Driver in Focus

The Focus On The Driver

The Early Years

From the 1920’s through the 1950’s, tires were tall and skinny and their contact patch was so small that details of wheel alignment did not seem to matter much. Throughout this period the engine was the dominant component that anyone knew how to improve. This focus, on increasing horsepower, resulted in more and more power with little improvement in handling.

The realities of high horsepower and very light cars became progressively evident from the 1960’s and into the 1980’s. Serious attention to design and application was concentrated on separate engine,  chassis, suspension and aerodynamic development programs.

Increasing loads on the chassis to improve straight line and cornering grip dictated: “fat” tires, better brakes and progressively sophisticated suspension and aerodynamic systems.

The 1990’s focused the interdependence of these separate programs into a discipline. A shift had occurred. Horsepower was no longer the major component of the go-fast equation. The Science of engineering a complete race car had been born. However, for many, even today, the early years legacy of a dominant focus on horsepower still exists.

Interview with Jeroen Bleekemolen – Porsche Supercup Champion

Question: Jeroen within the last few years, you have managed to win the Porsche Super Cup as well as the 24 hr Le Mans in 2008. At this stage of your career, what do you do to continue improving and motivating yourself?

I just love racing cars, so it’s not hard to get motivation. Every time I step into a car I love it. Hopefully I will be in a position to win the big races like Le Mans overall and work with big manufacturers. That is my aim at the moment. Also I could imagine having a career in the US, after joining the American Le Man Series for this year.

Question: We know that as proficient you are in a Touring car, you’re just as proficient in a Formula car as you’ve also driven for A1 Team Netherlands before. But in your opinion, how does a driver know what route is better for them? GT Cars or Formula Single Seaters?

That’s hard to say. Most of the time you need to bring money to the team in Formula racing. So if you don’t have big sponsors it’s better to focus on GT racing, because there, it is easier to make money. That’s what I did. But when you have a lot of funds behind you and you believe you can make it then maybe it is worth to get your hands into Formula cars. I think a good driver can be quick in both, so that doesn’t matter. If you’re experienced and quick in both types of cars, then the versatility of your skill can get you paid.

Driver In Focus: Mark Webber

Mark Webber was born on the 27^thof August 1976 in Queanbeyan , Australia.

He started his relationship with sport at a young age, working as a ball boy for premiership winning rugby league team, the Canberra Raiders, during the late 1980s. However, motorsport was where his interest lay, later listing Formula One World Champion Alain Prost and Grand Prix motorcycle racer Kevin Schwantz as his childhood heroes.

Starting out racing motorcycles, Webber moved to four wheels in 1991, taking up karting at the age of 14. He won the New South Wales state championship in 1993, and moved straight into the Australian Formula Ford Championship after his father bought him an ex-Craig Lowndes Van Diemen FF1600.

Driver In Focus: Rubens Barrichello

The Development Years

Rubens Gonçalves “Rubinho” Barrichello (born May 23, 1972 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver.

Both his father and paternal grandfather are also named Rubens, and Barrichello shares his father’s birthday: May 23. Therefore, Rubens Barrichello was known as Rubinho (Portuguese for “little Rubens”), which has become his nickname.

Barrichello won five karting titles in Brazil before going to Europe to race in the Formula Vauxhall Lotus series in 1990. In his first year, he won the championship, a feat he replicated the following year in the British Formula 3 Championship, beating David Coulthard. He very nearly joined Formula One, the highest category of single seater racing, at just 19 years of age. Instead he competed in Formula 3000 in 1992. He finished third in the championship, and joined the Jordan Formula One team for the 1993 Formula One season. During this time, and also early in his Formula One career, Barrichello lived in Banbury & Cumnor, Oxfordshire, UK.

Driver In Focus: Fernando Alonso

The Development Years

Fernando Alonso was born on the 29^th of July 1981 in Oviedo, Spain. When he was young, Alonso often participated in karting competitions around Spain, supported by his father, who also doubled as his mechanic. His family lacked the financial resources needed to develop a career in motorsport, but his victories attracted sponsorship and the required funds to advance his career. Alonso won four Spanish championships back-to-back in the junior category, between 1993 and 1996 and the Junior World Cup in 1996. He won the Spanish and Italian Inter-A titles in 1997 and in 1998 won the Spanish Inter-A title again as well as finishing second in the European Championship.

In view of his success and performance, former Minardi F1 driver Adrián Campos gave Alonso his first test in a race car in October 1998. Just after three days of testing at the Albacete circuit, Alonso had managed tmatched the lap times of Campos’ previous driver Marc Gené. Campos signed Alonso to race for him in the 1999 Spanish Euro Open MoviStar by Nissan series. In his second race, again at Albacete, Alonso won for the first time. He took the championship by one point from championship rival Manuel Giao by winning and setting fastest lap at the last race of the season.

Driver in Focus: Kimi Räikkönen

The Development Years

Kimi Raikkonen was born on the 17th of October 1979 in Espoo, Finland..

The 30 year old Kimi Raikkonen started out racing like every other F1 driver, which was karting. He began training at the age of 10. In the kart that he raced, it was obvious that he was a very talented driver. He continued karting and competing and found several successes in the Finnish Series.

Success Beckons

In 2000, Peter Sauber extended the olive branch and gave him a test with the Sauber Formula One team in September at the Mugello Circuit. He did so well that it lead to a contract for 2001. Sauber said: “I knew Kimi was fast from his first test at Mugello and after three races I knew he was very ralented, extremely focused and also egotistical. He thinks he is quicker than anybody. All these things add up to him being a good racing driver, although not necessarily a nice one. He was concentrated only on his own success.”

Driver In Focus: Jensen Button

Tuesday, 19th May 2009

The Development Years

Jensen Alexander Lyons Button was born on the 19th of January 1980 in Frome, Somerset.

The 29 year old Jenson Button is the son of a former racecar driver himself, John Button. Jensen Button started out racing like every other F1 driver, which was karting. He began training at the age of eight. In a kart bought by his father, Button was a natural talent. In his maiden debut in karting, he won the 1991 British Cadet Kart Championship. He did it amazingly by winning straight all the 34 races.

Jensen Button continued to race in the karting circle for a few more years before winning the European Super A Championship in 1997 which got him noticed and earned a place in the British Formula Ford Championship with Haywood Racing.

Driver in Focus: Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim) is a German race car driver. He drives for Red Bull Racing having replaced former driver David Coulthard.

Vettel first drove in a proper racetrack when he was 5 and joined the mini class kart league when he was 7. It wasn’t far long that he reached his first victory in Wittgenborn. At 9, he was looking for a long term sponsoring, and joined Red Bull Junior Team.

In the next year, won his first german title and later he achieved many other titles through his 8 years in karting: He won four times the North Rhine-Westphalia Cup, won the DMV Kartmeisterschaft, the Kerpen-Manheim Cup, the Monaco Kart Cup, Kart Paris-Bersi Cup, the ICA Junior European Championship and the German Junior Kart Championship