Friday: A promising start to the weekend for Caterham
The Caterham F1 team is rather satisfied with its first free practice sessions held at the Buddh International Circuit. Heikki Kovalainen hopes to be able to join the fight with the mid-field teams, and Vitaly Petrov also hopes to have a good weekend. Giedo Van der Garde, for his part, is delighted to have been able to drive a Formula 1 car again.
Giedo van der Garde – 19th [Free Practice 1]:
« It was another good session for me today, and I want to dedicate it to my grandfather who unfortunately passed away last week. I know he was always very proud of me, and he told me to enjoy every time I drive, so I made sure to do that today. The circuit is very technical, but I quickly found the rhythm and did not encounter any problems, completing the planned program today. One thing that was obvious is how much the track evolves – even in my first stint, I could feel the grip improving lap by lap, so by Sunday, things should be very different, but for me, free practice 1 was good. I will be back next week in Abu Dhabi on a track I know, and then I will have two full days on the Yas Marina Circuit for the young driver tests. It’s great to keep covering miles, and I am delighted with the progress made with the car and the team in general. »
Heikki Kovalainen – 19th [Free Practice 2]:
« Not having driven during free practice 1, the key for me was to complete as many laps as possible and I’m delighted with what we achieved in free practice 2. The balance was quite good throughout the afternoon on both types of tires – we had a bit of understeer in the fast corners on the first stint with the softs but we solved that on the long runs and the car felt good as the track improved. It’s nice to have a gap with the cars behind and maybe with a good tire strategy tomorrow we can fight with the cars ahead of us – that has to be our goal. »
Vitaly Petrov – 18th and 20th:
The first free practice session went well for me. Even though there wasn’t much grip, the car was good and we completed significant aerodynamic work, providing us with data to study tonight. Free practice 2 also went well once again, but on my second stint with the softs, it seems we had an issue with the engine, so we had to end the session a bit earlier than planned to let the Renault Sport F1 guys take a look and ensure nothing gets damaged. Up to that point, the car felt good and we had found a good balance that allowed us to manage the tires well. I think we are in a good position for tomorrow and Sunday, so hopefully, we can have a good weekend here in India.
