British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Carlos Sainz - “Silverstone is one of the Grands Prix circuits I’ve most been looking forward to this season. It’s always been my favourite track. I have driven the track with both the Infiniti Red Bull Racing and the Scuderia Toro Rosso car, in occasion of the in-season test in 2013. I have also scored many wins there in Formula Renault and taken pole positions, as well as being quite quick in Formula BMW and Formula 3. It should be one of the nicest tracks to drive in a Formula 1 car with its high speed layout. It’s also an important Grand Prix for me, as I have a home in London. It’s going to be an enjoyable weekend.”

Max Verstappen - “I’ve driven there in Formula 3 and one day of a Renault test, so not that much track time, but a bit more than at some other tracks. It’s not an easy track to understand at first, but I found that I improved a lot over the course of a weekend racing there. Hopefully, this weekend I can start again where I left off and improve some more. Becketts and Maggots are very important in terms of gaining lap time and it’s very important at this circuit to get into a good flowing rhythm. It’s high speed, which in terms of the corners will suit our car, although the long straights might see us struggle a little bit. It’s a great track, so I am really looking forward to the race there. The weather can be a bit strange and the crosswinds can make it really challenging, sometimes requiring completely different set-up from one session to the next."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber


Marcus Ericsson - "The British Grand Prix is for me one of the highlights of the season. A historical track with some great corner combinations. Also the atmosphere there is unique, with loyal, dedicated and enthusiastic British Formula One fans. I love to drive there, Silverstone is one of my favorite tracks. I believe it will be a challenging weekend for us, but I am convinced that we will make the best of it."

Felipe Nasr - "Silverstone is a circuit which I enjoy driving on. It is not only one of my favorite tracks, but for me also kind of a home race, because I have been living in England for five years now. Therefore, it is always nice to come back to where motorsport and its great fans are at home. The British Grand Prix will probably not be an easy weekend, as this high speed track requires a lot of down force."

Raffaele Marciello (Test & Reserve for Sauber F1 Team - Driving in Free Practice #1) - "I am looking forward to another FP1 session. In general I like fast tracks; Silverstone is one of my favorites. The Becketts section particularly is always a challenge. I am pleased to again be driving the Sauber C34-Ferrari. It is the third time I will be driving the car in FP1 – after Malaysia and Spain. Together with my GP2 duties, I am looking forward to another busy race weekend."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India


Nico Hulkenberg - "I'm really looking forward to Silverstone – the team's home race. We go there with a lot of momentum following the strong performance in Austria where we really maximised everything. The circuit suited us, of course, but the field was really close and it was up to us to get a good result, which we did. Finishing sixth was probably the maximum we could get from the race and to come away with a good bunch of points was very satisfying. I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the upgraded VJM08 at Silverstone, which will give us the first impression of what we can expect in the second half of the season.

Silverstone is one of the best races on the calendar. The fans are great and it's hard to find an empty seat anywhere. The atmosphere is buzzing and that always gives me an extra boost. I usually go to the campsites to see the fans and it's great to see everybody having such a good time. Because it's our home race, I also get to spend more time at the factory with the team members who don't usually go to races. As a circuit, Silverstone gives you a great feeling when you're driving, especially in the fast corners: to get a good lap together on such a difficult track is an amazing feeling."

Sergio Perez - "The last two races have been a bit difficult for me, but we still managed to come away with points in Austria and it was a great performance by the team. With the arrival of our upgrade package in Silverstone, it's going to be an important and busy weekend for the team as we try to get all the new parts working together. I really like the Silverstone track, with its fast and flowing corners, which are great fun to drive. There is a lot of history and you feel there is something special from the moment you arrive at the circuit. I always performed well there in the early part of my career and I would love to pick up some points this weekend.

Having our factory next to the circuit makes this a special race for the team. It's a busy one too with lots going on with all our partners and events for the staff. I used to live close to the track - in Oxford – when I was racing in Formula Three, so this used to be my home race for a while and I still have a lot of friends in the area, which makes the week very enjoyable."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus


Romain Grosjean - "It's a fantastic track with a lot of high speed corners. I won there in the GP2 Series in 2011, so I have to say it has fond memories for me. I scored points there in my F1 debut but then for the last couple of years my British Grand Prix hasn't been so good in terms of results. This means I must be due a good result and we'll be doing everything we can to ensure a good finish in the points! Silverstone is challenging, but it has a really good feeling to it. It's one of the quickest tracks of the year and as drivers we always like to go fast! There are corners which are legendary like the Magotts, Becketts, Chapel complex. It's quite a feeling going through there and I can't wait to feel that sensation once more. The whole layout has a really good, fast flow to it and you can really feel your car working hard with the down force through the fast flowing corners. It's a happy place to be. It's also a special Grand Prix for the team as the factory is very close to the track. It's always nice to see not only the race team, but also some of the many people from the factory come to see us out in action. It's thanks to all their hard work that we're out on track and they are all doing an amazing job, always working so hard. It really does have a feeling of a home event.

Over the years there's been quite a bit of wet weather for the British Grand Prix, and this was not so much of a surprise to the Englishmen I've spoken to! I have lived quite near to the track so my experience of regularly visiting Enstone means that I know the weather can change quite a lot. An English summer's day is wonderful, but sometimes you have to look hard to find one! That said, it's looked pretty good so far this year and there is even talk of something of a heatwave coming to Britain. It's fantastic to be at Silverstone when the weather is good and the fans are all out so let's hope that happens."

Pastor Maldonado - "I think that Silverstone is an amazing track. It has a great history, it's fast and the change to the most recent layout hasn't really changed the nature of the track too much. It's always a special place to visit and you know that you're always there for the racing as it's not on the doorstep of a big city. I have always enjoyed racing at Silverstone since my first visit back in 2007. I also have good memories of it as I have had some great races there, including winning in both 2009 and 2010 in the GP2 Series.

I've spent so much time in England that it's like a second home to me, especially as I have family who live very close to the circuit in Oxfordshire. It's a great event coming mid-season and it always provides an interesting race. It's always a very special event for the teams based nearby and the support all drivers get there is amazing with some of the most knowledgeable fans in the world. I'm looking forward to racing just down the road from the Lotus F1 Team factory and seeing many familiar faces over the weekend."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Red Bull


Daniel Ricciardo - "I can't hide it! Silverstone's awesome. I love high-speed circuits with high-speed corners – and so the run from Copse through Maggotts, Becketts, Chapel and then around Stowe... maybe the five coolest corners on the calendar and to have them coming at you one after the other. Yeah, I love it. It's definitely a circuit where, the faster the car, the better the experience – though that's usually the case with high-speed tracks. I mean, Silverstone's great in a Formula Renault 2.0. In an F1 car? Epic.

The thing about Silverstone is that it's packed from Thursday onwards. If we have one of those nice, hot blue sky sunny weekends then the atmosphere's amazing. If it's grey, wet and windy then the atmosphere's still amazing. I'm not sure how that's possible – but Silverstone manages it. As for driving in those conditions, it's still exciting – but in a very different way!"

Daniil Kvyat - "It's the first time for me racing for the team at its home grand prix in the UK and I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's a chance for everyone from the factory to stay really close to the race team at a grand prix and that should give it a great atmosphere. It's good for the team I think. Silverstone is a real classic. It's a cool circuit: high speeds, incredibly challenging layout, I really enjoy it. If you get everything right with the car and your confidence is high then it brings you a lot of joy. The high-speed corners are what it's all about - Maggots-Becketts and Copse. It starts with Copse and ends with Maggots-Becketts. That whole section is all done in one breath, the speed is really good and you really find your limits there. That's where you really feel like you are driving a Formula One car, really pushing hard."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers

British GP: Circuit Preview

(Image belongs to: www.goretro.com - All rights belong to the owner)

As another F1 weekend is upon us, it's time to take a peek at the next circuit & a quick look-back at the 2014 British Grand Prix.

"Silverstone Circuit" is located in Silverstone, Northamptonshire & Buckinghamshire, England in the United Kingdom. It's one of the circuits with a larger capacity, which is around 150,000. The circuit opened in 1948 and also held its first GP that year.

There have been a handful of different versions of the circuit but the current one is 3.661 miles in length and has 18 turns. The circuit runs Clockwise & the F1 race will consist of 52 laps. A usual F1 weekend at Silverstone almost always has 1 day of rain & last year it was Qualifying Saturday.

Nico Rosberg grabbed Pole Position last year but retired during the race, allowing Lewis Hamilton to grab a home-race win, with Valtteri Bottas finishing in 2nd and Daniel Ricciardo finishing in 3rd.

Retirements included: Kimi Raikkonen (Accident), Felipe Massa (Collision), Esteban Gutierrez (Collision), Marcus Ericsson (Suspension Failure), Nico Rosberg (Gearbox) & Pastor Maldonado (Qualified as finished - Retired during race with Exhaust issue)

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Photo belongs to: www.goretro.com

British GP: Schedule

As the F1 teams head to England for the next race, they won't be the only ones racing at Silverstone Circuit this coming weekend. GP2 & GP3 will also be competing as well. The crown turnout is expected to break records. Weather can be unpredictable and there's almost always 1 day of rain during the weekend.

Here's the schedule.

SCHEDULE:

July 2nd / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

July 3rd / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1
12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

July 4th / Saturday

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

July 5th / Sunday

11:25 - 12:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
11:30 - Drivers Track Parade
11:45 - 12:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
12:46 - National Anthem
13:00 - 15:00 - Race

(Times subject to change)

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

In-Season Test 2 - Austria Day 2: Re-Cap & Times

With the rain nowhere in sight for the second day testing, the blue skies gave teams a better chance at bringing in those laps.

Marco Wittmann from DTM got to driver for Toro Rosso, which was a very exciting thing as he'd been waiting quite a long time. He was supposed to drive their 2012 car as a prize last year but due to bad weather, it had been canceled.

Red Bull faced some mechanical woes towards the end of the day with a brake issue but were still able to get Ricciardo back out for a final run.

Here ae the times from Day 2.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:09.113 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:09.331 / Ferrari-Ferrari
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:10.029 / Williams-Mercedes
4. Marco Wittmann - 1:10.103 / Toro Rosso-Renault
5. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:10.253 / Force India-Mercedes
6. Jolyon Palmer - 1:10.373 / Lotus-Mercedes
7. Fernando Alonso - 1:10.718 / McLaren-Honda
8. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:10.757 / Red Bull-Renault
9. Felipe Nasr - 1:10.922 / Sauber-Ferrari

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

In-Season Test 2 - Austria Day 2: Line-Up

Here is the line-up for Day 2 of the Austrian In-Season test. Looks like clear weather so-far - We have LIVE Commentary coverage of the AM session on our Twitter, so you can follow us @F1Insider78 for all the updates.

TEST LINE-UP DAY #2 - TUESDAY

Mercedes-Mercedes: Nico Rosberg
Red Bull-Renault: Daniel Ricciardo
Ferrari-Ferrari: Esteban Gutierrez
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso
Lotus-Mercedes: Jolyon Palmer
Sauber-Ferrari: Felipe Nasr
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas
Force India-Mercedes: Pascal Wehrlein
Toro Rosso-Renault: Marco Wittmann

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

In-Season Test 2 - Austria Day 1: Re-Cap & Times

The first day of testing in Austria got off to a very rain-soaked start. The clouds above sent downpour for the whole AM session and continued through the lunch break before finally stopping. The rain caused the test to be Red Flagged as conditions were too dangerous to be running in.

When the session finally went green, the drivers still had a few hours to rack up some laps and gather information for he teams. Manor-Marussia isn't taking part in the test as they are putting all resources towards their 2016 car.

Antonio Fuoco was in the Ferrari and had a late crash in the session. He went on the grass and the car went into the wall. He took the blame for the crash but is OK. The Ferrari, however, needed some repairs.

Esteban Ocon was behind the wheel of the new Force India B-Spec car and he finished the session in 2nd, giving everyone a taste of good things to come for the midfield team.

Here are the times from the session.

TIMES:

1. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:11.005 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Esteban Ocon - 1:11.192 / Force India-Mercedes

3. Max Verstappen - 1:11.328 / Toro Rosso-Renault

4. Antonio Fuoco - 1:11.331 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Romain Grosjean - 1:11.509 / Lotus-Mercedes

6. Pierre Gasly - 1:11.757 / Red Bull-Renault

7. Raffaele Marciello - 1:11.826 / Sauber-Ferrari

8. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:12.530 / McLaren-Honda

9. Susie Wolff - 1:13.248 / Williams-Mercedes

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78