The Japanese Grand Prix - Practice 1 Formula 1

greet us. We will have all of the free practice sessions and the race

greet us. We will have all of the for you on Sunday with a full

in-depth. We are at the pointy end of the season and this is the state

of play. Any of the top four drivers could still win the title. With 77

points in hand, Sebastian Vettel gets his first shot this weekend at

his fourth title. Red Bull is in control of this title, leading by

118. Ferrari is just behind. Gary Anderson, it seems as though it is a

question of when rather than as, doesn't it? Yes. The 77 point as a

major elite. It'll be tough for Alonso to close it. Mark Webber is

heading over to sports cars and to make others are leaving. They all

want to beat Sebastian Vettel. I make others are leaving. They all

think this will be fantastic. Vettel has a great track record he is also

coming off a double grand slam. He leads every lack. Nobody has ever

done it in formula 143 and a row, have they? It is incredible. Like

any record, I am sure he wants another one. Last year, he did it

and he will try again. Alonso did get taken out on the first lap so

you never quite know. Let's have a look at the scene.

The fans are starting to arrive. They have been queueing to get in.

We all love coming here so much. Some have been here since Tuesday,

watching the Formula 1 teams set up. It gets dark ear about 5:30pm. There

will set in the grandstands to see what happens. I am delighted that

the Sun is shining because they have been some weight races. It is

currently 27 degrees. It is super hot, isn't it? We are

expecting it-but I believe it will be dry today. Let's go to the

commentary box. Welcome. This is Alexander Rossi.

You did some 70 laps as a young driver. It must have been a great

experience. Absolutely. Every time I get to drive a Formula 1 car as an

experience. It is a rare opportunity. It was great. We look

forward to your comments throughout the rest of the session. We are

building up to the first practice. We are looking forward to it. What

should we expect ? The dust should be moved away. Some rubber will be

going down. I think you want to ensure that everything as OK. Later

in the session you will see is a more intense driving. He we are, we

start off the Japanese Grant -- Grant Prix coverage.

This weekend sees the 25th of the event at Suzuka. We have the

big wheels in the background. This is a track that the driver love to

come two. It has some fast corners. Several drivers said yesterday, it

gives a chance to stretch their legs. It is a figure of eight track.

The lower level as marked in green on the circuit mark. That is part of

it. We only have one D R S zone and it. We assumed that because perhaps

there is a fast corner, it wouldn't be safe enough to have two. The

entrance is on the left hand. It is a characteristic of this circuit.

Many World Championships have been decided here. The 11th World

Championship was decided here. Alonso needs to have some bad luck

and be ninth or lower and Vettel still needs to win the race in order

to wrap up the title this weekend. It is possible that you would have

to say on the basis, Alonso's consistent scoring will not mean

that is particularly likely. Everybody is waiting to come out

while the gets to the top of the old. We have three minutes before

things get going. prepared. It is important to have

head and neck protection and the event of an accident. One driver was

talking about his enjoyment of the track. Alex, you did the track

yesterday. What did you make of it? You haven't raced here before. Like

you said, the first bit is most exciting. Suzuka sector one stands

out. It is very quick. You use those long, flowing fast corners to see

the full potential. Turn three to turn seven including eight and nine,

it takes quite a while. You are climbing uphill from most of it.

This section of corners, you have to start thinking about turn three by

the time you are on turn one. You need a rhythm and sequence. Then, I

imagine you would have a feeling of satisfaction if you do that.

Sebastian Vettel has the 77 point lead over Fernando Alonso. A double

podium finish for Lotus. A very impressive finish for both drivers.

Everyone was impressed with the performance of Grojean. He put in a

perfect weekend except for the one mistake when he was a bit out of

shape. It gave Reich and on the run on him. -- Raikkonen. This is

effectively a test today rather than a qualifying day. They can now run

this different measuring: -- measuring equipment. This is very

close for the potential runner-up spot. Ferrari is second and Mercedes

isn't it. Gary is where it -- with a member of Red Bull.

What caught fire? Oil radiator was split. It ignited and it was a

dramatic time. And you had to completely rebuild the car? It was

the damage from the radiator which necessitated a change. Do you have

another spare? We have all of the spares that we need. Congratulations

on your new addition to your family. Thank you very much. I'm glad our

little girl arrived. She is doing very well. It wasn't supposed to

happen until next week. I was in Tokyo for meetings. It happened very

quickly. It goes to show that despite all of the planning, nature

decides when it is ready. This was a busy week for Christian Horner. The

session has begun. Mark Webber is on the track. Let's talk about the

tyres that are available. They will all be going out on the hard tyre

and initially. Alex, looking at the season so far, we shouldn't be

running into tyre degradation problem should we? I wouldn't think

so. The track as smooth. -- is smooth. It is a high-speed track but

so. The track as smooth. -- is don't think there will be any

issues. Adrian Sutil was involved in an accident with Mark Webber's cart

issues. Adrian Sutil was involved in last time. Raikkonen did well

despite starting off slow. He is getting up to speed here. The winner

of the race in the past, was a brilliant victory. He started in 17

place on the grid and he passed and ran out to the first site. It was a

stunning race. Gehry, you are at Red Bull. What can you see? They need a

complete rebuild on the car. You still need to keep spare parts. They

will take the bodywork off and have a look. They will look for oil

leaks. On a side there is a large oil section and when there was a

crash involving Webber, there was a problem with the chacane. It is not

great value to run many have this kind of damage. These guys have had

a lot of late nights working on the car. Hopefully things will work out

for tomorrow. They think Mark Webber wants to take one over Sebastian

Vettel this weekend. Interesting. We will see how that goes. A good

number of starts here. Three of them have a non- finishes. Twice, he has

been part of a 1-2 finish macro for Red Bull. He has had for Paul

positions in a row at Suzuka. In three of those for events, he has

taken victory. It really is quite a record. Pirelli

should be the favourite. The first set is going to suit the best car.

That should be read all. -- Red Bull. Mercedes have a bit of

confidence about them. They were fastest in the middle sector in a

career. Mercedes are hopeful they will give Red Bull a challenge. The

tyres were not holding on for the full lap. What we have seen

Sebastian Vettel do is preserve the tyres. In the third sector he was

always strongest. He made sure he had the tyres for the full race. The

front tyres on a qualifying lap take quite a pounding because they are

asked to change direction so much. To warm up your tyre is not that

difficult. It is easy to get temperature into it. But to get the

front tyre temperature is more demanding and difficult. If you do

not have the temperature they are, if you start to hurt the tyre and

then the pace. He did not cover himself in glory last year. He hit

Mark Webber and took him out. Webber came back but did not finish as well

as he had started. That was one of the seven incidents that manmac had

been involved in. He is saying he has put that behind him. He has been

much more consistent this year. We look back, the battle he had with

Lewis Hamilton in the first lap, was a beautifully driven lap.

Absolutely. He is sad issues in the fast, manmac, but he is an amazing

race car driver. It is a confidence driver. -- here's a confidence

driver. Lewis Hamilton on the surface taking things steadily.

Manmac was a disgruntled. At the end of the Korean Grand Prix he left a

message, he felt he was the quicker of the two, Kimi Raikkonen and

himself, it was a little mistake that lost in second place. A bit of

intensity at the end of career. We asked him yesterday about that

battle with Kimi Raikkonen and whether things had settled down. It

is no problem. I think what he did is completely normal. It is fair. It

is called for the fans to win the race. We were free to race. To same

cars, it was very hard to get close to him. A few more laps and we would

have been okay. Manmac settling down. Good to see the Ferrari

driver. He was one of the stars here last year when he qualified fourth.

He was third on the grid after Jenson Button had some problems. He

went on to finish third. Only the second time a Japanese driver has

been on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix. Sadly, no Formula One

drive to him in 2013. Jenson Button brings his McLaren back into the

pits. To him, this is a track that he loves. He has raced here in 2011.

He has had great qualifying performances. He has managed to

finish every race in Formula One here in Suzuka. Look how fantastic

it is to see huge crowds here, even before the Friday morning session. I

can see out of the commentary box window, looking into the Chicane, it

is for this. -- for -- four fifths. I was asking Lewis Hamilton about

contact with the fans here in Japan, he said yesterday getting an

autograph, a guide dropped on his knees. A couple of years ago,

someone gave him a games console. He said he used it for several years.

It is quite cool. It has never happened to me. Wednesday evening,

Sebastian Vettel was out to dinner and when he left, the waitress

literally started crying and hyperventilating. It shows you the

commitment to Formula One in this country. We will have a bit of quiet

and a chance to catch up with some of the comments the drivers made

full yesterday. -- made yesterday. Jensen bumps -- Jenson Button first.

We love the circuit, we love the layout. It is very demanding and

their risk no room for error. The fans here are true racing fans, very

passionate about motorsport. I hear they were here yesterday in the

pouring rain, watching the guys are set up. That is a true dedication. I

have watched them set up and it is not very exciting! That is what we

love about this place. It is such are racing circuit and the fans are

very special and I cannot wait to get out there. What does it mean for

a drive at to come out to these historic circuits? The fans here are

great. There is always a good turnout. The track is just awesome.

Very high speed. Downforce dependent circuit. Jenson Button and Lewis

Hamilton speaking about the challenges of this Suzuka circuit.

Special helmet here. We do not have the red white and blue that we

normally see. Some Japanese script on now as well. Lewis Hamilton, very

much looking forward to racing here. He has won the Japanese before but

he has never won it here at Suzuki. He was on pole for both Fuji Grand

Prix is and he won the race in 2008. What I found interesting, this is

what is fun about looking at the stats and figures coming into a

Grand Prix bash some of the top drivers, Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and

Lewis Hamilton have yet to qualify in the front row here. They are all

such strong qualifies but it is one of those things that is not quite

clicked. Lewis saying yesterday that it has been a Red Bull circuit in

recent years and it has been very difficult to beat them in

qualifying. Also this track is so difficult to get the perfect lap

together. Even the top drivers can struggle. If the car is not working

for you, then it is not going to happen because somebody else would

be able to do it. It is properly one of the most demanding tracks for

driver skill as well. The championship is up for grabs.

Fernando Alonso it needs a good weekend to keep the championship

going and keep the pressure on Vettel. Full Sebastian Vettel to win

the title, he needs to have a nightmare we can and finish ninth

all I want. We could up with Sebastian Vettel and asked whether

he had been looking at the championship. You can mathematically

clinch the world title. You on top of all the permutations? No. You

have not thought about it? To be honest, not really. Obviously it

could happen but it is not entirely depending on us. We try as usual to

do our bit and then we will see what happens. The sure it would be very

special to do it here. It is a special place. Fantastic tracks. One

of the tracks are loved most. Crazy fans. Lots of positives but in the

of the tracks are loved most. Crazy end our target is to win the

championship and not to win it in a particular place. Vettel has been in

this position many times and we did go on to asking does he

this position many times and we did differently now that he has done it

this position many times and we did a few times that he said he is more

relaxed. As he said, he does not have to win the championship now. It

was not like last year, going to Brazil with everything in the

balance. He seemed pretty relaxed. Playermac had a good weekend.

Esteban Gutierrez. The anti- stall carts in yesterday. The car taking a

bit of a wait. For whatever reason, as a driver, what is going on? The

engine drops too quickly and the wheels do not match it. The computer

system thinks it is stalling from a start or a spin so basically, it it

automatically pulls the plug and regains control of the car you need

to pull the clutch and reset the Button. While it is quite easy to

do, it doesn't take about a second also so he would have lost a bit of

time. There were times when you expected of the grid but you do not

necessarily expect that half way around the first lap. Exactly. You

would have gone into power and nothing was happening. Quite

unfortunate. It all takes time. You are racing in a GP to. You have had

some podiums in the season. How has that season been going for your? I

am not leading the championship so it has not been going so well that

it has been an experience. We missed the first race of the year and all

the tests that go along with that. It was a late programme but to be

involved on the F1 side of things as well is a great experience. We have

had some good results and look forward to continuing that. Are we

going to see back in a Formula One car before the end of the year must

make the recent possibility, especially with the race coming up

in a certain place in Texas. You would need an American driver in

practice for the Grand Prix in Texas. We have just the one car out

on track. They were experimenting with a new front wing. He is just

over halfway around the lap. In the meantime, we go down to Gary. What

you see in the pit lane? We often see front wings. Looking at it from

behind, you can see the collapse of the wing and how they exhilarated

the airflow. Though windsurfers. -- the wing surface. These cars are

very close to the ground so when it gets near the ground, the front wing

stalls and there is not enough egg getting through. It gives up

working. At that point, you lose all the downforce. Every team has a

different way of doing it. Harare have lately decided to go for eight

consistent downforce. -- Ferrari. You make the car more consistent. As

say, every team has different ways of doing it. Ferrari is a different

way of seeing how they have tried to achieve it. Bianchi has joined the

track. This is standard procedure. The installation lap is completed,

the checks are done on the cars. Fairly consistent. A track

temperature of 37 degrees. Barnardo looking superb around the track. The

driver is beginning to pick up a little bit of speed through the

spoon curve and onto back stretch, asked a separate pit lane used for

the racing School, over the crossing, through the town mack and

the final chicane. It really does keep turning here. -- 130R. The

teams and drivers had to look for the tyre preservation. A lot of

times, you do not really think about your tyres. A lot of combined road

goes through. It is quite demanding on the drivers. You have to find the

balance because turn one is a particular spot and there is a bit

of give and take a bow. A slightly downhill start here.

That is challenging too. Absolutely. Because the clutch is behind, it is

quite easy to keep that treat but it can react. We are back with the

Frenchman once again. He has been impressive this year. He has done a

good job. He has impressed them since he got the call. They have

been talking about how he is good for the team. He has brought a new

approach. Currently, they are holding on to tenth place. Let's

head down, you have found a guest. Great to see you. What is it like to

be here but not driving? It is exciting as usual. I am happy to be

be here but not driving? It is that year with my Japanese fans. I

am excited about this Grand Prix. Very happy. Is it mixed emotions?

You had a good run here last year. How hard is it to be standing here.

Being with Ferrari is a great opportunity. I wish I could drive

but this is also a part of my job. You are not racing at Suzuka this

weekend but you have your own race next weekend. You must be looking

forward to it. Of course. We are leading the championship. It is very

important. I will try my best and I will try and win the race. We will

see. Your home fans... By you using this as an opportunity to meet them?

I try. We are working very hard. At the moment, we have nothing to

announce. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you. That was Kamui Kobayashi. He

was a star of the track last year. Black times have now been set.

Maldonado is there. You can make Black times have now been set.

your comments on Twitter. One person askeds every ball has supremacy this

season and death I think the changes needed. -- is read --

Vettel has got himself into trouble with his attitude earlier this year

in Malaysia when he overtook Mark Webber. We haven't quite seen the

same elements that Schumacher is written.

Robert Smedley is likely to go to a British team for next year. We'll

have to wait to see what is happening. I will go down to Gary

now. Jason says, is the fact that the circuit is a figure of eight

now. Jason says, is the fact that affecting the drivers? It builds up

their muscles and the neck. You get a bit of both here. It is not as bad

as Brazil which is full of left turns. You have to concentrate and

change your exercise techniques but this one is not too bad. One person

change your exercise techniques but asks how you think the best

candidate is for the Lotus a seat next year. I would love to see

Hulkenberg. He has the talent. I think it would add a touch for him.

He's never had a car yet that would take him so far. It should be a

gamble but I think he is the main guy. There is a lot of talk about

that. Hulkenberg is not giving anything away as to whether there is

a deal or not. There was a story that he gave Lotus an ultimatum but

he denied it. Agent think anyone is throwing ultimatums around. Lotus is

saying that he is under consideration. -- I don't think

anyone. Yesterday, Tom caught up with Hulkenberg and let us hear from

him. We heard that you gave Lotus an ultimatum. We are desperate to no

way you will be next year. I have not set an ultimatum to anyone. I

think it was misunderstood. You said you wanted to know by the end of the

month. I say I want to, not an ultimatum. Do you have a preferred

option? You are linked with McLaren. I don't think McLaren as realistic.

option? You are linked with McLaren. There is no contact. There are some

opportunities you have to work with teams. That is Hulkenberg speaking

at yesterday. As a driver coming into Formula 1, you are very

involved in how things move. You have an idea of how difficult things

are. For a driver like Hulkenberg, who everybody except is a good

driver, moving up to a top team is not easy, is it? No. Nothing in the

driver, moving up to a top team is sport is easy. I think the best

drivers and open the best teams. At the end of the day, everyone in the

season deserves to be here. We were talking about the mood in the camp

of Marussia earlier. Bianchi has scored the best result for the team

so far. In the past, out of six or seven races, we have shown that we

can beat them, but it is dependent on sunny things. We do it we can. It

is about making the right decisions at the right time. I think in the

remaining races there will be good chances. And some they look for the

other teams. -- bad luck. One driver has hit the wall pretty

hard. He is flexing his hand. That is classic when you've gone into

tyres hard, when you have got a whack on the rest. -- wrist. That is

a massive hit. They run-off is not very much. Obviously, you want to

take your hand off the wheel as soon as possible. It happens very fast

though. Let's see what happens. Oh, he did get his hand off the wheel.

He did. It looks like that had power and he was to slide into the wall.

-- he was just powered into the wall. John berth as on the radio

communicating with Bianchi. Hopefully he is OK. This is an

unforgiving circuit. Many times in the past, the story over the weekend

has been dictated by crashes. On the first Suzuka Grand Prix, one driver

handed the championship to his teammate. A few years ago, Mark

Webber had a crash in practice three. The car wasn't ready for him

to return for qualifying. He had to start from the pit lane. We can see

the marshals getting the car under control now. It is being taken by

crane out of the way. They are very efficient here. This is obviously

not a good start for the weekend for Marussia. Talk us through this

again. He had the turn was no problem but then he hits off the

kerb. He tried to make a correction. It was too late by

then, I suppose. Very much too late. With how the power steering system

works, you have a moment and it will correct itself a little bit but to

get it back the other way is very difficult. There is a small delay.

To get that correction would have been virtually impossible.

Fascinating. It is interesting to see the difference between the cars.

Because of a lack of power steering that as more rawness to it. You have

so much momentum pushing you the other way so getting it back

straight is hard. Gary, I love the accident. -- I saw the accident.

They want to make sure the parts come. It is not always possible. I

will have a chat with the team to see what they think. There will

probably take the car outback. It would be good to get your opinion.

Susie Walsh tested at Silverstone as you did. I was on the first day and

she was on the second day. It was a few months ago now, but you are

blessed with great weather. Yes. It was a fantastic test. Doing that

circuit was very cool. In some ways, it has some similarities. Yes,

the rhythm, you need to get in it. It is vital. The satisfaction as

unlike anything else. Currently search Perez is a fast is.

Bianchi has crushed out of the session. -- Sir Joe Perez. Gary, you

are at McLaren? Where looking at surgery Perez's car. They have not

got results of this year. Really, the car itself is very

sophisticated. It is a very good car but I have been criticising this a

little bit. You look at the Ferrari win. On the McLaren wing, it really

is the first section of that wing, there is a longer curve. This is a

is the first section of that wing, new wing. The central section is 50

centimetres. Every team has to use of the same shape. To help with the

flow underneath the car. The team found it was not giving any

downforce. Every car has to carry two camera housing is. The new part

of the wing is the transition. It is very abrupt. It makes the wing work

harder. From where the black part ends, it is up to the team to do

what ever it wants. As long as it sits inside the criteria of

legality. A study of the McLaren front wing. Out on track we have

Danny Riccardo, very interestingly, you saw it yesterday, -- Daniel

Ricciardo. Daniel Ricciardo is going to Red Bull and was doing a seat

fitting? Nico Hulkenberg with his trainer were changing the seat in

the car. They were sitting there, happy and smiling away. It was quite

strange. Suppose it does not matter. He has signed the deal. Why not get

on with it and prepare yourself as much as possible. Nico Hulkenberg is

beef. Mark Webber has come out of the hairpin. -- fifth. You carry a

load of speed into the second one. RADIO: the wheel is a very loose.

Nico Hulkenberg feeding back into the team immediately. It is an

interesting amount of time you have to set the car. The sooner you get

the information to the team at the better. You only have the one set of

car tyres. You definitely need to get a read as as soon as possible.

You will not get another shot at it otherwise. What is the current

thinking of the team of putting that particular driver in the car? He has

a close relationship with Tony the numbers and he has a lot of

influence. -- fan -- Fernandez. He has a lot of experience. Any extra

information is helpful. When he is in the car and doing what they are

doing now, we heard some feedback from Nico Hulkenberg, are you

learning from the way he responds and feeds back from the team. Is it

different from other drivers? It is similar the way you communicate.

Formula One is so much about not only the balance of the car but what

the pros and cons are to certain changes in making the car. Because

his understanding is so broad and knows what is going to happen at the

track, he can direct the team in a way that dies with only one or two

years experience cannot do. We are seeing some of the drivers sitting

around. Fernando Alonso in no hurry. Nico Hulkenberg has moved to fourth

place. More comments coming in. Thank you very much. David Fraser

asking us what we think about Alonso's comments about Felipe Massa

not being slower than Kimi Raikkonen as he showed when they were

teammates together. Interesting he's ready making like that. We know that

Fernando wants to be the number one driver at Ferrari. He has every

right to put his foot down and, if you will, Peacock little bit to show

it is his team and the man coming in will be the second driver. A long

time since Felipe Massa won a Grand Prix, ever since that accident which

he thankfully came back from. People have been wondering if he is quite

as fast. He used a lot of curve at that last chicane. His one lap speed

really does not seem to be in too that last chicane. His one lap speed

much question. It is perhaps his consistency in races. Just making

the odd mistake but it has a lot of experience to take to the team.

Gary, a couple of questions coming in on the technical side of things.

This one from Daniel, apart from engines and gearboxes, cause as we

know it you have to use both, how much of the car is reused race to

race? The suspension will do some milage. 700 kilometres typically.

They will test components to make sure they are K. Something is will

be tested every 700 kilometres. The upright assembly will be revealed

with different wheel bearings. The mileage would be 3000 500

kilometres, with 700 kilometre retests. We talked about will change

is a little bit. James Cooper also asking which changeable will mix up

next is the most. Our unit is the big change next year -- power unit.

Everything is based on the fact that currently we have a V8 engine,

producing 700 horsepower. Next year, we have much bigger back to power.

In reality, there was major changes in that area. A lot of thinking

going on at the moment and a lot of work to be done by the teams. Lee

McKenzie is with a man who has lots of difficult decisions to have,

McKenzie is with a man who has lots managing director at McLaren,

Jonathan Neale. You were shaking your head in agreement? The teams

have a lot of head scratching to do. The power unit is exciting. There

are other changes. The front wing, if you look at it at face value it

is quite a reduction in downfall. Where are you with drivers? Will

Perez leave? We are not in a position of where we can confirm

that. Martin and Jensen have confirmed on one side but we have

not finished making those decisions. There is no pressure on us to do

that. There is nothing in the regulations about a time schedule.

We can take till the end of the year if we need to. There is nothing

really pushing us. What about someone like Fernando Alonso? You

could not look past him, surely? Any team faced with a prospect of having

a conversation... There are four or five drivers who could be in the

market. Again, speculation on that is not essential. If he runs you

over, he bedmate will not be at McLaren let step away from parents.

He thought Nico Hulkenberg was too tall and heavy - what would the

difference be between a Jenson Button and a Nico Hulkenberg? Tall

drivers are more difficult to package - that is pure physics and

space. I think, I suspect, that Nico Hulkenberg is a little bit heavy.

Jensen keeps himself very lean. But there is not so much he can do about

that. I need you have a busy morning, thank you for talking to

us. Thank you very much. McLaren working hard on next year, as a rule

the team. Getting their heads around working hard on next year, as a rule

the new technical rules. Another question, drivers of the speaking

about the tyre years. What are your thoughts having driven on them? To

be honest, the players are very similar to how they were last year.

With this Pirelli tyre it is different to what we have had before

but it has been becoming and continues to be talked about. These

are the tyres we have to run with. It is working well, it is as good as

any other tyre. It is frustrating for everyone. It is how the team and

driver manage to extend it as long as they can. You just cannot do the

pushed lapse that we all love to watch and take part in. Clearly, how

the driver and the team manage the tyres is fundamental to getting a

good result at the end of it. Tim Sorel up against it to try and do

their best. Some smoke coming out of Sorel up against it to try and do

the Ferrari. He has just done a fast lap. Rosberg has gone fastest,

interestingly. This is their first proper Faure out on circuit. --

foray. Romain Grosjean is out there... Oh, no, he has just come

in. I think, just about everybody else has now managed to set a time.

We have nine cars on track. Pooled in the pits and one car stopped -

that was Bianchi's car which crashed out earlier on. More questions from

you, what about Toro Rosso, who is replacing Daniel Ricciardo. My

teammate, Antonio, is in line. He is one of the fastest drivers

available. He has done a great job. I know for a fact that Red Bull

likes him. How did you get on as teammate? We got on great. He is one

of my closest friends. What is happening at Lotus? You need to

research the technology as much as seen this before? Its troubles and

bends. It is hydraulically operated. It is wired up. It is electrically

connected. This has for air bottles. There is also a system over their so

people can see what is going on. This is a monitor for air pressure.

This is the pressure used on the air guns. --gums. They have so much

pressure. If you press the trigger on this, it has a lot of force. A

lot of technology goes into this. Have you got any idea what that

would have cost to build? It would have cost the same as they

motorbike. There is a lot of titanium. It especially made. They

make everything. Fabulous. Great to look behind the scenes. Let's have a

look at the race results. Actually, let's see what Alonso is doing. He

is upfront. There are no other drummers. -- dramas. He tries to

is upfront. There are no other make the corner, he does it. Alex,

David asks you think one race could progress in the future? Caterham ?

The next big step would be to move. It has given an opportunity... The

general production element of the team, that was a key part of the

team. Do you think the move kind of team, that was a key part of the

disrupted the programme at that because it takes time.

It's definitely disrupted it. You can see the impact of that. That

being said, our focus or their focus... Sorry to interrupt, I was

just looking at that lap. Were restarted and Australia this year we

had to change the approach. Grow Jon is heading into the rear. -- or John

--Grojean. Instead of putting on too much

lock, he goes straight. I am wondering if he will come up on the

rear. It is a sensational feeling that you get on the track. With that

can bridge what they are, it is not very cool. There is fighting going

on. There is Robert down but it looks like road car robber. --

rubber. Hamilton is going the fastest. With got the Mercedes there

as well. Mark Webber is improving on his time. About two ninths down on

Hamilton. It looks as though it Mercedes could be in the ballpark.

Let's have a look at what the completion of the lap brings. He has

Let's have a look at what the been a bit quicker. Two tenths

slower. By the way, we will have an interview with Lewis Hamilton and

Mico Roseberg on the BBC this weekend. That'll be on our coverage

as we go through the weekend. Hulkenberg is outside the top ten at

the moment. Ricardo is an tenth place. Hulkenberg scored all of the

points for Sauber Ferrari. They are both on 31 points though now. It is

interesting. It is. When he think of a similar tyres that we had last

year, we saw former picking up. Going into preparation, it will be

the team that finds the last setup change. Whatever team does that will

do well. Gary, we talked about the change of time. It has had a

knock-on effect. The tyre? Yes, it has. There is a steel belt on the

tyre. It allows a bigger contact patch. They are struggling to

dissipate the heat through the tyre. The front of the car is rarely

turning in the gap to the ground. The front tyre expands workforce.

The teams are lowering it on the corners. Some cars respond to this

better than others. It increases the downforce. Ergonomically, the cars

change a lot because of the tyre change. If you have consistent

downforce and this kind of change, change. If you have consistent

it is very critical. It will make a lot of difference. So, the

difference of tyres has had an effect. Raikkonen was talking to us

yesterday about how it has affected him and him qualifying. Let's hear

from him. It is not acceptable that we lost the second. It is a

combination of things to get right. On the weekend, since we changed the

tyres, it hasn't been as good. I don't like the front tyres as much.

There was a similar story last year. At least, it is the same for

everybody. I am trying to find a way to keep working. Raikkonen was

saying the change of construction of to keep working. Raikkonen was

the tyre has changed the behaviour of the front tyre and he is finding

it hard to qualify. He compared it to last year where his practice

performances were slightly better than his qualifying performances. It

has affected him a bit. He wants a tyre that is very responsive and

rotates around the front. This is the opposite of what you want in the

race though. If you can have a car that is very gentle on the tyres,

you will have a slow change in direction. We will see how it goes.

Roy -- Romain Grosjean is able to get some heat into the tyres.

Bianchi crashed out a while ago. Any news? They said it was a strange

incident. He had a bit of oversteer and they caught the kerb. His left

hand went down. As right hand went up. His elbow was caught between the

seat and the chassis of the car. All of your strength is in your arms. A

strange accident. Elbow contact with the seat. Have you ever heard that

one before? A heard of a sleeve getting caught on the chassis. He

had to make three laps of the race before getting his sleeve out. Alex,

an unusual one, isn't it? I will have to write that down and my book

of excuses. We have just under 27 minutes to go. Mercedes is in first

place. This in is in second place. Grosjean is now quicker than

Raikkonen. McLaren is on nine and ten. Jenson Button, Hulkenberg,

Ricardo, then we see a struggle to get any kind of balance on the

tyres. They have had to do changes on the cars to get used to the

tyres. It is different to the early part of the season. Gutierrez is an

18th place. Bianchi is signing up for another

season for his team in 2014. They will be using Ferrari power units

next year. It involves all of the energy recovery systems. Lewis

Hamilton has improved his lap time. Perez

promising for him at the moment. -- things. Performance wise, Mauritius

has been our qualified. Other in E circuit -- Marussia-Cosworth. We

were aware of that in Singapore. They were going to be quite close to

us because it is a track aware down and forced is not play a big role.

Aerodynamically, we have the upper hand. Down in the pits, Gary, you

are at Williams? Looking at my favourite - the front wing assembly.

This is an original concept. This is a legality requirement to use this.

The rest is down to the team. Generating downforce without

spoiling the efforts at the back of the car. You can see how much more

complicated it is. The little gaps where airflow can get through. The

wink is not so critical to the front end of the car. The tyres are

getting bigger and the car being lower, changes how all this works.

Suddenly, and you have to re-evaluate the assembly. The

characteristics are totally different if the front has to be

three millimetres closer to the ground. We have a strange incident.

We have just seen a wheel. Pastor Maldonado had a spin and seem to get

going again. Whether he is missing a wheel... I think he is because he

has pulled over. It is Pastor Maldonado's will that has gone off.

RADIO: pull the car somewhere safe. Bright by the marshals pose. Are

strange incident for Pastor Maldonado. Into the spoon, he gets

out. The wheel came off. Look at that! You cannot see the wheel in

the background but we saw a shot of it. Take a look at this. His left

Rio. -- his left back wheel. They are supposed to have this retaining

device. That is when the suspension break. Good catch by the marshals!

What happened to van der Garde? break. Good catch by the marshals!

Little damage. The gravel slowing him down. He went past Massa. Manto

glances over and things, I do not know what that is all about! --

Massa. RADIO: it is not working.The rack? It is hard to work out what he

said. There is a van der Garde. Something went wrong. It was not

just a straightforward mistake. It looked odd. You do not see that very

often. We have seen people sliding around a bit so maybe the track...

But it is a strange one. A couple of drivers out there. Pastor Maldonado

and a van der Garde. 19 one half minutes still to go. Red Bull are

doing well on the speed tracks. It is the left back wheel of Pastor

Maldonado. It comes and away it goes. All very, very strange. They

will no doubt have a good look. It is odd because the will are supposed

to have a system that the wheel stays on the car. Good job of

sorting that out. That has interrupted proceeding for Pastor

Maldonado. The William team trying to find out what is going on. Gary,

obviously it would not have seen that at it seems strange with the

new retaining devices stop we had a shot of Bianchi, he has at his

forearm checked out and he has a pack of ice on his elbow. We have a

bit of a broken down car park. Coming back to the will retain,

Gary, it seems odd? Do we have Gary? There you are. Earlier in the year

we saw Mark Webber's will come off. Gary seems to be phasing in and

out. Hopefully we can get back to him in just a moment. More comments

from you, thank you very much for your comments. Phil asking, who

creates the artwork on the helmets? There are few people that specialise

in at? And there are. I knew someone back home in California, which is

logistically not very easy, but he has done by helmets for a while.

With how frequently they change, it is mind blowing. I do not understand

how they can afford it or what goes on. I am glad to say that now

joining us from the Mercedes is Ross Brawn, the team principal. Good

start to the day? Yes. No complaints. We are about to go out

and do a longer run on the field. Because of the longevity of the

tyres, that is what most people focus on. What happens next is what

we are really interested in. Would you say that Pirelli's choice of

tyre is more conservative than in Korea? Yes. Slightly. We have the

medium hard. It is going to be interesting to work out which of the

tyres... If you do a two stop, it is a question of what your third tyre

is going to be. That is what people would be trying to work out. Taking

you back to last week, what did you put your finger on as a because of

the front wink structure failure on Nico Hulkenberg's car? It was a

technical problem, not a human problem. It is a surprising. We can

understand what happened, fundamentally we had a fixing that

came loose and that should not have done. In terms of timing, it could

not have happened at a worse time, he had just gone past Lewis

Hamilton? There were so many thoughts going through our minds as

to what to do. Obviously, in the cold light of day you could say

would could have done this or should have done that but it could not have

happened at a worse time. You are absolutely right. Very frustrating.

Your thoughts on coming to Suzuka. We all up the enthusiasm. In the

past you have come here with Honda, We all up the enthusiasm. In the

I am sure there is extra pressure on you but what does it mean to you

coming to Suzuka? I have very fond memories here from the Ferrari days

and with Honda, it was quite a short period. The fans are so

enthusiastic. People enjoy their racing. There is nothing worse than

the opposite which is racing in a vacuum where you do not have that

enthusiasm. It is all very enjoyable. It is a great circuit.

Very challenging technically, for the drivers also. The rewards are

good. It rewards a good car and it rewards a good driver. It is a nice,

consistent track. It does not do funny things. You can evolve the car

nicely over the weekend. If he get it wrong, it can really hurt the car

over the process. They have been stories linking it to McLaren or

Honda for the future that what comments to you have to make on

those stories? I am not talking to Honda or McLaren. We'll want to get

the situation clear. We have quite a lot of ingredients to fit in. We are

talking and discussing. There are a lot of good things in place. The

team are in a great position. We will be in a strong position next

year. I want to fulfil the role that I am motivated and want to do. Thank

you very much for joining us of this morning and we look forward to more

from you throughout the case. -- race. Nicky louder at the back of

the garage. Niki Lauda. Currently, the Mercedes are one and two. Red

Bull three and four. The Ferrari, the Lotus and then the McLarens. And

Gary is at Williams. The wheel hit the cameraman. The axles had to have

a possible of them as such so that these popped out and basically

stopped at the wheel from coming off but Mark Webber's will -- and we'll

did not have one. Those toggles were far away from the wheel nut but we

are not sure if something broke. Sometimes, they do not fix the

problem. They are more of a token gesture. Wheels coming off and going

into the crowd is not what we want at any point in time. I am sure

there will be some investigation going on. I mentioned earlier on,

just looking at the replay, I mentioned earlier that Webber and

Vettel are fastest through the speed track. What do we read into these?

Is this something different than at the end of a straightforward

straight? It is still a tough corner but it has been opened up lately. I

would be surprised if the Red Bull... Normally we see the Red Bull

going full lap time and that means they are carrying more downforce

will stop I have been saying that Sebastian Vettel, he had high top

speeds and passed many, many people. Maybe they will try to win this one

with a different strategy. They have a real handle on how the car

operates. That is interesting because I am looking at the sector

two speed. That second sector speed is down that stretch before you get

to the 30 yard. They are maybe targeting straight lines. The get to

the downforce from someone else. I certainly hope not. No dramas here,

let's have a look at the replay. Instead of trying to force it, he

uses the run-off which is the smart thing to do. These tyres are getting

tired now. Yes. At the end, it is a good time to test them. They are now

rehearsing a car parked change. -- car part change. It took longer on

the weekend. Sebastian Vettel is showing his lap time progression. It

indicates that his time is fairly consistent. But have to see another

lap to see editors consistent data. -- see as

I think the hard tyres will last for a significant amount of time. They

should last that at least 20 laps. That was a fairly slow lap for

Sebastian Vettel. I wanted if he will try for a faster one. He won't

be doing anything spectacular this time. Daniel Ricciardo goes through

be doing anything spectacular this that left-hander into the final. A

sweeping right-hander past the main grandstand where the fans get a

great view of the pit lane. There were sitting out there on a very wet

and windy Wednesday watching the teams set up the garages the other

day. The fans are loving it, none the less. We have some cars coming

out in the final part of the session the less. We have some cars coming

which is seen some incidents. We saw an accident involving Bianchi. We

still don't know the cause of it. We will find out later as there was a

problem on the car. Maldonado lost a wheel. He has had to step out of the

rest of the race. The rehearsal on the change of Jenson Button's car

has gone fine. We will see how things hold up in the second sector.

The hard tyre will be quite strong. It looks that way. Jenson Button is

on his way. He stays fourth match lap. That was five thousandths on

Sebastian Vettel's time. Bianchi managed a collapse of forgoing off

because of that corner. Their third driver is here this weekend but I'm

not sure he will get the opportunity to jump in. As a reserve driver, you

never want anything to happen but your heart does jump a little bit

because you may get the opportunity. It's the end of the day, our job is

to support the team in any way it can and to be there but at the end

of the day, you hope the best for your team. The work you are doing

with driver simulation to develop cars... We are working on things for

next year. I will be back on Tuesday morning as soon as I get back from

here to redo this race weekend. Racing will be quite different next

year. Well adjustment techniques need to be made to work with the

gear? It is hard to say. We have no hard evidence of what it will be

like. It'll be difficult, there is no doubt about that. A fast driver,

is still a fast driver. Absolutely. There will be some changes here and

there. RADIO: most cars are tailing off. That is some feedback Fort

Jenson Button. Dropping off is not extensive in terms of the lap time.

To get more of an idea later, we will look later. He is on has

personal best. 296.7. That is the fastest we have seen on that speed

trap. Red Bull is looking fast in a straight line. There is no doubt

about it. Still at 134.8 which is only a tenth slower. The tyres are

holding up remarkably well. It could be a different story on other cars.

They want there that will be the same throughout the rest of the

grid. You know as a driver, it is the greatest thing when you improve

your lap because you know it you had done that when you have the car

underneath you to do that, you get quicker. I think Mark, despite

falling behind Sebastian Vettel in the session, knows where he is at.

Counting down. Weather conditions are consistent. We have some cloud

but no sign of rain. This car has got into a bit of a slide. It has

locked. There was a gentle wheelspin. It is quite difficult

when you spend because your instinct is to react and try and sort it out

but at the end of the day, the car will help you out. You want the

brakes to slow the car down. Exactly. It takes care of itself.We

are still at the lower end of the times for so. -- for Rosso.

Hulkenberg has split it. Gutierrez is down in 18th place. This is not

an easy track to learn. You don't just go out there and get it right

straightaway. Gutierrez is just off Hulkenberg but he has time to think

about it. The chequered flag is out. We have time to see the cars,

crossed the final line. Your group kept that age, didn't they? They

did. He is quite impressive. I think he did a good job. He knows the

track. It will be interesting to see how he progresses. Watching it as an

observer, van der Garde seems to be pushing quite hard and getting a

hard time in the race. Is that a fair assessment ? Absolutely. He has

learned how to look after the tyres. It is very close for them. Hopefully

they get all the talent they need. They will need some fine tuning.

Roseberg is out of his car. He must be satisfied. A good start to the

day for Mercedes with Hamilton quickest. Roseberg is second. Both

of them are about three ninths faster than weather. -- Mark Webber.

The teams are assessing some of the data they have. Behind the Mercedes

and Red Bull teams, we have Ferrari and rake -- Raikkonen. Jenson Button

as in the 11th. There is a spread of lap time in

that top ten. Red Bull takes a big chunk of that.

We are down to just two seconds of the outright pace. Van der Garde

went off track. We are still yet to find out what happened. Only the

hard tyre has been run so far this morning. Later on we will see them

come out with a hard tyre but then they will put on a medium tyre to

get the idea of the past they get with it. They will then do some long

runs on the medium or hard tyre. That is, if this all goes to plan.

In the end, the teams want to see how they line up. They want to see

what the planners for qualifying. Everyone knows what they need to do.

There will be working over lunch today to sort it out. Thank you for

joining us. We hope to see you in a car in Austen and a few weeks time.

It is a very busy time in the season. Maybe we will have to

American Grand Prix's next year. Hamilton and Rosberg in the top and

American Grand Prix's next year. the practice session. Hopefully the

weather stays good. We will get to see a bit more about the race pace

and how well the tyres will be lasting when all of them will be

going out later. Let's go back down to the paddock. Quite a lot of

drama. It is a difficult corner. You can make mistakes very easily.

Bianchi came into that, when he caught the curve, he turns quite

happily but apparently that time he got his left elbow jammed. Now, the

wheel should not come loose. We will have to look very, very closely at

those two incidents. The marshals trying to catch it. They are quite

heavy. It locks up here, it captures the curb. Want to visit tyres locked

up and you are going to quickly, the tyre just hasn't no grip. He was

basically riding the storm. Suzuka is a track that punishes small

mistakes? Especially in the first session because it is still dirty.

There is no grip, really. The tyres get used quite a lot in this

session. In reality, you have to respect the first session. He did

not want to drive the car to the limit. As the track improves you

push harder and harder. The wind is heating up as we talk. We have five

push harder and harder. The wind is races to go where there is not going

to be any upgrades. These are the teams as they are. Sometimes it is

better not to have all these developments and to just get the

best out of the cart you have got. I think over the next five races this

is what you will get. People will explore the better. They will be

understanding the card debtor. It will be distinct to see who will get

on top. Some of the teams will get more out of the car. It was

fascinating what Ross Brawn had to say. It seems that if you can get

the right position that they want to stay. He should stay. He got the

team where they are. In 2009, they won the championship. When the team

gets itself to that level, he is a good guide to how. As he said, there

are too many ingredients for the pot. If you have or are too

top-heavy, it gets difficult. No one really knows what the responsibility

is. Whether Ross is a victim or not, I am not sure. He was specific about

not talking to Honda or McLaren. Can they sort out those responsibility?

I think they can. Next year, the transmission, the electrical part of

the engine - it is such a big component blush they will use the

rain chassis and engine. -- use of their own chassis. We will be back

with you in just a couple of hours for the next session. That is the

big one when we find out a lot more about what is going to happen

tomorrow. See you then!