with a changing car balance all day and this allowed the HRTs to gain advantage.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“A very disappointing qualifying for the team. We had a very good Friday yesterday, but today we have been very unlucky as fifth gear broke in qualifying and I could only do one flying lap. The first flying lap was already quite positive - the car felt okay and I didn’t have any problems. We won’t be starting where we wanted to be but I think we are quick enough to beat the HRTs and we kept a set of the Soft tyre back, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. Obviously, it’s a real shame for me and my car crew, but that’s racing.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A challenging day overall with a great deal of disappointment on Timo’s side of the garage. This morning he continued working through more set-up items, each being positive, so going into qualifying he was pretty confident of a good result. Unfortunately he was forced to return to the garage after just one flying laps and we are looking into what appears to be a fifth gear drive failure. We’ll are making a decision as to how we address this during the course of the afternoon. In an otherwise very positive year in terms of reliability, this is very frustrating way to end the day. It is also the second issue of its kind, so we have to get on top of this. Obviously we have saved even more soft tyres than we intended to with our qualifying programme and Timo will no doubt be fully focused on achieving the best result possible."

Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock enjoyed a positive opening day of practice at the Buddh International Circuit in preparation for Sunday’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix in Delhi. He was able to complete his full programme of tyre and aero evaluation at a circuit which, coming into the weekend, was an unknown quantity for all of the teams and drivers. It was a more frustrating day on the other side of the garage however, as the positive start Jérôme D’Ambrosio had made came to an abrupt end following a crash midway through FP2.

After many weeks of virtual preparation for this new Grand Prix, the team set out to gather as much hard data as possible to help them establish the optimum set-up for the weekend ahead.

Both Timo and Jérôme were out on track early this morning and were able to complete their installation laps just before the session was red-flagged due to a stray dog making its way onto the track. The session was restarted at 10:10h (local) and Timo and Jérôme completed a total of 24 and 19 laps respectively.

The team continued preparing for the race in the afternoon session, benefitting from improved grip from the track. Jérôme broke the silence and was the first out of the pits. Timo joined him shortly after and they continued to fine-tune their set-ups. Unfortunately, Jérôme ran wide on the kerb at Turn 11 and hit the wall, ending his session prematurely. He had completed 12 laps. The session restarted at 14:46, with Timo able to add a further 32 laps to his tally.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It’s been a good first day here in India. The track is just awesome and really good fun to drive. It’s been an enjoyable day without any problems. The car felt okay, it has a reasonable balance to it and we were able to get through the entire programme and achieve good set-up work. Now we just have to analyse the data overnight and see what we can do for tomorrow. I can’t wait to get back in the car again here!”

John Booth, Team Principal
“From the moment we arrived in India and finally got to see the track at first hand, we’ve all been incredibly impressed with the layout of the circuit and the two days of preparation seemed like an eternity before we were able to see the cars in action. Certainly watching the cars here you can see that the drivers are enjoying this track, however it has caught a number of them out during the two sessions today. FP1 was a fairly straightforward programme for both our cars with a few aero experiments on front wings, followed by runs on the hard tyre to familiarise the drivers with the track. Into FP2 we split the programme, with Timo concentrating more on set-up work with two sets of the Soft tyre and Jérôme conducting some of the long run tyre work. Unfortunately, Jérôme ended up being one of the drivers that was caught out by the track, however I’m sure he will maximise his time tonight looking through the data and completing his final preparations in FP3 tomorrow ahead of qualifying. Timo and his crew have had a fantastic day and he seems to be pushing his set-ups in a new direction, which is working well for him. Hopefully he will continue building this into a solid qualifying performance.”

“We are all incredibly excited to be heading to New Delhi for the first Indian Grand Prix. We always welcome a new addition to the calendar, taking Formula One into exciting new territories and broadening its reach and accessibility. The fans there have some great racing to look forward to.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“I think we have a very interesting weekend ahead of us and I’m sure India is going to present some surprises that even the best preparation cannot cater for. It’s the first time here for everyone and a level playing field is always most welcome. The track provides an undulating lap with a combination of slow turns and high-speed straights, with many elevation changes that will make it a real challenge for the drivers. We can’t wait to experience it for ourselves during the first Free Practice session on Friday, but from our data and simulations the circuit looks quite interesting.
“The season is coming to an end very quickly - it is unbelievable how the time has flown by!
Reliability has been our watchword this season, so we hope to continue like this until the end of the season and aim for a positive result at the first ever Indian Grand Prix.”

“I always enjoy the challenge of a new circuit and this is certainly true of India, which promises to be a very exciting racing and cultural experience - a real journey into the unknown.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“A new race is always a big challenge for the whole team but at the same time it’s always very exciting to get to know a new country and drive at a new track. There are always some big unknowns but this time it’s the same for everyone, so what we have to do is focus hard on finding the right set-up for the weekend.
“I’m really looking forward to discovering this new circuit-it looks like an exciting one, as it will have one of the highest average speeds in Formula One and there are a couple of challenging corners and good overtaking
opportunities.
“We are getting to the end of the season we continue to push to get the most out of the car and to take forward valuable lessons and information for next year.”

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio finished 18th and 20th respectively in the
Korean Grand Prix today. It was a bright and sunny start to the day but the sun was slowly usurped by some clouds as well as spots of rain just before the start of the race. Both Timo and Jérôme had a good start and were running in 20th and 23rd position respectively during the initial laps.
The Safety Car was deployed on lap 16 as there was debris on track after Vitaly Petrov had a coming together with Michael Schumacher. Timo and Jérôme completed their first pit-stop on that same lap and went back out on another set of Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyres. The race restarted on lap 20, with Timo in 18th position and Jérôme, 21st. On lap 38 Jérôme pitted again and joined the track with a set of Supersoft tyres fitted. Timo followed him in only three laps later and also went out again on Supersoft tyres, running all the way to the end of the race.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It has been a good weekend for us. Strategy-wise I think we made the right choice. I had a very good car the whole race – very consistent to push until the last lap and all the problems that we thought we had before were less of an issue. The Pirellis were very good and very consistent. I had a lot of fun and could push until the end, until the last lap. We had a bit of a fight with HRT in the middle of the race, who were suddenly very quick, and I had to push more and more. Overall I’m happy and got the maximum out of the car. The pitstops were good so we made a big step forward in that area too. Now we’re off to our big adventure in India, which I think the whole team is looking forward to.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A positive race on both sides of the garage today, to slightly varying degrees. Timo drove a hard race all the way to the end and we were managing the gap to Ricciardo behind him. With Jérôme it is disappointing that we finished behind the HRT, however we must take the positive that the performance today far exceeded that in qualifying. He had a hard battle with Ricciardo, overtaking him after the Safety Car, but only to lose out whilst battling with Kobayashi. On the back of a disappointing weekend last week, everyone in the team stepped up their game for this weekend. The strategy was improved, the pitstops were slick and all this has been borne out of a great deal of introspection and redoubling of effort for the last few races. We’ll be back in the UK this week preparing for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix and the whole team – from the engineers to logistics – are looking forward to the challenge of this voyage into the unknown.”

This afternoon’s qualifying session for tomorrow’s Korean Grand Prix ended with the two Marussia Virgin Racing cars of Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio classified 21st and 22nd respectively. In contrast to yesterday, bright and sunny skies greeted Timo and Jérôme this morning, and they were able to test the Pirelli P-Zero Soft and Supersoft tyres on a dry track as well as preparing for qualifying and tomorrow’s race. Timo completed 19 laps. At the start of Qualifying, with a dry track at a temperature of 29°C and the air temperature at 23°C, Jérôme was first out of the garage followed by Timo three minutes later, both on the Pirelli P-Zero Supersoft tyres. In the dying minutes of the session, Jérôme was back on track for his second run with only 3:30 minutes remaining, whilst Timo opted to cut things even finer with only 2:27 on the clock when he exited the garage.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It’s been a great weekend so far and today went very smoothly compared to the last few weekends where we had a few more set-up troubles. The car was very good in wet conditions yesterday, which made me very comfortable for today, because if the car is very good in the wet it should also be good in the dry – and it was this morning, straight from the first lap. We just fine-tuned the set-up as for us there is quite a lot of grip here and that suits the car. I got a good qualifying lap; a slight mistake into turn 5 which cost me a bit of time, but in general today we are 0.9s from Team Lotus. The team did a good job and in particular my engineers worked well together to get everything right. Now we have to focus on looking after the tyres over a race distance and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“This morning’s FP3 was a very busy session as a consequence of the weather conditions we experienced yesterday. Both drivers stepped through a quick-fire series of set-up changes and overall they ended the session reasonably happy. They were suffering from some understeer and having spent some time looking through the data and examining the tyres we could see some evidence of where this was coming from. Going into qualifying, Jérôme retained his set-up, while Timo made a few adjustments to his. Both drivers got good, clean opening laps in what was a planned three-lap run. They embarked on their crucial final runs having planned to complete only one and two flying laps respectively. Jérôme didn’t seem to find the big improvement on the second run and we will go through the data from the car to understand if there is anything obvious. On a more positive note, Timo achieved a good lap, which he is happy with. It was obviously quite a surprise to see some of the top runners fitting the option tyre for Q1 and that may give us some clues as to what we can expect
tomorrow in terms of tyre choice.”

Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio got Marussia Virgin Racing’s race weekend underway today in the first two Free Practice sessions for the Korean Grand Prix.

It started raining in the early hours of the morning and the track was declared wet at the beginning of the first Free Practice session of the day. The rain remained constant and both Timo and Jérôme were confined to the garage after going out for an installation lap. It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes when Jérôme went out for a first and only run, completing 7 laps. Timo followed him out three minutes later and completed 4 laps.

The weather conditions improved for the second Free Practice session of the day, but the track was still damp, with some standing water remaining. Both Timo and Jérôme were out early and on the Pirelli P-Zero Intermediate tyres as the team had to make up for lost time. A drier line was forming around some sectors of the circuit, with the track getting quicker, allowing Timo and Jérôme to make the most out of the session and complete 25 and 26 laps respectively.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It’s been a difficult first day in Korea today with the wet conditions because I think that tomorrow, and on Sunday, it will be dry. We will have to do a bit of catching up tomorrow, but today was okay even though we had a bit of a problem on the front left suspension where we had to change some parts and it cost us a bit of time. The wet conditions also make it more of a challenging track but the day went well and it was good to be able to evaluate some developments for 2012. Tomorrow we have to concentrate on qualifying and our race preparation.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We had some quite changeable weather forecasts coming into this event and an ambitious Friday programme planned, looking at items for 2012 as well as trying some different set-up approaches. However, as we left the circuit last night and saw the latest weather updates, we realised that today might be a bit challenging in terms of completing this programme. That said, we’ve had a reasonably productive day and Timo has still worked on a different set-up direction albeit in the wet. We will have to wait until FP3 in order to compare it to our normal dry set-up to see how we will continue through the weekend. With Jérôme there is still a better balance to find, but some pre-planned overnight changes will help to fix these issues, I’m sure. Although we’re pretty confident that the rest of the weekend will be dry, there is a chance of some rain tomorrow afternoon and at least today has prepared us for that.”

“The championship may have been decided but we can still look forward to some great racing in the remaining four races.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“The team has done an excellent job getting from one race venue to the next in just over 12 hours. It’s been a very tight turnaround but we are now here in South Korea ready to go racing again and hopeful of a positive weekend ahead. The championship may have been decided but we can still look forward to some great racing in the remaining four races.

“We learnt a lot about the track in 2010 but of course this year we go there with the Pirelli tyres for the first time. We’re expecting to encounter a few challenges; finding the right set-up compromise is quite interesting here given the mix of long straights and tight, twisty sections. The track surface will have bedded in now, having been freshly laid just prior to the race last year, so we will see how the tyre choice plays out. The weather played a defining role in last year’s race but so far the forecast indicates a chance of rain earlier on in the weekend.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our reserve driver Robert Wickens, who won the WSR FR 3.5 Championship last Sunday while we were in Japan. He has done a great job this season and was a very worthy victor after a hard fight all year. We look forward to celebrating with him this weekend.”

“On the way to Korea I went to Kyoto. I took my bike with me and did a bit of cycling and training. I enjoyed last year’s race here in the rain. Let’s see what happens this year, but I’m sure it will be another interesting weekend for us again.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“I’m looking forward to Korea; it’s still a young race and the track is quite good. It combines long high-speed straights and slow corners like the start of sector 2: three extremely slow zig-zag turns where you need to find a good rhythm, attack the kerbs a little as well as keeping the speed up. Then you have to accelerate hard out of Turn 6 towards a very fast sequence of turns where it’s very important to get them as clean as possible otherwise there’s a high risk of going off track. So in general there’s hardly a breather to be had in Korea, which makes it even more of a challenge.

“On the way to Korea I went to Kyoto. I took my bike with me and did a bit of cycling and training. I enjoyed last year’s race here in the rain. Let’s see what happens this year, but I’m sure it will be another interesting weekend for us again.”

In today’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio finished in 20th and 21st positions respectively.

It was a clean start to the race and both Timo and Jérôme got away from the line well. Timo was first into the pits on lap 13, putting another set of Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyres on his MVR-02. Jérôme came in a lap later, and in an action-packed day for the pit crew, it was only seven laps later when Timo completed his second pit-stop, with the team again fitting the Soft tyre.

Timo and Jérôme were running in 22nd and 20th positions respectively and just after Jérôme pitted for another set of Soft tyres, the Safety Car was deployed due to debris on track at Turn 7 and near the final chicane.

The action restarted on lap 28. Timo and Jérôme pitted for a third and final time for Medium tyres on laps 36 and 37. Jérôme joined the track behind Timo in 22nd position and that was the order until the end of the race.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“I had a good start, got on the outside and managed to get Jérôme in the first part of the first two corners. I nearly hit Trulli; he pushed me out and I went out on to the grass and unfortunately couldn’t stay on track, so I lost position again and was behind Jérôme. I was stuck behind him for the first stint, which destroyed my tyres in the first five or six laps because I was a bit quicker than him and then he started to pull away. We went for an early pitstop but the right rear tyre didn’t go on well and I lost 4-5 seconds, the position against Ricciardo and then Jérôme was able to pull quite far away. Then the safety car came out and we switched to a three-stop and the hard tyre. I was able to get in front of Jérôme but at the end it was quite difficult against all the blue flags and I had a few tough moments. Anyway, we got both cars home no problem and we got the best out of the cars. I’m looking forward to Korea but we have to look at the car set-up again as it was okay, but not magic.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“This hasn’t been the most straightforward of weekends for us and today’s race continued in much the same vein. Our strategy didn’t play out in the way that we had hoped and we lost some time with our pitstops as well. Early in the race we suffered a problem with our timing information on the pitwall and unfortunately this was at a critical time in the tyre lifecycle, so we really had to think on our feet. Despite all of these problems, we were still able to finish ahead of our nearest competitor and with both cars, which are positives to take away from the race. We’ll be back on track in Korea in just a few days’ time so we will regroup quickly and implement the necessary improvements.

“It has been extremely heart-warming to return to Japan and receive such a typically warm reception from the fans here. They deserved a great race and they got one - the Championship decider to boot. Congratulations to Sebastian on his second world title. For us, we now head to Yeongam with quite a tough turnaround ahead but hopefully a positive weekend.”

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Timo Glock will start tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix from 20th and 21st position respectively after today’s qualifying session in Suzuka.

In the morning, with a track temperature of 38°C and an air temperature of 23°C, Timo and Jérôme started the session with an early installation lap before going out again to continue optimising their set-up for tomorrow’s race. After a first run, the session was stopped due to a red flag caused by Bruno Senna. The action resumed at 11:33 but it wasn’t until the last 20 minutes that Timo and Jérôme went out on track again to continue refining the car, ending with a final run on the Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyres. Timo completed 16 laps and Jérôme, 17.

Both Timo and Jérôme were among the first out at the start of the qualifying session for two runs on the Pirelli P-Zero Soft tyre, setting their fastest lap in the dying moments of Q1 and adding a further 15 laps to the team’s tally.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“For me I think it was a good qualifying session. Going from Free Practice 3 to Qualifying was a bit blind again because we tried something overnight which didn’t really work out as we had hoped, so we had to go back on that between sessions. In the end the car was really good and my lap was pretty spot-on. There’s not much to say apart from I think today Jérôme was slightly quicker and he did a good job. I’m happy with the car so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“After probably one of Jérôme’s more challenging Fridays, he spent a lot of time last night going through the data with his engineers to see where he needed to improve. Throughout P3 he did an impressive job to close the gap to Timo and into qualifying he had a good second run to finish 0.07s ahead of him. We anticipated a reasonable level of track improvement throughout Q1 so we left the final run right until the end with only one timed lap, which worked out perfectly for the traffic and enabled both drivers to get the most out of the car. Timo reverted to his P2 set-up for qualifying, having tried a slightly different direction in FP3 which proved not to be the way to go. We’ve seen the track throw up many incidents during the course of the three practice sessions so tomorrow we’ll be looking to ensure that both cars have a clean race and are in a position to take advantage of any opportunity.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix took place today as Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio got to grips with the track and completed their first laps of the weekend at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. Both Timo and Jérôme were out on track early this morning to complete their respective installation laps. Unfortunately Timo was confined to the garage because of a water leak. The problem was fixed as swiftly as possible and he was able to go back out on track for the last ten minutes of the session. Jérôme completed 24 laps and Timo, 13. In the afternoon Timo was able to make up for time lost in the morning and he continued his preparation for the race ahead. With a track temperature of 37°C, Timo and Jérôme went out with the Pirelli PZero Soft tyres on for their last two runs of the day, adding a further 30 laps each to the team’s tally.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It wasn’t a trouble-free first session as I had a water leak and I wasn’t able to run much. This cost us a bit of time and we had to carry work over to the second session in the afternoon, so we had a very tight schedule this afternoon. I think we are heading in a reasonable direction even though we still have to improve the car. The team did a great job today and fixed the problems very quickly. Let us see how it goes tomorrow.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“Overall quite a pleasing Friday. Both cars have managed to complete their full programmes and, particularly with Timo, we have arrived at a good set-up for this track. The morning was as ever taken up with trying various aero
components and we still have quite a lot of data from this work to analyse overnight. In the morning we had a small issue with a water leak on Timo’s car which meant that he had to finish part of his FP1 programme in FP2. However, he worked well with his crew and engineers to recover this time - even adding extra runs to fine-tune the set-up before his qualifying simulation. Jérôme has been less happy on the Medium tyre in FP2 and we will need to go back through his runs carefully tonight to try and understand the differences to Timo.”

“Japan has always held a special place in the hearts of the F1 teams and drivers. It’s a fantastic driver’s circuit – one of the classics – and the enthusiasm of the fans is incredible. The F1 fraternity was heartbroken to see the devastation caused by the earthquake and Tsunami eight months ago and the widespread suffering as a result, so our return there this year will be all the more poignant.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.
“Suzuka is one of the driver’s favourite tracks on the calendar and it’s easy to understand why. It’s a very challenging and technical circuit with frequent directional changes. Two critical points are the S-turns, a flowing combination of five corners where it is important to get the entry right; and the Spoon Curve, a double left taken as one, where it is crucial to find the perfect line and carry momentum into the following straight. “We are in that final phase of the season now where the races are just flying by – it’s hard to believe there are only five remaining. Timo will be keen to make up for the disappointment of having to retire early in the race at one of his favourite tracks.” ‘‘I look forward to driving again at this very fast circuit. It was disappointing for my race to end so early in Singapore and not be able to help the team. This means I look forward to the Japanese Grand Prix even more and I’m now 100% focused on the weekend ahead.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.
“Suzuka is such a fun and challenging circuit, I really enjoy racing here. The figure-of-eight layout is really unique and with the Spoon Curve and high-speed 130R corner, it’s a really demanding circuit with a thrilling fast-flowing lap, similar to circuits like Silverstone or Spa. 130R is one of the fastest corners in Formula One and you really have to think about how you approach it – it’s a real buzz to take the corner carrying so much speed. “I’ve been back to Europe in the break to continue to work on my fitness for the long-haul races, which means a lot of cycling in Switzerland of course. The next two races, being back to back, are tough ones for the team so I’m as prepared as I can be to support us with what I hope can be two strong race performances.”

Timo Glock was forced to retire after 18 laps following damage to the car sustained when he was struck in turn 1 which rendered his car undriveable. It was a surprisingly clean opening lap to the 14th race of the season with both Timo and Jérôme getting off to a good start. At the first corner Ricciardo drove into the right rear of Timo’s car and it wasn’t long before he radioed in with handling problems with his MVR-02. He persevered with his race but his car was a handful and when he braked for turn 18, he lost the rear and hit the wall.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It’s a disappointing end to the weekend for the team and for me. I had quite a good start but I lost my positioning with Jérôme because I was on the outside. Then, unfortunately, in the second sector Ricciardo drove into the rear right of the car and from that moment my steering wheel was not straight, it was quite a lot to the right, and in all the left-hand corners the car was really difficult to drive. I had a lot of degradation on the rear right tyre and then suddenly I lost the rear under braking and when I hit the wall I think it broke the rear suspension and that was it. It’s a real shame for the team that has been working hard all over the weekend, but this is racing and now we just have to look forward to the next race in Japan.”
John Booth, Team Principal
Unfortunately, Timo’s race was over on the first lap with the impact from Ricciardo. It’s a great shame we didn’t get the chance to see him in action at his favourite track. It’s certainly been a very hot and humid weekend for all of the guys in the garage, however they have done a fantastic job to keep to our normal high standards of operation.”

Marussia Virgin Racing driver Timo Glock will start tomorrow’s night race in Singapore from 21st position on the grid after a tense qualifying session on the city state’s streets today. Earlier in the day, the track temperature had reached 34°C at the start of the third and final Free Practice session. Jérôme led the pack of cars out on to the track for an installation lap, with Timo joining soon after. Jérôme went on to complete 19 laps and Timo added a further 16 to the team’s tally as they optimised their setups for qualifying and tomorrow’s race. With the humidity reaching 71%, it was a hot and sticky qualifying session, and also a challenging one for Timo and Jérôme, both of whom suffered some issues with the braking stability of their cars.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“A difficult weekend so far, starting from the first outing. I haven’t been completely happy with the car´s rear and we didn’t manage to get it right yet, so qualifying was not perfect. I made a small mistake at the hairpin at Turn 13 but beyond that I think we had the most from the car. I love this race so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Singapore can throw up all sorts of things so we just need to be ready.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“What we learned from yesterday is that the degradation on both the Soft and Supersoft tyres looks reasonably high and we therefore opted to save sets of the Soft tyre for the race. Earlier, in FP3, we focused our efforts more on preparation for qualifying, with both drivers using only one set of each compound. They seemed to be suffering with identical issues and unfortunately we don’t seem to have made much progress towards resolving them, so it’s not surprising that in qualifying we were somewhat disappointed. The Singapore Grand Prix is normally fairly chaotic and we’ll be looking to ensure that both cars stay as reliable as ever and with a good strategy I hope we can create some opportunities in the race.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for the Singapore Grand Prix got underway today and Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio completed their first laps of the weekend at the only night race on the calendar. The first session started with a 30-minute delay as some of the temporary kerbing at turns 3 and 14 had come loose. Once repaired, the session got underway at 1900hrs, with the stewards deciding to shorten the session to one hour. Down by 30 minutes on the clock, it was necessary for the team to spend as much time as possible on track. Jérôme was one of the first out and Timo followed him soon after. With 31 minutes remaining, the session was red-flagged due to a brake fire on Kovalainen’s car and all drivers were confined to the garage. Timo was already back, having suffered a puncture after being hit by Webber. Another red flag was deployed with only eight minutes to go, as more kerbing came loose, this time at turns 7 and 8. When the session restarted, Jérôme went out on track again, completing a total of 13 laps, while Timo stayed in to save tyres after having completed only six laps. The second Free Practice session was all about making up for lost time. With an air temperature of 30°C and a track temperature of 31°C, this was a more useful session, with Timo and Jérôme completing 25 laps each.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“Not a great first practice session. It was a pretty short one due to the problems on the track and then the incident with Webber, which in the end made us lose a lot of time. The rear left tyre was punctured and I didn’t run again as we didn’t want to waste a set of tyres in FP1. FP2 wasn’t great but it was slightly better. We did some variations in terms of set-up and the direction is not bad, but it’s still difficult on a long run as we suffer on the rear tyres. We have to look into it and try to fine-tune the car for tomorrow.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“At this type of circuit you always hope that your practice sessions are going to go exactly to plan in order to maximise track time and enable the drivers and engineers to arrive at the optimum set-up. So it’s fair to say that it’s been more than a little frustrating. Whilst we’ve collected some good data on higher fuel runs for the tyres with both drivers, what we ultimately missed out on with both cars was the low-fuel Supersoft run. Unfortunately both drivers had started their laps when the yellow flags came out for Buemi. We thought the Yellow would be out for some time given the position of his car so we aborted both cars’ runs and in doing so we effectively missed the sweet spot of the tyre life when we went back out. We’ve spent quite a bit of the day stepping through some combinations on the upgrade package but mainly to help with the engine cooling demands of this circuit. We now look forward to a smooth FP3 tomorrow and getting some better qualifying runs completed.”

“We head to Singapore with a great deal of momentum after an upturn in performance and it’s always encouraging to know that there is more improvement to come.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“It has been a busy end to the European season, as well as a logistical challenge. As well as preparing for Singapore, part of the team stayed on in Italy after the Grand Prix for our third straight-line test of the year. We completed more aerodynamic correlation work and continued to optimise the upgrade – all of which was extremely beneficial.

“We head to Singapore with a great deal of momentum after an upturn in performance and it’s always encouraging to know that there is more improvement to come.

“Singapore is unique as the only night race on the calendar and it’s a race we really look forward to every year. The circuit characteristics are reminiscent of Monaco. The short straights and many first and second-gear corners require a very high level of downforce to give good braking stability and traction. It is a hard circuit on the brakes as there are so many braking zones and so few straights to cool them down again. It really requires the drivers to focus during the whole lap as any mistake can be crucial - but that’s what street circuits are all about.”

“The Singapore Grand Prix is clearly one of the highlights of the year and my favourite track on the calendar. It really is an amazing experience and I just can’t wait to get in the car and drive through the streets of Singapore at night again.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“It’s great to be back in Singapore where I finished in second position in 2009. The Singapore Grand Prix is clearly one of the highlights of the year and my favourite track on the calendar. It really is an amazing experience and I just can’t wait to get in the car and drive through the streets of Singapore at night again. It’s great fun!

“The Marina Bay Street Circuit is very challenging. Just the fact that it is a street circuit already makes it very demanding, but if we add the fact that it’s a night race it just adds to the excitement. Car set-up is tricky, as with any other street circuit, so Friday will be a busy day. It’s an anti-clockwise stop-start layout which demands a high level of downforce and even though the average speed isn’t the highest, it’s really enjoyable. I am looking forward to the final leg of the season.”

In today’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the last European race of the season, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock finished in 15th place. It was a chaotic start to the race as a multi-car incident in Turn 1 meant the Safety Car had to be deployed for 4 laps. Timo got off to a good start and avoided the mayhem, running in 14th position. At the restart Timo drove a steady race and after two pit-stops, the first on lap 20 and the second on lap 38, he brought the car home in 15th place, which provides the team with plenty of data with which to confirm the initial signs that the latest upgrade has been a step forward.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“The race today was okay, even though the car was a bit difficult to drive, which is a little disappointing after the qualifying yesterday. Over the weekend we have definitely seen a step forward. The car felt better, but we have to look at why the car wasn’t so good in race trim and see how we can develop the package for Singapore.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“Timo had an absolutely outstanding start and picked his way through the chaos in the first corner to end the lap in 14th position. From this point on, unfortunately we didn’t quite have the pace to stay with Heikki, however Trulli’s early stop meant that at least we were racing him. We perhaps could have pitted a little bit earlier on the first stop, but overall we didn’t quite have the pace to stay in front. Nonetheless, the very fact that we are back racing with Team Lotus shows the improvement we have made for this weekend. We have a very busy week ahead, with half of the team moving on to an aero test in Vairano, Italy, on Tuesday
and the other half will be back at base to finalise our preparations for the final flyaways. The team and the drivers are very much looking forward to heading to Singapore where, if our simulations are correct, this upgrade should yield greater gains.”

The last Qualifying session on European soil took place today at the Autodromo Di Monza in Italy. Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio will start tomorrow’s race from 21st and 22nd positions respectively.
This morning, in the third and final Free Practice session, both MVR-02 cars took to the track with the new upgrade package. Jérôme had a smooth practice session but unfortunately Timo had an issue with the DRS on his final run with the Pirelli P-Zero soft tyres. With a track temperature of 44°C and an air temperature of 29°C, both drivers left the garage when the light went green for the start of the Qualifying session. Timo experienced the same problem with the rear wing as in the morning and after 9 difficult laps qualified 21st.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“A disappointing qualifying. We had a problem with the rear wing – it just stayed open and didn’t close again. Then after a certain speed it just closed on its own. We have never had a problem with it before and didn’t have anything wrong yesterday, so we have to look at this and resolve it because it’s not very comfortable to experience that. It was very difficult and frustrating because we were very close to Kovalainen today and close ‘enough’ I think. With the wing working properly, who knows?”
John Booth, Team Principal
“Both cars stepped through more set-up work this morning. Timo experimenting with wing levels and Jérôme establishing a good balance on the new package. Unfortunately, we had an issue on Timo’s soft tyre run with the DRS system not
deactivating correctly, which cost him significant time as he effectively ran with no DRS. We spent quite a bit of time over lunch going through his rear wing in detail and found some issues which we corrected and everything seemed fine in the garage before qualifying. As is often the case with these fairly complicated systems, there can be more than one fault and during qualifying Timo again experienced the issue. We clearly have to get to the bottom of the issue before the race. In terms of our competitiveness, the field seems to have closed up and the gap to the guys in front does seem less. However, as always we will treat this with some caution until we get back to a more representative circuit. Given the smaller gaps in the field and hopefully with Timo’s issue fixed, both drivers can look forward to what should be a more interesting race
tomorrow.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for Marussia Virgin Racing’s last European race of the season, the Italian GP, took place today at the legendary Autodromo Di Monza. The team brought some new development to this high-speed track, so this morning Timo Glock didn’t do much performance run- ning as the focus was on completing installation laps to check the car and collect valuable ontrack data. It was a frustrating start to the weekend though as Jérôme experienced an issue with the engine after 22 laps, while a sensor problem in the exhaust system confined Timo to the garage after completing only 12 laps. The team worked hard in-between sessions to have both cars ready in time for FP2 and in the afternoon Timo was able to continue focusing on the upgrade while Jérôme evaluated the behaviour of the Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Both Timo and Jérôme were able to complete plenty more laps than in the morning – 25 and 34 respectively.
Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“Not one of our best Fridays. I think we struggled quite a lot in FP1 with some technical and sensor problems and we couldn’t really complete the programme this morning. I was just hanging around for 45 minutes in the pits and I could not run, so that left a lot of work to be done in the afternoon. In FP2 we put the car quite quickly in a good direction and I felt quite comfortable. It’s a bit difficult against the top guys here - they are quicker and the top speed difference can be quite big, so we have to look into that for tomorrow and try and make the car better and quicker. It’s still early to talk about the upgrade as we have to study the data, but I hope for a smooth Saturday.”
John Booth, Team Principal
“The morning session was more than a little frustrating! Due to the unique demands of Monza on downforce level and our revised rear aero package, both cars had essential data to collect in P1. With Timo, a sensor problem on the new exhaust meant that essential logging runs took a little longer than they should have. Over the break, both sets of crews did a fantastic job to change Jérôme’s engine and also resolve many of the early teething problems we had on Timo’s car to allow both drivers to run a full session in P2. Overall, we’re fairly pleased with the data collected in FP2 and we are happy with the performance and re- liability of the revised package. We will now apply it to both cars overnight and look forward to continue working with the upgrade in FP3.”

Als Formel-1-Profi braucht Timo Glock jede Menge Ausdauer.
Die holt er sich bei seinen Trainingsrunden auf MERIDA-Bikes.

Es gibt Jugendliche, die kaufen sich von ihrem Konfirmationsgeld ein Mofa, andere bringen es zur Bank. Timo Glock tat nichts davon – er kaufte sich ein Kart. Und deshalb sitzt er seit 1997 am liebsten in und auf allem, was schnell ist. Von 1997 bis 1999 bewies der heute 29-Jährige sein Talent im Kartsport, 2000 bestritt er Rennen in der Juniorenklasse der Formel BMW und wurde auf Anhieb Meister. Spätestens mit diesem Erfolg war für Timo Glock klar: Er wollte Formel-1-Profi werden.

In der Formel 3 zeichnete sich der Odenwälder gleich als bester Neueinsteiger aus, indem er mit drei Siegen Gesamt-Dritter wurde. Auch der nächste Schritt war erfolgreich: Platz fünf in der Gesamtwertung der neu gegründeten Formel-3-Euroserie. Dann endlich war es so weit… Als Testfahrer bei Jordan kam Timo Glock 2004 gleich in seiner ersten Formel-1-Saison zu vier Renneinsätzen in der Königsklasse, wobei er von der Premiere in Montreal sogar zwei WM-Punkte mitbrachte. Als „Rookie of the Year“ machte sich Glock in der US-„Champ Car World Series“ 2005 einen Namen, indem er bei zwei Rennen aufs Podium fuhr – und das, obwohl sein Rennstall Rocketsports nicht unbedingt zu den finanziell schlagkräftigen zählte.

Die Meisterschaft in der GP2-Serie verschaffte Timo Glock 2007 erneut erhöhte Aufmerksamkeit verschiedener Formel-1-Rennställe. Zunächst als Testfahrer bei BMW Sauber und später als deren Ersatzfahrer,wechselte das Nachwuchstalent 2008 „ganz offiziell“ in die Königsklasse: Mit dem Toyota Racing Team gelang auf Anhieb mit Rang zwei beim GP Ungarn ein Riesenerfolg. Am Ende seiner Premierensaison wurde Glock mit 25 Punkten Zehnter, und auch 2009 konnte er beachtliche Erfolge wie etwa Platz drei in Malaysia oder die schnellste Rennrunde beim GP Europa einfahren. Als Toyota Ende 2009 aus der Formel-1 ausstieg, fand Timo Glock mit Virgin Racing seinen neuen, aktuellen Rennstall.

Damit Timo Glock bei seinen Rennen topfit am Start steht, ist Sport enorm wichtig. Logisch, dass Rennradfahren als Ausdauertraining und somit als Vorbereitung auf lange Einsätze bestens geeignet ist. Mit dem MERIDA REACTO steht dem sympathischen Formel-1-Pilot ein Trainingsgerät zur Verfügung, das bestens zu seinem Charakter passt – eben immer in und auf allem sitzen zu wollen, was schnell ist!

Nähere Infos auf www.merida-bikes.com

“After coming back from the summer break and achieving the ninth double finish of the season in Spa, we clearly know the way to continue and we just have to demonstrate our excellent reliability until the end of the season.” says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.
“From the legendary Spa-Francorchamps we move on to another historic and prestigious track, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. It’s another classic Grand Prix of real racing which we all look forward to and it’s a special track with a wonderful atmosphere and where all the teams receive some support from the Tifosi.
“Monza is the fastest circuit of the year, with four long straights and fast corners that enable the cars to reach high speeds. Drivers are on full throttle for most of the lap, making it a very demanding track for the engine. So
here the emphasis is on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency, which require the cars to be set up with a special low-downforce aerodynamic profile to minimise drag. This can make the car a bit difficult to handle, particularly on the brakes for the first and second chicanes. The famous Lesmos, Ascari and Parabolica turns are
all about balance: if the driver has the right balance then he has the confidence to carry speed through the corner and into the next straight.
“So we face the final part of the season with confidence and ready for the flyaways which we have already started packing for. After coming back from the summer break and achieving the ninth double finish of the season in Spa, we clearly know the way to continue and we just have to demonstrate our excellent reliability until the end of the season.”
‘‘I always enjoy driving at this fantastic track as it’s the fastest on the Formula One calendar so it’s always a
real challenge.” says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.
“Monza is a fantastic track situated in the heart of the town, just outside Milan. The track is generally flat, but
has gradual gradient from the second Lesmos to the Variante Ascari and the grip here is very low due to the aerodynamic profile needed. Understeer is also more of an issue here than at other tracks, however, we do experience oversteer in the second sector.
“I always enjoy driving at this fantastic track as it’s the fastest on the Formula One calendar so it’s always a real
challenge. The Variante Ascari is probably one of my favourite parts of the track as well as the Parabolica, where the real challenge is to brake as late as possible.”

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock finished in 18th positions in a fascinating Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit today.
Unfortunately, Timo had a difficult start when he locked his front tyres at Turn 1 and crashed into Paul Di Resta. He was forced to pit for a new front wing and to enable the team to check for damage but was able to continue in the race, although he did incur a drive through penalty. With Jérôme in 17th position chasing the HRT cars, Timo was in 22nd position. A Safety Car period which closed the field again provided the perfect opportunity for both Timo and Jérôme to pit. From then on they both ran a solid race, achieving Marussia Virgin Racing’s ninth two-car finish of the season.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It was a bad start to the race as I made a mistake into Turn 1. I hit the brakes, locked the front tyres and had no
chance to avoid the crash with Paul Di Resta. Unfortunately I destroyed his car and his race a bit, so I have to say sorry for that - it was my mistake. But I got a penalty for it and had to pit to get a new front wing and check the car as it felt a bit strange after we hit. But in the end I just tried to bring the car back home, closing the gap and overtaking one of the HRTs. I have to say the boys did a great job with the pit stops and overall I’m happy with
the result.”

John Booth, Team Principal
"Timo had a very good start but was perhaps a little ambitious with his braking for the first corner, and his ensuing coming-together with Paul di Resta meant that he had to stop for a nose change on the first lap. The Safety Car enabled him to get back into the race and, once he had overtaken Liuzzi, his race was really about trying to catch up to Jérôme. We’re pleased with the reliability of both cars, however we didn’t quite get our fuel consumption predictions correct from the Friday data, which meant for the second half of the race both drivers were having to work hard on their fuel saving. Again the pit crew performed well in what was quite an eventful race for them.”

The qualifying session for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix proved a challenging experience for drivers and engineers up and down the pitlane this afternoon, thanks to the changeable climatic conditions and track incidents.
Marussia Virgin Racing were no exception. The wet conditions in Free Practice 3 this morning provided Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio with the opportunity to put both the Pirelli P-Zero Intermediate and Extreme Wet tyres through their paces and prepare for similar conditions in qualifying should they arise. For a time it looked likely that qualifying may remain dry but then rain started to fall just a few minutes prior to the start of the session. Intermediate tyres were fitted to both cars but the conditions were mixed across the lap, with the pit lane being much drier than sector two, which was actually quite wet. The rain ceased but the track was never dry enough for slicks and seven minutes before the end of Q1, Timo decided to come in for a new Intermediate tyres, having been unhappy with his first set. On the last lap of his second run he posted a time good for 20th position.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“In general today’s qualifying was quite okay, but for some reason we had a lot of trouble in the first stint, on the first set of tyres, because we made a change from Free Practice 3 to qualifying and maybe it wasn’t the correct one. It was really difficult. I then came in for a new set of Intermediate tyres and in general I think the lap was okay, even though on the data the lap looked more like a Rally lap! Nevertheless we got the most out of the car and I’m happy with the result.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“This morning, with the rain at the start of the session being quite heavy, we opted to give both drivers a run on
the Extreme Wet tyre to give them some preparation for these conditions should they arise in qualifying. In the
event, qualifying was slightly tricky in that the rain at the start of the session was not necessarily so evident in the pit lane but certainly in the second sector it was clear the track was rather wet. We started both cars on the
Intermediate tyre and it was our expectation that the track would dry. In actual fact, the second sector remained quite wet. Timo was very unhappy with his first set of Inter-mediates so we opted to fit a new set close to the end of Q1. We are expecting a dry race tomorrow and this will provide a further challenge for both the drivers and the engineers, since we have gathered very little dry tyre or set-up data this weekend.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for the Belgian Grand Prix took place today at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit,
marking the start of the second part of the 2011 Formula One season following the summer break.Thanks to the typically changeable Ardennes weather conditions, both Timo and Jérôme were only able to complete 13 laps each. At the start of the second Free Practice session the track was still damp but the sun was shining. Both Timo and Jérôme were able to spend more time on track than in the morning. It started raining halfway through the session and it was Timo who broke the silence and went out under these tricky conditions, unfortunately touching the white line and spinning. But he recovered well to complete 23 laps.

Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“It’s been a typical Friday in Spa and we could say that the weather dictated the day today. We were able to drive in wet and dry conditions and the car felt good. The morning session was not too bad and in the afternoon we tried to do some running in dry conditions, which was okay. The tyres are not perfect at the moment so we still have some work to do.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“A slightly frustrating day in some respects, as most of our planning as usual was based around a dry session and we had plenty of items we wanted to evaluate, in particular in P1. But at least we have furthered our knowledge of the Pirelli Intermediate tyres. Most of the day was centred on trying different rear wing levels, as well as trials of some different front wings. The tests of these components are perhaps not as scientific as we would like due to the changeable conditions but we have gained some useful information which we will use overnight. There is a chance of rain tomorrow in Qualifying so both drivers have had a reasonable amount of time to prepare their wet set-ups. However, with the race looking almost certain to be dry, we will have to take some decisions and
compromises overnight.”

Am Mittwoch findet die Feier „50 Jahre Kart-Club Kerpen-Manheim“ statt. Leider wird Timo Glock nicht teilnehmen können, da er kurzfristig nach England zu seinem Team fliegen muss. Timo wünscht dem Kartclub und den Fans eine tolle Feier und seinen Kollegen viel Spaß beim Racing!

“After having a couple of weeks off over the factory shutdown period, we’ve all come back refreshed, ready and looking forward to the second part of the season. We are raring to go and want to put in another good performance at the Belgian Grand Prix to continue with the good run of double-car finishes we enjoyed in the first part of the season. From Canada onwards we have been able to finish every single race with both our cars staying out of trouble and showing good reliability, so we’ve got to make sure we hang on to our good form." says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“Spa-Francorchamps is an excellent track to start the eight-race run to the end of the season. It’s a classic race of the Formula One season, with a mix of high and low-speed corners separated by long straights, making it a proper mid-downforce track. It’s important to have good change of direction at this 7.004 km track as so many of the corners lead into one another and having a stable rear end in high speed is also vital. The weather is always unpredictable so we will have to be ready to react during the weekend.

“To come back racing in Spa is a perfect way to pick up the rest of the season. It’s one of my favourite races, it’s a fascinating layout and a historical circuit.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver.

“After the back-to-back races of Germany and Hungary it was really nice to have a break and relax, but now I can’t wait for the second part of the year. To come back racing in Spa is a perfect way to pick up the rest of the season. It’s one of my favourite races, it’s a fascinating layout and a historical circuit.

“The track is very fast and long, with some very tricky corners, so any small mistake ruins the lap. The weather is often a factor, especially due to its changeable conditions. Rain can come very quickly here, but this is part of the thrill of racing here. I’m really excited and I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.”

Marussia Virgin Racing driver Timo Glock 17th at the Hungarian Grand Prix today in Budapest.

Timo started the race on Pirelli P-Zero Intermediate tyres as it was drizzling with rain minutes before the start of the race. With a wet and slippery track at 18°C, Timo got off to a good start and were running in 17th positions at the end of the first lap.

With the track drying and the weather forecast indicating that it wasn’t going to rain for the following 30 minutes, both drivers pitted on lap 11 and put slick tyres on.

After 17 laps on the Option tyres, both cars came in for Primes and were running well in 18th position. Timo stayed out and pitted a third and final time towards the end of the race. Timo finished in 17th position, Marussia Virgin Racing achieved its 8th double finish of the season.


Timo Glock

“A very interesting race today, I have to say, and very good fun. I got a great start and got ahead of Heidfeld and some other guys in faster cars and was able to stay in front of them. They obviously were able to get past me after it started to dry and I just concentrated on my own race, managing to hold the gap behind me. Then when it started to rain, we made the right decision, staying on the slicks. It wasn’t easy to stay on track today as we saw, but we got the right result in the end. A great team performance in tricky conditions, making all the right decisions and some great pit stops which made all the difference. Thanks to everyone for their hard work in the long run up to race 11 and now they deserve an enjoyable break so we can come back fighting again in Spa.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“An incredible start for Timo on the opening laps of the race. In wet conditions he managed to fight with cars which are normally several seconds quicker than us in the dry. The rest of Timo’s race went pretty seamlessly with both him and his engineers on the wall making good decisions, particularly in the period where we had rain at around two thirds distance, and he remained out on slicks. Jérôme was also performing well, but his decision to fit intermediate tyres wasn’t correct. However, in the position he was in, had there been any more rain, it could have worked. The pit crew have been exemplary today, with good consistent stops under difficult conditions. The final pit stops for both drivers were affected by a slippery surface on the way into the pit box and unfortunately this caught Jérôme out.

“Overall, at this point in the season we are very happy with our reliability but realise there’s still work to be done in terms of performance. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a last few weeks for the whole team but with plenty of highs. Now everyone leaves for a well-deserved break and I’m sure all the batteries will be recharged ready for Spa.”

The track temperature was already up to 33°C this morning at the start of the third and final Free Practice session. After both Timo and Jérôme wrapping up an early installation lap, they were quickly out on track again to optimise their set-ups for qualifying and tomorrow’s race, completing 20.

At the start of qualifying the track was slightly cooler at 31°C due to the wind that had picked up late morning, Timo and Jérôme opted to run two sets of Option tyres and both drivers set their fastest times in the second run. Despite qualifying 21st today, Timo will start tomorrow’s race from 20th position as Sebastien Buemi will drop five grid places on his qualifying position as penalty for his collision with Nick Heidfeld in last week’s German Grand Prix.


Timo Glock

“It hasn’t been an easy weekend so far. Yesterday the car was okay, not perfect, but at least we had a good baseline for today. But then unfortunately the wind picked up this morning and it felt like it just blew our car off the track a little bit. It was very difficult this morning as I had no balance and I really had to work around the set-up. We tried a lot of different combinations and I have to say that my engineers did a very good job. As a team we picked the right set-up in the end and I had a very good qualifying lap. I got the best out of the car and collected a lot of data, and now we have to see why the car is more difficult to drive under these conditions. But I’m happy with my work today.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Both cars started taking a set-up direction that had seemed positive in FP2. This morning, while Jérôme was happy with his balance, Timo was less so, and this may partly be due to the strong wind conditions seen today. Going into qualifying, Jérôme kept his FP3 set-up , while Timo made some significant changes to improve his balance from FP3. Both cars got clean laps and Timo was happier with the car in qualifying. We opted to save a set of new Option tyres for the race tomorrow and we hope this decision will ensure both cars have a strong race.”

After an early installation lap, both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio spent part of the morning session conducting aero tests. It wasn’t until halfway through the session that Timo established his first timed lap. Timo completed 30 laps.

In the afternoon, and with the track providing more grip than in the first session, the drivers continued to complete their programme, using the data gathered in the morning session to improve the overall performance of the car. Timo added another 33 laps to his tally.


Timo Glock, Race Driver #24

“This morning was all about aero runs, which is always useful as we are able to collect plenty of data. In the afternoon we worked on the set-up and on some ideas for tomorrow. The main issue at the moment is the tyres, as they are proving to be quite difficult to handle this week, so we will have to have a good look before tomorrow.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“It’s been a busy Friday for us. In the morning we completed plenty of pre-planned aero tests on both cars. Unfortunately, Jérôme’s changes took longer than expected and he also had a small issue with the set-up of his steering, but in general it was a positive first session. In the afternoon fortunately the weather remained dry and we were able to continue the set-up work on the two cars. At times in the session, we have had the two cars set up quite differently and we need to analyse carefully the data gathered in order to decide how we approach tomorrow. This weekend the tyres are going to play a big part and this will also influence the decisions we take. It’s clear that our pace is not quite what we’ve been used to for the last few races, so we need to try to add some significant performance to the cars overnight.”

Timo Glock

“Hungary is always one of my favourite races of the season. In 2008 I scored my first ever Formula One podium here, so the Hungaroring holds very special memories. Budapest is also a unique city and I always enjoy the race weekend here, where the atmosphere is always great.

“It’s a very challenging and physical track but its always good fun to drive. The circuit generates an incredible amount of grip as the weekend gets underway, which can provide a real challenge in finding the right set-up for the race. It combines very short straights and many corners that require a lot of focus as one leads into the next without any recovery time. After my home race in Germany, I feel very positive looking forward to the weekend ahead.”


John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal

“This is the last Grand Prix before the summer break, so we hope to put in another good performance before a well-deserved rest for the team.”

“The Hungarian Grand Prix will be the conclusion to a very busy and positive period for the team following the important announcements that have taken place this month. We are clearly taking strong and steady steps forward and this makes us confident.

“After packing the garage and trucks and heading to Hungary in the space of only two days, we arrive to what is going to be one of the toughest races of the season in terms of technical and physical demands. The tight and twisty layout makes it a real challenge for the drivers, which have to drive to the limit during the whole lap.

“This 4.381 km track requires a high downforce level as well as good mechanical grip. The surface is quite bumpy and even though overtaking has traditionally been very difficult here, this should change now with DRS and the Pirelli tyres. This is the last Grand Prix before the summer break, so we hope to put in another good performance before a well-deserved rest for the team.”

Marussia Virgin Racing celebrated its new long-term agreement with Timo Glock by achieving its seventh double finish of the season at today’s German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, with Timo finishing in 17th position.

It was spitting with rain on the grid minutes before the start of the race, but both Timo and Jérôme decided to start the race on the Pirelli P-Zero Option tyres. Timo got off to a good start and gained two positions straight away.

Timo’s first stint was extended because of his good pace on track and he finally pitted on lap 22. Timo put Options back on and rejoined the race in 18th positions. Timo was comfortably pulling away from Vitantonio Liuzzi.

With only 12 laps remaining, Timo stopped for Prime tyres. Both drivers set their fastest laps of the race on their final laps.


Timo Glock
“After a positive start to the day with the announcement about my future with the team, it was quite a difficult race today. I struggled with the braking system from the middle of the race onwards and I wasn’t able to push late on in the race, so we have to look into the problem. Otherwise thanks to the team for a good weekend at my home Grand Prix. A shame it was so cold for everyone but we head to Hungary now for better weather and I hope we can have another good result there.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“This is a great way to end Timo’s home race weekend. After announcing a new long-term contract with him this morning, the day ended in a positive way as we achieved another double finish. We knew that the Option tyres would work better, which is why we completed most of the race with them and waited until the very end to use the Primes. We had a small issue with Timo’s braking system towards the end of the race and this slowed his pace. Overall, a pleasing result with the team working well under pressure. We now complete a quick turnaround and travel over to Hungary for what we hope will be another good weekend.”

Vertragsverlängerung um drei Jahre!
Timo Glock hält Marussia Virgin die Treue


Timo Glock: “Ich fühle mich bei Marussia Virgin Racing sehr wohl. Deshalb habe ich mich dazu entschieden, in den nächsten drei Jahren weiter am Aufbau des Teams mitzuwirken. Ich bin stolz, ein Teil dieses Teams zu sein und freue mich auf alles, was wir in Zukunft miteinander erreichen werden. Insbesondere durch das Engagement von Marussia Motors sowie die Partnerschaft mit McLaren sehe ich sehr große Chancen für eine erfolgreiche Zukunft!“



Contract extension for three more years!
Timo Glock keeps faith with Marussia Virgin


Timo Glock: “I feel very comfortable with Marussia Virgin Racing. This is the reason why I decided to contribute to the development of the team for the next three years. I am very proud to be a part of this team and I am looking forward to all we will achieve together in the future. With the direct involvement of Marussia Motors, together with the new partnership with McLaren, I see a great opportunity for a very successful future.“

The Qualifying session for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix took place today in chilly conditions at the Nürburgring. Timo Glock will start his home race from 20th position on the grid.

During this morning’s third and final Free Practice session both drivers continued working to finalise the set-up for qualifying and the race. With an air temperature of 12°C and a track temperature of 19°C, the main difficulty again was to get heat into the tyres.

Timo and Jérôme were the first drivers out on track at the start of the qualifying hour, which was held in very similar temperatures to this morning – air 14°C, track 22°C. Both drivers completed a total of 12 laps each using the Option tyre and set their fastest times in the second stint.


Timo Glock
“The car was not easy to drive today, by any means. We had the same problem in Silverstone in similarly windy conditions and our car is just very sensitive to that. We have to understand why because without the little mistakes, too much oversteer and being too much over the limit to trying to get the maximum out of the car, we could have been four or five tenths quicker. I was pushing hard and I drove a good lap I think. I just want to get more out of the car. We still managed to split the Lotus cars and in better conditions I think we could have a good race, so we will see what tomorrow brings. The fans have been great here and thanks to them for their support in my home race.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“We spent a lot of time last night going through all of the information we had collected during Friday, paying particular attention to the aerodynamic data. As a result of this, we made some quite significant changes to both cars overnight. The drivers were happy with these and were able to work on further set-up improvements during FP3. We seem to be starting to understand where some of our issues lie, particularly during the last two race weekends when we’ve experienced cold track temperatures and windy conditions. These aren’t suiting our car at present but we will keep working to solve these issues. We chose to do two long runs during the qualifying session to take advantage of the Option tyres that are being so consistent. Both drivers did a good job today managing the traffic and we achieved a good result, ending up with one car in front of a Lotus. We are happy with today’s performance and we look forward to tomorrow’s race.”

The first two Free Practice sessions for Timo Glock’s home Grand Prix at the Nürburgring took place today in the typically cool conditions provided by the Eifel mountains.

With a track temperature of only 19°C, the morning session started with both Timo and Jérôme focusing on engine and aero mapping tests. Both drivers tried out different set-up directions based on what the team learned last week at the straight line test at RAF Cottesmore in the UK. After deciding to save the Pirelli P-Zero development tyres for the second session of the day, the main difficulty for the drivers was getting the Prime tyres up to temperature when they were out on track. Timo completed 23 laps and Jérôme, 22.

In the afternoon the track conditions improved, with both drivers on Option tyres improving on their morning lap times. Timo completed a further 32 laps, achieving a total of 55 laps.


Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“This morning we wanted to focus on our aero program and therefore we didn’t do any real set-up work, so we only used the Prime tyres, which are slower than the two soft options. I think the second session was reasonable for us. I’m not 100% happy but I think it was a good start to the weekend. I felt comfortable in the car and I’m very happy to be in Germany and racing at home in front of the fantastic German fans.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“The morning session was spent in part going over some old ground, confirming the engine mapping direction to ensure we were getting maximum aero performance. We also experimented with some set-ups which we arrived at from the data we collected at the straight line test. There is certainly quite a significant difference between the Prime and Option tyres, particularly at the start of the run, and in fact with Timo we opted not to run the Prime tyres in the second session to get more useful set-up work. At the end of the session we’ve acquired even more data than we would normally achieve on a Friday to go through, which we are hopeful will yield some improvements that we can apply overnight.”

“We have seen an improvement in pace over the last few races and after our sixth double finish of the season last time out, we have clearly demonstrated strong reliability. So we arrive in Germany in high spirits and with the desire to put in another good performance.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“After a positive weekend on home soil at Silverstone, we are looking forward to getting to Germany to continue with our positive progress. We have seen an improvement in pace over the last few races and after our sixth double finish of the season last time out, we have clearly demonstrated strong reliability.

“So we arrive in Germany in high spirits and with the desire to put in another good performance after a weekend in Sochi engaging with our Russian fans. This is also Timo’s home race, so he will be even more encouraged to do well in front of his home crowd. The Nürburgring, where the weather is always notoriously unpredictable, is a historical circuit with a good mix of corners, mostly slow and medium speed. The cars tend to understeer here, so a well matched mechanical and aerodynamic balance is needed to compensate this. It’s a track with quite a lot of grip and it’s not particularly demanding on the brakes.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing the German fans. It will be great to feel their support and to have my friends and family around me. It’s always such a special feeling, it’s hard to describe.”
says Timo Glock

“I’m really looking forward to my home Grand Prix in Germany. It’s great to be back at the Nűrburgring, a track where I’ve enjoyed some very good races and a lot of success in the past in Formula BMW, F3 and GP2 as well as F1. The track itself is good fun. The first part is quite technical and the rest is really quite easy to drive.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the German fans. It will be great to feel their support and to have my friends and family around me. It’s always such a special feeling, it’s hard to describe. As I do at every race, I will do everything possible to achieve another strong result for the team.”

Next weekend (16-17 July), the Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team embarks on the journey towards Sochi 2014 - the venue for the much-anticipated inaugural Russian Grand Prix – by taking part in the Formula Sochi Speed Festival on the city’s streets.

The team’s Race drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio will provide the Russian fans with the breath-taking experience of seeing a Formula One car at close quarters on a temporary circuit built around the Black Sea resort on Sunday 17 July.

The first ever Russian race will become a home Grand Prix for the only Anglo-Russian team on the grid, which has taken some bold steps in recent weeks to match its bold ambition to be in a position to compete for a podium finish in Sochi in three years’ time.

In addition to the on-track action, Timo and Jérôme will take part in a busy programme of promotional activities which, in keeping with the team’s fan-friendly personality, will be key to connecting Formula One with the sport’s burgeoning Russian following. Marussia Motors, a major investor and title sponsor of the Marussia Virgin Racing team, will also showcase its first Russian supercar.


John Booth, Team Principal

“This is our first trip to Russia as a team and we are very excited about it. Marussia Virgin Racing’s first Russian connection was made at the team’s inception in 2010, when Marussia Motors became one of our sponsors. During the course of that year they witnessed at close quarters the tremendous passion, commitment and determination within the team and in November last year decided to invest in us. We are now extremely proud to be competing under a Russian licence and to underline our determination to succeed we have recently announced a new Technical Partnership with McLaren and a new technical base for the team. This is just the start of what we hope will be a very warm relationship with the Russian fans. We are honoured to be bringing the Formula One experience to them in Sochi next weekend and we hope that they will take Marussia Virgin Racing to their hearts.”


Nikolay Fomenko, Marussia Virgin Racing Engineering Director, Marussia Motors President

“Holding the 2014 Russian Grand Prix in Sochi is a huge step towards getting the Russian public really interested in motorsport. Both Marussia Virgin Racing – the only team with a Russian licence in Formula One – and Marussia Motors, the first Russian supercar producer, are doing all they can to develop young racing talent and very soon we hope to have the next generation of Russians represented on this ladder to success. We set ourselves some challenging aims as Marussia Virgin Racing intends to compete for the podium of the first Russian Grand Prix, and we are working very hard to achieve this.”


Timo Glock

“Having competed in Formula One for five seasons, I can honestly say that one of the best things about the sport is the fact that it blends the more traditional circuits with some fantastic new international territories and I love experiencing new cultures and meeting new fans. I can’t wait to visit Sochi and show the Russian fans what a Formula One car can do. I’m sure we’ll get the chance to put on a really good show and start to build an important relationship with a country that the team is already starting to think of as home. Watch out Sochi!”

Marussia Virgin Racing achieved its sixth double finish of the season today at its home Grand Prix at Silverstone as both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio crossed the line after a consistent and well-fought race.

A rain shower an hour before the start of the race meant that the track was still very wet around the old start-finish straight when the cars made their exploration laps. The choice of tyres was by no means certain, with the final decision being made on the grid.

They both started the race on the Pirelli P-Zero Intermediate tyres. After eight laps a dry line was beginning to form and the challenge was to find the optimum time to stop for slicks. On lap 11 both Timo and Jérôme stopped for soft ‘Option’ tyres and shortly afterwards. In order to minimize time lost due to blue flags, the team wanted to run a two-stop strategy, using two sets of Options. Towards the end of the race, Jérôme suffered from degradation of his front left tyre, but both Timo and he were able to get to the finish in 16th and 17th positions respectively.


Timo Glock

“A good race for us today and a good result for the team in getting both cars to the finish in our home Grand Prix. It was quite a normal race for us I would say. I got a good start and a good first lap. The first couple of corners were a bit of a mess but when everything started to settle down I was in front of Jarno and could hold my pace okay to stay in front of him. After they were out of the race I had a relatively easy time. It wasn’t possible to gain places so I didn’t push too hard; I just concentrated on achieving our objective today which was another two-car finish. I’m happy for us and hope for more of the same in my home race in Germany in two weeks’ time.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“A good finish to the team’s home race weekend, not only with both cars finishing but also a clear positive in terms of an improvement in pace. Timo managed the 17th fastest lap in the race. The engineers coped well with the decision that had to be taken on the grid with the tyres and determined a good strategy. This was all helped with some good pit-stop work by the mechanics, including some late calls and coping well with both drivers stopping on the same lap. We’ve got a busy week ahead before the next race in Germany, with an aero test at RAF Cottesmore and also further rig tests. We are all looking forward to maintaining our current form at Timo’s home race.”

Timo Glock and Jérôme d’Ambrosio enjoyed a positive qualifying session for Marussia Virgin Racing’s home race, Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The day had dawned brighter than the cool and damp conditions in which the first two sessions of Free Practice were held yesterday, meaning that the team had an hour of Free Practice this morning to optimise a dry set-up for qualifying and tomorrow’s race. The two cars ran faultlessly through the reduced programme, and both drivers were able to evaluate the behaviour of Pirelli’s Hard and Soft compound P-Zero tyres during the session. There was limited scope for evaluating tyre degradation though, which means that a flexible strategy will be required for tomorrow’s race. During the session, Timo completed 18 laps.

Shortly before qualifying was due to start, the skies darkened and there were forecasts of rain mid-session. All teams were able to complete their first runs, but as Timo began a run on his second set of tyres he reported that rain was falling. Very soon the rain had spread over the whole circuit and it became clear that no further improvements could be expected. Timo completed seven laps in the session and was classified 20th; Jérôme was 22nd after six laps.


Timo Glock

“I’m quite happy with where we are today - I’m P20, I got Trulli and it was a pretty good lap. The car didn’t feel great in the dry this morning, so we made some changes, but it still wasn’t quite there. I gave it everything for that one lap though and did quite well. We’re never quite sure what Silverstone will bring in terms of the changing weather, so I like this kind of qualifying where you just have to hammer down for a lap to get a banker in early and sure enough the rain came. With a new set of tyres you have this one magic moment to make it all come good and I just made the best of it at the right time. There was a small mistake on my part but I got ahead of my immediate competitors so I have to be pleased. I’m very excited for our home race tomorrow.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“With better conditions today we were able to start our dry set-up work and tyre evaluations, although FP3 wasn’t without rain and this did mean that we haven’t quite got all the data we required from the tyres. Timo performed well in FP3 but was never really with the way the car felt, particularly compared with the well-balanced car that he had in Valencia. Working with his engineers he made some fairly comprehensive set-up changes before qualifying, which is always a risk. However he was happier with the car in his first run and posted an impressive lap. The rain at the start of FP3 cut short a planned long run for Jérôme, which would have given us more tyre data. However, Jérôme used the opportunity to complete some set-up work that ultimately both cars benefited from. It’s a shame Jérôme didn’t get the second run in qualifying, as I’m sure he would have improved.”

Timo Glock and Jérôme d’Ambrosio got Marussia Virgin Racing’s home race underway in the first two Free Practice sessions for Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone today, the first time that the impressive new pits and paddock complex had been used in anger for Formula One.

The unseasonal weather conditions confined Timo and Jérôme’s MVR-02 racecars to the garage for much of the day, with Timo completing 17 laps.

Pirelli have brought the Hard and Soft compound Pirelli P-Zero tyres as Prime and Option, but the team did not use any of their allocation of dry tyres, running only on Intermediate or Extreme Wet tyres throughout the day, depending on the amount of water on track at the time.

The weather was varied throughout the day, with damp and rainy spells interspersed with sunshine. There was no dry line on the track, which had a peak temperature of 20°C and the air temperature climbed only as high as 18°C.

The second session started just a few minutes after a heavy shower and Timo was the first driver to venture out on track for a systems check. Periods of sunshine allowed occasional running, and by the end of the session Timo had added 10 more laps to his tally.


Timo Glock

“We’ve experienced typical English weather today. It was quite wet in the first session, even though it dried towards the end, and I was generally happy with the car. During the second Free Practice we were waiting for better conditions and at the end I went out again on my first set of tyres from this morning. I was just driving around and waiting for the conditions to improve. My tyres were very worn and I ended up with a lot of aquaplaning, so I just focused on keeping the car on track.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Although the rain has provided us with the opportunity to conduct some further wet weather set-up on the Pirelli tyres, it has rather disrupted our planned programme. In FP1 we had intended to do some more aero evaluations on certain parts of the car and also gather some of the basic numbers we require due to the new pit lane layout. Both cars have stepped through some pre-planned wet set-up work, which we had in the bag should we encounter a wet session. Apart from Canada, which is a fairly unique circuit, we hadn’t had the opportunity until now to perform these tests, so I’m sure these will provide useful information which may not necessarily be applied here, but which may be used later in the year. It looks like the weather is set to improve over the next two days so tomorrow morning will be a busy session. I’m sure the engineers and mechanics will relish that first opportunity for some dry running in order to set the car up for qualifying.”

Lightning McQueen, the star of Disney.Pixar’s ‘Cars 2’, arrived in the Silverstone Paddock today to meet up with the Marussia Virgin Racing team. Drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio, in their new Disney.Pixar ‘Cars 2’ branded racesuits, posed with Lightning, one of the stars of the film, and some of his fans at the start of the team’s home Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone.

The Marussia Virgin Racing Weekend at Stowe School is the next stop for Lightning McQueen later today where he will spend time with the drivers and team as well as 400 members of the Marussia Virgin Racing fan fraternity, who are gathering for three days of racing, music and entertainment.


Timo Glock commented:

“It’s great being involved with a film like Cars 2 which introduces car racing to a whole new audience.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of racing in front of the British crowd many times and for British teams and it’s a very special feeling to know that everyone is rooting for you regardless of nationality.”
says Timo Glock

“It already feels like it’s been a great week for the team and we haven’t even started racing yet. I’m very pleased about everything that is happening right now as I believe we can really start to move forward. We’re very clear about where we need to get to and how we’re going to do it, so I’m feeling very excited for the future of our team.

“These next two races are going to be pretty crazy – it’s the team’s home race and then my own in Germany just two weeks later, so I should lose a few kilos because of the schedule alone! I’ve had the pleasure of racing in front of the British crowd many times, and for British teams, and it’s a very special feeling to know that everyone is rooting for you regardless of nationality. Last year was pretty special because it was our team’s first home race and its where our fan activities really began with the Stowe event, which was incredible. I hear it’s going to be bigger and better this year, so I’m looking forward to that.

“Essentially not too much about Silverstone has changed with the modifications – the track is much the same, although we start and finish the lap at a different place. It has always been one of the best circuits on the calendar – a lot of fun with some very challenging corners. There’s usually a bit of English weather to throw into the mix - the cool and windy conditions can be quite unsettling for the cars through the long exposed straights, not to mention the rain which is coming for the weekend. It should be a great event on and off the track.”

Formel-1-Rennfahrer Timo Glock lädt über Facebook zum Radeln ein

Meckenbeuren / lix Da geht was: Rennfahrer Timo Glock ist am Sonntag in Meckenbeuren von vier heißen Formel-1-Reifen aufs Rennrad umgestiegen. Der Bike-Hersteller Centurion Merida hatte dazu auf Facebook eingeladen. Und gut zwei Dutzend Radrennfahrer waren dieser Einladung gefolgt, um von Meckenbeuren Richtung Bregenzer Wald und über Romanshorn mit der Fähre wieder zurück an die Schussen zu radeln. Rund 125 Kilometer legten die Radrennfahrer zurück. Nach der Premiere hofft Timo Glock auf ein Wiedersehen im kommenden Jahr.

Quelle: www.schwaebische.de

JOIN THE RIDE !!! MERIDA und Ich laden ein zur Bodensee-Ausfahrt am Sonntag, 3. Juli 2011. Treffpunkt: Saikls Meckenbeuren (http://www.saikls-meckenbeuren.de/) um 9.30 Uhr, Abfahrt: 10 Uhr. Wir fahren eine Strecke von etwa 125 km mit flachem bis welligen Profil.

www.saikls-meckenbeuren.de

Voraussetzung: Du bist das Fahren in einer Gruppe gewohnt und hast schon ein paar Kilometer Grundlagen in den Beinen. MERIDA behält sich vor, die Größe der Gruppe zu reglementieren, um die Sicherheit aller Mitfahrenden nicht zu gefährden. Achtung: Helmpflicht! Wir freuen uns auf euch - FEEL THE HEAT !!!

Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme d’Ambrosio increased the team’s season tally of double finishes to five today when they took the chequered flag at the European Grand Prix, held on the Valencia Street Circuit.

Timo Glock got off to a fantastic start, gaining three positions on the first lap, moving up to 18th position. Unfortunately he was unable to hold off his rivals once DRS had been enabled.

From this point on, both drivers were effectively running on their own, using a two stop strategy to good effect to get to the flag. The race was finished by all the cars on the grid, only the third time in the history of Formula One that this has happened.


Timo Glock

“Quite a positive weekend for us I think. Everything ran smoothly and I had no real problems during the three days. In the race itself I had a very good opening lap and I overtook both the Lotus cars and a Toro Rosso, although he got right back past me straight away. Once the DRS was enabled I couldn’t keep Heikki and Jarno behind me and after that I just ran my own race. I was quite comfortable being able to run at a good pace although at the end we had a bit of a fuel pick-up problem and I had to save fuel. But in general I’m very happy with the weekend and I’ve retained my lap record here. It’s a bit of a shame to have a good race and still finish 21st where you started, but with nobody having technical issues or first lap incidents, that’s all you can do.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Overall a pleasing result with both cars taking the flag and Jérôme improving from his qualifying position yesterday by overtaking Liuzzi on track. This means that the cars finished in the correct pace order compared to our direct rivals. Looking on the positive side, we seem to have moved closer towards our nearest competitor ahead of us on the grid, however with such strong reliability throughout the field it’s a little disappointing to end up 21st and 22nd. We got the strategy about right, although perhaps we should have stopped Jerome slightly earlier in the first stint as he was just falling into the second stage of tyre degradation but unfortunately we were already stopping Timo on that lap. Towards the end of the race with Timo we spotted an issue with fuel dropouts in turn 1, which meant he was having to back off. We now head back to the factory for a longer than usual period, ahead of our home race at Silverstone. We are all very excited about working in the new pits and we’re hoping to keep up our current momentum for the next few races.”

The qualifying session for tomorrow’s European Grand Prix in Valencia ended with the two Marussia Virgin Racing cars of Timo Glock and Jérôme d’Ambrosio classified 21st and 23rd.

In the morning session, the team worked through a busy programme without any problems to finalise the set-up for qualifying and the race. As in yesterday’s afternoon session, the team ran both Medium and Soft Pirelli P-Zero tyres over various distances, including simulation of a qualifying run.

By the start of qualifying, the track temperature had risen to 44°C - much higher than during the previous session - but both drivers were immediately up to speed. The number of laps required on each set of tyres meant that three qualifying runs is not a viable proposition and both drivers expected to set their fastest laps on their second run. Timo was able to achieve this, despite encountering traffic.


Timo Glock

“I’m very pleased with how things have gone so far this weekend and today my car crew did an amazing job, so thanks to them as everything has been very smooth. One little mistake we made was sending me out in a bit of traffic on my second run. Petrov blocked me into turn one which put me in the way of other cars which were on a fast lap and I had to get out of the way, so I didn’t get the best chance on my second set of tyres and therefore set my best time on my third timed lap. Overall though a much better day. I was only 0.3s away from Trulli, my lap was good and hopefully we can have a good race with Lotus tomorrow.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“As we’ve seen on a number of occasions this year, it’s a case of mixed results. Timo continued his good start to the weekend and stepped through some set-up changes in FP3 which seem to have improved the car again, so going into qualifying he was happy with the balance of the car. Unfortunately we made a little mistake with the timing of his second run which undoubtedly lost him some time as he was unable to set his time on the optimum lap for the tyres. With this in mind we are looking forward to the race tomorrow where I’m sure further improvements will be seen.”

After crossing the Pond to Canada, the Formula One Championship headed back to Europe this week for the second of two Grands Prix to be held in Spain. Action for the European Grand Prix weekend got underway today at the Valencia Street Circuit with the first two sessions of Free Practice for Sunday’s race.

The street circuit is not used between Grands Prix, and the location of the track in a partially industrial area of the city inevitably means there is a lot of dust on the circuit at the beginning of a race weekend. Although conditions were dry and warm, there was little grip early in the session, so Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio concentrated on gathering aero data during the initial short runs. Afterwards the team worked on car balance making several planned set-up changes throughout the session.

Pirelli have brought the Medium specification P-Zero tyre as Prime and the Soft specification as Option, and the team took the opportunity to use both types of rubber in the second session, with Jerome looking at tyre degradation and Timo evaluating set-up options. As expected the track improved throughout the day and at the end of the second session Timo was classified 21st.

The weather was warm and sunny with an air temperature of 26 °C and a track temperature of 36°C,.


Timo Glock

“It has been quite a busy Friday, especially this afternoon. We went through the normal programme and everything feels fine so far. The tyres feel a bit different but the rest is okay. I think we got a lot of good data out of some aero runs we did this morning, and that will hopefully give us a good direction for the future. So far, so good.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Overall we’re pleased with how both practice sessions went today. In general we seem in a slightly better position than in Canada – perhaps more like where we were in Monaco –so we are feeling positive for the rest of the weekend. In the absence of any in-season testing, Fridays are now more important than ever and we spent the first part of P1 collecting some valuable aero data on the rear wing which will help us make better set-up decisions in the future. This afternoon, despite Jérôme running the Option tyre fairly early on, he had a good lap and progressed well through his programme, gathering the tyre data which, as ever, will be vital for Sunday. With Timo we focused more on set-up, in particular trying some different exhaust options. We will study the data tonight and use it to optimise the set-up on both cars for tomorrow.”

“This is our second visit to Spain in the space of just five weeks but the Valencia Street Circuit, which works its way around the unique setting of the port, poses an altogether different challenge than the Circuit de Catalunya.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“After a thrilling race in Canada two weeks ago, everyone at Marussia Virgin Racing is pleased to be back racing on European soil next weekend in Round 8 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship - the European Grand Prix in Valencia. This is our second visit to Spain in the space of just five weeks but the Valencia Street Circuit, which works its way around the unique setting of the port, poses an altogether different challenge to the Circuit de Catalunya. Unlike most street circuits, the 5.419km track is relatively wide, similar to permanent race tracks. The circuit has fast and flowing parts which, coupled with the proximity of the barriers, makes this an interesting and challenging experience both for drivers and their teams. There are no fewer than 25 turns – the highest number of any current Grand Prix circuit – and these present an entertaining mix of long fast straights and slower corners. The track calls for good traction and we also need to keep an eye towards the brakes here because of the stop-go sections of the circuit. Right now our focus has to be on doing the best job possible at every stage of the weekend so we are in a comfortable position come race day, then converting that into a strong two-car finish whilst keeping our immediate competitors behind us.”


Timo Glock

“Valencia is a race that often divides opinion but I really like the circuit and find it an interesting challenge. It’s a track where we really have to keep our eye on the ball – much like Monaco – because the fast straights and the closeness of the barriers mean you can easily become unstuck. This is usually a very hot race, which adds to the challenge, and a great and very up and coming city. For us it’s a case of doing the best job possible with our equipment, bringing both cars home and continuing to make good calls from the pitwall to ensure we are there to take advantage of opportunities along the way.”

Today's rain-soaked Canadian Grand Prix was one of the most enduring races in recent history. It lasted over four hours from lights to flag, and when the cars weren't running behind the safety car there was action on almost every lap. With the winner of the race only being decided on the last lap, it will certainly be one of the most talked-about races of the season.

The Marussia Virgin Racing team once again brought both cars home, with Jérôme d'Ambrosio and Timo Glock classified 14th and 15th. During the race both drivers were fighting for position with cars from several teams and were able to avoid any contact in the often chaotic conditions.

The team initially benefited from the wet set-up chosen earlier in the weekend, but ultimately in the drying conditions the resulting lack of top speed, coupled with worn and flat-spotted tyres, left both drivers unable to defend their hard-earned positions.


Timo Glock

“It was an unusual and difficult race. I think it’s one of the longest races I’ve ever raced in! It was a bit of a shame in the last part of the race as I had quite a good pace and I managed to catch and pass Trulli. But then I had a massive lock-up on both front tyres which cost me badly at the end. I couldn’t go flat any more on the straights because of all the vibrations, so when Karthikeyan came up behind me I tried to stay in front but he made a move into the last corner and pushed me off the track. He shortcut the chicane when he overtook me and Jérôme got by in that incident too. On the last lap there was nothing I could do as the tyres were completely destroyed.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“An eventful race to say the least and one that initially looked to be playing in our favour given the level of downforce we had chosen to run. With Timo we held our nerve during the first part of the race, waiting for the rain that was obviously coming on the radar as we felt that a stop for intermediate tyres would have been costly. This proved to be the case with Timo being 15th at the restart. The second part of Timo’s race initially didn’t go well, with him losing places when we stopped for intermediates, however with the stops for slicks he managed to get back past Trulli. Unfortunately, during the final safety car period, we noticed in the data a flat-spotted tyre and we advised Timo but given his position we needed to try to race to the end as a pitstop would have dropped us to last. Jérôme had quite an eventful race – starting last and finishing 14th. He did a good job considering the events of the weekend. We used him at times to try out strategies with intermediates and even with this he managed to achieve a good result. All credit to him.”

After a long night preparing a new chassis for Jérôme d’Ambrosio to race in tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix, the Marussia Virgin Racing team had both cars ready for today’s third free practice session. After an initial installation lap, during which the race brakes were bedded in, the team completed its evaluation programme, with Timo Glock focusing on shorter runs and setup changes while Jérôme concentrated on tyre degradation over a long run. Both cars ran with the Soft and Super-Soft Pirelli P-Zero tyres, although Jérôme only had a short run on the Option tyre at the end of the session.

Although the skies were darker than in the morning and temperatures cooler for qualifying, the expected rain had not materialised, meaning that the team’s strategy of focusing on a wet race could cause problems with the 107% rule. Both cars ran with Option tyres over two runs with Timo setting the 22nd fastest lap.


Timo Glock

“Quite a tough day for us I think. We tried to concentrate on getting a setup for wet conditions as the forecast was strongly indicating rain and so our downforce level is more suitable for wet conditions than for dry. The predictions are still uncertain but we hope this will work in our favour. It will probably be quite difficult to turn it around tomorrow, but at least we have enough downforce to save the tyres. We just have to see what tomorrow brings.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“It was a long night for the team but in the end both cars were ready to run in time for Free Practice 3 this morning. Jérôme’s crew did a fantastic job to prepare his car to our usual standards, so all credit to them.

“With the disruptions in the session yesterday we devoted some of this morning’s Free Practice 3 session to preparing for the race and perhaps in hindsight we should have allocated further time to our qualifying setup.

“We’ve seen quite a few varying weather forecasts over the last few days and on Friday afternoon, when deciding on the ratios we would run for the rest of the weekend, we opted to use our high downforce rear wing as at the time weather forecasts for Saturday and Sunday indicated a chance of rain. Overnight these forecasts changed slightly to say the qualifying session would be dry so we knew it would always be tough for us in these conditions. As they always say you can never predict the weather and the latest forecasts are suggesting that the conditions may swing back in our favour.

The Park Jean-Drapeau, where the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is located, was today the venue for the first two sessions of Free Practice for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

The circuit is not a permanent race track and is always dirty at the start of the Grand Prix weekend, so after an installation lap at the beginning of the session both Timo Glock and Jérôme d'Ambrosio opted to wait for the track to clean up. Both cars were out on track 40 minutes into the session, working through a planned programme of aerodynamic evaluation as the circuit requires a low-drag setup. Jérôme and Timo were classified 21st and 23rd in the session.

Pirelli, in addition to supplying the Soft and Super Soft tyres as Prime and Option, also provided a development Medium specification tyre for use today. Jérôme ran this tyre in the morning session, and both drivers used it in the afternoon.

The programme progressed well in the afternoon, although the session was red-flagged twice, the second instance being due to Jérôme hitting the wall at Turn 4. He was unhurt but the damage will require a new chassis to be built up overnight. Timo managed to set a time on Option tyres and was classified 21st, Jérôme was unable to complete the session and was 24th.


Timo Glock

“I would say today was a bit of a crash fest, and that messed up our programme quite a bit, especially in the second practice. In the morning we were just trying to evaluate a bit of downforce and I think we got enough data to be able to work on a reasonable setup for the rest of the weekend. The second practice was all about trying to see how the tyres behave here on a long run. Unfortunately due to the red flags we were not able to complete a proper run and I had to rush to try to get at least a run on the Super Softs. The weather looks like it might play its part in what could be an interesting rest of the weekend, so I think we can expect an exciting race.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“It has been a particularly tough start to our weekend in Montreal and as a consequence the mechanics and engineers have a long evening ahead of them to get us back on track.”

“The back to back nature of the last few weeks has continued into this week as we prepare to head off to Canada for the latest flyaway. We’ve had just four days to play with to strip, paint, NDT the cars and rebuild them before packing them up alongside our trackside infrastructure and sending everything on its way. Canada is one of our favourite favourites though, so as tough as the week has been, everyone has done it with a very warm heart because what we can always look forward to in Montreal is a fantastic weekend of racing and entertainment.

“We have a low downforce package for this race to suit the characteristics of the circuit and we have made some good strides with our car setup in recent races. So the challenge then becomes one of looking after brake and tyre wear and temperatures as this track is renowned for being hard on the cars. Doing a good job in these areas may provide us with a good opportunity in the race. Concentration is the key for the drivers as the barriers are very close – as is the ‘Wall of Champions’!. But they rose to this challenge impeccably in Monaco so I’m looking forward to seeing them in action next weekend. It’s always good to be in North America and next year of course we will have two pitstops here when the United States Grand Prix returns to the calendar in Austin, Texas, and these two races will form a much-welcomed back to back.

“I’m delighted that Marussia Virgin Racing will have such a major presence in the city this weekend as Virgin Mobile Canada will be sponsoring the Crescent Street Festival, which is always the cornerstone of Montreal’s Grand Prix celebrations. This is a big part of our fan programme and we’ll have a car on the stage and our full driver line-up will be mixing with our loyal followers throughout the weekend.”


Timo Glock

“It’s always a challenge to drive closely past the Wall of Champions without actually touching it.”

“I have very good memories from Canada, but not only because I like the track but because I have had some of my best results here, with points in my Formula One debut in 2004, second in Champ Car a year later and fourth in F1 in 2008 where I also led the race for some laps. So it’s always special to come here to Montreal and I love the city also. It has a really exciting vibe and everyone loves to experience time after time.

“At the beginning of the weekend the track is always dirty, as it is located in a park on an island and it’s not used as a racing circuit outside of the Grand Prix. It combines long straights with chicanes and slow corners and it will be interesting to be able to use DRS at two different points of the track. It’s always a challenge to drive closely past the Wall of Champions without actually touching it. I hope our low downforce package works well and we can have a good weekend.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Concentration is the key for the drivers as the barriers are very close. But they rose to this challenge impeccably in Monaco, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in action next weekend.”

Today’s 69th Monaco Grand Prix promised spectacle and certainly delivered it by the boat-load, including a restart with only six laps of the race remaining.

The streets of Monte Carlo basked in ambient temperatures peaking at 23°C, with the track high reaching a blistering 44°C. Marussia Virgin Racing drivers Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio both got off to a good start, managing to keep their noses clean during the opening lap and maintaining their positions.

Timo was demonstrating good pace after starting on the Super Soft Pirelli P-Zero tyres and was able to keep in touch with the cars ahead. On lap 22 he made his first and, as it turned out, only pit-stop, as just 12 laps later he was forced to retire due to right rear push-rod failure, pulling up in the Swimming Pool section of the track.


Timo Glock

“I was having a good race until the problem with the rear suspension. Even though the cars in front were slightly quicker, we were keeping up with them and we could have a bit of a fight. But unfortunately the right rear push-rod was damaged and collapsed in the chicane in the harbour - lucky it happened at a slow part of the track. So it’s a bit disappointing after what has been a good weekend for us. We had a good qualifying yesterday and today we had a good possibility to finish the race. Unfortunately this was not the case. I want to thank the team for a good weekend after two very busy weeks for all of us.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“We predicted yesterday that the race would be incident-filled and that we would need to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that came our way, and this is exactly what both drivers did today. It was a difficult decision to start both cars on a split strategy, but one that ultimately paid off at different stages in the race. We had information from Timo’s first stint on the Option tyre that made us feel confident that, when the safety car came out, we could switch Jérôme to a one-stop and take the track position that we were getting from the strategy.
All in all it has been a challenging but rewarding couple of weeks of back to back racing and we will return to our base to prepare for the trip across to Canada in two weeks’ time.”

After Friday’s break from on-track action, Marussia Virgin Racing took to the streets of Monte Carlo again today for the third Free Practice session and Qualifying for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, round six of the 2011 Formula One World Championship.

With the track at 43°C and in much better condition than on Thursday, Timo and Jérôme geared up for qualifying during the final hour of practice. They both completed 21 laps each in a session that was interrupted by two red flags.

For qualifying both cars ran the Option tyre, with the drivers choosing to run twice, setting their fastest time in the last laps of their second runs.


Timo Glock

“That was pretty much the perfect Saturday for me. Free Practice went well this morning and that was one of the best qualifying laps I’ve ever driven here at Monaco. I put everything into it. A couple of times I just brushed the wall and had a couple of slides close to the barriers and in the end I just got a massive lap out of it. Just before the crucial lap I said to my engineers “This is all or nothing”, and it turned out to be four tenths quicker than the lap before! Big thanks to the team - they did a good job and I took my chance to make a bit of a difference. In the end we are only a tenth away from one of the Toro Rossos and right with Lotus, so I’m quite happy with my job today.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“First of all, that was a very big crash for Perez today and we wait for positive news regarding his condition. For our team, after a day spent looking through all the data, we applied most of the setup changes that we had done on Friday to both cars this morning. Whilst initially both drivers reported a loss of track grip, both were reasonably happy with the setup of the cars. The red flags interrupted our programme slightly but we still came out of the session reasonably happy. In a place where mechanical setup makes a huge difference, the engineers have done a good job to optimise both cars. Timo’s lap in qualifying was perhaps one of the best we have seen from him and it’s good to see him enjoying himself around a circuit where the driver can make the most difference. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we will be looking for a solid race from both cars. There’s been a lot of action on the track so far and we’ll be staying sharp to maximise any opportunity that comes our way.”

Marussia Virgin Racing is pleased to announce that it has agreed a new partnership with musicMagpie, the number one, free-to-use cash for CD’s, DVD’s and Games website which offers customers a quick, easy and rewarding way to make money from their unwanted entertainment products.

After its huge success in the UK, musicMagpie is expanding globally and most recently launched in Germany. Founded by Steve Oliver and Walter Gleeson, who are shortlisted for 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Ernst & Young Awards, it’s an original and smart way of recycling music, films and games.

As part of this new agreement, the musicMagpie logo and branding will be on both drivers’ crash helmets for the remainder of the Formula One 2011 season and on the nose of the Marussia Virgin Racing car from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards.


Timo Glock, Race Driver #24
“I’m thrilled to be working with musicMagpie; a new and exciting online company which has taken the UK by storm. I am sure musicMagpie will have the same effect in Germany enabling everyone to scan their unwanted CDs, DVDs and games to see how much money they can get for them.”


Steve Oliver, CEO, musicMagpie
“musicMagpie is extremely excited to become a Marussia Virgin Racing team corporate partner at this significant stage in the team’s development. Technology drives everything we do and our partnership with Marussia Virgin Racing team demonstrates this core value. In the UK and Germany we offer our customers a simple and quick way to make space and earn extra money from their unwanted CDs, DVDs and Games. We look forward to this partnership increasing our brand awareness globally through on car branding, a social media drive, online video development and above the line activity. Everyone at musicMagpie wishes the team the best of luck in the Championship this season.”

After making its way up the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona to Monaco, the Marussia Virgin Racing team was on track again today in the streets of Monte Carlo only four days after racing in Spain. The two first Free Practice sessions got underway under very hot and sunny conditions, with the track temperature reaching 40°C.

At an always challenging street circuit, both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio began their preparation for the race ahead in this morning’s session. Timo completed 17 laps.

In the afternoon both drivers were out on track early. The track conditions had improved, allowing them both to bring down their morning session times straight away. It was also a session to study the behaviour and degradation of both types of Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Timo completed 35 more laps in the afternoon, and Jérôme added another 40 to his tally.


Timo Glock

“Generally it’s been a good day. We didn’t have any problems on the car in either the first or the second practice session. We were running at a similar pace to the guys at the top when we were on soft tyres, so in general I think it all went well. It was a good Thursday.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“First of all I’d like to say what a great job the team have done to get both cars ready in Monaco specification in the space of time we’ve had. There was a lot of work necessary at the front due to the changes in steering setup required for this circuit. The cars showed great reliability today so we could work through our full programme, maximising the track running with both cars. We split the two setup programmes, Jérôme mainly focusing on set ups to help ride and Timo concentrating on optimising the mass distribution. From the results of these two programmes we will decide on the best setup to apply to both cars. As part of Timo’s programme he ran Option tyres very early on, so I’m sure there’s a bit more to come from him. Jérôme did a great job again as a rookie round Monaco, which is by no means easy. Both cars completed long runs on the two types of tyre at the end. We seem to be seeing nearly double degradation on the Super Soft than the Soft. Overall we’ve got a huge amount of data but also an extra day to go through it all, which is how we will spend tomorrow.”

“After five races at purpose-built race tracks it’s always nice to come to a street circuit, which provides a huge challenge for the drivers but which also gives the engineers an opportunity to shine in terms of perfecting the mechanical setup of the car. Whilst aero is as important as ever and will require our highest downforce settings, the engineers also have to pay a lot of attention to the ride of the car and also allow for the cambered nature of the road surface that we run on here. For the mechanics the challenge is to be as prepared as possible ready for any misfortune given the very tight and twisty nature of the circuit here, with extra assemblies on standby. This race always requires an extra level of preparation which, coming as it does just a week after the Spanish Grand Prix, makes it a tough logistical challenge. You never know what you might get caught up in at this circuit and track time for the drivers is absolutely crucial; a missed session can result in heavy penalties for them in terms of honing their car for the race. We have taken the decision to run with our previous version of the blown diffuser; as was the case in Barcelona we will run according to the technical directive from the FIA in terms of the engine settings. Whilst we are realistic in terms of the gap to the midfield at present, we will be looking to keep our noses clean and aiming for another two-car finish.”


Timo Glock

“The thrill of racing here never fades no matter how many times you drive here. I think we are in for an exciting race weekend with plenty of action.”



“It was good to get both cars to the finish in Spain and having performed a little better than expected, so it’s a nice basis for heading to one of our favourite races, the Monaco Grand Prix. Monaco is a race that every driver wants to do well in, but generally it’s just huge fun and a great spectacle. It is also one of the busiest races as we have a lot going in with promotional activities and guests. The thrill of racing here never fades no matter how many times you drive here. I think we are in for an exciting race weekend with plenty of action.”

“I’m really looking forward to racing in the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time. It is really something very special and though I’ve raced here before in GP2, the thrill of driving an F1 car in the streets with the narrow track and very close Armco is pretty hard to beat. It will be a real test for me - you have to be very quick but you can’t afford to make any mistakes. We have the additional interest value of using the DRS here. I don’t think it will significantly help overtaking here because of the nature of the circuit, but it will add to the workload whilst driving and that in itself will be quite tricky.”

Marussia Virgin Racing achieved another double finish today to add to its tally at the fifth race of the 2011 Formula One season, the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.


The grandstands were full in honour of local hero Fernando Alonso and they were rewarded with sunshine and an air temperature of 27°C. The track had been warmed to 41°C and a major concern was to save the tyres in order to optimise the pit-stop strategy.


The race got off to a clean start, and both Timo and Jérôme followed a three pitstop strategy, using the Hard Pirelli P-Zero tyres only for the last stint. They ran at a similar pace throughout the race and the two cars performed reliably, allowing Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio to cross the finish line in 19th and 20th position respectively.



Timo Glock

“I had a reasonable race - although it was a bit of a struggle going into turn one. Liuzzi got past me as he had a better line but I got past him after the first pitstop, which was good as it meant that we could then go at our own pace. In general I think we got the best out of the car today and we had a good strategy in terms of managing the traffic, so overall I'm quite happy with my day.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Timo got a particularly good start on the run down to turn one, but unfortunately Liuzzi got past on the outside. He struggled in the first stint with a set of tyres which had a small vibration issue. We picked this up after qualifying but since we needed to run all three sets of our Option tyres today, we elected to use that set in the stint which we thought would be most plagued by traffic. It looks in general that our pace was a little bit better than we thought compared to the front-runners and we also didn’t see the traffic we expected in the first stint. After stopping for a new set of Option tyres Timo made light work of getting past Liuzzi and was able to run at his true pace for the rest of the race.

“In terms of the team performance, another strong weekend in which we have completed the first five-race cycle on the gearbox, which is a huge improvement compared to last year. Now we have our reliability issues behind us, we need to focus on performance developments for the car.”

The second day of running at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona started off with the third and final Free Practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix. It was another hot and sunny day, with an air temperature of 24°C. Jérôme D’Ambrosio reported that the track was still slippery at the beginning of the session, so both he and Timo Glock waited in the garage for the conditions to improve. With 20 minutes into the one hour session, they were out on track and completed a total of 38 laps between them as they continued to prepare for the race ahead.

For qualifying, the track temperature had climbed to 38°C but the session didn’t start as expected for Jérôme, as he experienced a hydraulic issue caused by a cut O-ring when he was just about to start his first timed lap. Meanwhile, Timo was able to complete a trouble-free first outing and after the improvement he made on his second run he was classified in 20th position. With only five minutes to go before the end of Q1, Jérôme joined Timo back out on track and was able to set a time on the Option tyre. He will start tomorrow’s race from 23rd on the grid.


Timo Glock

“I think we had a good qualifying today. We had a bit of trouble with the first set of tyres as they didn’t work as they should and I was a little worried. The second lap was pretty spot on I have to say, although I made a small mistake in turn 7 as I was pushing so hard. We spent pretty much the whole of Friday not being able to concentrate on set-up and it’s been quite hard to get the old package working well again. We tried our best this morning and in the end it wasn’t too bad in qualifying. Now we have to focus on the race and just stay positive as we chip away at improving the car step by step.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Timo had a better session, although he had slightly less rear grip than we expected on his first run, but a tyre pressure adjustment enabled him to set a quicker lap. As for the race tomorrow, a two-car finish continues to be our goal. We are operating both cars in a specification that complies fully with the technical directive regarding engine/exhaust configurations issued to the teams last week by the FIA. We will continue to refine our recent upgrade over the forthcoming races."

After conducting its first ever straight-line aero test at the Idiada Proving Ground in Spain five days ago, Marussia Virgin Racing was back out on track today at the Circuit de Catalunya for the first two Free Practice sessions of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

As a result of the aero test, some modifications had been made to the new floor and exhaust package, to cure the heat-management issues experienced in Turkey. In order to maximise the data gained today, the team opted to run Timo Glock’s car with the new package, and use the previous floor and exhaust design on Jérôme d’Ambrosio’s car.

With warm and sunny conditions and a track temperature of 27˚C, the morning started with both Timo and Jérôme out on track early for their installation laps. They then waited in the garage for the track conditions to improve. Both cars ran faultlessly and by the end of the session Timo had completed 25 laps and Jérôme had managed 18.

In the afternoon session, the track temperature had crept up to 44˚C and again both cars were able to complete their planned programmes. Jérôme put in 36 laps during the course of the session and Timo 28.


Timo Glock

“At the moment we are focusing on getting to grips with the new exhaust, so we can’t do much in terms of setup or balance work. Today has mainly been about gathering data. It’s not easy but I think we made some progress and we are starting to understand the philosophy of it. Now we have a lot of work to do overnight before we decide whether to keep the system on the car for tomorrow and the race.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“As a result of our recent straight-line test, we decided to run a split programme whereby Timo would run with the new aero package and work on engine mappings and diffuser setup with Jérôme focusing solely on tyres due to the new Hard compound we have here in Spain. It looks to have less degradation than the previous version although initial lap times with it aren’t as good. That should again provide for an interesting race with a variety of strategy options. Overnight, we’ll be looking at the data and comparing the two exhaust and diffuser packages, as well as making a careful check of the components. We’ll then decide which specification to put on the car. The new package certainly has a lot of potential; it’s a great pity that Timo was hampered by so much traffic when he was running the Option tyre and was unable to show its true potential.”

“We had a positive aero test at Idiada last weekend, which should help us extract more from our upgrade package in Barcelona.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“We head to Barcelona this week optimistic that we can continue to make another step forward. We had a positive aero test at Idiada last weekend, which we hope will help us extract more from our upgrade package at the Circuit de Catalunya.

“We’re on proper European soil now for a couple of races which, coupled with the fact that we’re very familiar with this track through testing, makes things easier. The fact that this circuit is a known-quantity and we have a lot of data from 2010 and the two pre-season tests to work with means that we have a good knowledge base from which to set the car up. This track is also a good barometer of overall car performance so we will have a more representative perspective of how well our updates are working.”

“Our objective will be to try to get more from the package and hopefully get the new developments working well because the early signs were quite promising.”
says Timo Glock.

“The Circuit de Catalunya is still one of the best tracks on the calendar because we drivers have raced and tested there so many times and can get straight down to it. The track has a bit of everything - very slow sections mixed with quicker sections and two very fast straights - particularly the start/finish - which is one of the fastest straights on the calendar. The weather can be mixed at this time of year, which makes it unpredictable and quite interesting for the race. Our objective will be to try to get more from the package and hopefully get the new developments working well because the early signs were quite promising.”

The fourth race of the 2011 season - and the first in ‘Europe’ - got underway today at Istanbul Park in Turkey. It was a bright and sunny day with a track temperature of 33°C, but things soon clouded over for Timo Glock when he experienced a gearbox issue on his grid reconnaissance lap. He returned to the garage where the team’s dogged determination was on full display as they attempted a gearbox change, with the intention of starting from the pit lane. Whilst any sort of ‘race’ would be out of the question, the team wanted to test the new developments in a race scenario in order to gather vital data. They worked for around 40 minutes to get Timo back on track, but in the end there were too many obstacles to overcome while his team-mate Jérôme D’Ambrosio was still in the race.


Timo Glock

“A very short race for me. It was very frustrating to experience a problem with fifth gear just as I was making my way to the grid. I have to say the team did an amazing job to try to get me back on track but in the end it just wasn’t possible. Overall I think we have made some progress this weekend but there is still plenty of hard work ahead of us if we are to keep pushing forward. Everyone is very committed to seeing that happen though, so we stay focused and look ahead to Spain when I hope we will have made enough progress to reintroduce the new floor and exhaust which should help us a little more.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“When the pit lane opened ready for the start of the race we had no reason to suspect that we would have anything other than a relatively straightforward grid procedure, so it was a surprise to hear Timo report a broken fifth gear on his reconnaissance lap. Back in the garage we attempted to change the gearbox, which is no mean feat in the pre-race window and when Jérôme’s car was lining up on the grid as normal. With the two car crews split between the two different situations, Timo’s crew worked calmly and methodically under extreme pressure to take the rear of the car apart. Despite a Herculean effort, in the end we took the decision not to compromise the car that was still in the race because the way things were panning out with the tyres, it looked likely that we would have some last minute calls from the pitwall and we needed the full crew to be on ready alert. We’re disappointed for Timo after his efforts and we’ll look into the data now to understand why this happened. Having experienced many gearbox issues last year and then to make such made enormous strides with the quality of the preparation this year, it is highly unusual that we should experience this problem.

Day two of Marussia Virgin Racing’s preparations for the Turkish Grand Prix began with the third and final Free Practice session and, unlike yesterday, the sun was shining and the air temperature had risen to 16°C. The team continued evaluating the upgraded MVR-O2 and the new elements on both cars, as well as preparing for tomorrow’s race.

Jérôme D’Ambrosio was first out on track to complete a timed lap and Timo Glock did the same some minutes later. The track conditions continued to improve, allowing Timo to complete 19 laps and steadily evolve the car.

The air and track temperatures continued rising and for the decisive Qualifying hour the track was at 37°C with an ambient of 18°C. Both the Marussia Virgin Racing drivers completed eight laps and set their best times with the Pirelli Option tyres. Jérôme had a good final run to 20th but will have to start tomorrow’s race from 24th position after being handed a five-place penalty for a yellow flag infringement in yesterday’s second Free Practice 2 session. Timo Glock had a more frustrating time with his crucial last run and will start tomorrow’s race 22nd on the grid.


Timo Glock

“Not a perfect qualifying for me for sure. I suffered some engine hesitations in turns 12-14, which we will address for tomorrow, but otherwise from my side it was okay. For some reason though, I wasn’t able to get the same from the car as Jérôme today, so we’ll have to look at the data and see if there is something we did wrong, maybe between Free Practice 3 and Qualifying, but there wasn’t so much to change so right now I can’t say. I have to focus on tomorrow now when we hope for better things and to bring both cars to the finish.”


John Booth, Team Principal

“Overnight we made a big change to Timo’s car to remove the exhaust and floor elements of the new upgrade. Although there were clear signs that the downforce levels at the rear of the car had improved with it, yesterday we experienced a number of teething problems, especially with heat management, and it was clear that continuing to run it wouldn’t be an option for Qualifying and the race. Unfortunately this is just a natural consequence of not being able to test developments prior to bring to bringing them into the field. It is also clear that there is a big difference between the way the car is balanced for the old package versus the new upgrades and I think this goes some way towards explaining why Timo struggled a little in Qualifying. FP3 is always a tough session to get the car balanced before Qualifying. Timo’s car is also using the tyres slightly more aggressively than Jérôme and his second laps didn’t yield an improvement when it looked like this lap had the best potential. He faces a tough race tomorrow as well but we have shown ourselves to be stronger in the race and I’m hopeful that we can use a better race pace and the kind of drive he demonstrated towards the end of the last race in particular to turn things to our advantage.”

Istanbul Park was the scene of Formula One’s return to the racetrack today after a three-week break in the calendar. The first Free Practice session began in wet conditions as Marussia Virgin Racing rolled out its new upgrade package, with Timo’s MVR-02 featuring the full specification and Jérôme’s car having around 50% of the new elements.

This morning the drivers were only able to complete a total of 26 laps between them due to the wet track conditions. After the first couple of laps Jérôme was already communicating to his engineer that the track was very slippery, while Timo reported massive aquaplaning in some areas of the track. Because of this, both cars were confined to the garage as they waited for the track to improve. They were out again at the end of the session, but a red flag and more rain hampered their progress still further.

The sun finally came out after lunch and with a track temperature of 17°C and an ambient high of 14°C, the conditions improved, allowing Timo to start to evaluate the upgraded MVR-02. He completed 22 laps. At the beginning of the second session Jérôme had a small issue, but he was soon out on track to complete 28 laps.


Timo Glock
“The weather has made for a difficult start to the weekend. This morning it was very tricky for everyone as there was a lot of standing water everywhere. In the second session we got a better chance to start evaluating the new package, which was really the priority for today because we knew there would be a lot of work to do. There have been some issues we have had to deal with, especially with the exhausts, and once we work through those we will be better off. Overall we need to look at the data we have gathered now to see what we can learn about the new package because, as we predicted, it’s not easy getting something so new to work straight out of the box.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“The elements of the upgrade package that we fitted to Jérôme’s car have performed well today, so we’re pleased with the progress there. Timo’s car, with the full package, was always going to be a bigger ‘ask’ because of the complexity of the car at the rear with the new blown exhaust system. It is always difficult coming straight into a race weekend with such a new and complicated package and with no testing to optimise it. As we predicted there have been a few issues to contend with, particularly with the management of the heat from the exhausts. Generally we’ve made a good start on Jérôme’s side but we have yet to realise the full performance potential of the wider package with Timo. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of data to look through to see how we can extract more from the package.”

“The extent of our upgrade package for the start of the European season is significant to say the least. It represents a new direction for us and we’re hopeful that it will help us start to turn the corner.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“It’s been a well-deserved three weeks of rest after the first wave of long haul races, but I think everyone at Marussia Virgin Racing is looking forward to getting back on the road this week. It’s great to be back on relative home turf - in Europe - because we have everything we need at our fingertips, with the race trucks and motorhome at our disposal. We also have some fantastic circuits coming our way - a real mix of old and new.

“By our own admission it’s been a difficult start to the year, but we actually started doing something about that when we realised back in testing that we had not met our targets. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes since the middle of February and this weekend sees the culmination of all those efforts when we will be able to see just how much we can progress now. The extent of our upgrade package for the start of the European season is significant to say the least. Aerodynamically it’s a new direction for us and we’re hopeful that it will help us start to turn the corner, although with such a major step it may take us some time to tune it to the racetrack. Jerome will not have the benefit of the full upgrade package until Spain but he will get a taste of some of the elements this weekend. We are of course mindful of the fact that everyone should have taken a step forward ready for Europe, so we will have to see how we’ve fared versus the rest of the field.

“The drivers love the Istanbul Park Circuit. It’s a spectacular 5.338km track that has a bit of everything, but Turn 8 is worthy of particular mention having become one of the infamous corners in F1. We’ve started to gain a real understanding of the Pirelli tyres which leaves us well placed in terms of planning race strategies. Having said that we have not yet experienced a corner quite like Turn 8 with these tyres and we will be interested to see if it throws up an anomaly.”

“Turn 8 has quickly become one of my favourite corners on the calendar. That and the fact that this is one of only a handful of anti-clockwise tracks we will race at this year makes this one of the best and most challenging circuits around I think.”
says Timo Glock.

“It’s good to be racing in Europe again and starting off in Turkey, which is a great track and a lot of fun. The fact that this race is slightly earlier this year should be interesting because it is usually quite hot when we come here. We expect it to be cooler so with the new tyres for this year it is difficult for anyone to predict too much.

“Turn 8 has become one of my favourite corners. That and the fact that this is one of only a handful of anti-clockwise tracks we will race at this year makes this one of the best and most challenging circuits around I think. Istanbul is a great city - very interesting, - so I look forward to getting out and about a little bit.

“Then there’s a lot of hard work to focus on with our new upgrade. It’s quite a major package but these things take time to adapt to the track and our focus has to be getting as much running as possible so we can get maximum data and use it to keep working with the car in the next few races.”

ADAC Masters Weekend mit tollem Motorsport bei Kaiserwetter
ADAC GT Masters & Co begeistern nicht nur Formel-1-Star Timo Glock

15.000 Fans in der Motorsport Arena Oschersleben genossen bei strahlendem Sonnenschein drei Tage lang hochklassigen Motorsport beim ersten ADAC Masters Weekend des Jahres. Sie sahen 13 Rennen und die Weltrekordfahrt eines innovativen Elektrokarts der Firma Linde, das sich – angetrieben von
einem modifizierten Gabelstableraggregat – mit dem Sprint von null auf 60 Meilen in 3,4 Sekunden ins Guinness Buch der Rekorde eintrug. Zu den begeisterten Motorsport-Enthusiasten in der Magdeburger Börde zählte auch
Timo Glock. „Beim ADAC Masters Weekend haben die Zuschauer die Möglichkeit, hautnah Kontakt zu Teams und Fahrern zu haben. Hier wird Motorsport gelebt", lobte der Formel-1-Star Deutschlands junge Motorsportplattform. Glock war begehrtes Objekt von Autogrammjägern, fand aber auch die Zeit, sich einige Rennen anzuschauen. Besonders begeistert war er vom Auftaktlauf des ADAC GT Masters: „Das ADAC GT Masters glänzt mit sensationellen Autos – auf Einladung von Mercedes-Benz-Motorsportchef Norbert Haug durfte ich auch schon mal den Mercedes SLS AMG testen. Die Serie ist attraktiv und es wäre toll, wenn sie bei den Fans ein noch größeres Interesse finden könnte."

ADAC GT Masters: Siege für Ex-DTM-Pilot Margaritis und Stuck-Söhne
Das ADAC GT Masters – das mit einem Rekordstarterfeld von fast 40 Autos angetreten war – musste nicht lange auf seine erste Überraschung des Jahres warten. Bei seinem ersten Einsatz im ADAC GT Masters fuhr der ehemalige DTM-Pilot Alexandros Margaritis (GR) zusammen mit seinem Partner Dino
Lunardi (F) am Steuer eines Alpina-BMW des Allgäuer Teams Engstler Motorsport auf Anhieb zum Sieg. Ebenfalls auf dem Podium jubelten die Corvette-Piloten Daniel Keilwitz (Villingen)/Diego Alessi (I) und das ABT-Audi-Duo Jens Klingmann (Leimen)/Christer Jöns (Ingelheim). In der letzten Runde tauschten die beiden Rivalen noch die Plätze. Im zweiten Rennen strauchelten zwei Lamborghini-Mannschaften an der Spitze um einer dritten den Sieg zu
überlassen. An Bord des italienischen Boliden von Reiter Engineering: Johannes und Ferdinand Stuck (beide Österreich), die Söhne von Motorsport-Legende Hans-Joachim Stuck. Jens Klingmann/Christer Jöns wurde Zweite, die
Vortagessieger Margaritis/Lunardi Dritte. Sie führen auch die Tabelle an. Der mit Spannung erwartete erste Einsatz der prominenten Fahrerpaarung Heinz-Harald Frentzen (MC)/Sven Hannawald (Hinterzarten) war nicht von Erfolg gekrönt. Auf Platz 19 im ersten Rennen folgte ein technisch bedingter Ausfall im zweiten Rennen. Titelverteidiger Albert von Thurn und Taxis (Regensburg) konnte wegen
einer Renn-Verletzung aus der vorangegangenen Woche nicht starten.

ATS Formel-3-Cup: Doppelsieg für Rookie Richie Stanaway
ADAC Formel Masters-Champion Richie Stanaway setzte seine Siegesserie auch nach seinem Aufstieg in den ATS Formel-3-Cup fort. Der Neuseeländer dominierte den Saisonauftakt von Deutschlands schnellster Formelserie mit
einem Doppelsieg. Im ersten Rennen ließ er Tom Blomqvist (GB), den Sohn des ehemaligen Rallye-Weltmeister Stig Blomqvist, und Marco Sörensen (DK) hinter sich. Im zweiten Kräftemessen hatten erneut Marco Sörensen sowie René Binder
(A) das Nachsehen. Wenig zu jubeln gab es für Blomqvist: Er rauschte ins Heck des Polesitters Hannes van Asseldonk (NL) und musste aufgeben.

ADAC Formel Masters: Neueinsteiger Bernstorff erobert Tabellenspitze Mit einem zweiten Platz und zwei Siegen hat Emil Bernstorff (GB) beim Saisonauftakt des ADAC Formel Masters die Tabellenführung übernommen. Der Serienneuling bescherte damit auch seinem Oscherslebener Team Motopark ein
Heimspiel nach Maß. Ebenfalls stark: ADAC Stiftung Sport-Förderpilot Pascal Wehrlein (Worndorf) triumphierte einmal und wurde zweimal Zweiter. Der Israeli Roy Nissany vom Berliner Team Mücke Motorsport jubelte als Dritter des ersten Laufs ebenso auf dem Podium wie Sven Müller, der zweimal Dritter wurde. Im besonders umkämpften dritten Lauf führte der Bingener in der Anfangsphase erstmals ein Formel-Rennen an, bevor er Bernstorff und Wehrlein ziehen lassen
musste. Wehrlein durfte sich nicht nur über seine Erfolge freuen, sondern ebenso wie Jason Kremer (Bonn) auch über eine extra Lehrstunde mit F1-Pilot Timo Glock. Wehrlein und Kremer werden von der ADAC Stiftung Sport unterstützt –
genau wie Glock im Jahr 2003 auf dem Weg Richtung Königsklasse.

ADAC PROCAR: Johannes Leidinger der Mann des Wochenendes
Auch wenn nicht ganz so viele Autos in der Motorsport Arena Oscherleben angetreten waren wie erwartet, waren die beiden Rennen der ADAC PROCAR überaus sehenswert. In der Division 1 führte kein Weg an Vorjahres-Vizemeister Johannes Leidinger (Nalbach) vorbei. Im ersten Rennen ließ der BMW-Pilot das Schweizer Honda-Duo Christian Fischer und Peter Rikli hinter sich, im zweiten Rennen schlug er die Toyota-Lenker Michail Stapanov (RUS) und Lorenz Frey
(CH). In der Division 2 feierte Niels Mierschke (Fränkisch-Crumbach) im Ford Fiesta einen Doppelsieg. Für Aufregung sorgte Saskia Müller. Die Wunstorferin legte ihren Fiesta im ersten Rennen spektakulär aufs Dach, blieb aber unverletzt.

TV-Zusammenfassungen auf kabel eins und SPORT1
TV-Zusammenfassungen der Ereignisse in Oschersleben zeigen „kabel eins“ (26. April, 02.25 Uhr) sowie „SPORT1“ (27. April, 23.15 Uhr und 30. April, 10.15 Uhr).

Weitere Informationen unter www.adac-masters.de

The sun was out in Shanghai today for the third race of the 2011 season – the Chinese Grand Prix - in which the team achieved another two car finish and secured its target of five out of six finishes in the opening three races.

The weather conditions today were a little warmer than yesterday’s Qualifying session, with an air temperature of 22°C and a track temperature of 31 °C.

As the race got underway it was a clean start and the Marussia Virgin Racing drivers raced each other through the first turns. At the end of the first lap Timo Glock was in 21st position and Jérôme just behind in 22nd having traded places through the lap.

They then ran at a similar pace until the tyre degradation of the Soft Pirelli P-Zero tyres became an issue. After 16 laps Timo was the first to stop, with Jérôme following him in four laps later. Although both cars had planned a two-stop strategy, Timo’s tyre wear seemed worse than Jérôme’s and the team switched to a three-stop race.

For the rest of the race the two cars behaved reliably and were running at a steady pace throughout. Both the Marussia Virgin Racing drivers brought their cars back home safely again, with Jérôme finishing in 20th position and Timo classified 21st.


Timo Glock
“Not a great race unfortunately from my point of view, but positive in the fact that we got both cars home, which was the objective. I had a good start and a good first lap. I managed to stay in front of the HRT and overtook Jérôme when he had a moment in turn 13. In general we suffered a bit more rear degradation for some reason. The team then took the decision to convert to a three stop race but this was not the right way to go because we suffered massively with the blue flags. Then in the last stop the wheel didn’t go on, which cost me a few seconds leaving the pits. Generally on the hard tyre the car was slightly better but in the beginning we just struggled. A difficult start to the season is now behind us and we look forward positively to the upgrade that everyone has been working so hard on behind the scenes to ensure we can take a good step forward in Turkey. Thanks to everyone in the team for a great start operationally and I hope we can share some better results as we move ahead.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“Obviously today was a very good result for Jérôme in only his third race. His two-stop strategy proved far superior to the three-stop strategy we decided upon for Timo and more suited to what our competitors were doing around us. All credit to Jérôme for getting a two-stopper to work. Following some feedback in the race from Timo regarding the degradation he was suffering with the rear tyres, we were perhaps a little too quick to convert him to three stops. Our predictions pre-race were that this would be worse and with the benefit of hindsight we can see it was not the way to go. We didn’t help Timo and when he had a problem during his final stop he lost quite a bit of time and had to fight hard to catch the HRT again and overtake. Overall we have had a better weekend in reliability terms and it has proved a useful development opportunity as we have faced several challenges that we will learn from. This is the last of the season-opening long hauls and, as is the case up and down the pit lane, the race team are ready for a bit of a break, particularly after the back to back between Malaysia and China. Meanwhile, as you would expect, everyone at our technical base is nose to the grindstone ensuring that the Turkey upgrade goes according to plan and delivers the performance gains we expect so we can get back to where we should be for the start of the European season.”

Much cooler conditions than yesterday greeted the Marussia Virgin Racing team for the third Practice Session of the Chinese Grand Prix, with the air temperature at 15°C and track temperature at 25°C. After completing an early installation lap, both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio waited for the track conditions to improve before returning to the track. With yesterday’s issues resolved and with some set-up changes, Timo completed 17 laps and was more comfortable with the car before the Qualifying session, ending up 21st. Jérôme was classified 22nd having completed 16 laps.

With the same cool weather conditions for Qualifying as in the morning, both drivers were soon out on track and were able to improve their morning times. They improved further on their second run and Jérôme will start tomorrow’s race from 21st position while Timo will be 22nd on the grid.


Timo Glock
“Overall a better day than yesterday because we were at least able to complete our programme, but we were not able to get the best result in Qualifying which is disappointing. I had some warm-up issues on the first run and the tyres were not working really at all on the second, so I have to think the changes we made between Free Practice 3 and Qualifying were not for the better. I think overall we went a little too conservative, but who knows? That might help us in the race. We'll have a good look at the data now and see what that tells us, then look to a good strategy for tomorrow and aim for the chequered flag.”


John Booth, Team Principal
"We have recovered well from a difficult start to the weekend and are a lot closer to where we expected as a result. Timo struggled with the tyres and had a lot more to come. We're hoping the setup will translate better to the race conditions tomorrow. Jerome did an exceptional job and everything went right for him. After a more difficult Free Practice 3 he brought it all back when it counted and he is really stepping up to the plate with each race. So generally a good few positives to give us some momentum for the race tomorrow when we'll be looking to make the most of our encouraging reliability by bringing both cars home.”

Only five days after the last race in Malaysia, the Marussia Virgin Racing cars were out on track again, this time for the first two practice sessions of the Chinese Grand Prix. With a warmer than usual air temperature of 26°C and track temperature of 30°C, both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio left the garage straight away to complete their installation laps and radio checks. They both reported the track was very dirty and green, as expected, and so the team kept to the plan to wait until there was more rubber down.

Forty minutes into the first session Jérôme posted his first timed lap of the weekend. Unfortunately, Timo had to wait a bit longer due to a mechanical problem with the rear of his car. He was only able to take to the track in anger with 10 minutes of the session remaining, albeit with the asphalt providing more grip than at the start. Timo was restricted to 11 laps this morning, ending up 22nd on the timing sheet. Jérôme was classified 20th with 20 laps under his belt.

In the afternoon both drivers were out again as the lights turned green. Jérôme was able to use the second ninety-minute session of the day to complete long runs and tyre degradation tests, before switching to the Option tyre for his final run. Unfortunately he was never going to set a representative time as the team were aware that he had picked up floor damage as he went into the run. Nonetheless he was able to achieve 34 laps to gather important data. While Jérôme was out on track, Timo was mostly confined to the garage due to an engine problem, and he was unable to complete his programme or improve on a time set early in the session.


Timo Glock
“Not a great day. We didn't run much today as we had a lot of technical problems. In the first practice I had a problem on the rear end and couldn't do much. In the second practice I had an engine problem so I only did about twelve laps and I haven’t been able to do any setup work at all, which is extremely frustrating.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“Our race weekend here in China did not get off to the most auspicious of starts today and to say our day has been less than straightforward would be something of an understatement. This morning, having waited for the track condition to improve, when we did finally get our timed runs underway Timo experienced a mechanical problem. This afternoon, after just 12 laps, Timo suffered an engine problem which confined him to the garage for the second half of the session, so he was unable to complete a soft tyre run and improve his lap time, which is reflected in his position today. Jérôme had a better afternoon session and was making good progress but immediately prior to his option tyre run we noted heavy floor damage. This wasn’t sufficient to prevent him from running, but it was by no means a representative run. Hopefully we have got all our bad luck out of the way today and tomorrow will provide a better reflection of where we stand here.”

“The best job we can do right now is to keep pushing ourselves operationally and strategically, as we have done over the first two races, to ensure that when the car is improved we are in the strongest possible position to take advantage of every opportunity.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“After Malaysia, we move on to another Herman Tilke designed track, which always provide a bit of everything for the drivers. It’s the third and final long-haul race before the start of the European season in Turkey, where we are planning to upgrade the car.

“The Shanghai International Circuit is a 5.451 km circuit that is all about high-speed straights and a real variety of turns, making it a demanding track for the drivers. Turns 1, 2 and 3 are very tight and seem never-ending. The back straight is so long that it even gives the driver time to adjust the settings on the car. It’s also usually quite windy at this part of the track, and this affects the downforce, as it can make the car unstable in the corners at the beginning and the end of the long straight if the wind direction is unpredictable.

“Whilst the hard work to move us forward takes place behind the scenes at our technical base in the UK, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern performance wise. The best job we can do right now is to keep pushing ourselves operationally and strategically, as we have done over the first two races, to ensure that when the car is improved we are in the strongest possible position to take advantage of every opportunity.

“This is the first back-to-back race of the season and there are only seven days between the two races, so a tough challenge for the team logistically, but one which I am sure we will easily rise to.”


“I was pleased with our weekend in Malaysia and while we’re waiting for these steps to move us forward, we must try to maintain the small signs of good progress we are showing at the races.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“The Chinese Grand Prix is always a great race and I’m looking forward to competing there again for the fifth time. It’s always interesting to come to Shanghai. It’s another demanding circuit where you can reach very high speeds on the long back straight between corners 13 and 14 before braking hard at the hairpin turn. The demands for racing at this Chinese track are to have a car that is stable under braking as well as a lot of traction to exit the corners well. I was pleased with our weekend in Malaysia and while we’re waiting for these steps to move us forward, we must try to maintain the small signs of good progress we are showing at the races.”

Formel-1-Star Timo Glock besucht ADAC Masters Weekend-Auftakt
Der ehemalige ADAC-Schüler auf Stippvisite in Oschersleben


Der Mainzer Bundesliga-Torhüter Heinz Müller, Bob-Weltmeister Manuel Machata, Skiflieger Jens Weissflog, Sachsens Ministerpräsident Stanislaw Tillich, Rennfahrerfrau Cora Schumacher, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, FIA-Präsident Jean Todt – die Liste prominenter Besucher des ADAC Masters Weekends ist lang. Jetzt kommt ein weiterer bekannter Name hinzu: Formel-1-Rennfahrer Timo Glock wird sich am Osterwochenende (23. bis 25. April) den Saisonauftakt von Deutschlands junger Motorsport-Plattform live in der Motorsport Arena Oschersleben anschauen.


„Ich freue mich auf das ADAC GT Masters in Oschersleben. Ich bin ein großer Fan und bin sehr gespannt, was der ADAC sich dieses Jahr für den Saisonstart in der Motorsport Arena hat einfallen lassen. Fest steht, dass es mit einem Rekordstarterfeld von insgesamt 44 Fahrzeugen sehr spannend wird“, beschreibt Glock seine Vorfreude. Für den 29 Jahre alten Odenwälder, der in der aktuellen Formel-1-Saison für das Team Virgin-Marussia antritt, ist der Besuch in der Magdeburger Börde aber auch eine Reise zurück zu seinen motorsportliche Wurzeln. Timo Glock war früher selbst in den Vorläufern der beiden aktuellen Formelserien des ADAC Masters Weekends (ADAC Formel Masters und ATS Formel-3-Cup) aktiv. Seine ersten Renneinsätze im Formelauto absolvierte er als ADAC-Schüler in der BMW Formel ADAC, in der er 2001 Meister wurde. Nur ein Jahr später wurde er als „Rookie of the Year“ Gesamtdritter der Deutschen Formel-3-Meisterschaft. Bei seinem weiteren Aufstieg wurde Glock von der ADAC Stiftung Sport unterstützt.


Auch wenn Glock in Oschersleben nicht selbst am Lenkrad sitzen wird, für die Fans vor Ort ist sein Besuch am Sonntag, 24. April dennoch ein zusätzliches Highlight neben den insgesamt 13 Rennen des Wochenendes: Der Formel-1-Star hat sich gerne bereit erklärt, beim „Meet the Drivers“ am Ostersonntag (16 Uhr vor dem ADAC Motorhome im Fahrerlager) fleißig Autogramme zu schreiben.


Hoch spannend ist der Auftakt der ADAC Masters Weekend-Saison natürlich auch aus sportlicher Sicht. Das Renn-Spektakel am Osterwochenende ist der erste echte Gradmesser unter Wettkampfbedingungen für die involvierten Serien ADAC GT Masters, ATS Formel-3-Cup, ADAC Formel Masters und ADAC PROCAR. Ein Fokus des Medieninteresses richtet sich dabei sicherlich auf die prominente ADAC GT Masters-Paarung Sven Hannawald und Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Außerdem in Oschersleben am Start: die liebevoll in Schuss gehaltenen Ostblock-Formel- und -Tourenwagen des ADAC HAIGO Cup.


Dieses Motorsport-Komplettpaket können Fans für nur 15 Euro Eintritt pro Tag live erleben, der Zugang zum Fahrerlager ist dabei sogar schon inklusive.


TV-Sender kabel eins überträgt alle Rennen des ADAC GT Masters (So. und Mo., ab 11.45 Uhr) live. SPORT1 strahlt jeweils am Wochenende nach der Veranstaltung ein Magazin mit den Höhepunkten des ADAC Masters Weekends aus.

Hallo Leute,
das war wie immer eine schweißtreibende Geschichte in Malaysia. Ich habe die Sache aber gut überstanden und hatte eigentlich keine große Probleme mit der Hitze und der hohen Luftfeuchtigkeit. Da hat sich das harte körperliche Training in den letzten Wochen und die Schinderei in der Vorbereitung mal wieder bezahlt gemacht.
Wir sind noch am gleichen Abend nach dem Rennen mit den Flieger ins "kühlere" China. Aber auch hier wird der Schweiß bald rinnen. Ich treffe meinen Ingenieur ausnahmsweise mal nicht in der Box, sondern auf dem Squash-Court.
Der Spaß wird aber schnell vorbei sein. Sepang hat gezeigt, dass wir immer noch eine Menge Arbeit und einen langen Weg vor uns haben. Während die anderen Teams den einen oder anderen Schritt nach vorne gemacht haben, treten wir leider noch auf der Stelle.
Die große Hoffnung liegt nach wie vor auf dem großen Update-Paket vor dem GP in der Türkei. Vielleicht können wir ein, zwei Dinge am Auto verändern, um auch den Druck auf Lotus zu erhöhen. KERS wird uns da weiterhin nicht helfen. Das ist auch gut so. Irgendwie scheint die Sache noch nicht richtig rund zu laufen und wir haben gerade ganz andere Probleme zu lösen.
Ein Problem hatte auch mein Kollege Vitaly Petrov auf der Strecke. Die Sache mit dem Lenkrad auf dem Schoß erinnerte mich ein wenig an Hockenheim 2008. Da ist mir auch die Aufhängung komplett gebrochen. Ein wirklich spektakulärer Abflug meines Kollegen, der Gott sei Dank gut ausgegangen ist.
Jetzt steht also der Große Preis von Shanghai auf dem Programm. Vielleicht schaffen wir es ja, dort die Reifen bei ein paar Grad weniger besser auf Betriebstemperatur zu bringen. Das könnte eine kleine Chance sein. Warten wir es ab, drückt mir die Daumen!
Bis bald,
Euer Timo

The Marussia Virgin Racing team competed in its second race of the 2011 season today at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Before the start, everyone was looking up at the skies as the sun crept behind the clouds and grey skies were looming. The weather forecast showed that the rain was close by, threatening the possibility that the drivers might have to start the race on wet tyres.

The track stayed dry though, and at the start the temperature was running at 31 °C and the humidity level was 83%. Both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio got off to a good start, managing to stay out of trouble and gain positions. The weather updates were constant over the radio, some predicting rain while others indicated that showers would only pass close by. Some small drops of rain started to fall timidly on the track, but never enough to require intermediate tyres, and when that became apparent both Timo and Jérôme made their first pit-stops on the same lap. Both drivers chose to stay on option tyres for their second stints in the race.

They carried on racing at a constant pace and carefully looked after their Pirelli P-Zero tyres so that a two-stop strategy was possible. Both drivers also had excellent stops when the time came to fit prime tyres. Jérôme was running in 18th position until he hit a kerb hard, which produced a large vertical G force that toggled the power switch and turned the car off, bringing him to a halt in turn 9 with 12 laps to go. Timo had a trouble-free run to the finish and was classified in 16th position.


Timo Glock
“I got a good start and got ahead of Trulli in the Lotus into turn one and everything was going well, but I was only able to defend the position for so long before he was able to get past. The car was working well and we were able to look after the tyres, so we were able to stick to a two-stop strategy. My engineer did a great job to get me through the traffic and it was a very straightforward race for me. Great job by the pit stop crew as a very smooth stop helped me to get back out ahead of Trulli. Apart from the steps we still need to make in performance terms, everything is working well, so we are looking forward to what our development package can bring after China in time for Europe.”

Track temperatures of up to 40°C and humidity levels of 77% greeted the teams for this morning’s final free practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix. The track conditions provided Marussia Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio with the opportunity to experience the Pirelli tyres on a high temperature track like the Sepang International Circuit. It was a trouble-free session where the team prepared for the crucial Qualifying session and Jérôme and Timo finished 21st and 22nd respectively after completing a total of 35 laps between them.

It was then time for the decisive Qualifying session. In similarly dry and humid conditions, Timo and Jérôme were straight out of the garage to establish a first timed lap before the track got too busy and before the circuit was red-flagged due to debris, during which all the cars were confined to the garage. With five minutes remaining, Timo and Jerome went out on track to improve their times, and they will start tomorrow’s race from 21st and 22nd position respectively.



Timo Glock
“After Free Practice 3 this morning I’d say we had some problems as we couldn’t get the car to work like yesterday and we didn’t have the same speed. My Race Engineer and Performance Engineer worked very well together to come up with a good solution which ensured we got back the performance level that we had until then. I was a little unlucky on my second set of tyres when I hit traffic with Karthikeyan. I would have found a couple of tenths but this wouldn’t have changed our position today. We’ve done the best we can with the package so as ever we’ll be focusing on getting both cars home and making the most of every opportunity that comes our way – one of which may of course be the weather, as there is a chance of rain during the race.”

Marussia Virgin Racing’s on-track preparations for the second Grand Prix of the season this weekend got underway today at the Sepang International Circuit. At 28°C and with a track temperature of 33°C, the morning started off cooler than is typical in Malaysia, even though it was still hot and humid.

In the first practice session of the day, both Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio were amongst the first out on track to complete installation laps. The team made some settings changes before returning Timo to the track to post a further 18 laps before the end of the session, which he ended in 19th position. Jérôme was having a trouble-free session until two minutes before the end, when he ended up in the gravel due to a suspected suspension failure. He had completed 20 laps and finished 20th.

As the day continued, the temperatures began to climb, with the track temperature peaking at 49°C and humidity at 51%. The team had made some changes to Timo’s car during the break and this work continued into the early part of the session, but he joined the action after 25 minutes and went on to complete a further 24 laps and end the day in 19th position. Jérôme was confined to the garage for the duration of the afternoon session. The team worked flat out to repair his damaged car but in the end the scale of the task was too great.

Timo Glock
“It’s difficult to gauge everything that was going on up and down the pitlane today, but I think we had a reasonable day. It's a shame we couldn't get Jérôme's car out in the second session, because it would have been good for tyre evaluation. In general I'm happy with how the car is working here, but it's all about the tyres; they are fine for one lap but then drop off and it's all about keeping them alive over a distance. The team did a good job. We were a little late going out in FP2 but overall everything went well. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

“Our focus for now is on gathering as much data as possible to plough back into the development cycle to ensure we can go on to make those bigger steps through the season.”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing.

“This round of long-haul races means there are few developments we can bring to the car until the next significant upgrade for Turkey. Our focus for now is on gathering as much data as possible to plough back into the development cycle to ensure we can go on to make those bigger steps through the season. This time last year we were struggling with reliability issues that were preventing us from finishing races. This year we’ve demonstrated that we are on top of that and that is a much better starting point to build upon. We know what we have to do, so whilst that work is taking place behind the scenes, the best job we can do is to keep bringing cars home and focusing on smaller incremental steps.

“After the cool temperatures in Australia, we now move on to Kuala Lumpur where the fierce heat and humidity are a major challenge for cars and drivers up and down the grid. The Monsoon-type downpours that we see - and which we have stopped races in the past - also represent a good opportunity as they displace the usual order and turn things into a bit more of a lottery – good for us and good for the fans.

“The Sepang International Circuit has two very long straights, an elevation change and fast corners which make the racing good fun for the drivers. Of course nobody has run the Pirelli tyres in the kind of temperatures we are likely to experience in Sepang. In Melbourne we did not have the degradation levels we had been expecting after the tests in Spain, and it may well be that there will be another surprise in store in Malaysia.

“Timo is an old hand here but it will be Jérôme’s first time at Sepang, and not only will he have the circuit to learn - which he has been doing on the simulator - he will also have his first experience of driving a full Grand Prix distance in the Malaysian heat and humidity.”

“I feel like I have got back on track very quickly with the fitness side of things and I am spending the time between Australia and Malaysia making sure I am fully acclimatised and ready for the challenge.”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24.

“Malaysia is one of the hardest races on the Formula One calendar and one for which fitness is very important. The heat and humidity are really punishing and so this is where the physical training really pays off. I feel like I have got back on track very quickly with the fitness side of things and I am spending the time between Australia and Malaysia making sure I am fully acclimatised and ready for the challenge. I have lots of good memories from Malaysia - I finished on the podium in 2009 after chasing the leader, Jenson Button, before the race got red-flagged due to the big rainstorm. The Sepang track has a lot of character and it’s very physical, with Turn 14 being one of the toughest corners of all. It’s a race I will enjoy so we will try to make the best of our current package and aim to get both cars to the finish.”

Hallo Leute,

nach den intensiven Tagen in Melbourne habe ich mir erstmal ein paar Tage Auszeit genommen. Wir waren alle froh, dass es endlich wieder losging. Die Vorfreude, das Kribbeln war auf jeden Fall da. Und im Gegensatz zum letzten Jahr hatten wir eine entspannte Stimmung im Team.

So zuverlässig wie mein Körper ohne Blinddarm hat auch erstaunlicherweise das Auto funktioniert. Das ist schon mal der erste Schritt in die richtige Richtung. Allerdings bereitet uns der große Zeitabstand zu den vorderen Teams noch Kopfzerbrechen. Vor allem wegen der 107-Prozent-Regel. Da müssen wir unbedingt was tun. Im Moment hängt es hauptsächlich am Abtrieb.

Das Auto lässt sich zwar recht gut fahren, aber der Speed ist einfach noch nicht da. Irgendwie müssen wir damit in den nächsten zwei Rennen durchkommen, um dann in der Türkei schneller unterwegs sein zu können.

Vielleicht können wir dann in Istanbul den Jungs von Lotus wieder ein wenig Feuer machen. Die werden auch in dieser Saison zwischen uns und dem hart umkämpften Einstieg ins Mittelfeld stehen. Eigentlich hatten wir uns Force India zum Ziel auserkoren. Aber die sind momentan etwas weit weg und werden wie viele andere Teams bestimmt noch einmal nachlegen können.

Und ob mir da der neue Push-Button für den Heckflügel helfen wird, bezweifle ich noch. Den habe ich im Albert-Park-Circuit zwei, drei Mal gedrückt, doch so richtig ging das nicht nach vorne. Mit den neuen technischen Neuerungen ist das sowieso ein wenig speziell. Ich habe jedenfalls nicht gemerkt, ob die Jungs neben oder vor mir KERS und den verstellbaren Heckflügel eingesetzt haben.

Richtig überrascht war ich dagegen über die gute Performance der neuen Reifen. Im Vergleich zu unseren Tests im Vorfeld war das im Rennen ein Unterschied wie Tag und Nacht. Die haben kaum abgebaut und waren sehr konstant. Das war schon erstaunlich. Aber warten wir es ab. Im nächsten Rennen in Malaysia herrschen ganz andere Temperaturen.

Es wartet also eine Menge Arbeit auf uns. Spannend wird es dabei auf jeden Fall.

Bis bald,
Euer Timo

The Marussia Virgin Racing team achieved its objective of bringing two cars to the chequered flag today in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The sun shone at last over Albert Park, with the track temperature registering 17°C for the start of the race and peaking at 23°C. As the action got underway, Timo recovered well after running wide to get a good opening stint under his belt, avoiding incident and preserving his Pirelli P-Zero tyres until he pitted for the first time on lap 18. Shortly after rejoining the track he radioed in to report a loose front left wheel and was forced to make his way slowly back to the pits. Refitting the wheel proved problematic and Timo was confined to the garage for five laps while the team repaired damage sustained to the drive pegs. He rejoined the race in 18th position and as a consequence of losing so much track time he fell further back. From there he could do no more than concentrate on finishing the race and eventually brought his car home but in an unclassified position.


Timo Glock
“I think we had quite a good speed in the race. I was behind Jarno Trulli, then caught him and got past him in the pitstop. Unfortunately at the pitstop the front left wheel was loose and I had to drive round for one lap very slowly then come into the pits. Unfortunately the drive pegs were damaged but we repaired it, and I at least was able to rejoin the race. For the first couple of laps it was okay but then the car had quite a lot of vibration, so I just tried to focus on finishing the race. In the end it was a little disappointing but at least we demonstrated good reliability and brought both cars to the finish.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“First and foremost we have to be happy that we achieved our objective of a two-car finish. To move forward we have to maximise our track time and gather as much data as possible to feed back into the development programme and I am comfortable that we have been able to demonstrate such promising reliability. The problem with Timo’s wheel is disappointing and even when he was back out on track his progress was hampered as a consequence of the damage sustained. Jérôme delivered a good debut race performance so he can feel very proud of what he has achieved this weekend. Finally, congratulations to the team for a big push for the start of the season.”


Nikolay Fomenko, Engineering Director
“I would like to congratulate Vitaly Petrov for a great drive today which saw him become the first Russian driver to stand on the Formula One podium. It’s a great day for Russia, Formula One fans and a good step on the road to the new Russian Grand Prix in Sochi in 2014.”

Another cold and cloudy day in Melbourne began with the final 60-minute Free Practice Session. After waiting for the track conditions to improve, Timo Glock was one of the first to break the silence in Albert Park and go out on track, with Jérôme following him out of the garage shortly after. Both drivers were able to keep improving their lap times during the session and close the gap to the other teams. Timo completed 15 laps with Jerome notching up 18 laps before the session ended just as it started to rain again.

This afternoon, the team faced the tough test of the opening qualifying session of the new season – the first real barometer of competitive performance - in similarly cool conditions. The air temperature was a cool 16˚C with the track temperature peaking at just 18˚C. Both drivers set a time inside the new for 2011 107% rule and are looking forward to the season-opening Grand Prix tomorrow.


Timo Glock
“The first weekend of the new season has been a tough test for us and today we got the chance to see where we stand and how we need to move forward. I had a new engineer and a new performance engineer over the winter and together with my car crew they have done a fantastic job in testing and this weekend. At the end of the day though, fighting for a time within 107% of the leaders is not what we’re here for and we can see now where we are and what we need to do to progress. We are a really strong team and now we have to bring the car up to where we need it to be. As for tomorrow, the opening race of the season, we will be focusing on staying reliable and bringing both cars to the finish as the reward for everyone’s hard work.”


John Booth, Team Principal
"It’s fair to say that there was some degree of nail biting within the team ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying session. That’s not the position we want to be in and fighting to stay within the 107% time is not our target – it should be a given. Just like last year we expected the first race to be a tough challenge, coming off the back of a winter of regulation changes. Qualifying was an affirmation of what we already know – that we have a lot of hard work ahead to bring the car up to where it needs to be. Having said that, Timo drove the wheels off the car to get the best possible result today and Jérôme is doing an admirable job in his debut weekend, so all credit to the drivers and the team for a very respectable opening weekend operationally as it’s a huge step forward from where we were 12 months ago.”

Marussia Virgin Racing’s second season in Formula One got underway today in seasonably changeable conditions. Autumnal Melbourne has been cold and cloudy for the past couple of days with bursts of sunshine making only the briefest of appearances.

The track was damp after overnight rain as Timo Glock and Jérôme D’Ambrosio took to Albert Park Circuit for the first two practice sessions of the weekend. In his first track session as a fully fledged Grand Prix race driver, Jérôme was first out of the garage to commence his installation lap. Timo’s came 45 minutes later after a calibration problem with second gear was identified during the fire-up.

The main difficulty for the drivers In the first 90-minute Free Practice session was the lack of grip. Jérôme completed the first 17 laps of his first season in Formula One and started to familiarise himself with a track that he has never raced at before. Timo, who counts Albert Park as one of his favourite circuits, completed 15 laps.

This afternoon it remained cloudy and it even rained slightly during the second session, but the track conditions improved due to the increasing amount of rubber going down on the circuit and both drivers were able to improve upon their morning lap times. Timo completed a further 30 laps and Jérôme added another 36 to the team’s tally, bringing the combined total to 98 laps during the day and demonstrating a reliable baseline from which to build during the remainder of the weekend. During the last minutes of the session it rained more intensely and the track was declared wet, making the conditions very tricky for the drivers.

Timo Glock
“Not an easy first day. I had a bit of trouble this morning in terms of the setup, and the behaviour of the car was not right, quite difficult. In the second session we made some improvements but the gap to the top guys is quite big and that's a bit disappointing. We have to make the best out of it, get on top of it and make the car quicker.”


John Booth, Team Principal
“This morning’s session wasn’t as smooth a start to the season as we would have liked, but we resolved a sensor calibration issue with Timo as soon as possible and got ourselves back on course. The conditions were very slippery and there was little grip due to last night’s rain, so most of the teams were waiting for the track to improve. In the afternoon we were able to complete plenty of laps and both drivers are doing a good job. Clearly we’re not where we need to be at the moment so we have to study the data and look at what we can do to improve. Congratulations to Jérôme on a great debut today.”

Timo Glock hat seine eigene Kolumne auf sportal.de. Und leider wird Timo Glock in seinem Marussia-Virgin nicht um den Titel mitfahren können. Diese Konstellation macht ihn zum idealen Experten vor dem Formel-1-Saisonstart in Australien. Wir haben Glock um seine Einschätzung bezüglich der Topfavoriten gebeten.

Nach dem ausgefallenen Grand Prix von Bahrain geht es nun in Melbourne los und vieles spricht für ein ähnlich spannendes Jahr wie 2010. Die neuen Reifen zwingen die Teams häufiger an die Box, mit KERS und verstellbarem Heckflügel gibt es weitere technische Neuerungen und mit Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren und Mercedes gibt es vier vermeintliche Siegerteams, die zudem von Renault geärgert werden könnten.

Für Timo Glock geht es dagegen darum, seinen Rennwagen zusammen mit seinem Team zuverlässiger und auch schneller zu machen, um vielleicht sogar mal in die Punkte fahren zu können. Bei den Testfahrten in Jerez und Barcelona konnte Glock die Topteams beobachten und kürt mit seiner eigenen Punktevergabe die aussichtsreichsten Fahrer auf den WM-Titel.



SEBASTIAN VETTEL

Er ist der jüngste Weltmeister aller Zeiten, muss sich in der neuen Saison aber gegen die Angriffe von vier Vorgängern wehren. Kritiker gab es trotz des WM-Titels viele, Sebastian Vettel hätte sich die Krone mit einem so deutlich überlegenen Auto viel früher aufsetzen müssen. Wie er in der Endphase der Saison dann aber auf den großen Rückstand reagierte und die nötigen Siege einfuhr, zeigte, welch großer Fahrer Vettel werden kann. Die Testfahrten haben gezeigt, dass Red Bull wieder ein ganz starkes Auto auf die Strecke gezaubert hat. Vettel gehört wieder zu den absoluten Topfavoriten. "Wir haben jetzt genug vom Testen, jetzt wollen wir wieder Rennen fahren", sagte Vettel vor dem um zwei Wochen verschobenen Saisonstart.

Rating: 10 von 10



MARK WEBBER

Der Australier hatte die große Chance Weltmeister zu werden, konnte sie wegen Sebastian Vettel und eigener, wenn auch kleiner, Unzulänglichkeiten nicht nutzen. Dementsprechend leer war Mark Webber am Ende der vergangenen Saison und beschäftigte sich fünf Wochen lang nicht mit der Formel 1. Doch in seiner vermutlich letzten Saison bei Red Bull will Webber nochmal angreifen. Für David Coulthard jedenfalls steht fest, dass Webber eine realistische Titelchance hat. "Er hat daraus gelernt und wird viel stärker zurückkommen", sagte der Coulthard laut motorsport-magazin.com.

Rating: 9 von 10



LEWIS HAMILTON

Der McLaren-Pilot gilt weiterhin als einer der talentiertesten Fahrer im Feld. Doch Tatsache ist auch, dass Lewis Hamilton in drein seiner vier Saisons um den WM-Titel fuhr und nur 2008 die Krönung schaffte. Doch sein manchmal etwas zu ruppiger Fahrstil ist derzeit das kleinste Problem, denn der McLaren konnte bei den Tests nur selten überzeugen und lässt für die ersten Rennen eine kleine Lücke zur Spitze vermuten. Hamilton vergleicht, gerade im Bereich Abtrieb, den neuen Boliden mit dem von 2009, als er am Ende nur den fünften Rang belegen konnte.

Rating: 8 von 10



JENSON BUTTON

Wie auch bei Red Bull scheint die Reihenfolge bei den Fahrern auch bei McLaren auf den ersten Blick klar geregelt. Doch wie Webber hat auch Jenson Button die Möglichkeit, der vermeintlichen Nummer eins Lewis Hamilton den Rang abzufahren. Dabei haben Button und Hamilton das wohl harmonischste Verhältnis unter den Teamkollegen der Spitzenteams. Fahrerisch bringen beide Piloten völlig unterschiedliche Anforderungen für das Setup mit. "Wenn Button das Lenkrad dreht, dann sieht es so aus, als würde er mit einem Löffel durch Sirup fahren", beschrieb es Ex-Rennfahrer Martin Brundle gegenüber der BBC. Aber die Erfahrungen der Tests haben gezeigt, dass McLaren froh sein sollte, erstmal eine gelungenes Abstimmung zu finden.

Rating: 7 von 10



FERNANDO ALONSO

Der vermeintlich beste Fahrer im Feld sinnt auf Rache. Den Last-Minute-Triumph von Sebastian Vettel hat der spanische Doppelweltmeister noch nicht ganz verdaut: "Soviel Glück hat Vettel kein zweites Mal. Der WM-Pokal gehört am Ende des Jahres mir." Ferrari gehört in jedem Fall zu den absoluten Topfavoriten, das haben die Testfahrten gezeigt. Die Scuderia spulte die meisten Kilometer ab und Fernando Alonso hat den Vorteil, als absolute Nummer eins im Team in die Saison zu gehen. Alonso selbst rechnet mit keiner Verschiebung an der Spitze und hält Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes und sein eigenes Team für die größten Titelkandidaten.

Rating: 10 von 10



FELIPE MASSA

Wenn Fernando Alonso der Leader bei Ferrari ist, bleibt Felipe Massa wohl nur die Rolle des Schattenmanns. Immerhin ist Stallorder in der kommenden Saison nicht mehr verboten und somit sind Szenarien denkbar, in denen Massa seinen Teamkollegen passieren lassen muss. Dabei sieht Massa als einer der wenigen Fahrer Vorteile im Reifenwechsel hin zu Pirelli und sieht sich im Vorteil gegenüber der vergangenen Saison. Er spüre bei neuen Reifen sofort den nötigen Grip, sagte Massa am Rande der letzten Testfahrten in Barcelona, und deshalb "werde ich zu meiner alten Stärke im Qualifying zurückfinden."

Rating: 8 von 10



MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Hätte es den letzten Testtag in Barcelona nicht gegeben, Mercedes und auch Michael Schumacher wären in allen Saisonprognosen wohl im Mittelfeld gelandet. Doch dann zauberte Schumacher mit 1:21,268 einen neuen Streckenrekord auf den Asphalt. Die anderen Teams staunten und die immer noch zahlreich vorhandenen Schumi-Fans witterten die Rückkehr in die Weltspitze. "Ich kann es kaum erwarten, nach Melbourne zu gehen und dort das wahre Bild zu sehen", verriet Schumacher vor dem Auftakt in Australien. Doch der siebenmalige Weltmeister muss sich zunächst teamintern gegen Nico Rosberg durchsetzen, was ihm in der vergangenen Saison erst gegen Ende gelingen konnte.

Rating: 7 von 10



NICO ROSBERG

Im Interview mit Spiegel Online erklärte Nico Rosberg die Strategie von Teamchef Ross Brawn, in der zunächst die Zuverlässigkeit des Boliden im Vordergrund stand: "Schon im Dezember hat Ross Brawn uns allen gesagt, dass wir Geduld haben müssen. Er sagte, am Anfang wird das Auto nicht schnell sein. Ich gebe zu, es war schwieriger als gedacht. Aber mittlerweile sind wir voll im Plan." Egal ob Schumacher oder Rosberg, die deutschen Fans lechzen nach einem deutsch-deutschen Titelduell, Zweifel an der Nachhaltigkeit der Barcelona-Zeit sind aber weiter angebracht.

Rating: 7 von 10



NICK HEIDFELD

Lange Zeit sah es danach aus, als wäre Nick Heidfeld erneut zum Zuschauen gezwungen. Der langjährige BMW-Pilot freundete sich schon mit einer Rolle als Testfahrer bei Mercedes an, als sein ehemaliger Teamkollege Robert Kubica in einem Rallye-Auto schwer verunglückte und so das Cockpit bei Renault frei wurde. Heidfeld bekam den Posten und fährt plötzlich für ein Team, dem durchaus Außenseiterchancen eingeräumt werden. Mit seiner Erfahrung als Pirelli-Testfahrer ging er sogar mit Vorteilen in die Testfahrten, doch der Renault kämpfte mit vielen Problemen und so hängt Heidfeld vor dem Saisonstart noch ein wenig in der Luft.

Rating: 5 von 10

“We’re like night and day compared with 12 months ago”
says John Booth, Marussia Virgin Racing’s Team Principal and Director of Racing

“It’s very exciting to be heading to Australia this week to begin our preparations for the first race of the season. It is disappointing for all that Bahrain was postponed but all the signs are that this was the right decision. The fact is that had we raced in Bahrain last weekend, we would have been a man down in the cockpit as Timo would still have been recovering from his appendectomy. Thankfully he’ll be fighting fit for next weekend, so the last minute change to the calendar has worked in our favour.

“Whilst it’s impossible to predict how any of the teams will fare once we all take to the track next Friday in the first real barometer of competitive performance, what I do know is this - as a racing operation we’re like night and
day compared with 12 months ago. Last year we pushed too soon on car performance and it cost us in reliability terms as a result. This year we head to Melbourne with 4642kms of pre-season testing mileage under our belts and a much more reliable baseline to develop from.

“We fully expect the first few races to be challenging in terms of outright pace, but I’m comfortable that prioritising reliability and strategy will help our big picture and we’ll be in a much better place for the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to a more straightforward week of preparation leading up to the first race and to planning our opening race strategy in rather more calm circumstances than last year. Albert Park is a fantastic
circuit that has produced some truly memorable racing and I hope we can do ourselves justice there.”


“An incredible place to start the season”
says Timo Glock, Race Driver #24

“The Australian Grand Prix is one of the best races on the calendar and Melbourne is an incredible place to start the season. I can’t wait to get out on track and be racing again. This will be the first chance we get to truly weigh up the competition and I think it is going to be quite interesting for all of the teams.

“Albert Park is a challenging track to get on top of. Because it’s a street circuit it takes a while to rubber in and there is very little grip on Friday. It’s quite a stop-start circuit so brake wear can be a factor. It is also quite bumpy and because the weather can change so quickly at this time of year the track conditions can vary with each session. I think the combination of this circuit together with the surprises we expect to see anyhow should make for an incredible season opener.

“The last three weeks have been less than ideal as I lost a lot of crucial track time. I spent a lot of time over the winter getting ahead of the curve with my fitness though and now I am thankful for that as I haven’t suffered as
much as I could have. I’ve been doing a lot of cycling in particular and I’m pretty pleased with where I’m at, all things considered.”

Day three of Marussia Virgin Racing’s four-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya took place in much-welcomed warm and sunny conditions, creating the perfect environment for the team to continue with its intensive race preparation programme for the start of the 2011 season.

As per the plan, Jérôme D’Ambrosio spent the day pounding round the 4.655 km circuit, putting plenty of mileage on the MVR-02 whilst evaluating the Pirelli PZero tyres, optimising set-up and proving out new parts for the first race in Australia in two weeks’ time. Of the 11 teams that were taking part today Marussia Virgin Racing ended the day with the fifth highest number of laps under their belts.

Aside from a late morning fuel pressure problem, which was quickly rectified, the team had a trouble-free day which yielded plenty of very useful data to be fed straight back into the car development programme.

The team were delighted to see Timo Glock back in the fold today. Although he is unable to drive the car whilst still recovering from his appendectomy, he spent the day trackside poring over the data and observing the track activity of Marussia Virgin Racing and the other teams to ensure he is as up to speed as possible.


Jérôme D’Ambrosio
“Today we have had a much more positive day and it was great to get so many laps in and complete our programme. This is the second full race simulation I have completed now and having this opportunity to do four full days before the start of the season is very important. Tomorrow will be another exciting day for me and then we will have a good picture of where we are. It was also great to see Timo back today.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We have had a very productive day of running today, culminating in another positive race simulation programme using the tyre compounds we will run in Australia. As a result we have some excellent data to work with over the next couple of weeks to ensure we are in the best possible shape for the first race. Timo was with us for the day today and is on the mend and in great shape. It was good that he had the opportunity to be as close to the cockpit as possible – both in the garage with the team and observing the action from the pitwall.”

Timo Glock:
„Über den Verlauf der OP und meine schnelle Genesung bin ich sehr glücklich. Schade, dass ich die Tests in Barcelona wohl verpassen werde. Dafür müssen sich die Kollegen in Australien warm anziehen: ohne Blinddarm bin ich bestimmt schneller, der war sicher ein paar Gramm schwer…“

„I’m very happy about how the operation went, and about my quick recovery. It’s a shame that I’ll probably miss the tests in Barcelona. But the guys in Australia are going to have to watch out: without an appendix I’m certain to be faster – I mean, it must have weighed a few grams at least! …“

Teamchef John Booth:
"Timo ist gestern operiert worden, man hat ihm den Blinddarm entfernt. Die Genesung im Schweizer Krankenhaus verläuft gut. Er wird voraussichtlich noch einen Tag dort bleiben. Um eine vernünftige Heilung zu gewährleisten, ist es sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass Timo in der kommenden Woche in Barcelona an den Tests teilnehmen wird. Wahrscheinlich wird Jerome an allen vier Tagen für uns fahren. Die endgültige Entscheidung fällt Anfang kommender Woche. Wir wünschen uns, dass Timo schnell wieder bei uns ist."


Team Principal John Booth:
‘I can confirm that Timo had an operation yesterday to remove his appendix after a sudden case of appendicitis. The procedure was routine and Timo is recovering well in a Swiss hospital where he is likely to remain for a further 24 hours. To ensure a swift recovery, it is unlikely that he will take part in next week’s test in Barcelona and that Jerome will run on all four days instead, however, we will make a final decision early next week. We look forward to having Timo back with us very soon.’

Following today’s announcement by the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) that the Kingdom of Bahrain has withdrawn from hosting this year’s season opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 13 March, John Booth, Team Principal of Marussia Virgin Racing commented:

“The Bahrain Grand Prix is an important event on the F1 calendar and as the scene of our team’s racing debut a little under 12 months ago, we have extremely fond memories of Bahrain and were looking forward to returning there for this year’s season opening race. However, it is with great sadness that we have watched events unfolding there over the past week and it is quite clear that there are far bigger matters at stake than whether a major sporting event can take place. Withdrawing from hosting the race at this time was the appropriate course of action and we fully support the decision. We hope that the current unrest in Bahrain can be brought to a peaceful conclusion.

“We will now take part in the final pre-season test, which has been relocated to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, on 8-11 March and we look forward to getting the 2011 season underway in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix on 25-27 March.”

Timo Glock was out on track again today in Barcelona for the second day of his programme with Marussia Virgin Racing. The morning started off wet and rainy, giving the team a good opportunity to run on a wet circuit again. With the exception of one day in Jerez last week, most of the running so far has been in the dry. It was therefore a good opportunity for Timo to evaluate the new wet and intermediate Pirelli PZero tyres and for the team to gauge the optimum window for switching to slicks when running on a damp track.

In the afternoon the track dried and Timo switched to the slick tyre, adding more mileage to the car and completing a total of 97 laps.

Tomorrow, Jerome D’Ambrosio will be back in the car for the fourth and final day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.


Timo Glock
“It has been a very interesting day today for me and the team. It was useful to drive on a wet track and understand the new intermediate and wet Pirelli tyres. We were also able to continue adding good mileage to the car as I was able to complete many laps. More good progress and now my focus will switch to plenty of work in the simulator to continue preparing for the start of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Another positive and constructive day for the team. We were able to sample a wet track again and keep on testing all the different types of tyres. Timo has done an excellent job over the past two days in Barcelona, and the team is heading in the right direction. We look forward to more of the same tomorrow when Jerome picks up the reins.”

Cool conditions greeted the teams today for the second day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Timo Glock joined the programme for the first of his two days at the wheel of the MVR-02 car and in the morning the team concentrated on system checks, with the cold and low grip track making it difficult to get heat into the tyres and for them to reach optimal temperature. During a series of short runs Timo was able to try different gearbox settings and conduct pit-stop practice.

After a short break for lunch, Timo was back out on track for the afternoon session where the team achieved more productive running with some set-up runs, in which the team worked to further understand the behaviour of the MVR-02 with new and used Pirelli PZero tyres.

Timo will be back in the car again tomorrow and Jérôme D’Ambrosio will drive again on the fourth and final day of testing in Barcelona.


Timo Glock
“It’s great to be back in the car again. It has been another very useful day for the team today which is important for us to keep understanding and refining the new car. We are also making good progress understanding the new Pirelli tyres and the team is really doing a good job getting ready for the start of the season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“Another constructive day for us in Barcelona with yet more good mileage under our belts. With the Bahrain test and race being something of an unknown quantity at this time, we are pushing extremely hard to ensure we maximise the opportunity that this test provides to refine the car and achieve as much data as possible.”

After yesterday’s successful and reliable running for a promotional filming day at the Jerez circuit in Spain, the new MVR-02 was run for the first time in an official Formula One test session at the Circuito de Velocidad today.

The track was very cold this morning and during an initial installation lap the team experienced a fuel pressure problem which confined the MVR-02 to the garage. A solution was in place by lunchtime and in warm and sunny conditions, Timo was able to run the car in anger for the first time, initially focusing on shorter stints before building up to some longer runs towards the end of the session.

By the end of the day Timo had lapped the circuit 42 times, gaining valuable information about the car's behaviour on track. The team will now analyse the data and use this information during the remainder of the test programme.


Timo Glock
“I was really looking forward to driving the new car for the first time and it’s been an interesting first day. We had a problem in the morning and lost a bit of track time, but when we were up and running we were able to complete a lot of laps in the time we had and collect valuable data. It was a little frustrating to have the car in the garage this morning but putting that aside I am feeling positive about what we achieved this afternoon and from that point of view it has been a very good start.”

John Booth
“It’s great to see the new MVR-02 car out on track for the first time after all the work and effort the team has put into it during the winter. We recovered well from a small setback and went on to complete 42 very valuable laps. We look forward to continuing in the same vein during the rest of the week.”

Hot on the heels of today’s launch of the MVR-02 – Marussia Virgin Racing’s challenger for the forthcoming Formula One season – the team’s 2011 driver line-up of Timo Glock and Jerome D’Ambrosio revealed their excitement about the new season and the progress made by the team over the winter months.

After taking part in the team’s innovative television production-style launch event at the BBC’s Television Centre, the drivers follow the car straight to Jerez in Spain for its debut test providing the first real barometer of its performance potential.

Timo will be the first to get behind the wheel of the new car during the first two days of the four day programme, while Jerome will get his first run in the new MVR-02 for the final two days of testing in the south of Spain.

Timo Glock
“Today is a very special day for everybody in the team. It’s a moment we’ve all been working very hard for, and to be able to be here at the second car launch for the team is something very special. Everyone is really looking forward to our second season in Formula One. Having waited so long to see the MVR-02 come to life, I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new car at the test in Jerez. Getting to grips with the new Pirelli tyres will continue to be an interesting challenge, following on from our first two tests with the PZeros in Abu Dhabi last year and in Valencia last week. I’m really looking forward to putting the first kilometres on the car and getting down to business preparing for what should be a very positive season for us.”

Jerome D’Ambrosio
“I couldn’t be more excited. I have finally seen the first Formula One car I will race in and it’s fantastic. This is a really special day and I can’t wait to drive the new car for the first time later this week. The team has really done a great job, and now we have to keep pushing hard and begin to understand how the new car works. Personally, I have done a great deal of work to get myself into the best physical and mental shape and I’m ready to start racing. I really can’t wait to drive the MVR-02.”

The first three days of pre-season testing for 2011 in Valencia have been very constructive for the Marussia Virgin Racing Team. Although still only running with the 2010 VR-01 car, the team was able to gain valuable information that will be useful for the development of the new car ahead of the first race in Bahrain.

Timo Glock was at the wheel of the VR-01 for the last time before driving the new MVR-02 car in Jerez next week, and was able to complete a total of 114 laps, in excess of the combined total of laps achieved over the past two days. The German driver completed a total of 461.8 km and established a new record for the team.

After 3 positive days of testing in Valencia, the team is now focused on presenting the new MVR-02 car next Monday at Television Centre in London.

Timo Glock
“Today was a very productive day. The team worked very hard to gain more running after yesterday and as a result I was able to complete many laps and we were quite competitive. However, this is still last year’s car so we hope for good things with the new car. I think these first three days in Valencia have been very useful for the team though. I really can’t wait to drive the MVR-02 next week.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We have started the 2011 season well. There is still a lot of work to do, but these first few days of testing will be very helpful to ensure we are heading in the right direction. The next week is going to be very important for the team, as we are launching the new 2011 MVR-02 car and testing it in Jerez for the first time. For now though it was great to end this week’s test, and our last running of the VR-01, on such a positive note by completing such an impressive number of laps.”

Day two of the first Formula One tests of the 2011 season saw Timo Glock back in the 2010 VR-01 car in Valencia today. The German driver and the team were able to carry on testing the new Pirelli tyres and continue working through the programme of 2011 systems evaluation.

Timo Glock completed his first 34 laps of the season. Tomorrow he will be back at the wheel of the car during the third and final day of tests in a warm and sunny Valencia. It will also be the last day with the VR-01 car, as the new MVR-02 car will be presented next Monday in London and will be ready for the second test of the season in Jerez.

Timo Glock
“It was good to be in the car again after a winter preparing myself for a new season which I am really looking forward to. These first tests are going to be useful as we continue getting to grips with the new Pirelli tyres. Despite not being able to complete as many laps as we would have liked, it has been a very interesting day for me and the team and I can’t wait to jump in the car again tomorrow and carry on working hard in preparation for the new season ahead.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“It has been another interesting day for the team in Valencia and we are getting very useful information. It’s good to see Timo back in the car again. We had some minor hydraulic problems, but the team is working very hard and is ready for tomorrow’s last day of tests in Valencia.”

MORE POWER TO MARUSSIA VIRGIN RACING
Enhanced relationship with CSC doubles the Team’s computing power for 2011

Dinnington, UK
Thursday 13 January 2011, 11.30 GMT

The Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team is delighted to announce that it has strengthened its existing relationship with Technology Partner CSC for 2011 and beyond. The newly enhanced partnership will see CSC, the world’s leading independent IT Services company, helping the team to double the computing power of its all-digital racing car development facility.

The impressive new computer suite, which will be housed at the Banbury base of Marussia Virgin Racing’s Technical Partner, Wirth Research, means that the team can make more changes, more quickly, at less cost than any other team, to improve and optimise on-track performance.

The size and power of the new computer means the smallest design improvements can be validated in a few hours, adjusted as needed, and re-tested. This is significantly faster, more cost effective and less wasteful than prototype production and wind tunnel testing.

The investment means that Marussia Virgin Racing can use the maximum amount of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) capacity allowed under the Formula One Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) - which is likely to be more than any other F1 team in 2011.

As was the case in 2010, CSC will also provide IT services and support for the racing operation at all Grand Prix events and at the team’s operational headquarters in Dinnington, South Yorkshire. CSC will be upgrading and creating key trackside systems, factory IT services, sponsor and social media projects. For example, the team will be incorporating mobile data services and cloud based solutions to enhance sponsor and fan experiences in the areas of live data and track information at races.

As part of the enhanced relationship, the CSC logo will now be proudly displayed on the 2011 race car - which will be launched to the media next month - as well as on the clothing of trackside personnel, the race trucks and garages, and the new 2011 range of team merchandise.

Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Marussia Virgin Racing, commented: “We are delighted that the partnership we enjoyed with CSC in our debut season has developed into an even stronger relationship and one which will have a more direct influence on the performance of our race car design and development. 12 months ago we launched the first Formula One car to be designed entirely using CFD to demonstrate that, over time, a new team operating with a smaller and more sustainable budget can enter the sport and be competitive. These are exciting times at Marussia Virgin Racing and with CSC’s support and an enhanced technical capability, we can embark on our second season with renewed ambition and pursue our longer-term performance objectives with confidence.”

Andy Williams, President at CSC in the UK, commented: “The all-digital approach Marussia Virgin Racing takes allows us to be part of a story that shows how technology can transform business models and processes - an idea that reflects our position as an innovative company that uses IT to help our customers change the way they do business. We’re delighted to be supporting a young team with great ambitions for the future.”


Notes to Editors

About Marussia Virgin Racing
Virgin Racing entered the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2010, beating off stiff competition from a number of contenders for one of the new team entries. The team was originally conceived by John Booth and Graeme Lowdon, whose Manor Motorsport operation in the North of England achieved unrivalled Formula 3 success and played a major role in the development of several of today’s greatest motor racing talents. They joined forces with designer Nick Wirth, who returned to F1 after a decade enjoying remarkable results in Indy Racing and Le Mans sports car development in the USA with his innovative and low-cost design approach. Together with the commercial firepower of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin, one of the most recognised, respected and exciting brands in the world, they created a new racing team concept, capitalising upon F1’s new economic dawn and the Resource Restriction Agreement that has begun to redefine the sport. Virgin Racing’s debut season was always going to be a tough test. The team had designed a brand new car entirely in the digital domain using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and without the very expensive wind tunnel testing capabilities deployed by the current Formula One teams - all in the space of just six months. In November 2010, Russian sports car manufacturer Marussia, who had sponsored Virgin Racing throughout its debut season and witnessed at close quarters its true grit and enormous potential, acquired a significant shareholding in the team, securing its long-term future and ensuring that it can continue to go from strength to strength in pursuit of its racing ambitions. From the 2011 season the team will be known as Marussia Virgin Racing. www.marussiavirginracing.com

About CSC
CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled solutions and services through its lines of business which include Business Solutions & Services and Managed Services and across all major industry sectors. CSC’s advanced capabilities include systems design and integration, information technology and business process outsourcing, applications software development, Web and application hosting, mission support and management consulting. The company has been recognised as a leader in the industry, including being named by FORTUNE magazine as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies for Information T

The Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team is delighted to announce that it has signed rising talent Jerome D’Ambrosio to partner Timo Glock in 2011.

Last month, the 25 year old Belgian successfully concluded an evaluation role with the team, which saw him take part in the Free Practice 1 sessions of the Singapore, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Grands Prix. In addition, he conducted a further half day programme at the wheel of the VR-01 race car during the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test following the concluding round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.

The aim of the programme was to evaluate Jerome’s potential for a race seat with the team and his speed and excellent technical feedback saw him pass the test with flying colours.

Jerome has spent the last four seasons competing in the GP2 Series, prior to which he raced in the GP2 Asia Series, International Formula Master, the F3000 Euroseries and Formula Renault. Alongside his 2010 GP2 commitments he has also held the role of Reserve and Test Driver for the Renault F1 Team.

Jerome’s first official duties will commence early next year with the launch of the VR-02, Marussia Virgin Racing’s contender for the 2011 season. He will then commence pre-season testing alongside his 28 year old German team-mate Timo Glock in Valencia in February.

Marussia Virgin Racing Team Principal, John Booth, commented: “Jerome had been on our radar for quite some time as a driver we should seriously consider for a 2011 race seat. We had followed his progress in GP2 closely and it was clear he was ‘one to watch’, but when we put him in the car for the four race weekends and the Abu Dhabi test he surpassed even our own expectations. He slotted into the team perfectly and everyone took a shine to him, including our partners and the media. Apart from his obvious skill at the wheel of a Formula One car, he is an immensely personable young guy who is a pleasure to have around. He has secured this seat absolutely on merit and I think coupled with Timo we have the perfect blend of youth, experience, speed and potential and we can’t wait to see what they can achieve together next season.

“Timo has done an excellent job for us in our debut season, in often challenging circumstances. There is no doubt that he has helped us to establish a strong foundation from which to develop the team and the package. We look forward to being in a much stronger position to deliver the car he deserves in 2011.

“Finally, I must thank Lucas di Grassi for the important role that he also played in establishing the team. He contributed a great deal to our development and we wish him every success in his future career, which we have no doubt will be an exciting one.”

Marussia Virgin Racing’s new driver, Jerome D’Ambrosio, commented: “I’m thrilled to have achieved my goal of a Formula One race seat with Marussia Virgin Racing. When I came to the team in September this year it was everything I could hope for. I had a tough test to complete because there was a lot of competition for this seat, but at the same time I got on well with the team and felt that I had found my home. I feel very comfortable with them - they are extremely professional and ambitious people and it is exciting to think that I can be a part of shaping the team’s future. I would like to thank everyone at Marussia Virgin Racing for the faith they have shown in me and everyone at Gravity Sport Management for the support they have given to my career so far.”

Timo Glock said: “My congratulations to Jerome on joining the team and I look forward to working with him next year. After a tough but rewarding debut season for our team we now have a lot of hard work to do to take Marussia Virgin Racing to the level we should be performing at in 2011. I for one cannot wait to get started in the new car when testing begins in February.”

Auch in der kommenden Saison wird Timo Glock für Virgin fahren. Wer sein Teamkollege ist, steht derzeit noch nicht fest.
Nach einem schwierigen Debütjahr soll nun der nächste Schritt folgen. Das Designteam um Nick Wirth hat den ersten Boliden komplett am Computer konstruiert und ist damit unter dem Strich Letzter geworden. Mit Marussia ist ein neuer Sponsor an Board gekommen, der das Team weiter nach vorne bringen will. Trotzdem ist sicher, dass auf Glock weiterhin viel Arbeit wartet.

"Ich werde definitiv für Virgin fahren. Es gab viele Spekulationen darüber, ob ich das Team verlassen werde, aber es ging nicht darum den Rennstall zu verlassen, sondern dass wir besser sein und weiter nach vorne kommen wollen", so der Deutsche. "Es ist nicht nur zu 99,9 Prozent sicher das ich bleibe, denn es ist zu 100 Prozent sicher. Ich hatte von Beginn an einen langfristigen Vertrag und ich habe bereits damals gesagt, dass ich das Team für die Zukunft aufbauen will.
Es ist unmöglich das in einem Jahr zu schaffen. Außerdem können wir alle Erfahrungen der vergangenen Saison für einen guten Schritt im kommenden Jahr verwenden. Es ist ein tolles Team und die Leute haben ihr Blut, ihren Schweiß und ihre Tränen für die erste Saison gegeben. Einige haben das nicht mit ihren eigenen Augen gesehen, so wie ich es getan habe, also kann man leicht etwas kritisieren."

Wer im zweiten Virgin-Cockpit sitzen wird, steht noch nicht fest. Ein heißer Kandidat ist Jérôme D'Ambrosio. "Ich bin bereits bestätigt, also gibt es nichts Neues über mich", sagt Glock. "Das Team möchte aber beide Piloten gleichzeitig verkünden, wenn der zweite Platz entschieden ist. Es ist richtig, sich die Zeit zu nehmen und die beste Kombination aus Jugend und Erfahrung zu wählen.
Außerdem müssen wir beim Testen und am Rennwochenende die besten Informationen sammeln, damit wir schnell genug entwickeln können und vorwärts kommen. Ich glaube nicht, dass wir noch lange auf die Neuigkeiten warten müssen, hoffentlich ist es schon vor Weihnachten soweit."

Der VR-01 ist komplett am Computer entstanden und wurde nie im Windkanal getestet. Wie sieht Glock diesen Ansatz im Rückblick?

"Wir haben gezeigt, dass es möglich ist, ein gutes digitales Formel-1-Auto zu designen und zu entwickeln. Wir haben das vor allem bei der Entwicklung von den ersten Testfahrten bis Saisonende gezeigt. Es war ein sehr großer Schritt. Aber das Problem ist, dass die Konkurrenz ebenfalls entwickelt.
Unter dem Strich haben wir nicht genug getan, um der beste Neueinsteiger zu sein. Wir haben gezeigt, dass wir in eine gute Richtung gehen. Ich habe Vertrauen in unseren Ansatz." Mit Marussia ist auch die Zukunft des Teams gesichert. "Es ist nicht leicht, aber die Partnerschaft mit Marussia ist eine tolle Nachricht. Mit ihrer Unterstützung haben wir eine sichere Basis, von der wir angreifen werden und versuchen unsere Ziele in den nächsten Jahren zu erreichen."

Quelle: www.motorsport-total.com

Timo Glock insists there are absolutely no doubts that he will be racing with the Virgin team in the 2011 season.

Glock has a contract with the team for next year, but there has been speculation that he would move elsewhere following a difficult maiden season for Virgin. The German was not included on the official entry list published by the FIA earlier this week, but he made it clear it is 100 per cent certain he will remain with Virgin. Glock said he is looking forward to 2011, when he expects the team to perform more strongly.

"I'm excited. And yes I am definitely driving for Virgin Racing," Glock said on Virgin's website. "There has been a lot of speculation about me wanting to leave the team, but it is not about leaving a team, it is about wanting to do better and keep moving forward.
It is not just 99.9% certain that I will stay, as has been reported - it is 100% certain that I am staying! Since the beginning I have had a long-term contract with the team and I said then that I was doing this to help build a team for the future. It would not be possible to do that in one year from nothing. Plus I think with everything we have learned this year we can take a very good step up next season.
This is a great team of people who have given blood, sweat and tears to our first season. Some people haven't seen that with their own eyes, like I have, so it's easy to criticise or be cynical."

Glock supported the team's decision to delay announcing who his team-mate will be next year, although he is hoping it will happen this month.

"Well, I am already confirmed so there is nothing new to announce about me. But I understand that the team wants to announce the line-up together when the second seat is confirmed.
I think it is right to take our time and make sure we have the best combination of youth and experience, plus make sure we have the best information going back into the team at testing and races to ensure we can develop as quickly as we want to and keep moving forward.
I don't think we will have to wait too much longer for that news - hopefully before Christmas!"

The German admitted the season had been very difficult and frustrating, but was also very proud of what the team had achieved.

"Extremely challenging and very hard work - for the whole team," he added. "2010 was a tough test for us all, but we survived and it was ultimately very rewarding for me.
There were frustrations along the way and when things don't go well, as a driver who is ambitious, I admit it was sometimes difficult, but I joined Virgin Racing knowing there would be difficult times ahead so it wasn't really a surprise to me. We were building something from zero - no team, no factory, no previous year's car to develop from and no data.
Everything we have we have built ourselves in the space of less than a year. We should also remember that we were also taking a pretty revolutionary design approach to the VR-01. If you look at our season from that perspective, we have achieved something pretty incredible."

Quelle: www.autosport.com

Virgin Racing concluded its final day of running of 2010 today and ended the year on a high by achieving more mileage on a single car than on any other day of its debut season. The team were on track at Yas Marina for the second of two days of testing with the sport’s new tyre supplier Pirelli, with Timo Glock at the wheel of the VR-01:04 for one final outing before the winter break.

The programme for day two was a continuation of the tyre evaluation work started yesterday, with four more sets of the medium and soft compound rubber providing a further opportunity to understand their characteristics and behaviour. The team have also been running some mechanical developments for next year’s car which, thanks to the excellent mileage achieved, has allowed the team to gather even more meaningful results to feed into the design for next year.

The race team now pack up and head home for a well-earned break, whilst the technical team, armed with the information gathered at Yas Marina this week, go headlong into two months of intensive preparation for the 2011 season.

Timo Glock
“First of all my thanks to the team for one final push this week. It’s been another busy week for us all at the end of the season but the information that we have collected will be invaluable for next year’s programme. We had a very good day of running and we have been able to gather a huge amount of data from the tyres and the development parts for 2011. With regard to the Pirelli tyres I think we have seen some positive things and also some things that need to be addressed, but that is to be expected. The Option looks very good and is very consistent but there seems to be a lot of rear degradation with the Prime, so that’s something to be worked on. Generally though a very good test and now it’s over to the technical guys to feed all that back into the programme and make sure we have a strong package next season.”

John Booth, Team Principal
“We said we wanted to end the season on a high and that is exactly what we’ve done here in Abu Dhabi this week with four very positive days of running. We’ve done some good work with the tyres over the last two days and this has been an important step towards our 2011 programme. We have also been able to demonstrate just how far we have come this season by achieving over 400kms of running today. I would like to thank Pirelli for a very positive start to our working relationship. They have been a pleasure to work with. Once again, my thanks to everyone in the team for another week of hard work and I wish everyone a well-deserved break before the big push gets underway for next year.”

No sooner has the 2010 season reached it conclusion than the teams were back on track today with the first preparations for 2011. After a one day break following this week’s Young Driver Test, running resumed at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi today with the first of two days of testing with new tyre supplier Pirelli.

Timo Glock was in the Virgin Racing VR-01:04 to conduct a programme of tyre evaluations and setup work in order to gauge the performance and behaviour of the Pirelli rubber. In common with the other teams testing in Abu Dhabi, Virgin Racing will work with the eight sets of tyres available to them during the two days, comprising the medium and soft compounds.

Timo Glock:
“It was good to be back in the car today to begin work on the 2011 programme. As our new tyre supplier it was good to start the relationship with Pirelli’s engineers and take a good look at the tyres to understand their characteristics. We did a lot of laps and worked though quite a detailed programme, so we have ended the day with a good feel for how the car was behaving with the tyres. We have some more work to do tomorrow and this will leave us in a good position over the winter until testing starts again early next year.”

John Booth, Team Principal:
“We very much enjoyed the first day of our new working relationship with Pirelli and thanks to a very straightforward day with the car we were able to complete our full programme, running various stint lengths and fuel loads with both the medium and soft compound tyres. It is obviously very early days but we were able to get a good feel for the behaviour of the tyres and the results were positive both in terms of laptime and car balance. We were also able to continue running a number of test items for next year’s car with very satisfactory results.”

The start of the race was very dramatic, with a safety car intervention required almost immediately after the start when Vitantonio Liuzzi's Force India car mounted the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher, who thankfully was not hurt.

The team had opted to run the two VR-01s with different strategies, Timo starting on the medium Prime tyre, and Lucas on the super-soft Option. Lucas elected to pit while the safety car was out, and the team performed brilliantly to get Lucas out ahead of the two HRT cars that he had followed into the pitlane.
Timo stayed out and was battling to pass Jarno Trulli, until the Lotus suffered a broken front wing and Timo was set free. Unfortunately a few laps later his gearbox showed signs of failure and on lap 43 he was forced to retire.

Timo Glock:
“The last race of our debut season was quite interesting. I had good pace and was able to keep speed with Lotus. In the end, unfortunately the gearbox got too hot and failed in the closing stages of the race, so it was disappointing but I still had a good pace and that is a reflection of how much we have developed the car over the year.
I would like to thank the whole team and in particular my car crew. They did a very good job and I’m looking forward to working hard to get us in good shape for next year.”

The Virgin Racing team have made the trip from Interlagos to Yas Marina in an incredibly short time to be ready for this weekend’s Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. The pack-up in Brazil was completed by 11pm and the team had already arrived in Abu Dhabi by 05:00 on Tuesday morning.
This is the second year that the 5.541 km Yas Marina circuit has been used, with the most interesting feature of the race being the transition from daylight to darkness, as the sun sets and the multi-coloured lights take over.

Timo Glock:
“This is a new experience for me as I missed last year’s race as a result of my leg injury. It’s always great to learn a new circuit, but we already have a good idea from the simulator so it won’t be too much of a challenge.
The circuit itself is a typical modern circuit, quite different to the track at Interlagos with its changes of elevation, and in general there aren’t many high-speed corners.
It’s obviously the last race of the season so our final chance to show what the VR-01 can do, and I’m looking forward to that, but also to next season which isn’t that far away!"

The Virgin Racing team travel to South America for the first time this week, as the Formula One circus makes its annual trip to Brazil. The 4.309 km long Interlagos track is the shortest permanent circuit on the calendar, only Monaco is shorter, and the combination of the twisty infield section and the long start/finish straight that leads into the Senna "S" always guarantees an exciting race.
The circuit is also the highest at 800m above sea-level, but the passion of the locals more than makes up for any lack of atmospheric pressure.

Timo Glock:
“Interlagos is a great circuit, fun to drive but also technically challenging. At the beginning of the lap you have one of the best overtaking points in Formula One, as we brake for the Senna "S", a great combination of corners where the track drops away from you. It's always a challenge to balance the car between getting maximum grip through the twisty infield, and minimizing drag for the straights.
Some of the corners are quite bumpy too. It's important for us to show the progress we've made over the season and we'll be pushing very hard to demonstrate the speed of the car in the last two races of the season and hopefully we can get a good result here."

Virgin Racing’s Korean Grand Prix ended in frustration when the race came to a premature conclusion for both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi as a consequence of separate racing incidents.

As Formula One counted down to the start of a race which several weeks ago had seemed like it might never happen, it had been raining intermittently for 15 hours and the conditions were getting worse, not better. After the start was delayed for 10 minutes in the hope that the heavens would close, the race got underway behind the safety car, but three laps was all it took to confirm that the circuit was undriveable. The race was subsequently red-flagged, which gave rise to a second grid formation.

At 16:05 the race was restarted, again behind the safety car, and after a further 13 laps the conditions had improved sufficiently to allow the racing to finally get underway. The early part was strong for both drivers.

All hopes rested on Timo, who was running in a very encouraging 12th position when he was hit by Sebastian Buemi. The Toro Rosso driver lost control under braking at the end of the straight and speared the right-hand side of Timo’s car. Timo came into the pits to allow the team to assess the damage, but it was too extensive for him to be able to continue and he was forced to retire.

Timo Glock:
“This was a very disappointing race, especially after having been in a strong position to achieve a good result. The restart was okay and the track was starting to improve. We had quite good pace in the first part of the race and were clearly the quickest of the new teams.
It’s just a huge shame that we couldn’t finish the race and all because of the mistake made by Buemi. It just seemed that he was all over the place. We now head to Brazil for the penultimate race of the season where I hope we can expect more luck than we found here in Korea.”

The Virgin Racing team is back in the Far East again this week as Formula One prepares to race in South Korea for the very first time.

The Korean Grand Prix, Round 17 of the FIA Formula One World Championship, is being held at a brand new Hermann Tilke designed track in Yeongam in the South Jeolla region. Aside from the simulation work that has been undertaken in recent months, the 5.621km Korean International Circuit is ‘virgin’ territory for all of the teams and the track walk on Thursday will be the first time that the drivers and their engineers will be able to see exactly what they are up against.

Timo Glock:
“I always look forward to the challenge of a new circuit and after everything that has been said about Korea I can’t wait to arrive there and see the new track for myself. It is a high downforce circuit with what look to be some challenging corners, particularly the section between turns 7-9, 11-12 and turn 17, which is almost flat, blind and important as it leads onto the second longest straight. I think there will also be some good overtaking spots in the early part of the lap.
I’m looking forward to Free Practice as in addition to getting my first real taste of the track it is always interesting to see how well our simulation work translates to reality. We have a lot of hard work to do in the remaining three races and it is important that we find everything we can from the current package to try to end the season well.”

„Mein Digitales Hessen – heute und in 20 Jahren“ lautet der Titel des Jugendmedienwettbewerbs des Landes Hessen. Der hessische Formel 1-Pilot Timo Glock gibt dafür den Startschuss: „Ohne IT läuft heute gar nichts – nicht nur im Rennsport. Zeig’ uns, wo IT für dich wichtig ist.“ Die Schirmherrschaft für den Jugendmedienwettbewerb hat Dieter Posch, Hessischer Minister für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung, übernommen. Auch das Hessische Kultusministerium unterstützt im Rahmen der Medieninitiative Schule@Zukunft den Wettbewerb.

Gesucht werden kreative Fotos und Videos, die zeigen, wie man sich Hessen im digitalen Zeitalter vorstellen kann. Wie sieht das digitale Hessen aus, oder wie sollte es aussehen? Wie nutzen wir Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien schon jetzt, und wie werden wir in Zukunft IT-unterstützt leben, arbeiten, uns bewegen? Welche Chancen bietet IT für ein besseres Leben und einen zukunftsfähigen Umgang mit der Natur? In dem Wettbewerb gibt es vier Kategorien: Prämiert werden jeweils die besten Fotos und Videos zu „Meine Digitales Hessen heute“ und „Mein Digitales Hessen in 20 Jahren“.

Aufgerufen sind alle hessischen Schüler und Studenten im Alter von 16 bis 25 Jahren. Jeder Teilnehmer kann bis zu fünf Beiträge einreichen – per Post oder auf der Internetseite www.meindigitaleshessen.de. Alle Datenformate sind zugelassen, Einsendeschluss ist der 07. November 2010.

In jeder Kategorie sind tolle Preise zu gewinnen: 1. Platz: iPad, 2. Platz: iPhone, 3. Platz: iPod. Die Preise werden auf der iTEC10, dem internationalen IT-Kongress des Landes Hessen, am 24. November ab 19 Uhr während der Kongress-Gala verliehen. Spektakulär ist eine zusätzliche Attraktion für die vier Top-Platzierten: „Race against the Glock“ – Sie können auf der Zukunftswerkstatt-IT in einem Computerspiel gegen den Formel 1-Piloten Timo Glock antreten. Die Zukunftswerkstatt-IT ist ein kostenfreies IT-Forum für Schüler und Studenten am 23. November 2010 im Congress Park Hanau.

Zu den Juroren des Medienwettbewerbs gehört neben Timo Glock unter anderem August-Wilhelm Scheer, Präsident des Branchenverbandes BITKOM. Der Jugendmedienwettbewerb ist eine Aktivität des Hessischen Ministeriums für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung. Er wird organisiert von der Aktionslinie Hessen-IT und unterstützt von der Medieninitiative Schule@Zukunft.

Hessen-IT ist die Aktionslinie des Hessischen Ministeriums für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung für den gesamten Informations- und Kommunikationsmarkt in Hessen. Hessen-IT wird durch die Wirtschaftsfördergesellschaft Hessen Agentur gemanagt. www.hessen-it.de

Schule@Zukunft ist eine Medieninitiative des Landes Hessen, in der Kommunen und das Land gemeinsam den Weg von Schulen in die Wissensgesellschaft unterstützen möchten. www.schuleundzukunft.de

iTEC10 ist der internationale Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie-Kongress des Landes Hessen am 24. November 2010 im Congress Park Hanau.www.itec10.de, www.itec10.eu

Weitere Informationen über:
HA Hessen Agentur GmbH
Aktionslinie Hessen-IT
Dr. Matthias Donath
Tel.: 0611 774-8963
Fax: 0611 774-8620
E-Mail: matthias.donath@hessen-agentur.de
Internet: www.hessen-agentur.de, www.hessen-it.de

Anmeldungen: www.meindigitaleshessen.de

After Saturday's torrential downpour, better weather greeted Suzuka for the postponed qualifying and race at the Japanese Grand Prix. 

The track was mainly dry at the start of qualifying but still slightly slippery. The softer Option tyre was clearly the way to go, although as the team hadn't managed to optimise the set-up for these tyres during the only dry day of running, it was always going to be an uphill struggle. Lucas opted for three runs while Timo chose to go out only twice. At the end of the session Lucas was classified 21st on 1:36.265, Timo 22nd with 1:36.332.

Timo got a reasonable start and when the Safety Car came out as a result of the first lap carnage, he pitted twice in order to be able to complete the race on the Prime tyre. Unfortunately this left him behind Sakon Yamamoto, who used his experience of the Suzuka circuit to block Timo's attempts to pass. Once Yamamoto pitted, Timo was able to show his true pace, but by then the race was long over.

Timo Glock: “The start of the race was reasonable for me but the safety car came out straight away, so we decided to do two pitstops in a row to get the Option tyre out of the way, which we hadn’t been able to get to work on the car in Free Practice. We ended up behind Yamamoto and just couldn’t get past him. He blocked me for most of the race and in the end all I could do was focus on just getting to the end of the race. It has been a strange weekend here in Suzuka and I think we’ll be happy to head to Korea and hope for better things.”

The Virgin Racing team heads back to the Far East again this week for Round 16 of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place at Suzuka on 8-10 October.

Suzuka International Racing Circuit is one of the great tracks of Formula One. It was designed by John Hugenholtz and built in 1962 as a test track for Honda, who still own it. The track is unique in F1 as it is the only “figure of eight” circuit layout used during the season. The 130R corner, so named because it has a 130 metre radius, is one of the celebrated corners in motor racing because of the speed at which it is taken. It was remodelled a few years ago, but still requires full commitment. Rain can often be a feature at Suzuka, and drivers who have raced here often have an advantage in knowing the lines to be used in the wet, which can be especially useful for overtaking.

Timo Glock:
“We head to Japan with another strong weekend under our belts in Singapore. The first part of our two-phase upgrade was working well and I had a good time in the wet to drying conditions. I think we can expect similarly wet weather in Japan - the early forecasts are for a strong chance of rain during all the running sessions and possibly during the race. And of course we have the second part of our upgrade with some new aero developments which I think will help us. It is of course exactly one year since I had my accident at this track, but I don’t have any reservations about coming back. The big cut to my leg healed completely and I have no residual effects. I always find Japan such an interesting experience and this is such a great technical circuit which I enjoy, so I am sure that getting the most from the car here in another crucial race for us will be my sole focus.”

"I got a reasonably good start to the race but both Lotus cars were able to overtake me. I was then able to retake Trulli at turn 7 and it was quite good putting pressure on Kovalainen.

At the first safety car we tried to stay out, which worked out okay and I was running as high as P10. I stayed in front of all the other guys for a few laps but when Sutil overtook me there was no chance to keep the others in the pack behind me. When he passed I couldn’t recover quick enough because the tyres were dirty as a result of having to go offline.

We were just unlucky with the second safety car. I had to come in for tyres and we just ended up behind. Then a few laps from the end we had a problem with the hydraulics and our race was over.

So now we look forward to the next one in Japan where we have more of our upgrade package and that should help us a lot."

Obwohl erst 2008 in den Rennkalender der Formel 1 aufgenommen, ist der Singapur GP schon jetzt ein Mythos. Stadtkurs und zugleich das einzige Nachtrennen der Serie – auf dem Marina Bay Street Circuit sind spektakuläre Bilder stets vorprogrammiert.

Timo Glock erinnert sich gerne an das letzte Mal in der asiatischen Millionenmetropole. Damals wurde er Zweiter hinter Lewis Hamilton. Und diesmal? Glock: „Wir gehen die ganze Sache sehr optimistisch an und hoffen nach einem erfolgreichen Update wieder angreifen zu können. Vielleicht gibt es mal wieder ein verrücktes Rennen in dem Stadtstaat und der große Regen spült uns in die Punkteränge. Schön wär's.“

Doch der Deutsche weiß sehr wohl, dass die Chancen, den Erfolg der Vorsaison zu wiederholen, äußerst gering sind. Deshalb lautet das Ziel: Endlich die ersten WM-Punkte holen. Das dürfte Herausforderung genug sein. „Zum Ende der Saison wird es erfahrungsgemäß immer schwieriger, nach vorne zu fahren. Also, drückt mir die Daumen...“

Monza is one of the greatest race tracks in the world and today it lived up to its heritage. A Ferrari victory pleased the Tifosi and Virgin Racing finished first out of the new teams.

At the start, Timo got away very well from the back of the grid passing five cars to slot in behind the Lotus of Jarno Trulli. Lucas was able to pass Heikki Kovalainen to tuck in behind Timo, although the Finn was able to retake the position a few laps into the race.

The pace was hectic as Monza has the fastest average speed of any Grand Prix, but with passing so difficult, the timing and the execution of the pit stops was likely to be vital. When Heikki stopped, Timo came in on the following lap and the team performed the stop perfectly, getting Timo out in time to retain his position.

At about three-quarter distance, Jarno Trulli began to slow and was passed by Timo and Lucas, which left the team looking at first and third positions in the new teams category, but a suspension issue on the last lap cost Lucas a position. The team are delighted to finish best of the new teams, and were the only one to have both cars classified - a feat they have now achieved more than either of the other two newcomers.

Timo Glock:
“I got a very good start and was going well into turn 1. I nearly got in front of both Lotus cars but Jarno was in a better position in the chicane for turn 2 and was able to stay in front of me. The opening laps were strong and I was able to put a lot of pressure on Jarno but I suffered with the rear brakes. In general I had to over-drive the car and just try to stay on line. The boys did a great job in the pit stop and I was able to stay ahead of Heikki Kovalainen. Together with my engineer I was able to manage the blue flags very well to get through the traffic and generally this has been a very good race for us.”

The Grands Prix are coming thick and fast now as Formula 1 counts down towards a thrilling climax to the 2010 season. After the teams enjoyed an action-packed race at the legendary Spa circuit last weekend, this week they’re heading to magical Monza - another old-y but good-y, just like Spa, and another firm favourite amongst the drivers.

Monza is steeped in history. The circuit was built in 1922 and since the inception of the World Championship in 1950 it has staged the Italian Grand Prix every year, with the exception of 1980, which makes it one of the oldest - and fastest - tracks on the 2010 calendar. The heritage is palpable at every turn - and so is the presence of the legendary Tifosi, who have motorsport passion oozing from every pore. The 53-lap race is staged at the 5.793km (3.600-mile) Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and marks the end of F1’s European season. The original 45-degree banking at either end of the pit straight has not been used by F1 cars since 1961, but the circuit remains a temple of speed thanks to its four long straights where the cars will reach top speeds of 342kph (213mph) compared with average lap speeds of around 242kph (150mph).

Timo Glock
“It was great to be back racing in Spa after the break and already the pace of the last part of the season has really picked up. I’m looking forward to the next six races as there is going to be a real energy as everyone fights hard to achieve their objectives. We’re no different and we’re pushing very hard to end the season as the best of the new teams. I love racing at Monza. It’s such a great track and I love the history attached to it. The old part of the circuit with the banking is spectacular. But as for the part we run on today, it’s very different to most of the circuits we race at. It is very quick and we run in a very low downforce configuration to get the straight-line speed required for the straights. My favourite part of the track is Ascari, which is good fun. The straight at Parabolica is also good in qualifying when you’re trying to get the maximum out of the car and leave your braking as late as possible.”

"Als nächstes steht jetzt erstmal Monza auf dem Programm. Die Strecke ist berüchtigt und bietet mit der höchsten Durchschnittsgeschwindigkeit und den längsten oder schnellsten Geraden eine Menge für den Zuschauer. Leider sind die Curbs ein bisschen zurück gebaut worden, deshalb ist es nicht mehr ganz so spektakulär. Ich freue mich aber auf den Klassiker und hoffe auf ein gutes Ergebnis."

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE

Spa Francorchamps delivered an exciting race as usual, and the new teams were racing closely throughout the entire race.

Timo Glock:
“Quite an eventful race, I have to say. I got a good start but again someone pushed me off the track and I lost two places. Then when Barrichello and Alonso had their incident I had to go wide and I went through the 50 metre board and damaged my front wing. I had to pit straight away and I lost quite a lot of time to the others. I then had to catch up to Trulli and Lucas again and at the end I took the gamble of having wet tyres which didn’t pay off and the rain came just too late - I’ve been too unlucky in the races this year. They were difficult conditions over the weekend, which made for quite an interesting race. It paid off for us in qualifying but not in the race.”

Premiere beim Großen Preis von Belgien: Timo Glock präsentiert seine erste eigene Website. 
Ab sofort können Glock-Fans und Interessierte unter der Adresse www.timoglock.de und www.timoglock.com aktuelle Nachrichten und Informationen sowie Videos und Fotos rund um das sportliche und private Leben des 28-Jährigen abrufen.

"Es freut mich riesig endlich meine eigene Homepage zu haben. Mit vielen Features will ich genügend Information und Aktuelles über mich an die Fans bringen."

Klicken Sie rein und lernen Sie den Rennfahrer Glock mal ganz privat als Timo kennen!

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At the Grand Prix of Belgium, Timo presents his new website for the first time. From now on, fans and anyone else who is interested can easily keep up to date with him. Videos and pictures about his private life as well as his professional one can also be viewed on www.timoglock.de and www.timoglock.com

"I am very happy to finally have my own website! With lots of new features I am looking forward to sharing more up to date information with my fans."

Click here and get to know the racing driver Glock as Timo!

Der Formel-1-Klassiker steht kurz vor der Tür! Zum 42. Mal geht der Große Preis von Belgien in Spa-Francorchamps über den Asphalt.

Mit einer Länge von 7,004 Kilometern ist Spa der längste Kurs im Rennkalender. Neben Monte Carlo gehört der belgische Ardennenkurs zu den ausgesprochenen Fahrerstrecken. Gerade die herausfordernden Kurvenkombinationen trennen in Belgien die Spreu vom Weizen. Dazu zählt zum einen die Eau Rouge, eine Senke, die mit rund 300 km/h angefahren wird.

"Belgien ist natürlich immer ein Hightlight, weil die Strecke einfach so viel Historie hat und schon so lange dort Formel 1 Rennen gefahren werden. Gleich zu Beginn mit der bekannten Kurve "La Source", das hat schon was. Es wird hoffentlich ein gutes Wochenende, an dem wir wieder gegen Lotus kämpfen können"

For many years star-photographer Mayk Azzato has been shooting celebrities in his signature „crime-look“.

In his showroom "Nobody is perfect" 15 new star portraits were exhibited, among which photographs of Timo Glock, Seal, Snoop Dogg, Ralf Möller, Esther Schweins, Kim Wilde, Vitali Klitschko, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marc Terenzi, Sarah Conner and many many more could be admired.

Timo is the first formula one driver who has become a subject of Mayk Azzato's work, making this showroom special.

In der Formel 1 wird derzeit kaum über den Rennsport gesprochen, sondern vielmehr über das Verhalten von Ferrari beim Grand Prix in Hockenheim. Die Italiener hatten Fernando Alonso kurz vor Ende des Rennens am führenden Felipe Massa vorbeigelotst und anschließend eine Strafe wegen unerlaubter Teamorder erhalten.

Nun hat sich auch Timo Glock zu dem Vorfall geäußert: "Für mich ist es das Normalste der Welt.“ sagt der Deutsche. „Klar, ich selbst war noch nie in einer solchen Lage und es ist bestimmt immer schlimm für jenen Piloten, der zurückgepfiffen wird. Aber es ist und bleibt immer eine Teamentscheidung." Viele seiner Kollegen denken ähnlich.

Ferrari wurde mit einer Strafe von 100.000 US-Dollar belegt, möglicherweise wird der Motorsport-Weltrat in einigen Wochen noch weitere Konsequenzen ziehen. Glock kann für dieses Vorgehen kein Verständnis aufbringen. „Ich finde das Verbot unsinnig. Man sollte über diese Regelung wirklich mal nachdenken. So werden sich die Teams kreative Möglichkeiten ausdenken, um nicht aufzufallen. Aber Stallorder wird es trotzdem immer geben."

Pause in der Formel 1 – Timo hat das rennfreie Wochenende in der Königsklasse des Automobilsports dazu genutzt, um seine Motorradkollegen in der MotoGP zu besuchen. Beim Großen Preis von Deutschland am Sachsenring war er einer der zahlreichen Fans, die den Sieg von Valentino Rossi bestaunten.

Schon im Vorfeld der Veranstaltung tauschte er mit den Fahrern Erfahrungen aus. „Die Jungs sind verrückt! Was die mit so viel Leistung auf zwei Rädern zeigen, ist Wahnsinn. Hut ab!“, sagte Timo im Interview mit „Sport1“. „Ich habe ja selbst mit Motocross angefangen und mir damals das Schien- und Wadenbein gebrochen. Meine Mutter ist seither mit zwei Rädern nicht so glücklich, meine Freundin wahrscheinlich auch nicht. Aber reizen würde mich das natürlich schon. Ich habe auch zu Loris Capirossi im Scherz gemeint, dass ich sein Motorrad ja auf einer Aufwärmrunde fahren könnte."

Das hat er dann allerdings doch nicht gemacht und stattdessen lieber zugeschaut. Schließlich war es ja auch sein rennfreies Wochenende.