Rodriguez Is a Target in Canseco’s New Book

By JACK CURRY

Published: March 26, 2008

TAMPA, Fla. — José Canseco had intimated that his coming book would have some damning information about Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees, maybe even that Rodriguez had used steroids. But when details from the book were unearthed Tuesday, Canseco’s strongest allegation was that he introduced Rodriguez to a known steroids supplier whom Canseco failed to identify.

In “Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars and the Battle to Save Baseball,” Canseco’s second book about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, he said he injected Magglio Ordóñez of the Detroit Tigers with steroids. He also said that he was not sure if Roger Clemens had used steroids, but that Clemens had made references to them. And he said that he introduced Rodriguez to an unnamed trainer from Canada — referred to as “Max” in the book — who supplied steroids.

While Canseco has cast himself as a truth-teller who readily admitted using steroids during his career, his motives have been challenged by Major League Baseball. In January, The New York Times reported that Canseco had asked Ordóñez for $5 million to help finance a film and to keep him “clear” from being mentioned in the book.

Although Major League Baseball referred the matter to the F.B.I., Ordóñez declined to pursue a complaint against Canseco. In the book, Canseco denies that he pressured Ordóñez for money. Canseco wrote that he injected Ordóñez with steroids and human growth hormone in 2001, when they played for the Chicago White Sox.

The allegations that Canseco makes about Rodriguez and Clemens in the book are indirect. Canseco’s charges against Ordóñez are more detailed. Canseco changed publishers and collaborators in January for the book, which is scheduled to be released March 31.

Berkley Books backed away from Canseco’s book because it was believed to have doubted its news value. Don Yaeger, the original collaborator and a former associate editor at Sports Illustrated, pulled out because he said he felt Canseco lacked specifics. The excerpts were first revealed by Joe Lavin, a freelance writer who has written for The Boston Globe Magazine and The Boston Herald. Lavin said that he found a copy of the book on a shelf in a bookstore in Cambridge, Mass., and bought it. Lavin posted an entry about the book on his Web site. The Times obtained information from the book by examining Lavin’s copy.

After Rodriguez left the Yankees’ clubhouse Tuesday, he calmly answered a few questions about Canseco’s allegations. “I dealt with it last spring and the year before that and the year before that,” Rodriguez said.

Asked how he would be affected by the charges, which included Canseco’s belief that Rodriguez was smitten with Canseco’s wife at the time, Rodriguez said: “Zero. No effect.” Rodriguez said he planned to release a statement about Canseco’s allegations “so I don’t have to answer it a hundred times.”

In a chapter called “Vindicated,” Canseco said that Rodriguez worked out in his home in Florida in the late 1990s, and Rodriguez cagily asked him about using steroids. Canseco said he introduced Rodriguez to the supplier he called Max, who later told Canseco that Rodriguez “had signed on.” But Canseco said he did not ask Max what that specifically meant.

Although Canseco said that he did not see Rodriguez “do the deed,” he said that he hooked Rodriguez up with Max and “did everything but inject the guy myself.” Canseco has acknowledged that he despises Rodriguez, and he said he did not include Rodriguez in his first book because he worried that people would question his motives.

Canseco, who was Clemens’s teammate on three clubs and is a good friend of his, was coy in his first book about whether Clemens used steroids. Canseco continued to stutter-step around that issue in his new book.

After Clemens’s former personal trainer Brian McNamee was quoted in the Mitchell report as saying that he had injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone, Clemens called Canseco to complain. Clemens later flew Canseco to Houston, and his lawyers asked Canseco to sign an affidavit that said Canseco had “no reason to believe” that Clemens had used any steroids, human growth hormone or performance enhancers.

“I could honestly attest to the fact that I didn’t have first-hand knowledge of his steroid use, but did I honestly think the guy was clean?” Canseco said. Later, Canseco said, based on Clemens’s performances at an advanced age and his behavior, “I had always felt he was using.”

Nonetheless, Canseco signed the affidavit even though he said, “I had always felt he was using.”

Canseco said he excluded Ordóñez from the first book because he “played favorites” and “felt a small connection to Maggs.” After Canseco was criticized for his first book, he said he reached out to Ordóñez because he wanted to speak “to an old friend in a time of need.”

Before the Tigers played in Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday night, Ordóñez said: “I don’t want to comment on anything. I don’t want to waste my time with it.”

In Canseco’s first book, “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ’Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big,” he called himself “the godfather of steroids” and said that he began using them in 1984. Canseco’s revelations helped prompt a Congressional hearing on steroids in March 2005.

In the book, Canseco accused his former teammates Mark McGwire, Juan González, Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Giambi of using steroids, and in the case of McGwire, Palmeiro and Giambi, events seem to back up Canseco’s assertions. Now Canseco has another book. Now he has accused more players of steroid use. The first major league game in North America is Sunday night in Washington. Canseco’s book tour begins in Ridgewood, N.J., two days later.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/sports/baseball/26canseco.html?ref=baseball

OPENING PITCH OF NEW SEASON: MUD

March 26, 2008 -- TAMPA - The Red Sox couldn't be happier.

Here they are winning their first game of the year in a faraway land using the same kind of late-game thunder they usually reserve for Fenway, and arch rival Alex Rodriguez The-A-Rod-Gamble is once again fighting off steroid allegations by noted author Jose Canseco.

Let the season and mudslinging begin. Since the players never got around to policing themselves and baseball didn't do the job, either, this is the state of the game today. Have mud, will throw.

Canseco has brought baseball to new lows with his latest indictment of A-Rod, saying that Canseco not only hooked up Rodriguez with a steroid dealer but that Alex was trying to hook up with Jose's then wife and that's why he hates the guy.

All this comes from Canseco's new book, "Vindicated'' - which was found in a Cambridge book store, of all places, on Monday by a humor writer named Joe Lavin and written about on his Web site. A few weeks ago Lavin wrote about performance-enhancing drugs in Hollywood and brought up the question that if an actor wins an Oscar while on PEDs, is the Oscar legit?

Canseco is essentially saying the same thing about three-time MVP winner Rodriguez, although he offers no proof, just a statement that he introduced Rodriguez to a steroid provider.

When Rodriguez was hit with this latest allegation yesterday in the clubhouse between the shower and his locker - he had stayed behind at Legends Field while his fellow Yankees went to Winter Haven, Fla. - he remained calm and offered, "I really have absolutely no reaction." Canseco took a personal shot at Rodriguez, saying that before A-Rod married Cynthia, he tried to put the moves on Canseco's wife.

After raising his eyebrows to a reporter who asked that question, Rodriguez said, "I don't know how to answer that."

Rodriguez had just come in from his workout and had yet to shower. After a few minutes of this, we all needed a shower. This is what Major League Baseball has come to in 2008.

On the day the regular season starts for the Red Sox, the reigning AL MVP is the center of attention because of Canseco's allegations.

"I think it's sad," Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson said. "This steroid thing, there's no ending to it. I'm very close to A-Rod. I'm a big supporter. I don't think he deserves that. Give us some proof. Before you accuse somebody, you should have some proof. You can't just say things like that. If you don't have proof, just key down, let it go."

Yankees reliever LaTroy Hawkins stayed behind with Joba Chamberlain to pitch in minor league games. Hawkins is going into his 12th major league season and said now that he is Rodriguez's teammate, he has a much greater appreciation of the man.

"Canseco's a has-been. I hate to say it like that, but what he's trying to do is old news,'' Hawkins said. "He bought it out and got what he wanted out of it. I don't know, I think he's jealous of Alex because Alex is a whole lot better player than he was. You made money Jose, you blew the whistle on a whole lot of guys, just let it go. For someone who is not in the game anymore to tear down somebody in the game, I don't like that."

But that's the way the game goes in 2008.

Rodriguez will use all this as fuel to fire his baseball engine. This will be just another example of someone taking a shot at him and Rodriguez laughing all the way to Cooperstown.

Earlier, he was talking about how much he loves being in New York and that he made the choice to stay here. He did not want the opportunity of staying in New York to get away from him like it nearly did when he opted out and then had to come back to the Yankees. He had to take control of his situation, his life, not anyone else.

"There's no question,'' he said, "that this is the best place for me." No matter what is thrown his way.

News source：http://www.nypost.com/seven/03262008/sports/yankees/opening_pitch_of_new_season__mud_103516.htm?page=1

Klapisch: A-Rod talking too much?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Last Updated Wednesday March 26, 2008, EDT 6:46 AM

To those who thought the final 10 years of Alex Rodriguez's career would be spent in a quiet, Spartan pursuit of Barry Bonds' home run record, we offer a much different crystal ball. Think of the last 24 hours as a sneak preview.

In just one day, A-Rod foolishly confessed to a long-running regret that he didn't end up with the Mets in 2000, then fended off Jose Canseco's implied accusation of steroid use. It was a busy news cycle for the Yankees' slugger, but then again, aren't they all?

Turns out Canseco had little to show for all the huffing and puffing about bringing down A-Rod; in his soon-to-be-released book, the only "evidence" of Rodriguez's cheating was Canseco's statement that he introduced him to a known steroids peddler. A-Rod emerges crime-free, but that's not to say the Yankees can count on him to keep his mouth shut, not even after signing that historic $275 million deal over the winter.

Put it this way: Imagine how the Yankees feel today knowing the cornerstone of the franchise, to whom they've committed $275 million, has been pining for the Mets all along.

That's what A-Rod told the Daily News on Tuesday, that he wishes he hadn't allowed himself to be steered toward the Rangers and their record-setting $252 million deal eight years ago. Rodriguez actually was bashing agent Scott Boras, but in doing so, expressed a retroactive admiration for the Mets that can't possibly sit well with the Bombers.

Even if Rodriguez is telling the truth — and his recollection is faulty; the Mets turned him down, not the other way around — he should know better than to be kissing up to the Yankees' cross-town rivals. The slugger can't have it both ways: he can't sell himself as an old-school, to-the-bone Yankee and then admit he could've (and should've) been playing at Shea.

Of course, the Yankees will never react to this in an official capacity. Not now, not after anointing A-Rod as their caretaker for the next decade. This is officially his team now, not Derek Jeter's, which means the front office is going to pretend A-Rod's comments never appeared in the newspaper.

But it tells you something about how A-Rod will be spending the next few years. He will be loose, open, telling us more than we need to know. And, apparently, Rodriguez won't be afraid to lay it on thick. Last week, he told The Boston Globe, "When all is said and done, Manny [Ramirez] will be the greatest right-handed hitter ever. I'm very biased because he's one of my best friends. I just love Manny."

Rodriguez's praise is nothing if not disingenuous: he's going to finish his career with more home runs, RBI and total bases than Ramirez, so why would he promote a concept he knows is statistically false? Because he thinks the fans at Fenway will be nicer to him next month?

If so, Rodriguez isn't just vain, he's terribly naïve. But that's the surcharge the Yankees are paying for the third baseman's greatness. A-Rod is an amiable guy, but on a scale of one to tone-deaf, he's off the charts.

Of course, the genetic coding for saying the wrong thing won't stop Rodriguez from hitting home runs in a steady blur. He's got a couple of more MVP awards in him, too, probably in 2008, as well. But the idea of A-Rod as a baseball warrior remains as alien as ever.

It's no coincidence that soon after re-signing with the Yankees, Rodriguez hired Guy Oseary, who's managed the careers of Madonna and Lenny Kravitz, to act as his new front man. When he was retained last December, Oseary told Variety magazine, "This is to help [Rodriguez] have more control of his image and brand."

To which Yankee fans must be thinking: If only A-Rod had similar control of his October slugging percentage.

Obviously, Rodriguez is the game's greatest five-tool player — ever — and the Yankees would've never made it to the postseason in any of the past four years without him. But does A-Rod really have to prattle on about the Mets, the Red Sox and whatever topic comes to him in the next soul-baring, Oprah-like moment?

It's not too much for the Yankees to ask A-Rod to do what he does best — hit fastballs to the planets. The rest can wait for Rodriguez's memoirs, which undoubtedly will have a chapter devoted to Canseco.

News source：http://www.northjersey.com/sports/yankees/Crosstown_buss.html

Mussina, Not Pettitte, Will Start in 2nd Game

By TYLER KEPNER

Published: March 26, 2008

TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees announced Tuesday that Mike Mussina would start the second game of the season, April 2 against Toronto, instead of Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte has been slowed by tightness in his lower back, but after playing catch at Legends Field on Tuesday, he said he would try to throw in the bullpen Wednesday. If he completes that session with no problems, Pettitte will pitch a minor league game Saturday as a tuneup for his first start of the season, which could come as early as April 3.

“I definitely felt a lot more comfortable being able to get out on my front side today,” Pettitte said, after making 42 throws in six minutes. “The good thing today is I felt like it loosened up as I threw. I threw a little harder today. I definitely feel like it’s progressing.”

Pettitte threw in Tampa before the Yankees’ 7-5 loss to Cleveland in Winter Haven. Joba Chamberlain and LaTroy Hawkins also stayed behind. Each worked an inning in a minor league game.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/sports/baseball/26base.html?_r=2&ref=baseball&oref=login&oref=slogin

Schumacher to help distribute funds from McLaren fine

Former world champion Michael Schumacher is among the management committee members for the FIA’s newly-formed Motor Sport Safety Development Fund, the body which will distribute $60 million from McLaren’s ‘spy scandal’ fine, for the benefit of motorsport worldwide.

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council announced Schumacher’s appointment on Wednesday, along with those of FIA President Max Mosley (like Schumacher, a trustee of the FIA Foundation which will administer the Fund), Nick Craw, President of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (representing National Sporting Associations), Jean Todt and Norbert Haug (from Ferrari and Mercedes as the manufacturers involved in the incident that gave rise to the original fine).

The intention is to disperse the Fund over the next five years and to concentrate activities on a Young Driver Safety Scholarship Programme, an Officials Skills Safety Training Programme and a Facility Safety Improvement Consultancy Programme.

McLaren were fined a total of $100 million last year, and excluded from the 2007 constructors’ championship, after it was decided they had exploited confidential technical information obtained from Ferrari.

News source：http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/3/7561.html

2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

Game Result：

FIA post-race press conference - Malaysia

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

1st Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 1h31m18.555s; 2nd Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber), 1h31m38.125s; 3rd Heikki Kovlainen (McLaren), 1h31m57.005s.

Q: Kimi, that was a fantastic win and from the start it looked like a very close race between you and your team-mate Felipe Massa.
Kimi Raikkonen: Yeah, I think so. We were pretty similar speed-wise. Once he went into the pits my car got much better because when you are one or two seconds behind it is a massive difference. I was able to go much quicker on my in-lap and I could pass him. After that when you are in free air the car was handling perfectly and I was able to pull away. After a few laps I don’t know what happened to him but it was a pretty easy race after that first pit stop.

Q: You were obviously outqualified by him by a small margin. In retrospect did that reflect the fuel load or was the car a lot better on race day than it had been on Saturday?
KR: I think sometimes that we still have some difficulties to get the qualifying right. It was good in Q2 but then in qualifying two we could not find the grip with the tyres. But we knew we were running one lap longer, so I was not really panicking. The car usually has been much stronger in the race for us than in the qualifying, so as long as we kept close I thought we would have a good chance to pass him and it worked out in the first pit stop already. The car was very good all weekend but sometimes with new tyres it is difficult to get the best out of it. The team did a great job this weekend.

Q: You seemed to make a pretty good start. Talk us through the first corner as it was pretty close there and for a moment it looked as if perhaps you might have a go.
KR: Yeah, I got alongside Felipe. I got a bit better start but in the situation I knew that we would run one lap longer, so we didn’t want to risk it between the team-mates in the first corner. Maybe if I had pushed harder I could have made it past, but I decided to stay behind and try my move at the pit stop. I think that was better for everybody and it worked out perfectly.

Q: The Malaysian Grand Prix, traditionally, is a very tough race particularly in terms of the heat. But you jumped out of the car and looked pretty fresh when you got out.
KR: It wasn’t too bad really. Of course it is hotter than any other race. Australia was hot but in here it is so humid but for me it was okay. There was a small issue on the podium.

Q: There was champagne under the eye-lid there.
KR: Yeah, we should put it in the mouth not in the eye. Things go wrong sometimes. Anyway it has been a perfect weekend.

Q: Robert, congratulations to you. Your team-mate Nick Heidfeld finished sixth and set fastest race lap. A great day for the BMW Sauber team.
Robert Kubica: I think it is a fantastic result for the team - second time we have second place in a grand prix in a row. After an unlucky Australian Grand Prix finally a podium after Monza 2006, so I am very happy for myself and for the team.

Q: Simple words, but of course a very tough race and you did drive beautifully. Talk us through the race in terms of your tyre choice and perhaps the effect of the heat and strategy and what it was like in the closing stages?
RK: I didn’t have a good start. There was some wheel-spin at the start which compromised my acceleration, so it was quite close with (Jarno) Trulli and Nick. I nearly lost the car on the braking into the first corner as I was inside on the dirty side but I think they touched, so I managed to overtake them. I was trying to keep a consistent pace. We know we cannot keep behind Ferrari but I was trying to make up time as I thought McLaren would be a bit stronger. I saw after the second pit stop that Heikki was around 17 seconds behind me and didn’t close the gap. We did the last pit stop and then just pulled down the revs to keep the engine a bit fresh for the next grand prix which is very important. For the heat it was a tough race and I didn’t feel well all weekend. I was a bit sick and especially our new car is very hot inside. The last 10 laps were pretty tough to keep concentration as 20 seconds in front was Kimi and 20 seconds behind was Heikki, so I was just cruising to the end.

Q: The drink in the car. How was that towards the end of the ace?
RK: Our drink is already hot at the beginning of the race – extremely hot as in the cockpit we have massive temperatures, so I didn’t drink a lot as the drink was too hot. Next time I try to use hot tea inside the bottle.

Q: You were behind the Ferraris early on. Where were they quicker and where are you going to be working on improving the car in the upcoming weeks?
RK: First of all I think we have to be happy with our pace already now because at the start of the season it did not look so well. It is very difficult to say where they are quicker. For sure on the top speed we are lacking a bit and it makes for tough racing because you have to push really hard in the corners knowing that in the straight you will be losing a bit of a gap. Especially on the long distance race it is not easy with tyre degradation and with the new tarmac and the new asphalt here in Sepang we were lacking traction compared to last year, so we will have to work on this.

Q: Heikki, congratulations to you. P3 in qualifying but in fact starting eighth on the grid. But finishing third on the podium – what a fantastic day for you.
Heikki Kovalainen: We have to be pleased with the result. Obviously after yesterday’s penalty it was going to be hard day for us. My strategy worked out very well and I was able to be in the clean air almost all the time. There was a little trouble in the first stint with a bit of graining but after that the car worked pretty well and then on the last stint I also had a gap to the front and to the back, so we turned the engines down and we just brought it home. For me a pretty good day, although we still would have liked to have been a couple of positions higher but today this was the maximum we could do.

Q: A great strategy stopping as late as lap 20 and in that extended first stint being able to pass for example Jarno Trulli and then consolidating that position with pressure from the Toyota for a while.
HK: It was always going to be the laps at the end of the stint that we felt we would be stronger compared to the others. Like I said, earlier on in the stints there was a bit of graining compromising our pace a little bit. That’s why the team decided to keep me on the track a bit longer. It was absolutely the right thing to do and I was able to jump Jarno. It was in the second stint that I was able to accelerate and bring it home.

Q: A great drive and again difficult conditions in many ways. Perhaps your drive was the hardest of the three here. How was it for you in the cockpit?
HK: It is always tough but I feel fairly good after the race, no big problems. We worked very hard with the team and with my trainer, with my doctor, to make sure that I am in a good shape and in a better shape compared to last year. I think the work has paid off but we will carry on like this and eventually we will arrive in the other position.

Q: Kimi, what a fantastic bounce back for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team after that weekend in Australia?
KR: For sure we had quite a difficult weekend in Australia. We didn’t really expect to have such difficulties and we were 100 per cent sure that it was going to be different here. Speed-wise we knew that we were going to be fine once we were in the right place. Even in Australia the speed should have been okay in the race. Everything worked perfectly here and we took it quite easy in the race to make sure nothing went wrong. We still have a second race with the same engine, so we saved the engine quite well here. It was a perfect job by the team after a difficult first race to come back like this. Overall we would have been happier if Felipe had been on the second place but things go wrong sometimes. This is a good start now for the season for us and we are in a pretty good position.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Kimi, congratulations. It has really looked good all weekend, hasn’t it?
KR: Yeah, I think so. The car has been good all weekend. Of course we had a small problem in first practice on Friday. The car was not exactly what we wanted in qualifying but we knew that we should have a good race pace and it worked out perfectly.

Q: Who have you felt most threatened by during the weekend?
KR: For sure Felipe has been fast but like I said from last year already that the qualifying has not really been the strongest point. Again we had a good Q2, then the tyres didn’t work as well in the final qualifying. That was a bit disappointing but I mean we knew that the car would be strong in the race and we would stop one lap later. We put a lot of effort on that and it worked out good.

Q: Do you think your pace was comparable to Felipe?
KR: We were very close in the first stint. Once he went into the pit my car was much faster. When you do not have anybody in front of you it improves a lot. After the pit stop we were quite easy to pull away from him in the clear air. It is always difficult to follow people close and you need to be very close to be able to pass them at the pit stops so it makes it more difficult.

Q: And after that quite a lonely race, really.
KR: Yeah. For sure we could have gone much faster if we had pushed but we had already turned the engines down before the first pit stop, after the first laps, so it was quite easy for us.

Q: In fact, talking of lonely races, Robert, you had no one anywhere near you: twenty seconds in each direction.
RK: Yeah, that’s true. Only at the beginning of the race I had a close fight with Jarno and Nick, into the first corner. I didn’t manage a good start but afterwards I was trying to increase the gap to the drivers behind. I was expecting McLaren to come on strong. It didn’t happen, luckily for us, and we had quite good pace for the whole race.

Q: It was the best result of your career and also your major sponsor’s home race, so what does this result mean to you?
RK: After a disappointing race in Australia where I qualified second with a small mistake which cost me pole position, the race pace in Australia was not really fantastic, especially in the first stint. Here we worked mainly on the race pace. I knew with some solutions which we chose in qualifying, we would suffer a bit, but then in the race it paid off, so I’m very happy for myself, for the team and for Petronas.

Q: How do you see your pace in comparison to Ferrari?
RK: I think Ferrari was something special because they were not where we were expecting them to be, and here they are exactly where we think that they are. We are lacking a few tenths per lap and this brings the final twenty seconds in the race of sixty laps.

Q: You had a bit of a battle with Jarno, Heikki. Were you basically looking to overtake during the pit stops?
HK: Yeah, that was always going to be the case. In my race today I suffered a little bit at the beginning of the first and second stints, with a little bit of graining with my front tyres, so the only time for me really to attack was at the end of the stint. The car was getting better towards the end of the stint and I was able to push more. So I wasn’t too worried when Jarno was behind me, because I knew that I was going very long in the second stint, and I was fairly sure that he wouldn’t be going that long, so I just kept it nice and easy with my tyres, trying to make sure they were in good shape whenever he pitted and I was able to do a few good laps at that point and for the last stint it was relatively easy.

Q: Was there much difference between the tyre performance?
HK: The first stint didn’t feel quite as good with the softer tyre. The second stint felt better with the harder one but then the last stint on the softer tyre felt good again. I think there was a bit of track evolution. So it wasn’t too bad.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi and Heikki, this was the greatest ever Grand Prix result for Finnish drivers. How does it feel to be a Finn and when will we see a one-two result?
KR: It hasn’t changed anything, even the results, for me at least. For sure it was a good day for Finns but it’s still early season. Hopefully at some point we will be one and two, but I will be looking for first place all the time and a best possible overall result. It was a good day for us.
HK: Yeah, pretty much the same for me. It’s good to have Finns here on the podium and in Finland they are talking about the Formula One Finnish championship but let’s see if it carries on like this. There are many other good drivers and it’s not always going to be like this, but I wouldn’t complain if it happened a few more times.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, were you surprised at the start when Felipe was closing on you a little bit?
KR: Not really. I think I had enough space. He was pushing me a little bit on the right side but that’s racing. It was OK.

Q: (Mark Danby – Auto Magazine China) Kimi, did your tyres behave to your expectations at the end of each stint?
KR: No. The first stint was the most difficult because I was quite close to Felipe so, like I said, once he came into the pits, the car suddenly felt much better. It’s always when you’re one or two seconds behind somebody that there’s still a massive effect on the aerodynamics. Apart from that, it was very good, the tyres felt perfect. I think the soft tyre could have been the faster one in the end, but of course we didn’t push any more in the last two stints.

Q: (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Germany) Kimi, after the quite disastrous race in Australia, how much more confidence do you take from this race that the rest of the season will be OK?
KR: We never lost confidence in our team. Of course we had quite a difficult race in Australia, but the whole winter the car has been working well, it’s been quick. Unfortunately we had some problems which we didn’t really expect at the first race and hopefully we can get rid of them like here where we didn’t have any issues but you never know, we’re still not one hundred percent happy with things. We still try to improve them but for sure, we have confidence in the team, in the car, in the people, so we will definitely do the best that we can, and hopefully we can be fast again in the next race.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, were you surprised McLaren were so far behind you?
KR: No, I think it’s been the same all weekend. I already said in Australia that our speed should be fine. When you start behind someone, as in Australia, you can never use your own speed. Australia is not exactly a normal circuit, so sometimes you get slightly wrong results there. Last year we were much faster than everybody there, and coming here we were not so happy anymore, so it’s a bit the opposite now. I think the next race can be different again, so we need to wait and see and after a few races we will get a clearer picture where we are exactly.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Kimi, in the lap that you came in for the first pit stop, you did the best T1 and T2 times of the race at that stage. Could you do that with Massa in front of you or did you expect him to go into the pits to do that?
KR: Like I said already, when he went in my car got much better because I was quite close. It always affects the car. I think it needs to be around six seconds in front of you before you don’t feel anything anymore. I was only less than two seconds, so once he pulled in my car just got much quicker and I was able to go more than half a second faster on the in lap. It was enough, we knew that it was going to be close and it worked out perfectly. Once I was in front of him the car was much better in the second stint and I was able to pull away.

Q: (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Germany) Heikki, even in the middle stint, when you couldn’t quite go at the pace of the BMWs, although you said that the tyres were working quite well, do you think you had no chance to beat them today, and how do you see your team in comparison to Ferrari?
HK: I think there was no way we could match Ferrari. BMW also seemed to be very strong on race day, but then again, when you start further down on the grid, it’s always going to be a compromise. You initially lose quite a lot of time, the first few laps you can lose a couple of seconds a lap if you get stuck in traffic and you’re fighting for position, so by the time I sort of got going in the race, the gap to Robert was seventeen seconds. It’s impossible to say what would have happened had we started where we qualified, but in any case, I think we did the maximum today that was possible and third place for me was more than enough today.

Malaysian Grand Prix - selected driver quotes

Toyota’s Jarno Trulli on his excellent - if tiring - fourth place at Sepang; Kimi Raikkonen on renewing Ferrari’s hopes for the 2008 season; and Nico Rosberg on his difficult race for Williams. All 22 drivers report back on Sunday’s race action…

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (1st):
"I am very happy with this win, for me and for the team. It's a shame that Felipe was unable to let us bring home a result that was within our grasp. At the start I came alongside Felipe, but I did not take any risks, knowing I was stopping one lap later than him at the end of the first stint.

"When that time came, I pushed to the maximum and I managed to come out of my pit stop ahead of him. From then on, with a clear track ahead of me, the car was perfect I was able to control the situation without having to stress the car or the tyres. We are struggling a little bit in qualifying, but in the race we have a very high potential. We have had a very complicated start to the season, but I have certainly not lost faith in the team: we can still do better."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber (2nd):
"It's a fantastic day for the team, for Petronas and for me - the second consecutive podium. After Monza 2006 I finally managed to get another podium myself. I want to thank everybody in the team who worked very hard over the last two months to improve the car. I didn't have a good start because of too much wheel spin, and was fighting with Nick and Jarno Trulli.

"I took the dirty inside line and almost lost the car, but somehow I managed to get through the corner and overtake them. From this moment on I drove at my own pace. The Ferraris were too quick, but I was able to increase the gap from the cars following me. After the second pit stop I reduced the revs to save the engine and took it easy. I didn't feel very well all weekend and it was very hot in the car, so the last ten laps were pretty tough. But it all paid off with a brilliant result."

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren (3rd):
"I am pretty happy with my third place today, considering yesterday's penalty, and it was probably the best possible result for us in these circumstances. Our strategy worked really well and it meant that I was able to be in clean air for most of the race.

"The team really did a fantastic job and I am happy to reward them with my first podium for the team. I did have a small issue with graining during my first stint; however, I was able to stay out until lap 20, which helped me to overtake Jarno Trulli during my first pit stop. After my second stop I was able to play it safe and secure my third place, as it was not possible at this stage to go one better."

Jarno Trulli, Toyota (4th):
“It's nice to be back in the points after such a strong race. I'm especially happy for the team both here and in Cologne. This result is mainly down to their work over the winter and I dedicate it to them. I had a difficult first corner when I lost grip, ran wide and touched Nick Heidfeld, losing a bit of ground. But after that I was able to keep up with the McLarens. Then we made it past Mark Webber as the team did a good job at the pit stops. At the end it was a great fight with Lewis Hamilton and we were pushing each other hard. He was obviously slightly quicker than me but I gave 100 percent and thanks to the team's good job and the trouble-free weekend we took fourth. I just hope we can carry on improving the performance of the car, because as I mentioned at the end of winter testing we are looking strong. With Toyota's potential we can bounce back to the 2005 level already this year.”

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren (5th):
"I got a really good start and was pretty happy as we jumped five positions from ninth to fifth. I was pushing Mark for a very long time, but being behind someone, no matter how quick you are, it is really difficult to get past. We were in a good position for a shot at third place at least, but then I had the problem in my first pit stop which lost me a lot of time.

"So I did the best job I could. However we take away the fact that the car ran very reliably in these extreme conditions, and I was able to push Jarno right until the last second. I have to say that both Mark and Jarno drove really well today, and it was great to fight them out on track today."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber (6th):
"I have mixed emotions about today's race. Of course I'm happy to have clocked up my first fastest race lap in F1, and 11 points are also the best ever result for our team. The pace of the car was really, really good - about the same level as the McLaren.

"That's all very positive and makes it even more disappointing that I only finished sixth. My start was very good and then I tried to overtake right on the outside in the first corner. Robert was on the inside, and Jarno Trulli was between us - I just ran out of room. It was a try, but it didn't work out.

"I picked up some dirt and lost two more positions on the first lap. At least I got them back when I overtook David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso on lap four. Again our pit crew did a very good job."

Mark Webber, Red Bull (7th):
“The start wasn’t fantastic, but we knew a lot of people would be on soft tyres at that point of the race. I got a really good run through Turns one and two and came out in fourth position. The first stint went okay, but I struggled a bit during the second stint with poor grip, although we kept trying to chip away at the times. I also got stuck behind Sato at a crucial point in the race and lost around two seconds, when we should have stayed in front of Heidfeld. I’m pleased for everyone at Red Bull to get two points, it’s been a tough start to the year for us and it’s great to get the car to the finish today. A big thanks to Renault too.”

Fernando Alonso, Renault (8th):
"I did the best that I could today and I scored the final point. We were able see that in normal race conditions we are a little far away in terms of performance. Our goal for the moment is to try and score points at each race and to work hard in the next tests so that we can perform better."

David Coulthard, Red Bull (9th):
“There was too much graining on my first set of tyres, so I lost nine seconds in the first part of the race, which was frustrating. It was very hot out there, but thankfully it was also a little bit overcast, so that improved things.”

Jenson Button, Honda (10th):
"It was good to finish the full race distance today and we will get a lot of very useful information from this weekend. I'm pretty satisfied with 10th place as that is where the performance of the car is right now. With the majority of cars ahead of us also finishing, it is a good reflection of our overall position.

"We're going in the right direction and learning more about the car all the time, so we need to keep up the hard work and continue to develop ahead of the next race in two weeks' time."

Nelson Piquet Jr, Renault (11th):
"I am happy to have finished the race as this was my first objective after the race in Melbourne. I have learned a lot today and I recognise that the group we are fighting with is very competitive and that you have to drive the perfect race, but I finished close to my teammate and that is encouraging for me. The race was difficult and the car is still not competitive enough, but I am making progress and I hope to continue that at the next race in Bahrain."

Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India (12th):
“I think we honestly did our best here. At the start I had a lot of wheelspin and lost a lot of positions, I don't know why but we have to look into it. On my first stint I was suffering a lot of understeer with graining on the soft tyres but then in my stop I adjusted the front flap and went onto the harder tyres and stayed on them for both stints. I am happy with the race pace later on though and it is promising for the rest of the season.”

Rubens Barrichello, Honda (13th):
"Unfortunately my weekend was compromised when we lost the free practice running on Saturday morning, as I lacked balance in the car for the race today. I had a lot of understeer and was battling with that throughout the race. The drive-through penalty after my second stop was unfortunate, even though I only lost one place, as the markings in the pitlane to indicate where the speed limit ends were not clear enough.

"We have learnt a great deal from the past two weeks and I have been very encouraged by our reliability. We still have a lot of work to do on the performance but that will come through our development programme over the coming weeks in preparation for Europe. We are quite competitive within the very tight midfield group and it is encouraging to see that both cars made it through a very tough race today. We will learn from our experiences, both positive and negative, and I am confident that we will continue to improve over the next few races."

Nico Rosberg, Williams (14th):
“I knew that starting from 16th I would have to take some risks to make the race worthwhile and in fact it went well off the line considering I was carrying a lot of fuel. But then I came together with Timo Glock. When he left a gap, I went for it and I got alongside him. I guess he didn’t see me as he turned in and I couldn’t back out, which was unfortunate. The car was better today in the race but despite trying everything I tried, it really wasn’t our weekend. Now I am just looking forward to Bahrain where things should go better.”

Anthony Davidson, Super Aguri (15th):
“It was a good race for the team, and me, today. It was great to do my first full distance race since Brazil and I think it went well. The boys did an excellent job and the car ran reliably all the way through the race. There were no problems what so ever and the tyres worked well. I felt comfortable in the car and I could push whenever I wanted to improve the lap time. I just stayed out of trouble and brought the car home in a very respectable position for the situation that we are in at the moment.”

Takuma Sato, Super Aguri (16th):
“It was good to finish the race. The first and second stints were good, but then in the second stint, unfortunately, I picked up marbles through the high speed section, ran wide and lost a lot of time there. On almost every lap we had traffic, especially during the last stint, so it was a pity that I couldn’t pick up the pace again until the very end. But it was good to see that the car was reliable and that we have collected a valuable set of data, so it was a tough, but good race for the team.”

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams (17th):
“From the back of the grid, we decided upon quite an aggressive strategy and I made up quite a few places from the start, but it was difficult to open up a comfortable gap. On the second stint, I had a puncture and had to stop very early, which was not ideal as I had to run two short stints and a long final one. I was struggling a little in the last stint and in a high speed corner I spun off, so after that I just wanted to concentrate on making it home to get two races on the engine.”

Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso (DNF):
"I started to have difficulty shifting gear and with the power steering. And then the back end caught fire as I pulled over to stop, which can sometimes happen when everything is overheating. Up to that point I was having a reasonable race. In the first stint, I had too much understeer and some graining on the tyres. The second stint was much better."

Felipe Massa, Ferrari (DNF):
"On lap 31, I clipped the kerb at the exit to Turn 6 and hit it quite hard and then I lost the rear end going into the next corner. We have to check to see if the impact with the kerb damaged the car. It's a real shame because we could have brought home a one-two finish.

"Obviously this has been a very difficult start to the season for me, but there is still a very long way to go. We have great potential, as was seen today and so I am still confident. Naturally I hope to make up for this soon, starting with the next race in Bahrain."

Adrian Sutil, Force India (DNF):
“Very early on in the race I developed a mechanical problem and had to switch the engine off and pull off the track. I am very disappointed with this start to the season, especially after I had to stop so soon into the race in Australia too.”

Timo Glock, Toyota (DNF):
“Unfortunately that was a short afternoon's work. The start wasn't perfect, we had a bit too much wheelspin and I made contact with someone but I could continue okay. Then at turn 14 I was hit from behind by Nico Rosberg. When I looked in the mirror he was further back so I didn't expect him to try to overtake where he did. Then when I turned in he hit me on the rear right, breaking my rear suspension and putting me out of the race. Again we had qualified well so this is a pity. Now we will just have to hope for better fortunes in Bahrain.”

Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso (DNF):
"I made a good start, but then I found myself stuck between two gears. Then I got as far as Turn 4 where I was being passed on the right and then in Turn 5 I found myself on the inside with someone alongside me and by Turn 6 I was back on the outside and when I tried to turn to the right, I ended up on the dirty side and the car snapped away from me and I spun into the gravel. And so my race was over."

Game Gallery：http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/2008/788/
News source：http://www.formula1.com/

2008 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Game Result：

FIA post-race press conference - Australia

Reproduced with kind permission of the FIA

1st Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 1h34m50.616s; 2nd Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), 1h34m56.094s; 3rd Nico Rosberg (Williams), 1h34m58.779s.

Q: Lewis, from where you were it was probably a relatively straightforward race, but it was a chaotic, dramatically hot Australian Grand Prix. Talk us through Robert Kubica right behind you in the early stages of the race.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, we got away to a really good start and I actually had a little bit of wheel spin, so I think we were quite close going into the first corner. But I was able to pull a good gap on the exit of the first corner and just had to keep it cool and look after the tyres from then on. From then on I really just paced myself and didn’t overdo it. I had plenty of time in me so I just used that to my advantage and tried to look after the tyres and there was a point in the second stint when I had to put my foot down due to the safety car. I guess it was a bit like my first win in Montreal last year when we had four safety cars. It was pretty similar to that in that it was difficult to heat the tyres and the brakes up. It was a good challenge but we’ve all done a great job.

Q: It looked as if the timing of the team was perfect when it came to your pit-stop relative to the safety cars.
LH: They did a fantastic job as always but perhaps a big and huge thank you to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The car was phenomenal. It really was the complete dream to drive compared to the car we had last year but pulling me in early on both my pit-stops really did help us in terms of safety cars and kept us out of trouble.

Q: It is difficult to anticipate safety cars but talk us through that strategy. Is that something you would have looked at during the race?
LH: Absolutely. The team go into all angles and try to analyse what can go on in the race and they plan for the worst. But we have got a fantastic strategy team and they did a great job pulling me in early. It really was. I was very fortunate and it was unlucky for Heikki (Kovalainen) that he got caught in the safety car.

Q: It was a long, hot race but you look pretty fit. How do you feel and what was it like in the cockpit?
LH: I felt fantastic. I never thought it would have been as physically a breeze as it was. It is great preparation for Malaysia so bring it on, I am really looking forward to it.

Q: Nick, very well done to you to. It looked as if you perfectly weaved your way through the dramas of the afternoon but it was a very close race early on with Nico Rosberg with both of you coming into the pits at the same time for your first fuel stop.
Nick Heidfeld: Yes exactly. After the start I thought it was not going to be a very good race because I knew that Nico was quite long. Actually he came in earlier than expected on the same lap as myself. What we lost at the start we regained on the pit-stop, so our pit-stop crew, again similar to last year, just did a fantastic job to just get me out of Nico. Then I was lucky on the pit-stops in terms of the safety car. But I think we also had a very good pace.

Q: It was quite a chaotic first corner and indeed first couple of laps. What was it like from your point of view?
NH: I had a lot of wheel spin at the start and tried to close to Nico but it was just no chance. He got by and I just saw Felipe (Massa) spinning and that was all the drama I saw.

Q: Nico, fourth in Brazil and now the next race third in the Australian Grand Prix. What an amazing day for you.
Nico Rosberg: I am really, really happy. It is amazing to be on the podium in F1. It is just great. It has been a while also, nearly three years or something, so it is just really nice and I am also pleased for the whole team because they have been working so hard over the winter and really done a good job and made good progress, so it’s just great.

Q: Nick Heidfeld just said you came in early for that first stop. How do you react to that?
NR: I don’t know. I think my qualifying could have been slightly better probably but everything happened as planned really. I was a bit surprised to see him right behind me. I was hoping to get out just in front of him but no chance. It was very close and I had to back off, so that was it. But I had a fantastic start and that’s what helped me to have a great race, so thanks to the engineers responsible for that, it was really great.

Q: There was a bit of drama on your out lap onto the grid as well. Did that affect your confidence?
NR: I had new pads on the front because I had a very big vibration in qualifying which was a big problem, so they had to change the front pads, so I had much more grip on the front and that caught me by surprise. I hadn’t anticipated how much I had to go rear with the brake balance, so it wasn’t ideal to start the race but it turned out alright.

Q: And during the race. The balance, brakes and handling?
NR: It could have been better but I think we have a solid car to start the season with. I am hoping to have a nice development through the season and I think we can have a good year.

Q: Lewis, returning to you. Final thoughts with Malaysia looming as we speak. A great win for you and a great start to the season for the team but nonetheless a lot of pace shown by Kimi Räikkönen early on in the race from a lowly grid position. Your thoughts going into the next couple of races?
LH: It is the perfect way to begin the season. I was just saying to Nico, I think it has been exactly eight years since we were on the podium together back in the days when we were in karting. It is great to be up here with him again, but going into the next few races, we obviously need to try and continue with the momentum that we have. As I said we could have gone quicker, so I am not particularly bothered about the Ferraris’ pace. BMW and Williams have done a great job as well, so we need to keep on pushing and the team needs to keep on pushing. As will I and I really hope going into the next race that we will have a great result again.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, congratulations. It couldn’t be a better start, could it?
LH: No, absolutely not. We have done a superb job all weekend and we really just have to keep our cool. We had a great car and I am very happy with a great start to the season.

Q: You mentioned just now that is was a dream to drive compared to last year.
LH: Yeap.

Q: So last year wasn’t so easy?
LH: You could see that last year was pretty tough. Not as hot perhaps, but I think coming this year my preparation was much better. I am probably twice as fit this year compared to last year. But also the car was really fantastic to drive and it was quite easy to drive.

Q: In comparison to the competitors you feel confident as well?
LH: Yeah, I mean if I needed to have pushed more I could, but I was quite happy and quite comfortable driving at the pace I was at. I was keeping in touch with the team and they were telling me I had half-a-second compared to everyone else. I just kept it that way.

Q: Was there much difference between the two tyres?
LH: To be honest, there wasn’t. Usually in testing and building all the way up to the race it was quite tough on both sets of tyres but predominantly the option was graining quite heavily. But I seemed to be able to manage them quite nicely and they were both pretty similar. If anything, the option was quicker but the track had rubbered in quite well and the graining didn’t affect us.

Q: Nick, a great result for you too.
NH: Definitely, especially after our winter which was really difficult. The first time we went out with the car we really struggled but since then we have made consistent progress and I think we are still not on the limit of the car which is very promising.

Q: How hard was Nico pushing?
NH: In the beginning I was pushing him because I did not have the best of starts and then I tried to get by but by doing that running too close to his slip-stream I went wide twice and spoilt my tyres a bit and I thought that was maybe it for the race because we expected him to stop later than myself as in qualifying I was a lot quicker, more than a second ahead. For the fuel level I was carrying I had a good qualifying, so I thought I was done after the start. In the second stint it was going okay and then on the last, on the option tyres, I was just pacing myself a bit trying not to kill the options and get too much graining.

Q: How do you see your pace in comparison to the McLaren? You saw a fair amount of them.
NH: I think we are still slower than them. I think probably I had a bit better tyre heat-up after the last safety car following Lewis. But through the last corner I was getting a bit of understeer and I think on top of that I took it a bit easy but on braking on the outside I got quite close. Then I couldn’t keep up with him. But the pace difference to Heikki was not that big but he was still quicker. But looking at where we came from, especially at the end of last year it is fantastic.

Q: Nico. Your first podium. What do you think of it?
NR: It was quite nice up there, really good. It has been a while. I think more than two-and-a-half years or so since GP2, so it is fantastic. I am really happy also for the whole team. They have been working very hard and they have done a better job than teams like Renault and Red Bull over the winter. It is not that clear yet but at least as good a job. That is a big step forward for the whole team. Also I have to say that we have a lot of development coming. There are a lot of things which we have not been able to put on the car yet, so I think we are up for a good year. Let’s not get too excited obviously as we need to wait a few races to see where we are exactly but still I think we are in quite a good position.

Q: And that first pit-stop when it was pretty close with Nick.
NR: Yes, it was pretty close. He wasn’t very fair coming out because I was there and I had to back off otherwise I was in the wall, so that wasn’t great. But anyway on a day like today with everybody going off and everything you have just got to say that third place is fine. It’s fantastic and let’s just take it.

Q: It did seem a matter of survival out there?
NR: It was. But I mean it is the first race without traction control and without all those electronic aids. We have a lot more rear wheel locking under braking, so you just have to be more careful and I think it is great for F1. It is more pure. The driver has more to do. There are more mistakes. I mean, I think many of the mistakes today were thanks to that. I am going to say that, I am not sure. I think it’s good for F1. I was happy to see it. Our pace in the race was not too bad especially compared to the BMWs. I was giving everything I had. So it was pretty good.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (James Deakin – F1 Racing) Question to all drivers: could you tell us how this first race was without all the electronics and traction control? Obviously you’ve done a lot of testing, but it’s different at race pace.
NR: Yeah, with the driver aids gone, it makes it more difficult. With the heat out there, it’s always going to make a more difficult race for concentration, it’s a street circuit, bumpy, all the rest of it, so I’m sure it was one of the more difficult races, so I’m even more pleased to be up here. Also, I think technically it was very tough on the cars, so I was just hoping ‘please get me to the end.’
LH: Yeah, Nico’s right, it was more demanding on the drivers but also on the tyres and on the car. We have no engine braking, so it puts a lot more demand on the brakes, so the temperature from the brakes and the whole car is probably quite a lot higher than last year, but in terms of racing, it’s real racing. This is how it should be!
NH: Actually, it was a bit easier than I expected, definitely more difficult than last year, but with some of the problems we had over the winter, we didn’t really find the time to do a lot of long runs. We really pushed hard throughout our programme and the weather wasn’t so great over winter testing, so we hardly did any race simulation, we only did one in wet conditions, so I didn’t really know what to expect and it went better than I thought.

Q: (Georg Nolte – Bild am Sonntag) Nico, when did you realise that it was going to be a good day for you?
NR: After the start, because it was just a great start. The start is nowadays down to the driver and also down to the engineers, how they set up the clutch and all the rest of it, so I think all of us did a good job there. It was very very tight going through Nick and Jarno. I decided to go for that gap and I wasn’t sure but I had no choice. I had to go for it, and it was very tight but it worked out fine. And then coming out of the first corner, I think I was fourth, I’m not sure, so from there I thought ‘Jeez, this could really be a good race.’ Obviously I had Nick behind me, so I thought he was really going to put the pressure on but I was pretty comfortable in the end with him, I could set a pretty good pace compared to him through the whole race. OK, he got past me in the pit stop, but still, third is fantastic. But the whole race was such a mess, with all the safety cars and everything, you really didn’t know if it was really going to work out until the very end.

Q: (Oliver Holt – The Daily Mirror) Lewis, this is stating the obvious, I guess, but it was clearly an emotional race for Ron, judging by his reaction and also for you. Does it feel finally as though this has drawn a line under what you described as all the baggage of last season?
LH: I wouldn’t say it draws a line under it but for sure coming into a new season, turning over a new leaf, we really wanted to get off on the right foot. Ron’s been through a lot, so has the team but we pulled through and really it shows in the results. I’m glad he’s happy, it is an emotional feeling to win the first Grand Prix of the season, especially with all the winter testing, the whole build-up, not really knowing whether you had the pace of everyone else, whether you would be able to win, whether the cars could be reliable but when you come out on top it’s a real relief and great satisfaction.

Q: (Sheridan – The Age) Lewis, I’m not sure if you’re aware of Timo Glock’s accident but does it worry you that there’s a bump out there on a turn that can almost destroy a car?
LH: I’ve not seen the footage. All I saw was that on the exit of turn 12, I believe, he was a hundred meters down the road, he was in the wall, so it’s obviously not an easy place to crash, so for whatever reason, I don’t know how he got there. I think some drivers did complain that the track is very bumpy. We’ve seen it in the past, on the exit of the last corner when Michael Schumacher hit the bump and they fixed it, but each year they do a great job in improving it and for sure, if there is a serious bump there, beyond the astro turf then we need to get rid of it but at the end of the day, it shouldn’t be out there.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto Motor und Sport) Nick, if you look at the performance gap between BMW and McLaren, is it any different between qualifying and the race?
NH: I can’t tell now. I have to analyse the race later on. I don’t know. Probably you know now better than me.

Q: (Mark Danby – Auto Magazine China) Given the short turnaround to next weekend, how are you going to spend the next few days before you get to Malaysia?
NH: I fly over tomorrow (to Malaysia) and then as we have Petronas as our sponsor in Malaysia we will have quite some work to do, starting on Tuesday I guess, so we will be quite busy until the race.
LH: I’m going out tomorrow as well, so we will probably be on the same flight but tonight, I will obviously celebrate with the team, sit down with my dad and trainer and just my team, might meet up with Nico and celebrate. I go out tomorrow, just will spend a couple of days in a hotel, maybe a couple of days in KL.
NR: I would love to go flat out tonight but it’s a bit difficult because we have the race so close next weekend, so maybe it would be better to take it a bit easier…
LH: That’s never stopped you before, Nico!
NR: Yeah, but… come on, don’t put me in that kind of light. I’m very, very serious about my sport. Then afterwards I’m going to Singapore, Singapore for RBS and maybe I’m going to do a quick story about the new track, going to look at that and then off to Malaysia.

Q: (Ed Gorman – The Times) Lewis, this is your fifth career win in Formula One. How do you compare it to the other races that you won last year and how important is this one to your personally?
LH: I would say it’s quite different to my first win in Montreal, just because it was really not expected. Coming into your second season, this is a sort of a target we set, I set myself, and so I guess I’ve put more pressure on myself this year. I think this win perhaps feels better than any because I feel I’m improved in many areas but I wouldn’t say it’s the perfect win, I would say that there’s a lot of areas I can improve. But I think in terms of managing my tyres, controlling my pace, and confidence and being comfortable in the car, it’s probably the best race I’ve had so far.

Q: (Marco Degl’Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for you all; until Friday, it seems Ferrari should have dominated this championship. Today it didn’t happen; are you surprised?
LH: (to the Questioner) You’re looking a bit disappointed!
NR: (to Lewis) Me? You’re the one up against them not me.
LH: I think a lot of hype was put on them but they’ve obviously had a tough weekend but we can’t forget that they are a great team and they have a very good car and two great drivers as well. One bad weekend, I’m sure everyone could have a bad weekend at some point during the season. There are still 17 races to go. But yes, as a team, my team, we have to work hard making sure these problems don’t happen.

Q: (James Deakin – F1 Racing) Nick, BMW came out with a report saying they weren’t going to win races this year, and yet Robert qualified second and you finished second. Some say are you sandbagging?
NH: No, not at all. We said we want to win a race this season, that’s our target. At our first test with the new car we really were in deep trouble and then coming here we thought we would be the third strongest team, that’s what we communicated. Some people preferred to look at our first comments, our first tests. I think the whole team, including myself didn’t expect to be that strong here, that comes as a bit of a surprise and it’s very difficult to judge ourselves compared to the others, because we made such big progress over the winter season that we really only had the last test in Barcelona or the last day to know where we stand, because we made such huge progress all the time.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Nico, you said the last time you were on the podium with Hamilton was when you were go-karting. Can you tell us how it was?
NR: I think it was in 2000. It was a great time, I think it we were 14 or 15 years old at the time. We were both in the MBM team which was Mercedes Benz McLaren, so I think thanks to them for supporting me on my way up in those three years with McLaren Mercedes. It was a great time. We really had fantastic fun, travelling the world and racing in the European championship, the World championship and all the rest of it. We finished first and second in the Europeans that year, with Kubica third, so it was the three of us up there. Good memories.
LH: As we always said, one day we would be in Formula One and winning races and on the podium together. It’s a childhood dream for both of us, so it feels really cool.

Q: (Niki Takeda – Formula PA) Nico, you have been quite skeptical about the true performance of your car, ever since you started driving it. Is it a kind of relief that the performance is really there?
NR: In general I prefer to go a little bit away from optimism before a season starts. I just try and base myself a bit more on realistic things because it just wasn’t very clear where we were relative to Renault, Red Bull. Toyota came up strong on the last day of the tests, so you could easily find yourself twelfth, behind all these teams, if they were a couple of tenths ahead of you when you come to this track in Melbourne. We had a disastrous day on Friday, really it was probably the worst start we could imagine, so we started from zero, Saturday morning. More or less put the car that we came in the plane with into qualifying and so as a basis, it just shows that the car is good which is really nice and I think we definitely have some way to go to progress through the year and develop the car, so it’s a good beginning.

Australian Grand Prix - selected driver quotes

Lewis Hamilton on his flying start to the season; Williams’ Nico Rosberg on his maiden podium; Timo Glock on his spectacular accident in the Toyota; and Kimi Raikkonen on Ferrari’s miserable Melbourne experience. All 22 drivers report back on Sunday’s action at Albert Park…

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren (1st):
“I feel fantastic - what a dream start to the season and my championship challenge. I am sorry not to have Heikki (Kovalainen) with me on the podium as a one-two would have been a great reward to the team. It’s nice to have Nico (Rosberg) here though as we have not shared a podium since our Karting days with Team MBM (Mercedes-Benz McLaren). It was a super race which I controlled from the beginning. I was able to drive at a steady pace without feeling any pressure which is always the ideal situation when you are leading. The three Safety Car periods meant that there was never time to relax, and the whole situation was a bit like Canada last year when I claimed my first victory. We constantly had to change our strategy and the strategists were on the ball throughout which was super. The car is fantastic to drive and the team has done a superb job. I have prepared much better this year than last, and it’s important that myself and the team continue to push hard in the months to come.”

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber (2nd):
"This was a fantastic start to the season for us. The team was working extremely hard to solve the problems we had in the beginning with the F1.08. We made constant progress and we have not exploited the full potential of the car yet. At the start I had too much wheel spin and could not keep Nico Rosberg behind me. I thought it is going to become a difficult race because I expected him to pit earlier. But we stopped on the same lap and our crew did a really great job to get me in front of him. With my second pit stop I was lucky that the safety car didn't come out earlier and I could refuel as planned. In the last stint I had to take care not to kill the option tyres. Overall the first race without traction control was less difficult than expected."

Nico Rosberg, Williams (3rd):
“I am really, really happy and I have to say that being on the podium in Formula One is a really great feeling. It’s been a while since I have been here and its great for the whole team as they have been working hard over the winter, they have done a good job and made some real progress. I gave everything I had today, but it was a tough race on a street circuit in the heat which didn’t make it easy. The team deserves my thanks for this great result and it really encourages me to feel that I can grow with Williams. I also want to thank my father for everything he has done to help me to get to this position. We have a solid race car and some good developments coming, but we don’t want to get too excited because it’s early days yet.”

Fernando Alonso, Renault (4th):
“That was a very strange race with lots of overtaking, incidents and mechanical problems for lots of drivers. We were able to make the most of the opportunities that came our way today and finished the first Grand Prix with a good result, which will give the team a boost and give us confidence for the rest of the season. However, we must continue working to improve our level of performance in qualifying and our pace in the race, but the result today is very important for us.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren (5th):
“Obviously my competitiveness was better than the result shows. Unfortunately the last Safety Car phase prevented me from finishing second. Nevertheless I enjoyed the whole weekend working with the team on such a professional high level. My start was okay but during the first stint I had a bit of graining on the tyres, but it didn’t affect me too much. In my second stint and especially in the last part of the race my car was really good and I was flying. I had a great battle first with Kimi (Raikkonen) and then Fernando (Alonso) which I really enjoyed. I managed to get past Fernando but then as I tore off a visor strip on the main straight I accidentally hit the pit lane speed limiter button and Fernando managed to get past me again. I am pleased but also a bit disappointed as we were looking strong for a one-two finish today.”

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams (7th):
“To get to the end today was great, great to finish and great to get some points. It was really tough out there today physically, but on top of that there was so much going on. At the start, a car spun in front of me, turned side on and damaged my nose. Then with the various safety car periods, the team did a great job to swap my strategy to a one stop that put me in the points. Towards the end of the race, I had another incident when all the cars backed up into each other and I damaged my nose again. But it was good to be able to demonstrate my physical fitness and my consistency and I’m looking forward to Sepang which is a circuit I know better.”

Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso (DNF):
"It's not the first time I've experienced disappointment in racing and it won't be the last, but what is important is that the team has worked really well, reacting very quickly, getting me into pit lane as soon as the lights went off for the second safety car. It was a great call. From then on I was good to go in terms of fuel and others ahead still had to stop. It was very tough as I was under a lot of pressure from behind, first from a BMW and then it was Fernando and Kovalainen. At one stage, I decided to back off a bit, but I found I was making a few mistakes, so I pushed harder and pulled out a bit of a gap. I hardly dared look at the pit board, but I knew it was nearly the end of the race. At the start I was down the order and running quite heavy and I was struggling a bit. But then I got the hang of things and after the re-start my radio did not work for a moment, so I was caught out by the green light. But to come from almost last to fourth was an excellent start. I hope we get two points and in a first grand prix, that's not too bad."

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (DNF):
"It's really disappointing not to finish the race, but at least the point is better than nothing. I had an engine problem, the reason for which now needs to be analysed. The car was good and I had a good pace when I found a free track ahead of me. I spun a couple of times trying to pass those ahead of me, but the first time, with Glock, I put a wheel on the grass and the second time, with Kovalainen, I was a bit too optimistic. This result is obviously not the best start to the season but it is a very long one and we are well aware that we are capable of recovering from far worse situations than this. We have to put everything in place and then we will be really competitive."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber (DNF):
"My race went pretty well in the beginning. I was on a similar strategy to Nick and I had a good pace. Then the strategy was changed and this did not pay off for me. I got stuck behind Bourdais and lost a lot of time. I still had a chance to score some points, but then at the end of the third safety car period Nakajima crashed into the rear of my car and I had to stop."

Timo Glock, Toyota (DNF):
“That was a hard way to return to racing in F1. Given our starting position this was always going to be a difficult afternoon's work. I had contact with two other cars at the start but despite our heavy fuel load we were able to make up some ground in the early part of the race. Still, the car felt a bit strange in terms of understeer and that's what we have to work on to improve the car. After the pit stop it was hard work to drive and my race ended with the crash. I feel fine but I'm disappointed and we will hope for better fortunes next week.”

Takuma Sato, Super Aguri (DNF):
“It was a difficult race for us. I did not get off the start well, but after that I fought back for position and gained a few places in the first lap, and that was an exciting moment battling in the first stint. After the first pitstop and a few laps we had a problem and I had to stop, which is a shame as everyone has done such a good job to get us here and make it happen. But I think that we collected very valuable information and data today, so I cannot wait to get started again in Malaysia.”

Nelson Piquet Jr, Renault (DNF):
"I made a good start and I was able to make up some places during the first lap, which was pretty hectic. Unfortunately I was hit at the start, which damaged my car and so I did not manage to reach the end of my first Grand Prix. Of course, I am disappointed, but I learned a lot this weekend and I cannot wait to go to Malaysia to continue my apprenticeship and hopefully get a better result. I already know the Sepang circuit, so it should be easier."

Felipe Massa, Ferrari (DNF):
"A horrible start to the season. We had engine problems which is unusual for a team like ours. We have to understand what happened and react immediately. I was fighting my way up the order all race long. At the first corner I lost control of the car while battling with Kovalainen and ended up off the track. Then I moved up the order and could have finished in the points. The incident with Coulthard? I was on the inside and he closed the door on me, probably because he hadn't seen me. Our championship will have to start again in Malaysia. We know we have a good car we have to work to be able to use it as intended."

David Coulthard, Red Bull (DNF):
“I can understand that Felipe (Massa) was in a quicker car and was trying to overtake, but you’ve got to have your car alongside to pass, especially in a corner like Turn One, you can’t just ram into them. Felipe took a lunge from too far back and Turn One is a corner where you have to turn in early - it’s not like Turn Three, which is a hairpin and door’s open for a long time. I screwed up last year when I tried a speculative move on Alex (Wurz), but I took full responsibility for it and I would expect Felipe to do the same today.”

Jarno Trulli, Toyota (DNF):
“From early on in the race the battery was too hot. Then when I stopped in the pits it just gave up. That is a pity because the car felt good and I was doing pretty well. I was running comfortably in the points so it is unfortunate to lose out on a scoring start to the year. Still, the car is better than last year's and there is performance to come. Here we didn't look too strong because we didn't work the tyres perfectly but even so we could have had a good result. So I'm sure we can fight well this year and I hope to be stronger in Malaysia.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India (DNF):
“A big disappointment, especially when I watched the race afterwards, but it was good while it lasted. In the opening laps I could stay with the guys in front of me and could overtake to get up to 13th position, but then I had a hydraulic pressure problem. I had to go back to the pits, so at that point my race was over. We have to hope for more in Malaysia, but I think we showed an improvement over last year, particularly over the longer runs in practice, so I am confident we can really do better there.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull (DNF):
“It’s a real shame, I’m very disappointed. I had a reasonable start into Turn One, I was behind Kimi (Raikkonen) going around the outside, then I think someone hit Jenson (Button) on the inside and I had to go on to the grass. I had a good run down to Turn Three, but then Nakajima came along side with no front wing. I thought ‘this will be interesting’, - he had a bit of a moment and he and Davidson were very tight next to me. I was trying to give them as much room as I could and, although I didn't really feel any contact at all, I think the left rear of my car got a clip from Davidson.”

Jenson Button, Honda (DNF):
"I got a good start off the line, getting past Alonso and running alongside Vettel. Unfortunately it was just a racing incident that caused the damage as we were going three or four cars abreast down to the very narrow and quick first corner. I tapped Vettel in the sidepod which seemed to spin him and then he turned in and hit my rear wheel as I was going past. I thought that I could get back to the garage and see if the car could be fixed, but the damage was too bad to continue as the rear left corner trackrod was broken."

Anthony Davidson, Super Aguri (DNF):
“It is disappointing to have an early retirement from the Australian Grand Prix. I am really frustrated that I couldn’t do the laps that I wanted to today and finish the race, as that was my main aim. We haven’t had much time in the car this weekend or in testing and it was really important to get that done today, so it is gutting not to have done that. I feel that through no fault of my own I was sandwiched between two cars, trying to avoid the inevitable. I tried to brake to get away from it and the cars right and left just rode over my front wheels, so there was no where for me to go.”

Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso (DNF):
"My problems began at the start when I stalled. There was nothing I could do about it as that problem was not actually my fault. That meant I dropped down the order and going into the first corner I had Kimi on the left and Jenson on the right. I tried to stay as close as possible to Kimi to give enough room to the car on the right. Then, as I turned into the corner, I felt that I had been hit on my rear right side. That spun me round and I was in the middle of a collision. Very disappointing."

Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India (DNF):
“I am very disappointed as I lost the race at the first corner because another driver came in like a kamikaze into my car and it was very frustrating, especially considering a race like this where there was a possibility to score lots of points. It was a good opportunity and I am really disappointed. Let's hope for more in Malaysia.”

Rubens Barrichello, Honda (DSQ):
"Although the final result of today's race is so disappointing, I'm really pleased with my performance and that we were able to get the best out of the car. It was a crazy race today and I lost control of the front damper after the first pit stop, so my race was more difficult from there. It's tough to finish the day like this.

"The signs from the weekend show that this car has great potential and the guys back at the factory have done a fantastic job over the last few weeks on its development. It was good to complete a full race distance to increase our understanding of the car. We'll now look forward to Malaysia and optimising the performance of the car there."

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