Heikki Kovalainen made the Grand Prix of Singapore at the end once more exciting and put out his blazing Lotus itself
The air seemed to be already out of the Grand Prix of Singapore, as Heikki Kovalainen in the penultimate round again caused a drama. Because after a light touch with the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi, he was suddenly slow – and in the last sector ignited the back of his Lotus!

Kovalainen not turned off the box, but drove over the finish line. However, he was not here for an additional round for the final result was as suspected at first: “I wanted to with such a car will not go into the pit lane, because that would put many people Instead, I saw a fireman at the start and finish and stayed. there are, “he describes the exciting incident.
Curious: Kovalainen rose calmly from the car that was burning brightly in the rear, and still had the overview, to make themselves rich on the pit wall by a Williams mechanic with a fire extinguisher so that it could even lend a hand! “Something always looks dramatic,” he grins. “The car is a bit damaged, but at least no one was injured. That’s the main thing.”
Given that reasoning, it is unlikely that the race stewards will issue a penalty against him. Usually, it is well known, not allowed to drive on with an obviously badly damaged car – especially not when the pit exit would be located on the road. But Kovalainen reasoning makes sense, because it was so actually less risky.

By the way: through the smoke on the finish line and the yellow flags came Sebastian Vettel in the last round again threatening close to leader Fernando Alonso. Alonso, however, kept a cool head and saved his second victory in Singapore over the distance.

The overtaking of Rubens Barrichello to Michael Schumacher Fans deals, media, and currently also the race stewards. The Williams driver was the Germans at the start-finish straight to overtake, but Schumacher pushed him towards the pit wall, left him little room.

“I wanted to make the life course as difficult as possible, that’s understandable. It has often happened, DSAs if you are sitting in the car, one with the little mirror has a vision, and one out with the various TV cameras, perhaps might have a different view. I’ll be watching it later. ”
“Everyone has his own perspective. If you want to see the facts, then it was obvious enough space, so he has durchgepasst. Of course I had clear intention not to allow him the line to shut down. A change of direction is indeed welcome. I I suggested to him trying to choose the other side, as would have been much more space. ”

“The fact is that we have not touched and Rubens is driven past. So must have been enough room to be. Unfortunately, God, for I really would like to have made the line so that he must use the other side. This would have been open. I have in the proposed, but that he did not respond. ”

The fact that Barrichello claimed more during the race, the disqualification, can be cold Schumacher: “I know Rubens long enough. We all know what views he represents in part. There go our somewhat apart. I have no problem it must, since you ask him. ”

Even the charge that he had closed the line too late, he can not be sitting on: “I see the course different. It is the view depends. We sit in the cars have there only the small mirror. We try to estimate certain things and behave accordingly. Of course, fair but tough, we are indeed in Formula 1 and not on a walk in the park. When you see things on TV and has since different perspective, one can perhaps to a different opinion come. The course I had not. ”

The fact that going ore hard, wants Schumacher also not dismissed out of hand: “From my point of view was correct, what I did, otherwise I would not have done it. I am aware that I no gifts distributed, but also races go, do it against my colleagues. I think that everyone knows by now. I try to behave accordingly. ”

The race, which he eventually finished eleventh out of the points was not a simple one: “This was certainly a race for which I worked harder than for many other in the past. If the behavior of a car is difficult, and the vote here carries with it certain problems, one is employed at the wheel, of course, more to keep the car on the track. ”

“It must be very clear that our performance today was present in moderation. Points would have been possible, as has our pit stop, certainly not entirely helped. So far, my boys the best in the pitlane, as it would be absolutely unfair to them . criticize ”

“Of course I was driving on the limit, but the car responds now and then to surprise something that does not make it easier. This also increases tire wear and bring with it a chain reaction, which we of the performance a bit limited.”

Now the family man is happy only once on the holiday: “I’m definitely looking forward to the holidays, a bit of time could use the guys. Then we can with the old strength and fresh tailwind maybe way back in Spa to its former strength.”

Lotus boss Mike Gascoyne technique could not believe his eyes when Felipe Massa at Hockenheim after the hairpin curve on the gas, went to his Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso to leave the leadership. Gascoyne also felt Spielberg in 2002 and recalls Jean Todt’s famous radio message, “Rubens, let Michael pass for the championship.” But Gascoyne was less shocked by the new stable government, but more than the obvious way.

“What happened in 2002 was more than obvious, but that was no less clear, except that it has not happened before the finish. One would think that Ferrari has learned from it, but they have not done so obvious,” Gascoyne said to ‘BBC Sport’. Ferrari won the 2002 a fine of $ 500,000 aufgebrummt and provided with the then maneuvers that the stable direction is simply prohibited.

“We had already grinning. I think it has made on the pit wall for amusement. Because we knew what the waves will strike,” admits Gascoyne. “I think we all do that. But perhaps not so obvious and not at this stage of the season.”

Gascoyne points out that other teams have their drivers go against each other and gives the example of the duel of the two McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton in Turkey. “Teams like McLaren and Williams have always admitted, and therefore also lost track,” he explains.

“Ferrari has always regarded the matter as a team and makes the more cynical, too. But they should make it easy to skilful much,” marvels Gascoyne. “We have all the code words and we all make decisions on the pit wall – but we imagine it just not so stupid.”

“There are stable government and we must accept that they exist on. It has only been handled extremely poorly,” he says of the Ferrari Action at Hockenheim. It shows quite understand that the Scuderia will focus on one driver, even if it raises the question of whether this should be so early in the season of the case.

“Of course, comes during the season, the point at which you prefer a driver must be because he has the best chance of winning the title. We must do what is best for the team,” said Gascoyne. “In this case they would have fetched this way or that a double victory. But is now the right time to have been?”

For the Lotus chief technology the situation is clear: F1 is a team sport and the interests of the team are in the foreground. But if you apply to already banned team orders, then you should do “much smarter than they have done it. It is clear that the fans feel cheated when you make it so – that was just ridiculous.”

TMS