Russian GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 in the second free practice session ahead of qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

    The championship leader managed a 1m33.385s around the Sochi circuit, finishing 0.2s ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo finished third and fourth quickest, roughly 0.45s off Hamilton’s best time.

    Sebastian Vettel set the pace early in the session, but fell down the order as others found improvements. The Ferrari driver managed a 1m33.928s lap before spinning under braking 20 minutes before the chequered flag. He ended FP2 fifth quickest, half a second quicker than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Sergio Perez claimed the best of the rest spot in sixth, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, with Marcus Ericsson completing the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:33.385 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:33.584 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Max Verstappen - 1:33.827 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:33.844 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:33.928 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:34.388 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
7. Sergio Perez - 1:35.122 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
8. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.137 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
9. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.147 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
10. Marcus Ericsson - 1:35.295 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:35.331 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
12. Carlos Sainz - 1:35.341 / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Charles Leclerc - 1:35.432 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:35.568 / Renault-Renault / Germany
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:35.911 / Haas-Ferrari / France
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:36.024 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.074 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:36.617 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.861 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Lance Stroll - 1:37.001 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

----
Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @bethonieboost & @F1Insider78

Formula 2 - Russia - Free Practice - TIMES

FORMULA 2 - RUSSIA - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Lando Norris - 1:48.231 / Carlin / Great Britain
2. Nyck de Vries - 1:48.403 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands
3. George Russell - 1:48.635 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain
4. Sergio Sette Camara - 1:48.748 / Carlin / Brazil
5. Nicholas Latifi - 1:48.834 / DAMS / Canada
6. Tadasuke Makino - 1:48.837 / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan
7. Jack Aitken - 1:48.878 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain
8. Alexander Albon - 1:48.890 / DAMS / Thailand
9. Luca Ghiotto - 1:48.977 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy
10. Antonio Fuoco - 1:49.108 / Charouz Racing System / Italy
11. Maximilian Gunther - 1:49.243 / BWT Arden / Germany
12. Sean Gelael - 1:49.259 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia
13. Niko Kari - 1:49.352 / MP Motorsport / Finland*
14. Artem Markelov - 1:49.474 / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia
15. Louis Deletraz - 1:49.533 / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland
16. Nirei Fukuzumi - 1:49.562 / BWT Arden / Japan 
17. Alessio Lorandi - 1:49.615 / Trident / Italy
18. Dorian Boccolacci - 1:49.681 / MP Motorsport / France
19. Roberto Merhi - 1:50.130 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain**
20. Arjun Maini - 1:56.424 / Trident / India

* - Notes Niko Kari has stepped up to F2 with MP Motorsport, replacing Ralph Boschung
** - Notes Roberto Merhi is replacing Roy Nissany at Campos Vexatec Racing

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

Russian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    The first free practice session of the Russian GP weekend, saw Vettel take the top time with a 1:34.488.

    Vettel was just ahead of Max Verstappen, who came 2nd on the time-sheets with a 1:34.538. Hamilton was 3rd quickest, ahead of Bottas and Ricciardo who completed the top 5.

    Daniel Ricciardo suffered from mechanical woes during the session and the team even opted to change the floor of his car. His quickest time of the session was a 1:35.524.

    There were 4 reserve drivers in the session and 2 of them have already signed a contract for next year to be in the 2019 Championship. 

    The first driver in the order was Antonio Giovinazzi, who just recently was announced to partner Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber in 2019. He replaces Marcus Ericsson, who will stay on at the team as reserve/3rd driver. Giovinazzi finished 10th in the session with a 1:36.712.

    Lando Norris replaced Fernando Alonso, while next year he replaces Stoffel Vandoorne full time at McLaren. The young Formula 2 driver, finished in 13th with a quickest time of 1:37.022.

    Artem Markelov filled in for Carlos Sainz at Renault for the session but it's unknown if the Russian Formula 2 driver will be in F1 next year since Renault have already confirmed their 2019 line-up, consisting of Hulkenberg and Ricciardo. There's a chance he could take a seat at Williams, but with Vandoorne and Ocon needing seats, it's not a sure thing. Markelov finished in 15th with a 1:37.183 while Hulkenberg, despite having mechanical issues toward the end of the session, finished in 9th with a 1:36.274.

    The last reserve running in the session was Nicholas Latifi, replacing Perez at Force India. Even though it's looking more and more likely that Lance Stroll will take over for Ocon in 2019, it's not yet set in stone. Latifi has already done multiple practice session with Force India this year and currently drives for DAMS in Formula 2. He finished the session in 17th with a 1:37.206.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:34.488 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Max Verstappen - 1:34.538 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.818 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:34.999 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.524 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

6. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.663 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:35.696 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.196 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.274 / Renault-Renault / Germany

10. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:36.712 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

11. Romain Grosjean - 1:36.816 / Haas-Ferrari / France

12. Pierre Gasly - 1:36.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

13. Lando Norris - 1:37.022 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

14. Charles Leclerc - 1:37.054 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

15. Artem Markelov - 1:37.183 / Renault-Renault / Russia*

16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:37.187 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:37.206 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:37.225 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

19. Brendon Hartley - 1:37.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

20. Lance Stroll - 1:39.137 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost

GP3 - Russia - Free Practice - TIMES

GP3 - RUSSIA - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Anthoine Hubert - 1:53.146 / ART Grand Prix / France

2. Jake Hughes - 1:53.427 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

3. Nikita Mazepin - 1:53.466 / ART Grand Prix / Russia

4. Giuliano Alesi - 1:53.530 / Trident / France

5. Pedro Piquet - 1:53.691 / Trident / Brazil

6. Ryan Tveter - 1:53.786 / Trident / USA
7. Tatiana Calderon - 1:53.860 / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

8. Leonardo Pulcini - 1:53.884 / Campos Racing / Italy

9. Joey Mawson - 1:53.958 / Arden International / Australia

10. Richard Verschoor - 1:54.038 / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

11. David Beckmann - 1:54.066 / Trident / Germany

12. Sacha Fenestraz - 1:54.096 / Arden International / France*

13. Juan Manuel Correa - 1:54.306 / Jenzer Motorsport / USA 

14. Devlin DeFrancesco - 1:54.500 / MP Motorsport / Canada

15. Simo Laaksonen - 1:54.544 / Campos Racing / Finland

16. Gabriel Aubry - 1:54.579 / Arden International / France

17. Diego Menchaca - 1:54.593 / Campos Racing / Mexico

18. Callum Ilott - 1:54.899 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

19. Jannes Fittje - 1:55.338 / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost

Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Sochi is a pretty unique circuit, it’s very flat and open. In some ways it feels like driving flat out in a car park, but it’s a surprisingly enjoyable lap. Apart from the long straight, there’s a lot going on and it’s a layout that keeps you thinking. It’s definitely grown on me since we started racing there. The track surface has also improved over the last few years. When we first went there the track was very slippery but the grip levels have improved as the track has rubbered in, making it a more enjoyable circuit to drive. It’s not a track I’ve had an amazing result at and it doesn’t really play to our strengths, but this is racing, so anything can happen. I guess I need to go out and find Max a decent 21st Birthday present, (laughs) or maybe I will just dedicate my race win to him.”

Max Verstappen - “This year’s Russian Grand Prix will be a special one for me. It is my 21st birthday on Sunday, so hopefully I can make it one to remember. I think I celebrated my 18th there also, so it won’t be new to have my birthday in Sochi. I feel Russia is an up and coming Grand Prix as it still feels quite new to me. As well as being in the Olympic Park the track has a unique layout. The views from parts of the track and the hotels are really nice. On one side you have the mountains and on the other, the sea. It’s not the best track for our car so it’s vital to get the set-up right for specific corners, we know we will lose time on the long straights so cornering is key.”

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “I look forward to being back in Russia. The Sochi Autodrom is quite a difficult track with low grip making it a challenge to get the tyres and car to work well on this specific type of surface. In terms of driving, the most complex part of the circuit is the last sector, which is quite technical. It is important to have a good car set-up and balance to make sure that you can get a good lap time. After a strong last weekend, it will be interesting to see what we can do at the next Grand Prix. I can’t wait to be back in the car.”

Charles Leclerc - “It will be interesting to drive at Sochi for the first time. It is a new track for me, but I have driven it in the simulator in the past so I am fairly familiar with its layout. The corners on this circuit are all quite consistent and similar. For me, it will be all about getting into the rhythm of the track and being up to speed as soon as possible.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hülkenberg - "I enjoy travelling to Russia. It’s an interesting place with plenty going on and lots of things to do. Sochi is still a fairly new venue to the Formula 1 calendar, but it is an enjoyable circuit to drive, and the Russian atmosphere is always quite good."

Carlos Sainz - "Sochi is quite a long lap with three different sectors. The first is mainly full throttle with a long straight followed by a never-ending left-hander. The second sector flows well and is taken fairly fast with another long flat-out section leading into sector three, which is quite slow. The most special thing about the track is probably the long turn three, which puts the neck to work."

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “I raced in Sochi in GP2 twice, coming second in the feature race in 2015, but it was a while ago, so it’s three years since I last drove there. I also raced at the Moscow Raceway circuit in Renault 2-litre and 3.5. That gave me the chance to be a bit of a tourist, visiting Red Square and some of the other sites and it’s pretty impressive. That’s one of the nice side effects of doing this job, that you get to see parts of the world you might not otherwise.

    Sochi is a relatively new venue and an unusual place, as it was home to the winter Olympics. The atmosphere around the outside of the circuit is strange, as there’s nothing much around it except the former Olympic village. Many of the corners are quite similar in nature, but the final part of the lap especially is pretty technical. Will the Sochi circuit suit us? That’s hard to tell as recent races have not always gone as we expected. It would be satisfying to get a good result here, not just in itself, but to give us a boost before going to Suzuka the following week for Honda’s home race.”

Brendon Hartley - “I’ve only ever been to Russia for a marketing event and that involved being there for less than 24 hours, so the weekend will be an interesting experience for me. Therefore, this will be another new track for me and last week I drove it in the simulator. It’s fair to say, our Singapore performance was not what we wanted so we will be working hard back in the factory to try and find ways of moving forward. It’s a case of hitting the re-set button, while building on the positive aspects with the aim of looking for points in Sochi.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - “I was very disappointed with the result in Singapore, but dealing with difficult days is part of the job. I have turned the page already and I am looking forward to Sochi, where I am sure the outcome will be very different. I can’t wait to get back in the car and get the points the team deserves.

    The Russian Grand Prix brings up some really great memories from three years ago, when I finished on the podium. It was an unexpected result, in a way, and I remember the struggle at the end of the race because I had nothing left of my tyres. It was a fantastic day for us. I quite like Sochi: the event is getting bigger and better every year and they try really hard to put on a good race.

    The track has a street circuit feel, even though it’s quite a quick and flowing lap. It is hard to overtake and qualifying is very important. Turn three is the most memorable corner of the track. It is very demanding on the front right tyre and it reminds me of turn eight in Istanbul. It’s a great corner from inside the car: you really feel its energy from entry to exit.

    I am feeling positive about this weekend and I think we’ll be competitive. Singapore did not bring us the result we expected but the performance and balance of the car were very good. If we can carry that pace forward to Sochi, we should expect a strong result. I think the new upgrades still have some potential to unlock and hopefully we will be able to do so in Russia.”

Esteban Ocon - “We had a terrible weekend in Singapore, leaving empty-handed despite having a great car and the pace to score well, so I am determined to bounce back immediately in Russia. We have made some improvements with our upgrades so I think we will be competitive once again in Sochi. We can score points with both cars and we will work hard to achieve this.

    I enjoy the Sochi track: it’s going to be the third time I will have raced there. I had a very successful weekend there in GP3 and last year it was the place where I made it into Q3 for the first time in Formula One. Those are some good memories and hopefully we will have more of them when we return.

    The track is quite fun to drive, especially the final sector, which is my favourite. There are a lot of left-right changes of direction and 90-degrees corners, which I really enjoy. The weather can be a bit uncertain at this time of year, but I think we can be strong if it’s wet or dry. The target is to be in the top ten in both qualifying and the race, and hopefully we can be the best of the rest.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "It is pretty cool to compete in the Olympic village. It definitely feels like we are in Russia and it is very beautiful scenery with the mountains, snow and sea. What they have done to the place with the infrastructure is incredible and they have done a top job. The track is great and enjoyable to drive. Last year in qualifying I nearly got to Q3, but I didn't get to do the warm-up lap I wanted, and around there it is quite important to get the tyre working properly. I am sure it will be a great weekend for the team, especially as this will be Sergey's first home race."

Sergey Sirotkin - "My home race is always good, but as with anything in life, there are ups and downs. It’s obviously a big pleasure to race in front of my home crowd. I get a lot of support from all over the country, but at the same time it will be a very busy weekend for me. There will be a lot of work to do, much more than compared with other weekends, so it’s going to be very intense. It won’t be easy to manage my time and energy, whilst still being able to perform at my best. That said, it’s still a weekend I’m looking forward to, but I know it’s going to be tough!"

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “Sochi should be a good track for us. It’s key to get the tyres to work in Russia, and that’s something we haven’t done very well in the past. I’m sure this year we’re going to be much better. I’m very much looking forward to getting there and enjoying it.

    I do quite like the fast turn three. It’s a very high-speed corner, flat out, then just going into turn four, coming out of the corner, then braking straight away for turn four. I think the corners flow into each other quite nicely. It’s a good track to drive.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I think Sochi is a pretty good track. It’s not a low-speed track as such, but it’s not a high-speed track either. It’s got very wide, medium-speed corners.

    It’s a good track with some challenging corners. I’d say it has unique shaped corners, with some good opportunities for overtaking. I like turns six, seven and eight as they’re high speed. Turn three is a bit hard for your neck, it goes on and on. It can be a little bit tiring on your neck.”

    In 2016 I had a good first lap. Quite a few people messed up and lost things like front wings and so on. I made up lots of positions with that. I then had a really good race after that to finish seventh. It’s quite a fun track, and good for overtaking and racing. I think we should have a good race there.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “It feels like a long time since we last raced in Russia as the race was much earlier on the calendar last year. It also feels longer for me since I didn’t make the start due to reliability issues, so I’m looking forward to finally racing in Sochi again.

    Last weekend was definitely a boost for everyone. We have had at least one DNF over the last few races, so crossing the line with both cars was positive, and something we need to keep working on every race. It was great to get points too, and the aim is always to keep scoring at every possible opportunity.

    We know some of the coming races won’t be as favourable to us as Singapore, and there will be tracks that won’t suit our car as much. With every race we’re pushing hard, learning a lot and trying to maximize what we have. Sochi is a fun circuit with a very interesting and unique layout with its 90-degree corners, so let’s see how our car performs there.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “After the last race, I hope we can continue to make progress in Russia and keep moving forward. Although I had a disappointing qualifying in Singapore, we once again showed that our race pace is stronger, so it’s important that on my side I can get the best result possible on Saturday to give us the best chance on Sunday.

    I felt very comfortable in the car, we had pace and I felt like we could keep pushing. Strategy and tyre wear will once again be very important during this race, and especially getting a good read on the durability of the Hypersoft tyres from Friday onwards.

    This track won’t be exactly the same for us in terms of performance as Singapore, as the layout is very different and it’s a challenging configuration. But I’m focusing on each weekend individually, race-by-race. Hopefully we can have a smooth Friday and start the weekend strong so we can make the most of every session.”

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended - Quotes belong to Drivers

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost

Russian GP: Circuit Preview

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW

Name: Sochi Autodrom

Location: Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

Opened: September 21st, 2014

Length: 3.634 Miles

Capacity: 55,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 18

Race Laps: 53

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Sebastian Vettel

1st Place: Valtteri Bottas

2nd Place: Sebastian Vettel

3rd Place: Kimi Raikkonen

Retirements: Fernando Alonso (DID NOT START - Gearbox), Romain Grosjean (Collision), Jolyon Palmer (Collision) & Daniel Ricciardo (Brakes)

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost 

Russian GP: Track Schedule

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

September 27th / Thursday

11:00 - 13:00 - Pit-Lane Walk (4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference

15:00 - 17:00 - Pit-Lane Walk (4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

15:50 - 17:45 - Drivers Autograph Session (TBC)

17:30 - 18:30 - Pit-Lane Walk/Truck Tour (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

September 28th / Friday

11:00 - 12:30 - Free Practice #1

13:00 - 14:00 - Press Conference

13:50 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:50 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

15:00 - 16:30 - Free Practice #2

18:30 - 19:00 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

21:00 - 22:30 - Lukoil Run The Track

September 29th / Saturday

09:00 - 09:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

09:00 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

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

13:20 - 13:50 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:20 - 14:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Qualifying

18:00 - 18:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

September 30th / Sunday

12:20 - 13:00 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:25 - 12:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

12:30 - 13:00 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:54 - 13:56 - National Anthem

13:57 - 13:59 - Aerobatic Flyby (TBC)

14:10 - 16:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

----

Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost

Leclerc Confirmed For Ferrari

LECLERC CONFIRMED FOR FERRARI IN 2019 WHILE RAIKKONEN HEADS TO SAUBER

    Charles Leclerc will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari as the 2007 champion switches to Sauber for the 2019 Formula 1 championship.

    With just a year’s F1 experience under his belt, Leclerc will become the first Ferrari Driver Academy member to make it to the senior team and the second youngest driver to ever race for Ferrari in F1.

    “[I’m] eternally grateful to Scuderia Ferrari for the opportunity give,” Leclerc said on Twitter.

    “To Nicolas Todt for supporting me since 2011. To my family.

    “To a person that is not part of this world anymore but to whom I owe everything of what is happening to me, Papa.

    “To Jules [Bianchi], thank you for all the things you learnt me, we will never forget you.

    “And to all the persons that supported me and believed in me. I will work harder than ever to not disappoint you. But first, there is a season to finish with an amazing team that gave me the opportunity to fight and to show my potential.”

    Leclerc made his F1 debut at the start of the year after winning back to back GP3 and Formula 2 championships.

    The Monogasque racer claimed his first F1 points with a sixth place finish at the Azerbaijan GP, where he scored more points than the entire Sauber team managed in 2017. He’s since taken top 10 finishes in four further places and lies 15th in the drivers’ championship.

    Leclerc will spend 2019 racing alongside Sebastian Vettel, while Raikkonen switches to the 20-year-old’s current team, Sauber.

    Almost 18 years after he made his F1 debut with the team, Raikkonen will return to Sauber with a two year contract.

    In his first year at the team, the Finn took 10 top 10 finishes and finished 10th in the championship standings. Since then, he’s taken 20 victories and 100 podium finishes, and team boss Frederic Vasseur hopes that experience will help his team grow next season.

    “Signing Kimi Raikkonen as our driver represents an important pillar of our project and brings us closer to our target of making significant progress as a team in the near future,” he said.

    “Kimi’s undoubted talent and immense experience in Formula 1 will not only contribute to the development of our car, but will also accelerate the growth and development of our team as a whole.

    "Together, we will start the 2019 season with a strong foundation, driven by the determination to fight for results that count.”

    Sauber has since confirmed that Kimi will be partnered with Antonio Giovinazzi from Italy.

    The news leaves six 2019 seats undecided. Haas, Toro Rosso, and Williams are yet to confirm their line ups for next season.

----
Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @bethonieboost & @F1Insider78

Singapore GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

 

SINGAPORE GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton claimed a dominant victory in Singapore as a poor strategy put Sebastian Vettel third, extending the gap at the top of the championship standings.

    Hamilton finished almost nine seconds ahead of Max Verstapen and 40s ahead of Vettel.

    The pole-sitting Mercedes made a strong start while fellow front row starter Verstappen was forced to defend against Vettel. The Red Bull put up a strong fight but Vettel had the better pace and was able to pull ahead at turn seven, just before the safety car was brought out.

    Further back, Sergio Perez collided with team-mate Esteban Ocon, forcing the Frenchman into the wall and out of the race.

    With tyre wear crucial in Singapore, Hamilton wasn’t quick to build a gap to Vettel, and all the front runners limited their pace in the first stint.

    The Ferrari was the first to dive into the pits just 14 laps into the 61 lap race, switching the hypersoft tyres to the harder ultrasofts. Vettel came out just behind Perez and he spent two laps struggling to find a way through before he was released into free air.

    Hamilton was the next to pit, taking soft tyres and returning to the net-lead.

    Verstappen followed on the next lap, also switching to the soft tyres. Despite his Renault engine spluttering as he left the pits, the Red Bull driver was able to emerge just ahead of Vettel, reclaiming the P2 he’d lost 16 laps earlier.

    Hamilton was unchallenged to the chequered flag, taking his seventh win of the season and extending his championship lead to 40 points.

    On the softer tyres, Vettel was forced to be more conservative than Verstappen and couldn’t push for the second place position. He nursed his tyres across the line, dropping half a minute behind the Red Bull driver by the chequered flag.

    Valtteri Bottas spent the majority of the race in “net” P4, but the position came under threat late in the race. The Mercedes driver was struggling to close the gap to back-marker Nico Hulkenberg enough to trigger the blue flags and felt as if he was being held up by the Renault. The lack of pace meant Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo were able to close the gap, but nobody was able to make a move before the chequered flag.

    Slower cars were also a problem for the midfield drivers. Perez, who started the race on the hypersoft tyres, came out behind the Williams duo of Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin after his pit stop. With both Williams drivers on soft tyres, neither were scheduled to pit soon and Perez would have to find a way past himself to keep his race alive. Sirotkin held Perez up and the Force India swerved at him as he came past, picking up a puncture and allowing Hulkenberg through to pick up the final points paying position

    The incident dropped Perez down the order again and he finished 16th, ahead only of Brendon Hartley, Kevin Magnussen, and Sirotkin.

    Fernando Alonso was the “best of the rest” driver and the final man who wasn’t lapped, finishing P7 ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points
4. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points
6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 8 Points
7. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / + 6 Points
8. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / + 4 Points
9. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / + 2 Points
10. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 1 Point
11. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
12. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
13. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
14. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
15. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France*
16. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
17. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
18. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
19. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

RETIRED - Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Collision Damage

* - Notes Grosjean received a 5-Second-Time-Penalty for ignoring blue flags

----
Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @bethonieboost & @F1Insider78

Singapore GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

SINGAPORE GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

Lewis Hamilton took Pole Position ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. In a rare occasion, there were no penalties put in place post-qualifying.

HOW IT WORKS:

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

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five 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.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
4. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
9. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
10. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany
11. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain
12. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
14. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
15. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
16. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
17. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
18. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
19. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

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

Singapore GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

SINGAPORE GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Sebastian Vettel bounced back from a difficult Friday to top the times in the final free practice session ahead of qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.

    The Ferrari driver dominated the session to finish more than half a second faster than championship rival Lewis Hamilton, who had to settle for third behind Kimi Raikkonen.

    Both Ferraris were out on the ultra-soft compound early in the session, with Vettel leading Raikkonen when they returned to the pits after the first runs. As the session wore on and the track rubbered in times began to tumble allowing Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes to come within two seconds of Vettel on the slower soft compound of tyres.

    Any hope of a tight end to the session was eliminated when Vettel returned to the track, lowering the benchmark to 1m38.054s and extending the gap to the rest of the field, including team-mate Raikkonen, who finished 0.4s off Vettel’s pace.

    Hamilton put on the ultrasoft compound in the final 20 minutes of the session but he could only manage third quickest, ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo.

    Max Verstappen spent the session struggling with his Renault power unit. He complained to the team about engine braking, which team boss Christian Horner claimed was a software issue. When asked for more specific feedback, Verstappen told the team “the product in the back of this car isn’t working like I want it”. He eventually finished sixth, a tenth of a second behind Ricciardo.

    Romain Grosjean took seventh ahead of the Force India duo and Fernando Alonso.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:38.054 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.416 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.558 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38.603 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.186 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
6. Max Verstappen - 1:39.265 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
7. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.747 / Haas-Ferrari / France
8. Esteban Ocon - 1:40.073 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
9. Sergio Perez - 1:40.231 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
10. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.254 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.450 / Renault-Renault / Germany
12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.559 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
13. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.591 / Renault-Renault / Spain
14. Pierre Gasly - 1:40.686 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
15. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:40.798 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
16. Charles Leclerc - 1:40.915 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
17. Brendon Hartley - 1:41.562 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:41.884 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.953 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
20. Lance Stroll - 1:42.220 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

----
Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @bethonieboost & @F1Insider78