Saturday, May 31, 2014

Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes


Time for quotes from the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team!

Lewis Hamilton - "Monaco was another great weekend for the team and I'm so proud of all the hard work the guys put in to make it happen. Of course, from a personal perspective it wasn't what I was aiming for. I race to win every time and unfortunately it just wasn't my weekend. But I drove with all my heart and gave it all I could, so I head to the next race with even more energy and determination. Montreal is one of my favourite weekends of the year. It's where I won my first Grand Prix back in 2007 and I've had another two victories there since, so it holds some special memories for me. The city itself is incredible. It's one I always love to go to and there's always a great crowd, so I'm hoping for them that the weather is good and we can put on a great show!"

Nico Rosberg - "Sunday in Monaco was a very special day for me. It was a fantastic result to get another one-two and I'm really happy for the whole team. Lewis drove really, really well and pushed me massively hard but I kept it cool and was able to take the win. He has been on top of his game so it was important for me to break his momentum last weekend. I now have the lead again in the World Championship which is great. But it's still very early days and it's going to continue to be an extremely tight battle between us this year. From Monaco, we head across the Big Pond to Canada. Montreal is one of my favourite venues. It's a beautiful but also crazy city where there is always a lot happening: particularly in the evenings... it's a great place to celebrate a good result, shall we say! That's what I'll be aiming for again this weekend."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.



Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull


First preview quotes for the Canadian GP come from the Infiniti Red Bull Racing team.

Sebastian Vettel - "Canada is a very demanding high-speed racing track, which is surrounded by rails and concrete walls. There is definitely a high risk potential, especially in Turn 15, where you will soon get to know the notorious 'Wall of Fame' should you be driving a few centimetres too far to the right. The first danger zone is already at the start. In the very narrow right-left passage, it's all about avoiding contact with the other cars, otherwise there will be a crash. It is not uncommon for the safety car to make an appearance at the Canadian Grand Prix. Before the Grand Prix, I'm travelling to Toronto to spend a day with Infiniti and their guests on Wednesday for an Infiniti driving day, which will be fun. I'll be performing a few Hot Laps with David Coulthard and some Infiniti guests."

Daniel Ricciardo - "I doubt anyone on the grid lacks motivation, but there's definitely a little extra edge to it at some circuits. They tend to be the ones that demand the most from you and hold real consequences from getting it wrong. Montreal definitely falls into that category. Each of the chicanes, the hairpin too, is an opportunity to make up, or lose, time but the crucial corner is probably the last one: you arrive at top speed so there's a lot to be gained in braking if you get that just right, and then the way you go over the kerbs is worth more time. The flip side is that it's very easy to get wrong and if you do then there's that big wall waiting. It's a clear choice: some guys will play it safe and sacrifice half a tenth to get through there cleanly, others who will take a risk and go flat out trying to find a little bit. The nearer you are, the faster you'll go. Give the wall a kiss and you feel pretty good, kiss it too hard and that's it!"

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Canadian GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo belongs to www.f1wolf.com)

Time for the Circuit Preview for the Grand Prix of Canada.

The "Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve" is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and opened back in 1978. Like most circuits, it runs Clockwise. This circuit only has 13 turns, but longer straights, giving a great opportunity to overtake. It's 2.71 Miles in length and the capacity is somewhere around 100,000! 

The lap count for this circuit is 70, which is only 8 less than the previous race that was just held in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

So, let's go ahead and take a quick look at what happened during the Canadian GP of 2013!

Sebastian Vettel started the race in Pole Position and he got to celebrate, as he also took the first place Victory. Fernando Alonso finished in Second, while Lewis Hamilton held off other drivers, to finish in Third.

Nico Hulkenberg and Giedo Van Der Garde were both involved in collisions and had to retire from the race. Esteban Gutierrez had to retire after his Sauber went off track and hit a barrier. During the removal of his car, a marshal was hit and injured. Sadly, the marshal passed away hours later at the hospital, making a tragic end to the weekend.

For more on the 2013 Canadian GP, you can look at our Race Re-Cap, located in our blog archive.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Photo belongs to: www.f1wolf.com - I do not own the image, all credit belongs to its owner.

Canadian GP: Schedule

We're moving closer and closer to the 7th round of the Formula 1 2014 Season and that means it's time for the track schedule. As always, the times are in local for the country where the GP is held, so Montreal Standard Time. If you want it converted, let me know. 

SCHEDULE:

June 5th - Thursday

11:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

June 6th - Friday

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

June 7th - Saturday

07:15 - 08:00 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
07:30 - 08:10 - Team Pit Stop Practice
10:00 - 11:00 - Free Practice #3
11:50 - 12:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
13:00 - Qualifying

June 8th - Sunday

11:40 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:30 - Drivers Parade
12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
13:46 - National Anthem
14:00 - Race

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Featured Article: Driver Overview - Giedo Van Der Garde

(Photo belongs to: www.talkingaboutf1.com)

Giedo Van der Garde was born on April 25th in Rhenen, Netherlands and has been associated with many different racing series since the early 2000's. He signed with "Van Amersfoort" in 2000 to make his Formula Renault debut. After spending a few years competing in Formula 3 and Formula Renault 3.5, where he finished as Champion, he then signed on to the GP2 series where he finished 7th in the Championship. In 2011 he raced in the GP2 Asia Series with a team called "Barwa Addax" - His team-mate was Charles Pic.

The start to his F1 Career really started in 2012 when he was announced as a Reserve Driver for Caterham. With a handful of good practice sessions completed for the team throughout the season, Caterham gave him a main seat in 2013, where he partnered his former GP2 team-mate, Pic. He impressed with a P15 qualifying spot for the team and his best race finish of the season was 14th, in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

While Caterham was impressed, the team opted not to sign Giedo or Pic for the 2014 season. However, Sauber then announced that they'd signed Giedo as their main reserve/test driver. He has already completed 3 FP1 sessions for the team, including in: Bahrain, China and Spain.

While Sauber won't talk about whether or not he will he a main driver in 2015, one thing is for sure, he has impressed the whole team, including a proud Monisha Kaltenborn. Giedo does hold a lot of talent when it comes to racing and there's no doubt that teams will be eager to sign him for next year.

In addition to racing, he also enjoys cycling. He also expressed his happiness after recently marrying his girlfriend of 10 years.

You can check out his official Facebook Page here: www.facebook.com/giedovandergarde

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
I do not own the photo, all rights go to the owner.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Artículo Destacado: Esteban Gutiérrez

(Photo credit to: www.msport1.net & Sauber F1 Team.)

Esteban Gutiérrez es uno de los conductores actuales en el Sauber F1 Team y es uno de los más jóvenes en el deporte. Gutiérrez hizo su debut cuando entró en Karting como un muchacho joven y comenzó a competir en la fórmula BMW serie en 2007. Terminó segundo en el campeonato, demostrando al mundo que él era muy talentoso. Después de ganar el Campeonato de la equipo de "ART" - Luego pasó a competir en la GP2.

En 2011, Esteban fue también el piloto se reserva/test principal de Sauber en la F1 y se quedó con ellos en el 2012 también. En 2013, Sauber anunció que el joven iba a ser parte de su principal motor line-up para la temporada. Sus primeros puntos fueron anotados en el Gran Premio de Japón, terminando la carrera en séptimo lugar. El equipo expresó su alegría por el novato. Sauber ha mantenido Esteban como motor principal en la actual temporada 2014 y su compañero de equipo es Adrian Sutil.

Esteban estaba en un terrible accidente en Bahrein cuando su coche fue volteado en el aire. Por suerte no hubo heridos. 

Crel que hay puntos y las cosas buenas en el futuro para Esteban y le deseo la mejor de las suertes en la resto de la temporada. Estamos animando para usted!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement.
I do not own the photo.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Monaco GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

What a race. Another one has been completed on the 19 Race calendar, so let's just jump right into it.

Before the race started it was noted that Jules Bianchi would start from 21st after a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty was put in place for an overnight gearbox change. Marcus Ericsson was starting from the Pit-Lane due to his collision with Massa in Qualifying.

But before the race could even start, Maldonado could not get around for the formation lap and his team wheeled him off to the side. After a few moments, it was clear he would not start the Monaco GP. It was later announced that he had a Fuel Pump problem.

When the lights went out, all cars sped down the first corner and there was instant contact between Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, unfortunately that ended Perez's race. He told reporters later that he's already looking forward to Canada in 2 weeks. 

Vettel and Kvyat retired with car problems about a half hour into the race and Sutil crashed hard into the barriers after coming out of the tunnel. That was the end of the race for him as well.

Gutierrez, the only Sauber left was now in the points and trying hard to stay there. Marussia's Jules Bianchi was coming close as well. 

Up in the front, Alonso lost 3rd spot to Daniel Ricciardo, while Hamilton fought to pass Rosberg, who was leading in 1st since the start. Rosberg was not going to let Hamilton get this win.

Jean-Eric Vergne was the next unlucky drier to retire with the same car issue as his team-mate, Kvyat. And thus, it was a double-retirement for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. 

With less than 20 laps to go, Kimi Raikkonen was fighting to stay in the points and was in 9th, but trying to pass Gutierrez was proving tricky for the Fin, who could just not get around the Sauber, that was until Esteban's back tyre clipped a barrier ever-so-lightly and he was spun. Raikkonen drove by quickly, while Esteban's race was unfortunately ended. 

Meanwhile, Bottas had retired due to a failed Power Unit. The retirement count was piling up as it usually does in Monaco. With it being one of the most dangerous Grand Prixs, every driver knows the percentage of not finishing the race raises.

Kimi and Magnussen were now side by side, having a late-in-the-race overtake battle, and they were heading around the hairpin when Kimi took the Ferrari's nose into the wall and Magnussen, trying to break, bumped into the back of the Ferrari. Shockingly, this did not end either of their races, but the points were not going to Raikkonen now.

Bianchi was now holding 8th, but told he had a 5-Second-Drive-Through-Penalty. He opted to not take the penalty and finished the race in the points, making it Marussia's first points finish since the team was known as "Virgin" back in 2010.

After the race, however they added the 5 seconds to his race time, thus moving his result to 9th instead of 8th, which then went to Romain Grosjean. Either way, Marussia still got points, moving them ahead of Sauber in the Constructors Championship.

Nico Rosberg did not let Hamilton have a last minute pass, but it didn't matter. Hamilton was losing speed, due to having his vision blurred by dirt in one of his eyes. Nico took home the win, with Hamilton in Second and Ricciardo in 3rd.

Although Perez was victim of a collision, Nico Hulkenberg managed to bring home 10 points, finishing in 5th for the Sahara Force India Team.

Now, onto the final results!

RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia / + 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. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France / + 4 Points

9. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France / +2 Points

10. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark / + 1 Point

11. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden / + 0 Points

12. Kimi Raikkonen / Lotus / Finland / + 0 Points

13. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan / + 0 Points

14. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain / + 0 Points

DID NOT FINISH:

Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / Collision

Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany / Engine

Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia / Exhaust Failure

Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / Crash

Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France / Exhaust Failure

Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland / Power Unit Failure

Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico / Crash

DID NOT START:

Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela / Fuel Pump Failure

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Check back soon for articles on the upcoming Canadian GP!

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


Saturday, May 24, 2014

Monaco GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Qualifying took place yesterday and it's time for the re-cap and results! 

For those who are new to F1 or just to Qualifying rules, lets get straight into it! Qualifying is made up of 3 rounds, Q1, Q2, and Q3. First round, 18 minutes on the clock and all the cars get to go out and set fastest times. 6 slowest are knocked out. Same rules apply for Q2, but only 15 minutes - In Q3, it's 12 minutes and the final ten go out to see who gets Pole Position. 

6 slowest and knocked out in Q1 were: Marcus Ericsson, Kamui Kobayashi, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Adrian Sutil & Esteban Gutierrez.

6 slowest and knocked out in Q2 were: Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean, Valtteri Bottas, Jenson Button and Nico Hulkenberg. 

During Q1 however there was an accident between Massa and Ericsson, causing Massa to be unable to compete in Q2. Marcus Ericsson who qualified 22, was given a penalty and will now start from the pit-lane.

After the final round, here's how the grid will line-up for the race!

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

Look back tomorrow for a full race re-cap of the Monaco GP!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

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

Short re-cap of Free Practice 3 - This session is usually where teams make last minute fixes/changes to their car and make sure the set-up is good for their drivers. No major accidents happened during this session, thankfully.

The weather turned around majorly since Thursday and was hot and sunny for the last practice session, so lets get right to the times, shall we?

TIMES: 

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:16.758 / Mercedes
2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:16.808 / Red Bull
3. Nico Rosberg - 1:16.874 / Mercedes
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:17.284 / Red Bull
5. Fernando Alonso - 1:17.428 / Ferrari
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:17.448 / Ferrari
7. Sergio Perez - 1:17.725 / Force India
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:18.074 / Force India
9. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:18.136 / Toro Rosso
10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:18.166 / Toro Rosso
11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:18.249 / McLaren
12. Jenson Button - 1:18.262 / McLaren
13. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.430 / Williams
14. Felipe Massa - 1:18.542 / Williams
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:18.598 / Sauber
16. Romain Grosjean - 1:18.776 / Lotus
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:18.872 / Marussia
18. Pastor Maldonado - 1:19.118 / Lotus
19. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:19.149 / Sauber
20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:20.271 / Caterham
21. Max Chilton - 1:20.394 / Marussia
22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:20.589 / Caterham

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Friday, May 23, 2014

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

Time for the re-cap of Free Practice 2! It got quite rainy while GP2 was out doing their practice session on the circuit and it began to hail shortly after. So, for F1, the first 40-ish minutes of practice were spent watching the drivers hang around in their garages while talking to their engineers and/or other team members.

Once the track was dry and cars started heading out, the first one to face a major problem was Kimi Raikkonen, who suddenly got stuck in Gear 3 and had to head to the pits. Turned out he had a Gearbox problem and his session was then over.

His team-mate, Fernando Alonso, ended up setting the fastest time of the Second Session, while Hamilton came in a close Second, with Vettel rounding it up in 3rd. Force India and McLaren also looked strong in the session.

At the end, Marcus Ericsson in the Caterham, had a bit of a spin and ended up with the nose of the car just barely tapping the wall. Although there was no major damage, his session was over.

Now, on to the times!

TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:18.482 / Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.901 / Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:19.017 / Red Bull
4. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:19.351 / Toro Rosso
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:19.421 / Williams
6. Sergio Perez - 1:19.668 / Force India
7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.712 / Force India
8. Jenson Button - 1:19.721 / McLaren
9. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:19.779 / Red Bull
10. Kevin Magnussen - 1:20.230 / McLaren
11. Felipe Massa - 1:20.394 / Williams
12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:20.622 / Toro Rosso
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:20.811 / Sauber
14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:20.977 / Lotus
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:21.467 / Sauber
16. Romain Grosjean - 1:21.700 / Lotus
17. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:21.924 / Caterham
18. Jules Bianchi - 1:21.937 / Marussia
19. Max Chilton - 1:22.683 / Marussia
20. Nico Rosberg - 1:22.862 / Mercedes
21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:23.164 / Caterham
22. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:45.509 / Ferrari

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

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

Thanks to all who joined me during my live commentary coverage of Free Practice 1 of the Monaco GP Weekend. For those who didn't get a chance to watch/listen or read the coverage of FP1 - Here's the Re-Cap plus all the times from the session!

With the session started and clouds already rolling about in the sky of Monaco, it was no clue rain would be expected. Although it didn't rain during the session, it did start afterwards. Hoping for a dry FP2!

Chilton was the reason for the first Yellow Flags when he had a spin. After the car was recovered, the session continued. It was a battle for fastest time between Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with Redbull driver, Daniel Ricciardo trying to edge in-between them.

Kevin Magnussen was having a great lap until he had to slow down when he nearly drove into the back of Sergio Perez's Force India

Sutil crashed into the Barriers near Mirabeau, causing another Yellow Flag moment for the session, thus ending his FP1 along with Chilton who had his ended with that spin. Sutil's team mate, Esteban made a quick turn into the escape path near the chicane, not long after and then his car locked up and stopped. Luckily, the session was over and all 3 cars should be fine by FP2.

With only a minute or so left, Alonso also hair a nerve raising moment when he ran wide near the same part of Mirabeau where Sutil crashed.

No major damage done and no one hurt, so overall, not a bad session! Now, onto the times.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.271 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:18.303 / Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:18.506 / Red Bull
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:18.930 / Ferrari
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:19.043 / Red Bull
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:19.467 / Ferrari
7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:19.494 / Williams
8. Sergio Perez - 1:19.666 / Force India
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:19.789 / McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.856 / Force India
11. Jenson Button - 1:20.033 / McLaren
12. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:20.118 / Sauber
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:20.207 / Lotus
14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:20.241 / Lotus
15. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:20.260 / Toro Rosso
16. Felipe Massa - 1:20.517 / Williams
17. Adrian Sutil - 1:20.736 / Sauber
18. Daniil Kvyat - 1:20.914 / Toro Rosso
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:21.310 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:22.063 / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:22.492 / Caterham
22. Max Chilton - 1:25.817 / Marussia

Remember to follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for LIVE COMMENTARY coverage of Free Practice 2, starting in about 45 minutes!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia


Next quotes are from Marussia!

Jules Bianchi - “The Monaco Grand Prix is always very special, not least because it is really my home race. It is also nice to go there feeling optimistic for a positive result. We made some good improvements with our package during the test in Spain and I left there knowing that there was even more to come, so I am excited for the weekend. There is no track quite like Monaco. It’s a very distinctive challenge and extremely demanding; a real test of the driver. Last year I had a few problems and could not complete the race. I’m hoping for better things this time around and for the Team to be able to show more of the progress we have made.”

Max Chilton - 
“Next to my home race at Silverstone, there’s no better atmosphere than at the Monaco Grand Prix; it’s electric. It’s perhaps the most demanding race on the calendar, but at the same time, a fantastic experience from start to finish and I really enjoy the track’s unique challenges. Last year I secured my best result of the season here, so I’ll be hoping for more of the same, if not better. We had a really good test last week and the progress was clear to see. Although we aren’t expecting the timesheets to read in quite the same way as the Barcelona test, what we can be encouraged by is the work we have done to improve the set-up of the car and we can now translate those improvements through to the next events, to help us achieve a realistic next step over the course of a race weekend.”


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams


More quotes and these ones are from Williams!

Felipe Massa - “I love Monaco. I live there so it's great to be able to go home and see the family and sleep in my own bed after each day in the car. I am luckier than most as this happens at two races for me (Monaco and Brazil). The track is amazing and steeped in history. We will need good stability for the circuit as it's so tight and traction is more important than top speed. The slow corners are very slow, but the track demands a lot of focus. The barriers are close, and it takes time getting use to driving right up against them, sometimes you can even touch them and still do a good lap. Monaco is a special place, there are no tracks like it on the calendar and that makes us enjoy it even more.”

Valtteri Bottas - 
“Qualifying in Monaco is the most important of the season as the design of the circuit makes it very hard to overtake in the race. Strategy is also important in the race as you want to make sure that no time or positions are lost during the pit stop, it will be hard to make those positions up. There is no room for mistakes in Monaco as the barriers will punish you. I am really confident driving there now that I have experience and so am looking forward to the race. It's also the closest thing I will have to a home Grand Prix as I live in Monaco, it will be nice to go from home in the morning.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso


New quotes from Toro Rosso!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “It’s something of a home race for me, given there is no French Grand Prix on the calendar for the moment. Actually, I can really tell myself that I’m at home, because I stay in Menton for this race, which is really across the “border” in France! I have raced there twice in Formula One and both times I performed well. I think it is one of the hardest races and you should always arrive there in a humble state of mind and never expect anything just because things went well the previous year. I am not going there being overconfident. You have to work hard all weekend and not make any mistakes and it requires far higher levels of concentration from the beginning to the end of the weekend. We will certainly be busy in the cockpit this year, but by now we are used to all the new jobs we have to do in the car. I enjoy the weekend a lot, with everything that goes on, even if, as a driver, I live in a bubble over the weekend, not going to the Casino or eating out in restaurants. But it’s great fun to be racing in a place like this.”

Daniil Kvyat - 
“Monaco for me will be an absolutely new experience. Not only have I never raced there, I have never even been there on a visit. Of course, I have watched a lot of races from Monaco on TV and a lot of on-board footage. But it will really be a step into the unknown for me, even if I have now driven it on the simulator. In fact, I have never raced on any street circuit. I am really looking forward to the weekend, mainly from a driving point of view, but I also want to find out what it is that makes this race such a special event for all fans of motor sport.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monday, May 19, 2014

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren


More quotes and these ones are from McLaren-Mercedes!

Jenson Button - "Obviously, I’ve never driven a turbocharged F1 car around Monaco before - and I’m relishing the opportunity. More than any other 2014 race, I think this event will show us the most pronounced difference between ‘old F1’ and the new formula we have. There’s far less of an aerodynamic influence here - it’s just about bolting as much to the car as possible in a bid to find grip - so I think the engine’s influence will be greater. So, with less significance placed on aerodynamics, I hope we can enjoy a better race than our two previous outings in China and Spain. Monaco is such a special case - in every respect - I just hope we can string together a good weekend: we’ll need to get the absolute maximum from the car in qualifying and on the first lap to be in with a chance to put up a fair showing. I’m up for the challenge, and the whole team is doing a great job of staying strong and working flat-out to bring updates to every race - and Monaco is no exception.”

Kevin Magnussen - 
“It’s strange to come away from a Grand Prix having finished 12th and feel satisfied with my performance. But the Barcelona weekend taught me quite a lot about managing and setting my expectations, and, more importantly, it gave me the best opportunity so far this year to really get to grips with the MP4-29. And, had I not had that quali problem, I’m certain I’d have scored points. 
I’m happier with the car, not just in terms of my own driving, but also with the way I work with my engineers to set it up. We haven’t totally cracked it, but things are going in the right direction. My [World Series] race in Monaco last year was a bit of a missed opportunity - I didn’t hook it all together and ended up finishing only fourth - so, more than anything, I want to have a clean and constructive race this weekend. We don’t have the pace in the car to challenge at the front, but, wherever I am, I’m determined to make a fight of it.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham


Next quotes are from the Caterham F1 Team!

Kamui Kobayashi - "Next it's Monaco, one of the most famous races in the world. I like the challenge of the circuit, I think every driver does, but there is so much going on all over Monaco for the whole week it's pretty intense. Sometimes you just need to focus on your job but that's almost impossible while the race week is on, so I like to do the best work I can for the team on track. Monaco's also one of the shortest tracks of the year, and because it's not a really high speed circuit it's one where the gap to the cars ahead is always less. That's obviously good for us as one of the smaller teams as it means we have a better chance to do something special and I think it would be a fair reward for us to have something to celebrate after a couple of tough last races. I know that everyone in the team is working even harder than ever to fight back from where we are right now – the amount of hard work and effort that's always put in is one of the things that most impresses me about our team whenever I'm on track or at the factory, and it's about time our luck changed. Even though we only tested for one day in Spain, we still achieved a lot there. We were doing more aero evaluations of the new parts we took to Barcelona and were also looking closely at why we couldn't get the tyres working over the whole weekend in Spain. The good news is that the tests allowed us to assess alternative setups that pointed to a very clear direction for future development so we can overcome the problems we had in Spain. I also want to thank the whole team for working even harder than ever to prepare the cars for Monaco after what was a pretty big accident I had at the end of day one - now we'll take everything we have to Monaco and aim for a much better weekend there."

Marcus Ericsson - 
"As a rookie Monaco is obviously one of the races you're most excited about, and I'm no different! I obviously have a lot of experience of racing there in GP2, I finished on the podium in 2012 with iSport, but racing F1 cars around Monaco is one of the things I've dreamed about ever since I first wanted to be in F1, and I can't wait to get started. It's also going to be a very special race for all Swedish fans as it's 40 years since Ronnie Peterson won in Monaco in 1974. It's a huge honour for me to be another Swedish F1 driver following in his footsteps, especially as he and I come from the same part of Sweden, and while I know we won't be competing for a win like he was, I want to do the best job I can to pay homage to him and his legacy. I've obviously been asked a lot about what Senna meant to me over the last few weeks, but I always say it's Ronnie that really inspired me, obviously not because I saw him race, but because where I'm from in Sweden, Kumla, Ronnie is the number one hero. We have a couple of very cool things planned to celebrate his memory over the race week and I'm sure it'll be emotional for the people who are in the paddock today who remember him. If I can give them something to cheer for, that would be pretty cool for them and our whole team. In GP2 the race week is obviously very different to F1 for the drivers, but I know that the one of the main things is to switch off all the distractions whenever I'm in the car and focus on doing the best job I can on track. I have a few events going on over the week, and I'm sure they'll be good, but really it's about giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of anything that happens on track in quali and the race so that means making every lap count on Friday and Saturday. It's almost inevitable that there will be a higher retirement rate than we've seen in the last couple of races, and that may give us a chance, but we need to be there when it counts and that's what I want to focus on."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India


Next quotes come from The Force India boys!

Nico Hulkenberg - "It's the event of the year. Your heartbeat goes up when you arrive there and walk over the bridge into the pits. The place looks amazing with the buildings, the scenery and the mountains. Of course the biggest thrill is driving the track because it's so unique and gives you the biggest excitement of the year. In terms of precision it's right up there with Singapore as the toughest race of the year. You never get a break during the lap; you are always working hard because it's corner after corner. Even the straights are really short and it's high-speed for such a narrow track. I particularly enjoy the swimming pool area, which is very quick, and the two right-hand corners before the tunnel. I think it will be a normal track for us. As far as the pecking order is concerned, it's very tight and competitive at the moment so we need to keep working hard and keep developing."

Sergio Perez - "It's a big challenge and I have always believed it's a circuit where ýthe driver can really make a difference. So you always have the chance to do something special there. It's not the most difficult lap of the year, but you have to always keep your concentration. I don't believe that there will be a major surprise and I expect the same teams to be at the front. It's hard to predict how strong we will be, but I hope we can continue our good form."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.



Sir Jack Brabham passes away at age 88

Today, world champion, Sir Jack Brabham passed away at home at the age of 88 due to a battle with liver disease.

Brabham won 3 F1 world championships in his career in the years 1959, 1960 and 1966. He then retired in 1970.

He is survived by family, friends and past race team-mates.

RIP 1926 - 2014


Article Written By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringment intended.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Next quotes are from the Sauber boys!

Adrian Sutil - "The Monaco Grand Prix is a very nice event every year. I really like the track. For us, the most important aspect will be that our car works well and we can achieve a good performance. My objective is to travel back home with some points in my pocket. Looking back, I have good memories from the races in Monte Carlo as I collected some points almost every year. Last year it was an exciting race for me which I finished in fifth position. It is always a special Grand Prix, and I am looking forward to it."

Esteban Gutierrez - 
"The street circuit in Monaco is a very special track and one of my favourites on the calendar. As the track has many slow speed corners, we need to have a stable car. Our focus will be to get things sorted out and to make sure we are on target. What I like the most in Monte Carlo is driving on the narrow track between the guardrails. It is very challenging as you don't have a lot of space, and for a perfect lap you get very close to the barriers. The closer you get, the more you are pushing to the limit, so using every centimetre of the track. It is very exciting and racing on the streets of Monte Carlo is always a different kind of feeling."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull


More quotes and these ones are from Redbull!

Sebastian Vettel - "Monaco is one of my favourite tracks, it's an absolute challenge. You cannot afford to make one single mistake, because you would easily crash into the railings. Overtaking is only possible with taking an extreme risk. The best place to overtake is before the harbour chicane when we exit the narrow tunnel at 300kph and race towards the first gear chicane. Other than that, it's all about patience in Monaco and hoping for complete reliability as the suspension and drive are massively in demand around this extreme, uneven rollercoaster of a circuit - it's immense. In the perfect situation, you would have had a good quali and start from the front. Monaco offers some really great memories with the team, especially when everyone ended up jumping in the pool and one year Mark and I even ended up in the harbour. It's very special in Monaco and it's the race where we have our Energy Station with its larger outside area floating in the harbour, it's a great, great event."

Daniel Ricciardo - "
In Monte Carlo it's impossible to do that calm, detached racing driver thing. Every year I'm determined I'm going to approach the weekend in a coldly logical way, and every year I end up bouncing up and down and getting excited. It's just amazing. The atmosphere in town and down at the harbour, the history of the race, the massive crowd, it's a real buzz. The track is properly old-school. Driving an F1 car anywhere is special, the speed, the power and the acceleration just blows you away. But here it's... cool. I know there's that quote about racing at Monaco being like riding a bicycle around your bathroom - well when I was a kid I used to love riding my little bike around inside the house. It was more fun, there were more obstacles and a bit more danger. That really is what this is like. Experience definitely helps: the driver can make a big difference if he knows the tricks that a fast lap demands."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus


Next quotes from Lotus!

Romain Grosjean - "It's an exciting and glamorous Grand Prix and always a step into the unknown, because it's difficult to predict how well each car will work there. It's a crazy week with all the focus and attention, but everyone loves Monaco. As a driver you have to stay calm and relaxed on a track that doesn't allow for any mistakes. I've been super quick in the past, but also hit the walls! There will be less grip than in the past, so we will have to be careful with the right foot. The emphasis at Monaco is on low speed corners, which is not our greatest strength, but the team worked with Monaco in mind during the Barcelona test. We'll do our best with set-up and of course Monaco is less engine dependent than most circuits, which is better for us. It was nice not only to score points in Barcelona, but also to be fifth on the grid in qualifying - if we can do that again in Monaco it'll be very good for us..."

Pastor Maldonado - "I really love Monaco. I've been very quick in the past and I think it is one of the most special weekends of the year. The car has made a big step forward from where we were, which I think is a great boost for everyone at Enstone and of course as a driver it gives me more confidence in the car so I can aim to achieve better results. If you think about where we were and where we are now it is an incredible step forward – particularly when the other teams are moving forward with their development too. It's a true testament to the team's capabilities and I hope we can start to get the results on track that we so deserve."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes


First preview quotes for the Monaco GP come from Mercedes!

Lewis Hamilton - “It's been a busy few weeks for me, both on track and away from it, but I'm pleased to be getting back to racing again next weekend. And what a place to get back to it! Monaco is just incredible to drive and any driver will tell you that's the race they want to win. So many great names become legends around this circuit. It's an honour to fight for your place amongst them and a real test of your skills behind the wheel. The last few races have been just incredible. I honestly never expected I'd win four consecutive Grands Prix in my career and I'd love to continue that run here. I've had some work to do in terms of getting the car exactly as I want it after the weekend in Spain: it was so close between our cars at the end and I need to keep pushing to find any extra edge I can. The car has been strong at every race so far and I'm sure it'll be the same in Monaco, so we should be set for an entertaining weekend.”

Nico Rosberg - “Monaco: my home town! Obviously, I associate many wonderful memories with this place. It's where I grew up and where I now live as an adult. But in sporting terms too, I have had some great moments there: in particular last year when I won there for the first time in my Formula One career. That was an absolutely incredible feeling. Driving a Formula One car there is simply fantastic and it's an event every driver looks forward to each year. Overall I was quite pleased with the last race weekend in Barcelona. Disappointed, of course, not to have taken the win but happy that the team achieved another one-two finish. The Championship battle is very close and to re-gain the advantage at my home race would be fantastic, so I'll be pushing harder than ever to make that happen. I had a productive day of testing in Barcelona where we made some good progress with braking and starts: two areas that I feel are costing me time at the moment. Hopefully that will give me the extra edge next weekend. It should be an exciting weekend and I can't wait to get started.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by drivers. 

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Monaco GP: Circuit Preview


  (I do not own this image. Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk) 

My favourite Grand Prix is almost here, the beautiful and incredible Monaco GP. This street circuit is one of the most popular on the current F1 Calendar. There are many events that are held during the GP weekend including the Amber Lounge Fashion Show and the Charity soccer event. F1 drivers tend to take part in both of those events and also attend multiple parties and media events.

The "Circuit De Monaco" is located in Monte Carlo, Monaco and is a Street Circuit. It opened back in 1929 and the current version of the circuit is 2.075 miles and has 19 turns. As many, this one also runs clockwise. The drivers will do a whopping 78 laps here and it's one of the few circuits where the lap total is over 65.

This is by far, one of the most dangerous circuits as well and one of the only ones with a tunnel. If the tunnel wasn't distracting enough for a driver, when you exit, you're faced with a tight chicane. Many people have crashed at that area, but recently, the safety has become much better. 

Now, let's take a quick look-back at last years Monaco GP!

Nico Rosberg took Pole Position for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team and was the leader for the entire race. Sebastian Vettel came in Second and Mark Webber in Third, making it a double Red Bull podium. 

One of the most exciting moments was a very tight passing battle between Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez. There was a moment they were so close to eachother that Kimi ended up giving Perez no room and the McLaren was scraping the side of the wall. Although there was no crash, it was still a hair-raising moment.

Retirements included: 

Sergio Perez with brake failure, but he still qualified as finishing 16th, as he had completed over 90% of the race. 

Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado & Daniel Ricciardo all had to retire from collisions.

Charles Pic retired with a Gearbox issue and Jules Bianchi retired with a brake problem.

Felipe Massa was forced to retire with a Suspension issue.

So, with everything said, we're probably in for another exciting and head-turning race at Monaco and I'll be bringing you all the updates and commentary for the Free Practice Sessions as well as the Drivers quotes and re-caps of all sessions. 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk


Monaco GP: Schedule

We're in the middle of May and that means it's time for one of my favourite Grand Prixs! The Grand Prix de Monaco! Monaco has one of the most famed street circuits and I always look forward to this race. 

One thing that is different is that there is no F1 Activities on Friday, where as usually, that's when the first two Free Practice Sessions take place, instead they will take place on Thursday and the drivers press conference will take place on Wednesday. So, here is the full schedule and remember the times are in Local Monaco Time, if you'd like it converted to your time zone, just let me know.

SCHEDULE:

May 21st - Wednesday

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

May 22nd - Thursday

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 23rd - Friday

- No F1 Activities

May 24th - Saturday 

08:00 - 08:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice
08:00 - 08:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3
12:15 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - Qualifying

May 25th - Sunday

08:00 - 09:00 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:30 - Drivers Track Parade
12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
13:45 - National Anthem
14:00 - Race

(Times & Schedule subject to change.)

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

In-Season Test #2 - Barcelona - Day 2 Re-Cap & Results

The in-season test at Barcelona is now over and it's time for a re-cap of day 2. I was unable, (once again), to complete commentary as there were technical issues. But - I still have all the time results and it was Lotus who finished fastest yesterday! 

We had multiple red flags with cars stopping again, including Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Juncadella, Susie Wolff and then Esteban Gutierrez's Sauber caught fire at the rear. Mechanics were quick to put the fire out though and no injuries were sustained. 

Overall, the star of the day was Pastor Maldonado. Yep, you read that right. Maldonado ended up getting the Lotus to go fastest overall and held his place at the top of the time-sheets all day. Now, here are the rest of the times.

TIMES:

1. Pastor Maldonado - 1:24.871 / Lotus
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:25.805 / Mercedes
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:26.480 / Ferrari
4. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:26.972 / Sauber
5. Susie Wolff - 1:27.280 - William
6. Jules Bianchi - 1:27.718 / Marussia
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:27.973 / Redbull
8. Daniel Juncadella - 1:28.278 / Force India
9. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:28.441 / McLaren
10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:28.910 / Toro Rosso 

Caterham did not take part in Day 2, as the Chassis of the car was too damaged due to Kobayashi's crash on Day 1.

I will be posting the Circuit Preview and Schedule for the Monaco GP soon, so look for it in the next day or so!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended. 

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

In-Season Test #2 - Barcelona - Day 2 Line-Up

Day 2 of Testing in Barcelona will be taking place in the morning and as always, I will be doing live commentary & updates on twitter @F1Insider78

Here is the driver line-up for Day 2.

LINE-UP:

Redbull - Sebastian Vettel
Mercedes - Nico Rosberg
McLaren - Stoffel Vandoorne (R)
Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen
Force India - Daniel Juncadella (R)
Lotus - Pastor Maldonado
Sauber - Esteban Gutierrez
Williams - Susie Wolff (R)
Toro Rosso - Daniil Kvyat
Caterham - Robin Frijns (R)
Marussia - Jules Bianchi

(R) = The driver is currently a reserve/test driver for the team.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended.

In-Season Test #2 - Barcelona - Day 1 Re-Cap & Results

The first day of the in-season test at Barcelona is now done and complete, so time for a re-cap and I will also be posting the times.

The morning started off sorta' rainy and very cold. Vergne caused 2 Red Flags when the Toro Rosso stopped once and then twice in the span of 2 hours. Raikkonen and Chilton also stopped once and caused Red Flags. Later on, Hamilton, who ended the morning session on top, stopped in the pit-lane.

After lunch, we had technical issues so I missed quite a lot, but what I do know is that Kobayashi had an accident and crashed the Caterham, while Max Chilton in the Marussia, was fastest out of the whole session. Sebastien Buemi, reserve for Redbull, had a difficult session when he endured gearbox problems. The weather was better though, as the track cleared up and most drivers were putting on Medium tyres. Sauber & Toro Rosso were the teams carrying out testing for Pirelli this time around. 

Now, on to the times:

1. Max Chilton - 1:26.434 / Marussia
2. Charles Pic - 1:26.661 / Lotus
3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:26.674 / Mercedes
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:26.965 / Ferrari
5. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:27.724 / Toro Rosso
6. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:27.727 / Force India
7. Felipe Massa - 1:27.756 / Williams
8. Jenson Button - 1:28.333 / McLaren
9. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:30.101 / Caterham
10. Sebastien Buemi - 1:31.440 / Redbull
11. Giedo Van Der Garde - 1:31.783 / Sauber

I will be posting the Line-Up for day 2 in a bit!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Penalty Points - Who has them?

Any F1 fan is aware that the sport of Formula 1 Racing goes through never-ending changes. Some of those changes include rules & regulations. This year introduced the new "Penalty Points System" - A new way of punishing a driver for doing a fault. 

If a driver causes a collision, or does some sort of other disapproving behavior, the FIA/Stewards can choose to give them Penalty Points &/or another punishment such as a Grid Penalty, a Drive-Through penalty or even a Race Ban. Penalty Points are put on the drivers' Super License and once they have 12 Points, they have an automatic race ban. 

So, with that said, I'll be keeping track of the total of points that the drivers have throughout the season! Let's go ahead and take a look at how things are at the moment.

PENALTY POINTS COUNTER:

1. Pastor Maldonado - 4 Points
2. Jules Bianchi - 4 Points
3. Valtteri Bottas - 2 Points
4. Kevin Magnussen - 2 Points
5. Adrian Sutil - 2 Points

If a driver is not listed, it means he does not currently have any penalty points.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
 

Alexander Rossi to drive in Canada and USA Practice Sessions



                                                 (Image from Flickr.com - I do not own this photo.)

California native, Alexander Rossi will drive in Free Practice 1 during the Canadian and US Grand Prix Weekends, for Caterham, his current team where he is a reserve/test driver. Rossi is one of the few drivers who are being talked about for the newly signed Haas F1 Team.

Rossi has 3 Championship titles, (Formula BMW World, Formula BMW America and Skip Barber Western Regional), and is looking to race for Formula 1 as part of a main-line up soon.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
 

Monday, May 12, 2014

In-Season Test #2 - Barcelona - Day 1 Line-Up

We've now approached the second set of testing. This one is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, where the Spanish GP just took place. This is the line-up for Day 1. I will be doing live-commentary/updates for the testing on my twitter @F1Insider78

Day 1 / Tuesday

Redbull - Sebastien Buemi (R)
Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus - Charles Pic (R)
McLaren - Jenson Button
Force India - Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber - Giedo Van der Garde (R)
Williams - Felipe Massa
Toro Rosso - Jean-Eric Vergne
Caterham - Kamui Kobayashi
Marussia - Max Chilton 

(R) = The person is currently a reserve/test driver for the team.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Feature: Spanish GP - Our Post-Race Quote

Amy Hawk, F1Insider78 - "I think the race was quite entertaining and first I'd just like to say congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on his 4th consecutive win. That's a huge accomplishment. Force India had a strong performance and the team got another double-points finish, so I'm very happy with that. It's a shame, really that Sauber is struggling at the moment. Both drivers, (Esteban & Sutil), really do have a lot of potential and motivation to get some points. I really hope things get better for the team.

I heard Maldonado now has a total of 4 penalty points after his contact early on in the race with Marcus Ericsson. I'm not sure how long the stewards are going to put up with the way Maldonado has been acting in the car. It's very distracting to the other drivers. Other than that, another good race. In-Season testing starts Tuesday and then we have a week and a half before Monaco. It's always a huge event, so I'm excited for it. I'd love to see Perez and Hulkenberg finish in the top 5 at Monte Carlo. It'd be great."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quote belongs to F1Insider78 and it's reporter, available for use with permission.

Spanish GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Another race down and now 2 weeks until one of the biggest races on the F1 Calendar: Monaco! - I hope you all enjoyed yesterday's Spanish GP. It was a good one, despite it being a bit slow with not many people able to pass.

Hamilton drove to the top, taking his 4th consecutive win this season. His team-mate, Nico Rosberg once again came in Second and Daniel Ricciardo rounded up the podium in 3rd, finally getting his first real podium after a fuel flow limit breech had him disqualified from his 2nd place Finish in Australia.

McLaren struggled again, unable to find a pace to take them into the points, Jenson just missing out, as he finished in 11th, while Magnussen finished right behind him in 12th. Sauber was also having problems with the cars, even after improvements they made over the week.

Vergne retired early on with an exhaust problem and Kobayashi experienced brake failure, causing him to retire as well. Someone who nearly had a retirement was Marcus Ericsson when Pastor Maldonado cut him off and nearly slammed into the Caterham. Pastor recieved his 4th penalty point after the race and he was given a 5-Second-Drive-Through-Penalty during the race.

Overall, it was a good race for Force India, who finished with double points again and also for Romain Grosjean who finished the race without an accident and got points as well.

Now, on to the results!

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia / + 15 Points

4. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany / + 12 Points

5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain / + 8 Points

7. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland / + 6 Points

8. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France / + 4 Points

9. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / + 2 Points

10. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany / + 1 Point

11. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain / + 0 Points

12. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark / + 0 Points

13. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil / + 0 Points 

14. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia / + 0 Points 

15. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela / + 0 Points 

16. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico / + 0 Points

17. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / + 0 Points

18. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France / + 0 Points

19. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain / + 0 Points

20. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden / + 0 Points

21. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan / RETIRED - Brake Failure / + 0 Points

22. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France / RETIRED - Exhaust / + 0 Points

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