Michael Schumacher in Critical Condition after Ski accident.

7-Time-World-Champion Michael Schumacher was taken to Grenoble in France after a serious accident while skiing with his son in the French Alps. The retired Formula 1 driver, 44, fell and severely hit the left side of his head and in a result was airlifted to a nearby hospital before being transfered to Grenoble.

He underwent his first surgery the same day and was placed in an artificial coma. The surgery was to help relieve pressure and get rid of any clots or hematomas.

Michael today remains in a very critical condition after a second surgery but is seeming to be showing a few signs of improvement.

Formula 1 drivers and other celebrity pals of Schumacher have tweeted and/or made public statements to address Michaels condition and share their thoughts and prayers.

I am also giving my thoughts and prayers to Michael and his family in this tough time. We hope he gets well soon and makes a grand recovery.

More updates to come tomorrow.

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

Sauber signs Adrian Sutil for 2014.

Early this morning I got alerted that Sauber had officially signed Adrian Sutil for the 2014 season, but no word on who he will be teaming up with. Sergey Sirotkin has yet to earn his super license, and I know there are quite a few other drivers who are currently without a seat including; Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Charles Pic, Giedo Van Der Garde, Paul Di Resta and some looking to return to F1 like: Heikki Kovalainen and Rubens Barichello.

Updates later.

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

 

Sergio Perez to Partner Nico Hulkenberg at Force India in 2014.

Force India announced formally that Sergio Perez is indeed the other driver for the team next year, and will partner German driver, Nico Hulkenberg. Rumours said that Perez would land the Lotus drive or head back to Sauber, who had him in 2011 and 2012. But both of those were false and instead he heads to London based Sahara Force India, who have welcomed him with big hearts and are already getting him used to the team.

More info to come soon.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Updated Driver Line-Up 2014. (Updated DECEMBER 31ST.)

I am doing this article instead of updating the last Driver Line-Up that I had up, because so many things have changed and a lot of things are now official. 

Redbull: Sebastian Vettel & Daniel Ricciardo.
This is official and can't change. Both drivers have contracts and are already preparing.

Mercedes: Nico Rosberg & Lewis Hamilton.
Also official.

Lotus: Romain Grosjean & Pastor Maldonado.
This has been made official by Lotus recently. Hmm.. Should be interesting to watch.

Ferrari: Fernando Alonso & Kimi Raikkonen.
Official.

McLaren: Jenson Button & Kevin Magnussen.
Official.

Force India: Nico Hulkenberg & Sergio Perez.
This was complete a few weeks ago. This is a wonderfully strong pairing.

Sauber: Adrian Sutil & Esteban Gutierrez.
Made official by The SauberF1 team a few weeks ago. Sergey will be their New Test Driver.

Williams: Felipe Massa & Valtteri Bottas.
Official.

Toro Rosso: Jean-Eric Vergne & Danill Kvyat.
Official.

Caterham: To Be Announced & To Be Announced.
I have no idea who'll be on this team next year, though I have heard rumours that Charles Pic will not return.

Marussia: Jules Bianchi & To Be Announced.
With Jules confirmed officially by the team, everyone is waiting to find out his team-mate and it could be another week or two before anything is announced.

More to come soon.

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

 

Updated 2014 Calendar.

Last time I posted about the 2014 Calendar, nothing was official and some of the races were just up there as guesses. But now things are getting more official and put together.

1. India is officially not returning until 2015.
2. Korea will not be part of the 2014 race season.
3. New Jersey and Mexico will not take place in 2014.
4. Abu Dhabi will be the last race of the year instead of Brazil.
5. The Germany race goes back to the Hockenheim Circuit.
6. The Spanish GP is back to Barcelona.

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Now, here is the calendar as of now:

1. Australia / March.
2. Malaysia / March.
3. Bahrain / April.
4. China / April.
5. Spain /May.
6 Monaco / May.
7. Canada / June.
8. Austria / June.
9. Great Britain / July.
10. Germany / July.
11. Hungary / July.
12. Belgium / August.
13. Italy / September.
14. Singapore / September.
15. Japan / October.
16. Russia / October.
17. U.S.A. / November.
18. Brazil / November.
19. Abu Dhabi / November.

In total, as it stands right now, there are only 19 races. I'm pretty sure nothing can change now.. But we will see.

Article Writen By: Amy Hawk.
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Nico Hulkenberg signs to Force India.

Force India has announced that Nico Hulkenberg will return to the team in 2014, after having signed a multi-year contract. No word on how many years, or who his team-mate will be, but according to the team, it will be announced soon... Probably in a few weeks.

Nico was a driver for Force India back in 2012, partnering Scottish driver, Paul Di Resta, whowas also on the team this year alongside another German, Adrian Sutil. No word on where they have seats in Formula1 or if they even have seats at all. Paul is rumoured to be heading to Indycar.

Some names talked about for the other seat include Sergio Perez, who was let go from McLaren at the end of this year, and Esteban Gutierrez, who partnered Nico Hulkenberg on Sauber for this season.

More information to come soon.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Pastor Maldonado confirmed at Lotus for 2014.

It was made official today by the Lotus Team and by Romain Grosjean that Pastor Maldonado would partner him at Lotus in the 2014 season. Many believed the second driver would actually believe Nico Hulkenberg, but unfortunately the deal did not go through and instead the drive goes to the former Williams driver.

Grosjean sent out a tweet on his Twitter today, welcoming Pastor to the team.

More to come on the subject soon.

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

Sergio Perez out at McLaren, Kevin Magnussen in.

Most of the silly season rumours have turned out to be true moves/switches between Drivers and Teams. One of the biggest ones have surrounded the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team.

Whitmarsh announced that the only thing that had been signed was with Jenson Button. It left concern about Sergio Perez and was he going to be staying on the team for next year? Sergio had told the public that he was expecting to stay with McLaren and that everything looked good for him and his future.

But after releasing a Farewell statement on Wednesday, from Twitter, Sergio was to part ways with McLaren after this year. With social media buzzing about the reason why and wanting a for sure answer, Martin Whitmarsh announced Sergio was leaving and wished him nothing but the best in his future/career. Kevin Magnussen, the young rookie, will be taking Sergio's seat in 2014.

Not many people feel this is fair and I have to admit.. Sergio should've been given another year or two in a better car. This years McLaren MP4-28 was not up to expectations and gave the drivers a disappointing season.

All-In-All, I really hope Sergio is able to find a seat somewhere in Formula 1 next year. He's a great guy with a huge heart and a big passion for racing. He loves and cares about his fans and is doing what he can to make these last two races the best of the season. So, Checo... Best of luck to you! We support you.

As for Kevin, I'm sure he is thrilled about becoming a very young McLaren driver and I hope he achieves the goals he has set for himself.

I'm also happy that Jenson Button will be sticking around.. I have been very supportive of McLaren this year and that will not change next year. Sergio said he will always be a fan of McLaren and so will I.

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

Heikki Kovalainen to drive for Kimi Raikkonen.

One of the latest bits of news involving the Lotus team was that Kimi Raikkonen would not take place in the last two races, so he could undergo back surgery on Thursday. (Today.) - The Fin has been in pain due to a back injury and was desperately needing to get this taken care of by surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery has come before the last race of the season.

So, Raikkonen will not compete in Austin or Brazil - But, taking his place will be another familiar Fin! Heikki Kovalainen, former Caterham driver in 2012. Not only will he be racing in Raikkonens place, but there are rumours that Heikki will make a return to Caterham in 2014, and most likely partner Charles Pic or Giedo Van Der Garde.

More to come on the subject later on next week or so.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Felipe Massa joins Williams for 2014.

It was announced earlier by Williams, and Felipe himself that he had gotten a seat on the Williams Team for 2014.

Earlier this year, Massa announced he was parting way with Ferrari and a lot of people were wondering where the Brazilian driver was going to go and if he would even stick with Formula1 come next year.

Felipe will be partnering Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, which now leaves Pastor Maldonado without a race seat. Lotus has confirmed interest in Maldonado, but Hulkenberg still remains favourite for the Lotus seat.

More information to come soon.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Kimi Raikkonen will miss Austin & Brazil.

It was put to our attention last night that Kimi Raikkonen is to undergo back surgery on Thursday and will not be participating in the last two GP weekends. Having been suffering from a back injury, Kimi was given some minor medical attention and painkillers to tide him over until the season was over, but it seems the pain is too much for the injured Lotus driver.

A replacement will be named soon for Austin & Brazil and it is thought to be given to Lotus reserve driver, Davide Valsecchi.

It is unfortunate for Kimi's season to end this way, but he needs to do what he needs to do to keep his health in check. He wants to be fit and ready for his season next year with Ferrari.

More information on the subject will come soon.

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

Daniil Kvyat completes Toro Rosso's 2014 Line Up.

Even though the 2013 season is still going on, we're always playing 'Silly Season' a fun guessing game of which driver will go where. One of the things that has been confirmed is that Daniil Kvyat is going to be driving alongside Jean-Eric Vergne on the Toro Rosso team in 2014.

Daniil is from Ufa, Russia and was born April 26th 1994, making him 19. He is the Championship Winner of this years GP3 series. He currently resides in Rome, Italy and lives with his family.

Although he is young, he is already showing great promise by being a Champion of GP3. Many of the current Formula1 drivers have expressed that adding 'Young' or 'Rookie' drivers is going to be dangerous. I think most of that assumption is because the drivers will be using Turbo engines next year. It is an interesting time for younger drivers to be joining in, but I feel that Daniil will do very well on the team.
Daniil is not the only young Russian driver being added in the F1 line up. Sergey Sirotkin has a good chance of securing his seat at Sauber if he gets his Super-License.
More information on the 2014 Driver Line up to come!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Sergio Perez: A look back at his year so far with McLaren.

Around this time, last year.. It was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be making his move from McLaren-Mercedes to Mercedes-Mercedes. It was also announced that the person taking his place would be the young driver from Sauber: Sergio Perez.

With the 2013 F1 season almost over, I thought it was time to take a look back at how Perez has done so far. The 23 year old from Guadalajara, Mexico, proved his talent when he scored 3 Podiums while on the Sauber team. He'd been with the team since 2011 and was already racing like a winner. Sergio expressed his excitement after finding out his McLaren news. He was eager to start racing with them and was looking forward for the 2013 season to begin. 

But things have not been easy for Perez. The McLaren MP4-28 wasn't in the shape it should've been for the start of the season. The team admitted to thinking maybe some things were wrong with the car and they knew they needed to see what they could do to fix them before the first race in Australia. 

After Winter-Testing, come March, it was time for the teams to head to Melbourne. Sergio started 15th on the grid and finished in 11th. Then in Malaysia for the Second race of the season, he both started from and finished in 9th, where he got his first points with McLaren. It overall wasn't a bad way to start the season.

The third race took place in China. He again finished in 11th. McLaren were making what changes they could, to help both Perez and Button get more points and a chance at the podium. The 4th race was in Bahrain, where during the race, Sergio Perez and his team mate, Jenson Button, got into a bit of a Wheel-To-Wheel battle, both trying to pass one another. They clipped wheels a few times, before Sergio cruised ahead to finish in 6th, gaining more points.

The two talked the situation over, later on with Team Principal, Martin Whitmarsh... With no hard feelings between the two, there was no drama brought to the 5th race, in Spain, where Perez finished in the points again, in 9th.

The next race was in Monte Carlo, Monaco. A circuit Perez was all-too-familiar with.. And not in a good way. In 2011, driving his Sauber, he missed the Chicane and his car spun and hit a barrier. He was taken to the hospital overnight, suffering from and injured thigh and a concussion. This year, he didn't have any serious accident, but did have a tough passing battle with Lotus Driver, Kimi Raikkonen. During this, Raikkonen squeezed Sergio up again the rail, during which, pieces flew off of the McLaren. A few laps later, the team told Perez he needed to retire the car because his breaks had failed, making the car unsafe to drive. Because he had completed more than 90% of the race, he still qualified as finishing in 16th.

After the race, Kimi took to the press to say that Perez had ruined his race and that maybe he should be "Punched in the face." - But, Perez felt no need to make any comment back towards Kimi, but instead publicly explained the whole situation in a very professional manner.

In the next race, which was held in Canada, Perez finished in 11th. The race after that was hectic. Silverstone, during a practice Session, Perez had a tyre explode into pieces. Pirelli looked into it and assured everyone that the tyres were safe and that there was no need for concern or stress. But during the race, Sergio and more than 3 others all had tyres explode during the race. Some went on to finish the race, but for Perez, it was over. They retired his car, due to the explosion causing other damage to the front of the McLaren. He still finished over 90%% of the race again and was qualified as finishing in 20th.

Happy to get back to finishing in the points, he recieved more after placing 8th in the German GP, then again in Hungary, finishing 9th, giving him a double consecutive points finish. Things were looking pretty good again. Perez was eager to come back even stronger after the Summer Break. The race that started off the Second-Half of the season took place in Belgium. He ended up finishing just behind the points, in 11th. Then in Italy, he paced in 12th. It was disappointing for him after he'd finished on the Podium there last year.

Come Singapore, Perez was back in the points after crossing the Finish Line in 8th. And then he kept up his pace in Korea, finishing in 10th and just nabbing that last Championship Point.

In the latest race, which was in Japan, Perez was holding 5th/6th pretty much during the whole race. Unluckily, Nico Rosberg made contact with the McLaren and Sergios tyes exploded. He ended up finishing 15th. 

With 4 races to go, he still has a good chance of getting more points and a possible podium finish. 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

2014 FIA F1 Calendar.

The FIA released a version of the 2014 Formula1 Season Calendar. All the races listed are scheduled to take place next year.. But that doesn't mean they're subject to change. Nothing is permanent and nothing is secured for sure as far as some of the newer planned races.

As it stands right now, we're looking at a whopping total of 22 Races for 2014. That's a total of 3 extra than this year. India will not be happening next year though due to the fact the organisers wanted to bring the race into an earlier-year slot. It was not able to happen so the race will not be back until 2015.

Also, Korea will move from October to April. And Bahrain will be an evening race.

2014 F1 Calendar:

1. Grand Prix Of Australia / Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne / March 16th.
2. Grand Prix Of Malaysia / Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur / March 30th.
3. Grand Prix Of Bahrain / Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir / April 6th.
4. Grand Prix Of China / Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai / April 20th.
5. Grand Prix Of Korea / Korea International Circuit, Yeongam / April 27th.
6. Grand Prix Of Spain / Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona / May 11th.
7. Grand Prix Of Monaco / Circuit De Monaco, Monte Carlo / May 25th.
8. Grand Prix Of America / Port Imperial Street Circuit, New Jersey / June 1st.
9. Grand Prix Of Canada / Circuit Gilled Villeneuve, Montreal / June 8th.
10. Grand Prix Of Austria / Red Bull Ring, Spielberg / June 22nd.
11. Grand Prix Of Great Britain / Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone / July 6th.
12. Grand Prix Of Germany / Hockenheimring, Hockenheim / July 20th.
13. Grand Prix Of Hungary / Hungaroring, Budapest / July 27th.
14. Grand Prix Of Belgium / Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps / August 24th.
15. Grand Prix Of Italy / Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza / September 7th.
16. Grand Prix Of Singapore / Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay / September 21st.
17. Grand Prix Of Russia / Sochi International Street Circuit, Sochi / October 5th.
18. Grand Prix Of Japan / Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka / October 12th.
19. Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi / Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi / October 26th.
20. Grand Prix Of The United States / Circuit Of The Americas, Austin, Texas / November 9th.
21. Grand Prix Of Mexico / Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City / November 16th.
22. Grand Prix Of Brazil / Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo / November 30th.



Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Maria De Villota Found Dead At 33.

Last week's Japan GP was hit with tragic news that F1 Test-Driver Maria De Villota was found dead in her hotel room in Spain. She was a young 33. She had been in Spain for the release of her new book.

She was in an accident awhile back that resulted in the loss of one of her eyes. She recovered quickly and came back strong, happy to be alive. Reports have said that the death was caused by Brain Trauma due to the accident.

Maria was a very kind-hearted and brave woman. She was motivated, strong and knew what she wanted from life. She shared her talent with everyone and inspired many. Our houghts and prayers are with her family & friends. Before the start of the Japanese GP, all drivers and teams held a 1 minute silence in respect to her. Many drivers also added a red star to their helmet design in memorial.

 Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari in 2014

Kimi Raikkonen will return to Scuderia Ferrari, starting in 2014. Felipe Massa announced a few weeks ago that he will not be driving for the team next year. Which currently leaves the Brazilian without a seat in F1 for next season.

Rumours are now going around about Lotus's driver line-up for 2014 and the biggest name being talked about at the moment is: Nico Hulkenberg. Currently driving for Sauber, Nico has definetly proved himself ready for a bigger seat. But nothing has been confirmed yet.

Both Raikkonen and Alonso seem to be alright with the idea of being team mates and so far there has been no drama. I believe Ferrari will be even stronger next year with Kimi's return.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

James Calado to Force India.

Today, along with the announcement of Daniel Ricciardo heading to Red Bull in 2014, Sahara Force-India made the announcement that 24 year old, British GP2 driver, James Calado will join their team as the new Reserve driver. He will start this weekend in Monza where he will do Free Practice 1.

James Calado did very well in The Young Drivers Testing earlier this year and Force India is very happy to have him on the team.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Daniel Ricciardo will replace Mark Webber in 2014

Earlier this year it was announced that Mark Webber would retire from Formula 1 at the end of 2013 and go to race for Le Mans. While most of the commotion was filled sadness about Mark no longer driving for Red Bull... There was also 1 other thing on peoples minds: Who would get his seat in 2014?

Within the first few days of the announcement, the most rumoured about replacement was Lotus-Renault driver, Kimi Raikkonen. There was also a list of other drivers who seemed they'd be in contention for replacing Webber. Those mentioned, included: Daniel Ricciardo, Jenson Button, Nico Hulkenberg, Paul Di Resta, Fernando Alonso, Jean-Eric Vergne and Pastor Maldonado. Of course, most people stuck with Kimi Raikkonen as the main choice.

Daniel Ricciardo, from Toro Rosso was also very highly talked about for the seat, People were very anxious for any confirmed announcements regarding this situation. Most assumed there would be a choice made over the Summer break and rumours broke out that Red Bull would announce their new driver sometimes during the Belgian GP weekend.. But that weekend came and went without any word about the situation and people went right back to taking anxious guesses.

Finally after two more weeks, Christian Horner and the Red Bull team announced publicly that Daniel Ricciardo would officially be taking Mark Webber's place in 2014. Daniel later also confirmed this on twitter, very happily.



Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Where oh where will Raikkonen go?

Well, he might not go anywhere, actually! Earlier in the season when Mark Webber announced he was going to be retiring from Formula 1 racing at the end of the season, it opened up a seat at Infiniti-Red Bull Racing. Speculations began with naming off Lotus driver, Kimi Raikkonen, as Mark's replacement. Most people were a bit taken-aback that Kimi would leave Lotus, afterall... He's been getting good results with them. But maybe it's time for a change? Possible, but not to Red Bull.

Earlier today his (Kimi's) Manager, Steve Robertson announced that Kimi isn't in the running for Mark Webber's spot, but that the Fin' does have other options outside of Lotus-Renault. And yes! He did say "Options" - Which leaves the question: Which other teams are offering Raikkonen a seat with their team? Ferrari? Mercedes maybe? Or could we even see a return to McLaren? Anything is absolutely possible.. But it's more than likely he'll stay with his current team: Lotus.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Massa's Ferarri future uncertain?

Felipe Massa, has been making headlines recently in Formula1 news. But they haven't been on the good side. The Ferarri driver has had a very unsteady start to the current 2013 Formula1 Season, and has not achieved the best results. Multiple crashes have ruined numerous races, and one crash even leaving him seeking medical attention.

The President of Ferarri, Luca Di Montezemolo made a public statement, backing Massa as a driver for their team. Below is what he had to say about the Brazilian.

"Felipe is fully aware he can count on our total confidence in him. I hope he will soon secure the results thast will show his talent to the full, such as the great starts he pulled off at the last two Grands Prix. The future? We will talk about that further down the line as there is no hurry."

But, many people know that having 1 bad year in Formula1 can really jeopardize what team you are with. There are already talks about Massa being replaced for 2014 with: Jules Bianchi, Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg as the key drivers in talks.

Stefano Domenicali also released a statement, saying:

"I always said we have a lot of confidence in Felipe. I know this is a very critical, very tough moment because he is the first to be disappointed. The only thing to do is to stay always behind him to make sure we are fighting for the constructors' championship."


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

 

Indian GP cut from 2014 Calendar

So, it was announced earlier today that the Indian GP will not make a return until 2015, due to scheduling conflicts. Although it is set to return in 2015, it will not be at the end of the F1 season, but instead in the beginning, shoved somewhere around Malaysia and Bahrain. 

The Indian GP will still run later this year, in October. Bernie Ecclestone wants the GP to be moved to the beginning of the season but due to the fact it's already running at the end of this year, running it at the beginning of next year would set the same GP too close together.

So, instead of 22 races next year, we will be at 21, which is 1 more than the usual 20. We only have 19 this year due to New Jersey not being a ready circuit and no one was able to fill in for the extra European slot.

More info to come soon.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Q & A with Marcey Fehser - Hungary GP!

Today we did a Q & A with Marcey Fehser. She is a artist/painter and loves Formula1. Her artwork is abstract/provocative. The photo above is one she did and is called "Pole Position" - Available for purchase in her etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/justmarcey

Here is the final result of our session!


Me: Alright, so first question. What do you think of the temperatures for this weekend at the Hungaroring?

Marcey: Hottttttt. But, besides "Hotttt" - It'll be uncomfortable for the spectators and it'll be boiling for the drivers down on the track. Boilinggg.

Me: Do you think it could affect the tyres?

Marcey: Ooo. I think if they're using the softs, there will be quicker tyre degradation. Hopefully none will explode.

Me: Which teams do you think have the upper-hand in the hot conditions?

Marcey: Hmm. -Giggles- I think Lotus and I think Ferarri have a better chance in heat.

Me: What about teams that might have some issues?

Marcey: For some reason I think Redbull's gonna' have a problem with the heat... And probably McLaren.

Me: What about some of the middle field teams? How do you feel the heat would affect them?

Marcey: I think Force India will do okay, and I think Sauber has a good chance. I think they may benefit from it, but I think the rest of the teams will do standard. Not much of a difference.

Me: Sebastian Vettel does hold fastest lap here. You sure the heat will trouble Redbull?

Marcey: Yeah, I think it will affect the Gearbox. It seems to have issues in the heat.. Both him and Webber.

Me: Do you know who won the first Hungarian Grand Prix? Haha.

Marcey: I don't.

Me: Nelson Piquet.

Marcey: If I would've grabbed my Formula 1 book, I would've known that. Ooo! I forgot about Mercedes.. Maybe they have a fairly good chance.

Me: What are your guesses on the starting grid? Top 3?

Marcey: Hmm... In no particular order. Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel.

Me: What about someone no one's expecting?

Marcey: Front of the grid? Maybe... Sutil, Di Resta or Perez. I think any one of them could get it.

Me: Okay, last question. What do you think of the circuit? Any particular part of if that is your favourite?

Marcey: That last turn between 12, 13 and 14 looks pretty hairy. And turn 1 looks like there could be some problems there. People are going to be flying down that straightaway. Yikes.

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If you'd like to check out Marcey's artwork you can go to: www.etsy.com/shop/justmarcey 


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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
NCRI.

2014 To See Austrian GP

News this morning announced the come back of the Austrian GP, held in Spielburg at the Red Bull Ring. So far it was said the race will be held July 6th 2014. The last race was held in 2003, when the circuit was still called the A1 Ring. It's currently holding races for DTM. 

With 22 races now planned (So far.) on the 2014 schedule, racers and teams are unsure about it. Most agree there should be no more than 20 races during the racing season. But what's 2 more? We could possibly be seeing 21 if Korea's GP is to fall from the schedule. If not we will see 22, the new races being Austria, Russia and of course the highley talked about New Jersey GP. 

So far, there is no official draft calendar from the FIA. Things will be more clear towards the end of this race season.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Kobayashi crashes Ferarri at Moscow Event.

The Moscow City Racing event took place on Sunday, and Kamui Kobayashi crashed the Ferarri F60 into a barrier, when he lost control on the slippery grounds. Kamui was unhurt, but probably pretty embarrassed. The Ex-F1 driver is currently driving for Ferarri GT. He made this statement after the accident.

"The track was very slippery and there was a marked bump at that point, which is why I hit the barrier. A shame, but I am pleased the team let me out again after a few minutes. It was great to be able to represent Scuderia Ferarri at such an important event. For this I would once again like to thank the team and its sponser Kaspersky Lab. It is important to be able to bring Formula 1 close to the public with promotional events like this: a shame about the rain as otherwise the crowd might have been even bigger."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Realistic Ambitions for Sergio Perez.

McLaren has been unfortunate this year, not finishing inside the points much, recently until the German GP. Button finished in 6th, while Perez finished 8th. But Perez wants to be realistic about how things will be going down in Hungary, and had this to say:

"I'm going to Hungary with realistic ambitions and after a positive weekend at the Nurburgring, we're focused on further improving and understanding the MP4-28. I think the race in Germany showed that, when things come together, we're able to be a force in the race, even if we can't quite set the pace at the front. That is extemely motivating during a difficult year. Hungary is the last race of the first 'Half' of 2013; it's the final event before the official Summer break, so there's usually a good feeling in the paddock. For everybody on the race team, or working back at the MTC, it would be great to send everybody off on their Summer holidays with another strong points finish. I haven't had the best results in my two previous outings at the Hungaroring, which is a shame [But] I enjoy the circuit, have usually qualified well there, and think the race is a great event for F1."

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

Young Drivers Testing Re-Cap

Day 1 was a good day for Kevin Magnussen who set fasest time in the McLaren, topping Force India's Paul Di Resta, who was just barely slower than him! A lot of people are asking if any of these youngsters are fighting for a real drive in F1, and the answer is never easy. Mark Webber's Red Bull seat will likely be given to Daniel Ricciardo from Toro Rosso. And if that happens, it's then the question "Well, who gets Daniel's old seat?"

Formula 1 is unpredictable, and there's a lot more drivers than just Ricciardo who are interested in replacing Webber. Lotus indeed wants to keep Raikkonen, who most people thought would instantly be 2014's new Red Bull driver, partnering Sebastian Vettel. But it looks more likely we could have an underdog or rookie replacing the Australian Driver.

Day 1 Times:

1. Kevin Magnussen - 1:33.602 / McLaren
2. Paul Di Resta - 1:33.774 / Force India
3. Antonio Felix Da Costa - 1:33.821 / Red Bull
4. James Calado - 1:33.986 / Force India
5. Daniel Juncadella - 1:34.098 / Williams
6. Johnny Cecotto - 1:34.193 / Toro Rosso
7. Robin Frijns - 1:34.236 / Sauber
8. Nicolas Prost - 1:34.810 / Lotus
9. Davide Rigon - 1:34.874 / Ferrari
10. Alexander Rossi - 1:35.651 / Caterham
11. Tio Ellinas - 1:36.676 / Marussia
12. Max Chilton - 1:38.347 / Marussia


Day 2 Times: 

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:32.972 / Toro Rosso
2. Carlos Sainz Jr. - 1:33.016 / Toro Rosso
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:33.187 / Redbull
4. Davide Valsecchi - 1:33.554 / Lotus
5. Oliver Turvey - 1:33.864 / McLaren
6. James Calado - 1:33.957 / Force India
7. Antonio Felix Da Costa - 1:33.958 / Red Bull
8. Davide Rigon - 1:34.053 / Ferarri
9. Pastor Maldonado - 1:34.116 / Williams
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:34.224 / Sauber
11. Daniel Juncadella - 1:34.631 / Williams
12. Robin Frijns - 1:34.731 / Sauber
13. Will Stevens - 1:36.082 / Caterham
14. Paul Di Resta - 1:36.356 / Force India
15. Rodolfo Gonzalez - 1:37.949 / Marussia


Day 3 Times:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:32.894 / Red Bull
2. Adrian Sutil - 1:33.242 / Force India
3. Nicolas Prost - 1:33.256 / Lotus
4. Carlos Sainz Jr. - 1:33.546 / Red Bull
5. Davide Rigon - 1:33.592 / Ferrari
6. Felipe Massa - 1:33.624 / Ferrari 
7. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:33.647 / Toro Rosso
8. Gary Paffett - 1:34.924 / McLaren
9. Susie Wolff - 1:35.093 / Williams
10. Giedo Van Der Garde - 1:35.155 / Caterham
11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:35.281 - Toro Rosso
12. Charles Pic - 1:35.576 / Caterham
13. Kimiya Sato - 1:35.642 / Sauber
14. Rodolfo Gonzalez - 1:36.339 / Marussia
15. James Calado - 1:36.451 / Force India
16. Jules Bianchi - 1:36.744 / Marussia


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Young driver Test Line-Up.

The three days of the Young Drivers Test are among us, and of course we have the new "Tyre testing" going on during it. This was not meant to happen, until of course all the tyre explosions happened. So, it was agreed Pirelli could hold testing during the 3 days of YDT.

Each team picked at least 2-3 people who would be driving for the tests. Most teams opted not to use their own current drivers, while some did. 

LINE-UP:

EDIT: Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber will no longer be driving due to test rules and regulations. Red Bull EDIT: Da Costa drove all day yesterday instead, and will drive again this morning (Thursday.) Ricciardo will drive in the afternoon. Friday will see Sainz Jr. In the morning and Vettel in the afternoon.

Redbull:

Wednesday: Antonio Felix da Costa = All Day
Thursday: Antonio Felix da Costa = Morning / Daniel Ricciardo = Afternoon.
Friday: Carlos Sainz Jr. = Morning. / Sebastian Vettel = Afternoon.

Ferarri:

Wednesday: Davide Rigon = All Day.
Thursday: Davide Rigon = All Day.
Friday: Felipe Massa = Morning / Davide Rigon = Afternoon.

Lotus:

Wednesday: Nicolas Prost = All Day.
Thursday: Davide Valsecchi = All Day.
Friday: TBA.

McLaren:

Wednesday: Kevin Magnussen = All Day.
Thursday: Oliver Turvey = All Day.
Friday: Gary Paffett = All Day.

Force India:

Wednesday: TBA.
Thursday: TBA.
Friday: TBA.

Torro Rosso:

Wednesday: Johnny Cecotto = All Day.
Thursday: Carlos Sainz Jr. = Morning / Daniel Ricciardo = Afternoon.
Friday: Jean-Eric Vergne = Morning / Daniil Kvyat = Afternoon.

Sauber:

Wednesday: Robin Frijns = All Day.
Thursday: Robin Frijns = Morning / Nico Hulkenberg = Afternoon.
Friday: Kimiya Sato = All Day.

Williams:

Wednesday: Daniel Juncadella = All Day.
Thursday: Pastor Maldonado = All Day.
Friday: Susie Wolff = All Day.

Marussia: 

Wednesday: Tio Ellinas = Morning. / Max Chilton = Afternoon.
Thursday: Rodolfo Gonzalez = All Day.
Friday: Rodolfo Gonzalez = Morning / Jules Bianchi = Afternoon.

Caterham:

Wednesday: Alexander Rossi = All Day.
Thursday: Will Stevens = All Day.
Friday: Giedo Van Der Garde = TBA / Charles Pic = TBA.

----
Article Written By: Amy Hawk

Sauber gets new partnerships & New driver for 2014.

Sauber announced last night that they have a new partnership with three Russian companies.This is good news since the team had been low on funding lately, and has had a big financial issue this year. The partnership is with the Investment Cooperation International Fund, The National Institute Of Aviation Technologies and The State Fund Of Development of North-West Russian Federation.

Sauber also announced that they have signed 17 year old Sergey Sirotkin for the 2014 season. No word on which driver will not be sticking around. Sergey is still in his first season with Formula Renault 3.5, and his best result so far has been Second place. 

The partnerships apparently have a lot to do with next year's Russian GP in Sochi.


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Cameraman Paul Allen in hospital from tyre accident.

During Sunday's German GP, Mark Webber had an unsafe release in the pit lane. Basically what happened is that his right rear tyre was not completely fastened to his car. Unkowningly, the crew in the front lowered his car for release and Mark quickly began to leave the pit lane. The wheel detached from the car and flew through the Mercedes pit crew, before hitting Paul Allen who is a FOM Cameraman.

He is currently being held in a hospital in Koblens and is conscious, but pretty badly injured. Allen has suffered 2 broken ribs, a broken collar bone and cuncussion.

We hope he recovers soon and that he is feeling better. Thoughts are with him and his family.

As for Mark Webber - He was not given a penalty, although Redbull Racing was for "Unsafe Release in the pit lane".


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

Oh, Monaco: The battle of Perez and Raikkonen!

Yesterday's Grand Prix took place in the beautiful Monte Carlo, Monaco. As always, it was entertaining and nothing less than spectacular. But, every Grand Prix comes with some drama... And this one was a doozey.
 
During the final laps, Sergio Perez had quite a battle with Kimi Raikkonen, and the two collided when Kimi edged Sergio into a wall. Kimi's car hit the McLaren, and pieces flew off of the Lotus. Kimi was furious during the race, calling Perez an "Idiot" over the team radio. After that, Perez was ordered by the McLaren team to retire, due to Brake Failure.
 
Kimi was only more angry after the race, when he ended up in 10th place. In an interview, Kimi bluntly said that Perez needed "To be punched in the face." In response to a question asking if the Lotus team would have a sit down with the McLaren driver. Kimi Raikkonen has taken it too far, making it sound like a physical threat towards Sergio.
 
Sergio is at no illegal fault for trying to pass Kimi during the race, and was not given an order to slow down, or not pass Kimi. He was only doing what he was supposed to be doing: Racing. Formula1 is a dangerous sport, and accidents happen. Kimi needs to calm down, and re-think what happened, for he is the one who shoved Perez into the wall. Perez is NOT responsible for the accident.
 
Earlier on in the race, Perez made an incredible pass on team mate, Jenson Button, and Button praised him afterwards, for doing so. The two seem to be getting along very well since Perez's joining of the McLaren team/family this season.
 
So, great job to Sergio and Jenson. McLaren is getting stronger!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
All rights reserved, no copyright infringement intended.
Sources: Tumblr.com

Sergio Perez's start to the 2013 F1 Season

  The 2013 year starteanges toe HawkBloggeed new ones... And other drivers have switched teams. So, at the end of the 2012 season we learned that young Sauber driver Sergio Perez would be switching over to Vodafone Mclaren-Mercedes, after signing a multi-year contract with the team. He would be replacing Lewis Hamilton, who made his switch to Mercedes. Sergio would be driving alongside Jenson Button.
Sergio Perez was immediately questioned about being switched to such a great team. People questioned his age, his skill, and if he could handle being under such intense pressure. He knew he would have to do his best, if he wanted to shine.
 
When McLaren's new car model, the MP4-28, was launched on January 31st 2013, it was praised for it's beauty, and was expected to get lots of points this season. But it was far from that.
 
McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh even said himself: "Clearly we've lost our way in developing this car."

There was not much the team could do, now. They couldn't go back and 
build a whole new model, or make extreme changes to the current one. The drivers would just have to do their best, and find a way to make the most of the car.
 
So, the year started off in Melbourne, Australia, and Perez set 11th best time in First Practice with 1:28.597. He knew he had to push the car further in P2, and unfortunately it didn't work out that way and he was down to 13th best lap time with 1:228.566. In practice 3, things took a worse turn for the McLaren and he ended up with 18th best lap time with 1:33.527, only being able to complete 8 laps in that session. It was not Perez's fault... The car was just not up to standards.
Perez was able to get through to the Second Round of Qualifying, and started 15th on the grid - He then went on to finish the race in 11th place, with his team mate Jenson Button finishing in 9th.
 
 In Malaysia, Perez had some okay practice laps and his results were  - P1: 13th 1:38.830 / P2: 11th 1:37.838, and P3: 12th 1:37.538. He then moved on to start 10th on the grid, and finish the race in 9th place, giving him better results than he had in Australia, but he knew he could push the car further. Was it China? Not quite.
 
 In China, he slid out in the gravel in Practice one and ended with a best lap of  16th 1:39.360, then P2 with 11th 1:36.940, but his best was in P23 with 9th 1:36.777. He had a tough qualifying and started 12th on the grid, and finished the race in 11th.
 
Incredible results happened in the Bahrain Grand Prix, after the practice rounds, which were: 11th 1:35.640, 13th 1:35.579, and 13th 1:34.282. He then qualified 12th. The race was long, and tough. After pitting, and trying to push the car as fast as it could go, he ended up Wheel-To-Wheel with his team mate, Jenson Button, and the two bumped tyres. Earlier that week, Perez was told to "Toughen up" and be "More agressive" out on track. Some critics even said that the young driver was "Too nice".
 
After the little wheel collision, Button came over the radio saying "He just hit me up the back. Calm him down." But,  Martin Whitmarsh chose not to give any orders at the time. Perez finished the race in an incredible 6th place, bringing points to the team. Both Sergio and Jenson had a sit down to talk about what had happened on the track. The two apologised to the team, and it was announced that there were no hard feelings between the two drivers.
 
In the beginning of May, it was time for Round 5 of the 2013 F1 season, and the drivers headed to Spain. Perez completed the 3 practice rounds with results of:  -13th 1:27.135, 13th 1:24.854, and 14th 1:23.373. In qualifying, he was supposed to start on the grid in 9th position, but due to Ferrari driver Felipe Massa getting a 3 place grid penalty, Perez actually got to start 8th instead. After a tough race, Sergio finished in 9th, which was still a good result considering the car wasn't race-fit.
 
Sergio is now looking to get his first points in the Monaco GP this weekend, after having a very scary crash back in 2011, which sent him to the hospital. McLaren is very happy with what Perez has already acheived while on the team, and has no plans to change their driver line-up next year.
 
Article Written By: Amy HawkBlogger
Sources and info credit to bbc.co.uk, and wikipedia.com
No copyright infringement intended.