Pre-Season Test #1 - Jerez Day 1 - Line Up

As the 2015 approaches, it is that time again.. Yep, you guessed it - Pre-Season testing! And the first stop is in Jerez, Spain.

Only 8 teams will be there as Marussia and Caterham remain absent from the grid. Force India has pulled out of the 4-day-test at Jerez, in order to focus their efforts on continuing to prepare for the upcoming season. However, Force India assure they will be at Barcelona.

Here is the line-up for Day 1.

Mercedes-Mercedes: Nico Rosberg
Red Bull-Renault: Daniel Ricciardo
Ferrari-Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso
Toro Rosso-Renault: Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sauber-Ferrari: Marcus Ericsson
Lotus-Mercedes: Pastor Maldonado 

We will be providing LIVE Commentary Coverage of all the pre-season testing. You can find it by following us on our Twitter @F1Insider78

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

Button & Alonso partnered for McLaren-Honda

It has long been confirmed that the double world champion, Fernando Alonso had left Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, who was early confirmed leaving Red Bull, would be taking the Spaniard's place on the Italian team.

Although this news was expected, now that it has been confirmed, a lot of fans feel like the sport has reached the end of a nera. Fernando joined Scuderia Ferrari in 2010 afer a disappointing second season with previous team Renault. In Alonso's 4 year partnership with Ferrari, the pairing have had their ups and downs.

One of the incredible things about his time with the team was the love he received from the Italian fans. When he races in Italy he is greeted by cheering at the exit of every corner.

But now, the Spaniard has been confirmed for a return at McLaren as they prepare to race in the 2015 season with Honda engines, ending their long partnership with Mercedes. He will joing Jenson Button, who has been retained by the Woking-based team. It was a long wait to find out th team's full line-up, but now that things are in place, fans of Alonso and Button can breathe a sigh of relief.

Young Dane, Kevin Magnussen has been demoted to reserve driver for 2015. Also staying with the team are Stoffel Vandoorne, who will race in another season of GP2 with ART and Oliver Turvey, who has been their long-term development driver. Not returning is test driver Gary Paffett, who has decided to focus on his DTM career.

-----
Article Written By: Frances Fry & Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

Ricciardo & Kvyat for Red Bull 2015

It has become a new era for Red Bull as Sebastian Vettel heads to Ferrari to partner Kimi Raikkonen for 2015. This came as quite a shock, especially as Vettel has had incredible success within the team, having won 4 World Championship titles with them.

Taking Vettel's place and partnering Daniel Ricciardo will be Daniil Kvyat, the young Russian Rookie who debuted in F1 with the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. Some may think that these are big boots to fill for Kvyat, but he proved himself in his debut season and even brought in a total of 8 points for the team. He's also a GP3 World Champion.

Of course, with one move in F1, the grid tends to shake up.. And it left an empty seat at Toro Rosso beside the newly signed Max Verstappen. Driving beside him will be young Carlos Sainz, who has opted to drop the "Jr." from his name upon entering F1. Carlos is keen to prove his skills, having took the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship.

More to come, as the 2015 season approaches.

----

Article Written By: Frances Fry & Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

Ericsson & Nasr team up for Sauber 2015

After a tough 2014 season, Sauber is already hard at work preparing for 2015. This includes a completely different driver line-up. First announced was Marcus Ericsson. The young Swede who drove for Caterham in 2014 but parted ways before the end of the season. Caterham became the center of multiple financial and legal issues, forcing the team to withdrawal from Austin and Brazil. Marcus has already gotten a taste of driving in the Swiss team's car during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. 

Their second driver for 2015 will be Felipe Nasr. Felipe, who competed in GP2 for Carlin in 2014 and was a reserve for Williams Martini Racing, will get to make his F1 racing this year. Felipe finished 3rd in the GP2 Drivers Championship.  While this is good news for the two young drivers, it leaves question as to what the future hold for Adrian Sutil and Giedo Van Der Garde. The 2 were part of Sauber's 2014 line-up, along with young driver Esteban Gutierrez, who now serves as Ferrari's Reserve driver. 

Completing Sauber's line-up is Italian driver, Raffaele Marciello, who will be their Reserve driver for the 2015 season. The Swiss team will be eager to get back into the groove of things with Pre-Season testing starting in just a few days.

---- Article Written By: Amy Hawk / No Copyright Infringement Intended / Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 

 

2014 End Of Season Thanks

Here at F1Insider, we want to make sure anyone who helped support us in 2014 got a mention here!

We'd like to first thank all the teams, main drivers, reserves and test drivers for a very special season and for making our job very fun and fast-paced. We'd also like to thank and give a huge shout out to the supporting championships: GP2 & GP3 - The new Formula E World Championship and The World Endurance Championship.

Special thanks to: The Perez Family and Rajet Aero Services for the wonderful support you've given us throughout the year.

Shout out to: ESPNF1, Sky Sports, BBC1, F1fanatic.com, autosport, TWSTEEL, Rajet Aero Services, Smirnoff, Telmex, Claro, AMG, Petronas, Gatorade, Hugo Boss, King Fisher and Telcel.

More Thank You's go to: Frances Fry (Co-Writer & Contributor), Emily Jade Lloyd (Contributor), Marcey (Contributor), Sauber F1 Team (For the love and support throughout the season), Korainen GP3 team, Dan Rigsby, Fernando Rees, Bruno Senna, Oliver Turvey, Will Buxton & NBCS, BoxBox Gaming, Ken Domik with KBD Productions, April, Andreas Backman, F1Nova, Gutifollowers, F1Ladys, Rachel, Amy, Tom & Tim Coronel, Skypes Compactors, F1StatMan, JourneyToLeMans, InsideF1_UK, autoracinglive, formulaoneworld, downforcef1blog, testdrivemex, NASMEX, Reddit F1, Chandni, Clara Gutierrez, Andres Gutierrez, Paola Ruiz, Xavi at Force India, and many many more!

----
Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

2014 Season Re-Cap & Stats

Whether you watched a few races or watched them all - 2014 brought ultimate racing action. Trophies were held high, cars were wrecked and personalities ran strong throughout the 19-race season of the Formula 1 World Championship. 

It's time to take a short look back at each race and go over the stats and outcome. 

Australia: This season the races kicked off down under in Australia: As per usual, a fantastic race was supplied. The race did its job of giving us a clue as to who would be where in the end standings. Although, obviously, very early in the season to be making any predictions, with Nico Rosberg's win, the standards of Mercedes became quite clear. One of the biggest talked about moments was Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification of his 2nd place finish due to a breech in the rules.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Kevin Magnussen
3rd: Jenson Button
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Disqualified), Kamui Kobayashi (Collision), Felipe Massa (Collision), Lewis Hamilton (Engine Failure), Sebastian Vettel (Engine Failure), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Pressure), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit)

Malaysia: In Malaysia, Lewis Hamilton came back fighting and winning the GP, leading from lights out. It suddenly became clear that neither Mercedes drivers were going to let the other win.

With both the Mercedes flying away at the front, other drivers were finding the new cars and rules hard to adapt to. Both Saubers for example, retired in the race in comparison to their finishes in the previous race. This illustrated all the development left to happen throughout the season.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Daniil Kvyat
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Sergio Perez (Did Not Start - Gearbox), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Jules Bianchi (Brakes), Jean-Eric Vergne (Turbo), Adrian Sutil (Power Unit), Esteban Gutierrez (Gearbox), Daniel Ricciardo (Wing Damage)

Bahrain: Lewis Hamilton won this race, making it his second win of the season. Reinforcing the Mercedes power with speed and reliability. The only question hanging above the team was how long these victories would last.

Perhaps the biggest occurrence of this race was the accident between Lotus driver, Pastor Maldonado and Sauber driver, Esteban Gutierrez. Gutierrez was sent head-over-heels after Maldonado drove into the side of him upon exiting the pit-lane. The younger driver was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks and was later released, unharmed.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sergio Perez
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Collision), Jean-Eric Vergne (Collision Damage), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Leak), Esteban Gutierrez (Accident), Kevin Magnussen (Clutch), Jenson Button (Clutch)

China: Lewis once again, stole a win and lead from start to finish as he began to truly show his dominance for the season. However, the race was ended on lap 54 as it ran over the 2 hour allowance. The loss of a lap didn't make a particularly massive difference however as the leader was truly ahead of the rest. It seemed the real race was for third place rather than first and second.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Fernando Alonso
Last Point: Daniil Kvyat
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Engine Failure), Romain Grosjean (Gearbox)

Spain: Lewis Hamilton took home his fourth victory at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya. He was clearly unstoppable. As mentioned before, the new car were in need of a lot of work. Updates began flooding into the pit-lane on the weekend of the race. Teams were eager to make their cars more reliable and to do their best to catch the Silver Arrows.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Nico Hulkenberg
Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Jean-Eric Vergne (Exhaust), Kamui Kobayashi (Brakes)

Monaco: As usual, Monaco put a twist in the tale and for a change, Nico Rosberg won the race. This was not a welcome turn for Lewis as this is where their relationship as team-mates turned a bit sour. The podium was perhaps the most awkward of the season.

But of course, what would Monaco be without a few bumps? Whether you've been in Formula 1 for 10 years or 10 weeks, the circuit has the potential to catch you out.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Pastor Maldonado (Did Not Start - Fuel Pump), Sergio Perez (Collision Damage), Sebastian Vettel (Turbo), Daniil Kvyat (Exhaust), Adrian Sutil (Accident), Jean-Eric Vergne (Exhaust), Valtteri Bottas (Engine Failure), Esteban Gutierrez (Accident)

Canada: This race ended up a bit differently than the last few, as it wasn't Hamilton or Rosberg on top. It was none other than Australia's Daniel Ricciardo. This was not only an incredible accomplishment for the driver but a great bit of news for Red Bull - As their choice of bringing Ricciardo to the team seemed to be paying off, bringing them their first taste of victory for the season. Would it be their only taste though?

This was not the only surprise of the race as on the last lap there was contact between Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez. Sebastian Vettel managed to narrowly avoid the accident as the two cars touched and were unable to finish. Luckily both drivers escaped without injury.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Felipe Massa
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Jules Bianchi (Collision), Max Chilton (Collision), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Leak), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Kamui Kobayashi (Suspension Failure), Lewis Hamilton (Brakes), Daniil Kvyat (Drive Shaft), Romain Grosjean (Rear Wing Damage), Esteban Gutierrez (Power Unit), Felipe Massa (Collision - Qualified as finished), Sergio Perez (Collision - Qualified as finished)

Austria: This race brought Rosberg's third win of the season. It seemed he was catching Hamilton up on the competition. Congratulations were in order for Williams' Felipe Massa as he achieved his first pole position since 2008. However, it was Massa's younger team-mate, Valtteri Bottas who finished on the podium.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez
Pole Position: Felipe Massa
Retirements: Daniil Kvyat (Suspension), Sebastian Vettel (Electronics), Jean-Eric Vergne (Brakes)

Great Britain: The crowds were especially happy after this race as Lewis Hamilton brought a win home for the fans from his country. The celebrations were especially significant as he won starting from 6th place, which is his win from his lowest starting position.

However, it wasn't a dream race for everyone, as on lap 1, Kimi Raikkonen spun out and bounced off the barrier before sliding across the circuit and hitting the wall on the other side. Most of the drivers got past unscathed. All but Massa, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both him and Raikkonen were forced to retire from the race.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Valtteri Bottas
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Jean-Eric Vergne
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Kimi Raikkonen (Accident), Felipe Massa (Collision), Esteban Gutierrez (Collision Damage), Marcus Ericsson (Suspension Failure), Nico Rosberg (Gearbox), Pastor Maldonado (Exhaust)

Germany: With one Mercedes driver having just accomplished his home win, it was only expcted that the second one would. And he did. Nico Rosberg drove to victory in front of his home crowd in Germany. This win was very beneficial to him as he increased his lead on British team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg had a new confidence entering the next race.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Valtteri Bottas
3rd: Lewis Hamilton
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Felipe Massa (Collision), Romain Grosjean (Water Leak), Daniil Kvyat (Oil Leak), Adrian Sutil (Spun Off)

Hungary: Daniel Ricciardo found himself on top of the podium in Hungary, for the second time this season it was him who took the victory. The only thing that dampened the mood was the rain that greeted the teams. The track was so wet that every single one of the drivers had to start on Intermediate tyres. The track dried up a bit towards the end of the race, allowing drivers to change strategies and get adventurous, but as you know.. A wet Grand Prix is one spent perched on the edge of your seat.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Fernando Alonso
3rd: Lewis Hamilton
Last Point: Jenson Button
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Marcus Ericsson (Collision), Romain Grosjean (Spun Off), Nico Hulkenberg (Collision), Sergio Perez (Accident), Kamui Kobayashi (Fuel System), Esteban Gutierrez (Electrical)

Belgium: Once again, Ricciardo was on the podium. With three wins, (and two of them back to back), Ricciardo was really beginning to shine. At this point, he'd definitely started to get people excited for his future in the sport.

Despite his win, the biggest surprise of the race was the contact between the two Mercedes drivers. On lap 2, on the entry of Les Combes, the team-mates touched, resulting in a puncture for Hamilton.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Nico Hulkenberg
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Pastor Maldonado (Exhaust), Andre Lotterer (Electrical), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit), Lewis Hamilton (Collision Damage), Jules Bianchi (Gearbox)

Italy: Being one of the most famous races in the season, Monza had a lot to deliver and it did not disappoint. Except for the Ferrari fans who were saddened by the retirement of Fernando Alonso.

However, Lewis Hamilton won the race after a spectacular battle. He overtook his team-mate as Rosberg missed the chicane. This happened on more than one occasion. The win was deserved as Hamilton has been on top all weekend. He qualified on pole and set the fastest lap.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Felipe Massa
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Max Chilton (Accident), Fernando Alonso (Engine Failure)

Singapore: In Singapore a lot of action took place in the formation lap. Rosberg's car stalled on the formation and after his team managed to restart the car, he began the race from the pit-lane. He wasn't the only one with unfortunate luck. Kamui Kobayashi couldn't even start the race due to electrical issues.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Sebastian Vettel
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Kamui Kobayashi (Did Not Start - Power Unit), Nico Rosberg (Wiring Loom), Esteban Gutierrez (Electrical), Adrian Sutil (Water Leak), Jenson Buton (Power Box)

Japan: This was perhaps the most shocking race of the season, and not in a good way. In Japan, the weather was more than bad as a Typhoon was hitting around the location of the circuit, making the conditions wet and dangerous. Things sometimes end badly during wet races and it was Marussia's Jules Bianchi who suffered an unfortunate accident.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him and his family as he continues to recover.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Fernando Alonso (Electronics), Adrian Sutil (Accident), Jules Bianchi (Accident)

Russia: This race was the first ever race at the new Sochi track in Russia. However, it seemed the surface was a little too smooth as wear on the tyres was almost non-existent. If the drivers didn't need to use both required compounds, they may have not even pitted.

Before the race, however.. The drivers stood in a linked circle at the front of the grid for a silent moment for their absent friend and driver, Jules Bianchi. It was a touching moment, reminding us all, that even if you're fighting for first or fighting for that last point.. At the end of the day, everyone comes together to stand united.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Valtteri Bottas
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Max Chilton (Suspension Failure), Kamui Kobayashi (Brakes)

United States: In America, there were two teams missing due to financial issues, both Marussia and Caterham were given permission to miss the race. Th two teams remained absent in the next race as well. Marussia's return looks less than likely while the future of Caterham is still not confirmed for 2015.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Jean-Eric Vergne
Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Collision), Sergio Perez (Collision), Nico Hulkenberg (Engine Failure)

Brazil: It was time for the penultimate race of the season and the drivers championship was due to be decided at the end of the last race. In Brazil, all was still to play for. The race ended in another 1-2 finish for Mercedes. On top of the two was Nico Rosberg. It seemed he was entering the final race with the psychological advantage.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Felipe Massa
Last Point: Valtteri Bottas
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Suspension Failure), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit - Qualified As Finished)

Abu Dhabi: This race featured everyone's favourite controversial topic! Double Points! Despite this, there was everything to race for as Rosberg and Hamilton went head-to-head for the last time of the 2014 Season.

Hamilton won in the end but unfortunately Rosberg wasn't able to give much of a fight due to reliability issues. However, Rosberg deserves praise as when he was told he could retire the car, he asked to continue the race and finish. Additionally, after he race, the team-mates managed to put their feud aside as they congratulated each other.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Felipe Massa
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Daniil Kvyat (Power Unit), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Kamui Kobayashi (Vibrations)

-----
Article Written By: Frances Fry
Edited By: Amy Hawk
No Copyright Infringement Intended
----
Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 

Feature: Star Drivers Of The Abu Dhabi GP

Frances Fry - "This time, I have to acknowledge the championship winner. He had some tough times at the start of the season but he never gave up and pushed on. Clearly this faith paid off as he is now the 2014 Formula 1 World Champion and that is a title to be proud of. I'm sure if you asked him how he felt, Lewis Hamilton would be speechless. Winning a second world championship can do that to a person. 

The reason he's my driver of the weekend is not just because he won the championship, but because despite all the hype that he could win, he kept his cool and pushed for the entire race. He kept a strong faith in himself and his team and trusted his judgment. 

I would like to congratulate Lewis, his family and his team but also, Rosberg, for finishing the race and coming second in a championship. That too is a great achievement."

Amy Hawk - "My driver of the weekend is the same as Frances' choice. Lewis Hamilton. What a humble and deserving driver. Getting that first Championship is a good feeling, but getting your second really tops the list.

He really held on through the whole season, fighting his way through troublesome qualifying sessions and tough races. In the end, he came out on top and never lost his cool while doing so. So huge congrats to Lewis and the Mercedes team! It's been a spectacular year! On to 2015 now!"

----

Quotes belong to F1Insider78 and are available for use with permission.

Visit us on Twitter @F1Insider78

Feature: Abu Dhabi GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Frances Fry - "As the last event of the season I wasn't looking forward to this race being over. If I had my way there would be races every weekend but teams need breaks as much as you and me. 

Abu Dhabi sure sent the season out with a bang! From lights out positions were being battled for. Most recognisably out front as Hamilton, who qualified second, overtook his teammate and championship rival, Nico Rosberg, who had qualified on pole. For a few laps, the final battle was exactly how fans wanted it. They were both after that win. However, not too far into the race, Rosberg reported power loss and the team informed him there had been a failure in his ERS, giving him a loss of 160 horse power. Looking at this figure, it's no surprise Rosberg ended up finishing in 13th place, lapped by Hamilton. 

With only  several laps left Mercedes told Rosberg that they had cleared a gap in his garage for his car and for him to retire it. Rosberg told them he would like to finish the race and he went on struggling to keep places. By pushing on Rosberg displayed his true commitment not only to the team, but to himself. It was very admirable. 

However, you cannot deny Hamilton of his victory. He won 11 of the 19 rounds this year and he deserved the title as much as Rosberg, even though he didn't really have to fight for his final win."

Amy Hawk - "What a wild last race. First off - My congratulations to Lewis, Felipe and Valtteri! What a splendid way to their end of the season. Mercedes did such a great job this year, with multiple strong performances all season.

Force India also had a spectacular last race with both drivers finishing in the top 10. I wish the same could have happened for Sauber. They tried so hard all season, but unfortunately it didn't work out.

It's quite a shame that we didn't get to see too much of a battle between Lewis and Nico (Rosberg) - As Nico had so many severe car issues.. But overall, it's been a great season and Abu Dhabi is one of my favourite tracks.

I'm already looking forward to next year. Cheers!"

----

Quotes belong to their rightful owners - Available for use with permission

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78