2009年3月31日 星期二

2009 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Pos    Driver                     Team               Time/Retired       Grid

1       Jenson Button           Brawn-Mercedes       Winner        1     
2       Rubens Barrichello   Brawn-Mercedes      +0.8 secs     2  
3       Lewis Hamilton         McLaren-Mercedes   +2.9 secs   18  
4       Timo Glock               Toyota                       +4.4 secs    19 
5       Fernando Alonso      Renault                     +4.8 secs    10
6       Nico Rosberg           Williams-Toyota       +5.7 secs      5 
7       Sebastien Buemi      STR-Ferrari              +6.0 secs    13
8       Sebastien Bourdais  STR-Ferrari              +6.2 secs    17
9       Adrian Sutil               Force India-Mercedes +6.3 secs   16
10     Nick Heidfeld            BMW Sauber             +7.0 secs      9 
11    Giancarlo Fisichella  Force India-Mercedes +7.3 secs   15
12    Jarno Trulli                Toyota                       +1.6 secs    20
13    Mark Webber            RBR-Renault            +1 Lap          8
14    Sebastian Vettel       RBR-Renault            +2 Lap          3
15    Robert Kubica          BMW Sauber            +3 Lap         4
16    Kimi Raikkonen        Ferrari                      +3 Lap         7
Ret  Felipe Massa           Ferrari                      +13 Lap        6
Ret  Nelsinho Piquet       Renault                     +34 Laps    14
Ret  Kazuki Nakajima      Williams-Toyota       +41 Laps     11
Ret  Heikki Kovalainen     McLaren-Mercedes  +58 Laps     12


Brawn’s Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello on their historic on-two in Melbourne; BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on their late race collision; and Ferrari on their double DNF. All 20 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Sunday’s race action…

Brawn GP兩位車手Jenson Button 和 Rubens Barrichello在墨爾本歷史性的以一、二名完賽。BMW Sauber 車手Robert Kubica 和 Red Bull 車手 Sebastian Vettel 在比賽尾端發生碰撞。Ferrari 兩台車都DNF。20位車手和車隊領導對周日的比賽內容都做出了回應

Brawn GP
Jenson Button (1st): 

"What an amazing day! This is just a fairytale ending to the first race of our career together at Brawn GP. It may have looked like an easy victory but it really wasn't easy at all out there today but we brought the car home and that's all that matters. This win is for me, my family and my team. It's been a traumatic few months and I want to say a massive thank you to them all for being so strong and never losing belief. This weekend we have achieved everything that we deserve for all of our hard work over the past few months. And what's so exciting is that there is so much more to come from myself and from this team. I can't wait to get to Malaysia!"

"真是令人驚奇的一天! Brawn GP成員的生涯中第一場比賽就得到如神話般的完美結局。看起來贏得勝利很簡單,但其實並不是表面般的容易,但是我們兩台車都回來了,而一切就這樣發生了。這個勝利是屬於我個人、我的家人和我們的隊伍的。過去幾個月很艱難,我要對他們大大的說聲謝謝,他們是如此的堅強、從沒有失去信心。這週末我們得到了我應過去幾個月努力工作所應的的成果。我已經等不及要去馬來西亞站了"。

Rubens Barrichello (2nd): 
"Well you could say that I had an eventful afternoon! I had a lot of mixed emotions during the race and honestly I am so delighted to have achieved second. It was really tough for me at the start as the anti-stall kicked in which cost me a few places off the line and then I was hit heavily from behind going into the first corner and thought my race was over. Thankfully the carsurvived and I was able to battle my way up to fourth and be in the position to take advantage of the accident between Vettel and Kubica. It just goes to show that you should never give up! Congratulations to Jenson for a fantastic win today and my heartfelt thanks to the team for providing us with such a goodcar. This is the start of a very exciting journey for us."

"你可以說我剛經歷了一個重要的下午!在比賽之中我心中百感交集,坦白說我非常高興可以得到第二名。我在比賽開始時情況很艱難,起跑時防熄火系統作動使我損失幾個位置,在第一彎我的車尾遭到重重的撞擊幾乎使我的比賽宣佈結束。幸好車子修復好了讓我可以讓我站回第四名,在之後 Vettel 和 Kubica 意外發生可以進到第二名。這就表示你永遠都不能說放棄! 恭喜Jenson今天拿到夢幻般的冠軍,我也衷心的感謝車隊給了我這麼一輛好車。這是一個令人興奮的開始"。

Ross Brawn, team owner:
"We have worked incredibly hard for this victory today and to see the dedication, commitment and sheer hard work come to fruition with Jenson and Rubens bringing home a one-two finish for Brawn GP at the first race of the season is immensely rewarding. After everything that our team has been through over the past four months, this is quite simply a sensational result. It is just the beginning for us and it wasn't a perfect race by any means so we will learn from today and continue to improve. We have to keep developing the car throughout the season if we want to challenge for further wins and the championship. I would like to express our sincere thanks to Norbert Haug and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines who have been so supportive over the past few months and have worked closely with the team to ensure we were in a position to go racing this year. Thanks also to Virgin, Henri Lloyd and all our team partners for having the vision to see what the team could do before today and wanting to be a part of it. It's difficult to put into words what this win means to our team but I'm sure that I speak for every single one of them, here at the track and back at the factory in Brackley, when I say it has been a wonderful weekend."

"為了今天的勝利,我們下了非常大的苦工。看到大家犧牲、奉獻的努力工作之後Jenson 和 Rubens 為 Brawn GP的第一場比賽帶回了一、二名完賽的豐盛成果。在這背後表示我們已經度過了過去四個月的紛擾,這是一個簡單、感性的結果。這對我們是個開始,而且比賽內容不是非常完美,這表示我們會從其中學習到更多並繼續改進。如果將來要贏的更多勝利或是挑戰世界冠軍,在賽季中我們會繼續發展賽車。我要對Norbert Haug 和 Mercedes-Benz 的 高水準引擎表示衷心的感謝,在過去幾個月有這些支持和密切合作才確保今年賽季中的參賽位置。也要感謝維京集團 Henri Lloyd和其他合作夥伴,有這麼好眼光看到我們今天的成功而且願意等待。很難用言語表達這個勝利對我們車隊所代表的意義,但是我很確定我所說的都是我們賽場上和幕後在Brackley工廠的工作人員想說的,這真是一個美好的週末"。

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton (3rd): 

“We scored way more points than we could have realistically expected. I was looking to try and get one point, so to get six is a great achievement. We’ve definitely not forgotten how to win: our strategy was perfect and the team did a fantastic job. Considering the package we’ve got, I wrung every last ounce of pace out of the car, drove one of my best ever races and absolutely raced my heart out - I’m so satisfied. Also, my heartfelt congratulations to Jenson - he’s driven brilliantly all weekend and both he and his team really deserve this success.”

"我們贏得比我們實際期望還要多的分數。我嘗試要取得一分,所以得到六分是個很棒的成績。我們當然沒有忘記如何贏得比賽:我們的策略很完美,車隊運作也很棒。我試著榨乾車子每一點性能,跑出我目前最好的比賽,我的心也全速運轉,我很滿意這樣的結果。我也衷心的恭喜Jenson,他整個周末都很出色,他和他的隊伍贏的實至名歸"。

Heikki Kovalainen (DNF): 
“Obviously, my race was very short. Webber had a moment at the first corner and his front wheel hit my left-front. It was a racing accident - these things unfortunately happen.”

"明顯的,我的比賽一下就結束了。在第一彎時,Webber的前輪撞上我的左前方。這是個意外,這些事總是不幸的發生了"。

Martin Whitmarsh, team principal:
“Today was one of those days on which Lewis demonstrated very clearly just what a fantastic racing driver he is. Throughout the race he showed great speed and tenacity, tempered when necessary by commendable patience. The car we supplied him wasn’t as competitive as we’d have liked it to be - we’ve made no secret of that - but we’re working flat-out, night and day, to improve it. The points Lewis scored today are of course very welcome - and, as and when we regain our form, we hope they’ll take on a greater significance still. As for Heikki, he started with a heavy fuel-load and could also have scored points today - but, sadly, and blamelessly on his part, his race was ended early on when he happened upon an incident involving two other cars. Lastly, well done to all at Brawn GP - and of course also to Mercedes-Benz, whose superb engines powered the first three cars.”

"今天Lewis的表現就像以前一樣證明了他是一個多棒的車手,比賽中他以值得稱讚的耐心表現了絕佳的速度、韌性和協調性。我們交給他的車子不如以往般的有競爭力,對這一點我們沒有任何隱藏,但是我們賣力工作、日以繼夜的去改進賽車。Lewis得到的積分是很大的鼓舞,讓我們回到以前的表現,我希望他們可以繼續承擔更大的目標。Heikki用重載油起跑,而且也有得分機會,但是不幸的也不能怪他,他的比賽在一開始就和另外兩台車的意外中結束了。最後,Brawn GP做的很棒,前三名的賽車心臟提供者Mercedes-Benz也表現優異"。

Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“Lewis finally in third place and the best car with KERS - this is more than we had expected after starting 18th. He drove an excellent race under very difficult circumstances and proved his world-champion class. During the second Safety Car period, Trulli had an off and Lewis overtook him for third place, but he let Trulli past again. But the stewards’ decision after the race gave him back third place. It’s a shame for Heikki; without the first-corner multiple-car collision which was not his fault, he also could have scored a solid result in this turbulent race. Congratulations to Brawn GP, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello on their one-two victory - three times Mercedes-powered cars in the top three makes us happy. Our customer team did a great job and we helped to ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’!”

"Lewis最終得到第三名,並且是使用KERS的車子中表現最好的,這比我們從18位出發後所預期的更好。Lewis在這麼艱難的情況下表現很好,證明了他的世界冠軍價值。在安全車第二次出動期間,Trulli 跑出賽道而Lewis超越他來到第三位,但是他之後讓位給Trulli,但是之後判決把第三名判回給他。對Heikki來說是倒楣的一天,如果沒有發生第一彎的車禍,在這場意外頻傳的比賽中他也有得分的機會。恭喜 Brawn GP、Jenson Button和Rubens Barrichello的一、二名完賽成績,第三次出現前三名的車子都是使用Mercedes-Benz引擎讓我們很高興,我們的合作車隊表現優異,也希望我們的引擎可以繼續讓他們感到滿意"。

Toyota
Timo Glock (4th): 

"I am happy to finish fourth but obviously it is really disappointing for Jarno. For us to be fighting at the front like that after we started from the pit lane really shows the strong performance we have. This is proof that our car has real pace. It was a good race for me and I have to say thanks to the team for their hard work in achieving this. The race was pretty exciting but I was stuck behind the Renault of Alonso for quite a while and it was difficult to overtake. My car felt good but I couldn't find a way past, however when I was in clear air I was able to go about a second faster so the performance is definitely there. I said before the weekend that we looked strong judging by our winter performance and it's great to show that in race conditions."

"我很高興得到第四名,但是明顯的Jarno對他的成績是失望的。從PIT區出發能衝上前面位置,表現出我們強大的競爭力,證明我們的車子有很大的進步。這場比賽很棒,我也要對車隊說謝謝,因為有他們努力工作才有這個結果。比賽過程非常刺激,我被Alonso擋了好一會而且要超他車很不容易,我的車狀況很好但是很難找到超車點。無論如何,在沒有前車的情況下,我的速度快了一秒,車子的競爭力就表現在這裡。根據我們冬季的表現,在一個禮拜前我說過我們看起來實力很強,現在很高興可以在比賽中印證這件事"。

Jarno Trulli (12th): 
"I can't say how disappointed I am to finish third but have the result questioned. When the safety car came out towards the end of the race Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do. I would still like to say thank you to the team who have made a huge effort. The fact we were able to fight for the podium despite starting from the pit lane is down to them."

"我無法表達我對比賽結果的爭議有多失望。當比賽結束前安全車出動時,Lewis Hamilton超越我但是他突然又慢下來並且開到路邊。我想他車子出現問題,所以除了超過他到第三位之外沒有其他可以做的。我要對車隊所做出的巨大努力說謝謝,我們能夠從PIT出發而能挑戰頒獎台就是靠著他們的努力"。

Tadashi Yamashina, team principal:
"This is an extremely frustrating way to finish a challenging weekend. Already we were disappointed to be starting from the pit lane after we were informed yesterday about the problem with our rear wing. We responded to that in a fantastic way and we showed that our car has genuine performance. I would like to thank everyone who is part of our team, not just the guys at the track but also everyone at the factory, our partners and our fans. It's sad that this result has been questioned but we have filed an appeal to give us more time to study the data and the situation."


"在這個充滿挑戰性的週末,這是非常令人挫敗的結果。在我們昨天被告知尾翼有問題之後,對於要從PIT出發已經很失望了。但是我們以證明我們賽車競爭力是貨真價實的來回應這個問題。我要感謝車隊的每個人,不論是賽場上的或是在研發工廠的,還有合作夥伴和我們的車迷,對於比賽結果的爭議我感到難過,但是我們已經上訴要更多的時間來審視資料和當時情況"。

Renault
Fernando Alonso (5th): 

"Sixth place is not the best result, but in a way we have to be happy because we started the race in a difficult position and I was pushed wide at turn 1 onto the grass and so I dropped to the back of the pack. After that, it was difficult and so it's great to score points. With what happened during the race, the incidents and the safety car, we managed to finish 6th. In terms of the overall results and looking at our competitors, we have to be happy with the result. With the KERS I didn't feel a big difference and I was a little bit disappointed at how it worked. We also need to work on the tyres a bit more at the next race."

"第六名不是最好的結果,但是某種程度上我們要很高興,因為我們在後面起跑,在第一彎我被擠到草地上所以掉到隊伍後段。之後比賽非常艱難,所以非常高興可以得到積分,在之後比賽發生的事故、安全車出動,我們努力應對終於以第六位完賽。就比賽結果和競爭對手來說,我們很高興有這樣的成果。加入KERS我沒有感到太多差別,而且我對它的效果感到失望。在下場比賽前,我們也要在輪胎方面多下點功夫"。

Nelson Piquet (DNF): 
"I was really happy because we were lucky at the beginning of the race to gain some positions. The car was good and I was having a consistent drive. But when the safety car came out I started to have some problems with the brakes. I had a good restart and overtook Nico Rosberg, but when I touched the brakes again they were gone. I spun out and I was lucky I ended up in the gravel, so there was no damage to myself or the car. The car was not as competitive as we wanted it to be in the race but we were still running in the top eight. The Malaysian circuit should suit us better and I'm sure that we can get a good result there next week."

"在比賽開始時,我非常高興上升了幾個位置。我和車子狀況都很好,但是當安全車出來之後,我遇到了一些煞車的問題。當比賽重新開始,我開跑的狀況很好還超越了Nico Rosberg。當我再次踩煞車就失效了,我打滑衝出賽道,幸運的是停在碎石堆裡,我或車子都沒有受到損壞。車子在比賽中不如我們預期的有競爭力,但是我們還是在八名內完賽。馬來西亞的雪邦賽道將更適合我們,我也確定我們可以在下禮拜取得好成績"。

Flavio Briatore, managing director:
"The three points scored by Fernando are not a great consolation for what has been a disappointing weekend for us. We were just not competitive enough and our qualifying performance penalised us for the race. Fernando lost several positions at the start because of the first corner incident which he could not avoid. That said, our two drivers were consistent and tried to make the most of the situation. Nelson made a good start and his race was very promising, but a technical problem unfortunately brought his race to an end. It's only the first Grand Prix and our intention is to work hard to fight back quickly, starting at the next Grand Prix in Malaysia.”

"Fernando 得到的三分對於這個令人失望的週末沒有太大的安慰作用。我們沒有足夠的競爭力,排位賽成績也讓我們在起跑嘗到苦頭。Fernando 因為第一彎那無可避免的意外損失了幾個位置。我們兩位車手在這樣的情況下始終努力做到最好。Nelson起跑很好,看來大有可為,但是不幸的發生了技術問題讓他的比賽就此結束。這只是第一場比賽,我們的目標是努力工作扳回一城,在下一場的馬來西亞站再次開始"。

Pat Symonds, executive director of engineering:
"Nelson's accident appears to have been caused by a problem with the brake system, although as yet we don't know what that might be. It's a shame because he was in a reasonable position. We are clearly not as competitive as we need to be and there is a lot of work to be done to get to the front."

"Nelson的意外原因是煞車系統出了問題,現在我們還不知道原因。發生這樣的事很可惜,因為他在一個不錯的位置。我們很明白現在沒有足夠的競爭力,要回到前排還有很多的工作要做"。

Remi Taffin, head of engine operations:
"A mixed result this afternoon with the retirement of Nelson and we will need to look into why he couldn't finish. We would have been able to do something good with Nelson who had a great start to the race. I think he could have been on the podium, so it's a shame. We finished sixth with Fernando and when you consider the level of competitiveness that we have shown this weekend, it's not a bad result. We know that we have to do better and so we will take these points and work hard to try and get a strong result at the next race."

"因為Nelson的退賽,這個下午的結果很混雜,我們要找出原因是什麼,他的起跑很好所以我們得要做些什麼來彌補他。我想他有機會上頒獎台,所以這真的很遺憾。Fernando以第六名完賽,當你考慮到這週末我們的競爭力等級,你就知道這個結果不算差。我們知道我們要做的更好,所以我們會帶著這些積分並且努力嘗試再夏一場比賽取得更好的成績"。

Williams
Nico Rosberg, Williams (6th): 

“It was a challenging race and we suffered with a few glitches here and there, firstly from my side when on lap one I left the door open at turn three and I lost some positions, and then we had a problem on my first pit stop. The restart after the first safety car on cold tyres was very difficult, I had no grip at all and again in the last part of the race, I had taken everything out of my tyres and they were dropping out, so it was impossible to keep anyone behind me. All said, I think two points is a good outcome because I believe we are faster than a couple of the cars who finished ahead of us today, so from a championship perspective, it’s looks okay. It was an exciting race today thanks to the new rules.”

"這場比賽很有挑戰性,我們遇到一些干擾,第一次是在第一圈的第三彎,我跑開了所以失去了幾個位置,之後的第一次休停也遇到問題。第一次安全車退場後的起跑,胎溫降低讓我遇到些困難,我失去抓地力而且在比賽最後一段又發生,我用盡了輪胎所以開始脫膠,要守住對手是不可能的。我想得到兩分是個不錯的結果,因為我相信我們比一些在我們之前完賽的車子速度還快,對以後比賽的展望看起來是不錯的。感謝新規則,今天的比賽很刺激"。

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams (DNF): 
“I had a quite a big accident on lap 17 when I ran wide at turn four and I hit the kerb, which unsettled the car and then I lost the rear. It was quite a fast impact, but I had a precautionary check in the medical centre, everything is fine and physically I am okay, but of course the outcome - my retirement - hurts! The race was really enjoyable, we had a good pace, good fuel and good tyres, so I have to keep all the positives in mind and take these forward to Malaysia next weekend.”

"我在第17圈發生事故,我在第四彎跑太開所以壓上路緣石,讓車子失去穩定我就失去後輪的抓地力了,事故產生很大的衝擊力量,但是我在醫療中心得到謹慎的檢查,一切OK而且實際上我也很OK,但是理所當然我的退賽是很痛心的。比賽過程是令人享受的,我們有不錯的速度、不錯的載油策略,輪胎狀況也不錯,所以下禮拜我會保持樂觀的去到馬來西亞"。

Sam Michael, technical director:
“We showed encouraging pace in today’s race and when the car was in clear traffic, we were as quick as anyone and Nico recorded the fastest lap of the race and did a good job. But we made too many mistakes as a team today and we will be looking to make a better job of what the car offers at the next race in Malaysia. Congratulations to Ross Brawn, Jenson (Button) and their team for an impressive result, we will try our best not to let them make a habit of it!”

"我們今天表現令人振奮的速度,當車子前方淨空的狀況下,我們速度不輸任何人,Nico刷新比賽最快圈速,但是我們犯了太多錯誤。我們將在下一場馬來西亞站努力提升車子。恭喜 Ross Brawn 和 Jenson (Button) 創造的驚人成績,我們會盡最大努力打敗他們"。

Toro Rosso 
Sebastien Buemi (7th): 

“I have to say I found the pace at which qualifying happens rather quick! You go out, you come back, you change tyres, you go out again. You need to stay relaxed. I think we did quite a good job with what we had and missed out on Q2 by half a tenth. I am quite happy, as these days have been something of a test session for us and we improved the car quite a lot from yesterday morning through to now. I have taken confidence from what I have done so far and feel I am going to be capable of doing this job, even if I am quite young. The visibility in the sunshine was a bit better than yesterday, but we have to get used to it.”

"我必須說在排位賽車子的速度相當的快! 出發、回PIT、換胎、再出發,必須保持放鬆。我認為在現有的資源下我們做的很好,而且在Q2排在中間位置。我很高興,表示之前的冬季測試時間我們做了正確的事,而且我們從昨天早上到現在大大的改進了我們的賽車。我對我到目前的成果很有信心,即使我還很年輕,但是我感覺我可以做的很好,今天的能見度比昨天好一些,但是我們必須要盡快習慣"。

Sebastien Bourdais (8th): 
“It was closer than expected to getting to Q2 from a team point of view as Seb just missed out on 15th place to the McLaren by a fraction. My car wasn’t too bad: on my second run I made a slight mistake and on my third, unfortunately my out lap was too slow and I did not get the tyres up to temperature. But it’s encouraging, as the Red Bull car is going well and we are not as far off the pace as I had expected. We have made good progress in terms of understanding the car. Starting last, it will be a tough race, but I will attack as much as I can and hope the race is as eventful as last year.”

"Seb 在排位賽在15位比McLaren高了一些,這樣的表現比車隊預期的進入Q2來的好。我的車況不差,在我的排位賽第二圈,我犯了個小錯誤,在第三圈的計時圈輪胎沒有到達工作溫度,所以速度太慢了。但是紅牛賽車表現不差而且我們距離我期望的位置不遠,這讓我很振奮。我們在了解賽車性能上有很大的進步,在後方出發將會是場艱難的比賽,我會進我所能的超車並且希望比賽像去年一樣充滿變數"。

Force India 
Adrian Sutil (9th): 

“As expected we got a very exciting race! I had a good start, but in the first corner I think Webber slowed down and there was nowhere I could go. I damaged my front wing and had to get the car back to the pits. I lost some time behind Heidfeld's BMW: I was faster but there was no way I could get through. After the first safety car everything was fine - we had a good strategy with a short stint on the soft tyres in the middle. On the restart I could get past a few cars and then on the hard tyre it went really well. I could finish in 10th position - I think we can be happy with this.”

"如預期般這是場刺激的比賽! 我起跑很不錯,但是在第一彎Webber慢了下來,而且我無處可躲。我損傷了前鼻翼而必須開回到PIT。之後在Heidfeld後面我也損失一些時間,我速度比他快可是沒有超車點可以超越他。在第一次安全車出動後我們做的不錯,我們的策略不錯,我中間進行短進站換上軟胎。在比賽重新開始後,我超了幾台車而之後的硬胎也表現的很好,我想我們可以很高興可以在第十名完賽"。

Giancarlo Fisichella (11th): 
“I'm very disappointed with the mistake I made in the pit stop. I was just confused with last year as we were always in the last slot in the pit lane, so I just overshot and had to be pulled back into the pits. I'm really sad about this as I think we could have got a good result. We can take some positives away from this race though - we were able to fight with the others and the car felt good over the race. I'm really looking forward to Malaysia now.”

"我對我在進站時的犯的錯誤感到失望。去年我們總是在PIT區最後一個位置,所以我跑過頭了而且必須被推回車位上。我認為我們可以得到更好的成績,所以我對這個錯誤很傷心。我們還是可以在這場比賽得到一些正面的事,我們的車足以跟其他人競爭,而且在比賽中車子狀況都不錯。我現在很期待去馬來西亞站"。

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal:
“I am absolutely delighted with the result we have achieved here today. Considering the relatively late debut of the VJM02 and the changes we have implemented over the winter, getting two cars to the finish is a fantastic achievement. Both drivers had overall excellent races and showed that we have made improvements to both the pace and the balance of the car this year. Given our objective was just to finish this race, to do so with both cars in the top 12 is well beyond our expectations. It's a good foundation for this year.”

"我對今天的結果感到非常滿意。考慮到相對於最近一次VJM002的表現和冬季我們做出的改進策略,兩台車完賽是很棒的結果。兩位車手表現出色,而且展現了今年我們賽車的進步和平衡性。我們ˇ的目標是完成比賽,所以兩台車在前12完賽是超出我們的期望,這是今年的一個好的開始"。

BMW Sauber
Nick Heidfeld (10th): 

“Today’s outcome to the race is extremely disappointing for me. I had such a good start and was able to make up positions straight away. My strategy was promising too. Then in the braking zone for the first corner I felt safe because when I looked there was no car next to me. I was in the middle of the track but suddenly I got a big bang. I had to pit for new tyres and a front wing, but the damage to the car was a lot more than that and driving with it was hopeless. I think at least the KERS helped me to defend my position with such a slow car. But in the end it didn’t matter much because who cares if you finish 11th or 13th.”

"今天的結果對我來說很失望。我有個好的開始,而且我們可以繼續保持位置。我的策略是大有可為的,在進第一灣的煞車區,我發現沒有車與我並排,我認為很安全了。我在賽道中間突然遭到撞擊,讓我必須回PIT更換新輪胎和前翼,但是車子的損傷遠遠不只這樣,要駕駛這樣的車幾乎是不可能的。我想在之後這麼慢的速度下,至少KERS發揮作用幫我守住位置。但是最後也無關緊要,因為11名或是13名完賽根本不重要"。

Robert Kubica (15th): 
“What a disappointment! I had a chance to win this race because Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel were on soft tyres and struggling, while I was on the harder compound and was able to drive much quicker. Sebastian went wide in corner one and then he braked early. I was already in front, but he didn’t want to let me by. Then he had a lot of understeer and touched me. My front wing was under the car, therefore I crashed in corner five. I think Sebastian was a bit too optimistic. Had this been the last corner okay, but there were still three laps to go and he really had no realistic chance to defend his position because I was so much quicker. We both had a great weekend up to this point and we leave Melbourne with nothing. That’s a real shame! My car was very good, particularly in the second stint when I set the best lap times. That’s racing!”

"多令人失望!我原本有機會贏的這場比賽, Jenson Button 和 Sebastian Vettel 最後使用軟胎而且在衰退中,當時我使用硬胎而且我速度更快。Sebastian在彎中跑開所以煞車點提早了,我已經超前了但是他不讓我超過,然後他嚴重轉向不足就碰上了我。我的前翼跑到車底,我在第五彎撞了出去。我認為Sebastian有些太樂觀了,在比賽最後一個彎這麼做還OK,但是那時還有三圈要跑而且他實際上沒有機會可以守住位置,因為我的速度比他快的多了。我們兩個在此都有個美好的週末,但是我們卻兩手空空的離開墨爾本。這真的很遺憾! 我的車況很好,特別是在第二次進站我做出了最快單圈時間。但是這就是比賽"。

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director:
“As quite often happened in the past we had another race in Melbourne with a lot of drama. Nick’s hopes had already gone in the first corner. After a collision, which wasn't his fault, he was not only a long way behind, but also his aerodynamics were ruined, which made it impossible for him to catch up. Robert drove an excellent race and got himself up with the leaders in the final laps of the race. He was on the harder tyre compound, and had every chance to catch the two cars in front of him to win the race. The collision three laps before the flag ended the race for him and also for Sebastian Vettel, so both drivers lost a podium and points. On the positive side, I can say that today we were very fast on the harder tyres.”

"就像以前在墨爾本的比賽一樣,總是有很多戲劇性的事發生。Nick 的機會在第一個彎就結束了,在那個他無法掌控的意外之後,他不只是遠遠落後而已,他的空力也失去平衡了,這讓他不可能趕上前頭的車。Robert 表現的非常好,並且在他比賽的最後一圈趕上領先的車子。他那時使用較硬的輪胎,而且它有充分的機會去追上領先的兩輛賽車贏得比賽。在比賽結束前三圈的碰撞結束了他和 Sebastian Vettel 的比賽,兩位車手都失去上頒獎台機會和積分。樂觀來說,我可以說我們的車配合硬胎非常的快"。

Willy Rampf, head of engineering: 
“This was a turbulent start to the season, particularly for our team. Nick lost his chances in the race immediately after the start following a crash, which was not his fault. Robert was even unluckier. First he was catching the leading cars. And then, just a few laps from the end, he was able to attack the frontrunners. Because of our tyre choice, Robert was on the harder compound on the last stint, unlike his competitors on the soft. At this stage our car was much quicker than the two leading ones. When Robert overtook Sebastian Vettel he was already in front when Sebastian touched him. This cost us second place or even the victory.”

"對我們車隊來說,這是個混亂的開季。Nick 馬上在開賽後無法控制的事故中失去了機會。Robert 甚至更不走運,他追上了領先賽車,在那幾圈之後,比賽快結束前,他可以對領先車進行攻勢。因為我們的輪胎選擇,所以那時Robert在最後一次進站用了硬胎,不像他的對手用的是軟胎。在比賽這階段我們的車速度比兩輛領先車快。當Bobert 超越 Sebastian Vettel 的時候,Sebastian Vettel 碰上Robert 的車,那時Robert已經跑在前頭了。這讓我們損失了第二名甚至是一個勝利"。

Red Bull
Mark Webber (13th): 

"That was frustrating at my home race. I was so disappointed to drive round with a damaged car. I wanted a good result for the fans today, but we'll do our best to recover from the next race on - it would have been nice to have got a good result here. My start wasn't too bad. I got to Turn One and was making sure I got through there clean, but then Rubens came in to the side of me pretty hard and that was it really. I lost a huge amount of downforce; we had a lot of damage and I wasn't going to be a threat to anyone after that. It was a tough day for the team but we'll be back, I'm happy that Malaysia is in only a week's time."

"在這場Home GP我很挫敗,開著受損的賽車讓我很失望。我希望給車迷更好的結果,我們將會盡最大努力在下一場恢復狀況,之前在這裡有好的成績感覺總是很棒。我的起跑不算太糟,我進入第一彎並且確定周圍是安全的,但是Rubens 從旁邊用力撞上來,我失去了大部分的下壓力。我們受了很大的損傷但是我不打算歸罪給任何人。今天是我們車隊艱困的一天,但是我們會捲土而來,我很高興馬來西亞站就在下禮拜開跑"。

Sebastian Vettel (14th): 
“We were in second and a strong position, but then, a couple of laps from the end, I had a stupid racing accident with Robert. At the time I turned in I was ahead, but I couldn't keep up speed in the corner and Robert was on a harder tyre, so was much quicker. At the time we collided he was in front, but I had no where to go, I couldn't stop the car, or turn to the right and my tyres were gone. It's a shame as it meant the end of the race for both of us. Should I have let him go? You always want to fight. Maybe I should have said let him go and bring third back home, but that's life. I tried to defend and, up to the mid-corner, I had reason, but then I had no grip to avoid a collision. I'm sorry to the team and also to Robert, as it didn't just mean the end of my race, but also his. The team did a good job, we were working very hard over the winter and the car seems to be very good. We had good pace today, so overall we have a reason to smile.”

"我們那時在第二名,也是個有利的位置。之後在比賽結束前幾圈,我和 Robert 發生了愚蠢的比賽意外。在那時我領先進彎,但是在彎中我無法保持速度而且 Robert 用的是硬胎。他的速度比我快的多,碰撞的時候他已經超越我,但是我沒有地方可以閃,我也停不住車子、或是躲向右邊,因為我的輪胎失去抓地力了。很可惜的,這對我個兩個來說就是比賽結束了。你問我是不是應該讓他通過呢? 在場上總是會奮力一搏,或許我應該讓他過然後平安帶回第三名,但是這就是比賽,在那樣的情況下我試著防守,我有我的立場,但是我失去抓地力而發生碰撞。我對車隊和 Robert 感到抱歉,這不只造成我的比賽結束,他的也是。今天車隊做的很好,我們整個冬季就努力工作至今,車子看起來狀況非常好。今天我們速度很快,至少我們還有值得開心的事"。

Christian Horner, team principal:
"A totally gutting finish to what had been a superb race for Sebastian. He had good pace throughout and was trying to take the fight to Button. He drove an immaculate race, but I guess a racing accident with Kubica at the end on the soft tyre was always going to be marginal and we came within two laps of a great finish. Looking on the positive side, the pace of the car was very good. It backed up our qualifying performance and we can take confidence into the next race in Malaysia in only a week's time. Mark was unfortunately involved in an incident on the first lap which effectively destroyed his home race. We elected to keep him running in order to put more mileage on the car. It was a great shame after such strong team work here and in Milton Keynes, the team didn't deserve the finish we had today, but we'll fight back next weekend."

"這週的比賽就在Sebastian 的一流比賽後結束了。他速度始終很快,並且試著向Button進攻。他跑的很完美,我想他用軟胎並且和Kubica 最後幾圈的意外的影響總是會越來越小。樂觀來看,車子的速度很快,保持了排位賽時的速度,讓我對下個禮拜馬來西亞站充滿信心。Mark 很不幸的被捲入在第一圈的意外中,這毀了他的Home GP。我們決定讓他繼續跑來得到車子更多數據。車隊在這裡和 Milton Keynes 努力的工作,今天真的很可惜,我們可以不只拿到這樣的成績,但是下禮拜我們會捲土重來"。

Fabrice Lom, Renault principal engineer:
"What a disappointment - we had been so quick! Mark had a shunt at the first corner and lost his race there. Sebastian did a fantastic race and was nearly as quick as the winner, but we had to take the soft tyre on the last stint and a shunt ended his race. So, a shame, but I have such hope for the season with this pace. We are down, but ready to bounce back."

"多麼讓人失望,我們速度如此快!! Mark 在第一彎出意外並失去機會。Sebastian 跑的好極了,跟上了第一名而且速度很快,但是最後一次休停我們應該選軟胎,之後的意外結束了他的比賽。所以很遺憾,但是這樣的速度讓我對賽季充滿希望。我們遇到挫折,但已經準備好反彈了"。

Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen (16th): 

"When I ended up in the wall it was my mistake. A shame as, given what happened later, I could have finished second. We lost valuable points but we will try and make up for it starting right away in Malaysia. There, we will get a clearer picture of the situation because this circuit is not very indicative of performance. The KERS worked well at the start, but there was not much room to go anywhere. If we did not think it gave an advantage, we would not use it. Definitely the main problem was in managing the tyres, but we also need to improve our overall performance."

"撞上牆結束比賽是我的錯誤。很遺憾的,在之後發生的意外後,我如果在場上可以得到第二名。我們失去很多積分,但是我們會試著在馬來西亞彌補並修正回來。在那裡我們會有更明朗的情況,因為墨爾本這條賽道不太能表現車子的性能。KERS在起跑時運作的很好,但是沒有太多空間可以發揮。如果我們之後評估它沒有帶來好處,那麼我們就不會用它了。明顯的,問題在於輪胎,但是我們還需要提升整體的性能"。

Felipe Massa (DNF): 
"We knew the Brawn GP cars would be unbeatable today, but all the same, we thought we could have a good race. The start was great, but after five or six laps, we ran into trouble with the soft tyres, to such an extent that we had to pit early. We then switched to a very aggressive strategy, which with hindsight turned out to be the wrong one, as shortly after the pit stop, the safety car came out on track. I found myself third, but after the restart, I had less than ten laps to try and make up ground on those who were behind me, but with more fuel. At the second stop, we filled it for the finish, but then I was very slow and finally, I had the problem which forced me to retire. In my opinion, apart from the Brawns, we are competitive, but we have to work perfectly to get to the front. Here, it is very difficult to get the tyres to work, partly because the track surface does not provide much grip. The solution for Malaysia? Work and work hard."

"我們已經知道BrawnGP今天可能是所向披靡的。同樣的,我們認為我們也會有場好比賽。起跑很棒,但是在五、六圈後,我們的軟胎出了問題讓我必須提早回PIT。之後我們用更激進的策略,事後看起來是個錯誤,休停後沒多久安全車就出動了。我那時在第三位,但是重新比賽後,我至少有十圈在重載油情況下試著努力保持和後車間的距離。在第二次休停後,我們加了跑完比賽的油量,但是我發現速度很慢而最後發生問題讓我不得不退賽。在我的看法,除了Brawn GP之外,我們還是很有競爭力,只是我們必須做到完美去爭取領先。在這裡很難讓輪胎保持正常工作,部分是因為賽道表面沒有提供太多抓地力。到馬來西亞之後的解決方法???工作再更努力工作"。

Stefano Domenicali, team principal: 
"This was definitely not a start worthy of Ferrari, from any point of view. We were lacking on the reliability front, with two cars forced to retire. Our performance was not up to the potential we had expected after our winter testing: we struggled to manage the tyres. Furthermore, our strategy choices did not work out, especially in the case of Felipe. To sum up, it was a day to forget from the result point of view, but to remember well so as to try and analyse everything we failed in, in order to improve immediately. From that point of view, it's good we have a race coming up immediately next week in Malaysia. It will give us the opportunity to react as long as we draw the right conclusions, calmly but also decisively. Australia does not seem to have been a happy hunting ground for us these last few years: the circuit is a bit untypical where it could be that the pecking order is not so clear. It will be more evident in Sepang, but we are well aware that, apart from one team that was untouchable today, there are numerous other strong competitors."

"從各方面來看,這都不是Ferrari應有的開季表現。我們缺少可靠性,讓兩台車都退賽。在冬季測試後,競爭力沒有達到預期,在輪胎配合方面遇到麻煩。更糟的是我們的策略沒有奏效,特別是Felipe的。總和起來,從結果來看讓人想要快點忘掉這比賽,但是要記取教訓,分析、嘗試我們在這裡挫敗的原因來增進競爭力。這樣看來,我們很高興馬來西亞站馬上就在下禮拜開始,給我們機會冷靜而果斷的去驗證我們規劃的策略。澳洲站在最近幾年看來不是我們喜歡的賽道,賽道不是正規賽道,比賽情況很混亂所以[ˇ難判斷強弱。在雪邦情勢就會明朗。但是我們了解差距有多大,部分是從某個我們今天跟不上的一隊,還有很多其他強力的競爭者"。

Luca Baldisserri, sporting director:
"We opted to start on the softer tyres, a gamble that did not pay off today, because, given the huge degradation suffered by both drivers, we had to bring the first stops forward. We then went on two different strategies: with Felipe, in hindsight, we went the wrong way, especially as the safety car period did not help. Apart from this, we must admit that today, our performance was not up to that of many of our rivals. We must work out why and react quickly, starting in Malaysia."

"我們選擇用軟胎起跑,我們的賭博沒有得到回報,因為兩位車手都遇到抓地力不足問題,我們要提早休停時機。我們之後使用兩種策略:Felipe的在事後看來是個錯誤,特別是在安全車出動期間完全沒有幫助。根據這些,我門必須承認我們競爭力不足。我們必須找出原因並迅速反應,在馬來西亞再次出發"。



2009年3月30日 星期一

Champion Rossi quietly satisfied with test work

The World Champion Valentino Rossi came second in Sunday’s Jerez showdown with his predecessor as MotoGP title winner Casey Stoner, but the Fiat Yamaha man made progress in southern Spain and has had a good preseason as he prepares to defend his premier class crown.

現役冠軍Rossi 和上屆冠軍Stoner 都在Jerez賽道、周日時做測試,但是Rossi先前在南西班牙做過測試,並且就像要衛冕自己第一次冠軍一樣的去做好季前準備。

The legendary Italian rider put in a best lap of 1’39.365s in the BMW M Award shootout, leaving him trailing Stoner by a 0.719 gap, but he was in or around the top three on the timesheets consistently over the course of the weekend, just as he was in tests at Sepang and Losail International earlier this year.

這位傳奇的義大利車手在BMW舉辦的活動中最好的時間是1'39.365。離Stoner做出的時間差了0.719秒,但他做出的時間在週末還是還在前三名之中,跟之前在今年西班牙和Losail International測試結果差不多。 

“Firstly the conditions were quite bad in the 45 minute session, but anyway I am quite happy, especially about the work we did yesterday and this morning,” Rossi stated. “We tested a lot of new and different things which worked well and we have found a setting which will be good for the race here at Jerez. I am quite fast with the hard tyres, I feel strong and our speed is ok.”

"在前45分鐘狀況非常的糟,但是無論如何我很高興,特別是對於昨天和今天早上我們所做的努力",Rossi表示。"我們試了很多新的和不同的東西,而且做的不錯。我們也找到不錯的設定對於之後在Jerez比賽會有幫助。使用硬胎時速度很快,我覺得很不錯而速度也很OK"。

Having been tangled up with San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias at one stage and interrupted by the temporary halt in proceedings when Tech 3’s James Toseland crashed heavily, Rossi felt he could have gone quicker on Sunday.

因為第一階段和San Carlo Honda Gresini’s 車手 Toni Elias的糾纏、之後Tech 3’車手 James Toseland發生嚴重車禍中斷測試,Rossi認為在週日的測試他可以更快。

However he nonetheless acknowledged Stoner’s rapid pace when he added, “Over one lap Stoner is faster than me, he did a good time today so congratulations to him. I was a little bit unlucky with the red flag and with Toni Elias. My potential is a little bit faster than I went, but I don’t think it was possible to have gone as fast as CaseStoner。

無論如何,在Stoner加入測試之後,大家認為他領先了一步。"在第一圈之後Stoner速度比我快,我要恭喜他因為他今天做出的成績很不錯。我今天運氣不太好,遇到紅旗暫停又和Toni Elias糾纏住。我的進步空間可能比我想的還多,但是我不認為可以跑的像CaseStone一樣快"。

2009年3月29日 星期日

One bike per rider rule for 2010 announced in Jerez

A series of regulation changes affecting the MotoGP World Championship were announced by FIM President Vito Ippolito and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta at the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez, with some of the modifications taking place during the 2009 season.

在Jerze的官方測試中,FIM主席Vito和Dorna Sport 總裁Carmelo Ezpeleta一起宣佈了一系列的MotoGP的規則改變,在2009年會有一些修改。

Messrs. Ippolito and Ezpeleta held a press conference for journalists covering this weekend’s action in southern Spain, explaining decisions made by the FIM, MSMA and Dorna.

Ippolito and Ezpeleta,在週末的南西班牙舉辦了一個會議,討論FIM、MSMA和Dorna做出的決定

The most immediate of changes is a modification to a previously established norm for 2009. Contracted riders will now be able to test their bikes at two designated post-race opportunities, following Grands Prix at Barcelona and Brno. Test riders will be able to put in laps at any time.

最立即的改變是修改已經確立的2009規則中,正式車手不能賽後測試超過兩次。Barcelona 和 Brno則是測試車手隨時可以使用。

Another tweaked rule is that of engine number limitation, as a result of the cancellation of this year’s Hungarian round. The number of motors to be used by each rider for the last seven races has been limited to five, and the penalty for exceeding this number has been set at ten points. The number of engines available without penalty for the 2010 season will be six.

另一個限制規則是引擎數量的限制。因為今年取消匈牙利站的緣故,每位車手最後7場比賽可以用的數目限制在5具,超出這個數目將被扣十分。2010年不被受罰的引擎數目限制數是6。

Subject to limitation in 2010 will be the amount of bikes in the garage, as from next season onwards there will be just one machine per rider. The minimum weight of the single bike will be 2kg more than permitted in the previous rules.

限制方案在2010年將會包括車庫裡的賽車,下一季每位車手只有一輛賽車,最低重量比之前多了2公斤。

The regulatory bodies have also decided to prohibit the recruitment of new riders to factory teams as of next year, with rookies required to serve their apprenticeship with a satellite team.

管理單位發布廠隊招募車手的規定,剛升上GP車手要在見習期間待在衛星車隊。

2009年3月27日 星期五

Friday practice - selected team and driver quotes

Williams, Brawn and Toyota had all looked quick in pre-season testing, but no one was quite sure how it would translate come Melbourne. On Friday we got the answer. The leading teams and their rivals reflect on their early progress at Albert Park…

威廉斯、布朗和豐田車隊在季前測試看起來都很快,但是沒人確定可以在墨爾本重現一樣的情形。在週五我們得到答案了,領先車隊和競爭對手在Albert Park的表現反映出之前的研發進展的差異。

Red Bull
Mark Webber, P1 - 1:29.081, 17th; P2 - 1:26.370, 4th

"It's great to be back in Australia. I'm proud of the Australian GP; they put on an excellent show here for everyone and it's good for the local people. They've had a tough few months recently with the fires, so I hope they enjoy the weekend. My day today was a bit hit and miss to be honest, as we had a few technical problems with the car. 

"回到澳洲的感覺很好。我對澳洲GP很自豪,他們為大家獻上很棒的表演,對當地人來說也很棒,他們已經熬了好幾個月,我希望他們可以好好享受比賽。今天必須承認不是很順利,我們遇到一些車子的技術問題。"

"I didn't get many laps in during the first session, but the second was a lot better. We completed more laps and tried both types of tyres, so we've got some good stuff to go through tonight. It was quite interesting to see how low the sun was through the trees towards the end of the second session, it was good to run with that to get used to it for Sunday."

"在第一段練習我沒有跑很多圈,但是第二次練習情況就更好了。我們完成更多圈並且試了各種配方的輪胎,我們得到很多數據可以在今晚好好研究。在第二段練習時看著太陽落下很有趣,在這樣的情況下可以讓我習慣以助於星期天的比賽"。

Sebastian Vettel, P1 - 1:32.784, 20th; P2 - 1:26.740, 8th
"We had a bad session in this morning's practice and didn't get too much running, due to a hydraulics problem. In the afternoon we were able to get some laps in, but unfortunately I made a stupid mistake towards the end of the practice, so we couldn't run through our programme. 

"今天早上的練習很糟,因為液壓問題沒有跑很多圈。下午我們能跑個幾圈,但是不幸的是在練習結束前我犯了個愚蠢的錯誤,所以我們我們沒有完成我們的計畫。"

"Nevertheless, it's looking alright with what we've done compared to the time we had on the circuit, so let's see how we go tomorrow. Like always on Fridays, it's a bit difficult to interpret everyone's lap times, but I think we can be happy."

"然而相對於我們在賽道上的時間,我們看起來還是做的不錯,所以讓我們看看明天的表現如何。就像以往在禮拜五一樣,很難解讀每個人的圈速時間,但是我想我們可以樂觀的看"。

Christian Horner, team Principal
"After the off-track activities of the last couple of days, it was good to get the weekend under way. There were a couple of issues in the first session - a hydraulics leak with Sebastian and a driveshaft problem with Mark limited our run-time. 

"在賽道外的活動兩天後,很高興可以讓比賽週末的事順利進行。在第一段練習有兩個消息,Sebastian的車子有液壓滲漏的問題和Mark的車子有傳動軸的問題,這兩個問題影響了我們的測試時間"。

"In the second session both drivers showed good pace and we worked through our programme. Unfortunately Sebastian had a small off, which ended his day early, but both drivers seem comfortable in the car and their pace was respectable."

"在第二段練習兩位車手都有很大進步,而且我們完成了我們的計劃表。不幸的是Sebastian的小失誤結束了他的一天。但是兩位車手看來在車上發揮的不錯,進步也很可觀"。

Force India
Adrian Sutil, P1 - 1:27.993, 9th; P2 - 1:27.040, 9th

“I hope this is representative of where we are, but it is still very early on in the weekend. We had a good session in the afternoon and could do some quite promising runs. I was pleased with the car, we had no real problems. The balance depended on the tyres. In the second session we did some race runs and struggled a lot with the softer tyre, but I think once the track rubbers in the tyres will grip better, but overall it was OK and a good position in the end. I think we can be happy with where we are right now.

"我希望這名次代表我們真正的位置,但是現在還很早。在下午練習時間我們表現不錯,可以做出不錯的成績。對這部車我感到很榮幸,我們沒有遇到實質的問題,車 子的平衡取決於輪胎。在第二段練習我們做一些比賽測試和在軟胎上遇到一些困難,但是我想等橡膠附上跑道抓地力就會好轉,總之一切OK而且成績看來也不錯,我想我們可以對現在的位置感到開心"。

Giancarlo Fisichella, P1 - 1:28.603, 14th; P2 - 1:27.282, 13th
“It's a bit too early to say how we can perform this weekend. The car is better under high speed but so far I am struggling with the rear locking and I'm not 100 percent comfortable just yet. We're in better shape than last year for sure though. We will see tomorrow but at least we know there is potential to improve over night.”

"現在說我們可以達到什麼成績還太早。車子在高速下表現比之前好,但是到目前為止我被後輪鎖死困擾著,而且我沒辦法完全發揮。總之現在我們比去年好,我們會等著明天到來,但是現在還有很多車子的潛力要開發出來"。

Simon Roberts, chief operating officer
“It's been a promising start to the weekend today. I've been really pleased with the team and the overall performance. We managed to get everything we needed to completed and, apart from a couple of niggles in the first session - really just early season teething problems - it was a good team showing.”


"由今天看來這個周末是大有可為,我對於車隊感到榮幸。我們設法完成我們所要達到的,有一部分來自第一次練習的瑣碎小事,就是一些初期開發的困難,這就是一支好隊伍所要表現的"。

2009年3月26日 星期四

開始摸索

  這個禮拜終於找到打工的機會了,周末就知道我適不適合這份打工,工作地點就在環中東路上的綠莊餐廳,其實感覺待遇蠻摳的,不過我的時間實在很難配合,打工很難找阿,做了再說吧。慢慢開始摸索自己的路,上課盡力的學,這裡敎的真的是沒有理論阿,只有怎麼做,聽的很累,要找原理又是不同領域,萬事起頭難,打工和學習都一樣,就往前走吧。

  來桃園也快一個月了,都沒機會去台北找團長和教授吃個飯、聊聊天,現在看來時間還要再往後延囉。

2009年3月23日 星期一

Australian Grand Prix preview quotes

After months of preparation and testing, it’s almost time for the 10 teams and 20 drivers that make up the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship to finally put their cards on the table and show just what they can do. For the teams it will be their first real chance to see if they can really challenge for the title, while for the drivers the joy of racing again will be just as potent. The Formula One fraternity look ahead to this weekend’s season opener in Melbourne…

經過一個月的準備和測試,10支車隊和20位車手已經到了最後要攤牌的時候,讓我們拭目以待他們將有什麼表現。對車隊來說,這是第一次真正驗證他們是否有爭奪冠軍的機會,然而對車手而言,就是再度享受比賽的亢奮。所有關心F1的人將會關注在本週末在墨爾本的開季賽。

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren 2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 1st
“There is no better place to begin the FIA Formula One World Championship than in Australia. The weather is fantastic, the facilities are excellent and the people of Melbourne make us all feel extremely welcome. Most importantly, everyone arrives with an air of enthusiasm and expectation. Despite weeks of winter testing, it’s still difficult to know exactly who has the best package, and finding out over the weekend in Albert Park is always fascinating. Perhaps McLaren Mercedes doesn’t come to Melbourne with the same prospects to challenge at the front that we experienced in both 2007 and ’08, but the whole team will be working tirelessly to help us move back to the front.”

"沒有比澳洲更適合做為F1開季第一場比賽場地的地方了。天氣非常好,設備齊全,墨爾本的人們也非常友善。最重要的,每個人帶著熱情和期待的氣氛來到這裡。儘管經過了一週的冬季測試,還是很難知道誰做了最好的準備,所以這個週末在Albert Park找出這個答案就更吸引人。或許cLaren Mercedes沒有抱著挑戰頭排的目標,就像2007和2008年我們所經歷的一樣,但是整個車隊將會不顧疲勞的努力工作去重新回到領先地位"。

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren 2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 5th
“I had a great race in Melbourne last year on my debut for McLaren Mercedes. It’s a track I love - a circuit that you really have to attack with a lot of enthusiasm if you are to get the best from the car. The fast esses at the back of the circuit are probably the most demanding corners - getting it just right is a hugely satisfying feeling. Elsewhere, I enjoy the ‘back to school’ feeling of the new season - you meet up with everybody, share your stories from the winter and look forward to another good season. Everybody in our team is really motivated and, while we probably won’t start the season as favourites, we will work around the clock to get back there.”

"我去年為McLaren Mercedes在墨爾本的初次豋場比賽表現很棒。這是我喜歡的賽道類型,如果你車況極佳,這是個你必須大膽攻擊的賽道。在這個賽道追求最高紀錄的背後,就要先克服那些嚴酷的彎道,漂亮的通過的感覺是令人滿足的。另外,我享受那種回到學校的感覺,因為新賽季的開始,你又可以見到所有其他人,分享冬季所遇到的事,並且展望另一個精采賽季。我們車隊所有人充滿幹勁,或許我們不會有一個如我們所要的開季表現,所以我們會不分晝夜努力去回到領先地位"。

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“We go into the start of the 2009 season fully aware that we do not yet have the technical package that will allow our drivers to fight at the front. In Formula One, there is nowhere to hide: that’s what makes our sport so demanding and yet so endlessly fascinating. And as a team that goes grand prix racing with the expectation of winning races and challenging for world championships, we therefore go to Melbourne with realistic expectations. Nonetheless, we begin our season with huge determination to re-assert ourselves at the front and we will not rest for a moment until we have done that. Most importantly, we haven’t forgotten how to win.”

"在2009的開季,我們完全察覺到我們還沒有良好的技術套件可以讓我們的車手挑戰領先地位。在F1,沒有什麼可以隱藏的,這也是讓這個運動要求苛刻和吸引人的地方。作為一個追求贏得比賽和得到世界冠軍的參賽隊伍,因此我們我們帶著實際的預期來到墨爾本。但是我們在賽季開始將以重大的決心來重新證明我們可以回到領先,並且在達到目標之前我們會馬不停蹄的努力。最重要的事,我們並沒有忘記如何贏得比賽"。

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president
“Melbourne is the city where - 12 years ago - McLaren-Mercedes achieved their first of 58 grand prix wins since then. After a total of four victories at Albert Park, this time it may not be possible to repeat Lewis’s success of last year. Considering our test results we will not be as competitive at the season opener as we intend to be, and so I do not expect a qualifying result at the front of the grid. However, we will all work hard to return to the front as soon as possible and in Melbourne everybody in the team is fully motivated to do everything to achieve the best possible result."

"墨爾本是McLaren-Mercedes在12年前取得第一勝的城市,到現在McLaren-Mercedes已經得到58勝了。在Albert Park取得四個冠軍後,這次似乎不太可能重現Lewis 去年在這裡的成績。考慮到我們的測試成績,在開季我們沒有如我們想要的競爭力,所以我沒有期望排位可以擠到前面。我們會努力工作以盡快回到前排,在墨爾本,每個成員都充滿幹勁去取得最好的結果"。

Nico Rosberg, Williams 2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“I'm really looking forward to getting out onto the Albert Park track. I had a great race in Melbourne in 2008 and I am determined that we will have a similarly strong start to this season. In character, it’s a very challenging semi-street circuit which usually suits our car well. I think Australia is great. The country is so varied and the people are cool, very relaxed and welcoming. I would come more often if it wasn’t so far away!

"我真的很期待Alber Park 的開賽。去年在墨爾本我有很好的表現,今年我估計我們有一樣好的競爭力。我們的車子通常很適合這種具挑戰性的半街道賽道。澳洲很棒、多采多姿,人們很酷、享受生活並且好客。如果不是因為距離太遠,我想我會更常來這裡"。

“Winter testing has been good, but I think we are not where we want to be just yet. However, the potential for development is huge because of the new rules, so we will be looking to making strong progress throughout the year to get closer to the podium. I think the regs (regulations) are all good. It is very likely that they will improve overtaking and ramp up the excitement in the sport for everybody’s benefit.”

"冬季測試結果很好,但是我想我們還沒有達到我們的目標。無論如何,因為新的規則,車子發展的潛力還很大,所以我們在這一整年會努力得到更大的進步去登上頒獎台。我認為新規則很好,看起來有助於超車和增加精彩度,對大家都有好處"。

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams 2008 Qualifying - 13th, 2008 Race - 6th
“What can I tell you, I love Australia. I am doing what I did last year, dropping in on Sydney for a few days and I expect to do some good training there - it’s a great sports nation. It’s the right place to start the year - it just feels like the natural beginning to the season. We have a good car, one that will allow us to compete, that’s certain, but where it will take us this year - well, that is part of the excitement to see how it all turns out. The competition is closer, that’s for sure. Whether we will get the better overtaking we are all hoping for, really it will be an improvement, but by how much we will only know after 58 laps of Albert Park next Sunday.”

"我還能說什麼呢,我愛澳洲。我正在做去年我所做的,花幾天拜訪雪梨,在這個運動國家我期待有一個美好的旅遊。這裡真是一個開始賽季的好地方,感覺自然正在甦醒。我們有一輛有競爭力的好車,這是無庸置疑的,但是它將在今年帶領我們前進,證明之前努力的結果也是其中一件令人興奮的事。比賽已經很接近了,無庸置疑的,無論我們是否會如所希望的一樣更容易超車,都是個進步,但是進步程度只有在週日的Albert Park 跑完58圈之後才知道"。

Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India 2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - DNF
“Australia is a good place for me personally. I won the race in 2005 and started in second place in 2006 and with a car that was not as competitive as we would have liked, I finished in fifth in 2007. For these reasons, it’s a fantastic track for me, but it’s also a great track to drive. With a combination of short straights, second and third gear chicanes, this 16 turn track requires medium to high downforce and good traction is essential, particularly early on in the weekend when the track is ‘green’. 

"澳洲對我個人來說是很棒的地方。2005年我在這裏贏得比賽,2006年取得排位賽第二,而且是以一輛不如預期中有競爭力的車子 ,2007年我以五名完賽。基於這些理由,對我來說這是充滿驚奇的賽道,對其他車手也是很棒的賽道。結合數段短直線、二和三檔彎,這個16個彎的賽道需要中到高的下壓力和好的尋跡性是必備的,特別是周末早上賽道還沒"清乾淨"時"。

"It is very slippery on the Friday as it doesn’t get used very much over the year, and then conditions just get better and better for the race. There are a few chicanes in third gear so you need to have a good car under braking, but don’t brake too much so you can still get into the chicane with a good speed. Turns 11 and 12 are quite quick and it’s quite hard for the brakes, and the last corner is quite interesting. It’s important to be quick but there is always a lot of understeer and the car slides on four wheels. This year the race will start a bit later at 1700, so it may be a bit darker at the end of the race, but I don’t think this will change a lot for the drivers. In Singapore we raced under the lights and it didn’t seem to make a lot of difference from our perspective.”

"在一年沒用後,賽道在週五會非常滑,但情況會隨著比賽接近越來越好。這有幾個三檔彎,所以你必須要有好的煞車,但又不要太強才可以讓你進入彎時可以保有速度。11和12彎速度很快,而且對煞車也很嚴苛,最後一個彎也很有趣。速度很重要但這裡也很多轉向不足的情況和輪子滑動的問題。今天比賽時間比較晚一些,在1700點,所以在比賽結束前會比較暗,但是我不認為這對其他車手會有太多影響。在新加坡,我們在燈光下比賽而且似乎不影響我們的視野"。

Dominic Harlow, Force India chief technical officer
“The culmination of winter development and car build effort makes Melbourne an exciting and technically challenging race. The Albert Park circuit is hard on brakes and, being a temporary construction, has a constantly changing grip level. The weather offers plenty of variety some for the teams to deal with, from 40 degree heat as in 2008, to rain disturbances from the southern oceanic region. For the first time ever the race this year will be an evening event, potentially leading to cooler track conditions, however Bridgestone’s softer tyre will almost certainly struggle to resist graining and degradation. One very important fact to remember at this circuit however is the seemingly annual first corner accident where nearly five months of anticipation can be over in a few seconds. We have often seen safety cars in Melbourne, and it could figure again in this year’s race, and the change to the regulations could particularly mix things up.”

"冬季時的高潮和造車的努力都讓墨爾本成為刺激又挑戰技術的比賽。Albert Park對煞車很嚴苛,因為是暫時作為賽道,抓地力隨時都在改變。天氣方面對車隊也有很多變數要應付,2008年的40度高溫到因為南方海洋氣流而下雨擾亂比賽。今年的第一場是至今為止第一次在傍晚比賽,可能會使賽到溫度降低,無論如何普利司通的軟胎會努力防止粒化和脫膠的情況。在這個賽道有一件要記住的最重要的事,就是在爭搶第一彎所發生的意外可能在幾秒內就發生。在墨爾本,我們很常看到安全車出動,這在今年也可能出現,而且新規則可能會讓這事更糟糕"。

Jarno Trulli, Toyota 2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - DNF
"Melbourne is a great place to visit and the Australian Grand Prix is always good fun. As a Formula One driver you really want to race so I am pleased the season is starting and we can get on with the competition. I am totally fired up for this season and I am feeling very positive about our chances. The TF109 is the best Toyota I have driven in pre-season testing; it feels stable and gives the driver confidence but more importantly it seems to be pretty quick, even though it's hard to make too many judgements based on testing. We made a big step last year, proving we can fight for podiums and finish regularly in the top six so I am hoping for another step forward this year. We have more experience now and the team has worked really hard for a long time on the TF109 - we are ready for the season and I am raring to go." 

"墨爾本是個值得一遊的地方,而且澳洲大賽總是充滿樂趣。作為一個一級方程式車手,你總是很渴望比賽,所以我很高興要開賽了並且我們參與了比賽。對於新賽季我已經熱血沸騰了,而且我對於我們的機會是有信心的。TF109是我在所有季前測試中開過最好的一輛Toyota賽車,感覺很穩定,讓車手有信賴感並且感覺也很快,即使只有做過測試所以沒辦法下定論。我們在去年跨出了一大步,證明我們可以競爭前三名,並且經常在六名內完賽,所以我希望在今年一樣可以往前邁出一大步。現在我們更有經驗,車隊對於TF109也投入了很大的工夫,對於新賽季我們已經準備好了而我也蓄勢待發了"。

Timo Glock, Toyota 2008 Qualifying - 18th, 2008 Race - DNF
"It's very exciting to be going to the first race this year because the big changes to the technical regulations for 2009 give Toyota a good opportunity to fight at the front. It's really hard to predict because you don't know what other teams are working on in testing but I know our programme and the results we have seen are very encouraging. Testing has gone really well and I have a good feeling for the new car. It's a different emotion to be starting my second year with Toyota compared to 2008 because now I am much more familiar with the team and I feel I can really start the season strongly. Last year it took a few races to find the right direction for me in terms of set-up but I don't expect that to be a problem this season. Australia is anyway one of my favourite places to visit so I can't wait to get to Melbourne and get the season started." 

"對於今年的第一場比賽我覺得很刺激,因為2009技術規則的大改變讓Toyota有機會競爭領先地位。因為你不知道其他隊伍在測試期間的成果所以很難預測成績,但是我知道我們的計畫和結果是非常令人振奮的。測試進行的很順利並且新賽車給我的感覺很好。在Toyota的第二年參賽,心情和2008年是不一樣的,因為現在我對車隊更為熟悉並且我感覺會有一個強勁的開季表現。去年的幾場比賽,我看起來似乎找到正確的設定方向,但是今年我不認為這會是個問題。澳洲總是我心中最想去的地方之一,所以我已經等不及去墨爾本並且開始新賽季"。

John Howett, Toyota president
"This is a big season for our team and we have set ourselves high targets. We exist to win so that is clearly the aim this season and we have every reason to be optimistic after our extremely positive testing results. This is our eighth season in Formula One and we have learnt a lot in that time; we are leaner, more experienced and better equipped to succeed. Our drivers are a great asset to us this season; Jarno has huge experience and everyone knows he is tremendously fast while Timo is an explosive young driver who showed his great potential last year. So 2009 is a big opportunity for our team and we are determined to make the most of it. We have been on the podium in the past in Australia and I would like to see us there again this weekend." 

"對我們車隊,這是一個重要的賽季,並且我們給自己設定了一個大目標。我們為了贏而在這裡,所以我們瞄準這個賽季,並且在非常振奮的測試結果出來之後,我們有很多理由可以保持樂觀。這是我們在F1的第八個賽季,在這期間我們學習到很多,我們是初學者,累積更多的經驗和裝備讓我們得到成功。我們的車手有很棒的能力,Jarno有豐富的經驗,大家知道他速度很快,Timo是個有爆發力的新人,去年的表現展現了他的優秀潛力。所以2009年對我們是很大的機會,我們計畫去盡力達成。之前我們在澳洲有站上過頒獎台,我期望這個周末我們一樣會站上頒獎台"。

Jenson Button, Brawn GP 2008 Qualifying - 12th, 2008 Race - DNF
"The first race of the season is always an exciting weekend as none of the teams really know where their car is in performance terms until we hit the race track for the first time in competitive conditions. I am a big fan of Melbourne as a city and as the venue for the first race; it's truly a great place to start the season. The race has a beautiful setting in Albert Park and it is a quick and fun circuit to drive with some very technical corners. I have always enjoyed driving there, particularly in qualifying where you can really get on it and nail a flying lap. "I will be arriving in Melbourne on Saturday to ensure that I have a few days to acclimatise to the time zone. I'll be doing some fitness work with my physio in preparation for the race weekend, hopefully in the sunshine along the coast. We will also be linking up with some local triathletes to train with them and catching up with my former physio who is now based in Australia and some of the V8 Supercar drivers that he is working with for another intense training session. I'm really looking forward to getting to Australia and the challenge of getting the best out of our new car over what looks to be a very exciting race weekend."

"每次開季第一場比賽周末總是很刺激,在車子第一次開上賽道開始比賽前,沒有一個車隊真正知道車子的競爭力。在墨爾本的開季第一場比賽總讓我著迷,這裡真是個開季比賽的好地方,Albert Park是個好舞台而且是個高速、有趣和充滿技術的賽道。我總是很享受在這裡比賽,特別是排位賽,你可以開上賽道並集中全力在計時圈。"我會在週六到達墨爾本已確定我有幾天時間克服時差問題。我會和理療師做一些運動來準備週末的比賽並且希望海岸總是陽光普照。我們也會和當地的三項運動好手一起作訓練,並且聯絡我之前的理療師,他現在待在澳洲正在訓練V8 Supercar的車手。我熱切期待到澳洲,坐上新賽車挑戰這個看來非常刺激的比賽週末"。

Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP 2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - DSQ
"The Australian Grand Prix is one of my favourite races on the calendar and the atmosphere at Albert Park over the race weekend is always fantastic. It will be really exciting to go back this year with our new team and a competitive car behind us for the start of what will be my 17th season competing in Formula One. After the tough winter that we went through, I am so motivated to get racing again and I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.  "The Albert Park circuit is quite technical and the relatively high top speeds for a street circuit mean that you need to run quite a high level of downforce which in turn compromises your grip through the slower second-gear corners. The lap has some very quick changes of direction and you can gain a lot of time through the quick chicane at Turns 11 and 12 if you get it hooked up well. You need a car with a good front-end to make the most of these corners.  "As the circuit uses public roads, there are a lot of bumps under braking and if your car is prone to rear-locking, you have to be careful that these don't unsettle the car enough to throw you off the circuit. It's reasonably difficult to overtake around the circuit with Turns Three and 13 offering the best opportunities." 

"澳洲大賽是賽程表上我最喜愛的一場比賽之一,Albert Park的比賽週末氣氛真是太美妙了。能夠和新隊伍以及一台有競爭力的車回到場上開始我的第17個F1賽季的感覺很棒,再經過了一個艱困的冬季,我充滿衝勁的要再度加入比賽,而且我期待著之後的挑戰,Albert Park是個相當技術性和相對其他街道賽而言的高速度賽道,表示你要衡量極速但是也需要高下壓力來衝過較慢的二檔彎。賽道有一些增加速度的改變,你如果在11和12彎表現完美,那就可以節省很多時間。你需要有一台良好空力的賽車去通過大部分的彎。"因為用一般街道作為賽道,在煞車時會很顛簸,如果你的後輪鎖死,那麼就要小心車子的這些不穩定狀況足以把你甩離賽道。整條賽道是很難超車的,但是3和13彎提供最好的超車機會"。

Ross Brawn, Brawn GP technical director
"Our ambition has always been to be on the grid for the first race of the season in Melbourne and our planning was specifically tailored towards the achievement of this goal. I am extremely proud that we have achieved our ambition and the Australian Grand Prix will mark the start of an exciting new journey for our team. The BGP 001 car is the result of 15 months of intensive development work and the team have been nothing less than fantastic in their commitment to producing two cars in time for the first race.  "From our short but crucial testing programme over the past two weeks, we have reinforced our view that the BGP 001 is a good car and an excellent platform from which to develop performance over the course of the season. Our focus during the seven days of pre-season testing was on reliability and developing our understanding of the car in race conditions. We are very satisfied with the work achieved and the initial pace seen from the car however we are fully aware that our work has only just begun. The practice running in Melbourne will be crucial and we have to get as much mileage as possible under our belts to allow Jenson and Rubens to refine the set-up of the car to their liking." 

"我們的目標一直是在賽季第一場的墨爾本比賽上出賽,我們的規畫就是為這目標量身訂做。我非常自豪我們達到這個目標,而澳洲GP將是我們隊伍新的旅程的開始。BGP001是15個月密集開發工作的成果,在第一場比賽前造出了這兩部賽車,對於車隊除了自豪和了不起之外已經沒有其他了。"從我們短短倆個禮拜重要的測試,我們更確定BGP001是一輛優秀的賽車,對賽季接下來的一系列開發工作也是個優異的平台。在季前七天的測試中,我們的焦點放在穩定性和了解賽車在比賽中的狀況。我們很滿意結果,從車子表現我們也了解我們的工作才剛要開始。墨爾本的練習賽將會很重要,而我們也將會在自家賽道讓兩位車手盡可能的跑,讓他們改進車子的設定到他們滿意的狀態"。

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber 2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - DNF
"I'm really looking forward to the Australian Grand Prix. I'm happy that the race season will finally get started and all the speculation of the pre-season testing will stop. It will be very interesting to see how competitive the teams really are. I like street circuits in general, so Albert Park is one of my favourite race tracks.  “You have to be very precise. That applies to the whole circuit; you need to stay on the clean line. But this year precision will be especially important for the first corner after the start, when we will have our very first fight for position with the bigger 2009 front wings. I'm pretty sure it will be an interesting race. In addition, Melbourne is a very nice city and the people create a truly special atmosphere for all of us in Formula One." 

"我很期待澳洲GP。我很高興賽季終於要開始了,所有關於季前測試的預測終於要結束了。看看每個車隊的競爭力將會很有趣。我基本上很喜歡街道賽,所以Albert Park是我最愛的賽道之一。"在這整條賽道你必須非常精準,你必須保持在乾淨的線上,今年精準性在比賽開始後的第一彎將更為重要,因為我們要在2009年的大鼻翼的情況下近身搏鬥爭取位置。我很確定這會是一場有趣的比賽。另外,墨爾本是個很棒的城市,人們為F1營造了一種特別的氣氛"。

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber 2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"I'm looking forward immensely to the start of the season in Australia. This time around I'm particularly keen to see how the teams and drivers stack up against each other. It's time for the speculation to stop; from now on it's only facts that matter. A whole number of things have changed since last year and that means there are a lot of unanswered questions: What effect will the KERS and adjustable front wings have in the races? What will happen at the start when we are side-by-side with the larger front wings for the first time? Will overtaking really be easier, as our experiences in testing have led us to believe? "Last year winter testing did not go as well as it might have done for us, and we surprised everybody with our strong performance in Australia. This winter all of our testing went pretty well, and I hope this impression is confirmed in Melbourne. We had to contend with some difficult weather conditions in testing, and I'm also curious to see what happens in Albert Park in this respect, as it can get very autumnal in my favourite travel destination in March." 
"我非常期待澳洲的開賽。這個時刻我特別渴望看到車隊和車手之間緊密合作一起對抗對手。現在是停止預測的時候,現在重要的是事實。所有的事物在去年已經改變了,那表示還有很多沒有答案的問題存在,例如KERS和可調整前鼻翼在比賽中的影響、在改成大鼻翼下進入第一彎的晉身肉博會發生什麼情況、超車是否會像測試經驗一樣變的容易多了。去年的冬季測試進行的沒有很順利,但是我們在澳洲以驚人的競爭力驚艷全場。今年的冬季測試進行很順利,我希望這個印象可以在墨爾本得到證實。在測試時我們要應付惡劣的天氣,我很想知道是否會對Albert Park賽道比賽有幫助,這裡在三月的時候,氣候有時很快就轉變的像秋天"。


Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
"The start of a Formula One season with perhaps the most sweeping rule changes we've ever seen is now in sight. We are pleased that Australia is again the first GP of the year in 2009. There is always a very special atmosphere in Melbourne. The Australians certainly love their sport and they've been well and truly bitten by the Formula One bug. "Last year Nick took second for us in the first race of the season, and we're hoping that we get off to a good start in Albert Park once again this year. We are heading in the right direction with the BMW Sauber F1.09; both the drivers and the engineers came back with positive feedback during testing. Plus, Nick and Robert carried out full race simulations without suffering any technical problems. "As far as KERS is concerned, our system will be race-ready in Melbourne. We sent the cars out regularly with KERS during testing and the results were very good. Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 hp at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap. However, the system adds weight to the car and this has an impact on the car's weight distribution and tyre wear. We will make a decision on a driver-by-driver, circuit-by-circuit basis." 

"我們所見過規則變動最大的一個賽季就要開始了。我們很高興澳洲又是開季第一站比賽,墨爾本的比賽氣氛總是很特別,澳洲人無疑的很喜歡他們的運動,而且他們對F1也是深深著迷。去年Nick在第一場比賽拿到第二名,我們希望今年一樣在Albert Park有好的開始。我們和BMW Sauber F1.09賽車一起朝著正確方向前進,車手和工程師在測試期間的回報情況都很好,加上Nick 和Robert 在模擬比賽中沒有遇到任何技術問題。就KERS而言,讓很多人擔心,但是我們的系統在墨爾本已經是可以上場的狀態了。我們在測試期間讓車子帶著KERS系統上場,而結果也讓我們很滿意,現在只剩下衡量優缺點而已了。從優點來看,車手每一圈在6.6秒內有額外的82匹馬力可以運用,然而系統增加的重量衝擊到車子的配重和輪胎磨損。我們會根據每位車手和每場比賽情況來做決定"。

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"There's always a lot of anticipation ahead of the first race of the season, but this time it's even more exciting than usual. Winter testing gave us some initial indications of where we stand in relation to our rivals, but there are still a lot of question marks. The reason for the uncertainty is the radical changes made to the technical regulations. Totally new aerodynamics with significantly lower downforce compared to last year, the introduction of KERS, the return of slicks and the double mileage requirement for the engines mean we're starting from a totally different basis. Using the potential of the tyres to optimum effect will be particularly important. "Melbourne is a stop-start kind of circuit, which places heavy loads on the brakes and, at the same time, demands good traction. Grip levels are very low, especially at the start of the weekend, but you cannot let that deflect you from getting the car set-up right." 

"在開季第一場比賽前總有很多預測,但是這一次比以往更刺激。冬季測試給了我們一些和競爭對手實力差距的暗示,但是也發現很多問題,不確定的因素來自於技術規則的改變。徹底全新的空力帶來相比去年變低的下壓力,KERS系統的導入、光頭胎重出江湖和一顆引擎要跑兩倍距離,這些都表示我們在新基礎上重新開始。徹底發揮輪胎的潛力會變的更重要。墨爾本是個stop-start類型的賽道,對煞車負荷很大同時又要有良好的尋跡性,抓地力又差,尤其是比賽週末一開始的時候,但是你不能讓這些事影響你車子的正確設定"。

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"The move to slick tyres is significant, although Bridgestone have a lot of experience with these tyres from many different race series so we are confident that we can produce good racing slicks. We are making these tyres to the same sizes as we had with grooved tyres, but this means there is a new front/rear grip balance. The teams will therefore have to work hard to get a good set-up, particularly with the varying surface of Albert Park, and we will be working closely with everyone to achieve this."

"重新使用光頭胎是很有作用的,尤其是普利司通從很多其他賽事累積了很多光頭胎的經驗,所以,所以我們有自信可以製造出好的比賽輪胎。我們把光頭胎做的跟之前溝紋胎一樣的尺寸,這樣就表示前後輪的抓地力平衡會不一樣,車隊要努力去得到新的設定,特別是在Albert Park的多樣化路面,我們將會和每個車隊密切合作去達成這個目標"。