Nico Rosberg's Australian GP Column
It was a really great feeling to finish third in Melbourne and I want to thank everyone at AT&T Williams’ factory in Grove for giving me such a good car. All your hard work over the winter is beginning to pay off.

The Australian Grand Prix was a tough race because there was always so much going on. There were three Safety Car periods, other people’s accidents to avoid and, of course, some pretty extreme weather conditions to deal with. Cockpit temperatures exceeded 50 degrees, which wasn’t pleasant, but it was satisfying to discover that I was still able to drive flat-out from start-to-finish.

We endured a difficult start to the weekend, due to a gearbox problem on Friday morning and a malfunctioning differential on Friday afternoon. As a result, we weren’t able to learn much about the set-up of the car and it was pretty amazing that the team bounced back to claim third and sixth places in the race. It proves the quality of FW30.

After the race, everything went a bit crazy. First there was the podium ceremony, during which it was a great feeling to look down and see all the AT&T Williams personnel cheering. Then there were two press conferences and lots of television interviews, and it wasn’t until 90 minutes after I crossed the finish line that I finally made it to the AT&T Williams garage to celebrate with everyone.

The champagne was flowing, but due to the back-to-back nature of the Australian and Malaysian races no-one was able to go mad. The equipment still needed to be packed away in preparation for the flight to Kuala Lumpur, and I kept a lid on it as well. I had dinner in the Nobu restaurant in the Crown Towers with some friends and had a couple of drinks in the bar, but already my mind was beginning to focus on Sepang. Such is the fast moving nature of F1.

At 0800 on Monday I was back in the gym, lifting weights and doing some cardio work to prepare for the heat and humidity of Malaysia. Then later today (Monday) I’m due to catch a flight to Singapore, where I’ll contest the first round of the RBS 2008 Grand Prix Challenge.

I’ll arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, ahead of what should be another thrilling race. We know our car is good and we have some momentum behind us now, so I’ll be looking to get another good result.

Until next time,

Nico

Sepang is one of the most technical circuits on the Formula One calendar. With a combination of long high-speed straights and tight twisty sections, this Hermann Tilke-designed track presents a real challenge to the drivers. Here Honda reserve Alexander Wurz talks us round a flying lap of the Kuala Lumpur circuit ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix …

"It's usually very hot and humid in Malaysia, so the race is a big challenge for the brakes, the engine and also the drivers. The circuit is a great challenge too, so it's a pretty full-on weekend for the teams.

"To take you around the track: you arrive at the first corner in seventh gear, at about 310 km/h. There is a lot of grip from the asphalt, so you can brake really late before turning-in in third gear. The rear gets a bit light at this point. You then have the left-hander at Turn 2, which is the slowest corner on the circuit. It's first or second gear, depending on your gearing, and it has a camber change in the middle, so it's quite difficult to find the right differential set-up for it.

"Next comes a long right-hander, which is easy-flat even in the wet, and then you're braking for the right-hander at Turn 4. The braking area is really bumpy, which makes it a bit tricky, and then comes a really nice part of the circuit.

"You enter Turns 5 and 6 in fifth gear, at 230km/h, and the entry to Turn 5 is almost flat so you really have to squeeze the throttle and make sure you have a very late apex. There's an immediate change of direction and at this point we pull about 4.5g. You might touch the brakes to stabilise the car into Turn 6, which is incredibly bumpy and the rear gets very light. Don't forget that we are still at 220-230km/h, with not much run-off, and I really enjoy it!

"Then comes a double right-hander, which is easy to get wrong if you overdrive and it leads to a hairpin. It's first or second gear and it's very important to have a good exit because that gives you pure lap time.

"Then we go to another flowing section, which leads to the penultimate corner. It's very difficult here because you enter it very fast and the rear gets very light. You have to brake down to second gear while turning and the car is oversteering the whole time. It's very easy to overdo it. The last corner is another hairpin and we again brake very late, from 300km/h, down to second gear."

If Australia was hot, then Malaysia will be even hotter. But despite the intense heat, the Sepang circuit has always been a firm favourite with the drivers. Here, they explain why…

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 5th, 2007 Race - 4th
“For years now the Malaysian Grand Prix has been rather a special race for me. Petronas, of course, was already a partner of Sauber when I was driving for them from 2001 to 2003, and we used to do promotional tours around the country. As a Formula One driver you usually don't get to see much beyond airports, hotels and race tracks as there simply isn't the time to get to know a country and its people. But in Malaysia I've already managed to get around quite a bit and I feel very much at home there. It always takes a while to get acclimatized to the combination of heat and high humidity, but that's never been a problem for me. The circuit is an attractive and challenging one. Last year I had a great race in Sepang and finished fourth. I managed to get past Felipe Massa and kept the Ferrari in check behind me.”

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2007 Qualifying - 7th, 2007 Race - 18th
“I'm looking forward to the race in Malaysia because Sepang is a very challenging track which I'm fond of. Of course the climatic conditions are at the extreme end, which makes it even more of a challenge. But fortunately we already had very high temperatures in Melbourne, so we've had a bit of a chance to adjust. Last year our car was very competitive, but for me pretty much everything went wrong. So I still have a score to settle in Sepang. The Malaysian Grand Prix is a very special race for us on account of our partner Petronas. We have a lot of fans rooting for us there.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
“No sooner have we ticked off the season opener in Australia than Malaysia is already beckoning. This Grand Prix is a kind of home race for us. Since 2006 we have experienced the sheer charisma that our premium partner Petronas has in Malaysia. The euphoric welcome extended to our team in this country is a fantastic experience every time, and the various events held at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers have always exerted a magnetic pull. As part of its Asia strategy, the BMW Group has ramped up its involvement in Malaysia over recent years. The race in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area is an important grand prix for both BMW and Petronas. Following the unexpectedly hot battle in Melbourne, we now head for the steam bath of Sepang. Not only are temperatures above 30° Celsius, but humidity levels are also extremely high due to the proximity to the equator. Consequently, we are looking ahead to this test of endurance with bated breath.”

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
“The race in Australia has given us a first pointer as to where the individual teams stand, but no more than that. That's because the Albert Park circuit with its distinctive characteristics is not very representative. And so I believe we won't get a reliable picture of the true balance of power until after the Malaysian Grand Prix. Due to its many differing corners, Sepang makes huge demands on the set-up of the cars. The slow sections require plenty of traction, while high stability levels are crucial particularly for the many fast corners. Good aerodynamic efficiency is another essential. In Sepang, moreover, the rear tyres come in for a great deal of punishment, which will be exacerbated further by the absence of traction control.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2007 Qualifying - 3rd, 2007 Race - 3rd
"There's really not much to say about the first race weekend of the season: The only positive thing is, that it's all behind us. The lack of reliability is a real problem for me now. But I know that back in Maranello the team is working hard to solve our problems. I'm not worried at all about the performance and the competitiveness of the car. The first race was like it was, but we know that we have a really good car. I won my first race in Malaysia in 2003. We can do very well in Sepang, as long as we have the necessary reliability. It will be very hot there, but not much hotter than it was in Melbourne!"

Fernando Alonso, Renault
2007 Qualifying - 2nd, 2007 Race - 1st
“Sepang really is my favourite track. I took my first pole position there in 2003 with Renault, and I have won this race twice. It's a circuit that I enjoy and I always tend to attack a little bit more. I hope that this year I will be able to do well and I'm really looking forward to the race. We have already experienced amazing temperatures last week in Australia and so we should not have any particular problems with the heat. In terms of the physical demands, I trained a lot over the winter and so I feel fit and ready, so there should not be a problem. I think that we must certainly improve our performance level on a single lap in qualifying so that we can be in a better position on the grid to make things easier in the race. Then it is important to have good consistency so that we don't lose ground and can start to move forward. This is what we must keep in mind during the practice sessions on Friday in Sepang.”

Nelson Piquet Jr, Renault
2007 Qualifying - NA, 2007 Race - NA
I did little running during Friday practice and that complicated things for the rest of the weekend. However, I learned a lot and I now know what a Grand Prix weekend is like - it passes very quickly and you need to be able to get comfortable straight away. I am now looking forward to the next race in Malaysia, so that I can put into practice all that I have learnt from my first race. I drove at Sepang in 2005 in A1GP so I therefore know the circuit and I have experienced the extremely high temperatures which we expect in this part of the world. So I think that things will be a little easier this weekend. I will be able to find my feet more quickly and to concentrate on the set-up of my car with the engineers. I hope to be able to push hard and avoid reliving a Grand Prix like I had in Melbourne. This is an exciting circuit for F1 cars and interesting for the drivers. There are two long straights, some big braking areas into some slow corners, and some fast exciting turns. I will work with my engineers to try and have a well balanced car as early as the first practice session so that we can try different solutions and hopefully make good progress throughout the weekend.”

Pat Symonds, Renault technical director
“I think fourth place is a result that the whole team is quite happy with, but we're looking forward to getting onto a more classic type of circuit in Malaysia next weekend. It's an interesting technical challenge with fast sweeping turns, especially through Turns 4 to 8, where you need good balance. Good traction is also important, especially on the exit of Turn 9, a tight left hander. The opening complex of Turns 1 and 2 is also a difficult challenge for the drivers, but I think my favourite part of the track is Turn 14 - a real drivers' corner with a tightening entry where you approach on the brakes. We will also have the high temperatures, which we have already seen in Melbourne, but Sepang will be much harder on the tyres, so we will be using the hardest tyres available. Our soft tyre in Sepang will be the hard tyre we used in Melbourne. It's a fairly old track surface now so it tends to put a lot of energy through the tyres, so we will need to pay attention to rear degradation.”

Nico Rosberg, Williams
2007 Qualifying - 6th, 2007 Race - DNF
“Sepang is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar. We should be stronger there than we were in Melbourne as well, especially if we have the whole weekend to prepare properly, so we’re looking for another good performance. Perhaps not a podium, but another solid points-scoring finish. We seem to have a car that isn’t too tough on its tyres so, with the heat in Malaysia, that’s a positive. Physically, these races are really difficult, particularly for concentration, but that’s why I worked so hard over the winter to be fit in these conditions. Every single minute of pain I felt during training played through my mind in Sunday’s race! I’m going to Singapore with RBS this week to visit the new track there, then I’ll have a couple of days to relax before making the trip to Malaysia.”

Kazuki Nakajima,Williams
2007 Qualifying - NA, 2007 Race - NA
“Firstly, we had a really good result in the opening Grand Prix in Australia and that’s motivated all of us. I’m going to have a ten place grid penalty for Malaysia so it’s going to be difficult for me, but I’m just going to concentrate on my race and do the best I can. Sepang is a really nice track, it’s tough on the car and tyres, but we have a good chance and I have a good feeling. Like in Australia, temperatures will be extreme again, so it’s going to be another hard weekend for everyone. I’ll be heading to Malaysia straight away to get some training in and to make sure I’m as ready as I can be for the weekend.”

Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“It is always hot and humid in Kuala Lumpur and the weather forecast says this year’s race will be no different. With only a week between these two Grands Prix, we will be focusing on tidying up any reliability issues that we encountered in Melbourne before Friday’s practice. Although our qualifying performance in Australia wasn’t bad, particularly considering the time we lost in practice and then the red and yellow flags during qualifying itself, it wasn’t good enough and didn’t meet our expectations. We are therefore heading to Malaysia with a view to improving that and to build upon our second place in the constructors’ championship. It seems that the field is very close this year so any additional tenths that we can find will help significantly. The track layout in Malaysia consists of mainly medium and high speed corners and enough straight lines to place a certain level of importance on engine power. With a two stop strategy typical, and a few overtaking opportunities around the lap, it should be an exciting race. If it’s anything like Melbourne, then it will only be good news for Formula One.”

Rubens Barrichello, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 22nd, 2007 Race - 11th
“We knew we had made a step forward at our final pre-season test in Jerez. What we didn't know was where we were in relation to the other teams. I'm encouraged by the start we have made to the season and for this I have to thank everyone in Japan and the UK for all the hard work that has gone into the car over the past few weeks in particular. I think we are going to have a positive season. The most important factor is to have a good aerodynamic balance, which is something we have obviously been able to improve for the start of the season. Hopefully this will benefit us again in Malaysia.”

Jenson Button, Honda
2007 Qualifying - 15th, 2007 Race - 12th
“I'm looking forward to Malaysia. Obviously I didn't get to compete in Australia because I had an accident at turn one, but I'm very positive for the next one. We made a lot of improvements with the car during the weekend and I'm hoping for the same improvement over the next race. It's very competitive in the midfield and we have to get the best out of the car at every stage. If we can do that we can get a good result in the race. It's tough racing in the temperature but that isn't the real problem, it's the humidity. It's one thing taking in hot air but quite another taking in hot and damp air. It's pretty tough to breath and it can get quite claustrophic in the helmet. You just have to make sure you're prepared and we will be!”

Ross Brawn, Honda team principal
“Whilst the Australia result was disappointing, we have to look at the positives. Qualifying confirmed that we are in the midfield and a very strong race drive from Rubens showed that we have the potential to fight for points. It was pleasing to see that the aerodynamic upgrade from Jerez worked as expected and I think we have a good basis for the first three races until we can introduce the next development step for Spain. I think we can have a similarly strong weekend to the one we experienced in Melbourne. We have shown that we have a car with which to target the points and two drivers who are very determined to achieve that.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2007 Qualifying - 8th, 2007 Race - 7th
“I like to race in Malaysia but I am not so keen on the climate, with the heat and in particular the humidity which makes it a bit uncomfortable; it is definitely one of the hardest races of the year because of this. Australia was a very hot weekend as well but Malaysia will be much more humid. Sepang is a modern Formula One circuit and we have very good facilities there. It is also an unusual and technically challenging circuit to drive; there are some fun corners but in my opinion the best corner is after the hairpin, turn 10, where there is a double left hander. I like this corner, it is a challenge and it's exciting to drive. In Australia we saw that the TF108 certainly has a lot of potential, as we had already seen in testing, but this is a different kind of track to Albert Park so we will have to work hard on Friday to get the best set-up for this race. It was a shame we retired in Australia when I was looking good for a strong points finish but I think we will be quite competitive this weekend so I expect to score points.”

Timo Glock, Toyota
2007 Qualifying - NA, 2007 Race - NA
“I have never raced at Sepang so this will be my first time. I am looking forward to it as it is an interesting track to drive on, as I found out when I drove in Friday practice in 2004. From what I remember the track is wide but it is also quite challenging for the driver - there are some difficult corners and you have to concentrate to get the best out of your car. It's quite a hard track for the driver but I like driving there. We do not go to any other venue where the heat and humidity are so extreme; I expect this to be one of the toughest races of the season. You need to be extremely fit in Formula One anyway so I don't think I will have any problems. The circuit itself is quite an interesting one and it is also pretty technical, with a lot of fast, sweeping corners and also some slow corners. The race in Australia was quite difficult for me and it was unfortunate it ended like that but I am fine and hoping for a better result this weekend.”

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota’s senior general manager chassis
“The Malaysian Grand Prix is always a challenge for everyone in the team due to the conditions, but we had a taste of that in Australia already. Usually we expect ambient temperatures of between 32° and 36°C but the most outstanding temperature is the ground temperature, which is typically around 55°C - massively hot for the tyres. It is also difficult for other parts of the package as well because the high temperatures are very demanding on the cooling package and the brakes. In Malaysia we will get a clearer picture of where each team stands because Melbourne is a unique circuit and it is not always clear if the characteristics of the circuit are causing issues or if it is down to the car itself. As this is a back-to-back race, we will have the same spec package as in Australia, unless there are any unexpected problems, but we saw in Melbourne that there is a lot of potential in the TF108, even though we did not achieve the result we expected, so I am confident we have a competitive car and I expect us to score points.”

Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz confirmed on Tuesday that the Toro Rosso team has been put up for sale. Mateschitz and co-owner Gerhard Berger hope a buyer for Red Bull’s ‘junior’ squad will be in place by the end of next season.

“It is not a big secret that we have put Toro Rosso on the market,” Mateschitz told Motorsport Aktuell. “For the start of 2010 there will be a rule change and there will be no more synergy regarding design and construction of cars between Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

“I see the necessity that we continue with one team only for 2010 but we will not sell Toro Rosso during 2008. We will only sell the team if it is put into safe hands. But it will be before 2010.”

Red Bull bought Minardi in 2005 and relaunched it as Toro Rosso for the 2006 season.

Australian GP Review
Synopsis
The team had a difficult start to the weekend when a newly introduced gearbox component failed in both cars in the first practice session on Friday. This required both drivers to sit out the session while remedial work was undertaken. While Kazuki had an untroubled second session and started to gain valuable track time, Nico’s differential lock was not working and it was not possible to correct during the session. The decision was taken to continue practice albeit the car was far from optimal. Saturday morning’s practice was thus important in order to progress set-up work with both cars running at full pace without any reliability issues. Qualifying was compromised by the red flag in Q2, with Rosberg having to contest Q3 on used option tyres and Kazuki losing the opportunity for a second flying lap.

Rosberg had a very strong start to the Grand Prix on Sunday, moving up three places to fourth on the first lap. He held station in this position for the first stint, climbing up to second as cars ahead of him made their first stops. Kazuki by contrast had an eventful first lap, finding Vettel’s Toro Rosso sideways across the track blocking his way in turn one. The collision required a return to the pits for a new nose assembly.

Rosberg completed his two stop plan largely unaffected by the various safety car periods, but a decision was taken on the pitwall to modify Kazuki’s strategy to a single stop. A hard charge by Rosberg prior to his second stop enabled him from lap 49 to hold third place to the flag. Kazuki however visited the pits for a third time after damage to the front of his car in an incident involving Robert Kubica’s BMW when a train of cars backed up into a corner. He rejoined to finish in seventh place and drove strongly to the end. He was subsequently promoted to sixth following Barrichello’s disqualification for not observing the pitlane red light.

The absence of traction control contributed to an eventful race. As Nico Rosberg commented, “We saw lots of incidents in yesterday’s race, due I am sure in part to the Grand Prix being the first since the banning of traction control. As much as thanking the team for everything they did, I have to say a big thank you to Toyota too as one of the most significant virtues of our engine is that is very driveable. This was a great asset to have since the loss of driver aids and helped me to have a strong race considering that only seven cars made it home.”

Tyres and Fuel
Nico Rosberg
Medium-Medium-Soft
Kazuki Nakajima Medium-Medium-Soft-Medium

Nico Rosberg
Stop 1, lap 21 (Kovalainen only two-stopping car to run further)
Kazuki Nakajima
Modified strategy to one stop

Systems and Reliability
Both FW30s demonstrated 100% reliability during the race, although Friday practice was interrupted by two resolvable faults with the transmission.

Next Events
The team is currently in transit to Malaysia for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg will attend a driver day in Singapore for RBS on Tuesday 18 March.

Sam Michael
“It was a good start to the season for us. Clearly Friday’s problems, which were easily resolved, cost us the opportunity to progress smoothly but we managed to get back on track by Saturday, albeit our qualifying session was not optimal. Both drivers performed well in different ways during the race, Nico keeping clear of the various on-track incidents and running competitively throughout the race, while Kazuki demonstrated a calm approach in coping with the various problems he encountered to finish in the points. Approaching this weekend’s race at Sepang, we will be focusing on preparing better on Friday to help our qualifying and race effort.”

Malaysian GP Preview
Malaysia welcomes Formula One this weekend for round two of the 2008 World Championship, hot off the heels of a thrilling start to the year in Melbourne last weekend. The season opener didn’t fail to disappoint and delivered a well deserved maiden podium for Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima’s first taste of a points-scoring finish in only his second race in the sport. The team will be looking to replicate the promising performance shown in Australia at the dramatic Sepang track and to reinforce its second position in the Constructors’ standings.

Nico Rosberg
Sepang is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar. We should be stronger there than we were in Melbourne as well, especially if we have the whole weekend to prepare properly, so we’re looking for another good performance. Perhaps not a podium, but another solid points-scoring finish. We seem to have a car that isn’t too tough on its tyres so, with the heat in Malaysia, that’s a positive.

Physically, these races are really difficult, particularly for concentration, but that’s why I worked so hard over the winter to be fit in these conditions. Every single minute of pain I felt during training played through my mind in Sunday’s race! I’m going to Singapore with RBS this week to visit the new track there, then I’ll have a couple of days to relax before making the trip to Malaysia.

Kazuki Nakajima
Firstly, we had a really good result in the opening Grand Prix in Australia and that’s motivated all of us. I’m going to have a ten place grid penalty for Malaysia so it’s going to be difficult for me, but I’m just going to concentrate on my race and do the best I can.

Sepang is a really nice track, it’s tough on the car and tyres, but we have a good chance and I have a good feeling. Like in Australia, temperatures will be extreme again, so it’s going to be another hard weekend for everyone. I’ll be heading to Malaysia straight away to get some training in and to make sure I’m as ready as I can be for the weekend.

Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1
It is always hot and humid in Kuala Lumpur and the weather forecast says this year’s race will be no different. With only a week between these two Grands Prix, we will be focusing on tidying up any reliability issues that we encountered in Melbourne before Friday’s practice.

Although our qualifying performance in Australia wasn’t bad, particularly considering the time we lost in practice and then the red and yellow flags during qualifying itself, it wasn’t good enough and didn’t meet our expectations. We are therefore heading to Malaysia with a view to improving that and to build upon our second place in the Constructors’ Championship. It seems that the field is very close this year so any additional tenths that we can find will help significantly.

The track layout in Malaysia consists of mainly medium and high speed corners and enough straight lines to place a certain level of importance on engine power. With a two stop strategy typical, and a few overtaking opportunities around the lap, it should be an exciting race. If it’s anything like Melbourne, then it will only be good news for Formula One.

Sepang, Malaysia
A purpose-built facility, Sepang’s 5.543km lap provides a blend of medium and high speed corners interspersed with several slow speed sections and blisteringly fast straights. Such a dynamic track poses a particular challenge for the drivers and their engineers as a quick lap depends on a car with a well balanced set-up for the complex mix of corners, plenty of power for the quick straights and sufficient cooling capabilities to counterbalance the extremes of temperature and powerful humidity.

With temperatures reaching 40°C in Kuala Lumpur, climatic conditions can play a significant role in the outcome of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Coupled with the high humidity levels and the constant threat of heavy downpours, the drivers and their cars will be pushed to thermal limits. As temperatures soar so will the heat in the cockpit, and the driver’s physical and mental fitness levels will be severely tested as they lose over a litre of fluid per hour in the race. Engines will also be strained as they are fired up for a second outing in Malaysia. Sepang is not regarded as a power circuit, with the time spent at full throttle relatively low, but containing oil temperatures in the extreme heat, while not compromising aerodynamic efficiency, will be imperative for their reliability.