Russian GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Times

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #3

Mercedes topped the last practice session of the weekend, with Lewis Hamilton taking the top spot in the final few minutes with purple sectors. Both Hamilton and Rosberg also had trouble with Turn 13, where multiple other drivers ran off. Last year, Carlos Sainz had a huge crash in the same area.

    Ferrari also had a good session and Vettel was eager to catch up after missing half of FP2 with an electronics issue that later resulted in a gearbox change. Raikkonen finished the session in 4th, proving th team is top shape this weekend and looking at potential podium finish. 

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:36.403 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:36.471 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.007 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:37.727 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Felipe Massa - 1:37.918 / Williams-Mercedes

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:37.985 / Williams-Mercedes

7. Max Verstappen - 1:38.133 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

8. Jenson Button - 1:38.260 / McLaren-Honda

9. Carlos Sainz - 1:38.465 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

10. Sergio Perez - 1:38.542 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.622 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

12. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.633 / McLaren-Honda

13. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.047 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.162 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:39.230 / Haas-Ferrari

16. Kevin Magnussen - 1:39.238 / Renault-Renault

17. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.239 / Haas-Ferrari

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:39.589 / Renault-Renault

19. Rio Haryanto - 1:39.599 / Manor-Mercedes

20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:39.663 / Manor-Mercedes

21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.740 / Sauber-Ferrari

22. Felipe Nasr - 1:39.898 / Sauber-Ferrari

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Russian GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Times

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #2

It was another good session for Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton topped the time sheets, while Rosberg finished 3rd. Sebastian Vettel split the two Mercedes by finishing 2nd. Vettel, however, did miss some of the session after his car stopped on track when he lost electronics during one of his laps. It was later announced he would need a gearbox change and was handed a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for the race.

Force India are hoping to have a strong weekend, as it will mark 100 races for both Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg sat out FP1 to make way for development driver, Alfonso Celis.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.583 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:38.235 / Ferrari-Ferrari

3. Nico Rosberg - 1:38.450 / Mercedes-Mercedes

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.793 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.084 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.185 / Williams-Mercedes

7. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.193 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

8. Jenson Button - 1:39.196 / McLaren-Honda

9. Felipe Massa - 1:39.289 / Williams-Mercedes

10. Fernando Alonso - 1:39.400 / McLaren-Honda

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:39.465 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

12. Max Verstappen - 1:39.501 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

13. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.795 / Force India-Mercedes

14. Sergio Perez - 1:39.867 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.193 / Renault-Renault

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:40.260 / Haas-Ferrari

17. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:40.508 / Haas-Ferrari

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:40.688 / Renault-Renault

19. Felipe Nasr - 1:40.740 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Rio Haryanto - 1:41.080 / Manor-Mercedes

21. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:41.148 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.652 / Sauber-Ferrari

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Russian GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Times

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #1

 An exciting start to the Russian GP weekend with 2 Russian drivers on track this year. Sergey Sirotkin, former Sauber F1 Team reserve driver, has just recently been signed to Renault as their test driver and was given the opportunity to drive in this session, with Magnussen sitting out.

    Also sitting out this session was Nico Hulkenberg, so Alfonso Celis could drive the Force India. Celis is the teams development driver for the season, with rumours that he step up and get an actual race seat next year.

    Red Bull ran their "Canopy" head protection concept on Daniel Ricciardo's car. While it was only for a few minutes, it gave the team and others an idea of what could possibly be the future for F1 cars, without it being closed cockpit.

    Mercedes topped the session with Rosberg taking the top spot. Hamilton finished close behind in 2nd and Vettel rounded up the top three in the Ferrari. Felipe Massa was side-lined for most of the session with a clutch issue and Rio Haryanto was stuck in his garage with mechanical issues. Both ended up partaking in the later half of the session and were still able to set times.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:38.127 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.849 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.175 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.332 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Felipe Massa - 1:39.365 / Williams-Mercedes

6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.650 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.802 / Williams-Mercedes

8. Daniil Kvyat - 1:40.218 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

9. Sergio Perez - 1:40.287 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.654 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

11. Jenson Button - 1:40.663 / McLaren-Honda

12. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.771 / McLaren-Honda

13. Sergey Sirotkin* - 1:40.898 / Renault-Renault

14. Felipe Nasr - 1:41.085 / Sauber-Ferrari

15. Max Verstappen - 1:41.134 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:41.238 / Haas-Ferrari

17. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.385 / Haas-Ferrari

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:41.671 / Renault-Renault

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.962 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:42.483 / Manor-Mercedes

21. Rio Haryanto - 1:42.687 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Alfonso Celis* - 1:43.432 / Force India-Mercedes

* - Notes driver is only driving in this session.

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “Last year’s Russian Grand Prix ended in a great team result with Felipe finishing in P6. I was rather unlucky that weekend as I wasn’t able to finish the race. Immediately after the race started I ran into Nico (Hulkenberg) after he spun in turn two, so my race was over. However, we were quite competitive that weekend, so I am looking forward to racing on this track again.”

Felipe Nasr - “Looking back to last season, I had a great race weekend in Sochi. We took every opportunity we could and maximised what we had. In the end I was classified in P6, which was my second best result in Formula One. For this year, I still hope we can sort out the issues I had during the last race weekends. I am confident that the team is doing its best and everyone is working hard.”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Manor

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MANOR RACING F1 TEAM

Pascal Wehrlein - “Sochi Autodrom is a great-looking track; I can’t wait to try it out on Friday. It’s essentially a street circuit and they’re always fun to drive. This one is quite fast and having the Olympic Park in the middle of it is something a bit different. For us, hopefully we have been able to continue improving our set-up so we can unlock a little more of the car’s potential. There’s still plenty of work to do there. Fundamentally we have a good package and every race we’re making progress, but it’s still very early days. There’s plenty we can do in every area to improve and find more performance. I’m learning a huge amount with each new race and we’re really starting to work well together as a team, so it’s a combination of factors that will help push us forward. It’s exciting to see how we can build from here.”

Rio Haryanto - (Quote about almost winning in Sochi in GP2 last year) - “Yes, it would have been my fourth win of the season. I took the lead on the final lap but in the end I had to settle for second after I was judged to have overtaken under the Safety Car. It would have put me in contention for the title too. Still, it was a good race for me. I’m looking forward to getting a feel for the track in an F1 car.”

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Test Role for Sergey Sirotkin at Renault

Sergey Sirotkin has joined Renault Sport Formula One as a Test Diver, bagging himself running in the first practice of his home grand prix.

The twenty year old has experience in Formula One, as a test driver for the Sauber F1 Team in 2013 and 2014. The running in the Russian Grand Prix this year will be Sirotkin’s second practice session with a Formula One team on the Sochi circuit, after his outing in 2014 with Sauber.

Sirotkin missed out on a seat with Sauber in 2015, and hopes the new deal with Renault will lead to more success.

“This is a great opportunity for me, although it has all come together so quickly. I still can’t quite believe it. This is, however, the moment that all young racing drivers are working towards, and I am determined to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can, doing the best possible job for the team while driving in Free Practice 1,” said Sirotkin.

The Russian driver is currently racing in GP2, and will start his second season in the junior championship in May.

 “My commitment to challenge for the GP2 Series title will be enhanced by such a great chance and I would like to thank SMP Racing for the great support given to my career, commencing in Sochi, in front of my compatriots.”

Renault Sport Racing Director, Frédéric Vasseur, said: “Sergey is one of the most promising drivers from the junior categories so it is great for us that he is joining Renault Sport. We saw that he was the most promising rookie in the GP2 Series last season, where he achieved a race win and podiums, and for 2016 he is very well placed to fight for the title. He has driven the Sochi Autodrom in a GP2 Series car previously so we have confidence in the job he will be able to do for us this weekend.”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Max Verstappen - “The first thing I remember from Russia is my good qualifying! It's always good to start the race from the highest spot possible and starting P9 in Russia meant already being in the point's positions. Even though we unfortunately didn't have a good start in the race: I arrived to Turn 1 and Hulkenberg spun in front of me, we collided in Turn 2 and I had a puncture. It wasn't great, as I had damage on the car and it all got very tricky but I still tried to do my best.

The track itself has many 90 degree corners, so it's difficult to find the right line. Turns 13 to 16 are a complicated section of the track, as they are all slow-speed corners and if you get the positioning right you can gain a lot of lap-time there. My favourite part of the track is Turn 3 because it's flat out and goes past all the Olympic flags, which you can see when you arrive to Turn 2. After a strong race in China, I hope for another good result in Sochi.”

Carlos Sainz - "When racing in Sochi, at the start of the lap there's a lot of slipstream, so it's possible to arrive to Turn 2 with four cars side by side. One thing I don't like, especially here at this second corner, is the wide tarmac run-off areas, where a lot of cars just run wide instead of committing to the corner. Turn 3 is a very nice corner which is flat or very close to it – it's such a long corner and you just keep upshifting, reaching quite high lateral g-forces.

I remember that Turn 4 is a good overtaking spot. After that there are four consecutive 90 degree corners before arriving to the back straight. Turn 13 is another good place for overtaking, but what this part of the circuit brings to mind is my terrible crash from last year – I'd say the biggest of my career so far. The final part of the circuit consists of another four 90 degree corners. The walls are also pretty close throughout the lap, which makes it a bit more of a challenge. Last year's race was quite exciting so I hope for another one like that and to be able to continue scoring points!”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA 1 TEAM

Lewis Hamilton - “There was plenty going through my head after China, as you’d expect. But, after all these years, experience has taught me to stay calm and keep pushing forwards when I get knocked back. I’ve been here before a few times now. A lot can happen over the next 18 race weekends and I have the utmost confidence in this team. But adversity is part of the journey: it brings us closer, makes us stronger and I know that together we’ll bounce back, so I’m confident of better weekends to come. There are lots of positives to carry into the next battle. If nothing else, I know after these first few races that I can still overtake! I had a great start in China too, so hopefully I can continue that and use it to my advantage to build my races from a better base. It’s Russia up next – a race that I’ve won on both occasions so far and a track that seems to suit me pretty well, so let’s see what we can do there.”

Nico Rosberg - “It’s great to see that we still have the quickest car out there and, of course, it’s always the plan to win every race. But I would never have expected the first three weekends to go the way they have. I’ve made the most of my opportunities and I have a bit of an advantage in the points right now – but we are only three races down and it would just take one bad weekend for that gap to disappear. Lewis is still the benchmark for me as he is the current champion, Ferrari haven’t shown what they can do yet and Red Bull also look like they’re getting stronger, so it’s going to be a good battle and I’m looking forward to that. I wouldn’t have it any other way. For now, I’m just taking things race by race, focusing on doing my own thing and getting the job done to the best of my ability. That approach has worked out well for me so far. Now, I can’t wait to get to Sochi. I was looking good all weekend last year until a technical problem put me out of the race and I had great fun fighting from the back the year before, so I know I’m competitive at this track. It holds great memories of celebrating the two championship wins with the team too, so I’m excited to be heading back and seeing how we perform.”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Felipe Massa - “Sochi is a nice track to drive. It’s a mix between a city circuit and a normal circuit. It’s a race I enjoy and one we have traditionally done well at. I don’t know Russia very much, as we stay in a small town and spend most of our time at the hotel or the track. I like racing there and I hope the event gets bigger every year. From what I know of the track, I’m hopeful it will suit this year’s car, but it’s too early to say for sure.”

Valtteri Bottas - “Russia is my neighbouring country, being Finnish. Sochi is a very technical track and I find it really interesting to drive. I’ve always had pretty good results there. Last year it didn’t end up the way I wanted, but normally I’m pretty quick and we are competitive there as a team. One challenge in Sochi is that the asphalt is quite smooth, so in qualifying it’s not easy to get the tyres to work quickly enough for the timed lap. That has been a challenge in previous years, but hopefully we have fixed it and I’m sure we’re going to have a good weekend in Russia.”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “It doesn’t feel like it’s been too long since we last came to Sochi, but I’m looking forward to comparing last year’s car performance with the MP4-31’s. Our car feels very positive, and our progress is encouraging, but I hope we can achieve the potential we can see in our package and put in a promising performance on Sunday, which is when it all counts.

It’ll definitely be a tricky race – competition in the midfield is very tough, and a lot of the teams are looking pretty strong, with solid reliability. We had a smooth weekend reliability-wise in China and we’re definitely learning a lot race-by-race, so I’m hopeful we can have a stronger result in Sochi. This race is particularly hard on fuel, so along with the tyre strategy there’ll be a lot of elements to manage. With each day I feel stronger since my accident, and I can’t wait to get back in the cockpit again on Friday and see what we can do.

I enjoyed racing in Sochi in both 2014 and 2015 – the track lends itself to close battles and I hope we’ll be able to mix ourselves in with the pack again there this year. The long, fast straights are generally where our car is weaker, but it’s very well balanced, so I’m looking forward to seeing if we can maximise the strengths of our package at this track.

I particularly enjoy Turn Three; it’s a sweeping, multi-apex left-hander that requires a lot of precision; it’s easy to get out of shape as you go around the corner, so good balance and car control are very important. Many of the corners are off-camber too, so it’s fun trying to hook it all up all the way through a lap.”

Jenson Button - “The Sochi Autodrom is one of the fastest city courses we go to, so it doesn’t share many of the same characteristics in terms of set-up compared with other similarly configured tracks. For a modern venue, the racing there has so far been pretty good – the track is wide and fast, and there are a few good overtaking opportunities and some interesting, slower corners at the end of the straights to mix it up a bit.

The asphalt has a lot of grip, so it’ll be interesting to see the different directions the other teams go in with regard to pit stops and tyre strategy. The new tyre rules definitely spice things up a bit as more variables are brought into the mix, so we’ll need to get on top of that to maximise our chances of keeping positive momentum through to the end of Sunday’s race.

The last couple of races have been a bit like rolling the dice for us, and we haven’t managed to hook up the perfect weekend yet. We’ve seen some promising results on a Friday and Saturday, but over a long Sunday afternoon race we’ve found it more difficult to maintain our pace. The car feels good and we’re definitely heading in the right direction, but we need to keep pushing and working hard to bring more improvements and power for us to see further progression.

That said, we knew China would be a tricky circuit for us over a race distance, and we struggled for pace with our tyres towards the end. Hopefully Sochi will be an easier race to manage tyre-wise; we’re consistently putting new parts on the car, and we saw improved reliability at the last race. It’s easy to say we deserved to take more from the first three races, but we need to pull together all of the elements over all three days to give ourselves a fighting chance of scoring some points.”

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - "China was a difficult weekend for us and certainly not the outcome we had wanted. It still feels like it was a negative weekend, but in the near future, I'm sure we'll see positives from it because it's in the tough situations you learn the most. Hopefully, we can learn what happened. If anything was wrong with the car, what can we do better? What can we do differently? How do we react in a better way if we find ourselves in a similar situation? I think it's one of those things you have to face as a new team, but I'm sure we're going to react very well, as we have done so far every time.

Sochi is a good track to drive. I think the corners flow into each other quite nicely, (and) I like turn three. It’s a very high-speed corner, a fun place. There’s a very long straight line to start, followed by big braking into a right-hand side corner, taken in third or fourth gear. Then you have the famous turn three, which is flat out in qualifying. Then you go into turn four – you can carry quite good speed into it. The next few corners are very similar. They flow nicely and you enjoy some good speed in the car. Then you go on the backstraight, again with very tricky braking. Then the last section of the track is much slower, in particular the last two corners. The pit entry is also a bit tricky. The finish line is straight at the last corner, so depending if you’re on a qualifying lap or a racing lap, each one is different."

Esteban Gutierrez - "It was a very big relief to finally do a lot of consecutive laps (in China). I was enjoying the car and the race so much that I could have continued for another 50 laps, probably. It was quite a tricky situation by not being able to practice on Friday and having the wet session on Saturday morning. Basically, we didn’t have many laps under our belts and it was quite a challenge to arrive into qualifying directly without any preparation, but still having to do proper laps. I think we managed it pretty well as a team. Sochi is a track that is pretty stop-and-go. It requires a very different setup to what we had in China. I love the first sector. It’s a nice, big braking into turn one, then you have the long turn three which is flat out. Then you have a series of medium-speed corners which are also quite fun."

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - "I can't believe this weekend is going to be my 100th race weekend in Formula One. Where has the time gone? It's a nice achievement and hopefully I can get a result to make it a weekend to remember. The goal is to get some more points on the board in Russia. The last two races have been frustrating for different reasons and I don't think we've shown our full potential yet. In China I really struggled with tyre degradation, but I don't think that will be such an issue at Sochi because it's a much smoother surface."

Sergio Perez - "Going back to Sochi brings back happy memories from our podium last year. I really like the track and they did a good job with the layout. I think every driver enjoys turn three because it's an unusual corner with high energies and a long duration. You can take it flat, but it's the one corner on the track which really takes the life from your tyres. I think we can be competitive this weekend. We didn't get things right in China and just missed out on points, so we need to concentrate on improving our race pace. It's often those difficult weekends where you learn the most and see where you can improve, so I'm confident we can be in better shape this weekend."

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - "Sochi is pretty unique with some interesting corners so it's a bit different from the other tracks we visit. The grip level's pretty good from the track surface too. In terms of layout, turn three seems to go on forever but you're flat on the throttle. Then there are a lot of corners where it feels you're braking too late but where the exit opens up and there you have to focus on getting the exit right. You have to be a little bit different in how you approach your driving there."

Jolyon Palmer - "My first aim (for Sochi) is to get back to a Melbourne level of performance where I was happy with the car. As a team too, we were happy with the level of performance as we were through to Q2 in qualifying and near the points in the race with both cars quite evenly matched. I haven't been able to replicate that in the last couple of races so that's what we've been focusing on. We know that Russia won't necessarily be the very best circuit for us, but I'm focused on my own performance to extract the very most I can from behind the wheel."

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA 1 TEAM

Daniel Ricciardo - “Sochi is not the Russia I pictured before I first went there. All of a sudden I saw a beautiful blue beach, which made me feel as if I was in a resort and they also have a very modern facility with the Olympic Park.

I think the track hasn’t suited us in the last two years, but we’ve had some strong races so far this year on circuits we didn’t think suited us either so let’s see what happens. In the past it’s been quite a low grip. It got a bit better last year but it’s still quite slippery and because there is not that much tyre wear we haven’t done many pit stops in the past There is not much camber change which you get on a lot of tracks. Also the corners are very flat and because of that quite unique. I’m looking forward to going back.

The hotel we’re staying in has a very nice restaurant called Fellini. But because we spend so much time at the track we don’t really get the chance to see much. I’m going to try this year and speak to Dany to get some local advice. I think Dany will get a very busy week ahead but I don’t think it compares to Australia because it is the first race of the season, so you get more media anyway. I know how he feels though: it’s a week of survival.”

Daniil Kvyat - “I’m very excited to get back to Russia for the Grand Prix. It’s an important race for me and it’s nice to see my family and friends and all the fans who come to support me and the team in Sochi. I can’t wait!

It’s a very modern track with a few corners that look quite similar but they are never as easy as they might look, because you have to try and drive the car on the limit each time you turn. I think Turn 4 is the nicest corner, and it’s also the grandstand named after me. I see my face on that corner often during the race, and that support is really nice. Any time I want to say something cool I say: I have a grandstand named after me!

It will be a hectic week and thinking about Daniel’s busy week in Australia it’s a bit of a payback for me in a way but you already got into quite a good rhythm after the first few races so you’re used to it in a way. In the end it’s my home race and that gives me an extra boost as well. It’s very nice to have a home race. It’s very special for every driver so I think I’m very lucky to have one.

When back in Sochi I like to go and visit a Sauna. It’s a very classic thing to do in Sochi and it’s quite nice to go with a couple of good friends and have a relaxed evening. I did play some ice hockey last year as well and they have an Olympic Village there so there is a lot of sports to do. During race week I also enjoy to take a walk along the nearby seaside.”

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Russian GP: Circuit Preview

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW & 2015 STATS

Name: Sochi Autodrom/Sochi International Street Circuit

Location: Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

Opened: September 21st 2014

Length: 3.634 Miles

Capacity: 55,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 19

Race Laps: 53

2015 STATS

Pole Position: Nico Rosberg

1st Place: Lewis Hamilton

2nd Place: Sebastian Vettel

3rd Place: Sergio Perez

Retirements: Marcus Ericsson (Collision), Nico Hulkenberg (Collision), Nico Rosberg (Throttle), Romain Grosjean (Accident), Carlos Sainz (Brakes), Daniel Ricciardo (Suspension - QUALIFIED AS FINISHED) & Valtteri Bottas (Collision - QUALIFIED AS FINISHED)

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Russian GP: Track Schedule

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - TRACK SCHEDULE

April 28th / Thursday

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

15:15 - 19:15 - Pit-Lane Walk (PUBLIC) - 4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only

April 29th / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

12:35 - 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)

April 30th / Saturday

08:30 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

09:00 - 09:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice #3

13:20 - 14:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Qualifying

April 31st / Sunday

13:10 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:45 - 14:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

14:46 - National Anthem

15:00 - Race Start

(Times subject to change)

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Chinese GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

CHINESE GRAND PRIX - RACE

When the lights went out, Daniel Ricciardo soared past Nico Rosbrg, who had started on Pole. He was also the only Mercedes driver up in front. His team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, was starting all the way back from 22nd after a grid-penalty and not being able to set a time in Qualifying due to mechanical issues.

    Daniil Kvyat tried to go past both Ferrari's on the first lap, which caused Vettel to swerve into Raikkonen in an attempt to avoid getting hit by the Red Bull. Raikkonen was spun off track and had damage to his car. Vettel also had damage as well, but managed to avoid an early pit-stop. Hamilton had first-lap-damage as well and his whole front wing fell off and was dragged under his car, before finally flying onto the track. 

    Romain Grosjean, who was celebrating his 30th birthday, had a very unlucky race after Ericsson collided with him on the first lap. He ended up with damage to the car and was unable to get up into the points this time around. Team-mate, Gutierrez, was unable to score points either, but finished the race, something he was unable to do in Australia (Collision with Alonso) and Bahrain (Brake failure).

     Lewis Hamilton ended up with more than 3 pit stops early on in the race after a slight tyre strategy mix-up. Force India double-boxed their drivers, causing Hulkenberg to have to drive slow while Perez was getting his tyres changed. This almost caused a collision between Perez and Sainz. Hulkenberg was given a 5-Second-Time-Penalty and 2 Penalty Points to his license for driving slowly in pit-lane.

    It was a decent race for Toro Rosso with both cars finishing in the points. Verstappen came in 8th and Sainz made a last-lap pass on Bottas for 9th. A total of 6 points added to the teams tally and they sit 6th in the Constructors Championship. Force India, however, were unable to get points after both drivers struggled in the later half of the race. It had looked promising at first with both drivers running in the top 5 for multiple laps.

    In the end, not one car retired from the race. It was only the 6th time that has happened in F1 history. Nico Rosberg, who won the race, ended up being the 4th driver to ever win 6 consecutive races in a row (The last three in 2015 and the first three of 2016). Sebastian Vettel managed to hold on to Second place after a battle wit Kvyat, who finished Third to finish the podium. 

RACE RESULTS:

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

2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points

3. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Russia / + 15 Points

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia / + 12 Points

5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 8 Points

7. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 6 Points

8. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Netherlands / + 4 Points

9. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain / + 2 Points

10. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 1 Point

11. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

13. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

15. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

16. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

17. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

18. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

19. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

20. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

21. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

22. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

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Chinese GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

CHINESE GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING

After the down fall of revised Qualifying in both Australia and Bahrain, it was agreed that starting with the Chinese GP and onwards, Qualifying would return to its original format.

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position. 

* - Hamilton received a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for a Gearbox change & Was also unable to set a time in qualifying due to mechanical issues. He will start last.

* - Hulkenberg received a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for an unsafe release during qualifying.

Here is how the grid will line up after any penalties were put into place.

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

6. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Russia

7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

8. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain

9. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Netherlands

10. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

11. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

14. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

15. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

16. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

17. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

18. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

19. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

20. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

21. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

22. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

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Chinese GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Times

CHINESE GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #3

It was a very soggy session with the clouds above pouring down sheets of rain. There were 8 cars that didn't set a time. Mercedes was one of the teams that chose not to send either of their drivers out in the wet conditions. Renault dealt with more problems when Jolyon Palmer was side-lined with a rear-right puncture during the session. Despite this, he still finished the session 6th fastest.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:57.351 / Ferrari-Ferrari 

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:58.061 / Williams-Mercedes

3. Sergio Perez - 1:58.689 / Force India-Mercedes

4. Carlos Sainz - 1:58.800 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

5. Esteban Gutierrez / 1:59.526 / Haas-Ferrari

6. Jolyon Palmer - 1:59.677 / Renault-Renault

7. Kevin Magnussen - 1:59.761 / Renault-Renault

8. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:59.964 / Manor-Mercedes

9. Max Verstappen - 2:00.150 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 2:00.158 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Felipe Nasr - 2:00.197 / Sauber-Ferrari

12. Kimi Raikkonen - 2:00.812 / Ferrari-Ferrari

13. Felipe Massa - 2:02.438 / Williams-Mercedes

14. Rio Haryanto - 2:02.732 / Manor-Mercedes

15. Lewis Hamilton / NO TIME SET / Mercedes-Mercedes

16. Nico Rosberg / NO TIME SET / Mercedes-Mercedes

17. Daniel Ricciardo / NO TIME SET / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

18. Daniil Kvyat / NO TIME SET / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

19. Fernando Alonso / NO TIME SET / McLaren-Honda

20. Jenson Button / NO TIME SET / McLaren-Honda

21. Romain Grosjean / NO TIME SET / Haas-Ferrari

22. Marcus Ericsson / NO TIME SET / Sauber-Ferrari

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Chinese GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Times

CHINESE GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #2

Another unlucky session for some drivers. Esteban Gutierrez sat out nearly the whole session - (Apart from an initial installation lap & one times lap) - due to a brake fire that occurred on track. It seemed that his ERS had not been working properly. Magnussen did not go out at all due to car damage that occurred during FP1.

   Ferrari finished the session on top this time around, with Raikkonen taking the #1 spot, while Vettel finished in 2nd. Rounding up the top five were Rosberg, Hamilton and Ricciardo, respectively. 

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:36.896 / Ferrari-Ferrari

2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.005 / Ferrari-Ferrari

3. Nico Rosberg - 1:37.133 / Mercedes-Mercedes

4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.329 / Mercedes-Mercedes

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.143 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

6. Max Verstappen - 1:38.268 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:38.527 / Force India-Mercedes

8. Carlos Sainz - 1:38.542 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

9. Sergio Perez - 1:38.569 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38.723 / Williams-Mercedes

11. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.728 / McLaren-Honda

12. Jenson Button - 1:38.828 / McLaren-Honda

13. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.178 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

14. Felipe Massa - 1:39.214 / Williams-Mercedes

15. Jolyon Palmer - 1:39.774 / Renault-Renault

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.890 / Haas-Ferrari

17. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:39.941 / Manor-Mercedes

18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.979 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Rio Haryanto - 1:40.550 / Manor-Mercedes

20. Felipe Nasr - 1:41.066 / Sauber-Ferrari

21. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:42.954 / Haas-Ferrari

22. Kevin Magnussen - NO TIME SET / Renault-Renault

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Chinese GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Times

CHINESE GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #1

A good start to the race weekend with the news that Fernando Alonso had been cleared to compete in the first practice session. After the session, he went a series of tests before he was confirmed to take part in the rest of the race weekend. Both cars finished in the top 15 at the end of this session as well.

    This session had two red flags due to debris being on track from different tyre accidents. The first happened when Massa's rear-left tyre came off the rim, causing him to slide across the track and damage the car. It later happened again, just moments before Kevin Magnussen has a suspension issue that lead to a puncture of his rear-left tyre as well.

    Esteban Gutierrez had to sit out this session due to an electrical issue. Magnussen and Massa did not set times as well due to their issues with the tyres earlier on, which caused damage to both cars. Nasr had a water-system issue late in the session and it was reported that there might be an engine issue for Nico Rosberg.

Mercedes topped the session, despite both drivers having some issues with the cars. Hamilton spun twice in the session at turn 11 and reported something possibly wrong with the car. 

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:38.037 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.183 / Mercedes-Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:38.665 / Ferrari-Ferrari
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.061 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.155 / Ferrari-Ferrari
6. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.625 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:39.676 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari
8. Jenson Button - 1:39.974 / McLaren-Honda
9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.169 / Force India-Mercedes
10. Max Verstappen - 1:40.232 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari
11. Sergio Perez - 1:40.347 / Force India-Mercedes
12. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.538 / McLaren-Honda
13. Valtteri Bottas - 1:40.828 / Williams-Mercedes
14. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.358 / Haas-Ferrari
15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.393 / Sauber-Ferrari
16. Rio Haryanto - 1:41.614 / Manor-Mercedes
17. Jolyon Palmer - 1:41.816 / Renault-Renault
18. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:42.908 / Manor-Mercedes
19. Felipe Nasr - 1:42.980 / Sauber-Ferrari
20. Kevin Magnussen / NO TIME SET / Renault-Renault
21. Esteban Gutierrez / NO TIME SET / Haas-Ferrari
22. Felipe Massa / NO TIME SET / Williams-Mercedes

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Manor

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MANOR RACING F1 TEAM

Pascal Wehrlein - “It’s great fun getting to grips with a new circuit and once you’ve done a few laps, it’s not such a big issue, as long as the weather is on your side so you can build momentum. I walked the track last year with Mercedes and obviously I’ve prepared on the simulator, so I just want to get stuck into FP1 now and see how our package performs here.”

It was funny to hear about those (rocket) comments from Kev (Kevin Magnussen) during the race (in Bahrain). It was true though; the car was really quick on the straights and there are a couple of good ones here at Shanghai. What we know from Bahrain though is that there’s some more work to do to get the best from the car throughout the lap. There is still a lot we can do to continue improving the set-up and here we need a good compromise from straights to turns. It’s quite a challenging track so I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Rio Haryanto - “Shanghai is a track I know really well from my Asian Formula Renault Challenge and Formula BMW Pacific days. It’s fun and challenging to drive so it will be nice to come back here and see how it feels in a Formula 1 car! There was a lot to take away and think about after Bahrain and I’m sure we’ll see more from the car and myself in China. Hopefully we will have made some further improvements with the set-up and I can feel a little more confident with the car.”

Anywhere that has Asian food is okay with me. Plus, I head back to Indonesia after every race, so what is a long haul for the team is actually a short haul for me. In the absence of an Indonesian Grand Prix – yet! – the Asian races are home turf for me, so it’s nice that there are so many of them.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES  - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “The Chinese Grand Prix is always a little bit of an unknown: the weather is often changeable as it’s spring time in Shanghai and the temperatures can often fluctuate, which influences the car’s set-up and balance over the course of the weekend. Track temperatures will be much cooler than what we saw in Bahrain, which means keeping heat in the tyres is harder to maintain, so we’ll need to focus this weekend on optimising our set-up for the variable conditions.

The track itself features a challenging mix of corners, and the two long, fast right-handers place a lot of wear on the tyres, especially the front left. It can therefore place huge emphasis on tyre wear and graining, so it’s important we get the tyres working properly from the start of every stint so we can manage them during the race and get the best out of them. The circuit is enjoyable to drive, and there are some fun, high-speed sections around the back, so I’m excited to see what our chassis and power unit are capable of there this year.”

It was disappointing to be told I couldn’t race in Bahrain, but I fully respected the decision of the FIA medical team. While I hope I’ll be back in the cockpit on Friday, until I get the all-clear from the doctors to race – whenever that may be – we cannot assume anything, but I’m continuing to prepare for the race weekend as normal.

Stoffel did a great job in Bahrain, and although Jenson suffered reliability issues, it was positive to see that both cars ran quite strongly during the weekend. It was also interesting for me to see the race weekend unfold from a different perspective, which helped me to understand everything that goes into getting the cars on track and learn a lot about the different processes, although I’d still prefer to be racing! I’ve always enjoyed driving in China – I’ve won there twice before – and I hope we’ll be able to have some good battles on track and see more progress this weekend.”

Jenson Button - “The Shanghai International Circuit has an interesting mix of requirements – quite a few slow- and medium-speed corners, which are followed by two very long straights – one being 1.17km (0.727 miles), and the longest of the season. That places a lot of stress on both the tyres and the power unit, but I’m hopeful that with this year’s package, we won’t suffer as much on this track as we have done previously. The key will be preparation and set-up: getting the aero balance right from Friday onwards, and getting on top of the tyre wear with every new set.

This won’t be an easy race for us – the conditions will be very different to Australia and Bahrain – but it’ll be good for us to test the characteristics of the MP4-31 there, and understand as much as we can about how it behaves on this sort of track and with the cooler temperatures. It’s important we gather as much information as possible and take into account all variables as we visit each circuit, so that we can adapt this for Grands Prix later on in the year. It’s a long season, and we’re looking for improvements and progress at every race.”

The Bahrain race weekend was bittersweet on my side of the garage. We definitely saw another step in the car’s performance from Australia as we keep learning more about the handling and characteristics of the car, and bring new upgrades to each grand prix. Friday practice was a real positive, but unfortunately we couldn’t make it stick in qualifying and then suffered reliability issues in the race. Saying that, until the point when we lost power, the car had felt very good, and I’m hopeful that we can continue that momentum in Shanghai and make the most of the package we have.

As always though, we need to work hard on our reliability. We’ve definitely seen an improvement in that area, but anything less than 100 per cent is never enough, and it’s important we take advantage of our progress to bring home the points we deserve and have something to show for all of our efforts. The Chinese Grand Prix is a very different challenge from the past two races, and I’ve enjoyed racing there in the past. My victory there in 2010 was very memorable and a great race – it just shows how the changeable conditions can really mix things up – so I hope we can enjoy some more good racing there this weekend, and most importantly, see the chequered flag.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “I think there are a few more parts coming in China and then a few more after that. I’m very much looking forward to trying the first updates to see if they’re working as they should. We’re not a hundred percent with the car yet, so there are still a few things we can do without adding the updates. Again, in China, we have some aggressive tire options, so hopefully they will work as well as they did in Bahrain.

Shanghai is a fun track. The first corner is probably the best known one. It’s a very long, right-hand turn corner. This circuit is very hard on the front tires. There’s also the very long back straight with big braking at the end. It’ll be a good test for us to see, on a very different track layout, if we’re as good as we were in Bahrain.”

Esteban Gutierrez - “We still need to manage our expectations because our car at the moment has reacted pretty well in Melbourne and in Bahrain, but we need to learn how it will react now in China. I think China will give us a good indication of how the season will be, and also the fact that all the other teams are pushing really hard to develop their car during the season. And as the season advances, it will get more and more competitive, so we need to be ready for that. We can still extract more speed and performance from our car, and China gives us an opportunity to do just that.

Shanghai is a very front-limited track, which puts a lot of front load into the tires. Turn 1 is very fast and a very long corner - one which is very different to other corners of the season. It’s quite iconic to Shanghai. You arrive full speed, and when you enter into the corner, you have to wait very long into Turn 2. You have Turn 3, which has a very long exit, and it’s quite tricky on traction as you put a lot of lateral on the exit. You go through Turns 4 and 5, which is a very high-speed section, and then into Turn 6 and 7, one of my favourite parts of the track. You really come into Turn 6 with full speed and then change direction into Turn 7. You have to prepare for Turns 8 and 9 because this sequence is very important not to lose the rhythm. Then getting into Turn 10, it’s a small 90-degree corner which exits to a very, very long straight into Turn 11, which is the beginning of a very long corner. You go from very low speed to increasing the speed through the corner, and it’s a part of the circuit where it’s easy to hurt the front tyres. It’s an important part of the circuit when it comes to the car’s race setup. Then one of the longest straights of the season is the back straight, were you’re at maximum speed. You arrive into a very high-braking corner - the hairpin Turn 14. Then the last corner is 90 degrees - a medium-speed corner - which is quite tricky on the exit because you have the curb which you can use quite a lot but, obviously, it has its limits. You’re always trying to maximize the track. It’s quite challenging.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - “I’m really excited and I really want to get those first points on the board. Give me a normal race with no puncture and no penalty and I think we can do that! My race (here) in 2014 wasn’t the best, I struggled with the car I had, meaning I finished in 13th position. Certainly I’m hoping for a better result on my second visit.

The (track) layout is interesting but it is a very wide circuit and there’s so much run-off area, it doesn’t feel as spectacular as it could be. It does have some really good fast corners; the entry to turn one is special in particular, you enter it from the fastest part of the track and by the end of what is a pretty long corner you’re at about 60kph!

There are two DRS straights so that’s obviously where you look first for overtaking opportunities. The biggest chance is into the first turn as the DRS zone starts very late on the start-finish straight so you can get close to the car in front. That said, I’m always going to go for any opportunity no matter where it presents itself on a lap!

We know our weaknesses and perhaps Shanghai’s not going to be the friendliest track for us in terms of these but I still think that if we have a good race we can challenge for points. I’m really pumped and excited.”

Jolyon Palmer - “I drove (the Shanghai International Circuit) last year in FP1 so I have a reasonable idea about the track. You can get pretty low temperatures there so there’s the challenge of long corners too, which means front tyre graining. It’s almost the exact opposite of Bahrain, which is rear limited.

There are some very technical corners, like Turn 1 that is pretty unique as it goes pretty much back on itself, on to the back straight, which is another long corner that induces graining on the front left. The straight is very long and there’s DRS so in the race you’ll be looking to be as close as possible to the car ahead to slipstream and make a move, then you’re considering your braking point. It’s one of the longest straights on the calendar and it’s right at the end of the lap. You really need to maximise the potential; you can’t afford to mess it up. The long straight means the tyres are being cooled and the brakes are being cooled; both of which you need to be working at their best when you get into the corner.

There are two sides to the track, you’ve got the really long straight with heavy braking at the end, then there’s the double DRS zones into the first corner as well so there’s overtaking opportunities there. The middle sector is more about high-speed corners where it’s not so easy to follow the car ahead but the corner itself provides the challenge. There’ll always be the element of looking after the tyres in Shanghai.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Max Verstappen - “I like China, I remember I had some good overtakes there! The first four corners of the circuit, Turns 1 to 4, are a very special part and tricky to get right. Another part of the track that I enjoyed last year was Turn 6… I did a good move there! I couldn't overtake Perez on the straight, so I had to do it somewhere else… I got a good exit out of Turn 5 and, approaching Turn 6, where you normally brake late – as it's a hairpin – I managed to overtake him by braking even later than usual. It's a big relief when you finally get passed a rival and I was very happy.

Turns 7, 8, 9 and 10 are hard on the tyres, so you have to save the rears a bit to get good traction out of there. Another thing I remember from this circuit are the overtakes at Turn 14 – I prepared myself well down the long straight each time and in the end managed to get by from very far! Unfortunately, last year I had a little issue on the main straight with only a few laps to go… And had to retire. I will try not to think about it this year and fight to see the chequered flag in the best possible position.”

Carlos Sainz - “In China you drive down the main straight and arrive to a couple of very long corners, Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4, which actually feel like two corners, not four. It's quite a special section and it's where I had my first mistake of the season last year, as I spun. I also remember going side by side with four cars at Turn 6 at the start of the race, which was interesting as its tight there! Turn 7 is only flat in quali.

From Turns 7 to 10 there are a lot of changes of direction before arriving to a second long corner, Turns 12 and 13, that take you to the back straight – it's exactly like the first corner of the track, but in the opposite direction. I also recall the back straight being a very long one, but DRS helps a lot to overtake. Arriving to Turn 14 is one of the toughest braking zones; it's very bumpy and difficult to get a reference point.

Finally, I'd like to mention the massive downhill as you exit the last corner into the main straight. It's something you don't realize when watching on TV, but the car bounces off quite a lot there. All in all, an interesting track where I hope to score some good points, something I haven't been able to do yet this season.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “The Chinese Grand Prix brings back good memories from last season. We had a strong race weekend there, finishing with both cars in the points. I put in a good performance with some nice battles on track. In the end I saw the chequered flag in P10. For this year’s race weekend on the Shanghai International Circuit, I feel confident that we can build up our performance from Bahrain and make another step forward there.”


Felipe Nasr - “My first Formula One race weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit was quite positive last year. We improved the car during the whole weekend and, after a top ten qualifying, I finished the race in eighth. Looking back to the Bahrain Grand Prix about a week ago, I hope that the team was able to sort out the issues I had with the C35. The objective is clearly to be more competitive. I am looking forward to the Chinese Grand Prix as the track characteristics should suit our car.”

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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - “When I think of the race in Shanghai I always remember the impressive towers on the main straight and the cool paddock buildings by the lake. It’s definitely a circuit with a special character and its own personality. The city of Shanghai is also a cool place to visit and I enjoy trying real Chinese food and exploring such a different culture. I’m always fascinated by big cities and feeling the buzz of the place.

The track is also famous for the never-ending turn one. It’s a tricky corner because it’s easy to go in too hot, especially during qualifying, and it’s a corner that eats your tyres. In fact, looking after the tyres is always hard work because Turn 13 is another long right-hander that takes even more life out of them. The rest of the lap has a bit of everything from low-speed to high-speed, which makes it challenging to find a balanced set-up.

My expectations for this weekend are high and, after the disappointment of Bahrain, I hope we can have a clean race in China. There’s good pace in the car and reaching Q3 in Bahrain was proof of that. We had to work very hard with the car set-up to find the sweet spot, but we learned a lot of things that will carry over into this weekend.”

Sergio Perez - “I’ve always enjoyed going to China. Shanghai is an interesting city to explore and you always get huge support from the fans. They always wait outside our hotel every day just to say hello and give us special gifts.

They did a great job with the track design in Shanghai because there is a good mix of corners. Turn 1 is what everybody talks about and it’s my favourite part of the lap. It’s such an unusual corner and you have to judge your speed perfectly because you can lose a lot of time if you don’t attack it enough. Then, on the back straight, we always see lots of drag races and it’s a question of who will brake latest going into the hairpin.


After two disappointing races I want to get my season started properly in Shanghai. The results in Australia and Bahrain could have been so much better, but things just didn’t work out for me. That’s part of racing and I know things will turn around soon. It was a similar situation as the start of last year before my luck started to change. The atmosphere in the team is still upbeat and everybody is pushing to get more performance from the car. We made a good step in Bahrain with the upgrades so we are definitely moving in the right direction.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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