Bridgestone ready for Interlagos – The short but fast circuit with the winding inside the tires poses a special challenge
Interlagos is the penultimate disconnect for Bridgestone. For the route, which runs counter-clockwise to bring the Japanese with the mean and the super soft compound. The weather could also play a role, but the intermediates and the rain tires have recently done in South Korea a good job.

“Brazil is a beautiful country and South America is an important growth market. So it is important for Bridgestone to show presence in the form of the race,” said motorsport director Hiroshi Yasukawa. “. We have manufacturing facilities in Brazil and appreciate the support from our staff, we have worked in the past with many Brazilian drivers and enjoyed their feedback we are looking forward to the enthusiastic fans at the track.”
Interlagos is a short distance with a narrow core, but fast sections. The asphalt is very bumpy, leading to a compromise on the voting. “It is a beautiful but challenging course,” said Hirohide Hamashima, which is responsible for tire development. “Although it is the second shortest track on the calendar, it has an impressive line and exciting corners.”

“There are mainly medium-fast and slow corners. This means that the mechanical grip and stability are important on the rear axle. The weather can be a deciding factor because it can be very hot or very wet. To maximize performance, needs is a good balance through the turns before it goes uphill towards the finish. There is something reminiscent of an oval. ”
“The first corner is a good overtaking Elle, but you can barter for quick there a brake disks. Caution is called for,” says Hamashima. “In the last two races, we should show a strong performance, but mainly it comes to safe tires. Our engineers work closely with the teams so they can get the best.”

The Formula 1 debut in South Korea on Sunday was the first in Yeongam water. Heavy rain made it impossible to drive safely, so it could really kick in until late.

Several safety car periods dominated the race, which in the course of Sebastian Vettel in the fight for the world title first developed very beneficial – until he was forced to retire shortly before the end of the race with a technical defect.

The victory won after a number of cases the stars of the track Fernando Alonso in Ferrari, which thus takes over in the World Cup standings lead. To second place Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes came in ahead of Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.
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There were also points to Michael Schumacher at the Mercedes in fourth place ahead of Robert Kubica (Renault), Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India), Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Kamui Kobayashi, Nick Heidfeld (both Sauber) and Nico Hulkenberg (Williams).

No points accumulated Jenson Button one in twelfth place, who must say goodbye to the title fight. The failure list was long and contained, inter alia, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock, Sébastien Buemi, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg.
Due to very wet conditions and persistent rain, the jury decided initially to postpone the start of ten minutes. During the shift, the decision was made to start the Grand Prix of South Korea behind the safety car. Hence the choice of tires was not an issue, for to be behind the safety car to be run in wet conditions with rain tires for heavy rain.

After three laps behind the safety car the race with the red flag has been lost – was on the line so much water that the driver was the dozen radio complained about conditions of impassable. At 16:05 local time, ie with a delay of 65 minutes, the race was again taken up behind the Safety Car. Once again, the conditions were, however, no approval of the race, why was first moved for minutes behind the safety car.

In the 18th Round – at 16:42 clock time – the race was finally released. For the top of the launch went smoothly without a position change. Further back, Kubica and Rosberg grabbed Hamilton, who came to the fourth forward. Button again went past Massa.

In the 19th Round, lost the lead in the standings Mark Webber on a curb in control of his car and crashed into the guardrail. Also for Nico Rosberg the race was over – he could not evade the more Australians and lost the fourth. The race director sent again the safety car on track

The order behind the safety car: Sebastian Vettel in front of Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Robert Kubica, Nico Hulkenberg, Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil on the tenth. Timo Glock 13, Nick Heidfeld, 17, Sébastien Buemi 21st

In the 24th Round was the race to salvage the cars of Webber and Rosberg are released. This time everything went smoothly at the top. Behind Trulli collided and Senna, which cost the Italians the front wing and forced him to a repair stop. A few minutes later after a failed repair had Trulli off final.

In the 27th Nico Hulkenberg round overtook Renault driver Robert Kubica, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and McLaren-Mercedes and Lucas di Grassi retired after a spin with his Virgin.

In the 29th Button and Sutil came round to the pits – both switched to the intermediate tires. It was pitch Button, who was behind some competitors back to the pits. Sutil, however, turned a short time later – it was probably too early for the tire. While increased the pressure on Alonso Vettel, Hülkenberg came in the 31st Round of pit stops and also moved to the Intermediate.

In the 31 Round was the race for Sébastien Buemi went after he failed in an overtaking maneuver on Timo Glock crashed in UK. From Hamilton to third place, all drivers can use at the head of the opportunity and go to the pits – Alonso and Vettel at this stage were already in the pit lane entrance passed.

They both followed one lap later. During the stop at Vettel ran smoothly, there were on the right front wheel of the Ferrari driver is a problem, which the Spaniard fell behind Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren-Mercedes. The order behind the safety car: Vettel in front of Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Barrichello, Petrov, Hulkenberg, Kobayashi and Kubica in tenth place. Button 12th ahead of Heidfeld and Sutil.

The race was 35th in the Round released. While Vettel was able to pull away again to verbremste Hamilton and slid off the track – by Alonso came back to second place ahead. Vettel has been placed increasingly under pressure from Alonso, who could take the Intermediates much faster than the German

The distances to 40 of 55 rounds: Vettel 2.3 seconds ahead of Alonso, Hamilton 4.2 to, 7.2 ahead of Massa, 14.6 to Schumacher, 16, 0 before Barrichello, 20.7 before Hulkenberg, 21.8 before Kubica, 24.2 before Liuzzi, 28.4 to Kobayashi in the tenth. Eleventh Heidfeld (29.5), Sutil 13th (31.2) ahead of Button (36.3).

In the 41th Round was the race for Vitaly Petrov went. The Russians lost in the chicane before the start and end control of his car and crashed at high speed into the side of the tire wall. It was the car damaged, the Formula 1 driver was unhurt but his car emerge.

Fernando Alonso was in the last dozen laps of the race considerably faster – but he was in the final sector have driven a new best time, although there were waved yellow flags. This could definitely still draw a punishment. Meanwhile Vetetl reported by radio a bad view – it was too dark. A racing demolition would bring him before that date and the full score.

But this idea was in the 46th Round unnecessary – Vettel difference lying with total engine failure in leadership! Fernando Alonso inherited the leadership – and with it the lead in the overall standings. In the 46th Round had run the race for Sutil, who collided with Kobayashi and thereby lost the tenth.

In the 52 Round Hülkenberg had again come into the pits to change tires, so lost eighth place, while Button turned. The situation was difficult for all riders, and the intermediates were partially hardly profile. Thus lost a place to Kubica and Barrichello. Also on the tenth Algersuari briefly slipped off the track – Hülkenberg took the chance and moved past the Spaniard to secure the final point.

For Nico Rosberg, it was not only in the rainy morning practice round, but even under the drier conditions in the afternoon. On the morning of the Mercedes driver was 1.747 seconds with residue at position six, the second 90 minutes of training, he finished with a 0.562 seconds gap to fifth place.

“Today was mainly a matter of review, as our updates are working,” said Rosberg. “I think we have the hinbekommen well. In view of the weekend we see quite good. But we have to wait and see.”
“Today was not too bad, I think, however, that many things because of the conditions were a little different. And since you did not drive much, this time one should not take too seriously. I also think we can do better, will than we have done at Silverstone, or at least the same level., I think we have a good weekend. ”

The problem the training because of weather conditions was: “Simply because of wind, because the conditions all the time changing. We started on the very, very wet track, so we had the full rain tires. Then we are a bit driven, have so far learned, it should rain tomorrow. ”

“Especially under these conditions, I would be very confident. In the morning we drove very fast times, at least I was this morning, very fast. If there are such conditions, I would be very confident.”

“In the dry the track was still damp at the beginning of something. You changed so much. In addition, it was necessary in view of the race with a lot of fuel on board, go and try, all within an hour may resort in dry conditions that we in the end ultimately have. It’s difficult when you have to do as much work on the set and things like that. ”

Time of the Mercedes driver also lost by an incident in training, which cost him the front wing. The Wiesbaden cut from the first corner too strong: “The bollard was simply too big.” The front wing broke off from what Rosberg led in allusion to the “front wing” allegations at Red Bull for joking: “I took Michaels: He moved back to the old.”

It is interesting this weekend, the choice of tires, for Bridgestone has the softest and the decision the toughest – a distance, such as has never been before: “At the moment seems to be the soft no great problem to present, he seems to fit even actually” so Rosberg. “It will not, like in Montreal when the tire was within ten laps at the end.”
“They seem to be better, maybe it will therefore be the problem, the hard to move properly to work, because this really looks very hard. That is probably right now the trend. But it’s hard to say how it will be because we are probably not enough laps, and the track is not in the condition as it will be on Sunday. ”

Of course, hopes Rosberg on a successful weekend, after all, it’s his home race, “I have won in every category, with which I came here it was not too bad, this is also to create in the formula first, it is a very special thing to go with the silver arrow here, after all, I grew up in relation to racing 20 kilometers away. There, the race team my father was stationed, for which I completed all the races when I’ve worked up. ”

“It’s a great feeling to drive here from all spectators. Hopefully we will see in the stands a lot of silver caps, which we applaud. It will be incredible to get to all a good result for the team, for the teams, that would be great. “