Monday, March 31, 2014

Giedo Van Der Garde to drive in Free Practice 1 in Bahrain

Former Caterham-Renault F1 driver, Giedo Van Der Garde from the Netherlands has been given a drive for Free Practice 1 on Friday. He will take the place of Esteban Gutierrez for the session. Since leaving Caterham, Giedo has been picked up by Sauber and placed in the team as a Reserve driver.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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(Photo Credit goes to owner.)

Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber


First preview quotes for the Bahrain GP come from the Sauber F1 Team's drivers!


Esteban Gutierrez - “Bahrain is a track which we all know pretty well from testing. We have good references from there, and it will be very interesting to come back and to see what our improvements are in comparison to the first two races. The Bahrain International Circuit has a special track characteristic. Based on what we learnt from the first two races, I think we can make another step in terms of drivability. We made improvements on the braking and I believe we can push these even further. Everyone in our team and Ferrari are doing their best to get things done properly. My favourite part of the track is the last one with the fast corners. The left-hander which goes uphill is very interesting. Besides that, it will be a nice feeling to race for the first time in Bahrain at night. I do believe the track in Bahrain will also help us to have more stable tyre temperatures as the weather will be good.”

Adrian Sutil - “This year Bahrain will host a night race, so it won’t be as hot, and the data collected during the pre-season tests will only be of limited significance, which makes it interesting. The tyres especially will behave differently, but we can go back to our data from the night race in Singapore. I am looking forward to the race weekend. Night races are always interesting and provide a great backdrop for the spectators. It is special to drive at night. I like the layout. The pit facilities are very modern with a lot of space. My favourite parts are the fast chicane in turns six and seven, as well as the fast section in the last sector. We have spent a lot of days testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, but driving there was always fun. I like being in Bahrain. It’s a small country, but it is interesting and has a lot of history.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Bahrain GP: Circuit Preview

Welcome to the 2014 Bahrain Circuit Preview! I'll take you through last years GP at the circuit and also talk about the circuit itself.

The Bahrain International Circuit is located in Sakhir, Bahrain and was opened to the public for the first F1 GP in 2004. The drivers do a total of 57 laps and have to navigate around 15 sharp and angular turns. Earlier this year, the first turn was re-named after Michael Schumacher, who is still in a coma after hitting his head in a skiing accident in December of last year.

The circuit runs Clockwise and has a Capacity of 70,000. One of the main factors of this circuit is that there's good room for overtaking and racing wheel-to-wheel, as proved by Jenson Button and Sergio Perez last year and other drivers years before.

Speaking of last year, let's go ahead and do a quick re-cap. Nico Rosberg took pole last year, but didn't make it on to the podium, instead Vettel took First while Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus, took Second and it was a surprise podium indeed for Romain Grosjean who finished Third, also driving for Lotus.

Sebastian Vettel also had the fastest lap of the race and the only person to retire was Jean-Eric Vergne who had Puncture Damage. With the turbos this year, I have a feeling we'll see more than just 1 person retire from this years race. But no matter what, it'll be entertaining as always.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Photo Credit Goes To Owner: allf1.info

Bahrain GP: Schedule

Here is the current Schedule for the Bahrain GP Weekend! (Subject To Change) - Also, remember - The times are for Bahrain Local Time. If you want it converted, just let me know!

April 3rd - Thursday

15:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)
15:00 - 16:45 - Pit Lane Walk (For 3-Day Ticket Holders)

April 4th - Friday

13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #1
15:45 - 16:55 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
18:00 - 19:30 - Free Practice #2
20:00 - 21:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

April 5th - Saturday

11:30 - 12:40 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:10 - 12:30 - Team Pit Stop Practice
15:00 - 16:00 - Free Practice #3
18:00 - Qualifying
20:00 - 21:00 - Autograph Session (Drivers)

April 6th - Sunday

15:30 - 17:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
16:30 - Drivers Track Parade
16:45 - 17:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
17:46 - National Anthem
18:00 - Race

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Malaysian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

The Malaysian GP is now finished and done for the year. Thousands of people showed up despite the sadness looming over the country due to the recent Malaysian Airlines missing plane, which had hundreds of people aboard. May I just start by saying my thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the situation. It is a true tragedy and I'm hoping they will soon recover the plane.

So, now, where shall I begin? Before the race even started there was problems. The Force India of Sergio Perez was having problems and then it was said he'd start from the pit lane. However, as things were about to get underway, Sergio climbed out the car, stuck in 4th gear and having no way to fix the problem, he was forced to retire before he'd even begun. People, (Including me) were absolutely shocked and saddened by this. One of the most disappointing things is when a driver can't even start the race and this unfortunately does happen.

The lights then went out and at the first turn, Kevin Magnussen tried to pass Kimi Raikkonen and in result, ended up hitting the World Champion Fin, damaging his car and his own McLaren as well. Around the same time, Jules Bianchi made contact with Pastor Maldonado and they both did a little spin. Luckily, both were able to continue for a bit, but after awhile, Maldonado had to retire as did Bianchi.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, who started on pole, was now leading, with Vettel, Rosberg, Hulkenberg and Alonso all somewhere close behind him. The biggest battle during the whole race was that of Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. It was really quite the show.

Later on it was Jean-Eric Vergne who had issues with the Turbo and was forced to retire from the race, while his team-mate, 19-Year-Old Daniil Kvyat was in the top 10 and gaining on the Williams' drivers. Both Saubers had to retire as well a bit later on, the first double retirement for the Sauber team in years. 

Daniel Ricciardo, who was called in for a pit-stop, had horrible luck when one of the mechanics was not done fastening his front-left tyre, and the crew released him, not noticing what was going on. Daniel had to be pushed back to get the wheel fastened before he could head back out, but due to all the commotion, when the Aussie got back out on the circuit, his front wing came loose and fell in a slanted position, cutting into his front-right tyre, making a deep cut, all around. He was called back into the pit-lane and had things fixed, but retired only a few laps later.

On the last few laps, there was BIG drama between the two Williams' drivers, when the team radioed Massa, telling him that Bottas was faster and to not hold him up. He was told multiple times to let Bottas pass, but did not obey orders. Something identical to what happened between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber last year. Another case of Multi-21 disobeyed.

It was Lewis Hamilton who brought home the win of the Malaysian GP and dedicated his win to everyone affected by the flight MH370 tragedy. His Team-Mate, Nico Rosberg finished in Second while Defending-4-Time-World-Champion, Sebastian Vettel, came in Third. Here are the rest of the results.

RACE RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain - +25 Points
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany - +18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany - +15 Points
4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain / - +12 Points
5. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany - +10 Points
6. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain - +8 Points
7. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil -  +6 Points
8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland - +4 Points
9. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark - +2 Points
10. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - +1 Point
11. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France - +0 Points
12. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland - +0 Points
13. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan - +0 Points
14. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden - +0 Points
15. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain - +0 Points
16. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia / RETIRED - Multiple Problems - =0 Points
17. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico / RETIRED - Gearbox - +0 Points
18. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / RETIRED - Power Unit -+ 0 Points
19. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France / RETIRED - Engine - +0 Points
20. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France / RETIRED - Collision - +0 Points
21. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela / RETIRED - Power Unit - +0 Points
22. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / DID NOT START - Gearbox - +0 Points

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Malaysian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

When Qualifying got underway, so did the rain! Originally scheduled for 11 PM my time, it did not actually start for around 45 minutes as the rain was coming down pretty hard and there was a lot of sitting water on the track that had to be cleared before the cars could come out and set times.

So, for those of you who are not familiar with how Qualifying works, let me take you through it! There is 3 rounds of Qualifying and they're all done within an hour or so. The first round, all 22 cars go out and set lap times, the 6 slowest are knocked out and start the race on their grid positions according to the speed of their times. In round 2, the rest of the cars go out and another 6 get knocked out, and they'll start where there times put them as well. That leaves the last 10 cars to go around for Round 3, those ten battle for pole position, which is the very front of the Grid. It's the starting position everyone wants. So, here's how it played out.

Round 1: Knocked out -Marcu Ericsson (Caterham), Max Chilton (Marussia), Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham), Jules Bianchi (Marussia), Adrian Sutil (Sauber) & Pastor Maldonado (Lotus).

Round 2: Knocked out - Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Sergio Perez (Force India), Felipe Massa (Williams), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), & Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)

Results After Round 3:

1. (Pole Position) - Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany
3. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany
4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain
5. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia
6. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland
7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany
8. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark 
9. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France
10. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain
11. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia
12. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico
13. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil
14. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico
15. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland
16. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France
17. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela 
18. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany
19. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France
20. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan
21. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain
22. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden

After qualifying, Valtteri Bottas was given a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for impeding Daniel Ricciardo during Qualifying, in turn Bottas was demoted to 18th, moving Grosjean, Maldonado and Sutil each up a spot on the grid.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Malaysian GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

So, during Free Practice 3, we saw The Mclaren-Mercedes team have issues with their Power Units and Kevin Magnussen was unable to set a time, meanwhile the Mercedes AMG Petronas team managed to get the top 2 spots on the times sheets. Not too much action going on in this round, as it's usually when teams make final set-up changes and make sure things are running smoothly. There's not too much want to go crazy and accidently mess up the car before Qualifying, so teams try to keep things calm. Here are the times from Session #3.

TIMES:
 

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:39.008 / Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.240 / Mercedes
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.156 / Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:40.387 / Redbull
5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.523 / Force India
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.686 / Redbull
7. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.736 / Ferrari
8. Felipe Massa - 1:40.781 / Williams
9. Valtteri Bottas - 1:40.891 / Williams
10. Sergio Perez - 1:41.029 / Force India
11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:41.182 / Toro Rosso
12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:41.441 / Toro Rosso
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:41.552 / Sauber
14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:42.041 / Sauber
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:42.749 / Lotus
16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:43.539 / Lotus
17. Max Chilton - 1:43.977 / Marussia
18. Jules Bianchi - 1:44.170 / Marussia
19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:44.457 / Caterham
20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:46.015 / Caterham
21. Jenson Button - 2:05.555 / McLaren
22. Kevin Magnussen - No Time Set / McLaren

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended


Friday, March 28, 2014

Malaysian GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

As session 2 of Free Practice just finished up about a half hour ago, I am back with a quick Re-Cap and the Time Results of the session. Unfortunately both Kamui Kobayashi and Pastor Maldonado were unable to get out there and do any laps. Sergio Perez, however, was able to get out on the track in this Session and get in some good laps. 

Also impressive was Redbull's Sebastian Vettel, who finished in the top 3. We saw a few people spin and head into the gravel including Max Chilton and Daniel Ricciardo. Here are the times.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:39.909 / Mercedes
2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.944 / Ferrari
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.970 / Redbull
4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:40.051 / Mercedes
5. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.103 / Ferrari
6. Felipe Massa - 1:40.112 / Williams
7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.276 / Redbull
8. Jenson Button - 1:40.628 / McLaren
9. Valtteri Bottas - 1:40.638 / Williams
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.691 / Force India
11. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:40.777 / Toro Rosso
12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:41.014 / McLaren
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:41.257 / Sauber
14. Daniil Kvyat - 1:41.325 / Toro Rosso
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:41.507 / Sauber
16. Sergio Perez - 1:41.671 / Force India
17. Romain Grosjean - 1:42.531 / Lotus
18. Max Chilton - 1:43.638 / Marussia
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:43.752 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:45.703 / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - No Time Set / Caterham
22. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus

I'll be doing live commentary for Free Practice 3 tomorrow on Twitter, so make sure to stop by and join in on the fun!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Malaysian GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

Free Practice 1 just finished up about an hour and a half ago and I have all the times from the session. We had a few cars stopping and/or smoking out on track including Kevin Magnnussen, who lost power and Pastor Maldonado who had to be taken back to the pits when his car started smoking. Romain Grosjean was out for most of the session and neither Lotus ended up setting a time. Another driver to not set a time was Force India's, Sergio Perez, who was having a Fuel issue.

Here are the times:

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:40.691 / Mercedes
2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.843 / Ferrari
3. Nico Rosberg - 1:41.028 / Mercedes
4. Jenson Button - 1:41.111 / McLaren
5. Kevin Magnussen - 1:41.274 / McLaren
6. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:41.402 / Toro Rosso
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:41.523 / Redbull
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.642 / Force India
9. Felipe Massa - 1:41.686 / Williams
10. Valtteri Bottas - 1:41.80 / Williams
11. Fernando Alonso - 1:41.923 / Ferrari
12. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:42.117 / Redbull
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:42.365 / Sauber
14. Daniil Kvyat - 1:42.869 / Toro Rosso
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:42.902 / Sauber
16. Jules Bianchi - 1:43.825 / Marussia
17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:45.775 / Caterham
18. Max Chilton - 1:46.911 / Marussia
19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:51.180 / Caterham
20. Sergio Perez / No Time Set / Force India
21. Pastor Maldonado / No Time Set / Lotus
22. Romain Grosjean / No Time Set / Lotus

Stay tuned for Session 2, takng place in about 40 minutes, and I will be doing live-commentary as always on my twitter @F1Insider78 - Come join and send in your Questions & Comments!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 
 

 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Appeal for Red Bull will be heard in April

After the Australian GP, Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified and stripped from his Second-Place-Podium-Finish when it was found out that he been running with the cars Fuel exceeding the maximum amount allowed. Red Bull racing have appealed the case, saying that the fuel level was 'Legal' and that Ricciardo was not driving with an illegal amount of fuel.

The appeal will be heard in Paris, France on April 14th.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copright Infringement Intended.

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia





Next preview quotes from the Marussia F1 Team!

Jules Bianchi - “There were some good signs for us in Melbourne, but also a few challenges which got in the way of our progress, which was obviously quite frustrating. Overall, it has been really good to have the maximum information to look at with the engineers and what we have learned from that will be really helpful for us. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and hoping for a more straightforward weekend in Malaysia, and one where we can really push the car a little more to explore its potential. Having said that, this is by no means an easy race; a very different challenge to Melbourne. Sepang is hard on the team and the drivers, and also the car, with tougher circuit characteristics and of course the heat and humidity. So it is a difficult environment in which to push everything harder, but that is what we must do and bring home a good result.”

Max Chilton -
“I left Melbourne feeling pretty positive about our 2014 debut. We have a few things to iron out to give ourselves a better run at qualifying and the race, but I’m confident that we will see the first signs of progress with that this weekend in Malaysia. Our early level of reliability is quite encouraging and we’ve had two cars’ worth of data from the race to work with to really help us to troubleshoot our systems, so there are some really good signs at this stage. We still have some way to go to be able to gauge the true performance level of the car and we need to keep making steady in-roads into that to ensure we maintain a good direction. I’m excited to see what Malaysia will bring.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.
 


Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

New quotes from McLaren!

Jenson Button - “Australia was a really motivational race for the entire team - even though we still have work to do, it feels like we’ve turned a corner, and that we have a race car we can definitely work with this year. It’s important that we keep pushing hard on the development front - we brought some useful upgrades to Melbourne, and it was encouraging that they worked straight out of the box, but it’s essential that we keep pushing new items through the development pipeline, especially at these flyaway races, where it’s harder to bring new parts to the circuit. Sepang is a great driver’s circuit, and even if we don’t have the overall downforce we want, we should have the balance and driveability to make the car work. And that’s really encouraging, because it means we go into a race weekend knowing that we can usually get the maximum from the car during the sessions and the race. Even if we don’t yet have the pace to take the fight to the frontrunners, we should have a car that’s decent in every sector, and which we’ll be able to hustle through the race - and that definitely counts for something.”

Kevin Magnussen - “There’s been no chance for a break since our encouraging result in Australia. Jenson and I both went back to Europe and spent a couple of days at the MTC to assess our performance in Melbourne and to work on our preparations for Malaysia. Equally, the designers and engineers have been working hard. We showed in Australia that we can score good points if our car is reliable, and we need to consolidate that over the next few races - and one of the ways to do that is to make sure that we’re bringing new parts to the track as fast as, if not faster, than our chief rivals. Sepang is a very different type of track from Albert Park: Melbourne was all about slow-speed corners and mechanical balance, whereas Malaysia is a real high-speed circuit, the corners are much faster and there’ll be more of an emphasis on aerodynamic performance. I think it’ll be a tougher test than Australia - the ambient temperatures will make it tougher for the drivers; and the track temperatures will be higher too, which will make it harder on the tyres. My aim will be to score more points - consistency is going to be very important for the championship - and to keep learning, especially in such a different environment. I’m really looking forward to it - the car feels fantastic to drive, and I hope we’ll have another good weekend.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

F1Insider78 Now on FACEBOOK

Hey all! This growing resource for all things F1 related is now on Facebook! So please go check it out and give it a like to help support! There will be lots of fun stuff coming soon on the page.

Facebook.com/f1insider78

Thanks!

- Amy

Monday, March 24, 2014

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams


Here are the quotes from the Williams F1 Team.

Felipe Massa - “Malaysia is a nice place to race, it’s a hot and humid race which makes it a physically tough one for the drivers. The heat also has a big effect on the tyres and how quickly degradation happens. These extreme temperatures means Malaysia is less like any other circuit we will race at. When you go to Malaysia you can never count out the weather either, there is always the chance of rain, its heavy rain too, and this can happen at the end of nearly every day. All of these factors mean the race is always exciting from a fans point of view but these changes are tough for the drivers. I’m looking forward to having a good race there.”

Valtteri Bottas -
“Malaysia will be a real challenge for us, but also something the other teams will have to deal with too. Cooling will be a major factor as the temperatures are so high, there is also still a lot to learn about the new power units, so this heat adds to this learning curve. It could be the hottest race this season and having it at the start of the season when people are trying to develop what they have isn’t the easiest of tasks. Physically for the drivers it isn’t easy; we have to work hard in the off-season so we are ready for times like this. The track itself is very nice; it has some great high speed sections which are my favourite parts of the circuit.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes




Here are the Preview Quotes from the Mercedes F1 team.

Lewis Hamilton - “Malaysia is a stunning country and I always enjoy coming here. The fans are fantastic and it also forms one of three home races for the team alongside Germany and Great Britain. We have some exciting events planned with Petronas during the days building up to the race weekend so it will be a busy week but a lot of fun. I finished second on my Formula One debut here in 2007 and have been on the podium at the last two Malaysian Grands Prix but I've yet to win here. It would be amazing to stand on the top step at one of our home races and I'm looking forward to bouncing back after a tough weekend in Australia. Although it was not the result we were hoping for, every setback is a chance to learn more about this new car, which is important as they're incredibly complex machines. I know the team at Brackley and Brixworth is pushing harder than ever and I'll be doing the same.”

Nico Rosberg - “The Malaysian Grand Prix is the home race for Petronas so it's always a busy and exciting weekend. Sepang holds some great memories for me too as I achieved my first podium for Mercedes here at the start of the 2010 season. Normally the weather is seen as the biggest challenge here but this season is different, with reliability the focus of everyone's attention. Of course, it will still be hot, humid and probably wet at some stage too, so it should be a fascinating weekend. Australia was the perfect start to my season, but it also highlighted that we're not 100 percent there yet in terms of reliability. We've had two weeks before this race to identify all the things that we can do better, so hopefully we can bring both cars home for a good result this weekend and continue our strong start to the year.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India



Next quotes from Sahara Force India's driver duo.

Nico Hulkenberg - “Malaysia is going to be a tough challenge with totally different track characteristics and higher temperatures, which always leads to higher tyre degradation. It should be a good test of the new cars because it’s much more open than Melbourne with a nice variation of high and low-speed corners, plus two long straights.”

Sergio Perez - “I think as a team we are moving in the right direction and there were lots of positives to take away from Australia. It was the first race and we, as everyone else on the grid, are still learning a lot about the new car. We have seen some encouraging signs and collected a lot of data that can be put to use for the next few races, starting in Sepang. “I believe Malaysia can be a very good race for us. Let's see how we can perform there. I think Melbourne was a more difficult one for us and with a hotter track and more rear tyre degradation for everyone we can be stronger. I'm counting the days to Malaysia to recover what we couldn't achieve in Australia. I have good memories of this track and I want to build on my previous results there.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso





 

Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso drivers!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “It’s not one of my favourite tracks to be honest, as I don’t feel it has any particularly challenging characteristics. The best thing about this race is its unpredictable nature, because of the weather: you can start on slicks and within a few laps, you need extreme wets because of a heavy storm and that can be fun for a driver. The fans are very enthusiastic when we meet them at the autograph sessions and that is a nice feeling to realise there is so much support there. I have a happy memory of Sepang as it was here that I scored my first Formula One points.”

Daniil Kvyat - “The second race of the season is also the first track that I have visited before. I took my first ever single-seater win here for BMW in 2010 and actually this is also where I drove my very first single-seater race, so I have plenty of memories of this circuit. It’s going to seem very different this time, because there’s a huge step from Formula BMW to Formula One. The track itself is quite interesting, while the heat and humidity make it unique in that respect. I am sure I can be more confident this weekend, after experiencing my first race weekend in Melbourne combined with the fact I know the track. I like Malaysia and did some touristy things when I was there, like going up the Petronas towers and going to some beach resorts.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended
Quotes made by Drivers.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus




Here are the preview quotes from Lotus.

Romain Grosjean - “The first challenge in Malaysia will be the heat, humidity and usual rain storms at 4pm! For us as a team, the target is to move forwards and improve. The race in Melbourne was basically a good, long test. It wasn’t easy for the guys but I’m happy we did a lot of laps in the race. We gathered some useful data and we will now improve using that data. The aim now is to have a straightforward weekend at Sepang, working through our proper schedule in free practice, then carrying the benefits from that over to qualifying and the race. Sepang is one of my favourite circuits and I’m looking forward to it. Other than the early finish, the Australian Grand Prix was positive. We learned more about the car in 44 racing laps than during the whole of winter testing! The team has done so much work and each of the changes have been in the right direction. It was looking good in the race and then we had the same problem as Pastor: the MGU-K shaft. But at least there is no mystery about what happened and we are working with Renault Sport F1 to solve the problem. Overall we are happy with the chassis, the aero balance for the changing fuel load, the driveability of the engine and the fuel economy. Of course there is work to do with energy management and recovery and we know Renault Sport F1 is responding to this. On our side we know more about the set-up and the direction we must go in order to make the car better. Braking for example was not perfect, but that is also to do with the tyres. The new tyres are really hard and their handling characteristics have changed. We are not getting the best out of them yet, but we will. There are plenty of areas for us to play with, but we now have a clear base set-up for Malaysia.”

Pastor Maldonado -
“Sepang is a good track and I really like the challenges it presents us with. It’s very interesting from the car point of view, especially the aerodynamics, but also the tyres because the asphalt is very aggressive. Hopefully this event will go more smoothly for us compared with Australia. We know we need to work very hard to achieve our aims and objectives for the E22. We know where our main focus lies and as a team we are determined to get there. We know the weather at Sepang can change a lot; in fact it is usually either extreme heat or extreme rain, so very tropical and we’ll need to be ready for everything. Also the extreme temperatures are hard on the cars in terms of reliability and from the driving point of view it is quite stressful as well. All round, I would say Sepang is one of the toughest races of the year. We’ll need to be strong in all areas.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber




Second set of quotes comes from the drivers of the Sauber F1 Team!

Esteban Gutierrez - “The Sepang International Circuit is completely different in comparison to the track in Melbourne. It will be interesting to get a feeling for the car with such different track characteristics. It is a smooth track, and less bumpy. It can give us a better feeling when braking, which is where we were struggling quite a lot during the whole weekend in Melbourne. The track has several high speed corners where we will be able to evaluate our downforce and see what the balance of the car is like. Also, the set-up is quite different. It is a fact that we are not happy yet with our performance. We need to put our heads together, be united as a team and make progress in every little detail we can. We have a great team, and I am confident we can improve.”

Adrian Sutil -
“Malaysia is one of the hottest races during the season, and, as a result, a challenge because of the high humidity. You have to be well prepared, as, especially at the end of the race, you notice the difference. Everyone should get through the race, but the drivers will be pushed to their limits. The track consists of many fast turns, long straights and a few hairpins, which make it quite an interesting one. I am curious to drive the car on this track where the aerodynamics play a huge role. This is important in order to get to know where we stand. If a car is good in Sepang, then it will be fast on other tracks as well. You need everything here - good aerodynamics, grip in the corners and high speed on the straights. The aerodynamic efficiency of the car is a key. Generally, my hope is that we improve from race to race. In Malaysia, the main objective is to get better and to make a step forward.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham



First preview quotes for Round 2 come from the CaterhamF1 Team.

Kamui Kobayashi - “The second race of the year is Malaysia and it’s our team’s first home race of the year, so it’s going to be a good week! I’ve obviously raced there a few times before, and finished in the points in 2011, and this year it would be great if we were able to fight for a point, but we’ll have to make sure we have a better Friday than we did in Australia if we’re going to have a stronger weekend at Sepang. The way we bounced back in qualifying in Melbourne showed a little bit of what we can do, but without any real laps in FP1 or FP2 we only had a very small chance to fight. With a proper Friday and Saturday program we can give ourselves the opportunity to show the true pace of the car, and prepare much more for the race. Obviously, I’d like to also make sure I don’t have the same brake problems that caused the accident in turn one in Australia - without that I think we’d have had a strong race and we’ll work as hard as we can to give ourselves the chance to really perform. Off track we’re going to be busy, especially on Tuesday night when I’m at a Renault event at Sepang and on Wednesday when we have a very packed schedule meeting sponsors and fans. We’ll be at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday afternoon from about 2pm meeting our fans so if anyone is in KL that afternoon they should come along. We’re also going to see AirAsia’s head office on Wednesday afternoon and meet their staff, so it’ll be good to see one of (Caterham Group Co-Chairman) Tony’s (Fernandes) other teams in action!”

Marcus Ericsson -
“I can’t wait to get back in the car, especially after having a really good race until the oil pressure problem forced us to stop in Australia. It’s been great to read so many nice comments about what we did in the race after such a bad Friday, but now I want to get on with it again and go straight back to work. Sepang’s a track I’ve already raced on, so that’s obviously an advantage over Australia. I really like the heat and have trained hard all through the winter to prepare for races like Malaysia, so I’ll be 100 percent ready physically, but I’m still just loving being in F1 and for race two to be a home race for Caterham and on a track I know and like, that’s just really good for me. It’ll be great to see how much Caterham means to the Malaysian fans, and I’ve been told the autograph session on Sunday will be one of the real highlights of the year, so there’s a lot to be excited about! We obviously need a stronger weekend on track overall, and I know they guys back at the factory and at Renault have been working flat out to help us do so. Our race pace in Australia was pretty good, but with a full Friday and not having to use FP3 to catch up, I think we can start to unlock the real performance of this year’s car. If we can do that, and with the work being put in by everyone, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t, I think Malaysia could be a strong weekend for our team."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Malaysian GP: Circuit Preview




Welcome to my 2nd Circuit Preview of the year. The Second round is taking place in the beautiful Country of Malaysia and we're looking to see dry, hot weather this year.

Last year's race was rainy and cloudy. Sebastian Vettel took pole while Sergio Perez had the fastest timed lap. The podium? Vettel in First, while Webber finished Second and Hamilton in Third. It was a very controversial race when Vettel disobeyed team orders to not pass Webber. Webber was said to have won if it weren't for the events that took place between Vettel and the Redbull Team.

On to this year! The Sepang International Circuit is located in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia and was opened in 1999. It draws in a crowd, as it's Maximum Capacity is 80,000! 

The circuit is 3.444 Miles in length and has a total of 15 turns. The drivers have a total of 56 laps to cover before a winner is announced. This year, with the Turbos, we could see a lot of people dropping out if it's a hot one. Last year, with the rain, it was slippery, but they didn't have to worry about overheating Turbo Engines. The circuit also runs Clockwise.

I have already posted the Schedule if you want to take a look at when the events take place.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.  
(Photo Credit Belongs To Owner: www.wemotor.com)

Malaysian GP: Schedule

The second round of the 2014 season is almost here and I have the weekend schedule! Hope you all enjoy watching. All the times are in Malaysian Local Time, if you want it converted, just let me know!

March 27th - Thursday

15:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room.)

March 28th - Friday

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice 1
12:30 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice 2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room.)

March 29th - Saturday

10:35 - 11:20 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
10:35 - 11:20 - Pit Stop Practice
13:00 - 14:00 - Free Practice 3
16:00 - Qualifying

March 30th - Sunday

12:00 - 13:00 - Formula 1 Drivers Autograph Signing
14:05 - 15:10 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:30 - Drivers Track Parade
14:45 - 15:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
15:46 - National Anthem
16:00 - Race 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

"Risk At Full Throttle" - An F1Insider Featured Article: A tribute to Ayrton Senna & Inside look at the dangers of F1





Formula 1 is and always has been a thrilling, exciting and heart-racing sport. The problem? It's also dangerous. This is an inside look behind the risks of being a Formula 1 driver and also a look back at Imola 1994, for a tribute to Ayrton Senna, who would've been 54 today.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Cars are dangerous. Motorsport cars? More dangerous. Not many people would be willing to risk everything they had, the way that the drivers of Formula 1 do on a race weekend. They're not 100% protected in their suit & helmet. And their car? Some people say it's a death trap disguised in paint and sponsors. Although a fatality has not occurred to a driver since 1994, it doesn't mean there is no danger.

    Many factors play a part in making the sport dangerous. Speed, fire, tight corners, tire combustion and many more. Drivers know that before every race there is a possibility that they will not make it out alive, that they will not be able to see their friends and family again, but yet they still go out and race. What could possibly drive them to do such a risky task? Is it the passion they have for the sport? The will to win and become a champion? Or is it the rush they get, when they're going at maximum speed, their blood pumping hard through their veins as they hit maximum G-Forces and fly around corners, focusing hard not to make a single mistake.

    On May 1st of this year, it marks the 20th anniversary since the tragic loss of the Late Ayrton Senna, who died instantly in his accident at Imola in 1994. It was only the 3rd race of the 1994 F1 season, a race no one can forget, and even people who are not fans of the sport, know about that day. But it was not just race day that endured such tragedy, as during Qualifying the day before, Roland Ratzenberger from Austria, was in a fatal accident as well. Other injuries took place during that Grand Prix weekend, including other drivers and even marshals and mechanics. It was one of the most dangerous events on the calendar. Along with it being 20 years since the event, it was also the last death for a driver in the sport.

    With the 2014 season already started and the first race completed without any injuries, every day is a blessing for the 22 drivers that complete this years grid. Every lap they complete is a miracle. The drivers go through a number of steps to reach the maximum safety that can be achieved. They wear helmets, have fire resistant suits and of course, the car itself has multiple rules and regulations on what is safe and what is not. Multiple stewards and mechanics overlook the car and make sure there is no flaw that could cause the driver his life. But it's not always the car that is the problem, there have been many times a driver error has caused an accident, usually they aren't fatal, but it doesn't matter. A driver must maintain ultimate focus at all times or they can raise the risk of an accident.
   
            Circuits also play a part in the dangers of the sport. Although all the current circuits are up to safety standards, it doesn't mean they aren't dangerous and risky. The circuit of Monaco and the Nurburgring in Germany are prime examples. Back in 1976, it was there at the Nurburgring, that Niki Lauda endured the worst accident of his career and almost lost his life when he crashed and his car burst into flames. He suffered severe burns and was hospitalized for weeks. Other drivers, like Senna were not as lucky to escape with scars, but instead lost their lives. In one rare fatality, Chris Bristow in 1960 died when he crashed and was thrown from his car and into a barbed-wire fence, decapitating him on impact. Inexperience played a part in his death, many people say he was not ready to be driving in Grand Prixs.
   
           One of the more recent accidents that sparked a concern for the Monaco circuit and its safety was the accident of Sergio Perez during Qualifying in 2011. After exiting the Nouvelle Chicane. He was hospitalized but returned to the season after missing the race at Monaco and the Canadian Grand Prix. People complain the chicane is dangerous and should be removed, while others say it's safe and it's all just a part of the sport.
   
     So now, with all that said, let us go back to The Italian Grand Prix of 1994. Senna had retired from the first 2 races of that season and with the third race upon him, he was looking for a win. But after Ratzenbergers' death, things had changed. Senna looked nervous before the race and was seen praying in his car, in the garage just before the start. His family was there to support him and watch him race. Some say Senna knew he was going to die, that he had spoke to God and was prepared for that day. Others think he never saw it coming, but that his fear had distracted him from performing at his usual level. When Senna came around the Tamberello corner, it was there he crashed into the wall at nearly 150Mph. There were attempts to treat him and take him to a hospital, but he had almost immediately succumbed to his injuries.
   
      Senna was a legend, a hero and an overall kind soul. He is a house-hold name and his legendary life lives on in conversation, in family and in Formula 1. He is celebrated in multiple stories, articles and documentaries. The drivers of the new age have expressed how he was an idol and an inspiration in getting them into the sport. Although no one can predict what will happen during this season, one thing is for sure. There will always be a risk and there will always be danger. But it is those things that contribute to the passion of racing, the passion that is Formula 1.

RIP
Ayrton Senna (1960 - 1994)
Legend, Hero & Champion

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
Image belongs to: f1sasha.com

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

F1Insider Featured Article: Australian GP After-Quote




"The first race of the year was magical and spectacular and everything I hoped it would be. Although, I was really hoping to see Force India on podium. Very huge Congratulations to Nico, Kevin and Jenson. Double-Podium for McLaren is super sweet. Unfortunate for Daniel with the disqualification, but rules are rules and things happen. Melbourne is always a nail-biter. It's that whole 'First race of the Season' thing that makes me nervous. You don't know if the cars will start or finish the race and it's crazy. I'm happy things didn't turn out too bad and I'm already looking forward to Malaysia." 


Quote and Article written by: Amy Hawk.
Photo 1 belongs to Sahara Force India Media
Photo 2 belongs to McLaren-Mercedes
I have permission to use their media on my blog. All credit goes to them for the photos.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 
 

Australian GP: Race - Results

The first race of the year has come, but it has not gone, as it has stirred up some deep controversy and drama. With teams uncertain how the V6 Turbos would perform in the first race, everyone was on edge and cautioned with how things would go.

The first lap called for a safety car, when Kamui Kobayashi's brakes failed and his car launched over the Williams of Felipe Massa, sending them both out of the race. Esteban Gutierrez in the Sauber made contact with the Force India of Sergio Perez and gave Perez a puncture, causing him to have to pit within the first 5 laps. More drama followed when the Mercedes team radioed to Hamilton that they needed to retire his car. He was then prompted to keep going by the team, and confusion ensued. He was then called to Box and when he did so, they retired the car, saying they needed to save the engine. Sebastian Vettel, who is currently a 4-Time-World-Champion in consecutive wins, also was called to retire as something had gone wrong with his car as well.

 The Marussia of Jules Bianchi had an issue, which they fixed and then released him back out to gain information on the vehicle, even though he was no longer in contention for getting points. With Hamilton out of the race, Rosberg quickly took the lead, with Daniel Ricciardo right behind him.

21-Year-Old Kevin Magnussen was keen to show what he could do with the Mp4-29 and quickly leapt into Third, batteling to get past Ricciardo proved hard, but the young Dane was trying his hardest. His dad, Jan Magnussen watch watching the race in Florida.

Marcus Ericsson was then retired when he had an Oil Pressure issue. It was an unfortunate day for the Caterham-Renault team. Also unfortunate day for the Lotus team, when both drivers, Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean, both had ERS problems and retired from the race.

Nico Rosberg went on to take the win, something his father did so many year ago. This also marks Nico's first win in Australia. Other Nico, Hulkenberg marked his first Australian GP Finish, after having problems in previous races in Australia.

Daniel Ricciardo came in second and became the first Australian driver to stand on the Australian podium and Kevin Magnussen stood happily in Third, greatful for everything he had just accomplished. Daniil Kvyat broke Sebastian Vettel's record for Youngest Driver To Score A Point In A GP. There was much to be celebrated, until later that day.

Things came in like a hurricane for Daniel Ricciardo when he and the Redbull Racing team were called to the FIA after an investigation of Ricciardo's car showed that he had been racing with more fuel than allowed. I, like many other people, stayed awake until a brutal 8:30 AM to find out the end-result, and the result was that Daniel had been stripped of his Second place finish, his trophy and his points. He had been, in other words, completely disqualified from the Australian GP.

This changed things for many other drivers, everyone who had finished behind Ricciardo, moved up a spot, putting Magnussen in Second and promoting Jenson Button to Third, making that a Double-Podium for McLaren, something they'd missed out on last year with the Mp4-28 and its multiple problems. Sergio Perez, who'd finished in 11th was promoted to 10th and received the last Championship Point, and his Team-Mate, Nico Hulkenberg moved up to 6th and got 8 points, putting Force India in 5th for the Constructors Championship. Redbull is currently in 11th, with no points and having it stand as neither driver finished the race after Ricciardo's disqualification.

Here are the standings after the inccident involving Daniel Ricciardo.

Results:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany - 25 Points
2. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark - 18 Points
3. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain - 15 Points
4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain - 12 Points
5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland - 10 Points 
6. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany - 8 Points
7. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland - 6 Points
8. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France - 4 Points
9. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - 2 Points
10. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico - 1 Point
11. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany - 0 Points
12. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico - 0 Points
13 Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain - 0 Points
Not Classified /  Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France - 0 Points 
Did Not Finish / Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil - 0 Points
Did Not Finish / Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan - 0 Points
Disqualified / Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia - 0 Points

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Australian GP: Qualifying - Results

Here are the results from Qualifying on the Australian GP Weekend.


For those of you new to my blog or to how F1 Qualifying works in general, allow me to take you through it real fast - We have 3 rounds of qualifying, in the first round we start with all 22 cars and they complete laps to see who goes fastest and gets to move on in round 2. The 6 slowest cars drop out and do not move on. In round 2, the next 6 slowest cars drop out until there are 10 cars and those last 10 cars get 12 minutes to see who will get Pole Position and get to start with a lead.

So, I don't have the complete round-up this time, but I do have the results after Penalties. Usually I'd post it with how people were knocked out, but this time I'm getting to how it worked out after penalties were put in place and stuff.

Results:

1. (Pole) - Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes
2. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull
3. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes
4. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren
5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari
6. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso
7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India
8. Danill Kvyat / Toro Rosso
9. Felipe Massa / Williams
10. Jenson Button / McLaren
11. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari
12. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull
13. Adrian Sutil / Sauber
14. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham
15. Valtteri Bottas / Williams
16. Sergio Perez / Force India
17. Max Chilton / Marussia
18. Jules Bianchi / Marussia
19. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham
20. Romain Grosjean / Lotus
21. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber

Started From Pit Lane: Pastor Maldonado / Lotus

So, what happened was that Gutierrez got a 5 place grid penalty, as did Bottas for changing their gearboxes. Gearboxes are supposed to last throughout at least 6 events. So, Esteban was supposed to start from 22nd, though Maldonado did not Qualify at all and had to get permission to even race in the event. He was granted permission but had to start from pit lane, so they only said that 21 people were on the grid.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Australian GP: Free Practice 3 - Results

Better late than never - Here are the times from Free Practice 3 from the Australian GP weekend. Please forgive me for having this up DAYS late as I've had internet issues and a load of work.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:29.375 / Mercedes
2. Jenson Button - 1:30.766 / McLaren
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:30.8765 / Ferrari
4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:30.919 / Mercedes
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:30.970 / Redbull
6. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:30.978 / Force India
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:31.156 / Ferrari
8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.251 / McLaren
9. Sergio Perez - 1;31.665 / Force India
10. Felipe Massa - 1:31.723 / Williams
11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:31.925 / Toro Rosso
12. Sebastian Vettel - 1:32.255 / Redbull
13. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:32.417 / Toro Rosso
14. Jules Bianchi - 1:34.184 / Marussia
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:34.188 / Sauber
16. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:34.413 / Caterham
17. Max Chilton - 1:34.717 / Marussia
18. Pastor Maldonado - 1:34.754 / Lotus
19. Marcus Ericsson - 1;36.159 / Caterham.
20. Valtteri Bottas - No Time Set / Williams
21. Esteban Gutierrez - No Time Set / Sauber 
22. Romain Grosjean - No Time Set / Lotus

 Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Friday, March 14, 2014

F1Insider Special: P1 & P2 After Quotes.

"What we've seen today is that most teams are getting the hang of things and getting better at taking care of the problems that occur with the cars. There's no promise that certain cars will finish or not finish the race on Sunday. It's touch and go at the moment.

   Force India looks strong and I'm happy about that, being a part of the Force India family, we're not overly nervous, but we don't want to be overly confident. Like Checo said, there are areas that need to be improved. We'll see how things go tomorrow. I'm a huge supporter in that team and I want things to work out well.

   Mercedes and Ferrari are also looking well-shaped so far and it is nice to see Redbull not having as much trouble as they had in testing. Williams could really be back this year and it would be sweet relief for Massa to get a win. As for the others, there's things that need to be sorted out.. I'm sure things will fall into place after a few races. Everything is important right now and everything needs to work properly. Hopefully enough cars finish Sunday to fill up the top 10 points positions."

Quote by Amy Hawk (This quote is available for use by owners permission. Please contact.)

Australian GP: Free Practice 2 - Results

The Free Practice 2 Session which just finished up awhile ago, has many people talking now. There was a lot of near-inccidents with some of the cars having trouble at turn 11 including Vettel, Vergne, Hulkenberg and Perez. Hulkenberg was the only one of those four people to actually stop and have to be towed away, but over-all, it could still act as a more-dangerous spot on the circuit for Qualifying and Race day. Once again, Caterham was unable to send out their cars due to Hydraulics issues.

Here are the times from the Second Free Practice Session

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:29.623 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:29.782 / Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:30.132 / Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:30.381 / Redbull
5. Jenson Button - 1:30.510 / McLaren
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:30.538 / Redbull
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:30.898 / Ferrari 
8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:30.920 / Williams
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.031 / McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:31.054 / Force India
11. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:31.060 / Toro Rosso
12. Felipe Massa - 1:31.119 / Williams
13. Sergio Perez - 1:31.283 / Force India
14. Adrian Sutil - 1:32.355 / Sauber
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:32.468 / Sauber
16. Daniil Kvyat - 1:32.495 / Toro Rosso
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:33.486 / Marussia
18. Romain Grosjean - 1:33.646 / Lotus
19. Max Chilton - 1:34.757 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - No Time Set / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - No Time Set / Caterham
22. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement.

 

Australian GP: Free Practice 1 - Results

With day 1 of the Australian GP weekend complete, I now have all the times from the first 2 practice sessions. Let's go over what happened in Session 1.

The day started off (And stayed) hot, hot, hot. Track temp' was over 95 degrees with the air temperature got to around 77-ish. One of the biggest questions for the start of the session was "Will Redbull run?" - Well, indeed they did. They may not have had the best times, but at least they set times. Some teams including Caterham and Lotus were unfortunate and did not set times in the first session. Here is how things turned out.

 TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:31.840 / Ferrari
2. Jenson Button - 1:32.357 / McLaren
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:32.403 / Williams
4. Felipe Massa - 1:32.431 / Williams
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:32.599 / Redbull
6. Nico Rosberg - 1:32.604 / Mercedes
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:32.793 / Redbull
8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:32.847 / McLaren
9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:32.997 / Ferrari
10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:33.446 / Toro Rosso
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:33.533 / Force India
12. Sergio Perez - 1:33.855 / Force India
13. Daniil Kvyat - 1:34.272 / Toro Rosso
14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:35.578 / Sauber
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:36.445 / Sauber
16. Max Chilton - 1:40.859 / Marussia
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:46.922 / Marussia
18. Marcus Ericsson - No Time Set / Caterham
19. Lewis Hamilton - No Time Set / Mercedes
20. Kamui Kobayashi - No Time Set / Caterham
21. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus
22. Romain Grosjean - No Time Set / Lotus


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia






Quotes from the Marussia F1 Team are next!

Jules Bianchi - “I am very excited to be starting the new season finally. It has been a very interesting winter preparing for this and I can’t wait to see where we stand versus the competition. The car feels good to drive and, especially in Bahrain last week, we saw a little more of its true potential. There is a lot of work still to do to start getting the most from it, but I feel quite optimistic about our chances to improve this year. It has not been easy for a small team like ours as we do not have the same resources as the bigger teams, but I think we can be proud of the job that we have done in comparison and now I am looking forward to delivering some reward for that hard work. Our first objective for Melbourne is to enjoy a reliable race but I hope we can create some opportunity for ourselves along the way.”

Max Chilton -
“I didn’t think much could come close to the feeling I had making my Grand Prix debut last season, but I’m every bit as excited one year on as we head to Australia for the first round of the championship. There have been some very positive signs in testing, which lead us to believe that we can have a good season. Until we get though the first race it’s difficult to expand on that, but the performance is there and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Of course, it would be great if we could match last year’s fantastic reliability record, but that is likely to be a much bigger task this season. Personally, I’m ready to get my teeth into the races. I’m entering my second season so I have my own goals as a driver, but what matters most is working together as a team to rise to the challenge as this will be a tough but exciting year.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by drivers. 

Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India


Next quotes are from my main team for this year, Force India with the pairing of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.

Nico Hulkenberg - “It’s been three races in Melbourne and I’ve still not completed a racing lap! They say bad luck comes in groups of three so hopefully attempt number four will work out better! The car has come a long way since Jerez. We made steps at each test and I think we made very good use of the time we had available. We signed off a lot of things during testing and I don’t think we’re in bad shape. There is always more you can do, but we’re pretty well prepared. I feel comfortable (in the car), but I think this feeling will grow stronger during the season. The cars are different compared to last year: the corner speeds are lower because there is less downforce and the engine behaviour is quite different. So it’s a new challenge and it’s difficult to tell just from testing how it will feel during a race weekend. It’s not easy (to set expectations). Testing only tells you so much, but I think we still have some performance in our pocket. I just hope we are competitive and can race for good points.”

Sergio Perez -
“It’s the first race of the year so I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I hope we can have a great start of the season. The new rules are interesting and the cars are quite challenging. There is less downforce now, but there is a lot of torque from the engine so it’s quite a different feeling. You also have to think about managing the fuel load and we know that Melbourne is a circuit with high fuel consumption. There are more things to do in terms of managing the systems on the car so it’s more complicated than last year. The pre-season testing has given us enough time to get to know the new systems so I don't foresee any issue come the first race. I think we are feeling well prepared going into Melbourne. Testing has had its ups and downs, as always, but we ended the second Bahrain test in a good position. There are still areas we need to improve, but I think we have made a good start and we can build on that. It's always a good feeling to start with a new team. I had a full winter to get to know everyone and I’m feeling ready now. The team is very hungry and I hope we can achieve some great things this year.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes






Here are the quotes from the Mercedes-Mercedes duo!

Lewis Hamilton - “The Australian Grand Prix is always an exciting race and the fans are fantastic. They love their motorsport, so it's an event that every driver looks forward to. I'm excited about the new season not just as a driver but as a fan. As a fan, you want to see overtaking throughout the field, you want to see different race winners, you want to see the championship go down to the wire... I hope that the changes for this year will make that happen. This is the year you need to watch Formula One! I think we're as ready as we can be for Melbourne and I'm more fired up than ever. With all the changes within the sport and the hard work that's been going on within the team, I believe this can be our year to really show what we're capable of. That's not to take anything away from our opposition, who will be incredibly tough to beat as always, but I feel like I'm equipped with the tools I need to succeed. I can't wait to get started.”

Nico Rosberg -
“I always look forward to the season opener. Melbourne is a fantastic city and Australia is an exciting country all round. It's a great place to start the year and you can always have lots of fun here. The fans are incredibly friendly and laid-back but they are also very enthusiastic and mad about sport. The food is pretty great too! I always fly in a week in advance to get over the jet lag. This year, after completing the final test in Bahrain, I returned to the factory at Brackley for final preparations in the simulator and went straight on to Melbourne from there. Overall, I think our winter testing programme went better than expected. Having said that, the first Grand Prix is the first real opportunity to judge how well we have done against our competition. Pre-season doesn't tell the full story, especially this year with the new regulations. I'm really looking forward to getting the season underway and can't wait to be back in the car again.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber






These quotes are from the Sauber F1 team, who have switched out Hulkenberg for Adrian Sutil whilst Hulkenberg went back to Force India. 

Adrian Sutil - “Melbourne is always a great place for the first race of the season. I am looking forward to it. The city is beautiful and the track always good for a surprise. The weather plays a role there as well, as a bit of rain is likely. In addition, we have the new cars, which are still at a very early development stage. Everything is new. Driving in qualifying will be very different to the race, because the cars will have more power than in the race. Less downforce and more power will be a challenge for us drivers. Higher top speed and less grip on a street circuit like Melbourne will be exciting. Also the 100 kg of fuel will see nervous faces on the pit walls. We were able to gain experience regarding the fuel management during testing, but over a race distance everything has to come together flawlessly. It will be a lottery as to who will finish the race in front, and the excitement will be extremely high.”

Esteban Gutierrez -
“It’s quite special to be back in Melbourne, as this is where I had my Formula One debut last year. Now we are returning to Albert Park, and it’s a new era for Formula One. This is an opportunity for everyone, and it’s my role to extract the most out of the tools I’m given by the team. It has been challenging to adapt to the new cars and rules, but now we come to the first race and everything has to settle down. The track is a bit bumpy, because it’s a street circuit, but I like the layout and enjoy driving there a lot. I like Australia, it’s a nice place, and I usually arrive a few days earlier to enjoy the city. The fans are also very enthusiastic every year - it’s a great event.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by drivers.

Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham


Next quotes are from the Caterham team who switched out both their drivers and now have Kamui Kobayashi (Former Sauber driver) and Rookie Marcus Ericsson who is debuting in F1 this year!


Marcus Ericsson -
“Honestly, I cannot wait for it all to start in Australia. It will be my first ever F1 race weekend as a race driver and I’m so excited about my debut season in F1 starting, and in Australia, a country with a lot of F1 history and seriously passionate fans, that’s just going to be cool. I’ve been working for this chance since I started racing, and now it’s finally coming true, thanks to all the people who’ve supported me, and to the team for giving me this chance. We’ve done everything we can to prepare, but, honestly, I don’t think you can ever prepare for what it’ll feel like in the car, sitting on the grid as the lights go out in my debut race - however, that feeling will go very quickly and I know I’m ready to race. The pre-season tests were tough, but at the end of them we’d got through most of what we planned, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises in Melbourne. By the end of the tests our reliability was best of the Renault teams and we ran through a race sim, including the formation lap procedure, starts and pit stops, so with the mileage we completed in both Bahrain tests, we’re as ready as we can be. I’ve also been back at the factory since leaving Bahrain and been driving the Melbourne track on the sim which means it’ll only take a lap or two for me to get up to speed when we’re there. Since the tests finished there’s been a lot of talk about what’ll happen in Australia, but until we’re actually on track it’s impossible to predict what might happen. We weren’t able to do full performance runs on either of the last two days - for me because it was my first ever lap on supersofts and I know how much more I will get out of them with more experience, and for Kamui (Kobayashi) because a clutch issue problem stopped him before he could have a go at supersoft runs - so I think the first time we’ll really see where we are on pace compared to the other teams will be in quali. What we do know is that in the race itself fuel and energy management strategies are going to be critical, so I’m glad we were able to work on them with Renault as much as we did in the tests. It might well be confusing for the fans, a bit watching driver manage tyres was for the first half of last year, but it will all be clear when the chequered flag falls.”

Kamui Kobayashi -
“We start the season in Melbourne and I’m excited about getting back to racing F1 cars again! Last time I raced in Melbourne (in 2012 with Sauber) I was sixth and while I don’t think that’s a realistic target for us this year, I think the race will be very interesting. There could be reliability problems for lots of teams, us as well obviously, but by the end of the tests our reliability was ok, certainly better than a few other teams, and that could be very important on Sunday in Melbourne. Obviously for me this is my first race back, and I’m really pleased it’s with Caterham. I guarantee that they are working as hard as anyone else to have a good year in 2014 and I’ve been very impressed with how determined they are to succeed. They have a very good base to work from in Leafield, so there’s no reason we can’t have a good year, particularly with what we have planned to improve the car as the season goes on. We still don’t know exactly where we are on performance, partly because you never do in tests because you don’t know what everyone else is doing, but also because we didn’t really have a chance to do a proper quali sim in Bahrain. We have some new parts coming to Australia, including some revisions to the front wing, so we’ll be working on them on Friday and Saturday morning and know more about where we are when qualifying’s finished on Saturday.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams






Next quotes from the Williams team, who have brought in former Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa and paired him up with Valtteri Bottas who is now in his Sophmore year of F1.

Felipe Massa - “I love Melbourne, it's a fantastic place and a really good atmosphere. The people there really love racing and Formula 1 and so are always really welcoming towards us. I like the track and it's quite a challenging circuit. I am really looking forward to racing there this year and having a good start to the season with Williams Martini Racing.”

Valtteri Bottas -
“I am really looking forward to going to Melbourne. It's a very nice track with a great atmosphere. It's a new season and a new challenge, not just for me but for everyone. We will finally get to see where every team's performance is. The track improves a lot throughout the weekend because it's not a permanent race track which means that we have more grip each time we go out and so you have to make the right set-up changes for each session. I really enjoy the track and I can't wait to get racing again.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren


Next quotes from the McLaren-Mercedes team who have new driver Kevin Magnussen driving for them this year, alongside Jenson Button.

Jenson Button - “I think this year’s Australian Grand Prix is going to be an absolutely fascinating sporting contest. Even with stable regulations, Melbourne is usually unpredictable. This year, I don’t think anybody knows quite what to expect - will we see more than half the field at the end of the race? Will we see good, close racing? Will the pecking order pan out as we expect? Those are all questions that we’ve yet to see answered, and part of what makes for such a fun weekend. The other element that I enjoy about this race is the atmosphere and vibe that you always get in Melbourne. It’s a beautiful city, a place I always love visiting - in fact, I get there early enough to settle my body-clock and to do some training ahead of the Grand Prix - and the fans at the circuit are always passionate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It’s a great place to start what will hopefully be a fantastic year. In terms of performance, while there’s plenty of potential within MP4-29, we still think it’ll take a little time to unlock that promise. It’s not quite where we’d like it to be, so I don’t think we go to Melbourne with a package that accurately reflects our progress with the car - it’ll take a little longer for that to become apparent. In general, this season is going to be all about continuous development. Our stated aim has always been to try and scoop up a useful haul of points from the opening races - by virtue of solid engineering and good reliability - and then to quickly refine and develop the package, and deliver further performance in due course. Nonetheless, I do think the potential is there: MP4-29 has given us what last year’s MP4-28 didn’t - namely, a reliable and predictable platform upon which we can build and develop. In every respect, this year’s car feels different to last year’s, and that makes me excited - which is exactly as things should be as you head off for the first race of the year.”

Kevin Magnussen - “Wow - it feels strange knowing that the next time I drive my car out of the garage, it will be for free practice at the Australian Grand Prix. It’s crazy to even think about racing in Melbourne - I’ve never been to Australia before, and the Grand Prix has always been something that I’ve watched very early in the morning on TV back in Europe. To not only be arriving in a new country, but also taking part in the Grand Prix is incredibly exciting. I think we head down under having had a solid winter - we know we have a lot of work left to do, but we have a good basis from which to go forward. We know where the car is strong, and where there’s more work left to do - and we’re addressing those areas. But I’ve said it all along: the car is driveable and predictable; it does what we ask it to do, which is a positive. Personally, it’ll be important for me to finish these early races in order to get some good mileage under my belt. Even though I’ve had a good winter, I’m under no illusions that I’m a still a rookie, and that I’m giving something away to the guys with more experience. However, the new regulations have made it more of an even playing field, so a couple of good practice sessions and some race distances will help enormously in getting me fully race-ready. There’s no substitute for being in the car - and there’s so much for me to still learn about driving a Formula One as close to the limit as possible while still focusing on tyre management, fuel-saving and the controls and switches we operate from the cockpit. But I’m really looking forward to being in a race - that’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to get started!”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso team, with new driver Daniil Kvyat making his F1 debut in Melbourne!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “I really like this track as it has a great layout and its location in a park makes it a great place to be. From a driving perspective, it is like a street circuit but with every type of corner, including some high speed turns. I have always felt quite comfortable at this circuit but have not gone so well there in the past, so I’m hoping that it will be different this year, although who knows what we can expect as the championship starts. But I like coming to Australia and this is definitely one of my top three races of the year. Australia in a few words? Faraway, hot, and a bit mysterious.”

Daniil Kvyat - “I have never driven the Albert Park circuit, but I’ve watched lots of the races there and seen the on-board footage, so I have a reasonable idea what to expect. The track is unusual and looks tricky. It will be my first time in Australia and I’m looking forward to that, especially as Daniel (Ricciardo) and his trainer Stuart are both from there and keep going on about how great it is. I hope to find time to visit the city. I’ll have to get a fridge magnet to add to my collection! As to how the race might go, it’s much too early to say, after just six days in the car in winter testing. This year, no one has any idea what to expect as you can tell from what happened in Jerez and Bahrain. It should be very interesting and I can’t wait to be on the grid for my first Grand Prix.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by drivers.