British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - "It's a track I love, one of the best on the calendar, because of all the high speed corners. It is very important to have an excellent aero package here as it is all about those high speed turns. With this year's car it might prove quite tricky as everyone has less downforce to work with. It will be interesting to see how the new type of Formula One cars perform around this circuit. I'm looking forward to this race, because driving a Formula One car at Silverstone is really thrilling. I even lived in Milton Keynes for two years, so I know the area well."

Daniil Kvyat - "I really like this track, with plenty of great sections, like Maggotts and Becketts and Copse. The new section is quite technical. The weather can have an effect of course, especially the wind which can catch you out in the high speed corners. Track conditions, wind, it's England. It's a bit of a home race for me as I have a flat in Milton Keynes, which is where I spend most of my time. I won't stay at home for the race weekend though, as it's better if I can stay closer to the track. It means I won't have to cook my own breakfast and do my own laundry. I enjoy my time there. We will be trying to make the most of any opportunity."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez - "With its fast corners, the track in Silverstone is nice to drive. In terms of the performance, we are quite limited at the moment. I hope the updates will help us to improve the driveability and the overall performance of the car to a certain extent. However, the weather there is tricky, which can provide some opportunities for us. We need to keep ourselves motivated and have to take any chances, as anything can happen during a race. Regarding my accommodation in Silverstone, I will be staying in a motorhome, so it will be a different but enjoyable atmosphere."

Adrian Sutil - "I like the Silverstone track. Many fast corners demand high aerodymic requirements on the car, and a good downforce in order to be fast. It will be interesting to see how we perform there. The weather can also play a major role, as it rains quite often in Silverstone. It is traditionally a nice event as there are many fans at the track and the Brits are generally enthusiastic when it comes to motorsport. Last year I had a good race that I finished in the points."

Giedo Van Der Garde (Reserve) - "The Silverstone track is a nice one. It has an interesting layout with some high speed corners. It has been a while since I was in the far. The last time was at the test in Barcelona almost two months aho. I have to get back into the game, and I am looking forward to jumping in the car again."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - "Silverstone is definitely one of my favourite races. We had a full house at the last race in Austria and I expect the same at Silverstone. The fans are great and it's a race with so much history. Because it's the home of the team, I can spend a lot of time at the factory seeing the faces that I don't get to see that often. There's always a good feeling about the whole week. All of the drivers enjoy the quick parts of the lap and you have to be committed. When you hook up all the corners in one lap it's a great feeling. It's difficult to know how the harder compounds will impact us, but I hope I can continue my run of points."

Sergio Perez - "Austria was a very strong race for us and an important result. I think we had the pace to fight for a podium, but allowing for the circumstances I think we did a good job. The approach we take is to think about how we can be competitive over a 70 lap race. In the last few events I've done really well, apart from Monaco, where we didn't have the opportunity. We're getting there, but it's just unfortunate that we've been unlucky. I think Silverstone will be a bit more of a challenge compared to the last few races, but I am sure we can still do a good job. It's a track I enjoy and I usually go well there. We have been performing solidly on every track so far and I see no reason we can't put in a similar performance this weekend. It's also the team's local race so this adds an extra motivation for us to do well."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes made by Drivers.

F1 News: Michael Schumacher awake and moved to Rehab

Last December, Multiple F1 World Championship winner, Michael Schumacher was in a terrifying ski accident while on vacation with his family.

Schumacher was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble, France. He underwent surgeries to remove blood clots from his brain and was placed in a medically-induced coma so he could heal. 

After many long months, Michael is now awake and responsive through nodding and eye movements and he has been transported to a Rehab Facility in Switzerland where he will get treatment.

We do not know his current condition other than what was announced by his manager. We will not make speculations about his physical health, and we'll only announce what we know is accurate.

His family is thankful for the overwhelming support from Fans, friends and family around the world, but they do ask for privacy at this moment.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus F1 Team

Romain Grosjean - "It's a fantastic track with a lot of high speed corners which should suit the E22 a lot better than the circuits we've visited recently which have seemed to jump on every weakness with our current package. Silverstone is challenging, but it has a good feel. It's one of the quickest tracks of the year. 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. 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."

Pastor Maldonado - "I've won at Silverstone in the GP2 Series and I've always really liked the circuit. 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. 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. Hopefully the high speed corners will work better with our car and it would be great to be back to where we were in Barcelona which is quite a similar circuit to Silverstone. Obviously, at the Barcelona test teams were all running to different programmes, so I don't think we're suddenly going to be the fastest car, but I do expect to be further up the order than we have been at recent races."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Infiniti Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel - "I always like going to Silverstone, the track is incredible to drive and the British crowd that turns out to watch the weekend is always massive - whether it's wet or dry everyone always looks like they are having a really good time. This year I will be staying in the UK after the race which is good because normally we have to leave straight after. It's a busy time right now, we had Red Bull's home race in Austria, the team's local event here and then we go to my home race in Germany! This race has an extra element as it's so close to the factory and a lot of the staff who work so hard on the car will be watching from the grandstands with their families - I hope we can get a good result for them. As the factory is only about half an hour or so from the track a lot of the race team live nearby and can sleep in their own beds for the weekend which surely is a nice thing for them. I have good memories of Silverstone, the best must be winning there in 2009 and Mark won there in 2010 and 2012 so we have a good record at the track."

Daniel Ricciardo - "Silverstone is great. It's just a great, great racing circuit. It's fast, it's flowing and you really get to rag your car for all it's worth. There's nowhere better at letting you know how very, very good an F1 car is than Silverstone, and in particular through that ultra-fast Maggots-Becketts-Chapel complex. The two hairpins at Turns Three and Four give you quite a variation of racing lines, even though they're ‘just' hairpins. You can push hard through the first one and sacrifice the second or you can do the contrary. The more I drive it, the more I also enjoy the new section because it creates more chances for overtaking and it's not as straightforward as it looks. I'm looking forward to my first race with Infiniti Red Bull Racing this year at Silverstone, I know a lot of the guys are going to be watching at the track so I'll be going at it for a good result."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Preview Quotes - Mercedes AMG Petronas

Lewis Hamilton - "It was great to get another one-two finish for the team in Austria and I'm so proud of all the hard work everyone is putting in to keep us at the front this season. Of course, it wasn't the result I wanted personally and it was disappointing not to be able to capitalise on my pace when it was clearly there. But in the end, coming back to second place was positive in terms of damage limitation. Silverstone is obviously a special race for me and the support I have there is just incredible. The British fans are the absolute best in the world and it's really humbling to see thousands of people out there cheering you on - no matter what the weather or the result. I won the race in the wet in 2008, which was just the best feeling. I think the gap was around 60 seconds at the end, and I'd lapped everyone up to third place which was just unreal. I could never have hoped or dreamed for a race like that - especially at my home Grand Prix. That has to be one of the best moments of my career. I loved raising that gold trophy in front of the home crowds and I'm determined to get my hands on it again this year."

Nico Rosberg - "The last race weekend in Austria was not an easy one for us overall, so I was delighted to come away with the win and even more so for the team to have both cars at the front when we crossed the line. The atmosphere at the circuit was really great and, being so close to Germany, it almost felt like a home race for me. Silverstone is another special one for me, as I managed to win there last season. It was actually very close to my birthday and I had a really cool experience after the race. There's usually a fan festival with rock bands and all sorts after the track action finishes, which is something I go to almost every year. This time, I was up on stage doing a quick interview and the whole crowd started singing Happy Birthday to me, which was very cool! The British fans are absolutely fantastic. So I enjoy going to Silverstone personally, but really this one is all about the team. For the hundreds of people at Brackley and Brixworth it's a home race and many of them will be there with their families and friends across the weekend. I want to put on a good show and get the best result possible out of it for them after all their hard work this season."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

British GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo belongs to www.GPsurvival.com)

8 races in, and we are now on to the British Grand Prix. This is one of my favourite circuits. Tons of turns and lots of  room for good over-taking. Let's go ahead and go over the circuit info.

Silverstone Circuit is located in Silverstone, Northhamptonshire & Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1943, while the first Formula 1 Grand Prix there wasn't held until 1950. 

The circuit has a capacity of 90,000+ and is 3.660 Miles in length. It runs Clockwise and the race lap total is 52. The current version of the circuit has 18 turns.

The weather is usually a bit rainy, and last year's qualifying was delayed for over 90 minutes, but nothing can keep the fans from this GP Weekend. It's got a beautiful atmosphere and draws in the biggest of crowds.

Let's take a look back at the 2013 British GP. 

While Britain's own Lewis Hamilton took pole, he was unable to win after he was 1 of 4 drivers to have a tyre explode during the race. 

This ended up being Nico Rosberg's second win of 2013, while Mark Webber finished in Second and Fernando Alonso came in Third. 

Retirements included Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Sebastian Vettel and Jean Eric Vergne. Vettel had suffered from a Gearbox Failure while Grosjean had handling problems.

Vergne and Perez's retirements were due to tyre punctures. Massa and Hamilton were the other two to suffer from tyre punctures.

Testing happened a few days later in order to ensure that Pirelli's tyres would be safe in time for the German GP. The tyre company had been testing new compounds during the season.

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Photo belongs to: www.GPsurvival.com

British GP: Schedule

Here is the F1 Schedule for next weekend's British Grand Prix.

SCHEDULE: 

July 3rd / Thursday

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

July 4th / 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 5th / Saturday

07:30 - 08:35 - 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 6th / Sunday 

11:25 - 12:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

11:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:00 - Race

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Make sure you follow us on twitter @F1Insider78

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringment intended.

Feature: British GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Austrian GP Post-Race Quote:

Amy Hawk - Formula1Insider78: "I really enjoyed the race, it was nice to see Austria's return back on the calendar after such a long absence. I'm really proud of Checo, getting such a great result after having to start so far back due to the penalty. Hulkenberg also brought home points, so great job overall to the team. Huge congrats to the podium finishers, Rosberg, Hamilton and especially Bottas on his First podium in F1! Sauber looked to have a good start, but the unfortunate pit-stop for Esteban really hurt the race. But he did a great drop despite what happened and so did Adrian. Unfortunately Esteban now has a 10-Place-Grid-Penalty for Silverstone, but he's good at over-taking, so I'm hoping things will go okay. I'm looking for ward to the British Grand Prix and of course there will also be the next set of In Season Testing afterwards, so we'll see how that goes. Only 3 more races until Summer Break, and I'm hoping they're just as exciting as first part of the season has been."

Quote belongs to F1Insider78 and its owner. Available for use with permission.

Austrian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

What a race, what a race indeed! Coming back to the calendar for the first time since 2003, Austria was quite the fan-packed spectacle everyone had hoped it would be.

Before the race started, it was announced that Romain Grosjean, would start from Pit-Lane after the team changed his gear box and made some other changes on the back of the car. 

While Williams started as the front two, it certainly didn't turn out that way, as Nico Rosberg took the win in Austria, and he was absolutely overjoyed. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished Second and appearing on the podium in F1 for the first time, Valtteri Bottas, who secured 3rd! Super big congrats to all three of them, it was superb racing out there.

But the star of the race for us was Sergio Perez, who started in 16th, got a slight advantage when it ended up being 15th after Grosjean's gearbox penalty, and still managed to finish 6th for Force India. His team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg finishe in 9th after a tough battle with Button at the beginning of the race. All-In-All, a total of 10 points for the team. So, big congratulations!

Some people who fell unlucky during the race included both Toro Rosso drivers. Jean-Eric Vergne retired with brake failure and Daniil Kvyat retired with suspension failure after a puncture to his right-rear tyre.

Sebastian Vettel also retired after he lost power in the beginning of the race. Even though he ended up being able to continue, he later hit Esteban Gutierrez and ruined the nose/front wing of the Red Bull. He pitted and had it changed, but later the team announce they were going to retire the car to save mileage.

While Esteban was lucky to not have suffered too much damage from Vettel's hit, he'd already had issues during an earlier pit-stop, when he was released with a wheel not secured. He is now paying for the pit-crew's mistake, taking a 10-Place-Grid-Penalty to Silverstone for the next race. He also recieved a Drive-Through penalty during the race. 

We're not sure how this seems fair, when Maldonado flipped Esteban's car in Bahrain and only recieved a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty. How is it that, that recieved lesser of penalties than a pit-crew's mistake? As we say.. Things in F1 aren't always fair.

Overall, it was a wonderful race and I quite enjoyed seeing Austria for the first time! Here are the results.

RESULTS:

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

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

3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland / + 15 Points

4. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil / + 12 Points

5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain / + 10 Points

6. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / + 8 Points

7. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark / + 6 Points

8. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia / + 4 Points

9. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany / + 2 Points

10. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland / + 1  Point

11. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain

12. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela

13. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany

14. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France

15. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France

16. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan

17. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain

18. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden

19. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico

- Retired -

Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany - Retired to protect car.

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

Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - Suspension Failure

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As always, thanks for tuning in to our commentary this weekend! On to Silverstone next for the British Grand Prix. After that race, there will be another set of 2-Day In Season Testing, which we will be doing commentary for on Twitter.

Make sure you're following us @F1Insider78

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Austrian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Time for our Re-Cap of yesterday's wild Qualifying session. Things were definitely different this time around, and it was neither Mercedes AMG Petronas drivers on Pole.

So, who did get Pole Position? Felipe Massa of Williams Martini Racing. Not only that, but his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, secured second on the grid.

If you're new to F1 or not quite sure how the Qualifying Sessions work, go ahead and take a look at our article from the Qualifying session in Canada, where we explain the rules and how it works. It's pretty simple, 3 rounds, limited time on the clock and 6 slowest of the first teo rounds start on the grid in their respective places. Last round, the final 10 battle it out for Pole Position, also known as the very front of the grid. 

Before I show you how the grid will look for today's race, lets go over some penalties. Sergio Perez had an unfortunate 5-place-grid-penalty from Canada as did Max Chilton, although Max recieved a 3-place-grid-penalty.

Another thing to note is, a lot of times during this Qualifying session didn't count, as drivers were running over the Pit Entry line, even after it was revised and fixed up. So after all the penalties and deleted laps, this is how your Austrian GP Grid looks!

RESULTS:

1. (Pole) - Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil

2. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland

3. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany

4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain

5. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia

6. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark

7. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia

8. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland

9. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain

10. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany

11. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain

12. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany

13. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela 

14. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France

15. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France

16. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico •

17. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany

18. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico

19. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France

20. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan

21. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden

22. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain •

• = Driver recieved Grid Penalty during Canadian GP.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

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

FP3 has just finished up and we're back for the Re-Cap! First of all, huge thanks to all who joined our commentary. We'll be bringing you updates about Qualifying as well.

So, in this session the weather was back to being pretty nice, slightley humid. There was luckily no rain, despite the clouds. Jenson was first out of the session with a brake issue that sparked a minor fire. Chilton also missed half of the session due to a problem with his Marussia.

It was not a Mercedes who topped the session this time, although it was Mercedes powered. It was the Williams of Valtteri Bottas! Could we be in for a surprise Pole-Sitter?

At the very end we saw Sergio Perez's Force India becme airbourne, almost in a wheelie-sort-of-way. Kamui also had an inccident that ended his session when he spun heavily into the gravel.

Now, on to the times from this Session!

TIMES: 

1. Valtteri Bottas - 1:09.848 / Williams

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:09.898 / Mercedes

3. Felipe Massa - 1:09.901 / Williams

4. Daniil Kvyat - 1:09.927 / Toro Rosso

5. Nico Rosberg - 1:09.999 / Mercedes

6. Fernando Alonso 1:10.054 / Ferrari

7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:10.392 / Red Bull

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:10.449 / McLaren

9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:10.488 / Ferrari

10. Sebastian Vettel - 1:10.562 / Red Bull

11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:10.683 / Force India

12. Pastor Maldonado - 1:10.776 / Lotus

13. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:11.043 / Toro Rosso

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:11.103 / Lotus

15. Sergio Perez - 1:11.235 / Force India

16. Adrian Sutil - 1:11.294 / Sauber

17. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:11.558 / Sauber

18. Jules Bianchi - 1:11.848 / Marussia

19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:12.320 / Caterham

20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:12.892 / Caterham

21. Max Chilton - 1:12.915 / Marussia

22. Jenson Button - 1:14.237 / McLaren

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Make sure you're following us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for all our LIVE updates for Qualifying. Starts in an hour!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

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

We're around an hour and a half away from FP3, so lets go ahead and get straight to the re-cap of FP2.

When it rains, it pours. Okay, so maybe that's not true for every situation. But rain was starting to come down when the GP2 drivers were on track, but it cleared up for the first half of FP2. But, by the end, the rain was coming down again.

Lots of drivers were locking up again and running wide. Mostly at Turn 1 and 8. No major accidents during this session, so everyone was able to set some good times. Let's move on to that now.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:09.542 / Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:09.919 / Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:10.470 / Ferrari

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:10.519 / Williams

5. Felipe Massa - 1:10.521 / Williams

6. Sebastian Vettel - 1:10.807 / Red Bull

7. Jenson Button - 1:10.813 / McLaren

8. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:10.920 / Red Bull

9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:10.936 / McLaren

10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:10.972 / Toro Rosso

11. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:10.974 / Ferrari

12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:11.261 / Toro Rosso

13. Sergio Perez - 1:11.296 / Force India

14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:11.491 / Sauber

15. Pastor Maldonado - 1:11.765 / Lotus

16. Adrian Sutil - 1:11.806 / Sauber

17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:11.935 / Force India

18. Max Chilton - 1:12.229 / Marussia

19. Romain Grosjean - 1:12.262 / Lotus

20. Jules Bianchi - 1:12.279 / Marussia

21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:12.937 / Caterham

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:13.596 / Caterham

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Make sure to join us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for LIVE commentary coverage of Free Practice 3 in 1 Hour and 30 minutes!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

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

Now that we've officially gotten into the GP Weekend, and FP1 has just finished up, how about a Re-Cap?

With nany drivers not having proper experience with this circuit, there was talk that many driver-errors could happen, but things turned out alright with a few exceptions. There were many having lock-up problems while Vettel managed to control his car after a 720 Double-Spin.

Some of the unlucky drivers included Adrian Sutil who had his session ended early when a hose broke on the turbo. Marcus Ericsson's session also ended in an unfortunate way with an ERS problem that caused plumes of smoke to come from his vehicle. 

Now, on to the times.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:11.295 / Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:11.435 / Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:11.606 / Ferrari

4. Felipe Massa - 1:11.756 / Williams

5. Jenson Button - 1:11.839 / McLaren

6. Sergio Perez - 1:12.009 / Force India

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:12.072 / Force India

8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:12.114 / Williams

9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:12.313 / McLaren

10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:12.364 / Toro Rosso

11. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:12.365 / Ferrari

12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:12.372 / Toro Rosso

13. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:12.570 / Red Bull

14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:12.984 / Sauber

15. Sebastian Vettel - 1:12.988 / Red Bull

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:13.168 / Lotus

17. Pastor Maldonado - 1:13.642 / Lotus

18. Jules Bianchi - 1:13.738 / Marussia

19. Max Chilton - 1:13.857 / Marussia

20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:14.611 / Caterham 

21. Adrian Sutil - 1:14.691 / Sauber

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:17.501 / Caterham

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Make sure to follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 as we'll be bringing all the live commentary coverage of FP2 later today and FP3 tomorrow!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Quotes from Marussia: 

Jules Bianchi - “I always enjoy the challenge of a new circuit. It isn’t new for everyone of course, but I think the starting point will be pretty similar for all of the teams as it’s been such a long time since F1 raced there. Adapting to a new circuit is one of my favourite challenges as a driver, both in terms of working with my engineers to tailor the car to the track and also putting to the test my own ability to get to grips with a new layout and characteristics. I really enjoy this. We’ve done some simulation work and the track looks really good; another interesting challenge for us. I hope we can continue the strong direction we have seen at recent events and get a nice result for the team.”

Max Chilton - “I’m really looking forward to my first Austrian Grand Prix and my first experience of Spielberg. So far this season it has been a case of consolidating my experience of tracks I raced at for the first time last year in my debut season, so it’s nice to shake it up a bit with an unknown quantity and level the playing field a bit. From our simulations the track looks fun and fast, so I’m sure I will enjoy getting to grips with it. The car is performing well at the moment so we’ll be looking to make the most of that and ensure a positive weekend for the team.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Quotes from Caterham: 

Kamui Kobyashi - “The Red Bull Ring is a completely new circuit for me. I’ve seen a lot of on-boards of the track and it’ll be a good challenge. It’s quick, some of it really fast, and there’s a couple of big braking zones so, as usual, getting the setup right is going to be crucial. However, until I’ve actually driven there I don’t want to make any predictions about what it’ll be like for us so let’s see when we get on track. Whatever happens, I’m sure it’ll be a good weekend for the fans, and hopefully for us too. To be totally honest we would benefit a lot from a good weekend. We were unlucky again in Canada, with both cars having to retire because of reliability issues, something we’ve been focusing on from our side all year, and something Renault have improved dramatically from the early part of the season. Even though our pace in the early part of the Canadian GP was not where it should have been, our simulations have shown that, had we finished, we’d have been closer to the pack than it may have looked at the point where I had to retire, so this weekend it’s important we cross the line. We have to finish the races so we can be there if and when it counts, and that’s one of the main goals this weekend.”

Marcus Ericsson - "I’ve never raced in Austria before so it’ll be really interesting to go to a brand new track for me, even though I’m well aware of the history of the circuit. A bit like Monaco, Ronnie Peterson won there so it’ll be another race I go to in his footsteps and after Monaco, where I met his daughter Nina, that means even more to me so, honestly, I can’t wait! It’ll also be good to be able to get back in the car after only a few laps of the race in Canada. We’d had a hard weekend until that point anyway, so an early DNF was even more hard to take, but I came straight back to the factory with the boys after the race and everyone just went straight back to work to prepare for the next race. So, Austria and what looks like will be a quick track. It looks relatively simple, but, like everywhere we race, getting the balance right all weekend is a real challenge, especially for the downhill right at turn three and then through four and into the quick lefts at five and six. You’ll need a good flow through there, and for the whole lap, so you can build up a rhythm and really push and that’s what I want to do for the whole weekend. It would be good to leave Austria in a positive note - it’s been a while since we had one and with the big efforts everyone’s putting in across the team the whole time, I think it’s something we could do with.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Quotes from Williams: 

Felipe Massa - “There are very few guys who have driven the circuit which is a little advantage but the track and limit may have changed and the cars have changed so it won't be the same as 11 years ago. It's not a difficult track to learn and we have the best drivers in the world in Formula One so they will be able to get up to speed very quickly. We can be competitive here but at the moment it's hard to tell where we will be compared to our competition.”

Valtteri Bottas - “I've spent a lot of time in the simulator to prepare of Austria as I haven't driven the circuit before. I have also spoken with Felipe as he is one of the four drivers who have raced this track in Formula One. Learning a new track has never been a problem for me and I have the practice sessions to get to grips with things. I have heard only good things about the track and the fans, so I am really looking forward to getting there. It's a little unknown how competitive we will be as there will be some upgrades, but we will as always give it our best.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Quotes from McLaren:

Jenson Button - First, I think it’s great that we’re going back to Austria. Obviously, the Austrian Grand Prix has such a lot of history, the country has had some great drivers and champions in the past, and it’s also currently got a world-class Grand Prix team, so it makes a lot of sense for us to be racing there again. Second, I think it’s a great venue, a fantastic location for a Grand Prix. From my previous visits, I remember the clear mountain air, the cool morning temperatures before the sun hit the paddock, and the fast, sweeping corners that still largely exist, and which give this circuit a great feel from the cockpit. I remember the racing line for Turn 1 would lead us far out over the exit kerbs and onto the Tarmac run-off - it was crazy! It’ll be interesting to see what has changed in the intervening 10 years - I hear that the track has been left largely unchanged, but that the pits and paddock have been renovated. I think that’s a good call - the track is simple but great. A mini-classic.”

Kevin Magnussen - "It’s strange to be able to say it, but, of all the drivers on the F1 grid, I’ve probably got the most recent experience of racing at the Red Bull Ring, because two rounds of the World Series by Renault were held there last summer. It’s a very cool place - it’s a circuit where you never really get to rest in the cockpit because the track is always going somewhere; there’s only really one ‘straight’ straight, along the start/finish line, but it’s book-ended by fast corners so the opportunity you get to relax is pretty minimal. But that’s what makes it so enjoyable - every lap is a real adrenaline rush because the corners never stop coming. You need to really be on top of the car around here, you want it to be doing exactly what you ask of it, simply because the lap is so physical, the driver is actually doing a lot of work, so he needs his car to take as much of that burden as possible. I think this’ll be a great new addition to the calendar - the circuit is a hardcore racetrack, the fans are passionate and the venue is spectacular.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

More quotes, these ones from Toro Rosso drivers Daniil Kvyat and Jean-Eric Vergne.

Jean-Eric Vergne - "I have never raced at this track before, but I did drive it last year in a Formula One Show Car run for Red Bull at a Renault World Series event. I remember the race was very exciting. The track is short, but really nice and I am sure it will make for a very interesting race this weekend. It will be an important event for us as part of the Red Bull family and so I hope we will perform well. We have to consider it as a sort of home race for Toro Rosso."

Daniil Kvyat - "This is one of my favourite circuits. I raced here in Formula Renault Alps and had two wins there in 2012. I had a great weekend and really loved the track. Last year I went back to the Red Bull Ring with Formula 3 this time and again I had great memories taking three poles out of three, followed by three second places in the races. It's my kind of track, with heavy braking points and it is quite a technical track. It has some fast and medium speed corners which I really enjoy. Hopefully the STR9 will go well there. The scenery is beautiful, typical Austrian nature! It's going to be a big weekend for the Red Bull family, but I will be concentrating on the usual jobs of getting everything sorted and finding the right set-up from first free practice, having the right approach and seeing how it goes. You need to find a good balance there as there are some reasonably long straights. But it's mainly about high speed corners which is where you find most of the lap time."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Next quotes are from Sauber!

Esteban Gutierrez - "The track in Spielberg is new for me and for many other drivers as well. It is always interesting to have new tracks on the Formula One race calendar. Last year there were quite a few tracks on which I drove for the first time, and now with Spielberg there is another new one. It is a fast circuit, so I am going to enjoy it. It will be an interesting event as the Austrians like Formula One and are nice and cheerful people. I hope we can feel the passion and the support for the sport, so that it can be a successful event. I am looking forward to the race weekend."

Adrian Sutil - "I am looking forward to the Austrian Grand Prix. I have never been to Spielberg with Formula One. I know the track from previous racing series in my career, and I really like it. At that time I was participating in Formula Ford and Formula 3. Obviously, I hope for a positive result there. In Canada it was good to finish the race and to get the maximum out of the car. The team also did a great job with the strategy and the pit stops. I hope we can build on this and make steps forward in every area. I am keeping up my motivation, and I am looking forward to the weekend in Spielberg."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Next quotes from the Force India drivers!

Nico Hulkenberg - "Together with Russia, this race is one of the big question marks for everyone this year. The track has some long straights and a few slow corners that should suit us, and we can count on making the most of softer compounds as we did in Canada. When you go to a new track it's even more important to maximise the practice sessions because there is so much more to learn. The lap is quite short so the gaps between the cars will be minimal and even small mistakes can make a big difference. We have shown once more to be both competitive and consistent, but we will need to keep our guard up and keep working hard as we did from the start. There will be tracks where we will be stronger and where we can capitalise on the opportunities we have, and tracks that will be more of a challenge. I know what plans the team has for the rest of the season and I see no reason why we cannot keep battling at the level we are at now."

Sergio Perez - "I don't really know what to expect because it's my first visit to the track, but I'm really looking forward to going there. It's a circuit that not many people know and so it can give you an opportunity to find a small advantage. You have to learn fast and be ready to adapt. A new circuit is always a bit more of a challenge, but it's interesting and I like the look of the track layout. I think the layout of the track will work well for our car. Hopefully we will have the opportunity for another strong performance there."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Lotus have also put out quotes!

Romain Grosjean - “Competing in the Grand Prix will be my first experience there, which is a pretty cool way to get to know a track! It looks like quite a fun lap with some high speed sections and not too much low speed stuff - which hasn’t suited our car so far this year. The track has a bit of undulation too, which is always fun as a driver. A downhill approach to a corner means you have to drive it quite a bit differently than if it’s an uphill approach and Spielberg has both of those. It should be fun. We won’t know for sure until we’ve been out on track, but I don’t think the circuit should be as much of a challenge to us as Monaco or Montréal. Certainly there are fewer low speed corners which seem to have been more difficult for us this season and the downforce level could suit us better too. I am positive. Even though the end result in Canada might not show it, we’ve actually made good progress with the car and it’s starting to feel like a real racer in how it handles and how all the systems feel. This is very important to me as it helps you get the most out of the car through every corner to make the most of every lap.”

Pastor Maldonado - “I know the track, but it was maybe ten years ago when I last raced there and it will be new for me in an F1 car. I think it should be quite good for the E22. It looks like the circuit doesn’t have too many low-speed corners and the downforce and set-up is similar to Barcelona, which should help us. We will work hard to solve the problems we had in Canada so that we can reach our targets in Austria. I’m certainly optimistic Austria will suit us better than the last two rounds. (The last time I raced there) was in Formula Renault and I finished on the podium. Actually I think I won, but I don’t remember to be honest! It’s a high-downforce track. Most of the corners are very quick, especially in the second sector. It’s a lot of fun to race there and I’m happy to be going back.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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