Milling about at Magny-Cours

Here are a few rough shots from the Thursday press conference at Magny-Cours in which the crap photographer shows you the milling about before the session begins. This is when the drivers are "released" from their PR handlers(who accompany them to the conference and then watch over them during it) and greet their fellow victims. Here, as you can see, it was Lewis, his old friend Robert and then the two Ferrari pilots, Kimi and Felipe. There are a couple of shots of the conference itself. As you can see the Kimster looks fitter than hitherto - less weight in his face. My picture doesn't show it, but Kimi looked very relaxed most of the time. To my mind he seems to have come to terms with this part of his job - all part of the Ferrari effect and becoming world champion, one supposes. At this presser Lewis appeared to be angry about something while Robert sounded about as bored and underwhelmed with life as it is possible to be. (Click images to enlarge).

Comments

[marie]

Hey Ed do you know what the drivers are smiling about in your first two pics :) love those kind of photos where the drivers candidly interact with each other

[Anon (the real one)]

Hmmm. Press conferences are arguably the most secretive thing about F1. Reading the transcripts of a press conference brings up a lot of questions.

My question for today specifically was: Lewis gets to be at the press conference today, even though Fernando starts third, right? I have doubts about that because at the end of the program I saw Felipe, Kimi, and Fernando in a group (Kimi and Fernando were chatting while Felipe sort of seemed ticked off by Fernando being there, not the greatest friends since the incidents of last year's Nurburgring). I wish it was Fernando at the press conference, just to hear some more of him.

Anyway, a ton of questions that won't be answered in time like the previous one:

1.) Is any journalist allowed in? The pictures suggest not many are there.
2.) Do you attend all of them?
3.) Is anybody allowed to ask as many questions as they want?
4.) Am I mistaken or is it Peter Windsor of SPEED who takes care of post-race conferences? I think I recognize his voice.

Anyway, great qualifying for Renault and Ferrari. I listen to Swiss channels for F1 now, because the Frnech seem to be saying that all of Fernando's results are due to Renault's progress (which leaves Piquet where?)

Lewis will have to be stuck behind Nick, who is pretty good at defensive driving.

Nico starts from the back. Ouch.

Fisi outqualies Sutil!?

Piquet's pace disappointing as Fernando whacks him again. 3-10, 7 place difference. Piquet is catching up, though.

Robert must be so heavy with fuel his car must be hard put back in the garage- he hardly did anything in Q3!

Race results hard to predict.

Kimi
Felipe
Robert
Fernando
Heikki

Seems reasonable, but I'm being optimistic with Robert. Jarno seems to be a bit shaky after his cool spin.

One thing going well for Fernnado is that the big challengers for podium are at least two spots behind him. With a bit of lcuk, podium is achievable. THe Ferrari one-two seems certain, because I don't see Fernando nor Trulli giving Massa trouble!

Good day to all.

[IDR]

Nice pics, Ed.

I'm curious, who is the journalist going to a PC with this Telephoto.

It's just impossible to take a picture inside this room with it (unless "macro" option is activated for taking the details of the acne of this young drivers)

[Ed Gorman]

Hi Marie

I have no idea what they are laughing about. Anyone got some suggestions?

[Ed Gorman]

Hello Anon

To answer your questions:

1. Any journalist who is officially accredited is allowed in to the press conferences. This one was well attended in fact. The pics were taken just as the drivers and the hacks started arriving.
2. I do not attend every press conference. Sometimes I watch and listen to them on the monitors in the main press room, to where they are relayed. At others, especially after races, there may be more urgent matters to attend to in the paddock.
3. As long as you don't ask idiotic questions, I guess you can ask as many as you like. You have to get Bob Constanduros's attention - he moderates the conferences - and wait for the mic. I would say three questions is about the usual limit.
4. Yes, Peter Windsor hosts the first short press conference immediately after quali and racing which goes out on the TV feed. Then Bob C takes over for the separate press conference for the accredited media.
5. To IDR: the snappers definitely use those big lenses inside...

[Derek Smith]

It's difficult to see any other result than a Ferrari 1-2. I'd love to know the respective fuel loads of Kimi and Massa. Any ideas, Ed?

And another question: those cars which were slow in the third sector, were they the ones who were carrying little wing? They did seem to be moving about a lot more than the Ferraris.

And what's up with Heikki? Is he fuled to the end?

That's my three questions.

And to IDR, not only does the lens seem a trifle large, it's pointed in the wrong direction as well.

[Anon (the real one)]

Very interesting Mr. Gorman, thank you very much!

Funny thing: Since Lewis starts P13 and so does Vettel, who gets the slot? The official F1 website says that Lewis is P14 and Vettel P13. WHihc would be more bad news for Lweis, as then he probably can't overtake Heidfeld off the line and Nick is a tough one to overtake and he's probably loadeed with fuel and a want to prove his qualifying pace is just a fluke...

[Pau]

To all of you who say Alonso should have stayed at McLaren. It would not have worked for him. Lewis would have copied his car setup and, with the same car, he would be able to be 1/10th faster than him in qualifying (he was able to do that with the same car).

Bottomline: the biggest loser from Alonso leaving McLaren is Lewis. Now he can only be third behind the Ferraris. But of course Alonso was not interested in being his test driver!

I am so relieved Lewis is 9 positions behind Alonso. My biggest fear was that they would not be that far apart and Lewis would crash against him. Now at least he has 9 other cars to crash. Maybe Heidfeld this time?

As for tomorrow, it will be like the starting grid. At least for the top three.

[IDR]

Ferrari Pace is out of world.

According to my own calculations, all top 10 grids’ drivers are running on 2 pit stop strategy.

Kimi and Massa seem to be in quite similar fuel load, as Hamilton and Kova.

Only Red Bulls (both) and Glock seem to be with more fuel load.

I knew it Kimi is on, and Fernando too!

Masa, on-on-off as the Christmas tree’s lights

BMWs out of pace. Nice work for Kubica, and sorry Annon but the time differences between Q2 and Q3 are not showing enough fuel load for 1 Stop strategy.

On the other hand Magny Cours is the second quickest pit stop (after Japan) so 1 pit stop doesn’t give much advantage.

Nick is “off” and he needs a really good technician/magician for “switching him on” again.

Toyotas, as Red Bulls, very competitive despite Jarno, the one lap man, has spent it in Q2.

And very fortunate Nelsinho, he has “the golden position” P10 but with the fuel strategy he wants to.

[IDR]

@DEREK SMITH

"not only does the lens seem a trifle large, it's pointed in the wrong direction as well"

Well it depends; if you ask the journalist just ahead of the camera (the one wearing a green polo), I’m pretty sure he is quite happy about the current lens’ direction.

@ED

I don’t have any suggestion about why they are laughing, but it seems to me that Robert kubica was not so happy at all when one sees his face on the other pic some minutes later!

Maybe Robert was guessing at that moment what was going to happen today.

[john haydon rowe]

hats off to the elder statesman coulthard who seems to have found new speed or is the car fueled with the owners mixture?
special good luck to him and alonso

[Anon (the real one)]

To IDR:

Heh. I'm not that surprised by BMW's pace. Peter Sauber already said that they will not try to win the competition this year. Theissen said that it is mission accomplished. Robert says the car isn't developing as fast. Point is, they've moved on to work on the F1.09. It's a gamble, because with they're hardcore consistency I could see them winning the championship. But then again, with the largest wind tunnel during a time when extraneous wings will be taken off, one can imagine that they are making a a strong gamble bt putting all their efforts in on 09. I wonder what McLaren are doing. Does anybody believe McLaren have a chance of winning anymore? Maybe Lewis can win the driver's, but in the constructor's McLaren are going to have a tough fight just to get past BMW.

Please, I want Fernando to get P3. He deserves it more than anybody else. One thing that is funny- if Heikki doesn't finish in the points (I really wouldn't be surprised), and Fernando gets podium, then they asre level in points, and Fernando wins on race countdown. Incredible, no? But wait, there's more! Webber looks like he is in a GREAT position to outscore Heikki in the driver's! Driver equality? PFFFT!